Advice please chaps! Chavvy Android head units.

[davidfowler2000]

Oh I wouldn't eBay it. I'd Amazon it if I actually did so that I got a wee bit more buyer protection

[CortinaDave]

 

Thats mine. Its a Navall Comet. Soz for the shitty pics but DARK.

 

I'm genuinely pleased with it. The touch screen is slick and fast. The only lag really is when I load a CD, seems to take about 20 sec to start playing which is irritating, but on the plus side the MG logo comes up while I wait

 

Have to say if you do go for one go for the newest generation you can. As you say, the earlier ones seem a bit shit. 

[davidfowler2000]

The blue background on the radio and main menu put me off. Can they be changed?

[CortinaDave]

On the menu yeah. You can have whatever you want. Not sure about the radio. Although you could just upload your own radio app and use it intsead.

[Pillock]

I quite like the way the Navall Comet gets built into various OEM style housings to save having a double DIN fascia, they make an effort to match the controls to the dash too.

 

Seriously tempted with one for the daily.

 

The pics I've found have a much darker background so looks like it can be changed.

[davidfowler2000]

As you say...

[davidfowler2000]

Also from what I've seen in videos, the tuning can either be done by the knob or sliding across the screen like a video so super quick tuning.

 

Digital radio seems an irritatingly expensive option on every make of these types of head unit and none of them support the usual DAB aerial connector. I dare say an adapter is out there but I don't want to use a window aerial when I've already installed a magnetic external one for the genuine VW head unit I got cheap off eBay (FM and DAB use different aerial for those who don't know)

[Guest Hooli]

Those pics have proved to me that I don't want one, thanks for posting them.

[beko1987]

I think you can get adapters for dab, I looked into it when I bought my external mag aerial just in case but mine fits my pioneer perfectly so didn't need it

[barefoot]

I have DAB in the T2, but I've stopped listening to it, because there are so many endless commercial breaks, 

- as someone else says above somewhere, I just listen to the music on my 32 GB memory stick that's shoved in the back.

[davidfowler2000]

I got DAB 'cos FM around here is fucking unbearably shit. DAB is like SKY telly - loads of choice of more shit - but I do still listen to the odd wee bit like Absolute 80s / 90s and then there's some of the more regional DAB stations too. Given the choice of radio stations I'd pick Retro FM every time but I have to use internet radio to get it. So to use the AUX in for the stereo you have to unplug the usb stick with the mp3s on it which becomes a pain after the 100th or so time, plug the phone in to the aux, start TuneIn, set the volume control to max and then turn the radio up. Then I have to plug the usb stick back in to get my own tunes once I unplug the phone or I lose data reception. Oh aye did I mention the USB port is inside the centre armrest? It all makes for a very neat and inconspicuous set up but I'd be happier just doing everything through the head unit with some buttons.

 

And before anyone asks, you can use the Media button on the VW head unit to switch between a CD and the Auxiliary input. The Aux input is either the USB stick or the stereo jack plug and the USB takes priority which needs to be physically disconnected to use the jack plug.

 

And no, I don't have bluetooth in the car to stream from my phone.

 

It all works and I can do everything I want to do. It's just getting a faff

[davidfowler2000]

The FM aerial in the Golf is the heated rear screen. And it's an active antenna, apparently. It would blow the arse out a DAB tuner if you plugged it in.

[Eddie Honda]

And no, I don't have bluetooth in the car to stream from my phone.

 

This is the only bit I need. Given how technology progresses, I think my cars from now on are getting some Bluetooth connection, amplifier and speakers and the heavy lifting can be done by the phone and any hardware upgrades can be dealt with a change of handset.

[Aston Martin]

DAB is awful in every way.

[oldcars]

Fancy one of these sometime. How does it go online? Does it have a sim built in?

[Supernaut]

I got DAB 'cos FM around here is fucking unbearably shit. DAB is like SKY telly - loads of choice of more shit - but I do still listen to the odd wee bit like Absolute 80s / 90s and then there's some of the more regional DAB stations too. Given the choice of radio stations I'd pick Retro FM every time but I have to use internet radio to get it. So to use the AUX in for the stereo you have to unplug the usb stick with the mp3s on it which becomes a pain after the 100th or so time, plug the phone in to the aux, start TuneIn, set the volume control to max and then turn the radio up. Then I have to plug the usb stick back in to get my own tunes once I unplug the phone or I lose data reception. Oh aye did I mention the USB port is inside the centre armrest? It all makes for a very neat and inconspicuous set up but I'd be happier just doing everything through the head unit with some buttons.

 

And before anyone asks, you can use the Media button on the VW head unit to switch between a CD and the Auxiliary input. The Aux input is either the USB stick or the stereo jack plug and the USB takes priority which needs to be physically disconnected to use the jack plug.

 

And no, I don't have bluetooth in the car to stream from my phone.

 

It all works and I can do everything I want to do. It's just getting a faff

 

Somebody at VW needs a slap. That's laughably shit.

 

Even my cheapy ex-display from Halfords JVC single-DIN thing has separate functions for AUX (3.5mm jack) and USB. No need to unplug the other one to use them.

[davidfowler2000]

Fancy one of these sometime. How does it go online? Does it have a sim built in?

Some have a built in 3/4G radio. Some it's a usb dongle.

All have wifi and bluetooth so you can tether it to your phone.

[beko1987]

Somebody at VW needs a slap. That's laughably shit.

 

Even my cheapy ex-display from Halfords JVC single-DIN thing has separate functions for AUX (3.5mm jack) and USB. No need to unplug the other one to use them.

My £20 Aldi headunit I had in the zx did it seperatly too!

 

I soldered an aux lead into the back of the 'cd' aux plug on the xantias oem unit and plugged a rechargeable Bluetooth doodah into that, that worked well! Wired its charge lead into the dash light adjuster so it charged with the lights on, because I couldn't be bothered to do it properly, worked fairly well!

[cpjitservices]

Boss looked at one for his Allroad, the ones he found on eBay (cheap Chinese at £300) looked just like an Audi head unit.... but would I trust it?... would I fuck! I wonder in how many months time you'll have to spend that £300 again for a replacement deck..

[CortinaDave]

Farted about with the wallpaper this eve...

[Guest]

 

I put one in the 75- same unit as E46 BMW. Hooked it all up with factory plugs,worked with the steering wheel controls and everything. Sat Nav was surprisingly good,sound quality was OK, BUT, every now and again,randomly it would go right up to 11 for no reason and I'd jump out my skin, or just freeze. Would I buy one again? No.

[beko1987]

Ha, the fire background does suit that though!

[busmansholiday]

The motorhome came with one in it, wish it hadn't. Despite being sat with it for a day the only good thing it does is the TV. When on the move you can sometimes get the radio to work at the same time as the sat nav, but to change the volume really needs you to stop and play with it as it's bloody dangerous trying to do it whilst driving.

 

Given the choice I'd have a normal radio and a separate sat nav.

[AMC Rebel]

This was the one I had - it was back in 2014.

 

 

Looked good but was ultimately flaky and annoying.

[Hendry]

They do a lot of them which look like clones of OEM VW units.

 

Personally speaking I'd much rather just buy an OEM one, I want an RNS315 DAB for the Jetta mainly because it's one of few OEM VW units which have built in Bluetooth rather than a separate module and has all the other features like Nav, Digital radio, SD card and aux slots and doesn't look out of place, will work properly, integrate properly and won't be cheap Chinese crap.

[stephen01]

 

Very Crap picture of the one I fitted in my CRV, mainly because Honda wanted 180+VAT for a new satnav disk and the enter button on the Honda was crap,, NO Bluetooth, no Aux in, it really was an ageing unit so I opted to swap it for an Android based unit. I spent over 12 months deciding to do this and it was the best £180 quid I've spent on it for a while! The price of the ebay units varies from 50 -250£ I wanted one with a CD player because I still listin to CD's some times! 

 

Here's the link to the one I got, not the cheapest but the chap had them in stock ready to ship. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Quad-Core-Android-5-1-WIFI-Double-2DIN-Car-Radio-Stereo-GPS-SAT-Nav-Bluetooth/172500186210?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

I love it, the sat nav, used in French France a couple of times when we needed it, full postcode search, inc in France! inc live traffic updates!  is great, Play store, web browser, Bluetooth, it's a very very capable unit for the money. screen is pin sharp, touch screen is piss easy to use, even when driving . One great thing is it will play DVD's, okay you cant watch them while driving but I love listing to DVD's while on a long drive. 

 

You can amend all the screens etc, not that I have yet but the options are there if you so wish. you can even turn it off if you like. 

 

I would 100% recommend the unit I had. 

[stephen01]

Regarding quality, I wasn't expecting too much, unbranded and 160£ for such a jam packed features unit but it's very well put together and doesn't feel cheap. 

​I found it quite hard to find an Android unit with CD player, there's plenty of other such units but I wanted an interface that was easy to use. 

[davidfowler2000]

They do a lot of them which look like clones of OEM VW units.

 

Personally speaking I'd much rather just buy an OEM one, I want an RNS315 DAB for the Jetta mainly because it's one of few OEM VW units which have built in Bluetooth rather than a separate module and has all the other features like Nav, Digital radio, SD card and aux slots and doesn't look out of place, will work properly, integrate properly and won't be cheap Chinese crap.

 

I do like the idea of a genuine VW Nav / Bluetooth unit but how often do the maps get updated?

[beko1987]

The main reason I didn't look into sounding probably £200+ on reinstating the gooners factory nav and stuff was the discs were last updated in 2009,before they moved to a completely different system with TomTom for the gooner3/megane etc. And no way of cracking it either.

 

As much as these Chinese ones may be a slight gamble, I'd much rather pop a dodgy version of gapps on it then Google maps!

 

Have a look on the xda forums, there's a section devoted to them on there. Read up and find the ones that can be rooted and have custom rooms, gapps capability etc and buy one of those!

[Pillock]

I like the idea of OEM, but unfortunately OEMs are moneygrabbing gits and map updates will be infrequent, and expensive.

 

My Astra satnav was £80 a year.

My Focus was £320 and stopped in 2015

BMW is £250 for a subscription for two years.

 

So sad as it sounds, Chinese aftermarket ones running Android actually offer you, the user, more functionality because the manufacturers of the devices give zero shits whether you subscribe to anything and consider the purchase price full and complete payment.

 

Also, built in satnavs are often poorly designed, with an interface made by a design student rather than a UX specialist. Google spend billions developing Maps, and then VW come along and let someone's lad come in on work experience and design their own interface.

 

Searching for anything is just a mess.