Finally, got it all together and did a lot of testing…

NOTE: This is a shot of the LCD screen taken with a digital camera. It really does not do the Garmin’s very sharp image justice. The actual image is considerably better than what I can capture by taking a digital photo of the LCD screen.

Configuration:
- Garmin GVN 52 Navigation Box installed in the cubby box behind the driver’s seat


- Power Acoustik PT-700MHR (same as Farenheit T-7000MHR or the NESA Vision NSM-7005) installed in the upper/forward cubby space and set as “always ON”


- ON/OFF Switch illuminated and connected to car’s ACC controlling the power supply to the Garmin GVN 52 and the Power Acoustik PT-700MHR LCD monitor

Function:
- No “digging” for the LCD remote since the system is controlled by the ON/OFF switch. The Power Acoustik PT-700MHR is set to “always ON,” but can be turned ON/OFF with the illuminated switch or the remote.

- The Garmin GVN 52 provides great graphics (maps) and text display. This GPS is very fast and redraws the screen in real time while you drive. NAVTEQ maps are the best.

- The Power Acoustik PT-700MHR monitor is bright and displays sharp graphics (maps) and text.

Very cool setup using equipment that is reasonably priced. And, it’s totally stealth.

--Spike

 

Cool... so how do you control it all?

 

The unit is controlled by a wireless RF remote.
http://www.garmin.com/manuals/GVN52_OwnersManual.pdf
Since it's an RF device, you don't need to point it at anything as you do when using an IR controller. I find that once your moving, you really don't need it. Some people would prefer a touch screen. I tried both, and favor the better image from a non-touch screen.
--Spike

 

How did you run the wires from the Garmin unit behind the seat up to the front cubby? Sorry if this answer is all over the forums, I just picked up my 07 Roadster on Saturday and would like to do something similar in the next couple months. Can you take a picture of the installed unit in your dash?

 

Nice. I never thought of putting the monitor on a switch. I just gave it the same ACC power that the radio gets.

 

Hey Tech, you can even turn the Monitor on using the other external output on the DNX7100. So instead of using a switch, you can just touch the screen to power it on or off.

 

Hmm...never thought of that. I assume it wires the same way as the trunk switch did?

 

I have a 2003, so the install was very easy. I have no experience with the 2007 so I cannot tell you exactly how to install a 7” monitor in upper/forward cubby of the car you are looking at.

Running the wiring would be about the same. To run the wires, I removed the panels on the rear cubby behind the driver’s seat, and removed the center console and the center dash piece. I installed a small illuminated switch in the panel that holds the heater seats switches in the center console. I use this switch to turn the “system” (LCD monitor and Garmin GVN52) ON/OFF. This configuration eliminates the need to dig for the LCD’s remote. The 2003 has a closing cubby door, and that is the reason I decided to use an illuminated rocker switch. LCDs get hot, and I never wanted to have it ON when the door was closed and wouldn’t know it was ON (and literally cooking itself to death).

There are many examples and pictures on the Forum showing monitors installed. Just do a search in this section on Farenheit (And, notice that “Farenheit” is misspelled. The correct spelling, Fahrenheit, won’t yield any results in the search.). My monitor install looks exactly like the examples you see when doing this search.
--Spike