Just "installed" my Garmin IQue 3600 PDA/GPS system in my car. Installation took 3 minutes. This is a really sweet GPS option for those of us who do not have the factory nav. Actually, given the performance of the factory nav system, it is probably a good option for everyone.

I purchased the unit on Amazon for roughly $500.00 with the car kit (combo cigarette plug/speaker, so you can hear what the orders of the electronic beatch while driving with the radio on). I also purchased for $190.00 a Sandisk UltraII 512 SD card (much faster than the regular Sandisk 512), which allows me to load detailed maps of everything west of the Mississippi. The SD card is a must. . . the internal storage of the 3600 is very small, only enough to hold San Diego County and maybe a little of Orange County. If you really want to go all out, you can buy the 1 gig card which will hold detailed maps for the entire U.S.A.. Or, if you want to go cheap, you can pick up the 128 or the 256 for $50 or $100, respectively, either of which would hold all of California.

The unit comes with maps for all of the U.S.A. and part of Canada. You can also load detailed maps for Europe. It will also do navigation charts, for you boaters out there. Anyways, with the 512 SD card, I could now drive from San Diego to Washington to Montana to Texas without any additional input to the Garmin.

This system rivals the one that I had in my MDX and in my wife's TL (the Acura nav is one of the best factory systems out there). In some ways, it is even better (no wait time while the system searches a DVD disk).

Installation in the C32 entails removing the cigarette plug/speaker/cradle from the weighted ballistic nylon base of the car kit. The cradle fits perfectly in theC32 pop-up cupholder (with a little of that foam double sided sticky tape), with the cigarette plug/speaker neatly plugged in right next to it. The downside of this install is that your pop-up cupholder will always be open, and you are now limited to one beverage.

As an added bonus, the 3600 is also a fully-functional Palm-based PDA. If you want more info, check the review in CNet.

 

Very cool! Thanks for the info!

 

Do you get good connection with the satelites?

When I tried to use my garmin for navigation it couldent even get a fix in town, I had to be on completely bare ground

Do you have an extra antenna or use the one in the garmin?

 

Vomit,

I've had the IQue 3600 installed since I treated myself to one last Christmas. I agree that it's a great alternative to the nav system. Did you get the extended antenna? That makes all the difference since you don't have to worry about getting a good signal with the flip-top antenna. It's a fun toy to use. I used mine while driving from Boston to Dallas and it worked great. Signal strength was strong the whole way. Got mine at Amazon.com too for under $500. I thought that Garmin didn't recommend an SD card above 256? I wanted 512, but heard they don't work well, or at all.
The other fun toy I have is the Escort G-Timer. It's good to guauge your times on the street.

 

The 512 works perfectly. Where did you mount the external antenna? Did you find a better spot than the pop-up cupholder for the unit?

 

I'll have to try the 512 then.
I used the suction cups to mount the antenna in the lower corner of the passenger side windshield, and routed the cable down and around under the dashboard, under the rug, and right to the middle of the console. It's a perfect fit. I haven't found a better place to mount it than the cupholder yet but hey, it works for me.

 

Hey Jayitx:

I think that you will be very happy with the 512. It allows you to store all detailed maps of anywhere you are likely to go (I loaded Sasketchewan, for god's sakes!) and still leaves tons of room for MP3 files, games, voice recordings, etc.. I was tempted to go for the even bigger card, but couldn't justify $350.00 when I probably won't even fill the 512.

Where did you get your external antenna, and how much $$? This sounds like a great addition to the Garmin. I assume that you also have the car kit, and stripped it down to just the cigarette plug/speaker?

Also, make sure you do the latest download available on the Garmin website. It adds all sorts of cool features, like a "hunt and fish" mode which estimates when the best hunting and fishing will be, based on the moon phase, the tides, and the time of year. I don't know how useful it will be, but fun to play with.

Are you as pleased as I am with the unit? Had something like this been around when I bought my TL (in 2000) and my MDX (in 2001), I could've saved myself four grand by passing on the nav. systems!

 

Hey XScream:

With the stock, built-in antenna, I get near-perfect reception. I lost signal once in the middle of the tall building in downtown San Diego, but it picked up again after 10 seconds or so. Which Garmin model did you try to use in your car?

Hey Jayitx:

Is the G-Timer like the G-Tech? Which is better, IYO. How much $$$ and how do these gadgets work? How difficult to install?

 

Vomit, looks like you had some money burning a hole in your pocket. First the Evo parts, then the wheels and nav unit, then getting your 'tranny' issue fixed. What's next?

How about posting some pics? I am sure someone will host them for you.

 

Hey 430:

Photos of the Garmin or the blown tranny? I don't know how exciting photos of the Garmin will be. . . it is basically a PDA with maps on it sitting in my pop-up cupholder. If you want photos of the blown tranny, I suggest you do a general internet search using "George W. Bush" as your search term. . .

As far as the source of the money, I did get some cash for blowing the tranny (MBZ warranty reimbursement)

Seriously, the ambulance chasing has been good lately. I've learned in my old age to focus on going after the slow ones.

 

Vomit, for some reason I was thinking the install was more than just the cupholder. I have been trying to decide on my next mod, and have been debating a nav unit.

ABK.

 

430: It really is a no-brainer. I wouldn't even call it an install. The 3600 is an awesome piece of equipment. If you really do want photos (of the Garmin) I will get them to you. Let me know.

I will bet a teste that you will be happy with the 3600 if you buy it. I lost a couple of times on this same bet last month, but figure that I have "nothing to lose" now.

 

Vomit,

I got the antenna at Fry's Electronics for around $90. It's pretty easy to install. And yes I got the car kit and stripped it down to the cigarette lighter so it fits easily into the cup holder.

The G-Timer is nice to have, and it fits nicely into the open slot left by the lack-of-nav. I have no knowledge of the G-Tech, but it sounds pretty cool from the posts I've seen. Here's a link to the G-Timer:

http://www.escortradar.com/gtimer.htm

I haven't used it enough to get some times or hp calculations, but I'm looking forward to it. I just got finished with Defensive Driving to get rid of a speeding ticket and don't want another one yet! Bad part is......I got the ticket with my 1998 4-Runner, not the C32

 

Vomit--

No pictures necessary. I have seen what the unit looks like. I just misread your comments on the car kit. When you talked about stripping it down, etc. I read it as a discussion of your mounting and took it as being more involved than what you actually did.

I would prefer pocket pc, that way I do not have to deal with translation utilities when I pull something off my PC. I just need to find a good GPS program for one.

I am surprised you did not ask what ABK stood for.

 

Why do I feel like I am walking into a trap? Okay, what does "ABK" stand for?

 

The new Mitac Mio 168 would be a nice alternative too, it runs PocketPC and is available starting this month (I think)

 

Yes Vomit it took a little goading but with all your political comments I had to throw out mine.

ABK = Anybody but Kerry

Damn, it is like having to explain a joke. If you have to explain it you just should not have told it.

 

"Anybody" is a dangerous term! How about Hillary or Al (as in "Clinton" or "Sharpton")?

 

I almost bought the iQUE, but when I totalled up the necessities: memory etc, I changed up to the Garmin 3610. This was for the wife's car, because real men don't need directions

The 3610 is a top-of-the-line unit with voice (a must have feature). It is bigger, and has a few more features. I believe I got it for $750 online. The stock 3610 can hold most of California from SF to SD on one memory card. No external antenna needed so far. The 3610 is fast to initialize (find sats) and be ready to go.

When used in a C32 you do need some sort of attached mount because the beanbag+Garmin can easily be launched into your lap when you accelerate. Garmin offers several mounts and all the goodies you would ever need. One nice feature with any of these units is you can swap them between two cars easily.

GPS is quite cool, you can even calibrate your speedometer. They also encourage you to try those unmapped roads in the mountains you know "I wonder if that road goes all the way to the coast?"

Garmin is good stuff, I am sure the iQUE is great, but if you don't want/need the PDA part of it, look at the 3610. Whatever brand you get, be sure to get voice. We like the British gal, "Off route recalculating...."

 

I downloaded a terse "honey do" voice which prefaces all instructions (AKA "orders") with "If you hadn't spent so much money on modifications to your car. . . ." When in doubt, it prefaces all questions with "Do I look fat in this. . . ."

This way it seems more "homey."

3600. . . 3610. . . whatever it takes

The PDA aspect of the 3600 is awesome, though, for those of us who needed one anyways. I just downloaded the California Code of Civil Procedure, Evidence Code, and Civil Code onto mine (and used about 1% of the storage card in the process). Also have a mini version of a Diablo II clone game and about 20 other games (Tetris, Mahjongg, poker, etc. . . . for my kid, of course). Garmin's website has everything from thesauruses, dictionaries (medical, and otherwise), fitness trackers, sailing racing timers, financial programs. . . you name it!

 

Certainly the the 3600 is more tall and slender, though some will consider a little too flat for their tastes, 3610 is more Rubenesque but maybe a little too chunky for some.

I too was looking for something in a dominatrix-style voice, but the best I could do was the British gal. But being able to load the Penile Code just wasn't a plus for me, but nowadays we need to be open minded, so I say go for it.

As far as the PDA, I just use one to finish off AAA batteries.

 

I don't disagree with you. The ABK is simply in response to those that keep spouting ABB (Anybody but Bush). My litmus test for a candidate is who I think is going to do the least damage. Which anymore is a tough call.

 

I turned on the hot IQue 3600 babe just a minute ago, and she begged me to please fill her with Penile Code. I complied, of course, and think I'll now go for a smoke. . .