Picked up an OEM sat nav dash unit - retro fit a TomTom?
Picked up an OEM sat nav dash unit - retro fit a TomTom?
I am pretty much insistent on the TomTom, as I outlined above. Also, I want the larger screen, with a more OEM look (taking the casing apart and, hoping to, flush mount it in the housing) rather than cut the fascia to fit around the standard casing.
And, if we all had the same thing, wouldn't it be a bit boring?
I do know my limitations - I'm good with practical things, just not electronics, which is why I'm asking for help
The ones I made have both features mate,
The open close button works as normal, as does the tilt.
If its open when you turn the car off it'll shut, and then open again when you start up, if not it'll stay closed.
The satnav does turn on every time you start the car up but the screens still down so you can't tell, you could wire a micro switch in so it only turns on when the screens actually open but that's overkill I reckon.
It the buttons on the back of the new tom-tom that makes it easier to hide, and if you sent me the unit I could put it together for you with some simple fitting instructions on its return to you (3 wires to connect to behind the stereo)
But as I've never played with the tom-tom before I would be wary as I won't be held responsible if the tom-tom breaks. I know I don have to take the Sony units apart but I would have to on the tom-tom.
That's a very kind offer Stav, thanks pal
The operation of your ones sounds about what I'm looking for with just one exception - if I kill the ignition and it closes (and shuts off the satnav), I don't want it to open again when the car is restarted.
And thinking about it, it might as well start up (turn on) on ignition, as at least then if I do want to use it, it'll be powered on and have a GPS connection. I was just thinking it will save having it turn on and off more times than required.
I'm hoping to pick up a TomTom XXL as soon as I can find a bargain one, then set about pulling the case apart to see if it will physically fit, and if it does, then see about sending it your way to see if you can hook it up? I'd drive up there to visit personally, but it's 5 hours!
First thing to do is figure out how to strip apart the stock unit to get at the insides. And fix one of the locating tabs that fit into the dash since they've been bent before I got it. I heated them up with a hot air gun and repositioned them fine, but one seems a little bit frail, so a re-heat, reposition and a bit of glue around it to strengthen and it should be good as new again
I was thinking last night. Unfortuantly it will remember what position it was in so I cant solve that.
But I was thinking. If you attach a relay to the motor power. When it starts up that would switch the button to turn it on, then again when you put it down.
Only issue is you'd have to lose the tilt option as that would switch it every time you tilted it.
Yep
I am using this navigation:
bought on ebay for 40$ 2 years ago.
It uses IGO maps and with latest software upgrade it turns on and off with power supply.
It actually goes in sleep mode as it only turns off the screen, and when power is restored turns on instantly. in sleep mode battery holds up to 4 days.
cons are that the screen is small, but you can buy 7 inch unit with the same software and even av input and by adding a rear view camera it would make really good integration
I'm beginning to have second thoughts on the the whole thing to be honest. I've been thinking about (using my rational head!) and there's more reasons not to do it than there are reasons to do it!
First and foremost is cost - its gonna run me a good couple hundred quid (cost of the nav unit for a start, them I'd need to buy a new tomtom - 5" or 6" model, which aren't cheap - and then obviously I need the help wiring it (which Stav has kindly offered to have a go at) - and that's a lot of money for something uk gonna use 2, maybe 3, times a year! I can only think of three times this year I've used a sat nav in my own car, and one of those times was to go buy the IS! Add to that I do have a tomtom, a work supplied one so I couldnt use it for modding (plus it's the wrong model for what I'd want) that I can use on the rare occasions I do need one... The only real reason I can think of for doing it is cos it'd look trick!
So I might just put the unit back together as sell it on - although since I already have it I might be tempted to whack an LCD in it and hook up a reverse camera? I know I'd use that A LOT more than I would a sat nav!!!
Jomo - I had thought about a windows ce unit - like the one in the thread I linked to above - but I'd never run anything else through it like movies or music or games. The appeal to it was its ability to run tomtom guidance and double as a reverse camera when needed (or vice versa as the case may be) but I've never had experience of the units that run win ce, and only used tomtom as a stand along gps unit (apart from my work PDA that runs it as an app inside win 6.5 mobile os - and that's not particularly stable and crashes a lot!)
Will ponder it a bit me thinks....