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Car Computer/Nav/OBD2/ Reader - Ready - With Video


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If you wish to read about the development of the unit follow this link:

 

http://www.350z-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=47410

 

 

Right, the finished version is here and I've set the basic price for those who can supply their own cubby (those who have an old bird view or nurrish nav system) at £375 which includes:

 

-The full nav/computer thingy bobber which I will need to build into your cubby

-All software shown on the video and more

-An 8Gb genuine sandisk SD memory card

-A ground loop isolator and associated audio wiring so you can wire in your Bose hack or non aftermarket head unit right away

 

For those who need the cubby, it's £495, but that's direct from Nissan. I'm hoping I can find them £20 less so they may be ££475.

 

Having just looked at Eck1's car, he has an 03 car with a cubby, but I can remove the box part off the back to make use of the surround. Have a look or send me a pic and I'll do my best to tell you what you need. Here's what his looks like and will work fine:

e1b98850-orig.jpg

 

To gain access to the internet functions (web radio, web browser, google maps etc) you will need either:

 

- A smart phone that is capable of tethering - The iPhone 4, HTC based phones and I think most blackberrys can. You will also need to ensure you have a data plan that won't cost £££'s if you exceed it.

-A Three Mifi dongle or similar that create their own wifi hot spot

3mifi.jpg

 

- A USB plug in 3G dongle. These are available for about £20 on pay as you go and £10 gets you about 5Gb I think.

vodafone-dongle.png

 

As for how much data you will use is up to you, but using Google nav used 12Mb for 100 miles of distance traveled, so not much. Web radio and video streaming will hammer your data plan though (I use about 100mb an hour using the web radio)

 

There's also a choice of buttons:

M030972W01.jpg

M071430W01.jpg

In black though, unless bright red buttons are your thing!

 

Limitations

 

There are a few limitations and I feel it's best you know now, regardless of how trivial they are:

 

-If you use the Bose hack method of connecting to the unit, to get the audio to a useable level, you will need to put the car volume up to around 25-30, instead of the normal 10-15. This hasn't caused me an issue as the radio/CD player haven't been used since, but if you do forget it's set like that and select the radio.... POW it's quite loud! I'm working on an inline amp though and will make it available to everyone even if they didn't get it initially.

 

-If you decide to sit in your car and use the device for more than 4 hours with the ignition off (i.e the nav not receiving power from the car, the screen will flash when the on board nav battery gets to about 5%. Turning on the ignition/driving makes it resume charging. Can't really see why you'd like to sit in your car for that long, but thought it's best you all know!

 

-The power button has 2 uses.

-The first is a short press which puts the unit into sleep mode. The unit will only last about 10 hours in sleep mode before running out of power, however it takes less than a second to wake up. It tend to use this if I know I'm going to be using the car again the same day.

 

-A long press will turn the unit fully off which takes about 30 secs to turn off. The on board battery will last about 5 days, before the battery is empty and it takes about 30 seconds to boot up. I tend to use this last thing when I know I'm not going to use the car again.

 

-If the battery is allowed to run flat, the on board clock looses its time, but finds it again when you get go online as it auto syncs over the internet. It still doesn't know about BST though so reverts 1 hour out. The same time is given by the GPS satellites too, i.e 1 hour behind.

 

Specs

 

-1GHz Processor

-512MB RAM.

-Large 7" capacitive, multi touch display with 800x480 resolution screen

-GPS

-Bluetooth connectivity

-full-sized USB HOST port for use with 3G dongles/HD drives

-Google Android 2.3

-Internal storage: 256MB

-MicroSD expansion (16GB verified; 32GB unknown)

-WiFi 802.11 b/g/n

-GPS

-Bluetooth 2.1

-3.5mm headphone jack for the bose hack if you've had it done, if not there are onboard speakers, but they're naff!

 

Included Software

 

-Web Browser

-Music Player

-Picture Viewer

-Movie player

-Web Radio

-'Torque' OBD2 software

-SNES Emulator comapatable with a Wii remote over bluetooth

-Google maps

-Google Nav

-Navigon Nav

-Mobile Maps Nav

-Email

-BBC iPlayer

-Angry Birds

-Android App store

 

Upgrades/Extras

 

16gb memory card instead of an 8gb card - +£10

 

32gb memory card instead of an 8gb car - +£45

 

The OBD2 bluetooth dongle (needed for the torque application) - +£15

 

Carrying out the Bose hack - +£30 although there is a guide in the 'Guides' section for those who are happy to rip apart their head unit and solder to it.

Questions

 

Q. When you say the Bose Hack, do you mean this can replace the standard Birdview and the system still works directly through the standard sound system? If so I'm very interested...

 

A. Yep, the bird view is totaly removed so you can either keep it to turn the car back to stock when you sell or sell on ebay. The nv unit uses a 3.5mm phono jack (earphone size) to connect between the nav unit and the Bose head unit. Aftermarket head units may use the red and white separate phone cables, but adapters ar cheap and plenty full on ebay.

 

 

Q. How do you get the app store & web browser? Subscription?

 

A. You must use either:

-A USB dongle

-A smart phone that allows tethering

-Your house wifi or public wifi if it will reach the car

 

 

Q. Did you manage to see if the bluetooth adapter will work with JODB and the same for torque or will people with imports have to go with something like dash command?

 

A. I've not managed to try the OBD2 dongle on a JDM car, but you're welcome to come over and try mine whenever.

 

 

Q. What did you do with your old system?

 

A. This is my second generation of this nav as soldering parts off and on the unit and removing fitting components did it no good and it stopped charging.

 

 

Q. How long will you be selling these for?

 

A. At least another 5 month yet.

 

 

Q. Do you have to fit them?

 

A. It would be better for me to fit, but if you're miles away and are capable of finding an earth and a 12v temporary cable you should be ok to do it your self.

 

 

Q. I asked about splicing the OBD2 cable which seems very risky but does the OBD2 bluetooth dongle upgrade mean the OBD2 port will be freed up? If not what other options are there to run the torque application and have the port free for other uses.

 

A. To be honest, splicing 2 things into your OBD2 is not something I'd want to do as its a direct link into your ECU and is VERY risky. If your adamant you have to have both and don't mind the risk of blowing your ECU then I'll do it, but I wouldn't be able to take responsibility if it did do wrong and you'd need to have a tow truck on standyby. To use the Torque app, you would need to plug the OBD2 bluetooth adapter directly into the OBD2 port at all times.

 

 

Q To upload the music, photos and videos im presuming that its just a usb cable to sync it to your laptop. when its in the car and fitted is the usb port still accessible or does the centre console have to come out to gain access to it?

 

A. Yep there's 2 USB slots on the nav, one is a full size USB that will accept 3G dogles/ pen drives/ external HD, the other is for connecting to a laptop. The best place to put a USB wire is down to where the gear stick is as that is a really easy piece to remove for access. Just plug it in and the unit will recognize and ask what you want it to do, be it access files, sync contacts etc.

 

 

Q. Can we have a pic of what the buttons look like?

 

A. Bear in mind I had to make the part the buttons are fixed on from scratch, it used to be a plastic box lid from Maplin. The cubby I used is for a pre facelift car, where my car is a facelift model. Those who have pre facelift cars will get all genuine Nissan parts. Face lift cars will have to accept I may have to build it like the one in the picture, which is both difficult and time consuming to make look good!

DSC02783.jpg

 

 

Q. What are the connections like that can be connected to an aftermarket head unit? mine has phono leads, are they the same?

 

A. Bose hack users will most likely have a 3.5mm jack, but some aftermarket head units may accept the red/white phonos. 3.5mm jack to phono adapters are available on eBay for next to nothing though.

 

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When you say the Bose Hack, do you mean this can replace the standard Birdview and the system still workds directly through the standard sound system? If so I'm very interested...

 

:stupid:

 

One thing, I did a check on the other thread but couldn't see it (I'm on iPhone, computer died on me last night :thumbdown:). How do you get the app store & web browser? Subscription? :blush:

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When you say the Bose Hack, do you mean this can replace the standard Birdview and the system still workds directly through the standard sound system? If so I'm very interested...

 

:stupid:

 

The Bose hack is where you solder an AUX cable in to the Bose headunit allowing you to plug a iPod etc in to the standard head unit.

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When you say the Bose Hack, do you mean this can replace the standard Birdview and the system still workds directly through the standard sound system? If so I'm very interested...

 

:stupid:

 

The Bose hack is where you solder an AUX cable in to the Bose headunit allowing you to plug a iPod etc in to the standard head unit.

 

 

I did that on my radio, but I wondered how you connect the sound for this unit to the Bose system. Sorry, I should have explained what I meant better (as above I'm on iPhone and hate typing long stuff on it :lol:).

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how else can i say this other then still very interested with this! did you manage to see if the bluetooth adapter will work with JODB and the same for torque or will people with imports have to go with something like dash command?

and out of curiosity what did you do with your old system?

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Just to add to the general impression of this unit.............its awesome and very capable. Some credit to nurrish for blazing the trail but the cookienav moves the goalpost further. Welldone Paul :clap:

 

Just 1 more question. I asked about splicing the OBD2 cable which seems very risky but does the OBD2 bluetooth dongle upgrade mean the OBD2 port will be freed up? If not what other options are there to run the torque application and have the port free for other uses.

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ill be having one of these off of you! not untill maybe late july or august when im back from holiday and have another months money in the bank, ive got a couple more questions though,

 

to upload the music, photos and videos im presuming that its just a usb cable to sync it to your laptop. when its in the car and fitted is the usb port still accessible or does the centre console have to come out to gain access to it?

 

also can we have a pic of what the buttons look like?

 

and what are the connections like that can be connected to an aftermarket head unit? mine has phono leads, are they the same?

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