| norcalchuck |
Has anybody used the Garmin Street Pilot in-car navigation system? It seems a pretty robust system--routing, voice prompts, color display, etc. Similar features to the Acura nav. Best price I've seen is at www.provantage.com $839. I buy lots of hardware and software from them.. Great place--hard to beat prices.
I have an '03 base model and thought this might be a good unit. |
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| laborlitigator |
| Bought mine at ecost.com for around $720. . . it's very good and transportable. No problems with it. . . yet. |
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| norcalchuck |
quote:
Originally posted by laborlitigator
Bought mine at ecost.com for around $720. . . it's very good and transportable. No problems with it. . . yet.
Where did you mount the unit in the MDX. And, what about the antenna. I am skeptical about not using an outside antenna. Did you permanently install one? Garmin shows an accessory antenna that will suction mount to a door or window. |
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| laborlitigator |
| The bean bag is fine for me and I don't need the outside antenna. Again, it's a portability issue for me. . . |
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| Blackura |
A co-worker of mine got the Garmin Streetpilot III Deluxe (top of the line, color, voice command, the works) *pre-programmed* by the seller for this area (NY/NJ/CT area) for just $725/ no tax. A good deal, I think. He bought it from a dealer in Denver, if I recall.
I was surprized that I liked it; it worked amazingly well. In constant and steady use, it became monotonous listening to "she who knows all" every few seconds though. Made me want to unplug it as soon as I knew where I was. I'd rather listen to music or news.
The portability is a real good thing because it can go between cars if you own more than just your X, or more likely if you need it for a rental car in a distant city while on business or on vacation. |
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| Number 6 |
| after getting the new X with nav in january, i really wanted something for the CR-V. long story short, i HATED the street pilot. screen too small, too hard to read in the sunlight, etc. i took it back to circuit city after using it for about a week. |
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| edepa |
quote:
Originally posted by Number 6
after getting the new X with nav in january, i really wanted something for the CR-V. long story short, i HATED the street pilot. screen too small, too hard to read in the sunlight, etc. i took it back to circuit city after using it for about a week.
I've found the streetpilot to be excellent. I don't much watch the screen, I try to watch the road. The voice commands are just what is needed. I mounted mine on the front of the console after removing the coin holder drawer. I plugged in a "remote" antenna with I think a nine foot cable (ebay for around 25-30 bucks), and routed the wire into the hole behind the coin drawer, under the dash, and ultimately onto the top center of the dashboard under the windshield. The antenna has a bnc type connector, so I can, and have, unplugged it and taken the streetpilot 'portable' with the original antenna and off in another car. It went as 'shotgun' with my wife on a drive to florida and convinced her friend to buy one too. It does have some quirks, but i rate it excellent overall.:cool: |
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| Number 6 |
i think that was kind of the point about the screen size; it's too small for the times you use it. i would like to be able to glance down and see what i need to see quickly. the size of the screen caused me to hunt for what i needed.
i'm glad you liked yours. a couple of companies make a total replacement for the CR-V radio, CD, etc that contains a slide-out-and-flip-up nav screen. expensive but i'll probably go with it at some point. |
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| norcalchuck |
quote:
Originally posted by edepa
....I plugged in a "remote" antenna with I think a nine foot cable (ebay for around 25-30 bucks), and routed the wire into the hole behind the coin drawer, under the dash, and ultimately onto the top center of the dashboard under the windshield. The antenna has a bnc type connector, so I can, and have, unplugged it and taken the streetpilot 'portable' with the original antenna and off in another car. .
So I presume you drilled a hole through at the mount point on the dash to feed the coax and then flush mounted that little "brick"? Sounds like a clean way to do it, but I am reluctant to drill the dash. Do you find that with the slope of the window, you have good signal strength? I will be installing a car kit for my Nokia cell phone so I have a hard wired system, hands free, privacy handset and most importantly, an external gain antenna, as signal strength issues are the number one cause of dropped calls and lack of service.
I don't like window or large dash for things like the GPS units themselves, since at least in California it is illegal to mount anything on the windshield or obscure the windshield except in the lower right corner. I don't like giving anyone an excuse to stop me. |
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| edepa |
quote:
Originally posted by norcalchuck
So I presume you drilled a hole through at the mount point on the dash to feed the coax and then flush mounted that little "brick"? Sounds like a clean way to do it, but I am reluctant to drill the dash. Do you find that with the slope of the window, you have good signal strength? I will be installing a car kit for my Nokia cell phone so I have a hard wired system, hands free, privacy handset and most importantly, an external gain antenna, as signal strength issues are the number one cause of dropped calls and lack of service.
I don't like window or large dash for things like the GPS units themselves, since at least in California it is illegal to mount anything on the windshield or obscure the windshield except in the lower right corner. I don't like giving anyone an excuse to stop me.
No drilling needed! I ran the wire thru the coin holder into the dash, under the dash across to the drivers side, up thru to the A-post (is that the A?) and then the wire sits in the groove between the windshield and dash, submerged in there, until it comes out in mid dash and there the antenna "block" sits. the angle of the windshield has no effect, it just needs to have access to the "sky". It is an amplified antenna supposedly too, making the acquisition of satellites pretty readily. :) |
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| norcalchuck |
quote:
Originally posted by edepa
No drilling needed! I ran the wire thru the coin holder into the dash, under the dash across to the drivers side, up thru to the A-post (is that the A?) and then the wire sits in the groove between the windshield and dash, submerged in there, until it comes out in mid dash and there the antenna "block" sits. the angle of the windshield has no effect, it just needs to have access to the "sky". It is an amplified antenna supposedly too, making the acquisition of satellites pretty readily. :)
I'm waiting for delivery of the body/chassis manual and service manual which I ordered so I am not clear on the assembly/disassembly of the dash components. Does the fake wood fascia just pull out or how is it connected? I recall seeing a thread on mounting a cell phone mount in the panel and someone removed it with clothes hanger hook device. |
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| edepa |
quote:
Originally posted by norcalchuck
I'm waiting for delivery of the body/chassis manual and service manual which I ordered so I am not clear on the assembly/disassembly of the dash components. Does the fake wood fascia just pull out or how is it connected? I recall seeing a thread on mounting a cell phone mount in the panel and someone removed it with clothes hanger hook device.
basically, the coinholder drawer pulls out. no wood fascia to deal with. on the side of the dash, near driver's door, several pieces gently pull out from small plastic tabs that secure them. I ran the wire up that way until i got to the windshield area in the lower left corner. Then the wire just sits in the "groove" between window and the dash, kind of a small 'trench' there, and the wire comes out in middash. I have the antenna 'block' sitting there with some velcro on its back and on the dash. hope that helps.:) |
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