Columbus GPS alternatives

[Goodguydrew]

I have ordered an Octavia SE. I was thinking of replacing the Bolereo system with a built in GPS. What do people suggest? Does anyone have a fitted satnav for sale?

Cheers, Andrew.

[briwy]

Have a look at this. My link

IGo Europe sat nav, DVD, CD/MP3,TV, Buetooth phone et etc

Just got one for my camper van and it knocks spots off the Columbus in my Octavia.

[Goodguydrew]

How would that be fitted into the curved dash of the Octavia?

Is there a fitting / trim kit?

[skippy41]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-DVD-Car-GPS-Sat-Nav-Player-VW-Passat-Golf-Skoda-/150441838291?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP&hash=item23070846d3

There is also this one, if you contact them they will put the skoda logo on so it shows at start up, and it will slot strait in a dash surround will cost less then £5 from the dealers

[ukcruiser]

I had a Pioneer HD3-BT in my Sorento (It's not made it's way into my old Folk's car!) and, i have to say, it was FANTASTIC! - 30gb hard drive (upgraded to 60) rips CD's to it's disc, 7" touch screen, Bluetooth, iPod adapter, etc etc. it was very expensive when i bought it, but that was 3 years ago - it got a map and drive update in 2009 - but it did knock spots off the Columbus (full post-code search always helps!!) - But.. I dont think it would ever display info on the MaxiDot display, and it never looked as "Factory" as the Columbus does.

Al.

[Hauptmann]

I have installed a Chinese-made unit in both Fabia II and Octavia II. Check out this 'how to' thread.. http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/158885-how-to-install-entertainmentnavigation-unit-in-fabia-ii/

I have previously owned a Columbus, and whilst the Chinese unit is inferior in terms of FM radio reception it bears comparison in all other aspects. If you use iGO8 then you'll find navigation better than that of the Columbus.

[JohnMcL7]

I like this unit, but there are a few questions unanswered.

There's a few different units which I'm finding it very difficult to get any information on as they don't seem to have any searchable names, the following site has a manual for one of them but it doesn't have the model you've quoted above:

http://www.esg1.co.uk/skoda/?osCsid=jep9v51a4nojek6f4c7idj50q3

My very rough understanding which should be taken with a pinch of salt...

OK, but I see this is CANBUS compatible, but what about integration with the maxidot? Would anything show on maxidot?

One of the units is claiming it can but I can't find anything to confirm that.

Maps -- what maps are in the unit? And are they upgradeable with camera locations etc?

Are the maps on hard disc, or on card/DVD which would prevent using the slot for audio CD's?

The units seem to be using Igo:

http://www.navngo.com/pages/global/eng/igo_8_description

I'd guess they're upgradeable and could have POI added but not sure. On all of these units though the maps are stored on an SD card (no hard drive) inserted into the front of the unit which should make it easier to update I'd guess. However some of them (including the one you quoted) only seem to have a single SD card slot which means you lose that convenience for music however there is a more expensive one which has a slot for GPS and one for general use, it also has a much better screen - this is the one Hauptmann has shown in his guide.

Would the unit accept connections for the boot mounted multichanger?

I've found a manual for the '7501' with the twin SD slots and it shows a 'CDC interface' and shows CDC in the menu but I can't see any other references to it apart from that.

Would the unit accept the AUX socket connection? It says AUX output, but not input.

For the 7501 it seems to have aux in for video and audio so I guess you can use that for just audio

Would there need to be any change of CAN gateway in earlier models?

That's something I'd like to know, I haven't been able to find out if it drops straight in with no coding or it would need VCDS - it's an aspect I'm having a hard time understanding for the Skoda units and it puts me off a Columbus as there doesn't seem to be any non-dealer VAG specialists like Shark Performance (who are miles away sadly)

Would you need any external bluetooth kit with this unit?

Bluetooth appears to be builtin with a mic on the unit itself

Are the connector plugs the same as the OEM VAG units, or would it require major surgery on the wiring to fit?

Apparently the same as the OEM VAG units so they can just be dropped in.

John

[briwy]

One point to bear in mind at least with the unit I bought for the camper is that it is very slightly wider than a standard DIN unit, about 2mm so it wont fit directly into a double DIN holder. This might be worth checking out on any of the other units. I made a bracket up for the camper but I dont know how you would go on with the Octavia faceplate. Probably it would fit as it only seems to be the body of the unit that is oversized.

The IGo maps are the latest up to date ones, they also have a full list of POIs and it is possible to add custom ones as well.

No problem adding the speed cameras. I use the Pocket GPS ones which are excellent.

In my opinion Igo is the best of the bunch at the moment, so much so that I use it on a PDA in my Octavia rather than the Columbus.

This particular unit comes with a two SD slots, one for the maps and one for music etc.

Everything seems to work fine including the BT for the phone, picked our two mobiles up straight away.

TV on this one is analogue only unfortunately but works well from a small magmount aerial.

[JohnMcL7]

Do you have a link to the one you bought? How do you find radio reception and the interface? Did you have to do any recoding or did it connect without issue?

Hauptmann - meant to say, really helpful thread of yours which is one of the few decent pieces of information I've seen

John

[topcat2006]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-DVD-Car-GPS-Sat-Nav-Player-VW-Passat-Golf-Skoda-/150441838291?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP&hash=item23070846d3

There is also this one, if you contact them they will put the skoda logo on so it shows at start up, and it will slot strait in a dash surround will cost less then £5 from the dealers

I emailed the seller on this one and apparently it won't fit into a FL (2008) Octy as it will not fit in the dash.

Hope this helps.

Tom

[slicendice]

I'm in a similar position - would love built-in nav/bluetooth/iPod etc but which one to get??? I'm afraid I can't add much to what's already been said, esp regarding getting nav/music info on the Maxidot - I've emailed a few suppliers (Witson, TimelessLong) specifically asking about it, but all they ever say is that it's compatible with CAN. I'm also not sure whether there's any kind of voice control on these units either - not an absolute deal breaker, but having had voice dialling on the carkit (Parrot) in my old car, it was very useful and much easier/safer to use than prodding a touchscreen.

There's a new (I think) one from TimelessLong (TID-6512) that seems to integrate with the rear parking sensors too - but it has the iPod connection on the front and I'd much prefer it to be round the back out of sight, routed through to the glovebox.

Be interested to know if you take the plunge and if so, which one you go for.

[JohnMcL7]

Are you sure that's the right one? Looking at the auction it shows two different units, the main picture at the top left is a higher spec unit with the twin SD slots and 800x480 screen but the main auction shows pictures of a cheaper unit with a single SD slot and low resolution screen - the price is in line with the cheaper one.

Edit: Just noticed the specs list two SD slots but mention *both* screen resolutions?!

John

Edited 10 June, 2010 by JohnMcL7

[topcat2006]

It seems to be a bit of a mine field!! Im considering the same thing at the moment, really not sure wether to go down this route or the columbus route. I already have the VW Bluetooth so I am half way there but I also want to be able to control my ipod which I can't do without either the addition of dension or VW/Skoda units.

Then there is the issue of the CAN Gateway which I still have not got round to plugging in VCDS to see what version I have.

For the price of the chinese units I would have all I want for less than just the cost of the Columbus and would probably be able to sell my VW bluetooth to recoup some cash and also the audience mp3 I currently have fitted.

BUT - is the radio reception and sound quality of these chinese units going to be as good as the Audience as I listen to radio all day usually and ipod during the night!

An interesting problem.

TC

[Phil_P]

There's a similar thread about these Chinese units currently running on the Passat forum here:

http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=99493

and some of the guys have bought units I believe.

[JohnMcL7]

have just emailed the seller, waiting on his reply

Thanks for pointing this out

Mike

No problem - I didn't twig until I spotted the lower display resolution, I almost ordered it straight off myself as that seemed such a fantastic price but decided a bit of patience would be better. There's such a confusing array of very similar looking models that it's hard to tell them apart without looking closely however the one in the picture at the top left is one of the more expensive models (two SD card slots and the USB socket on the front) I think and normally goes for over £400.

I agree with what you've said about the Columbus, the main issue which puts me off is not the cost but it's the possible complications as I have a 56 plate car which seems bang in the middle of uncertainty for getting it to work or not without more parts. The sat nav really doesn't seem to up to much either so it is a lot of money for what seems to be fairly limited although it can be used with the MDI?

The big appeal of the chinese units is they look like they can drop straight in without issue which is a big advantage for me as I can't find any VAG specialists up here, their sat nav looks to be very good and it looks like there's lots to play with them on them which suits me. However I'm concerned about the interfaces on them, I've watched some of them on youtube and the interfaces look very poorly designed. Normally that wouldn't bother me at all as I'm very much functionality over form but in the car I need it to be as simple as possible as I can't stop to look at the display, with the Stream MP3 I can fairly easily operate it without looking at it without Maxidot or steering wheel controls. Looking at these chinese units though they seem to rely a lot on touch control and don't have simple, high contrast designs as the Bolero/Columbus use. The possibly poor radio reception is also a concern as I'm frequently out driving in the country where reception is a challenge. Boot up time seems fairly slow as well although I could probably live with that.

Either way, I'm very interested to hear how you get on as it's difficult to find much hands on information on these units at all, never mind in English.

John

Edited 11 June, 2010 by JohnMcL7

[mannyo]

With the chinese units you do get what you pay for sadly, I remember last year we had Group buy for a witson unit and once they were delivered a thread which ran to tens of pages as the owners of these units struggled to get them working properly, some sent them back and others sold them on.

ipod control on these chinese is very basic indeed, yes it does work but the controls and navigation need a lot to be desired.

The supplied nav software is usually an illegal copy supplied on sd card.

MP3 playback is limited to the 8.3 filename of the song being played, eg. no id3 support.

The radio may or may not support the EU zone RDS functionality.

The microphone for the inbuilt bluetooth is on the left side of the unit and does not have very good gain as its set for LHD cars, so your passenger can make and receive calls no problem but you as a driver will not be heard. The solution to this one is to dismantle the unit and solder in a wire and run it to another location inside the car.

The rated amplifier output is no where near that stated and the sound quality can be very hit and miss depending on the unit.

The Columbus just works perfectly, yes it costs more to get everything but its perfect. You can with addition of several interfaces get full bluetooth, and add an MDI and you get full ipod control including playlists, tracks, and so on using a very simple on screen menu.

[JohnMcL7]

With the chinese units you do get what you pay for sadly, I remember last year we had Group buy for a witson unit and once they were delivered a thread which ran to tens of pages as the owners of these units struggled to get them working properly, some sent them back and others sold them on.

Any idea where that thread is? i find it difficult to search for these stereos because ther'es no proper name for them. I'm not bothered about Ipod control as I doubt I'll ever purchase an Ipod product, all I need is basic USB mass storage plus I've checked iGo and I can purchase a legal version for 116 quid which is less than a decent Tomtom. I also have a few Tomtom licenses from running it on various handhelds which I could look into.

The Columbus just works perfectly, yes it costs more to get everything but its perfect. You can with addition of several interfaces get full bluetooth, and add an MDI and you get full ipod control including playlists, tracks, and so on using a very simple on screen menu.

Having spent quite a bit of time reading up on the Columbus that doesn't seem to be the case, opinions on the sat nav particularly seem to vary from it's acceptable to limited use so I wouldn't say perfect. Plus there's the problems associated with getting the unit in there in the first place which is my main issue. I do think you're right on most of the points though and the interface alone on the Columbus sways me more its way but I've no plans to go far south right now which means it would be a long drive to take it anywhere that could do the work at reasonable cost and even then I don' t know exactly what is needed.

I have toyed with the idea of a Bolero given it still has the MDI and SD card slot although it shares some of the issues with the Columbus such as fitting and the loss of the parking sensor display.

Mike - That sounds promising, for that amount of money I'd be more prepated to give it a shot (rather than £400+ as some of them seem to go for)

John

[Mercurio]

Having spent quite a bit of time reading up on the Columbus that doesn't seem to be the case, opinions on the sat nav particularly seem to vary from it's acceptable to limited use so I wouldn't say perfect. Plus there's the problems associated with getting the unit in there in the first place which is my main issue. I do think you're right on most of the points though and the interface alone on the Columbus sways me more its way but I've no plans to go far south right now which means it would be a long drive to take it anywhere that could do the work at reasonable cost and even then I don' t know exactly what is needed.

If you're worried about fitting a Columbus to your car and getting it to work without assistance from a VAG specialist my experience may help. My Columbus retrofit was done by a local independent car audio specialist who had never seen one before with the help of the information I'd gathered from previous Columbus threads on Briskoda. My car is an 07 plate and the unit was plug and play, with no coding required.

I didn't have Maxidot fitted at the time, so I can't say whether I would have got nav info displayed in the Maxidot without coding, but I suspect not. The Columbus was subsequently coded to the car when I had Maxidot fitted by Shark Performance.

I can remember that Simbo had to get a Canbus upgrade to avoid a battery drain problem caused by his retrofitted Columbus, but that was after doing a firmware upgrade. If you decide to go for a Columbus and can find one of the earlier units like mine you may be ok. Many Briskodians have done Columbus retrofits, so it would would be worth asking on here how others with 56 plate cars have got on.

[Mercurio]

OK fair enough, the earlier unit may not need the canbus upgrade. But it doesn't alter the fact that for the features it offers, the columbus seems a very expensive unit

I've been reading some of the comments on VW Audi forum, and they do seem quite positive about the Chinese units.

Mike

I agree that the latest Chinese units look a better option than the Witsons that were around last year

[JohnMcL7]

Is the Nexus the MFD2?

Is the VAG thread the one that's mentioned on the previous page? I had a quick look but needed to register which I haven't got around to yet.

John

[topcat2006]

Hi Mike,

Any decisions made yet?

Thanks

Tom

[studmuffin]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/7-DVD-Car-GPS-Sat-Nav-Player-VW-Passat-Golf-Skoda-/150441838291?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP&hash=item23070846d3

There is also this one, if you contact them they will put the skoda logo on so it shows at start up, and it will slot strait in a dash surround will cost less then £5 from the dealers

would this unit accept a tom tom sat nav program, on a sd card or does it only run the igo mapping ?

[studmuffin]

I've done a bit of serious research on these units, and from what I can make out, they are compatible with Route 66, iGo, TomTom and Polstar mapping.

Hope this helps

Mike

i already have a tom tom 940 running navcore 9 for my work as a hgv driver, would the orignal 940 maps and software work on a sd card in this unit ?

[Raglits]

i already have a tom tom 940 running navcore 9 for my work as a hgv driver, would the orignal 940 maps and software work on a sd card in this unit ?

No. The 940 is not a Windows CE based device. TomTom for Windows CE is pretty old now and I'd be surprised if the current maps work with it and I doubt if the TomTom for Windows Mobile would load properly onto this unit, having said that, if someone tells me I'm wrong I may be interested in looking at these...

[studmuffin]

No. The 940 is not a Windows CE based device. TomTom for Windows CE is pretty old now and I'd be surprised if the current maps work with it and I doubt if the TomTom for Windows Mobile would load properly onto this unit, having said that, if someone tells me I'm wrong I may be interested in looking at these...

so what would the best maps be then ?