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I was wondering how many have experience with the Garmifone? My G1 is dying a slow death plus I am looking for a better GPS receiver that I can connect to the A500 to use aviation navigation apps.
What are some thoughts here? Could this kill 2 birds with one stone?
I have heard from a buddy that he did not like it, but I have not had any experience with it.
NOt sure if teather GPS needs to have root acess but that will share your android phones GPS with the iconia.
if your also looking there are bluetooth GPS recievers, I have yet to use one, they do pair with android phones not sure about tablets
Thanks for the feedback Brian.
I have been looking at the Bluetooth GPS receivers made by Globalsat and talking with the developer of the Naviator App. He has been using a Bluetooth receiver paired with his tablet I believe and it seems to be working. Since I need to upgrade my G1 anyway, and don't really care about all the social networking bells and whistles that come with a lot of modern phones, I was looking at the Garminfone for it's navigational abilities.
eersfanpilot said:
Thanks for the feedback Brian.
I have been looking at the Bluetooth GPS receivers made by Globalsat and talking with the developer of the Naviator App. He has been using a Bluetooth receiver paired with his tablet I believe and it seems to be working. Since I need to upgrade my G1 anyway, and don't really care about all the social networking bells and whistles that come with a lot of modern phones, I was looking at the Garminfone for it's navigational abilities.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the nexus s for tmobile is quite cheap right now at best buy
BrianDigital said:
the nexus s for tmobile is quite cheap right now at best buy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good looking phone. Do you know how well the GPS signal locks in it?
mine has been fine always gets a lock
I've had one for over a year now. It works fine. I don't know anything about linking its GPS function with another device. I tried to find a way to use it as a GPS receiver for a PC application, but could not find a way to do that.
I use the GPS in my Nexus One for my A500, shared via bluetooth. It works 100% beautifully, since it can lock down almost instantly and tracks more accurately than this thing can. I use Sygic's latest release as my navigation app, the only problem it has is that the top part of the interface is cut off (it doesn't use the new HC full-screen mode, yet), so the signs that come up are cut off.
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex
Any dock you purchase will struggle in the car as it is quite large in size - I see the tab as more of a co-pilot/navigator's unit which can be handheld or on a lap. I would recommend looking at reviews carefully and looking for any videos of the mount in action before purchasing. I do find the gps reception excellent and Google Navigation is fairly good though not quite TomTom quality.
For car audio, I'd recommend a bluetooth car stereo as this makes connection and playback much simpler.
Google Maps can be downloaded offline up to about 10-15 "squares" of information but this doesn't work for the Google navigation app. Google Navigation requires an internet connection to create a route and any wrong turns will also require the internet as a re-route is made. Probably best navigation is Sygic which is free to try for a month and then is about €20 to keep the maps and it works all offline.
There are a few apps that link the phone and tablet for messaging but not sure about calls if your car would be connected to tablet then the phone couldn't connect to car stereo if a call comes in I think.
There are loads of apps for getting nzbs/torrents and sending them to your NAS remotely, e.g. Synodroid is the one I use for Synology NAS.
So I'm really after an in car mount with just the one connector... But has audio out and charging... any ideas?
If I'm bluetoothing my HTC Desire to the tablet my understanding is I then cannot pair with a car stereo so would rather the in car month had audio out.
If your Desire has a 3g connection, you can create a wifi hotspot for the Tab... that way you can use Google maps for navigation on the tab (I've tried it with my Tab + Arc, works great!) Ofcourse, it does use quite a bit of data.. so unless you have around 2gb a month this would not be a viable option
Also if your car has bluetooth you can pair it with the phone/tablet to get audio over bluetooth ( no cables required)
I use my Tab for navigation. Google cached maps are useless without a wireless connection if you go off route. You need something like CoPilot (what I use) or Sygic which stores all map data locally on the device. There's no "official" car dock so you'll have to use the single port and a car charger to keep it charged. You can either use the audio out port to connect physically to the car's audio via a 3.5mm jack or some type of BT adapter connected to the car's audio to connect wirelessly.
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F8Z492-P-Bluetooth-Music-Receiver/dp/B0047T79VS
The idea of the docking situation is to make it as simple/lazy as possible. I find if I've got to mess about before a journey i just wont use the tech so wont buy it.
Ideal situation is, I walk up to my car with the tablet in bag and desire in my pocket. I step inside the car, drop the tablet in the docking station (no messing about with cables or adjusting cradles) turn tablet bluetooth on via widget on desktop and have everything ready to go. Data connection + phone ready to use when I want it and music/handfree kit through the car speakers via the aux in connection on the docking station.
The idea behind using bluetooth for Data is I could leave bluetooth on my Desire 24/7 (I already do) leave the phone in my pocket (not setup my phone for tethering each journey) push one button on my tablet and I'm ready to go. This could hopefully keep my data plan down to a minimal usage.
I know it sounds petty but in real life I want to get in and go.
Do people kind of understand what I mean? Or am i being too lazy/picky
cr33ch said:
Or am i being too lazy/picky
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
^^^^^
This.
At least as far as tablets go. You could probably fabricate something yourself using the Tab media dock and a third party mount yourself, but nothing like what you're looking for currently exists.
I don't think I'm asking too much and I'll still prob go ahead with one but it would be nice to have all the features...
I'm kinda going on this video (though its not in english) that you can tether your data via Bluetooth w.youtube.com/watch?v=5hglunqoZLo&feature=related (I can't post videos as a new user)
But I don't know if the phone's calls\sms\contacts can be tethered to the tablet. Plus it will need to do all the above while sending data...
Navigation im not too bothered about, ill prob just either use data like I've been doing with my Desire or download tomtom
Then all I need to find is either a docking station that's more car friendly with same functions or modify the samsung one some how to make it more secure
cr33ch said:
Hello all,
I'm looking to purchase a Tablet to satisfy a couple of my needs and would like to find out if some of my ideas are possible.
I spend a fair amount of my time in and out of my car so I'm looking to use a Galaxy tab for Satnav, music, phone access and emails. I spotted a Samsung dock that looks promising the "EDD-D1B1BEGSTD" (cannot link as a new user)
It charges it and has audio out which is perfect so I don't have to mess about with plugging in different cables everytime im in and out of the car just drop in and go with an aux in car stereo ready. My concern is it doesn't looks like it could take breaking/acceleration forces very well. Do any other docking stations have both charging and audio that are more car specific?
I don't want 2 contracts for 3G connection so can i confirm i can bluetooth my HTC desire to my tablet to access the internet?
As far as satnav goes, is it possible to have google maps offline?
Is it possible to bluetooth my HTC desire to the tablet to make and receive calls? As if the Tablet is plugged into my car stereo it would be a nice to have hands free calls. Would this be able to pull up my contacts from my phone too?
Out of interest would it be able to use a torrent manager and save directly to a network device/nasbox
Hope some people can answer my questions as im almost certain im going to make a purchase
Cheers
Alex
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Google maps WILL cache for offline navigation, BUT you have to enable it in the Labs options, and predefine each area you want pre-cached making it pretty worthless. Your best option is to get wireless tethering working on your phone so you have a live internet connection on your tablet.
Docking your tab in the car will be a DIY project. I am sure it can be done but I have not run across any car docks that would work with this device. Charging can be tricky as well. The Tab requires 2 amps in its stock configuration. Very few car chargers put out that power. There are some rooted options that you can learn about.
As far as navigation goes, your best bet is a nav app such as Copilot. I have this app and find that it is as good or better than a stand alone GPS and the cost is very reasonable. My version does not offer voice control but there may be something newer out there that does.
The Tab can be tethered to a phone, (after rooting), but I have no experience with this so I cannot provide any advice. If it were me, I would use the phone for the stuff it does best and the Tab for what it does best. Phones are great for making and receiving calls as well as sending music to your car stereo. With a bit of effort you can do those things with the Tab but why reinvent the wheel. The Tab is best for things that require a larger screen. In the car, that would be Internet, assuming you have 3G access or are tethered along with navigation. The two devices compliment each other but IMO, cannot totally replace the other.
Hopefully this helps.
Bob
I'm fairly confident I can achieve what I'm looking for with a little modification. My Desire is already rooted with MIUI ill prob end up rooting the tab shortly after I purchase one too.
I think its just going to be a case of getting one and playing with it...
Just to confirm theres nothing really between the samsung and the Motorola xoom from a rooting/modification point of view?
No, no difference as far as rooting afaik.
I'd be interested into how you get on with your tinkering
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Well ive done it, ive put an order in for one with a Samsung docking station. Once it arrives ill report back with what i can and can't do
Hey all,
I wanted to use my new OPO (without an extra SIM card) as a permanent slave to my original phone, and as a permanent fixture on my car as a car-puter for my 2005 Accord. I have to say, I am pretty impressed with the phone, and where I've reached now.
Hardware required:
1) OPO (obviously)
2) Main phone (In my case, my Note 3)
3) Car with Bluetooth Head Unit (depending on usage)
4) Cheap 7$ OBD2 Bluetooth interface from eBay
5) Raspberry Pi + RasPiCam (for backup cam)
Software:
1) Torque for getting data from OBD.
2) Navier HUD Free (For some cool HUD Effects for my car )
3) MapFactor Navigator for free Offline Maps and navigation
4) Google Voice + Spare Phone (didnt want to spend on another phone line)
5) Tablet Remote ()
6) Tasker
7) fqrouter [to be discarded and replaced with WiFi Tether router]
8) Tablet Talk
9) RTSP Player
Modules:
1) Wireless backup camera
I used Raspberry Pi with its camera module to use as a backup camera.
The Pi fetches the video and transmits it as a live RTMP stream using nginx web server. I can then see the stream play on my phone.
I use fqrouter to create a hotspot between OPO and RPi to get the live stream without losing tethered wifi connection with my Note 3.
2) Navigation & Car stuff
MapFactor Navigator free uses OpenStreetMaps to get free navigation to your phone. No need of a separate GPS unit.
Torque has the ability to connect to my car's OBD2 interface. It also has a HUD functionality which I thought was cool
Can also use Navier HUD Free for HUD displaying speed and navigation.
3) Communication
Now, this one was a bit tricky. I wanted it to be connected with my phone. Since I had unlimited 4G LTE data from T-mobile, I had to leverage that somehow. I couldn't just use tethering as tethering isn't unlimited (now found a workaround for that too ). So I wanted to use Wifi Tether only for Google Voice texts and rare phone calls.
Communication involves multiple things:
a) Receive Phone and Text
For this, I used a fine but no-longer-supported app called Tablet Talk. In the future, I'll try to develop something for myself. For now, this one is good. I can send/receive msgs that I get on my main phone (connected via bluetooth) from this one. As for phone calls, Tablet Talk gives a nice notification about who is calling, with the contact's photo and name synced from your phone book.
ISSUE: Tablet talk is meant for tablets. So when used in landscape mode, the answer/reject/speaker button goes below the screen. So I created a tasker profile, which says when I get a call notification on tablet talk, disable screen rotation temporarily. Does the trick
Another issue is that the calls are attended from your phone. i.e. call audio comes from your phone. Simple solution, also connected the phone with my car's bluetooth (another hack made from a broken 20$ Sony MW600 bluetooth headset I found on eBay). So I can answer the call from OPO fixed in car, and talk via car bluetooth, and the phone always stays inside.
b) Music & audio
I have my full music collection on my main phone. I don't want to sync and have duplicates. Thank's to a discovery by @darktranquility18, I realized that the OPO can be used as a media sync when using bluetooth. i.e. It acts as a bluetooth speaker for my main phone. Now, the issue I ran into was that I couldn't change tracks or volume using it directly. So I had to use another software: Tablet Remote. Works like a charm
That's all I have for now. Let me know if you can think of any suggestions, additions or ideas. Open to many more tweaks and hacks. After all, the phone says: Never Settle
Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.
rant said:
Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Simple reason:
I had a 350$ phone that I got for free just lying around as a spare phone. I don't have a spare tablet
So essentially, the only amount I spent just for this is the $7 Bluetooth ODB2 connector.
Also, I didnt want to modify the stock Head Unit. So I have a stand (I added wireless charger for my note 3. Will make OPO wireless charging capable later) on my upper dash which can hold a phone. A tablet will be too big for that and will block my view out of windshield. Once I get some more money, I will get the Metra dash kit and put in a tablet. This setup is what I have for now
CravingMender9 said:
Simple reason:
I had a 350$ phone that I got for free just lying around as a spare phone. I don't have a spare tablet
So essentially, the only amount I spent just for this is the $7 Bluetooth ODB2 connector.
Also, I didnt want to modify the stock Head Unit. So I have a stand (I added wireless charger for my note 3. Will make OPO wireless charging capable later) on my upper dash which can hold a phone. A tablet will be too big for that and will block my view out of windshield. Once I get some more money, I will get the Metra dash kit and put in a tablet. This setup is what I have for now
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gotcha, certainly makes sense. Good luck with your setup. Having run mine for a few weeks now, can't imagine going back to a stock head unit. Waze, Spotify, Pandora, having my full music library, etc. can't be beat.
i stopped by, hoping for pics.... (nice setup btw)
muzhik said:
i stopped by, hoping for pics.... (nice setup btw)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ha, Thanks
Well, its just the OPO on a phone stand on my dash. Mostly it is the use of various software to make it do what I want.
But I guess I CAN put up pics of HUD and a video about the Raspberry Pi Backup module.
I'll try to make it this week and upload.
Yes please, that'd be cool
I'm also curious about that OBD2 thing you bought. Does it mean I can get that too? I have a Toyota Yaris
If you could post some pics and share some quick instructions, would be great!
Cheers m8!
LarsPT said:
Yes please, that'd be cool
I'm also curious about that OBD2 thing you bought. Does it mean I can get that too? I have a Toyota Yaris
If you could post some pics and share some quick instructions, would be great!
Cheers m8!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is what I got from eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131033435850?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
It was $2 off when I purchased it. So I got for $6.94
The construction is FLIMSY and the covering breaks easily. But it can be easily fixed with super glue or something. I kept mine open as the LEDs inside give a nice glow-at-night effect to my underdash. I'll show that in video that I'll mostly try to make before this weekend.
What year is your Yaris? All cars after 98 year models (i think) need to have OBD2 compulsorily. It'll mostly be near your steering wheel side underdash, on the left near the fuse box.
It's recent, it's the '10 model. I'll look into it when I go back home after work
Cheers!
Pics pics we want pics !
rant said:
Sounds like a great setup, but why use a $350 phone when a $150 Nexus 7 would do just as well and have a larger screen? I recently began using an 8" LG G Pad as a permanent carputer and couldn't be happier, but I'm going to take a look at some of the options you've detailed here, so thanks for that. I leverage Tasker pretty heavily for automating tasks when the car turns on, turns off, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you couldn't sell the phone and get the tablet pocketing the extra $200. I understand if it was a condition of getting it free. Also, you can do most of this with your primary phone and a nice car mount. That lets you use the device when you aren't in the car...
lugose said:
So you couldn't sell the phone and get the tablet pocketing the extra $200. I understand if it was a condition of getting it free. Also, you can do most of this with your primary phone and a nice car mount. That lets you use the device when you aren't in the car...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The phone was a gift. So no, wouldn't sell it. Primary phone is used by other people in the car to play music/games etc.
Not a good idea to continuously mount and remove that while I am using navigation and there are people in the car for whom nothing else matters other than playing Candy Crush or facebook .
I do use the device when I am not in the car. As I had mentioned before, it is just hooked to a phone stand/holder.
Also, let me clarify, the main reason for posting it here is since I used the OPO. You can use anything, any phone / tablet. I am not saying you have to use this phone only. I just happen to have a spare one, that's all. I wanted to show one more thing that we can use any phone/any tablet for. It was just an experiment.
Cholerabob said:
Pics pics we want pics !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll try to get the video today once I get home
CravingMender9 said:
The phone was a gift. So no, wouldn't sell it. Primary phone is used by other people in the car to play music/games etc.
Not a good idea to continuously mount and remove that while I am using navigation and there are people in the car for whom nothing else matters other than playing Candy Crush or facebook .
I do use the device when I am not in the car. As I had mentioned before, it is just hooked to a phone stand/holder.
Also, let me clarify, the main reason for posting it here is since I used the OPO. You can use anything, any phone / tablet. I am not saying you have to use this phone only. I just happen to have a spare one, that's all. I wanted to show one more thing that we can use any phone/any tablet for. It was just an experiment.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, didn't mean to dump. It is cool, but expensive for most. I look forward to seeing the pictures.
Apologies for the shaky video. Never done a video before, so was a bit nervous.
Raspberry Pi Wifi Camera Project Demo:
HUD Display (Upload in progress):
Images attached. I can write a tutorial about the raspberry pi module sometime later if anyone is interested.
Sorry, I know this post is old but this is the only reference I could find with someone seemingly having used an OPO (OnePlus One - I hope you mean) successfully with an ELM327 OBD2 Bluetooth adapter. I am having connection issues with my OBD2 adapter and was wondering if you had found a way around these issues...
Here's another thread I started describing my OBD2 adapter issues:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/oneplus-one/help/oneplus-one-cm11-wont-obd2-elm327-t3152703
I have used a couple of OBD2 adapters. The successful one was from OBDlink MX. The hit and mid ones were the cheap ones from China that did not have an auto shut off features.
Sent from my A0001 using XDA Premium HD app
So I decided to give one of these a whirl in my wife’s vehicle. All in all, for like $80, I’m pretty pleased. However, I have a few bags that I wanted to see if anyone might be able to help me resolve.
Nag 1 - for whatever reason the FM/AM radio tuner app’s volume is WAY louder than all the other apps that play audio. Spotify, YouTube, etc are all the same volume and are ok. The tuner app though is way to loud and I’ve found no way to adjust it. Any thoughts?
Nag 2 - so we both have iPhones and apparently the WiFi hotspot on the iPhone turns off or something after a period of it being connected to a client. Consequently that means re-enabling every time you get it. That’s annoying and detracts from what I was trying to accomplish with the move to this headunit. Anyone have any suggestions for making that process better?
Nag 3 - internet through the Bluetooth connection would be ideal, since that does connect every time you enter the vehicle. However, it doesn’t appear that that is a option. Just music and phone calls appear to be supported via Bluetooth....any way to alter that?
That’s the main issues I have. If I could get those resolved, I’d be pretty happy with the unit.
The MCU1 is HW8227L-3.3-SWO-1.9
Nag2: This is the way iphones work. There is no getting around it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That was kind of what I figured. ?? Thanks.
Posting here as I think I used the wrong secrtion previously
I recently installed a Xtrons PQS90MTVL head unit in a skoda superb. I have a couple of questions on how to get it to work correctly when navigating.
1) It seems that you can set the navigation sounds to be a percentage of the radio volume but cannot set it to play at a given volume regardless. The problem is that the radio seems to be constantly on and there is no way to turn it off. The 'on/off' button simply mutes the radio - and the navigation sounds.
Often I am in an area where I cannot pick up a decent radio signal on the programme I want and just get static. In these situations I want to turn the radio off but still hear navigation sounds. I don't want to listen to loud static just so I can have the nav sounds play at a percentage of that static. Is there a way to turn the radio off but still get navigation sounds? (a workaround I have found is to play a media file instead of the radio and then pause playback. The nav sounds are then still a percentage of the - non existent - playback volume. However this should not be necessary)
2) It also seems that a Internet connection is needed for any navigation. even google maps won't do a search without it as it says I am offline. (is this true?)
I have bought the 4G wifi dongle but have a question about its use. Does the HU connect to the dongle, as far as data is concerned, via the USB socket that comes out of the back of the unit or is that socket simply powering the dongle and the HUI is actually connecting to it over wifi using the dongle as a hotspot? If so then I don't have to use the wired usb socket from the unit (which I suspect is underpowered) and can plug the dongle into an ordinary 2A USB socket that I have in the car, positioning the dongle near the roof for a better signal
Incidentally I did try using Android Auto with my phone using wired connection. That seems sort of OK but is not very reliable. Often when starting the car it hangs at the 'connected' screen, or even at the 'trying to connect' screen, although other times it seems OK
3) There is a small socket on the left hand side of the HU that looks like a slot for a small memory card or a sim card. It is labelled 'GPS'. What is that socket used for? it is not mentioned in the manual as far as I can see. - The manual is generally a bit hand waving though, excitedly telling you what you can do but not how to do it.
(I did try the xtrons forum but not only are the last posts there around January 2022 but there seems to be no way to register for it. Hence posting here)
coldshiver said:
Posting here as I think I used the wrong secrtion previously
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ask a moderator to delete this other post.
ze7zez said:
Ask a moderator to delete this other post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will I get answers here then?
coldshiver said:
Posting here as I think I used the wrong secrtion previously
I recently installed a Xtrons PQS90MTVL head unit in a skoda superb. I have a couple of questions on how to get it to work correctly when navigating.
1) It seems that you can set the navigation sounds to be a percentage of the radio volume but cannot set it to play at a given volume regardless. The problem is that the radio seems to be constantly on and there is no way to turn it off. The 'on/off' button simply mutes the radio - and the navigation sounds.
Often I am in an area where I cannot pick up a decent radio signal on the programme I want and just get static. In these situations I want to turn the radio off but still hear navigation sounds. I don't want to listen to loud static just so I can have the nav sounds play at a percentage of that static. Is there a way to turn the radio off but still get navigation sounds? (a workaround I have found is to play a media file instead of the radio and then pause playback. The nav sounds are then still a percentage of the - non existent - playback volume. However this should not be necessary)
2) It also seems that a Internet connection is needed for any navigation. even google maps won't do a search without it as it says I am offline. (is this true?)
I have bought the 4G wifi dongle but have a question about its use. Does the HU connect to the dongle, as far as data is concerned, via the USB socket that comes out of the back of the unit or is that socket simply powering the dongle and the HUI is actually connecting to it over wifi using the dongle as a hotspot? If so then I don't have to use the wired usb socket from the unit (which I suspect is underpowered) and can plug the dongle into an ordinary 2A USB socket that I have in the car, positioning the dongle near the roof for a better signal
Incidentally I did try using Android Auto with my phone using wired connection. That seems sort of OK but is not very reliable. Often when starting the car it hangs at the 'connected' screen, or even at the 'trying to connect' screen, although other times it seems OK
3) There is a small socket on the left hand side of the HU that looks like a slot for a small memory card or a sim card. It is labelled 'GPS'. What is that socket used for? it is not mentioned in the manual as far as I can see. - The manual is generally a bit hand waving though, excitedly telling you what you can do but not how to do it.
(I did try the xtrons forum but not only are the last posts there around January 2022 but there seems to be no way to register for it. Hence posting here)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First of all you need to fix your FM reception. You need to use a phantom power adapter to get some voltage to the OEM antenna.
There are some navigation apps which don´t need a internet connection. TomTom as example and others using offline maps. But you won´t get traffic messages if you don´t have an internet connection.
That would fix your white noise.
The FM radio can be closed if you use the back button on top right. If that does not help, chose the recent apps button on top and swipe the radio app away as for each other app... You really should learn how to use Android.
The navigation loudness can be set in the system settings. Depends on the unit where you can find it. In this case the navigation software needs to be registered as navigation in settings /Apps/Standard apps.
Regarding your 4G-WiFi dongle... The name itself shows the functionality.
It connects via 4G to the internet and provides the connection via WiFi to anyone in the car.... even too to the radio.
The GPS slot on your radio is nothing else as a micro-SD slot, which also can be used to store music on it or whatever else you want.
BTW: Seems that you are not that familiar with car electronics. May be a good idea to ask someone who can help you with some knowledge what has to be done.
Might be an easy task to just swap a radio, but there are more things behind than just swapping.
May I recommend 'Magic Earth' navigation, works fine with no internet but no live data of course.
At least there are a lot more offline navigation apps...
Out of memory:
Google Maps (partially with downloaded segmented maps)
HERE WeGo
Navmii GPS World
OsmAnd
MAPS.ME
Magic Earth
TomTom
iGo
But without internet... no traffic data..
rigattoni said:
First of all you need to fix your FM reception. You need to use a phantom power adapter to get some voltage to the OEM antenna.
There are some navigation apps which don´t need a internet connection. TomTom as example and others using offline maps. But you won´t get traffic messages if you don´t have an internet connection.
That would fix your white noise.
The FM radio can be closed if you use the back button on top right. If that does not help, chose the recent apps button on top and swipe the radio app away as for each other app... You really should learn how to use Android.
The navigation loudness can be set in the system settings. Depends on the unit where you can find it. In this case the navigation software needs to be registered as navigation in settings /Apps/Standard apps.
Regarding your 4G-WiFi dongle... The name itself shows the functionality.
It connects via 4G to the internet and provides the connection via WiFi to anyone in the car.... even too to the radio.
The GPS slot on your radio is nothing else as a micro-SD slot, which also can be used to store music on it or whatever else you want.
BTW: Seems that you are not that familiar with car electronics. May be a good idea to ask someone who can help you with some knowledge what has to be done.
Might be an easy task to just swap a radio, but there are more things behind than just swapping.
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Thanks for a helpful reply. I have already fitted a power injector for the FM antenna which made some difference but I like to listen to radio 4 and there are parts of the country (along the M11, on the A5 in North Wales), where you cannot pick it up on any radio - and of course in Europe where I have just been for a few weeks where I usually don't want the radio on at all. That's why having the nav sound set as a percentage of the existing volume seems a bit odd as it implies you already have some other sound on. Better to have a dedicated channel for it or have the nav mute any other sound.
I'll look at doing all the swiping etc to turn off the radio by closing recent apps although this doesn't seen like a very safe thing to start doing when you drive into a area of poor reception. I was hoping the unit would have a simple press button like in the good old days!
The dongle info is also useful thank you. Xtrons do not make this clear at all. They imply that by plugging it into the socket on the unit you have made a (wired) data connection. If the HU is still only connecting over wifi anyway then I can install the dongle wherever I like in the car so that it gets a good 4G signal, instead of it having to be in the driver footwell at the end of the short USB cable xtrons supply and I can use a dedicated 2A usb adaptor to supply decent power .
I guessed the 'GPS' socket might have nothing to do with GPS. Shame Xtrons couldn't say what it was for instead of just mis-labelling it.
Incidentally. The SIM in the dongle would only ever be used for the navigation to receive traffic updates or bits of map or whatever it needs i.e I don't intend to be surfing the net or downloading Utube videos. Do you have any idea what sort of data requirements this would mean. Would a 250Mb a month sim be enough?
I'll experiment with your suggestions.
rigattoni said:
At least there are a lot more offline navigation apps...
Out of memory:
Google Maps (partially with downloaded segmented maps)
HERE WeGo
Navmii GPS World
OsmAnd
MAPS.ME
Magic Earth
TomTom
iGo
But without internet... no traffic data..
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I'll look into those thank you. I use maps.me on my phone but couldn't get google maps to work on the HU as it said I was offline. Of course I still need an internet connection to download any of those apps and install them on the HU but I could just park near my house and using the house wifi.
Data plan for using navigation online data depends on the app you use and the amount of mileage per month.
You can use your smartphone first to see what you need in a "normal usage" month and then decide what you need.
If you use any offline map solution, it´s also some sort of usage dependency.
BTW... If you would invest into a higher data plan (2GB), you could use the app Radionator to use Online radio. BBC Radio4 should be in there too. Radionator is the best alternative if you want to listen to one specific radio station. Just needs a stable internet connection, nothing else... and the sound is mostly better than FM.
May be you can use the Navradio+ as alternativ solution for receiving FM radio. Depends on the MCU of your unit. Search for it in MTCD software forum.
rigattoni said:
At least there are a lot more offline navigation apps...
Out of memory:
HERE WeGo
But without internet... no traffic data..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would recommend to use HERE WeGo, it served me very well for the years I didn't have mobile internet connection. Also it shows the max allowed speed in most countries, whereas Google Maps doesn't do that.
Sure, Here WeGo is a good choice, even without internet connection.