In-dash GPS/Radio
 

Can anyone recommend a good in-dash GPS/Radio unit. My CD player is dead and i'm sick of crappy radio stations. Does anyone know of a good one that will not get caught on the door, and be easy to install. Also, would there be anything to worry about (such as wiring it into the car or the GPS signals being blocked by the windshield)

Thanks.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

lots of people got the pioneer AVIC but i think any front loader will work as long as there isnt a motorised screen

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

Any good double-DIN will work great. Mine's an older one, but I have a Kenwood DNX-5120 (long since superseded) that works fantastically well. I have GPS and XM Satellite Radio, as well as USB and iPod connections. It means I have loads of connectivity, loads of music options and a damned nice GPS (Garmin). It's not without bugs, but it fits nicely in the SVX's dash and I can still close the door :)

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

How difficult is it for one of these stereo places to install a new stereo? I was looking at one a while back and was leaning toward the Pioneers due to their great reception.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

The SVX is quite difficult to install stereo in, without hacking and wrecking the dash...be sure to buy a connector from the member here who sells them, and print out the installation instructions to give to the installer. An antenna extension is also needed, as well as knowledge of the SVX dual antenna system, these are the kind of things that the average installer wont know about...the speakers are tricky too.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

I went with the pioneer AVIC 310BT, the stereo sounds good though in my opinion the GPS could be better. I got the harness & instructions (which made it nice) & broke it down into a few evenings. One night to remove panels & the old stereo, one night to solder the harness & run microphone/usb/GPS antenna wires, & one night to install. By all means, patience is a must! Good luck!!

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

Where is the thread with instructions and the place to buy the cable? I'm not certain I'll be doing this, but it would be very useful to have GPS in the car and I don't want a dash mounted unit.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

Radio install guide is here:
http://ae64.com/SVXAudioInstall.htm

Buy the adapter here:
http://ae64.com/SVXharness.htm

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

Awesome. Thanks very much. Hopefully if i took that to a shop they would be able to install it.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

I would anytime choose a Kenwood with the Garmin navigation or Garmin black box on any other system. My second choice is the Eclipse (Fujitsu Siemens). Just make sure you choose one with at least 5V pre-out. ;)

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

i bought the jvc double din dvd/nav a couple years ago but would recommend against it. the screen stopped working and after taking it apart to figure out i need a small cable that hooks from the screen to the unit (flip screen) that jvc won't sell to me unless i go through a service person who would charge more than the thing is worth, it's useless. not a commendation just a precaution, jvc head units are cheap crap which is obvious once you take it apart.

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

If you do take it to a shop, watch and make sure they don't screw up anything, or overtighten anything (ESP THE RADIO CAGE, the plastic gets stripped crazy easily).

Re: In-dash GPS/Radio
 

That first document is a great one. Doesn't hurt that I get an acknowledgement for the work I did on the original :) (I am Gavin Haslett)

One point to make about the Kenwood is that it is actually a pretty shallow mount. As a result, it's probably easier to mount in the confined space of the SVX's dash. There are LOTS of cables though because of the XM and GPS antennae, as well as the USB port (run to the glove box) and iPod cable (run so I can put my iPhone under the parking brake while I drive). I would also agree that the Kenwood is my favourite mostly because of the Garmin GPS.