captint Posted August 10, 2006 Posted August 10, 2006 Chaps I am thinking of getting a NavMan 720 Sat Nav system, it fits really will in the front storage compartment. Look good, touch sensitive, picture operation too. However the question is, will I get a signal in the storage compartment, any idea's?? Quote
Jacko Posted August 10, 2006 Posted August 10, 2006 Chaps I am thinking of getting a NavMan 720 Sat Nav system, it fits really will in the front storage compartment. Look good, touch sensitive, picture operation too. However the question is, will I get a signal in the storage compartment, any idea's?? Can't you just mount the unit in the storage area, then have an "external" GPS receiver mounted on the front of the dash, with a wire going into the external source of the unit (I'm assuming its got one). Not 100% sure, but I'd guess something like that would work? Quote
captint Posted August 10, 2006 Author Posted August 10, 2006 Yeah that ouds like a plan, I just wanted to know whether it will work without a booster? Quote
Jacko Posted August 10, 2006 Posted August 10, 2006 Yeah that ouds like a plan, I just wanted to know whether it will work without a booster? Not sure. Some of the other guys that's done similar things will be along shortly, but I would assumed so. Its only like having a pda etc with a GPS receiver inside the car. Get good enough signal..... Quote
jim Posted August 10, 2006 Posted August 10, 2006 I thought quite a few members have Tom Toms which sit in the cubby and seem to work fine. I was thinking about getting one myself. Would this unit not work in the same way? Quote
mugwump Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 So long as the device has a reasonable view of the sky it will work fine, what that means in practice is no conductive obstructions that would prevent the radio frequency passing through. So plastic (your cubby lid) and glass offer minimal attenuation of the signal. I have had a surprising amount of sucess with a gps receiver sat in the centre cupholder/tray. I didnt expect it to work I was trying to find a more permanent position but found it worked a treat and have driven hundreds of miles with it sat there. (Sirf III chipset which is regarded as more sensitive than some). You can always get a gps repeater as has already been suggested but these are currently up for debate as they are unlicensed and in breach of the wireless telegraphy act (not that anyone will catch you if you drive fast enough ) Quote
lomoto Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 You can always get a gps repeater as has already been suggested but these are currently up for debate as they are unlicensed and in breach of the wireless telegraphy act (not that anyone will catch you if you drive fast enough ) I'm intrigued, Whats a gps repeater's function?? Quote
mugwump Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 This says it better than me! http://www.ofcom.org.uk/radiocomms/ifi/enforcement/gpsrepeaters/ I am sure there were some passive ones floating about when I used to run a morpheous geodesy speed cam detector. I'll have a nose...... Basically an antenna you can position for best reception (even outside the car), which retransmits the signal inside your car to improve reception. Quote
mugwump Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 and there is a review of one here..... http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/reradiating.php Quote
lomoto Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 Thanks for that...Intresting piece of equipment, handy for repositioning a Sat Nav inside the car away from the screen Quote
jim Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 I mentioned the Tom Tom solution earlier in this thread. Can anyone confirm that they work fine in the cubby? I notice that Tom Tom sell an aerial which they say helps boost the signal in cars with heated screens etc. Is this needed in the Z? Quote
lomoto Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 I mentioned the Tom Tom solution earlier in this thread. Can anyone confirm that they work fine in the cubby? I notice that Tom Tom sell an aerial which they say helps boost the signal in cars with heated screens etc. Is this needed in the Z? my sat nav doesnt need the extra aerial Works spot on Quote
jim Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 I mentioned the Tom Tom solution earlier in this thread. Can anyone confirm that they work fine in the cubby? I notice that Tom Tom sell an aerial which they say helps boost the signal in cars with heated screens etc. Is this needed in the Z? my sat nav doesnt need the extra aerial Works spot on Did you get the Tom Tom Go 700 model? Quote
lomoto Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 I mentioned the Tom Tom solution earlier in this thread. Can anyone confirm that they work fine in the cubby? I notice that Tom Tom sell an aerial which they say helps boost the signal in cars with heated screens etc. Is this needed in the Z? my sat nav doesnt need the extra aerial Works spot on Did you get the Tom Tom Go 700 model? no I have Mio 269, which came with extra aerial, but was not needed in the Zed Quote
Sarnie Posted August 11, 2006 Posted August 11, 2006 I mentioned the Tom Tom solution earlier in this thread. Can anyone confirm that they work fine in the cubby? I notice that Tom Tom sell an aerial which they say helps boost the signal in cars with heated screens etc. Is this needed in the Z? my sat nav doesnt need the extra aerial Works spot on Did you get the Tom Tom Go 700 model? no I have Mio 269, which came with extra aerial, but was not needed in the Zed The extra aerial is only needed for cars with front windscreen heating strips. Only certain cars have these though. I drove a Mondeo a while back and it has a kind of mesh on the windscreen which is only visible when you get close up. Apparently though this has a negative affect on recieving a GPS signal Quote
Gus Posted August 12, 2006 Posted August 12, 2006 I've got a Snooper Indago that works no problem sat in the cubby without an additional aerial. Some of the older Sat Navs didn't work very well in there, but most of them are now using some new internals ( someone will probably know the correct name ) that means it acquires the signal a lot easier. So, in answer to the question, if buying one of the premium brands new - yes should work, if buying an old one second hand, or perhaps some of the budget ones - possibly not Gus Quote
polarbear Posted August 13, 2006 Posted August 13, 2006 I've got a Navman iCN520 sat in the cubby hole with an external aerial on the ledge between the B and C pilllars behind the passenger seat. Most of the time it is fine without the external aerial connected, but I wanted the unit sat right at the back of the cubby hole so that I can close the lid and leave it in situ. It also acquires a bit quicker with the external aerial connected. All I need now is to work out a cable routing for the power supply. The mNC connector for the aerial is v.small so routes through above the head unit in to the back of the cubby hole, but it's tight and the power lead for the Navman won't fit. Any ideas??? Quote
captint Posted August 13, 2006 Author Posted August 13, 2006 I'm going to wire mine in on Thursday, so ill let you know the outcome Quote
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