Can we get any kinda aftermarket navigation systems? Maybe like the kenwood screen with the software to do it?

Any thoughts?

hawaiihs

 

...you can put any aftermarket navigation system on any car as long as you're satisfied with the size and where it will "sit". I even know people who have put aftermarket navigation systems in cars that came with navigation from the factory (namely, the S500) because the factory ones weren't as precise and didn't update their databases fast enough. (Maybe the systems they lease to offer the navigation system?)

Check it out...I'm sure most of them tell you if you CAN'T mount it in certain vehicles. They're pretty cool....even if you know where you're going!

 

Give mingo (Daniel) an email... he has one in his car.

 

I put in an Alpine system with their CD-ROM navigation and was quite disappointed (no detail unless you're in a *major* city). I ripped it out and put in a full PC and used Delorme MapAtlas. It rocks but I would recommend a larger screen than I have. You could also use Microsoft Streets n Maps. It is a great program but you would need a different kind of GPS unit for the MSFT version.

You can get the Delorme GPS and MapAtlas in a package together for like $99. A very good setup.

Later,
/aac

 

The $$$ alternative is to go with Alpine's new DVD format GPS system. It is very detailed. It is also the same software that is used in the Acura's GPS package if you want a preview. MSRP is ~ $2000 right now though. Good luck.

 

I have an aftermarket navigation system in my car. It's the Friend-Reading-A-Thomas-Guide model.

It does take up the entire passenger seat, but is interactive and can change CDs for you and stuff. Also keeps you entertained during the drive. Hard to turn off though.

 

hey xydavid, how hard is it to change out the interior door handles? i want to change all mine out to chrome...i'm thinking a couple hours per door to take all the paneling off...or do you not need to do that? do they look a lot better than the color matched handles?

 

I've taken the paneling off my doors several times, it only takes me a few minutes/door now. The toughtest part is the trim around the handle itself. I don't really care for chrome so I haven't looked into this mod. If you search back I posted a thread a while ago about removing the door panels. Maybe the pics in there will help you out.

 

ok since we are talking about navigation systems... what would u guys recomend me to get for my laptop which i will put in my car? which is the best one regardless of price and which is the best bang for the buck? is there a site that rates them maybe? please let me know
thanks
-danny

 

it was pretty easy actually. I dropped the car off at the dealer and picked it up 3 hours later ...even changed the oil and swapped out the gray trim for the wood grain!

I have the frost interior, and I think the chrome looks much better against the fake leather on the doors. The plastic frost-colored handles just looked cheap against that thin, gray vinyl.

 

It is no more detailed than the Alpine CD-ROM systems. It has more features but no more map data.

I demo'd a DVD setup and they suck. I had the CD setup in my car all summer. The DVDs have lots of crap like restaurants, ATM's, etc. that the CD-ROM's didnt, but the actual maps are just as lame as the CD-ROM. If you're gonna blow that kinda cash, I recommend some kind of PC setup.

Good luck,
/aac


[Edited by acitrano on 02-20-2001 at 08:20 PM]

 

did the dealer install it for free? how much were the chrome handles and how much did you pay for the wood?

 

i have the nve n851a adn it works great.. it workes much better than any of the consumer gps systems available in the US so far. it's recalculating speed is far more superior than the cd based navi system. for people like me the alpine dvd based navi is worth the buy..

acitrano if you want a more detailed verison u can purchase the california specific CD software for the cd based navi system by alpine.. i know they have it for sure.. but they dont' have it for the DVD based one yet.. but either or i'm real happy with the system.

 

little problems, the new Street Atlas 8 Road Warrior Edition will be fantasic. The voice recognition isnt too bad. it works. no training.. however, the zoom and pan take FOREVER. even on a P3-650 laptop with ATI Mobility vid

And the sweetest part about Delorme is only forking out $35 per year for new maps. Actually, I use a Garmin Emap with MetroGuide, which is hand held and has street detail (uploads to chip). However, it doesnt calc a route, so I use it 70% of the time, then when the going gets tough, I whip out the laptop and use the NMEA-out on the garmin to feed Street Atlas. If youre feeling really cheeky, you can go line-out to a cassette adaptor to get directions through the speakers..

Oh, and FINALLY, delorme has 'recalc from this point' via a voice command. the worst part about laptop based nav was missing your turn and having to recalc a route if you got too far off.

 

no freebies... I don't recall the exact prices. The chrome interior handles were surprisingly cheap though. I got 4 interior handles, the center console wood, and the 4 door GLE wood pieces. I think I paid right around $400-500 for all parts and installation, but my parts guy gave me a good price on the parts and talked the service advisor down on the installation... it took them a couple hours to install everything, and surprisingly they actually did a very good job.

 

Have you ever sat down at a PC and used Delorme's MapAtlas? It BLOWS any Alpine nav out of the water for detail and accuracy. I can be on a back road in the White Mountains in New Hampshire and it has every single curve in the road, every rest room, every ATM, every piece of shrubbery (ok, no shrubbery ). MapAtlas (and Street's N Maps) are orders of magnitude superior for detail. But you are right that the consumer GPS systems are a little lame right now. I'm talking about a full PC with a real mapping program and integrated GPS. It makes the Alpine setup look like it just stepped out of the 1970's.

Quote:

acitrano if you want a more detailed verison u can purchase the california specific CD software for the cd based navi system by alpine

1. Like I said, I no longer use the Alpine system because they suck so much and;

2. That would be very interesting if I lived in California, or ever drove there.

/aac

 

ohhhh sooo sorry i thought u lived in california.. but u still gotta think about mobility.. if you can afford to have lap top in the car then that might be the better way to go but i cna't.. and internet based quidance systems will most likely be more in detail because the database in which the info are stored have a much larger storage space compared to one single peice of DVD. it's odd how you think the DVD navi sucks. maybe your standards are much higher than mine.. because my standards of car audio is usually higher than most peoples (audio doesn't neccarily include multimedia) however my biggest dissapointment on the navi system is the error it has. it sometimes (rarely) throws the cursor off.

 

You make a good point -- I'm a computer guy, so I'm used to the accuracy of the desktop systems and I have high standards about computer stuff. It does suck tho that the 640x480 screen doesn't map so well to my 6" Alpine display. ...

Actually I lived in CA when I first joined the BBS years ago, maybe that's why you thought that... but back in Maine now ... stay cool

/aac

 

ohhh no wonder i thot u were from CA.. okie.. i'll remember this for sure. hehehehe. oh i wanted to know how well the cva. displays your computer stuff. can you read the text?/ cuz if it works real well i'ma consider building an in car pc as well with a printer so i could do my HW in the car before class and stuff... thanx in advanced
-daniel.

 

Umm.. it's doable/readable but .. not very. I would definitely recommend a bigger monitor. It's a real hassle to try to read the fonts (even blown up) on the Alpine CVA. I use the magnifier and it helps A LOT but it's still a little clumsy.

/aac

 

hahaahhaha. but at least it would still be able to display the text right.. hahahahaah thanx.. that's kinda funny. i guess a larger monitor would be good... how bout the olympia goggles.. u have any experience with those? i almost purchaced a pair last summer in taiwan.. but hte a/v input isn't an rca and iddin't know if there was a converter to it.. it looked like a earphone prong