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GPS and Navigation AssistanceOEM Car, Aftermarket and handheld navigation discussions.
This is a discussion thread titled "Gps", within the GPS and Navigation Assistance forum, part of the Technical & Vehicle Assistance Forums category.
Has anyone installed an in dash GPS unit in their Tundra?
What unit & how was the installation?
Moderators Note: The thread "GPS" has been moved to the Audio/Video & Electronics Forum for better exposure and replies. PM was sent to thread starter of its relocation. --- Possum
I have Alpine NVE-N852A DVD Navigation in the Tundra, installed under the driver's seat connected via AI-Net cable to an in-dash motorized monitor. The installation isn't difficult. There are a few wires, speed sensor, brake signal, etc...
My wife has the Kenwood navigation unit, which has touch screen feature that makes controlling it much easier than Alpine. Since my Tundra has all Alpine equipment, I want to keep it consistent and also the Alpine has better stereo component in my opinion.
Pioneer has the voice control navigation. Worth looking into.
Its not in-dash, but this works great and can be taken out the vehicle. It has address to address routing. I have the deluxe bean-bag mount and it sits on the dash.
I prefer "non-DVD" based GPS's. I use a Garmin Map76 in my Tundra. Easy to upload new maps (via PC) and easy to upload/download route information. By that I mean, I can plan my trip on my desktop PC, and upload the route into the Garmin. Works great. I mount it on my steering column, basically between the wheel and the dash. Sure, it blocks the speedo, but the Garmin displays my speed anyway. Only thing is, the Map 76 is a marine unit, and not an automotive one. As such, it cannot give "turn-by-turn" directions...but it does display all streets and so forth, which is all I need. If you need "turn-by-turn" get the Garmin StreetPilot. Very nice unit, but more $$$ than the 76Map.
If you need more info on GPS, just PM me. I have a lot of GPS experience.
I have Garmin Street Pilot III color GPS in my little convertible. It's compact, color, easily transferable, and has point-to-point voice guidance. However, there are a few cons. It uploads noticeably slower than DVD units, especially if you're in a complex metropolitan area like NYC. Because of its compact size, the monitor is quite small, comparing to a typical in-dash monitor. If you travel extensively, you have to down load maps from a PC since the memory module has limited memory, whereas DVD is all inclusive in a single DVD. It does have a price advantage over the DVD units ($500 vs. $2000+) and it does pretty much everything a DVD unit can do.
BTW, the Pioneer DVD unit will also allow viewing of regular DVD whenever nav is not in use.
So far, I've used 2 Garmins (Street Pilot and Street Pilot III), Alpine DVD nav unit, Kenwood DVD nav unit, and Lexus OEM nav unit (very similar to Kenwood). I like the Kenwood unit the best because of its touch screen feature making it easiest to operate.
I'm using a Street Pilot 3 too and it's a great price alternative to the indash systems. Has anyone installed a roof mount antenna for a Gramin unit? I'd like to try one but the wire seems a liitle large to go through the top brake light trim.
I fabricated a center console panel to fit the Street Pilot III in my convertible and I had to mount an external antenna. I had no trouble running the wire, since the cable was quite small. However, the antenna is not made by Garmin.
Originally posted by awesometundra Its not in-dash, but this works great and can be taken out the vehicle. It has address to address routing. I have the deluxe bean-bag mount and it sits on the dash.
I've had my GPS V for almost a year-and-a-half and love it. It does the turn-by-turn navigation, you can enter a street address and it'll take you there -- across town or across the country. It'll tell you where the nearest gas station, ATM, restaraunt (by cuisine), etc. It's light and portable (take it hiking, take it in the boat, take it on a plane and use it in the rental car at your destination). You can transfer it between vehicles easily. My favorite feature is to upload the waypoints and tracks (electronic "bread crumbs" of where you've driven/hiked/boated) to my computer. You can then store and organize the waypoints, save them for different locations (ie. different cities if you travel) and view the maps & tracks on the computer screen. You can also download Topo maps to it.
Downsides: screen is small and black and white only (but is very clear in bright sunlight), no speech, for best reception you'll want to get the optional external antenna. It's also pricey for a portable unit -- around $600 with an external antenna and car power cable -- but less than the DVD based systems and far more versatile, IMHO.
I've taken my GPS V when I go flying (fixed wing and helicopter) and use it to mark sites I see from overhead, then I can go back to those sites when I'm back on the ground.
Originally posted by rinkrat Has anyone installed a roof mount antenna for a Gramin unit? I'd like to try one but the wire seems a liitle large to go through the top brake light trim.
One is a GPS only and the other is a dual band cell phone antenna. I used to have a combination GPS/Cellular but I switched to a dual-band cell phone and they did not make a combination unit with dual band cell. The units are low profile and are therefore no issue at the car wash. Also, vandalism is not a problem. My Street Pilot GPS is mounted on a RAM mount that is mounted on the transmission hump. It is tall enough to get the GPS up high enough to see but below the radio controls.
Normally, I don't need an external antenna, as the location on the steering column actually orients the GPS unit well enought to get a good SV fix. When I'm in the city or bush (tall buildings/trees), I use a Mighty Mouse II external antenna. It's small and amplified as well. Improves SV fix dramatically.
Another thing to try is getting an external GPS unit and connecting to a laptop. If you have a laptop, you can mount it inside your truck and connect the GPS unit to it. Nice big screen, and lots of storage. It's what I'm considering next.
One is a GPS only and the other is a dual band cell phone antenna. I used to have a combination GPS/Cellular but I switched to a dual-band cell phone and they did not make a combination unit with dual band cell. The units are low profile and are therefore no issue at the car wash. Also, vandalism is not a problem. My Street Pilot GPS is mounted on a RAM mount that is mounted on the transmission hump. It is tall enough to get the GPS up high enough to see but below the radio controls.
Hey beemerphile, what kind of RAM mount did you end up getting, and how did you mount it to the floor? Have any pictures?
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Normally, I don't need an external antenna, as the location on the steering column actually orients the GPS unit well enought to get a good SV fix. When I'm in the city or bush (tall buildings/trees), I use a Mighty Mouse II external antenna. It's small and amplified as well. Improves SV fix dramatically.
Another thing to try is getting an external GPS unit and connecting to a laptop. If you have a laptop, you can mount it inside your truck and connect the GPS unit to it. Nice big screen, and lots of storage. It's what I'm considering next.
i am looking into using a laptop inside my truck as well. i have found a couple usb antennas, but am having difficulty finding appropriate software. i had a garmin etrex... and while it worked awesome outside, it was terrible inside my truck. i want to find software... 1 program... that i can load not only street maps into (for roads on the way to a trail) but also topo maps. i want to ability to save my course, my points of interest, etc.
my laptop is rather small... 10" screen so i think it will work perfectly. the antenna lited at antennaplus.com is a nice idea.. but i dont know if there is a serial to usb adapter as my computer dosent have serial input.
overall this has to have a HIGH WAF (wife approval factor)!
i saw a few tacoma guys running laptops in thier trucks... anyone know what thy were using??
GPS
GPS
Linear Mode
