[Mocking-DX]

HI follks

my kenwood KNA DV2100 navigation with kenwood LZ800 8" screen now working on my wife's HIGHLANDER

NICE FEATURES
touch screen controls for everything, even map scroll and map rotate. THe angle for the 3D is adjustable which gives me more area map coverage.

the kenwood screen is spectacular--BIG

the DVD map includes canada--though i don't know how detailed it is

points of interests almost the same as my MDX's

antenna mounted in the dashboard which is protected from the elements

can easily add 2 more audio video sources for the screenPS2 and back up camera. And i can output the signals to another monitor like the backseat(future)

auto recalculates in less than 3 seconds

NOT SO COOL FEATURES
different states are grouped into different areas on the map. KInda like older navis that have different cd rom maps for different areas of the US. I had to manually change to the area state if the address i'm looking for is different from the area i'm at.
not like the MDX you just enter an address and it will show you no matter what part of the US is that address you're looking

8 voice languages. silly

no radio mute. but the screen sound output is adequate since i relocated the tiny speaker inside the air vent facing the driver.

This is just my initial eval. NOw i have to hook up the PS2 and we're ready to go to our trip to atalanta on wednesday

 

[Pkt]

Mocking dx,
Thanks for all the help, but i just found out 2 dealers by my area
giving me the kenwood nav. for $1650..
Anyway, i wanted to ask you about the nav. feature... can you look up a place with just the phone number, or you have to have the address... And how difficult is the feature if i would enter the destination to New York and i'm from calif..

 

[Mocking-DX]

hi pkt

glad you found a closer dealer.

anyway the user interface for the MDX is excellent but that doesn't leave the kenwood really far behind.

I don't think you can input tel no as a destination like the mdx. BUt it does display the phone number of a point of interest like a named restaurant. It also displays the address, of the place you click on the map.

from cali you have to go to menu and change the area map to new york then you can enter the place in new york. Then the navigation guidance will take over. When you're travelling ,I don't think you need to change the area on the navi while going to different states unless you need to find a local destination.
but it's a little bothersome to me.

if you try to search a taco bell in cali and your area map is set to illinois, the closest taco bell would probably in ohio.

another is that a safety feature that some of the settings can't be changed while the car is moving. I don't think you can defeat that by "fooling" the parking break wire by grounding it. But these are just settings you can do without while the navigation is in progress. You will , still be able to change route, destination, reroute.
one good feature though is you can put a favorite point of interest a name it and put icon on it.

i'm still going to drive it more today and eval.

hope this helps you in your decisions

 

[jodnkod]

hi Mocking-DX,

Can you give more details on how you like the Kenwood system and pics (if you can).
Is there a way that the system can be hook to the same speakers as the car factory stereo ?

 

[Mocking-DX]

just got back from my trip.

i also figured out to defeat the feature where yiu can't access some of the features when the car ismoving

if i compare the the kenwood to the acura, the acura is more user friendly.

i begin to like the kenwood now. the voice guidance is prompt when a turn is coming up

as i've said all controls are by touch screen-convenient for me

only thing is it has no bread crumb feature

the navi unit is almost a DIN size

if you need more of the features you can check out kenwood coz there are a lot more you can see there.

i'm not sure how to hook the voice to the factory stereo.

 

[jodnkod]

Mocking-DX,

How 's accurated is the system ?
Does the voice tell the name of the freeways and the exits ?

 

[Mocking-DX]

accuracy is comparable to the mdx's or better.
yes it does mention the exit's streets name and freeways

 

[-=Ice-T=-]

Did you install your ps2 to the system yet? How difficult was it?

I also have one more question. Why did you choose the 8" LCD screen over the 6.5" one which had a dvd-player built in? Was it because of size, money, etc? Please let me know.

 

[Mocking-DX]

yes the ps2 is already installed under the highhlander's glove compartment. the 8" has a separate box with 2 rca audio-video inputs plus rgb input for the navigation and one AV out that can output a signal different from what's showing on the 8".
I swap the ps2 between the MDX and Highlander. In the mdx case the space under the driver seat is a perfect place to put the ps2--believe me it fits like a glove!!

PS2 is pretty tough on road coz i already dropped it once on a carpeted floor about 3 feet high. Only thing that broke was one of it's fan blade. NO problem of skipping also.

i liked the 8" for the size and price.
Another important consideration was that i liked the ps2 so the passenger can play games. SO basically i did not need the dvd player/monitor.

also my wife does not wan't to lose the tape player in her car

the 6.5 screen has extra moving parts to break compared to the 8".

but if money was no object i'd buy the 6.5 coz you can also hook it up to a dolby digital/DTS processor and just add a cd changer.

 

[gokings55]

Hey Mocking DX, How about another update on the Kenwood Navigation unit? and pictures also. Thanks.

 

[Mocking-DX]

update o the Kenwood navi

the works fine
I just wish they have more database on the POIs. Can't find a circuit city in Tampa and st pete area. My MDX can.

It gets off track more easily than the MDX. But taht could be beacause I placed the antenna on the dahshboard. I usually have 6-7 sat signals instead of 8

Scrolling the map with a touchscreen is not as easy as the MDXs joystick

Otherwise we enjoy it, especially we just relocated to Florida. I'm confident I can always go back home without worries of getting lost after a good stroll around the Tampa bay area.

Sorry no pics. Got no digital camera yet.

 

[vicpai]

update o the Kenwood navi

the works fine
I just wish they have more database on the POIs. Can't find a circuit city in Tampa and st pete area. My MDX can.

It gets off track more easily than the MDX. But taht could be beacause I placed the antenna on the dahshboard. I usually have 6-7 sat signals instead of 8

That is a well known shortcoming of the Kenwood/Lexus/Denso units (the Kenwood's internals are actually made by Denso).....the reason for the lack of POIs, I'm told is that they do not have any space left on the 8.5GB Dual Layer DVD after merging the GDT (Geographic Data Technologies) and Navtech databases for COMPLETE detailed coverage of the entire U.S. - that is every little small town is covered to street level detail.

Someone told me that the "memory flash card slot" in the KNA-DV2100 was made so that more POI's will be added in the future (I don't know how far this is true ) While the Acura/Alpine units have about 5 million POIs the Lexus/Denso/Kenwood has to make do with only about 750,000 so I think they only include the "popular" categories like Restaurants, shopping malls etc.

As far as the getting off track goes could it be that your Navi unit is not mounted straight (longitudinally) with the front to rear axis of the car and perfectly flat?? (I'm told it's internal gyro is very sensitive to this).........I might be wrong because it was almost a year and a half ago, but if my memory serves me right, I don't recall ever receiving more than 7 satellites even in my 2000 Acura 3.2TL/Navi (it was the first year Acura introduced the DVD Nav)

 

[gokings55]

Thanks for the update! Hope you are enjoying the great Florida weather.

 

[Mocking-DX]

thanks goking 55

and yes of course Florida weather is great at this time. We have 60-80 deg F while Illinois is having like 30-60 right now. I've seen a lot of MDX here too in Tampa. There's like 3 of us in the parking garage where I work now. And I see 1 on hte road almost everyday.

Vicpai--thanks for the insight regarding my problem getting my navi off track. Too bad I just can't squueze some time to check it coz I'm too busy enjoying Tampa Bay and St Petersburg.

wel good luck guys, Anyway any navi system you buy, i'm sure you will enjoy the benefits. I DO!!!

 

[jodnkod]

LZ-800W

Hey Mocking-DX,
Did you install yourself the Kenwood LZ-800W screen ?
If so, how did you hook up the "FM-TX" wire ?
Thanx

 

[Mocking-DX]

I did not hook the yellow wire. BUt i think that's the illumination wire for the screen. So if you hook it to an illumination wire(a wire that's hot when the lighs are on) and turn on the headlights or parrking lights, it wll dim the screen. I was not able to find an illumination wire tha works for the highlander. I don't know if it's because it has automatic lights on/off. hope this helps

 

[jodnkod]

No, it was a white wire. THe LZ-800W has 4 wires:

green: parking
red: +12v
black: ground
WHITE: FM-TX

I don't know what is the FM-TX (FM transmitter) for ?

Anyway, how did you defeat the feature where you can't access some settings while the car is moving ?

Thanx

 

[Mocking-DX]

sorry, That white wire i'm pretty sure is the illumination wire. Hook it up to a wire that is hot when you turn on the headlights. As i said i did not hook my white wire.

just connect the parking wire to a ground. Pls be advised though that you're safer not to mess around with the settings as it poses a lot of danger to you and fellow drivers. Thank you

 

[Pauls MDX]

pic's

let's see some pic's of the navi unit for comparison to the stock one!