Vidrine on page two of the Versa Picture Thread pictured a nice installation of a GPS/DVD/Stereo unit in his Versa. However, I was wondering if any of you had installed one of the new portable Garmin Novus, Street Pilots, or other portable GPS units that are out there in your Versa. We have a nice flat dash for that sort of thing. Any pictures or installation ideas?

I use a Garmin C550 (I think it's a C anyways). It goes from vehicle to vehicle easily (since I own 5 that's a plus) and is user friendly. Touch screen is awesome and SD cards make traveling easy. If you have XM it uses XM traffic signal for rerouting which can be a bonus.

Doc

I have a gps program on my laptop that we use one trips, gps reciever plugs into usb port. sit the laptop in the side seat or if someone is next to you sit it somewhere closed and it will talk to you.

since i bring my laptop anyway on trips, its not really bad and the program only cost like 115 bucks for software and reciever.

and it also does things like calculate gas mileage and how often to fill up and times and everything else and its easy to use. obviously its hard if you are traveling by yourselve to drive and click but i'm rarely alone on a long trip

Scott

I started to get a GPS unit for trips, but I decided to try Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator.....dang glad I did....if all you need is an occassional GPS system, at $2.99 per day or $9.99 per month (I use per day as I usually only need it on the way in and on the way out) you can't go wrong. The directions are very accurate and the Turn by Turn announcements from the system give you plenty of time. I figure I've saved at least $200 no more than I'm going to use it.

Best part, if you want to try it before you buy it...you get a whole month free the first time you use it. I used my free month on my vacation and now I'm hooked....this does things that a GPS unit alone can't. Like find the nearest hotel and call it.

And before you ask....no....I don't work for Verizon Wireless...

Oh yeah....being in my Versa...gotta turn Bluetooth Headset off for some reason.

That my 2 pennies anywho

VZ Navigator works great. Just wishthere was a way to get the directions to play through the speakers. I have a hard time hearing mine if I just lay it on the seat.

Ben

Since I started this thread, I should give you a progress report on what I purchased. I bought the Garmin Nuvi 350 and mounted it in the black-dot area above the rearview mirror. It is out of the way and only blocks the left portion of the mirror that reflects the driver's seat headrest. By the way, it works without an external power source if you wish and has a language translator and optionsl SD travel map storage for Europe. I chose that Aussie girl's voice to tell me where to go. Additionally, the little red car on the nav screen can be changed to a Versa-like hatchback in a variety of colors.

For those interested, Circuit City has a Thanksgiving/Black Friday deal going on GPS Navigators. I just snagged a Garmin c340 for $349 online (MSRP $642).

im gonna have to 1up up you, i have the nuvi 660 altho here in california we have the no windshield law, even tho the versa windshield is so ridiculously huge you can use it to see the sky. so i had to use the dashboard disk, stuck it right next to the spedometer area

Eternal wrote:im gonna have to 1up up you, i have the nuvi 660 altho here in california we have the no windshield law, even tho the versa windshield is so ridiculously huge you can use it to see the sky. so i had to use the dashboard disk, stuck it right next to the spedometer area

Very cool, Eternal!! We need to see some pictures of the installation. Since my last post, I hot wired the Nuvi 350 to the outlet between the seats. Since that outlet is wired to the ignition shut-off, I noticed a new screen on the Nuvi. It notifies me that the unit has lost direct power and counts down 30 seconds. That is enough time for you to press the screen and opt for internal battery power. Otherwise, the unit goes to sleep until you fire up the engine again. Very nice set-up. PS: The Nuvi 660 has a nice big screen.

the flash didnt help much

Cool, I was actually thinking about getting the Dell Axim,I need a handheld organizer anyway.you can order the bluetooth navigation option, to where the gps reciever doesn't have to be directly plugged into the unit. I am a no showing wires kind of guy.

http://configure.us.dell.com/d...&fb=1

btw is versa's windshield coated? just to know so my upcoming gps is not compromised i heard it can interfere with the unit reception...

ilusha55 wrote:btw is versa's windshield coated? just to know so my upcoming gps is not compromised i heard it can interfere with the unit reception...

I don't know if it is coated, but I do know that my GPS works very well in this car. It always seems to have a strong signal and no interruptions. It should no be an issue.

I bought a $15 external antenae that plugs in the gps unit. It goes from seeing 3-4 sats to all avaliable sats & full differential mode. Well worth it.

Remember the majority of the signal interference or blocking is cause by the roof.

What model do you have?Cause 3-4 sats is really low in term of normal operation (under clear sky).I was getting that with my ancient gps while indoors - about 25 feet accuracy.

When in the car i get about 10 sats without ext. antenna and 15 feet accuracy.I hope Versa will not change that.

Looks like I will be getting the Mio 310x sometime this week. For $200 its been getting pretty good reviews. Sadly in California we can't stick anything to the windshield...so I have to find a place for it.

I have a Garmin iQue 3600.

If you can't stick it to the windshield, get the beanbag holder & toss it on that never ending dash we have.

Santa is going to bring me a Nuvi 350. I can't wait. The 650 would be cool too, but I am trying to watch the funds a bit.

The 350's are available for under $500 if you shop around (including tax and shipping). I already have the microSD card and a USB adapter for the microSD to use with the 350 taking files on and off my laptop.

For tunes, I already have a MP3 player working fine in the Versa, and I have created CDs with burned mp3 tunes. With my 6-CD changer I can now stack CDs each having about 180 songs. I don't need a GPS device to play music. Instead, I'll be using the Nuvi's storage for audio books or extra points of interest. We'll see.

The surge of technology is wonderful, as are the choices you get. I also have a G3-capable cell phone that also duplicates a lot of similar features, but I'll keep my phone's use for when I am walking around instead of when I am driving around.

Cheers,-paul

I have a SP340 and a UV coated windshield in my truck. I haven't experienced any problems with keeping my signal while driving under normal conditions. The signal does drop when I have to sit under the freeway waiting for a light or under some large overhang. It also takes a few seconds to get a signal on the initial startup. But a cheap $14 external antenna from Ebay solve these problems. Now I rarely drop signal and I get signals quicker. I take the little thing everywhere. Even when I don't need it

For Christmas my wife gave me a Garmin Nuvi 350.

I mounted it the same way as c5neb did (windshield near rearview mirrow).

What a wonderful modern addition to my V, and have become an expert with creating POI files that I download into my Nuvi. For me, this is better than having a built-in navigation system because of its portability to different vehicles, even my motorcycle.

With in-home ability to upload from my laptop, I can keep the software "fresh" as new releases are produced, creation of POI files, and the 1gb SD card, I don't see myself becoming technology-obsolete with this unit for a while.

Although a little pricey (around $480), there are a lot of features built into this device. I have had it for a few days now, and can testify to the bang-on accuracy of GPS reported speed and my speedometer reading.

I am curious if you or Eternal have come up with any additional cool uses since you both have owned/operated longer than I.

-paul

Congrats on the Nuvi!!! I love the little GPS. The only thing that I wish it could do is to save a favorite travelled route. I get a kick out of the unit's pronunciation of certain cities. I haven't downloaded any updates yet, but that will come.

Here's how i installed my nuvi with the adhesive circle supplied in the box. Its pretty solid. Will see with time how it handles the bumps.




Modified by ilusha55 at 3:23 PM 1/2/2007

Nicely done!!! That is probably the easiest position to read the unit.

c5neb wrote:Nicely done!!! That is probably the easiest position to read the unit.

yeah that was a concern since i didnt want the GPS to block my front view.also the passenger has a shot at the road directions.

I have a Garmin Quest II. I bought it to use with in my cars and on my motorcycles. It's small, but a little more rugged and waterproof... and cheaper that the fancier Zuma. I mount it to the windshield under the rear view mirror. It's very intuitive and gives me all the basic info I need.

I acutally find myself using the speed readout more than my speedo on the dash. It's closer to my line of sight, easier to read (digital) and more accurate. My speedo actually reads about 1.5mph slow.

The only problem is that if the temerature warms up inside the car over a long trip, the suction cup looses it's suction. (air expands under the cup, decreasing the vacuum)

I love your mount. So much so, I just went out to the car and stuck my mounting ring in the same place and moved my Nuvi to match yours.

Of course I HAD to take a spin around town just to start getting use to the new mount. Now less distractive while night driving during my glances into the rearview mirrow.

Thanks ilusha55 for posting your pictures.

Cheers everyone!

-paul

I bought a TomTom One GPS. I bought some 3" industrial strength velcro pads and put one on the suction cup GPS mounting unit and one inside of the Versa's little storage 'drawer' on the dasboard. All I have to do is open the door of the storage drawer, attach the suction cup mounting bracket with GPS attached. No suction cup on window and totally hidden mounting 'bracket'. Quick, easy, and practical.

motoguy128 wrote: I acutally find myself using the speed readout more than my speedo on the dash. It's closer to my line of sight, easier to read (digital) and more accurate. My speedo actually reads about 1.5mph slow.

I have the same problem with my truck. Since I changed out the tires, that threw the speed off a little bit. I think it's around 3.5-4mph. I was shocked when the garmin was telling me I was driving slower than I actually was. It's right on with the V.

no prob Paul

bigjohn wrote:I bought a TomTom One GPS. I bought some 3" industrial strength velcro pads and put one on the suction cup GPS mounting unit and one inside of the Versa's little storage 'drawer' on the dasboard. All I have to do is open the door of the storage drawer, attach the suction cup mounting bracket with GPS attached. No suction cup on window and totally hidden mounting 'bracket'. Quick, easy, and practical.

Can you post a pic of this setup?