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 Post subject: Recommendations for navigation head units?
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2018 11:01 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 5:05 pm
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I'm starting to do some planning for future KJ upgrades involving adding sat-nav, and am having an extremely difficult time finding anything that I'd actually want to live with. To that end, I could use some recommendations (including what to avoid and why) from anyone else who has also been down this road recently.

Here's the list of must-haves:

- Reasonably fast boot time (30 seconds or less)
- An absolutely readable display in ambient light (doubly important with reflections from a light grey interior)
- A lack of 10,000,000 menus to have to dig through in order to do basic things like enter a destination or select a radio preset
- Offline maps - don't care how they're stored, but using a phone's data connection for navigation is right out
- Maps should be updateable
- Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming
- HD Radio tuner (half the stations I listen to around here are only available on HD subchannels)

Nice-to-haves, but not 100% necessary:

- Reversing camera input (handy for backing up to a trailer)
- Live traffic updates
- A couple of USB ports
- SD card slot (though a USB port could substitute for that)
- Satellite radio (considering cancelling my Sirius/XM subscription except for traffic; there's better content that can be streamed for $0)
- Retaining steering wheel radio controls - the Kenwood in there now doesn't work with them, but it would be good to have

Things I can absolutely live without:

- An optical drive - I never listen to CDs anymore, and have no interest in watching DVDs on my head unit
- External monitors (see above point)
- Flashy interfaces - clean, non-distracting, and easy-to-navigate win out over it looking and/or controlling like a video game
- App control - if it's there, fine, but I've learned from other head units that this is a feature I never use
- Any head unit with a motorised display - do not want the added and unnecessary complexity

Double-DIN units are fine; I have no objections to doing that conversion. Similarly, if there's a factory 1.5-DIN unit that will fit the KJ's dash while meeting the above criteria, I'm also open to that idea.

So, any recommendations? What I've been finding is leaving me seriously underwhelmed, and I am willing to invest a little more in this since it's something we'll be living with for a few years.

_________________
2005 KJ CRD Limited 4x4:
245/75R16 BFG TA KO2s
OME / Clevis 2.5" Lift
JBA Lifted A-Arms
IRO WJ Short Rear UCA/WWDiesel mount
Skid Row Skidplates
HDS Model 001 Thermostat (190°F)
Suncoast TC
Full Weeks Kit
Bosch 5V glow plugs
Hayden 2986 fan clutch / GM 11-blade fan
Samco / Sasquatch Intake Hoses
Carter in-tank pump
Provent 200
V6 Airbox


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 Post subject: Re: Recommendations for navigation head units?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 7:00 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2018 6:55 am
Posts: 2
Location: California,Santa Clara
Love the Pioneer 4200 NEX with the Maestro RR to control SW controls and allow for a few additions to the system.
The head unit looks great, retains factory backup cam with use of metra harness and a voltage step-down adapter...
Sound is much better was better even with stock speakers. Larger screen, looks like it belongs...
As far as adjusting the factory settings, My dealer didn't charge me when I had the battery replaced, I guess they are all different.


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 Post subject: Re: Recommendations for navigation head units?
PostPosted: Wed Jul 25, 2018 6:59 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 5:05 pm
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Shacyr wrote:
Love the Pioneer 4200 NEX with the Maestro RR to control SW controls and allow for a few additions to the system.
The head unit looks great, retains factory backup cam with use of metra harness and a voltage step-down adapter...
Sound is much better was better even with stock speakers. Larger screen, looks like it belongs...
As far as adjusting the factory settings, My dealer didn't charge me when I had the battery replaced, I guess they are all different.


Thanks for the recommendation, but I think I'm going to pass on that unit - it doesn't support offline maps, and I get into areas of no data coverage to no cell coverage at all. There's probably a way to make it use offline maps via a paired smartphone, but I'd rather just have all navigation functions integrated directly into the head unit.

_________________
2005 KJ CRD Limited 4x4:
245/75R16 BFG TA KO2s
OME / Clevis 2.5" Lift
JBA Lifted A-Arms
IRO WJ Short Rear UCA/WWDiesel mount
Skid Row Skidplates
HDS Model 001 Thermostat (190°F)
Suncoast TC
Full Weeks Kit
Bosch 5V glow plugs
Hayden 2986 fan clutch / GM 11-blade fan
Samco / Sasquatch Intake Hoses
Carter in-tank pump
Provent 200
V6 Airbox


Top
 Profile  
 
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