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built-in car navigation system


Gill & Tony

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I'm looking to replace my car and the preferred model comes with a built-in navigation system.  I'm not yet sure of the model of the device, but the car will be a Toyota.

 

Does anyone know whether it is possible to add caches as POI's (or similar) to these built-in systems?  If not, is it possible to "navigate to coordinates"  rather than to addresses?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

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Just now, Gill & Tony said:

I'm looking to replace my car and the preferred model comes with a built-in navigation system.  I'm not yet sure of the model of the device, but the car will be a Toyota.

 

Does anyone know whether it is possible to add caches as POI's (or similar) to these built-in systems?  If not, is it possible to "navigate to coordinates"  rather than to addresses?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

I believe some systems can have geocaches added. I bought a cheap Tom Tom though and I don't think I can with mine. However you can use it to navigate with coordinates, as I could with the two cheap previous Tom Toms. I have also used a car Garmin that I also could use coordinates with. I imagine it's standard with car navigation systems these days to be able to use coordinates with, but check. One feature, which I thought was standard, but apparently not, is the voice speaking to you. You can choose the voice you prefer. I borrowed a car navigation system once and it didn't have voice. This was not good, as the voice gives instructions ahead of time where to turn etc. You might not always be watching the map (we should have eyes on the road) and without the voice might miss the turn. Make sure your system has voice.

My Tom Tom was about A$125 a few years back and came with maps of Australia and NZ, with free lifetime upgrades. Get one with free upgrades. Maps of other countries are available to buy and add. I bought and added the UK, USA and Canada. I needed to buy a chip to add to the unit so these would all fit. The reason I borrowed the Garmin was because Tom Tom hadn't published (then at least) a map of Iceland, but Garmin had, and I had rented a car to drive (and cache) about Iceland.

Edited by Goldenwattle
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1 hour ago, Gill & Tony said:

I'm looking to replace my car and the preferred model comes with a built-in navigation system.  I'm not yet sure of the model of the device, but the car will be a Toyota.

 

Does anyone know whether it is possible to add caches as POI's (or similar) to these built-in systems?  If not, is it possible to "navigate to coordinates"  rather than to addresses?

 

Thanks

 

Tony

 

I have the built-in console satnav in my 2017 RAV 4, but as far as I've been able to figure out, it'll only accept street addresses. If there's a way to put coordinates into it I'd be happy to know.

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Funny this topic should come up now....

 

I have a Clarion NZ503 system in the car. Does everything except bring my slippers in the morning.  It's GPS, DVD, CD, MP3, Radio, Sat radio, Pandora, USB, etc, etc.

One feature is a video in (in addition to the DVD player and the back-up camera), and USB (both audio and video). I've been thinking about how or IF I could get the screen from the Garmin 64sx onto the NZ503. Does the garmin have a "video out" (Could be USB) that would plug in? The thing is, while caching I use the Garmin to navigate. Not ideal because 1) I can't see the screen while driving. 2) No voice guidance.  But it does save me having to input coords for every cache into the NZ503 manually. Yes there is a micro SD card for maps but I don't think I can add POI's (caches). If I could get the image from the garmin on the NZ503 I could see it even though there would be no voice prompts, just a copy of the Garmin map on a much bigger screen.

 

Anyway, to answer the question..... Most Automotive GPS units will accept and navigate to coordinates. Just make sure the format is correct. I mean... "Degrees, minutes, seconds" (N23' 54" 16"' )or "degrees, Minutes, and decimals of minutes" (N41' 27.519")

 

Also note that it can be a real pain in the you know where to enter coords manually.

 

Edited by Lost_not_found
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25 minutes ago, barefootjeff said:

 

I have the built-in console satnav in my 2017 RAV 4, but as far as I've been able to figure out, it'll only accept street addresses. If there's a way to put coordinates into it I'd be happy to know.

I wonder if a GSAK  macro could take cache coordinates in and convert them to a street address.  Not useful for caches in the middle of nowhere but I won't be driving to them.

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1 hour ago, Goldenwattle said:

Don't built in systems cost money to update?

 

Yep, I've had one map update since I bought the car and that set me back about $150. The main reason I got it was the rerouting of the Pacific Highway north of Port Macquarie, which had it totally confused, and some new housing estates where I needed to do some navigating. I'll be waiting a while before I get the next one, hopefully there won't be too much new stuff built soon.

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Just now, barefootjeff said:

 

Yep, I've had one map update since I bought the car and that set me back about $150. The main reason I got it was the rerouting of the Pacific Highway north of Port Macquarie, which had it totally confused, and some new housing estates where I needed to do some navigating. I'll be waiting a while before I get the next one, hopefully there won't be too much new stuff built soon.

I can't see how these built in navigation updates should cost so much. Not when people can buy separate car navigation systems which have a lifetime of FREE updates, for less than that. It seems a rip off.

Edited by Goldenwattle
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Maybe you can look into a system that allows you to connect your smartphone. Carplay will allow you to connect your phone and display, for instance, Waze. I use GDAK (uses GSAK databases) and ti navigate to a cache it opens Waze which in turn can be shown on a car display.

 

I works like a charm with Istuff but trying to connect my Android tablet gets into a loop. I will have to see if that can be fixed, but it should work.

 

 

Edited by on4bam
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10 minutes ago, mustakorppi said:

Last time I rented a car it had Apple car which made things really easy. Geocaching app on iPhone —> select the cache you want, click the car icon and select Waze —> navigate to cache using Waze on your car’s display.

I rented a car (a new Dodge Charger) when I went out to California at the end of the year.  As soon as I paired my phone via bluetooth it asked me to download Android Auto.  Once I did I could run Google Maps and Waze on my cars display (and Spotify, and others apps).  It was really nice.  

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I think you'll find that  newer cars with a navigation system will link to your phone.  If caches have parking coords, you can "goto" that waypoint, the car nav will sync.

 

Most  car nav systems will take coords, though by decree, never as DMM, always as DDD or DMS ;-)   Once you're figured out how to load them, it's not horrible.  (I use it so little that I forget the screens to follow between uses).  All I've used won't allow you to load coords unless the car is in park, ie a passenger cannot load coords to the nav system while the car is moving. 

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Just now, Isonzo Karst said:

ie a passenger cannot load coords to the nav system while the car is moving.

The separately bought ones can have coordinates loaded when driving. I would not be paying hundreds of dollars to regularly upgrade a built in GPS when a GPS can be bought for less than one of those upgrades with free lifetime upgrades. My Tom Tom has free lifetime upgrades for both Australia and NZ.

Edited by Goldenwattle
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I bought a Toyota RAV-4 last summer, and being able to navigate to cache or parking coordinates was one factor that drove my choice over the 4Runner.  The 2019 4Runner had outdated technology, but I think I read that it was updated for the 2020 model year.

 

I plug my phone in, wait for the giant dashboard screen to say "Apple Car Play connected," find the next cache on my phone app, click on the car icon, and ask it to navigate using Google Maps.  So easy!

 

In 2019, the RAV-4 did not offer the same connectivity for Android, but I think I read this was added for 2020. 

 

The other factors that made me choose the RAV-4 included great styling, gas mileage (I'm getting 28.4 mpg since the date of purchase) and safety features.  Geocachers can appreciate a huge screen and guidance lines for the backup camera, and radar sensors that alert me before I bump into a tree stump, guardrail, etc.

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Just found out why my Android didn't connect.. need to install Android car on my tablet but it's not offered here. There's only a limited list of countries where the software is allowed. Rumor has it it only should take a few months.

As I still have a Nuvi + GSAK there's no problem navigating anyway and or normal outings I just use my tablet with GDAK + Waze.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, The Leprechauns said:

I plug my phone in, wait for the giant dashboard screen to say "Apple Car Play connected," find the next cache on my phone app, click on the car icon, and ask it to navigate using Google Maps.

 

It would be good for the OP to have the dealer show how to navigate using "Google Maps" from a connected phone.  Be sure everything works as you expect.  It should be fine, but I'm noticing that while this works pretty sweet from iPhone, it's quite different from Android.  Maybe it depends on Android Apps as on4bam mentioned.  See this for Toyota: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxFTP4rkUNE

 

I don't use a built-in car nav for Geocaching, (plus I currently use iPhone, and I don't know what brand of phone the OP has) so I can't advise what happens when there's no phone data.

 

Edited by kunarion
I typed "Maclunkey" by accident, had to edit it out.
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On 1/10/2020 at 8:52 PM, Goldenwattle said:

I believe some systems can have geocaches added. I bought a cheap Tom Tom though and I don't think I can with mine.

Let me know which model (or better yet, the first two characters of the serial number), and I'll provide some quick and dirty instructions on how to load POI.  There aren't any TomTom units that won't accept a custom POI.  The exception isn't a TomTom device, it's their Android/iOS app that still doesn't handle these.

Edited by ecanderson
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Thanks for all the advice

 

It looks like Android Car is the way to go, since the built-in system has that as standard..  Unfortunately my phone only runs 4.2.2, so that is out.  The good news is that I've been needing to get a second phone for a while and I now know to ensure it has android car compatibility.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

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I recently rented a car that kept wanting to run Android Car on my phone when I plugged it in.

 

I wonder if the system in my Jeep will eventually get this capability, or if I can upgrade to it cheaply.  It's a 2014, so I know it won't work at the moment.

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24 minutes ago, hzoi said:

I wonder if the system in my Jeep will eventually get this capability, or if I can upgrade to it cheaply.  It's a 2014, so I know it won't work at the moment.

 

Look up if Android Auto is supported in your country, if it is, you can get info on updates from your dealer.

Android Auto is not (yet) available here and I know that our son's car (Ford, 2 months old) can have a software update by connection to internet. It works perfectly with Istuff but Android Auto needs certification to be allowed in Belgium.

 

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2 minutes ago, on4bam said:
33 minutes ago, hzoi said:

I wonder if the system in my Jeep will eventually get this capability, or if I can upgrade to it cheaply.  It's a 2014, so I know it won't work at the moment.

 

Look up if Android Auto is supported in your country, if it is, you can get info on updates from your dealer.

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

In six months, I'll be in another country, presumably back in the US.*  I'm not going to upgrade anything before then.

 

*Or if that long shot assignment to Japan goes through, there's no way I'm taking a US vehicle, as they drive on the other side of the road.

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