I've been using Street Pilot III for about two weeks now. It's pretty great.

I just stuff it into the corner of the dash on the driver's side, so I'm VERY interested to get details about your install, Rick. Did you buy the power adapter with exposed wires from Garmin, or did you just modify the stock power adapter?

Street Pilot III has already saved me so many headaches -- it totally exceeded my expectations. Plus, I love the robotic lady's voice.

 

Pictures posted above.

sunchild,

I used the stock power adapter. I just took apart the lighter plug end, and soldered the hot side to the live lead on the overhead lamp (the blue and white wire) and grounded the other side to one of the screws that holds the overhead lamp assembly to the windshield frame.

The power cable and speaker wire run under the roof rail trim and exit two small holes drilled on either side of the RAM mount. I used the diamond shaped RAM mount on the roof rail trim, bolting it through the plastic with two big washers on the underside to relieve stress on the plastic.

 

Who is the goofy-lookin' guy in the photo??

 

jnmunsey,

Hey friend, don't be so careless with your language. The guy is one of my best friends, and none of us who know him would use "goofy" to describe him.

 

Rick - nice setup. Two questions (after missing a turn or two this weekend). First, does it affect the sightlines at all? It appears to hang down quite a bit, just curious on if it blocks any vision for a taller driver. Second, Do you ever hit it when getting into and out of the car?

 

WestSideBilly,

I don't even come close to hitting it getting in and out and it does not effect the sightlines, but I'm about 5'8". Since it's basically aligned with the windshield frame, it would only effect the sightlines to the extent that the windshield frame does.

 

The navigation system in my wife's new Acura MDX is wonderful. It took us from La Crescenta exactly to the Narrow Guage Inn just south of Yosemite Park in Fishcamp -- to within 100 feet! Hower, my experience with my stook is that you better be paying attention to your driving all the time. I would think that using a navigation system would be more difficult.

The Raptor

 

Yes James I understand... I spent about 20 years doing field service(mainframe/mini-computer repair) work and I would have killed for the street pilot!! I really would like one of those small Sonys(laptop) with the camera built in ... it would be my all in one solution for vehicle orbII diags, navigation and mp3's. Not to mention e-mail. But seriously this car is for driving right...

 

Does anyone know much about GPS/SatNav data files?

I've been looking for a system for a while and have played with the VDO Dayton/Carin/Philips system. This system uses a CD and a local company market the CD for Australian roads.

My questiona are:
Are there standards for street/map data?
Are the file types for the VDO CD, Alpine CD and DVD, and Garmin Street Pilots interchangable?

 

Garmin and some of the other Nav systems use maps called NavTech by "Navigation Technologies Corporation." I suspect the format is proprietary. It will run from the unit's removeable memory chip or in a proprietary application on the PC.

There are standards for GPS tracking data, but address to address routing appears to be a closed game. Sorry, that's all I know about it.