Tuscan Sat Nav

[chicklets]

Am thinking of putting in a sat nav in the Tuscan witht he motarised screen. It needs to have Europe capability (street level mapping).

I just saw one in the classifieds and it looks a tasty bit of kit. Anyone had this done and most importantly, recommend an decent fitter around London?

:)

[Big Al.]

Just had a Sat Nav fitted in mine, it's the top of the range Pioneer one, can't be arsed to remember the model number in this hot weather. Carl Baker is your man.

He has wheels he will travel.

Do a search for Carl Baker he will pop up all over the place.

[lady topaz]

I use a portable Garmin 2620 which now I have got a fixing for is superb. The spoken instructions with roof and rear screen off are a bit iffy as in hard to hear, but the visual display (unlike the pod, I'm sorry, shouldnt have said that)is more than adequate, and you can switch it from car to car.

[Leadfoot]

I've got the Pioneer Axic X-1 - now replaced by the X-1R - in my Tusc, as does Tus666 (IIRC). Chris Watton & others have them in Tams & T350s.
This is the unit that TVR offer as a factory fit option at a ludicrous premium!
It works very well & isn't too difficult to fit if you're even slightly handy with electrical/mechanical things, search the Tusc & T350/Tam/Sag forums & you'll get all the info you need.
I would say that you should think long & hard whether you really need satnav tho', I've only used mine on hols in France & managed just as well with a map when taking my other car (but I do have a good sense of direction).

[yzf1070]

lady topaz said:

I use a portable Garmin 2620 which now I have got a fixing for is superb. The spoken instructions with roof and rear screen off are a bit iffy as in hard to hear, but the visual display (unlike the pod, I'm sorry, shouldnt have said that)is more than adequate, and you can switch it from car to car.

Di
I use a similar device (Navman) and the volume on mine was also too low with the roof off. The Navman has a headphone output that I plug into a short range FM transmitter (similar device to that you can buy for an IPOD). The radio is tuned into the transmitter frequency (around 107mhz so as not to affect anyone in close proximity). The result is superb and can be made as loud as your Tiv audio system can go.... If your interested check them out on Ebay. (Warning: such units do not comply with UK transmission laws....etc.....etc....)

[powerlord]

yzf1070 said:

lady topaz said: I use a portable Garmin 2620 which now I have got a fixing for is superb. The spoken instructions with roof and rear screen off are a bit iffy as in hard to hear, but the visual display (unlike the pod, I'm sorry, shouldnt have said that)is more than adequate, and you can switch it from car to car. Di I use a similar device (Navman) and the volume on mine was also too low with the roof off. The Navman has a headphone output that I plug into a short range FM transmitter (similar device to that you can buy for an IPOD). The radio is tuned into the transmitter frequency (around 107mhz so as not to affect anyone in close proximity). The result is superb and can be made as loud as your Tiv audio system can go.... If your interested check them out on Ebay. (Warning: such units do not comply with UK transmission laws....etc.....etc....)

Yeh, I've just got tom tom mobile 5 for my mobile phone (Sp3i), and use that in the tuscan with a bluetooth GPS.

much neater than big natnav systems (had a PDA one before which was a pain with all the wires and stuff... this runs on phone batteries all day AND is quicker at routing).

tomtom also has maps for all of europe. (got uk and france on mine at the moment).

AND you get all the free weekly updated speed camera POIs for UK and the rest of europe. Most of the bespoke car systems don't have them or make you pay through the nose for them on subscription.


and it's a phone too...so doubley useful.

Like yzk though, I find the sound ain't very loud and am looking for a solution. I thought about the FM route, but then I'd have to never listen to music while using satnav which I don't want. What I really wanna see is an FM transmitter that adds an RDS traffic signal... then it will interrupt my CD when the phone wants to speak.

Till then I'm gonna wire up a wee amp and speaker into the back of the drivers seat to hear it with the roof off and stuff.

[lady topaz]

yzf1070 said:

Di I use a similar device (Navman) and the volume on mine was also too low with the roof off. The Navman has a headphone output that I plug into a short range FM transmitter (similar device to that you can buy for an IPOD). The radio is tuned into the transmitter frequency (around 107mhz so as not to affect anyone in close proximity). The result is superb and can be made as loud as your Tiv audio system can go.... If your interested check them out on Ebay. (Warning: such units do not comply with UK transmission laws....etc.....etc....)

Thanks for that. I already have an IPOD one, would this work?? I will check to see if I have the appropriate socket. Being technically challenged, I cant bugger up either bits of kit can I?

Di

[yzf1070]

Di

Unfortunately the IPOD device is specific to the IPOD as it also takes power from the IPOD in the same jack plug connection. I bought mine from Ebay where there are plenty available that run off an internal PP3 9v battery that lasts and lasts....if you get a bunny battery....

I would not try using the IPOD device, it should not do any harm to either unit, but I guarantee it will not work.

Like the suggestion that Powerlord came up with the TA interface would be neat...I also considered the lil amp set up and may yet go down this route. Maplin do plenty of kits that will suffice...and the Tuscan dash shelf is spacious enough to hide it all away neatly.

Regards

Graham

>> Edited by yzf1070 on Thursday 23 June 11:02

[lady topaz]

Thanks Graham and Stu
I can almost guarantee one or both of you will be receiving a heeeeeeeeeeeeeeelp email in the not to distant future.
Ebay here I come.
Di

[R666 TUS]

Depends what you need it for I would say. The X1
one is very expensive compared to the Tom Tom and
PDA based systems and if you just want sat nav then
they should be more than capable.I can reccomend
the X1 though if you go abroad a lot as it has the
whole of Europe on one disc.Also as you have an IPOD
you can get an interface that allows you to work your
IPOD from the touchscreen panel on the X1.Mine is in
the boot out of the way.Also the voice recognition kit
is very good and reasonably priced at about £30.This works well without any voice training and can hear me
over CCC's I have an infrared night vision camera
fitted too so you can see what your backing into even
in total darkness.I got mine on E-bay for a good price
and fitted it myself which apart from getting all the
wires inside the pod was quite easy as everything just interconnects with the plug in IP cables. If you do go
for the X1 I'm sure there is enough of us on here who
have done it to give any help you need.

Col

[chicklets]

Guys this thread has been superby helpful! Thanks again !

[BRAIN DEAD]

I have spotted a bluetooth audio head-unit which will turn off internal sound to allow mobile phone useage. I wonder if this could also receive bluetooth signals from Tom Tom bluetooth sat nav. Maybe the sat nav could be recognised like a hands free headset and so make the volume of said satnav adjustable. The bluetooth headunit will be available soon from MAPLINS--see websie. Specs for this on web are limited but I think I will get one for mobile phone to save bother of expensive fitment or having to recharge cordless headset. This headunit plays cds/mp3s and radio so seems quite sufficient. I'm sure it won't be fantastic quality but will probably be enough in noisey Tuscan!!

>> Edited by BRAIN DEAD on Monday 27th June 17:27

[powerlord]

BRAIN DEAD said:

I have spotted a bluetooth audio head-unit which will turn off internal sound to allow mobile phone useage. I wonder if this could also receive bluetooth signals from Tom Tom bluetooth sat nav. Maybe the sat nav could be recognised like a hands free headset and so make the volume of said satnav adjustable. The bluetooth headunit will be available soon from MAPLINS--see websie. Specs for this on web are limited but I think I will get one for mobile phone to save bother of expensive fitment or having to recharge cordless headset. This headunit plays cds/mp3s and radio so seems quite sufficient. I'm sure it won't be fantastic quality but will probably be enough in noisey Tuscan!! >> Edited by BRAIN DEAD on Monday 27th June 17:27

there are lots of bt headunits out. All will work with bt mobile (they will appear as a bt headset). The problem is that current bt on mobiles can only establish a partnership with oone device at a time...so if you are using a bt gps, you can't also use a bt headset at the same time.

I fitted my amp at weekend.

Basically, last year fitted full ICE system, which left the crappy pioneer 4" speakers in the B pillars unused. The right one of which is only about 3" from my ear when driving.

So.. I got a wee amp from an old pair of PC speakers and wired that up to the speaker. I got a 2.5mm connector for the smartphone, and now smartphone just sits on dash plugged in to 2.5mm connector. This feeds back into the little matchbox sized amp which I just mounted behind the speaker.

Result.. even at XXX speeds with the roof off and the stereo on I can still clearly hear tomtom telling me route or speedcameras.

I'll post a few piccies.

stu

[powerlord]

here's some pics:

(speaker/amp wise all hidden right enough).

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0853.jpg

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0854.jpg

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0855.jpg

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0856.jpg

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0859.jpg

www.zen34862.zen.co.uk/cargps/IMG_0860.jpg

>> Edited by powerlord on Tuesday 28th June 13:58

[IAINSMITH]

if it helps i posted some notes about a year ago on how i fitted a Pioneer AVIC to my Tuscan. with some pics etc

Works very well, with the roof off the screen isn't fantastic when the suns on it, but apart from that superb.

Also the AVIC has all of Europe on a DVD! and you can watch DVD's on it too if you need!

Only problem is you cannot "re-route" whilst listening to a CD, as this goes in the DVD slot!

[Leadfoot]

IAINSMITH said:

Only problem is you cannot "re-route" whilst listening to a CD, as this goes in the DVD slot!

So you get a cd changer or an Ipod interface then. CDs are, like, soo last millenium.