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My Aftermarket Jeep DVD/Nav/Bluetooth Media Centre!

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42K views 134 replies 35 participants last post by  renospatriot  
#1 · (Edited)
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#12 · (Edited)
I was about to post that I'd love to order one but the duties on something from the U.S. costing $600 would be hideous. Then I noticed the cat was in Oakville. Damnit, now I have to decide whether I want to spend $619 to buy it.

May God curse you pursuit1980! :D

I'm guessing one would need to buy a new bezel for it though...
 
#13 ·
After researching and seeing the pricing for the MyGig units, as well as the head-ache of the requirements to fit.... country specific units.... some with Nav, some without..... requiring additional modules for bluetooth.. having to be flashed by a dealer ....blah blah blah! and of course the HUGE cost involved.

I stumbled across an aftermarket unit on Ebay, custom made for our Jeep Patriots!

FEATURES
DVD / DivX, MP4, AVI, MPEG etc...
Navigation - iGo 8 with voice etc... plus others
Bluetooth - VERY clear and loud with bass level adjustments etc.
Reverse Camera Input with automatic switching
SD-Card - MicroSD - 1 slot for Maps, 1 slot for media
USB Connectivity
iPod Connectivity

All for only $600 delivered!

It came with EVERYTHING including the CANBUS module and the exact wiring loom etc. aerial connector...everything for instant 15 minute plug & play.

It came with the latest maps, iGo version 8 and the ability to put pretty much any navigation software you want to.

Absolutely flawless match to the genuine unit in regards to dash fitting etc...and as simple as earthing the handbrake wire for DVD in motion.

I just wanted you all to know there is a GREAT alternative out there. I'm VERY impressed with the unit.
Does it have a model number so I can do a little research on it before I purchase it?
 
#14 ·
Now where was this when I was shopping for a unit and they are practically right on my doorstep :mad:

Looks great though. How long have you had it - how has it performed over the last couple of days?
 
#15 ·
Wow! I may order up one myself!

This is exactly what I've been looking for, as well!

I already looked into all sorts of options for my '07 Patriot Sport, including installing a Kenwood or Pioneer double-DIN stereo with GPS and bluetooth, going the MyGig stereo route, or even going with a single DIN GPS stereo with the fold-out display.

The MyGig was about the most "seamless" option, but $$$'s when you consider I'd need a new front bezel for it first, a $250 or so cable harness that allows the thing to work, etc. And after all that? You're still stuck with Chrysler/Jeep's map DVDs, meaning hundreds of bucks more when maps get outdated and you need newer ones!

The other stereos like the Kenwood? Well over $1100 by the time you factor in everything they require too, AND everyone says the module that allows the steering wheel controls to work them is SLUGGISH and almost not worth having.

I'm familiar with the iGo 8 GPS software. That probably means this car stereo is some kind of custom-made thing running Windows CE and they're running iGo software off a flash card? iGo 8 is pretty good though, and even if you have to resort to pirating stuff off seedy torrent sites, you WILL be able to find newer maps to download for it here and there. Beats paying Chrysler prices for map DVDs!

My biggest concern with this stereo is that no mention is made about the power output in wattage. I'd assume it's perfectly usable vs. the original factory system ... but at a $600 price point? You can bet this has a low quality amp. circuit in it and it may not really last years and years without problems.

Still? I'm willing to give this a shot, since they're probably mass-producing these for a whole lot of different makes and models of cars and trucks, and invested in manufacturing a lot of different plastic front plates for them for each one. You can literally buy 2 for what a Pioneer with the same basic feature-set will cost you!
 
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#18 ·
I appreciate the help pursuit. This is the first time I ever change a radio myself so I want to do it as well as possible. I can't wait to receive the unit which I assume will get here before Friday next week (I'm in Quebec and it's coming from Oakville so it shouldn't be that long) and though I've built computers from scratch my entire life, this truly scares me. :)
 
#22 ·
re: satellite radio, etc.

Yeah .... One of my biggest complaints about satellite radio is with the sound quality. The way they advertise it as "pure digital signals" and all, they try to make you believe it's the same kind of technology as listening to a music CD.

It's *far* from it! In reality, their total bandwidth on the satellites they own is really limited, so they're stuck with either A) only offering a few stations but having crystal clear CD quality sound, or B) offering a lot of stations but compressing the signal as much as possible. They opted for choice B.

I have XM radio built into my Hyundai (Genesis Coupe), and it sounds awful to me. You can hear all the "compression artifacts" in the sound, so it adds what I can only describe as kind of a "robotic, tinny" tinge to it. Even when a DJ is just talking between songs, it has that "digitized, unnatural" sound to his or her voice. The Sirius satellite radios I've heard in people's vehicles don't seem to have that problem, but their sound quality is no better than plain FM radio at best. Plus, the signal itself is pretty weak, so as soon as I drive into my garage or anything like that? The signal starts cutting out.

A lot of people paid for satellite radio for specific reasons though, like the fact Howard Stern was only on Sirius satellite and he has a big following of loyal listeners. Personally, I have no intentions of adding it to my Jeep.
 
#23 ·
It really is useless and your comment just strengthens the anti-satellite radio commentary. Besides, if satellite TV which is in an immobile state in the house can be unreliable for our entertainment purposes, why would we be willing to believe that satellite radio in our constantly-moving vehicles would fare any better. I say rely on the radio as is, be content with the GPS/Bluetooth/SD inclusion (SD especially) and be quiet.

I, for one, will be replacing a portable GPS, a Bluetooth device as well as my cell phone with this radio. It's well-worth the purchase in my opinion.
 
#24 ·
A follow up ...

I went ahead and placed an order for one of these stereos the other day, and the UPS tracking number indicates it should be arriving by the end of the day tomorrow. Can't wait!

I did look up the specifications and they mentioned a "max wattage" of 45 watts per channel, but those maximum wattage numbers mean almost nothing. (Max. wattage could mean the most wattage the stereo puts out for a fraction of a second before it burns up.... There's really no standard out there for the rating.) The wattage that DOES matter is the "RMS" rating, which would be the wattage you can expect it to output consistently during normal use. They neglect to list that number.

My guess is, it'll be pretty comparable to the wattage output of the original factory stereos .... maybe 18 watts or so? Nothing special, but good enough for the purpose.
 
#26 ·
I just got my unit today and finished installing it a few minutes ago. Removing the antenna cable was a little tricky (I had no idea what that white part was for) but once you figure it out, it's a pretty easy installation. GPS works beautifully, radio works and I managed to keep the USB cable plugged (since it's actually more useful than an iPod cable when you think about it... since it could be useful for ANYTHING whereas the other is only good for Apple products). Now, the only thing I wish I could figure out (without using the manual since I'm a man) is how to save radio stations.
 
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#27 ·
I tried reading the instruction manual to help me figure it out but quickly realized how useless that action was. The instruction manual's writer obviously didn't master English grammar. However, I figured out the rest.

However, I'm wondering. The only cable I left plugged-in (between the iPod one and the USB one) is the USB one. I figured that having an iPod cable sticking out of there was redundant if you already have a USB one. I'm just wondering if there is any kind of advantage to using the built-in iPod interface over the default USB one. Let me know.

Other than that, I'm very glad I made this upgrade.