[Syclone538]

Edit

Changed the title of the thread, between post 18 and 19. It was titled "Aftermarket in Dash Radio / Nav Options?".

I got a Garmin Drive Smart 55 installed in the stock nuvi location, so my questions are now about hooking up the Atoto A6 PF into my 2010 Off Road that had head unit and speakers replaced by previous owner.

Pics of the Garmin install in the thread I linked to in post # 12.

/Edit



I've owned an 09 automatic for a few years, and just upgraded to what I actually wanted, a 2010 Off Road M6.

I know almost nothing about car audio systems.

The "off roading" I do, is on unmaintained roads, or seasonal roads, so gps is required to not trespass.

My OR had the system completely replaced. Pioneer head unit (steering wheel controls work, which surprised me). Told the guy to keep the big sub/box that was taking up space in the cargo area. He said the factory sub is gone, but all the other speakers were better than stock.

Whatever was just above the head unit is gone.

I'd like a big in dash screen that's a radio, nav unit, and a place to view cameras showing wheel placement if possible.

What are options I should start looking at?

What's the cord by the rear view mirror?

 

[BRATCAT]

Probably most of the information you need can be found on Crutchfield‘s website including instructions.

The wire by the rearview mirror was probably something aftermarket. The one above the dash may have been factory installed GPS?

 

[kent.c]

+1 on Crutchfield. That cord from above could be an older (4-5 year old) dash cam, radar detector, or ??

 

[roXterra]

That cord is a power cord for something like a GPS unit or other electronics. Remove it next time you have something done in that area, you can't use it if you don't know what it is and there are many different cords like that for different products.

My setup looks like this:

roXterra 2015 - Lights and Electronics

Lights and electronics setup on my roXterra

www.thenewx.org

Scroll to Dec 27, 2021 section. The up down cables on the right have been put inside since then.

Mine is a Pioneer 4400NEX and it has HDMI input which is important to me.
I don't use CarPlay/etc and there are wireless ways to display your phone on the car stereo. That is not my style, but it's great for others.
I have not seen an in dash GPS I liked. Maybe some stock setup on high end German cars I would like, I have seen just one and that one was ok. I prefer mine being a Garmin separate unit, that's all it does and it does it well. I have control of it so if fails it's a $150-$200 replacement not a $800+ replacement of whole stereo. I don't want navigation on my radio screen either.

My GPS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M98Z8DD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's a 5.5" screen and there is a 6.5" but I thought the extra weight could be an issue on off road surprise bumps when going too fast. And I am used to the 5.0-5.5" size since about 2012. This is my 3rd (and 4th) unit since then, but all the data transferred through computer ok and I filled up its 1,000 waypoints (saved points of interest of mine).

My radio is Pioneer 4400NEX, not sold anymore, from Amazon, this is the newer replacement:

Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX Double Din Wireless Mirroring Android Auto, Apple Carplay In-Dash DVD/CD Car Stereo Receiver

Buy Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX Double Din Wireless Mirroring Android Auto, Apple Carplay In-Dash DVD/CD Car Stereo Receiver at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

But it's not worth that price to everyone and there may be other makes/models that fit you better, or you wouldn't notice with something basic. Since 2006 I had several Alpine 6" screens and this is my second Pioneer after 4000NEX model.

Like with many Amazon products, there is a lot of shiny things, but stick with bigger names or read a lot of feedback to figure out what works for you. Or copy someone's setup, your first choice won't be your forever setup but you have to start somewhere.

If you know electronics, great, but at some point you may want someone else installing your radio, getting the unit in and out is not for everyone (I have someone do stuff for me, and that's also not easy to find the right person to do that)

 

[roXterra]

With my Garmin GPS I can go 1000 places like camp spots, it will navigate me to where I was and marked… yes you can do that with a phone but if you ever use a dedicated unit you will see the difference. And If you travel and want to remember spots for years to come.

Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, they all have stereo units with GPS but they are slow and basic and limited and I gave up on them years ago and haven’t seen anything tempting since then either in a car stereo place.

6” is biggest screen that fits in dash but there are outside sticking designs with 7” and 8” screens. Still not as nice as a 10” tablet with Apple/Samsung screen would look.

Crutchdield.com can be useful and you can phone them but still they install it for you, but at least they know their stuff. Not the place for best prices so I only bought from them on rare occasions some minor things. Maybe home secondary speakers.

I can’t lose my GPS that’s why I prefer it separate, and now I have a backup too (mostly due to their poor design of 1000 store point limit which I Exceeded after 10 years)

 

[Syclone538]

That cord is a power cord for something like a GPS unit or other electronics. Remove it next time you have something done in that area, you can't use it if you don't know what it is and there are many different cords like that for different products.

My setup looks like this:

roXterra 2015 - Lights and Electronics

Lights and electronics setup on my roXterra

www.thenewx.org

Scroll to Dec 27, 2021 section. The up down cables on the right have been put inside since then.

Mine is a Pioneer 4400NEX and it has HDMI input which is important to me.
I don't use CarPlay/etc and there are wireless ways to display your phone on the car stereo. That is not my style, but it's great for others.
I have not seen an in dash GPS I liked. Maybe some stock setup on high end German cars I would like, I have seen just one and that one was ok. I prefer mine being a Garmin separate unit, that's all it does and it does it well. I have control of it so if fails it's a $150-$200 replacement not a $800+ replacement of whole stereo. I don't want navigation on my radio screen either.

My GPS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M98Z8DD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's a 5.5" screen and there is a 6.5" but I thought the extra weight could be an issue on off road surprise bumps when going too fast. And I am used to the 5.0-5.5" size since about 2012. This is my 3rd (and 4th) unit since then, but all the data transferred through computer ok and I filled up its 1,000 waypoints (saved points of interest of mine).

My radio is Pioneer 4400NEX, not sold anymore, from Amazon, this is the newer replacement:

Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX Double Din Wireless Mirroring Android Auto, Apple Carplay In-Dash DVD/CD Car Stereo Receiver

Buy Pioneer AVH-W4500NEX Double Din Wireless Mirroring Android Auto, Apple Carplay In-Dash DVD/CD Car Stereo Receiver at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase decision!

www.amazon.com

But it's not worth that price to everyone and there may be other makes/models that fit you better, or you wouldn't notice with something basic. Since 2006 I had several Alpine 6" screens and this is my second Pioneer after 4000NEX model.

Like with many Amazon products, there is a lot of shiny things, but stick with bigger names or read a lot of feedback to figure out what works for you. Or copy someone's setup, your first choice won't be your forever setup but you have to start somewhere.

If you know electronics, great, but at some point you may want someone else installing your radio, getting the unit in and out is not for everyone (I have someone do stuff for me, and that's also not easy to find the right person to do that)

View attachment 149038

Great info. Thank you I really appreciate it.

I didn't have a price in mind, but man, I was not expecting anywhere near $900.

That rear view mirror shape display is very interesting, in a good way...

Currently I use a Garmin 61 (6.95") that I love, both for trips, and off road. But off road, 1, it blocks some of the windshield, and 2, I don't trust the suction cup enough, even though I put the weight of the unit down touching the dash.

On my phone I have

Backcountry navigator that I've been using for several years for hiking and for off roading. Love it, but in a mount, the phone is too far away for the size of the screen, and holding it is not ideal.

I also have OSMAnd, which I haven't used nearly as much, only downloaded it because I've found tracks that people have made that use it to view them.

Recently downloaded Onx Off Road, simply because a friend who hunts a lot loves their hunting app. The property lines is a great feature, but they want $100 a year for that version. Don't think I'm willing to pay that.

 

[roXterra]

Atoto and other makes advertising CarPlay could be a good choice, calling Crutchfield or looking on Amazon may help, others commenting here also would help with $100-$400 options, there are many choices in that range.

 

[roXterra]

$155 Atoto
Some concerns like "volume works when it wants to", but after a few hours of Amazon reviews reading you should find something mostly good.

ATOTO F7 WE 7inch Double DIN Car Stereo, Wireless CarPlay & Wireless Android Auto, Touchscreen Car Radio with Bluetooth, Mirror Link, HD LRV, Quick Charge, FM/AM, GPS Navi, Voice Control, F7G2A7WE

Buy ATOTO F7 WE 7inch Double DIN Car Stereo, Wireless CarPlay & Wireless Android Auto, Touchscreen Car Radio with Bluetooth, Mirror Link, HD LRV, Quick Charge, FM/AM, GPS Navi, Voice Control, F7G2A7WE at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be available to help you make the right purchase...

www.amazon.com

I spent 3 hours researching car/home charging wireless options over the last 3 days. 3 in one charging stations, 5 in one power bricks, magnetic stands, magnetic car "pucks" with strong magnets, etc. In the end I picked the less expensive single purpose items which don't overheat due to too much load, temporarily or permanently, you don't lose 2 out of 5 connections, so if you have to replace it, it's a $30 not $100 replacement. It's a different strategy for bigger items, but I find that reading the negative feedback very useful, failing out of the box can be ignored but loss of functionality after days or weeks I would pay a lot of attention to. I never had a head unit fail on me and I used it a lot over years, like 2006-2012, replaced with newer technology not because if failed, then next one also lasted 5+ years, new technology again like better screen resolution, current one is 1 year old, none of the big screens failed, they outlived their use before failing, that's why my new choice would be based on past choices. Something I use a lot and that's hard to get to and it failing on day 1 of a 30 day trip, that I really think through when buying (or leaving alone).
My 4400 model, I didn't see it yesterday, that link was for 4500 model

Amazon.com: Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX In Dash Multimedia Receiver with 7" WVGA Clear Resistive Touchscreen Display : Electronics

Amazon.com: Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX In Dash Multimedia Receiver with 7" WVGA Clear Resistive Touchscreen Display : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Bottom of that page has other $350+ Pioneer models

Whatever you pick, come back to this thread and comment on your experience, for sure someone has been in your situation and others will be in the future

Pick a company with a name at least, and history, heat is the enemy of electronics, a 20 cent component overheating can damage the inside, and bigger companies are likely to have more history with identifying and avoiding failures, with testing in the environment the items is used (here a harsh, hot or cold environment, jittering on and off road...

 

[roXterra]

I am stopping to look at car stereos at Amazon now, but...

I found this

Amazon.com: Pioneer DMH-WC6600NEX 9" Amazon Alexa Built-in, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth - Modular Solutions Receiver : Electronics

Amazon.com: Pioneer DMH-WC6600NEX 9" Amazon Alexa Built-in, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth - Modular Solutions Receiver : Electronics

www.amazon.com

Pioneer, $1200 but finally has a modern look. Has Alexa which I never thought of wanting, but the demo there is nice, so this gets me thinking even though I am not looking for a replacement for mine... it is modern though.

I looked at negative feedback, concerns for me, it looks like it's not stable yet so in a year I should revisit for comments then and maybe a new model, but they are slowly making "modern" changes.
Apple itself has been slow to make changes (phones, tablets, etc... like with USB C use, screen technology), but when they do introduce new technology they make the effort and learn from their mistakes. I would hope the same from Pioneer but wouldn't expect their new product to be fault free, and I don't want to learn on my devices, I want to get a device once it has stabilized because dependability is my #1 important factor for a car stereo. Also I ignore any firmware updates because they also can introduce issues (but when new I would give it latest firmware)

What's nice about Amazon (within reason) you can return a product if it has issues within 30 days, other places may give you hassles for returns. And it takes a few days to know if it works for you.

Minor detail. it's 9", would never fit into the 7" space on Xterra

 

[campisi]

I put a new head unit in my P4X. I didn't want to mess with Android Auto or Car play. I ended up buying an Android head unit that fit perfectly in the space. I can download and install apps off the Google Play store. I very much DO want navigation in my radio screen and have Google maps downloaded for everyday nav and Gaia for off-road navigation. I've had it for a while and like it. The radio continuously loses it's presets but ya know what? I don't really use the radio anymore. I downloaded YouTube and Spotify onto the head unit and play music or whatever else I want there. I use my phone as a hotspot for data. With the truck sitting in my garage or in my driveway it can hook up to my home wifi and download stuff from there, including Google and Gaia offline maps. Check out Android head units if you are not an Apple guy.

 

[Achristocat]

I did a small writeup on the Atoto in dash units. I replaced my Rockwell Fosgate setup when it ate a CD and wouldn't give it back.

3 years ago I started with an older Atoto and just recently upgraded to the Atoto S8 Ultra. I went for the Ultra for the faster processor, most memory available in the series, and a few other features. The hand gesture recognition is...interesting? the only two setting I actually use of that is the Vol + / Vol - which is making circles in front of the unit one way or the other. I have steering wheel controls so...I don't use it that oftn...but it's oddly fun..

Like the gentleman above said, having an android head unit means I can put whatever app in there - it's sorta like a big phone / tablet - and install whatever functionality I need whenever I want.

I have unlimited hotspot capability on my phone so for the most part, I use it to connect to data through the tethering feature. With Tasker, when my phone detects my xTeraa Bluetooth ON, it automatically turns on my Hotspot and starts tethering. When the xTerra BT connection turns off, Tasker turns off my hotspot...It's...wonderful..!

The head unit DOES have a built in GPS so...One of the apps I put in is called Mapfactor Navigator. When connected to data, it can do standard "lookup" just like any other GPS. When it DOESN'T have data, it can navigate STRICTLY by GPS via downloaded OPEN SOURCE maps or purchased map sets from Tom Tom. I have never bought the Tom Tom maps because the open source maps are wonderful.

Also, there is a BIG offroad community who make OS maps to spots and you can Download them and put them in there for very specialized GPS / Nav...

It's a BIT more cumbersome than standard Garmin / Google / Maps, but it has SOOO many advanced features including the input of standard GPS coordinates to navigate to.

Other things I have in there are:
Tidal
PLEX (I run a Plex server and can access my 40TB of movies / TV / Audio as long as I have a decent data connection. The unit ALSO has a microSD slot which has a number of my favorite movies on it and LOTS of audio for when I do NOT have a data connection. Eventually, I will route an HDMI cable out to plug into a Pico projector for movies in the wild...Project for another day...!)
Waze (for standard / in town navigation)
Calendar
Aqua Plus Email
Firefox
Skymap (for finding the right direction to park when star gazing )
WeaWOW Weather

..and a few others..

I actually don't know how I lived before putting it in there.

I HIGHLY recommend...

Amazon.com: ATOTO S8 Ultra Double Din Car Stereo, 7 Inch Android in-Dash Navigation, Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto, Dual BT w/aptX HD, Gesture Operation, VSV&LRV, Built-in 4G Cellular Modem, 4G+64G, S8G2A78UL-N : Electronics

Amazon.com: ATOTO S8 Ultra Double Din Car Stereo, 7 Inch Android in-Dash Navigation, Wireless CarPlay & Android Auto, Dual BT w/aptX HD, Gesture Operation, VSV&LRV, Built-in 4G Cellular Modem, 4G+64G, S8G2A78UL-N : Electronics

www.amazon.com

 

[Syclone538]

...
My GPS: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07M98Z8DD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's a 5.5" screen and there is a 6.5" but I thought the extra weight could be an issue on off road surprise bumps when going too fast. And I am used to the 5.0-5.5" size since about 2012. This is my 3rd (and 4th) unit since then, but all the data transferred through computer ok and I filled up its 1,000 waypoints (saved points of interest of mine).
...

It's funny, that's the one I just decided to get to stick in the stock location after reading this thread and comparing the size of different Garmins.

How-to: Garmin GPS Mount Upgrade to fit newer, Larger...

A couple years back I decided that I wanted to upgrade the Garmin GPS unit in my Xterra. I had the stock Garmin mount in my 2010 OR, and when that got totaled, I transferred the GPS unit to my 2011 P4X once I got my hands on another GPS mount. I really liked having the unit built in, and its...

www.thenewx.org

 

[Syclone538]

While researching head units/screens, it looked like the A6 PF was the cheapest one with built in GPS, and while I was looking a lightning deal started, so I've got that on the way.

Pretty sure I still want a Garmin Drive Smart 55 to put in the stock location. It's currently $180.

 

[roXterra]

It was at $160 not long ago and before then $190 and $200+, still a great price, great unit. If it ever goes blank on you and feels dead, just press the single button it has for a lot time until it wakes up. Just happened to me once in 6000+ miles between 2 units being on.

 

[ChrisHaynesUSA]

This unit has an 11 inch screen, I am still waiting for the KTX-NS01 navigation module to be released so the unit becomes an autonomous NAV unit.
Currently it is a slave nav unit from the android connection to my phone.

iLX-F511 | Alpine Halo11 Hi-Res Digital Multimedia Receiver

Alpine Halo11 Digital Multimedia Receiver with 11-inch HD Display and Hi-Res Audio Playback

www.alpine-usa.com

 

[Syclone538]

It was at $160 not long ago and before then $190 and $200+, still a great price, great unit. If it ever goes blank on you and feels dead, just press the single button it has for a lot time until it wakes up. Just happened to me once in 6000+ miles between 2 units being on.
View attachment 149108

Well it dropped from $180 to $170, so I took that as a sign to get it so the head unit and GPS could both go in at the same time lol

 

[esquire0303_3745]

The dangling wire and empty clamshell I think is associated with the 2010 one-year-only NissanOEM /Garmin 7XX GPS, which I actually have in my 2010 Off Road ... this dash mount clamshell (replaces the coin tray) and GPS interface is exclusive to the discontinued 7XX (I'm on my 3rd eBay replacement). I'm living with the no-frills OEM radio, and even at 150k trouble-free miles since 2010, still thinking about installing an infotainment chassis and big screen, but reluctant to invest more money in this relic (albeit a totally reliable relic that my mechanic thinks will last another 150k miles if I stay on top of routine maintenance).

 

[Syclone538]

Garmin Drive Smart 55 went in stock location great. Posted pics in the thread I linked in post 12.


As far as the head unit... how screwed am I?

 

[Syclone538]

@VintageX where did you get the info for the wiring harness chart you made? Where would I look to see how different my 2010 O/R is?

 

[Syclone538]

Can anyone tell me if this amp is stock, and if so, how do I know what to look for on what has been changed, and if I need to do anything about any changes when hooking up the head unit?