i have a garmin too

its really easy to use

 

hey cwerdna .. does the sears thing still works?.. went to their site but it stated 499. if not where is the cheapest place i can find one?

 

No, the deal died a day after I got it and was YMMV anyway. $499 is a TERRIBLE price.

I'd check URLs like the ones below for the lowest prices.
http://www.pricescan.com/item_zip/it...&zipcode=95120,
http://www.mysimon.com/9014-3430_8-3...html?orderby=2
http://electronics.pricegrabber.com/...ype=bottomline

I'd also do searches on http://www.slickdeals.net/, http://www.techbargains.com and www.hot-deals.org regularly.

Don't buy from a sketchy retailer. It's not worth the hassle. Check http://www.resellerratings.com/ on the retailer's rep first.

edit: I just stumbled across http://www.gpspassion.com/fr/articles.asp?id=234. Apparently, the 710 and 760 will replace the 660 "in the coming months".

 

Hey try the navigon 5100 on amazon, it's barely $300 and it's great. Just check it out... I was gonna get garmin as well but saw this one at the last moment and was just amazed

 

That looks perfect!

What year is your Z? Not sure whether the cubby changed size over the years. Do you happen to know?

I was thinking about the 350 but now I'm leaning toward the 660 cuz of the nice fit/easy install.

Thx!

 

Here’s something to consider:

The advantage of a self-contained device with a 3.5” to 4+” screen is portability; however, the screen is relatively small when you compare this to a built-in 7” screen. I’ve done it both ways, and a larger screen provides much better viewing while navigating in your car.

Compare these:


7” screen

4” Screen

If portability is the most important feature for you, then the self-contained devices are the best choice. If a larger more readable map is what you want, go for a 7” LCD screen installation.

--Spike

 

My Z is a 2003... even if the cubby changed, I doubt it changed enough to make the nuvi not fit. Keep in mind that I had to buy a different ball-mount to make it fit in mine, one with a slightly shorter arm. (Details are on the original link I posted above).

Someone mentioned screen size as a disadvantage to the built-in screens - this is a good point, although screen size has never been a problem for me. Also, a unit like the garmin will be out-of-date, feature-wise, in a few years. and it's easier to upgrade than a built-in system (especially the OEM one).

 

Spike--

Thx for the comparo... point taken.

I'd definitely prefer a larger screen over a smaller one. The 660 solution is just so quick and easy, which is a major selling point for me since I wouldn't attempt an electronic install myself.

 

The Garmin GVN-52 Black-Box “Brain” is what makes this installation so great. You simply install a LCD that supports composite video, and connect this to the GVN-52.


Garmin GVN-52 Black-Box

The Garmin GVN-52 is tiny and light and fits easily into the small/upper cubby behind either the driver or passenger seat. The device has an SD slot, so you can do updates (application software or maps) by downloading from Garmin’s website onto a SanDisk that you insert into the GVN-52’s SD slot. The update happens automatically. That update feature will keep your unit current for some time. I’ve already done two updates (to update the maps and install improved application software), and it was “drop-dead simple.”


In the event Garmin provides a new and improved “brain,” that is an easy swap as well. I have my unit in the small cubby behind the driver’s seat, attached with Velcro strips. Swapping in a new unit is as easy as pulling it off the Velcro mounting strips, and disconnecting/reconnecting one plug (the harness is a single plug for everything: power, sound, and composite video). Compare this to replacing the OEM Nissan navigation system and you see why you definitely want to go aftermarket.

With this said, I am not arguing with your good idea of mounting a removable and transportable GPS device such as the Garmin Nuvi. Your arrangement allows sharing a single GPS among multiple cars, and that saves money and eliminates learning the idiosyncrasies and esoterics of different devices. Another advantage of a removable device is the ability to take it with you when leaving the car, and using it to find locations when you’re “on foot.” I like this feature when in cities or locations where you didn’t know exactly where you were. Whether you’re out hiking or walking unfamiliar city streets, you can mark the location of your vehicle (so that you can always get back), and proceed with confidence.


--Spike

 

I understand. However, I think you should consider this. Installing a Garmin GVN-52 or a Kenwood KNA-G520 Navigation Box and an LCD screen is about the easiest project you can do on a Z. It’s fun to do, simple, and rewarding. It’s just a great way to get “your feet wet” on a CES project.

Installing the Garmin GVN-52 requires these components:


LCD screen (7inches) with a composite video connector (Examples: Farenheit T-7000MHR, Power Acoustik PT-700MHR, or NESA Vision NSM-7005)


Garmin GVN52 Blackbox GPS

Connect the LCD to a switched ignition wire (typically red colored). Note: Do not connect an LCD to a constant-powered line (typically colored yellow) since many stand-alone LCDs have a “sleep mode” that draws power. The power draw is slight, but it will eventually drain your battery. Most stand-alone LCDs have a remote control allowing you to make settings (contrast, brightness, color, aspect ratio, ON/OFF, etc.). Typically these are “one-time-settings;” so once this is done, you hardly need the remote to do any additional settings. The setting you always need is ON/OFF, and you can set this to “always on with power” using the remote. Do this (always ON), and install a physical ON/OFF manual switch (the position where Nissan locates the seat heater button is a good place for your LCD ON/OFF). This way you won’t need to dig for the remote control each time you want to turn the monitor ON or OFF. You can just flip the conveniently located physical switch to power the LCD on or OFF. For that matter, you want to connect the power source of your GPS to the same ON/OFF switch you use for the LCD.

Your Garmin GVN52 has only six wires you need to connect.

1) There’s a switched (red) wire for power that you connect to your ignition. That’s the one you may also want to run through the physical switch you install to toggle the LCD on and off. This way you can turn both the LCD and the GPS device on or off together.

2) The yellow wire on the Garmin is connected to a constant power source. Don’t worry about the Garmin draining your battery off the yellow (constant) power supply. The Garmin GVN52 is intelligent and wont’ do this. In fact the device has its own internal battery, and only uses the constant power to recharge this battery. It won’t drain your car’s battery.

3 and 4) There are two (right and left) speaker wires you connect to your H/U or external amplifier (if you have one). The Garmin GVN52 issues voice commands, and connecting these two wires routes the voice commands through your car’s speakers.

5) The mute wire is connected to your H/U’s mute input. That defeats the H/U’s music when the Garmin issues voice guidance. If your H/U doesn’t support a mute wire, you can add this feature, but that goes beyond this discussion.

6) The last and 6th wire is the composite video wire you run to the LCD,\.

Done! Notice there is no need to connect silly and useless stuff like a Speed Sensor Wire (SSW) or a “parking brake-disconnect wire.” Nice.

The Garmin GVN52 does not support touch screen function. To get this with a similar installation, you need Kenwood’s KNA-G520 Navigation Box displaying on the Kenwood LZ-702W Monitor. The installation is nearly identical with this addition: You need to place the LZ-702W Monitor’s hideaway box in the large lower cubby behind the driver’s seat.

--Spike

 

I'm a Nav newbie so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but isn't that a pretty big negative? I though touchscreen commands were pretty important. No?

 

^^ Yes… Touch-screen is the preferred operation of many new devices. Personally, I don’t like seeing fingerprints all over the LCD screen. That’s why I went with the Garmin GVN52. This device uses a remote control, and you never touch the screen. I never miss having a touch-screen since the device auto-zooms and it does everything automatically while navigating. The only time I use the remote is inputting the destination.

Users who want touch-screen function can choose the Kenwood setup. This solution is exactly the same (Navteq maps and Garmin software), but adds touch-screen function.

--Spike

 

FYI, Costco has the Nuvi 650 right now for $299 (for Costco members) online only. That's quite a bargain although it's being replaced by the 700 series. Functionality-wise, it's the same as the 350 except that it's larger w/a larger screeen.

My parents just ordered a 650 for themselves.

 

My empty cubby just pops open but doesn't slide back into the dash (like the cool ones in this thread). Mine looks like a baseball cap and affects the visibility of any screen/GPS I put in the cubby.
_

So I called Courtesy and they can get the "lid cluster" for around $180 but the parts guy couldn't tell me if it would fit in my car. He said they couldn't guarantee it would fit.

Has anyone done this mod? - Mine is a 2004.5.

_

 

Check this thread:

https://my350z.com/forum/audio-builds/129715-farenheit-installation.html

It's an older thread, but I believe it addresses your question.

--Spike

 

They switched over from the flimsy awkward to close door on the 03 models to the one studier one that sticks out starting w/the 2004 models. I'm actually ok w/the door sticking out as it helps shield my GPS unit from sunlight somewhat.

 

Thanks guys! Great info.
_

 

Question:

Is it more difficult to mount a 7” LCD into the 2004.5 car?

I ask because the 2003 upper/forward cubby has a detachable rear pocket. You simply remove the rear pocket and replace this with your LCD monitor. It’s a perfect fit using the 2003 style upper/forward cubby.

My understanding is the 2004 upper/forward cubby does not have a detachable rear pocket. If that is true, the installation requires some cutting and custom fabrication. I read posts from some members with 2004 (and beyond) model years who replaced the center console (and it’s forward/upper cubby) with a 2003 center console to solve this problem.

--Spike

 

Just ordered myself one

 

This is the same size as the 660, right? So basically the 650 is just like the 660 w/ somewhat fewer features? (Can't find a head-to-head comparo of the various nuvi models.)

Just checked the Costco site. For non-members, it' an extra 5%. Still pretty reasonable!