Casey's Traffic Pro with Phatnoise Page: Casey is the only one we know of whose Phatbox works with a 4771 (BMW version Traffic Pro)
June 28, 2007 update:
I have lost touch with Casey. We have found the techs he worked with at Phatnoise and at Blitzsafe but none of us can figure out how he got his 4771 to work with the Phatnoise. Please read the Compatibility Issues pages for more information. The Phatnoise uses a Blitzsafe adapter to emulate the BMW iBUS but it only works on BMWs that have an updated computer. That's an oversimplification but it's the basic idea, some newer BMWs should work with the 4771 and the Phatnoise, and maybe Casey's car had that computer, we don't know. I also don't know if running Becker's Porsche cable to the CD Changer as Casey did would help. Meanwhile, the Phatnoise should work with all the other Traffic Pros we know about as applicable.
Phatnoise: How to operate Phatbox with Traffic Pro

Casey's last update - May 14, 2003:
I got an email from Phatnoise telling me that my NDA (non disclosure agreement) is over since they now offically support the TrafficPro. That is great news too. So now people with TrafficPros can hook them up to the Phatnoise and have access to all their music. You don't know how cool it is to have 600 cd's worth of music on tap without digging for a CD while driving. (whoa! shift! hehe...)


History:
I bought my 2001 2.5i Z3 from the great folks at Momentum BMW

It had a stereo head unit that no one at the dealership has seen before:

BMW TrafficPro Head Unit
According to Ron Stygar, I needed this cable assembly for the CD Changer: trafficpro_adapter_65900139624
BMW Part Number 65 90 0 139 624. Unfortunately, I had no luck tracking it down through BMW (both in the US and Europe) and through Becker. Aargh! So close, yet so far away.
Then Ron assisted me, by dissecting his dash and making a wiring diagram for the connector.
Becker said : 
"We only have the connector available on a pre-made CD cable. This part number is 1184.709.276. The cost is $50.00. You can use the end that goes to the radio and cut off the other end for what ever you need."
So I made a cable that looks something like this: tp_i_need_to_make
So I ordered part 1184.709.276 from Becker. This appears to be the cable used in Porsche TrafficPro units. I had it run to the trunk by the dealership (I'm not brave enough to dissect the interior to the extent that it would have required).

Then I hooked it up to the Phatnoise-supplied adapter. Here are pictures of the adapter, which plugs in perfectly with the Phatnoise unit via a cable on one side, and the other side has the 2 connectors for the BMW cd changer.


BlitzSafe Adapter

Closeup of the BMW CD Changer wiring to the adapter

So I spent $50 on the cable, $70 on the install, $880 on the Phatnoise - and being able to listen to all of my music on the TrafficPro - priceless ;-)
I've been using my Phatnoise mp3 player for a while now, and love it. I have the
BMW US TrafficPro (4771) hooked up to my Phatnoise mp3 player (www.phatnoise.com), which allows me to have 600 CD's worth of music, controlled from the TrafficPro as if it were just a real big CD changer. It is the best thing I've ever bought for my car. Phatnoise helped me get the unit working with the TrafficPro, and even sent me wiring adapters for it - for free! I can't imagine being in a car without the Phatnoise, since I now have instant easy access to ALL of my music. I could drive from NYC to LA AND back and never listen to the same song twice! Keep in mind, you still have to mount the Phatnoise in the trunk, so you're really not saving room. Hey, but we didn't buy the Z3 to haul things in, right?

Details:

I entered the Service Menu on the Traffic Pro (while in Radio mode press the NAV button and the right-most multi-function button) and got this information:

Brand Name:
Becker Aut. Sys.

Model-No:HW=USA SW=USA
BE 4771 CD00 o

Serial No:
Y50000xx

CD
CDP2088

Radio Software:
25/04/01

Radio Bolo:
05/31/99

Navi ROM/LIB:
305 / 350

Navi Flash:
555
December 2004-Andy in California went to Phatnoise and found the tech who worked with Casey.
Andy wrote:

From my meetings w/ the Phatnoise people, they gave the impression that the 4773 and Porsche units work perfectly w/ the Phatbox. In fact, they hooked up Casey's 4771 like they would a 4773 and it worked. I don't know how, but they insist that this is the way they got it working. No data about the Euro Traffic Pros as far as I know.When I was at Phatnoise, they tried hooking up a Becker cd changer to my unit and it did not power up.
August 4, 2005

DaveR writes:
I was/am 'daver' on Roadfly. Back then, I had a 2000 Z3 Roadster (Alpine White), but now I have a 2001 Z3 Coupe (also Alpine White).
Some time ago, I upgraded the headunit from the stock Business CD to an H/K TrafficPro (not the BMW version). I recently bought a couple Phatboxes that were intended for VW's (you can get these for about $140). I've got all the instructions needed to get this thing to work for a genuine BMW radio, but only bits-n-pieces regarding the TrafficPro.
I've read through a few pages on Z3ers.com regarding getting the Phatbox to work with the 4771 version, and there's occasional reference to the 4773 version. What's not clear is what exactly is being used to interface to the 4773? Is this a standard Blitzsafe adapter (e.g. Alpine <--> Porsche adapter), or something entirely different?
The guys at Phatnoise are reluctant to sell just the adapters unless you can prove (somehow) that you bought it for one car, but are now moving it to a different car. If the adapter is just something I can buy off-the-shelf, then great… all I have to do is build a cable.

I have the 4773.

Here's a dump of what I know regarding interfacing a Phatbox with a BMW headunit:
This Phatbox- Alpine diagram has the cabling pin-outs to go between the Phatbox and the 'special' Blitzsafe adapter. The cable-ends are available from sources like Digi-Key or Mouser.
The 'special' Blitzsafe adapter is the Alpine-->BMW unit with one important change: there's a jumper inside to set the signal-level to the appropriate voltage (5v rather than 12v). Failure to make this change can damage the Phatbox.
You can buy an off-the-shelf Alpine->BMW unit, open it, flip the jumper, and it should work.
Another source of information: http://www.phathack.com/pinouts.html
Yet another: http://www.phathack.com/BMW/info.html
This info will help me get one of my Phatbox's working on my 325iT ... it still has the stock head-unit.

This info doesn't help much with regards to the TrafficPro in my Coupe... I still don't know for sure if Phatnoise will sell me the appropriate adapter, and if not, what it'd take to get one. I have an inside source (of sorts) at Blitzsafe, so I may have to call on that person. He'd helped me out with a XM-Direct adapter... perhaps he can help out here, too. Maybe it's a standard adapter they already sell, but with the jumper change as with the BMW adapter.
I hope this helps somewhat...
Dave

John writes:
Just to let everyone know that I talked to TONY for quite a while
at Becker on Wednesday in regards to the issue with installing a
PHATBOX on the Traffic Pro Model 4771. According to Tony because of
the I bus configuration on this Model of Traffic Pro there is no way
I repeat NO WAY you can install a PHATBOX to this system. So don't
even try. You will be spending a large sum of money on something
that can't happen!
So in order to continue using the PHATBOX and A Traffic Pro Nav
system and still maintain the "BMW amber" color in my system I have
come to the following compromise.
1. I have purchased a model 4773 Traffic Pro from Crutchfield
This one is the "yellow" amber unit which will work with the PHATBOX
unit utilizing the correct cable from PHATBOX.
2. I will swap the face plate from the Model 4771 (BMW) unit and
place that face plate on the Model 4773 (Traffic Pro) unit.
3. I will remove the "BMW amber color leds assembly from the MODEL
4771 (BMW) unit and swap it into the Model 4773 Traffic Pro unit.
4. What this will do will give you the BMW colors with the Model
4773 Traffic Pro and also allow you to use your PHATBOX.
5. Here is the compromise for this swapping. Upon boot up ie. When
you turn it on you will get the word "BECKER" not "BMW" on your
screen. This is the default setting for face swapping on the Traffic
Pro. Also it cost you the price of two Traffic Pro Units in order to
maintain the "BMW amber" look in your car. According to TONY at
Becker all features will be available including the reversing
lighting logic which is not available on the "BMW" version.
So please place this info in the appropriate location for all to
read. That way people can save a buck or two!


See also George's trip to Blitzsafe to fix the 12 second shut off.

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