XJ XJ8 / XJR ( X308 ) 1997 - 2003

Best GPS Solution Yet........

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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 01:51 PM
  #1  
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Default Best GPS Solution Yet........

.....for those of us not lucky enough to have the built in Nav system and it is cheap. Available on Amazon....I will post better pictures when my car is allowed to leave the garage. Here in Texas I am working on my ark.

The device can be seen here:
http://www.amazon.com/Alpatronix%C2%AE-MX101-Universal-Gooseneck-Smartphones/dp/B00W661MOO/ref=pd_sim_107_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51f8bFLEk6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=00GWN45AFXE4QNZF6NWP http://www.amazon.com/Alpatronix%C2%AE-MX101-Universal-Gooseneck-Smartphones/dp/B00W661MOO/ref=pd_sim_107_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=51f8bFLEk6L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=00GWN45AFXE4QNZF6NWP

It features allows you to use the cigarette lighter in the device plus 2 USB charging slots. It received the GPS signal in the garage with door closed so outside won't be an issue. I tried it with the smaller of my 2 GPS devices but it would easily accommodate a larger one and it can swivel if you want to use it for your smart phone. It says it is not designed for vertical mounting but as you can see it works fine as do several users in the comments section on Amazon.

Best $20 I have ever spent.

Once my Jag is allowed outside and I can try it in real life, I will follow up on the review.

2 downsides so far.....When in use you can't open up the cup holder and makes the shifting a little inconvenient but if that's a problem, you can just pop it out of the lighter socket when you need to.
 
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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 05:14 PM
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Looks good. Nice solution and easy to reach & see

I also am a fan of ProClip products as another option. They have a bracket that is made to fit under the edge of the X300 console trim and conform to the factory console edge and accepts various phones/devices. All steel, perfect fit and very sturdy.

https://www.proclipusa.com/

.
 
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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 05:34 PM
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Biggest issue I have with that, is it's a long way for your eyes to travel down to the screen from the windshield. I'd rather have a standard windshield suction mount, or even the magnet mount I use for my cell phone would work for the GPS (other than that I use the GPS on my phone anyway so that's basically the same for me). At least at dash level isn't being as distracted TOO far. Obviously if you set it before you leave and only, ONLY use the voice guidance and don't look down, then it might be an option. I'd like to meet the person on the planet that would never look at the screen at all though.

Not saying it's not a good mount, it's just not something I'd be comfortable with it's location on the console.
 
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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 05:52 PM
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I replaced the useless cup holder with a Garmin unit that retracts into the console when not in use, I use the voice command and voice turn directions so no looking down at the screen while driving.

Easy to upgrade when a new one comes out too, it is hard wired to the cigarette lighter circuit.
Vector
 
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Last edited by Vector; Jun 2, 2016 at 07:58 PM.
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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 07:58 PM
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Neat option and never thought of that....as useless as the cupholder is....I use it.

.....WITH GREAT CARE !
 
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Old Jun 2, 2016 | 08:28 PM
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I get kinda nervous when my wife uses her cup holder in the low mileage car. Well, I'll tell you what... when she does finally break it, I'll install a garmin in it. On second thought, I'll just install the broken one from my car into her car. (I bought the car with it already broken.)
 
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Old Jun 4, 2016 | 11:26 PM
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Default Hey, I was wrong....

With the rains abating here in east Texas I had the car out today and I am happy to report that my first report was incorrect. The mount does NOT interfere with the cup holder and I was able to put the ol' Gatorade bottle in its place. There is plenty of room and in my opinion the occasional glance down at the GPS is nothing worse than your glances at the radio or A/C controls.

Very happy with this device as it eliminates the suction cup and the power wires are at a minimum. After further use, I am going to shorten the power wire on the GPS and charger for my telephone.
 
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Old Jun 5, 2016 | 02:39 AM
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Originally Posted by CharlzO
Biggest issue I have with that, is it's a long way for your eyes to travel down to the screen from the windshield. I'd rather have a standard windshield suction mount, or even the magnet mount I use for my cell phone would work for the GPS (other than that I use the GPS on my phone anyway so that's basically the same for me). At least at dash level isn't being as distracted TOO far. Obviously if you set it before you leave and only, ONLY use the voice guidance and don't look down, then it might be an option. I'd like to meet the person on the planet that would never look at the screen at all though.

Not saying it's not a good mount, it's just not something I'd be comfortable with it's location on the console.
I agree. The original GPS that came with my 2002 XJR was located low on the center radio panel and you definitely need to take your eyes far off the road to look down at it, although in all honesty, there wasn't much to look at anyway with that pathetic, tiny 2-color LCD display, so poor when compared to the equivalent model year cars, such as the S550, or the M5, or the Lexus LS460, etc. with full color and large TFT displays.

I've always followed CA rules in regards to GPS location around the windshield area, which is at the bottom left corner, not to exceed something like 6". This way you can practically look at the road and the GPS simultaneously.

Actually, the last unit that I recently acquired, a 6" display TomTom unit, I installed it on my XJS close to the center of the dash, right next to the instrument cluster, but right at the edge of the dash where it's beginning to curve down, so it's low enough that, to my eyes, the top of the display does not rise above the end of the hood, meaning that it does not interfere at all with my vision of the road, allowing simultaneous view of the GPS and of the road. This is very much in the fashion that some of the newer cars that have a hiding GPS in the center dash location. I wish that I had taken a picture of it, but then again, that is on my XJS and not on my X308.

I'm sure that I can achieve similar results on my XJR, so I may buy this TomTom unit for the XJR since the one it has now started to fail, anyway. If I do, I'll post pics of the result on the X308.

Cheers,
 
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Old Jun 5, 2016 | 06:50 AM
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The use of smart phones has pretty much rendered the GPS obsolete, time to trade in the flip phone guys.😉
 
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Old Jun 6, 2016 | 10:31 AM
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Originally Posted by JTsmks
The use of smart phones has pretty much rendered the GPS obsolete, time to trade in the flip phone guys.😉
Using a telephone allows anyone who is interested to know your location, or watch you through the camera or listen to whatever is being said in the vehicle....a GPS is a receiver only.....and my iPhone works fine thank you.
 
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Old Jun 6, 2016 | 02:03 PM
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Sorry, I don't subscribe to the big brother conspiracy, I'll stick with my iPhone GPS and I guess a foil hat! 🙈🙊🙉
 
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Old Jun 7, 2016 | 01:34 AM
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Originally Posted by JTsmks
Sorry, I don't subscribe to the big brother conspiracy, I'll stick with my iPhone GPS and I guess a foil hat! 🙈🙊🙉
I find these last three posts interesting. Myself, I still don't have a smart phone, although we're planning to upgrade our cells and to toss the good ol' land line. This is why some time back I purchased the TomTom GPS, but I understand that the stores are selling less and less GPS devices precisely because of the GPS access via internet that the smart phone provides, along with Bluetooth communication with the car radio/TFT display.

It is almost scary to think that the cell/smart phone is currently very likely just getting under way with its multi-facet uses and the never ending combination and interfacing of capabilities. "The sky is the limit" doesn't quite describe where this is going. Heck, very soon the cell phone will be a combo of phone, ICE, GPS, tablet, computer, counselor, priest, rabbi, doctor, friend, driver, you name it, but this will put us slowly falling into this monitor/control trap. We'll be heard and seen.

Anyway, I had found this single DIN, 5" display head unit with GPS capability for my XJS, but now I'm not so sure if I should buy it.
 
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Old Jun 7, 2016 | 09:00 AM
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Don't get me wrong, I love having a standalone also, but it's more for the ability to let someone else borrow it if needed. New ones these days will come with free map upgrades so that's a big jump from years ago when it would get outdated quickly. So it's a step in the right direction. They also mean that your phone isn't running through the battery quicker, needing to charge up. A lot of new phones will get quite warm if you're pushing a lot, like GPS, streaming music, while plugged in, some will get warm to the point they'll go into slow charging mode. A standalone GPS eliminates that. It also frees your phone up for other things needed. And, it means that if you're trying to navigate somewhere in traffic or towns and are in a call or something (handsfree of course, we'll be safe), you don't get interrupted.

They definitely have their place, I just prefer mine mounted at or above dash level so my eyes don't travel far from the view of the road when I need to look at it.
 
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