3rd Gen Navigation Aftermarket SD Card

lol this is like the thing going on here in toronto. Suggesting to make it mandatory for drivers to have snow tires.

And the common complaint is oh well who will pay for it.
Umm you? the owner? Just like you pay for every other aspect of the car whether it be licensing, maintenance, insurance. You know most of which are mandatory already for vehicles.

But ya, I do not get why people are surprised with this. The overall use of a factory navi to me outperforms any windshield mount Garmin type unit.

Only part that bugs me is that you need to PAY THEM to install it. I like how VW does it. Every few years they offer an update for the RNS 510 navi in the form of a DVD you buy from the dealer for roughly $120 and just put it in the CD drive and it install on its own.
Kinda bullshit I now need to pay probably 150 for the update and also pay an hour or two of labour to have some tech press install on his computer and just sip his coffee.

 

I dunno if its just hasn't been installed properly with maps etc but Backcountry sucks on my S5 and Tab 3. Works but takes forever to load the maps.

But meh, as nice as it would be to have in the dash, it almost seems better on a tablet to me. Then I can export the trails I go on and share them with friends, or get some off friends. I need to find out what app they use but they have one that records and also allows you to export the trails you map out so you can share them.

 

...to be fair a lot of taco owners probably don't even know how to actually read a topo map

 

Strange on your experience with backcountry Navigator. I have not had that issue at all on and S4, S6, and an old Nexus tablet. Infact I am a consultant in the Environmental Industry and I have all my employees running in on their phones as well. We import, export, share files, the whole shebang. Do you have the paid version or the free version of the app?

 

free, haven't bought the paid version yet just downloaded the free to give it a try. Truthfully only downloaded it a few weeks ago haven't had a chance to fully test it out in the boonies yet. But just using it around the city it lags a lot. If you go to zoom in the screen goes white and gives hour glass while it loads which takes almost a minute to fully load.

Might be better with the paid version. Also found another one on google called pathaway. From what I see on their website looks pretty cool. But again a paid one. Backcountry isn't that expensive though so thats nice. But pathaway is $40. I'll need to download the free trial and see how it is before I pay. I don't mind paying the $40 if its worth it.

 

The latest version of it is BackCountry Navigator TOPO GPS v5.9.7 (Check that link)

Download the maps for offline use before you use the maps if you haven't done so already with the free version. That is part of the loading issue. Change your GPS/Location settings in your Phone/device settings to HIGH accuracy. All the SAMSUNG devices are also using GLONASS/GPS and AGPS now so accuracy should be on point.

 

Tesla already does that with the Model S. Not a good thing in my opinion because you won't be able to adjust the climate control by touch alone.

 

Some valid points here too. For most of the users, you are correct, they do not know what or how to use a TOPO map. BUT, it doesn't end there. People could load up other maps in there, like satellite views, Land maps, Boundary layers, property lines, fire roads, etc. We pay a premium for the navigation package, then the dealership offers us a TomTom for an additional purchase. In my state, having ANYTHING other than the inspection sticker, county sticker, and rearview mirror, is illegal to be hanging from or in the windshield. Using an additional GPS could turn into an legal issue. Normally not enforced, but still.


Have not had the hands on with a unit long enough to do the screen mirroring testing.

 

Huh, seems like a 'swipe left or right' option that should be an update to allow. Alpine and Pioneer both have the option if I remember correctly.

 

I really want to see the rest of that picture in your signature lol.

 

^Ever since they shut down UG...

That would work if all are you adjusting is the temperature level, and I think Tesla already does that. However, if you want to change the airflow location, adjust fan speed, turn on/off AC and recirc, the touchscreen requires you to look at it. On a 2nd gen Tacoma, the three knobs and two buttons can all be operated without looking.

 

I still think that a petition couldn't hurt. They put a GoPro mount in every 2016 Tacoma.. That costs money. A software update with custom map option would be something they could charge for. Garmin didn't charge for it, but Toyota would since nothing in the car industry is free. I know Plenty of Toyota owners would appreciate the option, LC,T4R, Sequoia, etc. just for Off road vehicles, even some of the Lexus SUV's and Tundra.

One less thing sitting in the vehicle in the open that could be a target for "Car Shoppers" stolen items. a small 3"x4" screen vs a 6"-7" factory screen? No brainer there.. I still keep a handheld for on trail/ hiking use.

 

Ah, I see where you are going with that. Maybe a Tactile feedback option then where the rest of the screen goes 'OFF' for touch sensitivity except the designated areas where the controls were? Again, and easy software update.

 

Am I the only one that hates touch screens?
I remember Jeremy Clarkson went on about it as well.
Its just so irritating that you need to go through so many steps to do one thing with the touch screens.
Lack of simplicity bothers me. Always need to go through more menus etc.
Not so much just for touch, my jetta is all touch as well, but it also has buttons for navi, media, sound, map, setup. just so much more simple. not as many menus to go through. and a simple knob for HVAC.

Like the camry I have as a rental right now while my car gets fixed, so annoying just to change the song, if I want anything besides the next song I need to go into the menu, then for the menu with my ipod hooked up need to go genre, punk, bad religion, no control then finally can see the rest of the album. Really irritating to me. Even though I have touch in my jetta just like it more. If you press the back button it just brings you to the previous screen, being the full folder.

Or turning off the stupid eco option thing on this car. Must have been 5 different menus before getting to the right part.

 

Only input I can offer to that is about the actual Interface and OS. Some of the OS's allow a Keyboard & mouse. Some of the interfaces (GUI) are better than others.

 

Take his advise. We download all maps while on wifi at home or the office. Then they are available all day long when we are out of cell service for work. Also to his point phones are extremely accurate anymore. I carry my S6 and am often required to carry a few thousand dollar Spectra Mobile Mapper 120 (sub meter accuracy). Time and time again the S6 waypoint and the Spectra point are a mere foot or two different. Pretty impressive for a device that is designed for phone calls and surfing Tacoma World.

 

That is an impressive handheld.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKOqvEq-7_U

Looks bulky compared to screen size. Then again, the cell phone industry has spoiled us with that expectation. Win mobile 6.5, survey capability.

GPS handheld RANT->
Curious when consumers inputs on devices will, if ever, be taken into consideration on the build of these type of devices. Manufacturers leave out so many options that could, or should be standard. Like NOAA radios, 2 way communication, High res - daylight viewable screens in the OLED or similar flavor, Super rugged and nearly unbreakable screen tech (Garmins latest screens are great in this field), Higher capacity longer life rechargeable batteries, standardized communication port (like the imposed mobile phone market) but in a waterproof format, IP67 rating or better, - If you look at the boards that most of the various manufacturers use, there pretty bare. Pull a cell phone board and normally the opposite. Just saying that there is the opportunity to cram more tech into the same space and offer better features for the price point premium we end up paying for the devices anyways.

 

Me and my crews hate the Spectra's. They are no where near as cool as they look. Screen size and resolution sucks. User interface is slow and clunky. Once we save more than 100 waypoints they become bogged down and supper slow (that sucks when you may have 200-300 points in a day or so). They break alot. The chargers break even more often. They are accurate that is their best features. Our GIS guys love them because the interact fairly well with Arc Gis 10.1. If the federal agencies did not insist on submeter data we would be using nothing but phones at this point. But the federal government requires it for lots of the work we do for clients so we will keep lugging around these beasts. /end rant/

 

Nice. Well, I remember reading about some of the sub meter accurate GPS bluetooth/ wifi devices and quad helix antennas at the latest GPS 2015 SUMMIT, or convention. Forget what it is called. Maybe IEEE GLOBECOM 2015?

Might be the best of both worlds. High accuracy and connectivity to all devices.

 

LOL - just saw that conference is this week! 6-10 - Might have been the 2014 version or a pre article. It was a week ago I read it. They had GLONASS, WAAS, Beidou, and Galileo support. I was impressed never the less.