Android Head Units for mapping, OBD, music etc?

[Rando]

Does anyone have any experience using an Android Head Unit instead of a tablet for doing tablety things like mapping? I have used several tablets in my vehicles over the years (Ipad 1, Samsung Galaxy 7 etc) and while I have found them useful, the 'futz factor' has always gotten me in the end. That is having some sort of mount that sis usually in the way, cords strung all over the place, having to put it away when you park etc. I was thinking that I would like a new stereo, and there seem to be a multitude of head units with 6-7" screens running android 4.4 This seems like it would be a futz free, always on way of having topo maps, torque, pdf manuals etc at the ready.

The problem I am having is that none of these head units are from any sort of manufacturer that I have ever heard of, so I am a little leery to spend the time bolting it into my dashboard. One that I was considering is this:
http://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Universal-Muti-touch-Navigation-Bluetooth/dp/B0151KNXJ8/

Does anyone have one of these, or something similar and want to give their opinion?

 

[theksmith]

sorry i don't have personal experience, but in the past i had heard some poor reviews regarding processor power from these type of units compared to a name brand tablet - that was a couple years ago though. you might also search around on mp3car.com for some more info on these.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

Pricey, but look at the latest Kenwood head units. They utilize Garmin for their Nav and have Wifi using a usb dongle and support for a Verizon 4G dongle. Can screen mirror off of smartphones too

 

[Rando]

Thanks for the Kenwood suggestion, they certainly are slick. However I really like the idea of having the unit run unlocked Android so that I can use the apps I want (such as Gaia and Torque). Screen mirroring my iphone is an option, but my understanding is that only works for a few selected apps, not all apps . They are also crazy expensive for what you get!

With a little more digging I have found some more info on the units I was looking at:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android-auto/mtcb-android-head-units-qa

I guess most of them come from the same factory and are just rebranded by the retailers. Digging through this forum, it seems like they work OK. I may buy one and try it on the bench before installing it.

 

[CaliMobber]

I just bought a joying and i love it. Its plenty fast and HD screen makes it very impressive for the low cost. flashed a new rom on it and it does everything i need but my steering wheel controls dont work and thats bugging me.

I have torque setup plus all my other apps for music and back up camera. I highly recommend if your going the android direction.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YE7SN9K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

 

[Rando]

I just ordered that same unit (branded pumpkin as opposed to joying). I am glad to hear it works well for you!

I just bought a joying and i love it. Its plenty fast and HD screen makes it very impressive for the low cost. flashed a new rom on it and it does everything i need but my steering wheel controls dont work and thats bugging me.

I have torque setup plus all my other apps for music and back up camera. I highly recommend if your going the android direction.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YE7SN9K?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00

 

[Rando]

I received my head unit, and had some time to play with it on the bench. It has been sufficiently impressive that I am moving on to installing it in my Landcruiser camper. I will post up some pics once I finish the install. What I like about it so far:

- It does a lot of things fairly well out of the box. So far I have the following apps running on it: iGO (offline nav like Tomtom, included with the unit), Back Country Navigator for topo maps, Torque and a bluetooth OBD adapter for engine diagnostics/logging, Amazon Music for tunes, built in AM/FM radio app. It runs all of these well and you can switch back and forth seamlessly. I'll add more as I use it.
- The screen is decent. It is equivalent to a mid range tablet. 1024x600 with capacitive touch. It is set within a bezel and between that and the vertical dash on the LC I have had no issues viewing it in bright sun.
- The sound quality through my stock amp is good enough for use in a 4WD. It is certainly not Alpine Kenwood etc quality, but given how crappy a listening environment a moving vehicle is, it is fine.
- Boot up is fast, ~20 seconds. Given that I have a huge battery and solar, I also have it set to sleep for 2 hours after engine shutdown, then actually power off. If you restart the car within 2 hours it comes back instantly.
-There is no branding on the unit, and when off it doesn't look flashy. This solves my issue of having a tablet and mount that you have to stash every time you park the car.
-The built in GPS receiver (from uBlox) is fast and sensitive.
- By design the unit is easy to root so you can hack it to your hearts content.

So far I have noticed the following drawbacks:
- The built in radio sensitivity is not the best. It is fine in town, but I want my NPR in the back country!
- The wifi reception sucks once it is installed in the dash. This is a combination off a marginal wifi antenna, then surrounding it with steel and wires inside the dash. I can't pick up my home wifi parked in my attached garage. I have to run an Access Point in the garage itself to get a reliable signal. This is a bit of a bummer as I won't be able to update maps/music sitting in my driveway like I had hoped .
- More hardware buttons would be better. The unit I have has at least power/volume, nav, home and back buttons, but some have no physical buttons at all. Trying to operate a touch screen while driving is far more dangerous than physical buttons where you get tactile feedback.

I will update this as I finish the install and use it more. But so far this seems like a really great, low cost option for a stealth routing/topo/diagnostic system.

 

[Rando]

There are two other applications I am looking forward to trying out on this head unit:

1. Software defined radio. I have a $15 USB radio dongle (10M - 10CM coverage) that should work with SDR touch. This will give me a general coverage radio capable of listening to CB, VHF/UHF ham bands, FRS, GMRS and NOAA weather radio. http://sdrtouch.com/
2. Bluetooth controlled relays. You can add the ability to control accessories such as lights, compressors etc straight from your head unit without needing to cut up the dash for switches or run wires through the firewall. I am note sure how well this will actually work, but is seems like a cool idea. http://www.tinyosshop.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=141_129&product_id=764

 

[1MK]

Installed the Joying version in my truck to try and solve the same issue. For small simple trips it works great, but at the end of the day, I still use the Tablet for our big adventures.

Couple things I've noticed over the last few months.

• Volume knob periodically stops working. Have to reboot to make it work again. Have not found a work around. Tech support is a China-English translation nightmare.
• Switching from navigation app to music player/Spotify is bothersome.
• Audio quality is lacking and will most likely be the main reason I return to a regular media deck, or switch to a name brand even if it means losing Android for the time being.
• Screen is too small and cumbersome at the distance it's at for any useful navigation. Could be because I'm used to the 10" tablet screen.
• Even though it says its a 16GB unit, only 1GB is allocated for the ROM and apps. Since Android is picky about SD card storage and app installs, it's VERY limiting.
• Start up time is beginning to get old.

The Android based head units are getting there, but still lacking at this point for a all in one package that has me satisfied and content.

Definitely happy with my purchase and experience though, considering the price point.

 

[Rando]

I hear you on the points below - I am still in the "new and shiny" phase so I may have more patience for these issues.

One thing you could consider is changing your firmware (or 'ROM') for one of the custom ones such as Malaysk versions: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=3246370

This fixes a couple of the issues you mention - you can remap the hardware buttons to activate which ever music app you want (ie spotify) and you can increase the memory available for apps above 1GB.

Installed the Joying version in my truck to try and solve the same issue. For small simple trips it works great, but at the end of the day, I still use the Tablet for our big adventures.

Couple things I've noticed over the last few months.

• Volume knob periodically stops working. Have to reboot to make it work again. Have not found a work around. Tech support is a China-English translation nightmare.
• Switching from navigation app to music player/Spotify is bothersome.
• Audio quality is lacking and will most likely be the main reason I return to a regular media deck, or switch to a name brand even if it means losing Android for the time being.
• Screen is too small and cumbersome at the distance it's at for any useful navigation. Could be because I'm used to the 10" tablet screen.
• Even though it says its a 16GB unit, only 1GB is allocated for the ROM and apps. Since Android is picky about SD card storage and app installs, it's VERY limiting.
• Start up time is beginning to get old.

The Android based head units are getting there, but still lacking at this point for a all in one package that has me satisfied and content.

Definitely happy with my purchase and experience though, considering the price point.

 

[1MK]

Awesome!

I tried looking for a new ROM back when I got the unit, but couldn't find anything finalized and working well. I'll be installing the Malaysk version tonight. Also, in the thread found a hardware/software modification to improve sound quality that I'm also going to tackle.

Thanks for the info!

 

[MOguy]

Here is what I want:

"Docking stations" that would allow me to take my tablet with me. Back in the day we had stereos with removable face plates. They were for security but why not take it a step further and also design it so single tablet could go multiple places or be independent. In the vehicle it could be my music and navigation. At home it could be my cable box, DVR and DVD players. It could be my camera, check book, banking, social media or whatever wherever I want to take it. I could have a couple docking stations through out the house, in the cars or wherever. One Tablet that could be docked in multiple locations.

One tablet multiple uses. Instead multiple widgets with less uses.

 

[theksmith]

Here is what I want:

"Docking stations" that would allow me to take my tablet with me. Back in the day we had stereos with removable face plates. They were for security but why not take it a step further and also design it so single tablet could go multiple places or be independent. In the vehicle it could be my music and navigation. At home it could be my cable box, DVR and DVD players. It could be my camera, check book, banking, social media or whatever wherever I want to take it. I could have a couple docking stations through out the house, in the cars or wherever. One Tablet that could be docked in multiple locations.

One tablet multiple uses. Instead multiple widgets with less uses.

this company makes a sleek dock mount for lots of tablets: http://www.proclipusa.com/tablet-holders/device/samsung/galaxy-tab-4-8-0.cmsv

i use one of theirs for my Sony Z2 10.1" tablet and it is my stereo system, on-road nav, and off-road gps with topo maps. before that i had a XOOM with a custom made similar dock. before that it was a laptop with a dock hooked to a touchscreen. i've always done things this way so i can take the device inside inside to download maps, or over to the campfire to discuss routes, or review photos, or let the kid watch a movie, etc.

 

[87Warrior]

Thanks for the informative thread. This Android unit might be what I need, but I have a couple of concerns.
- Does it have an FM radio out of the box?
- Is there an SD card slot that could be used to store and use Backcountry Navigator maps on? Is it accessible when the unit is installed? I like to build my routes on a PC then load them into BCN.
- Does the usb port play music and video?
- Does the wiring offer an Amp turn on and Power Antenna trigger?

I recently bought a JVC radio that was supposed to support Android linking, but it doesn't work and has been a big disappointment.

 

[Rando]

Thanks for the informative thread. This Android unit might be what I need, but I have a couple of concerns.
- Does it have an FM radio out of the box?
- Is there an SD card slot that could be used to store and use Backcountry Navigator maps on? Is it accessible when the unit is installed? I like to build my routes on a PC then load them into BCN.
- Does the usb port play music and video?
- Does the wiring offer an Amp turn on and Power Antenna trigger?

I recently bought a JVC radio that was supposed to support Android linking, but it doesn't work and has been a big disappointment.

Yes to all the above.
- They all have an AM/FM radio built in, and controlled by an app. They are not the best receivers, but work well enough.
- Mine has a microSD slot on the front for maps etc. I also routed two USB ports to my (unused) ash tray, so you can also plug in thumb drives.
- I know it will play music from the USB ports, and I think it will play videos too.
- Mine has an amp/antenna trigger wire.