Unboxing the Pioneer AVIC-Z130BT AV navigation receiver
We've snapped a few shots of Pioneer's flagship receiver to give you an idea of what you'll find in the box.
Antuan Goodwin
Antuan Goodwin gained his automotive knowledge the old fashioned way, by turning wrenches in a driveway and picking up speeding tickets. From drivetrain tech and electrification to car audio installs and cabin tech, if it's on wheels, Antuan is knowledgeable.
The Pioneer AVIC-Z130BT is an all-in-one GPS navigating, Bluetooth hands-free calling, and digital media playing receiver, but it doesn't stop there. There's also quite a bit of expandability enabled by its plethora of inputs and outputs.
In the box, you'll of course find the AVIC-Z130BT unit itself. The front of the device is dominated by a 7-inch WVGA color touch screen. Along the lower bezel is an assortment of capacitive buttons with a user-selectable backlight color.
Out back, the Z130BT features a number of inputs. Top to bottom, left to right, there are connections for the proprietary USB pigtail, 2.5mm wired remote, power for the traffic tuner, the auxiliary input/output pigtail, GPS antenna, 2.5mm microphone input, IP-BUS for optional satellite radio tuners, the standard wire harness for power and speakers, RCA video out, stereo subwoofer outputs, and the AM/FM radio antenna.
There's also a cooling fan, which you'll need to provide clearance for during the installation.
From left to right, here we have the 6-foot USB/auxiliary input combo cable, the GPS antenna with its 11-foot cable, and the microphone for hands-free calling and voice command at the end of a 13-foot cable.
The AVIC-Z130BT's traffic tuner is an external module that must be wired inline with the AM/FM radio antenna and connected to a dedicated power port on the back of the receiver. Users will need to find space behind the dashboard to mount this box during installation.
Users familiar with car stereo installation should recognize the standard wire harness with connections for power, speaker level outputs, and power antenna and amp turn-on leads. This harness also includes connections for the emergency brake, reverse gear, and speed sensors.
Also pictured is the auxiliary input/output pigtail, which feature an array of RCA audio and video inputs and outputs, and a bag of screws that you'll need for installation. We like that we're able to remove the auxiliary pigtail if unused to save space behind the dashboard and help keep the cooling fan clear.
The power wire harness features prestripped leads for power, accessory power, and illumination. If you're using the AVIC-Z130BT with an external amplifier, there's really no need to bother stripping the rest of the cables.
Finally, you'll find an installation guide, a safety manual, the complete user guide on CD-ROM, a color quick start card, and all of the warranty paperwork. Curiously missing from the included accessories is the iPod interface cable required to play back audio from an iPhone or iPod.
