Just got the new XM TrafficWatch enabled GPS, the 2730. Great unit for drivnging in the major cities, as it will automatically route you around heavy traffic.
I quickly got tired of the sandbag sliding off of the dash every time I punched the accelerator, so I decided to semi-permanently mount the unit.
I fabricated an aluminum mounting surface under the center dash cover. The Garmin's speaker is built into the cigarette adapter plug, so I had to leave that intact...instead I wired in an adapter, plugged the unit into it, and shoved the whole thing back under the console. It's loud and clear through the console side panel. Snaking the Garmin's power umbilical up was kind of a bitch but I made it happen. I obviously had to perform some major Dremel hack surgery in the center panel to make it fit recessed.
It all, the unit looks great where it's at now and is solid as a rock. The opening on the top is a little larger than I would have liked to facilitate clicking the mount release, but it still looks nice. I will source some edge trim to make it look more seamless. I ordered an extra center dash cover, and the uncut cover pops on after the display is removed...you'd never know it was there. I'm also ordering an extra GPS power umbilical so it remains portable.
I now have a full avionics suite with Bluetooth phone, XM radio, Valentine One ELINT, and traffic-warning GPS.
I got one picture tonight:
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More later.
This is just the first phase...next on the agenda (Block 20) is Bluetooth-enabled OBDII engine monitoring for gauges on the PDA phone, and possible removal of the XM Commander head after the audio-in is wired into the Blaupunkt head unit (the Garmin is also a very slick XM radio receiver and MP3 drive)....
I quickly got tired of the sandbag sliding off of the dash every time I punched the accelerator, so I decided to semi-permanently mount the unit.
I fabricated an aluminum mounting surface under the center dash cover. The Garmin's speaker is built into the cigarette adapter plug, so I had to leave that intact...instead I wired in an adapter, plugged the unit into it, and shoved the whole thing back under the console. It's loud and clear through the console side panel. Snaking the Garmin's power umbilical up was kind of a bitch but I made it happen. I obviously had to perform some major Dremel hack surgery in the center panel to make it fit recessed.
It all, the unit looks great where it's at now and is solid as a rock. The opening on the top is a little larger than I would have liked to facilitate clicking the mount release, but it still looks nice. I will source some edge trim to make it look more seamless. I ordered an extra center dash cover, and the uncut cover pops on after the display is removed...you'd never know it was there. I'm also ordering an extra GPS power umbilical so it remains portable.
I now have a full avionics suite with Bluetooth phone, XM radio, Valentine One ELINT, and traffic-warning GPS.
I got one picture tonight:
More later.
This is just the first phase...next on the agenda (Block 20) is Bluetooth-enabled OBDII engine monitoring for gauges on the PDA phone, and possible removal of the XM Commander head after the audio-in is wired into the Blaupunkt head unit (the Garmin is also a very slick XM radio receiver and MP3 drive)....
