How good is the sat nav?

[Cumbrian_bob]

Some pictures of the satnav would be nice from those who have it. I still wonder if the SD nav as an after market purchase is worth it, some pics might help.

Thanks in advance for those who have the time

 

[snakehips]

Yes, especially with the B&O you might be able to discern the difference between mp3 and other formats

To start with I'll see if my standard 320kbps MP3's do a job, otherwise I'll see what else is better.

 

[Ryanytchan]

To start with I'll see if my standard 320kbps MP3's do a job, otherwise I'll see what else is better.

Do you plan on breaking them in or are you just gonna use them normally?

 

[PilotAudi]

Vauxhall Cresta owners in the early 60's could play records!!!

 

[snakehips]

Do you plan on breaking them in or are you just gonna use them normally?

I'm not techy enough to know what you mean. I was just going to load them onto the HDD.

 

[Ryanytchan]

I'm not techy enough to know what you mean. I was just going to load them onto the HDD.

Well some speakers/headphones need 'breaking in' so I was just wondering if its the same for the B&O. It might not be, don't worry.
How do you load them on to the HDD anyway? Do you get an option to copy from SD or something?

 

[cemerson]

Yes, but with the HDD being so small it's not really worth it IMO - just leave them on the SD card and play from there.

 

[Ryanytchan]

Yes, but with the HDD being so small it's not really worth it IMO - just leave them on the SD card and play from there.

Now that you mentioned it, I wonder why Audi didn't use flash memory in the first place-HDDs are not known for being shock resistant

 

[cemerson]

Perhaps it is but they just wanted to use language the consumer understands. HDDs can be made pretty shock resistant these days so than isn't a concern for me, just that they give you just a pitiful amount of space - though also not really a concern due to the fact that you can use SD cards and expand to your heart's content (up to 2TB supposedly)

 

[Ryanytchan]

Perhaps it is but they just wanted to use language the consumer understands. HDDs can be made pretty shock resistant these days so than isn't a concern for me, just that they give you just a pitiful amount of space - though also not really a concern due to the fact that you can use SD cards and expand to your heart's content (up to 2TB supposedly)

Are there two slots provided for the SDs?
I thought the 10gb was a result of the rest being taken up by nav data?

 

[snakehips]

Yes, but with the HDD being so small it's not really worth it IMO - just leave them on the SD card and play from there.

I'll be ok, I only have 200 songs.

 

[snakehips]

Perhaps it is but they just wanted to use language the consumer understands. HDDs can be made pretty shock resistant these days so than isn't a concern for me, just that they give you just a pitiful amount of space - though also not really a concern due to the fact that you can use SD cards and expand to your heart's content (up to 2TB supposedly)

Yes it is really flash memory but I was being lazy and saying HDD.

 

[cemerson]

I think the official material says HDD as well... I was talking about Audi not you!

 

[arad85]

TBH, I'd expect the "HDD" to be a cheapo SSD.

 

[cemerson]

Are there two slots provided for the SDs?
I thought the 10gb was a result of the rest being taken up by nav data?

Two SD card slots yes. And yes, the nav data is on the drive (whatever technology it is!) for the tech pack, and on an SD card for the SD nav (obviously) so you lose a slot in this case to the nav.

 

[cemerson]

Will have to see if anyone is brave enough to pull it apart to see what's in there I except whatever it is will be in the unit that's in the glovebox, as that is where the main MMI computer is I believe.

 

[cemerson]

I'll be ok, I only have 200 songs.

Heh, I have about 3200 on there at the moment (mixture of music and radio shows), but I'm adding to it all the time (added a few albums tonight for example). I keep a folder on my computer with the contents of the SD card on there, plus all the folder.jpg files for the artwork. I use MP3Tag to tag and import artwork on everything, then just copy all the contents of the folder to my SD card occasionally, and delete all the folder.jpgs from the card.

 

[snakehips]

Heh, I have about 3200 on there at the moment (mixture of music and radio shows), but I'm adding to it all the time (added a few albums tonight for example). I keep a folder on my computer with the contents of the SD card on there, plus all the folder.jpg files for the artwork. I use MP3Tag to tag and import artwork on everything, then just copy all the contents of the folder to my SD card occasionally, and delete all the folder.jpgs from the card.

I'm not convinced my PC has an SD card reader nor have I ever used an SD card for anything, so I may have to buy kit to do all this.
(I can't check yet as I am abroad)

 

[Richyboyp]

Ok so I ordered car without sd nav. Since had it installed. I prefer not to have a gammy sucker mount nav on the screen so integrated was the way forward. Now for pretty much entire time I've used satnav it's been Tom Tom. I have to say you can't beat it, the Audi one is ok but input of address can be a pain. I do like how it re routes for traffic and also when fuel is low it's asks if you want to go to the closest filling station. I drove to London this wkend, not that impressed with the nav! I'll give it another chance but a few times I went the wrong way as I find the finer detail to lanes a little tricky to follow compared to tom-tom. I guess I'll get used to it. Not quite a thumbs up from me as yet. Built in was the selling point for me

 

[cemerson]

I'm not convinced my PC has an SD card reader nor have I ever used an SD card for anything, so I may have to buy kit to do all this.
(I can't check yet as I am abroad)

SD card readers aren't exactly expensive... about a fiver or so. How else are you going to get the songs to your car in the first place? Loads of MP3 CD burns?

 

[snakehips]

SD card readers aren't exactly expensive... about a fiver or so. How else are you going to get the songs to your car in the first place? Loads of MP3 CD burns?

I thought I'd figure it out once I got the car, but had assumed I could plug in a fully loaded USB external drive and copy across. Surely I'm not limited to SD only?

 

[PilotAudi]

How do you save music from say a cd to the hdd?

 

[Ryanytchan]

just use music ripping software

 

[PilotAudi]

I thought there was a way to do this in car? Transfer cd to hdd?. Maybe I'm worn as I tend to use iPod ?..

 

[PilotAudi]

Worn equals wrong!,

 

[cemerson]

I thought I'd figure it out once I got the car, but had assumed I could plug in a fully loaded USB external drive and copy across. Surely I'm not limited to SD only?

Ah perhaps that will work. I haven't investigated really as I don't intend to use the jukebox feature at all.

 

[cemerson]

I thought there was a way to do this in car? Transfer cd to hdd?. Maybe I'm worn as I tend to use iPod ?..

No, there's no CD ripping capability in-car as far as I'm aware.

 

[royalsteve68]

I have just purchased a new TomTom Sat Nav which gives me four free map updates a year for as long as I keep the unit. Personally I prefer the TomTom to the in-built Sat Nav because I also have a free lifetime subscription to the PGPSW speed camera database which is regarded as the best and most up-to-date one available which can be loaded onto the TomTom. To me this is as important as the actual direction instructions as most of the journeys I do I have done before and can remember the route. I have no problem mounting the unit in such a way that a can make a connection to the car's fuse box with only a very short amount of lead showing.

get a brodit holder - worth the money and will fit nicely in the car better than the tacky tom tom holder or other aftermarket holder

 

[royalsteve68]

Here are some pictures showing my old TomTom One mounted in my previous 2009 A3 but I have done it the same in my current 2012 Sportback. Being right-handed I like the unit at the right-hand end of the screen rather than in the centre as it's 'out of the way' and much easier to enter things. It so happens that the fuse box on these models is also at the right-hand end of the dash just below the unit. I connect a power lead with a normal 12v socket on one end to an always live fuse in the fuse box and the earth to a fixing bolt and then plug a normal 12v plug into the socket, wrap it all in foam and loose it behind the fuse box. The cable comes out through the trim and runs up inside the door rubber.

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that's where I used to put my tom tom in my pug 307xsi. its the best place - trickier for left handers though - makes me laugh when you see some numpties who plonk in the middle of their windscreen. however I don't use my tom tom now and foe the last 3 years ive been using my mobile phone in the a brodit holder which are great and can be adjusted to almost any angle as they are on a ball joint

 

[h5djr]

get a brodit holder - worth the money and will fit nicely in the car better than the tacky tom tom holder or other aftermarket holder

I used to have the TomTom mounted in the Brodit mount attached to the centre console but much prefer it in it's current location.

 

[Ryanytchan]

Can you delete songs from the SD card in MMI?

 

[cemerson]

I don't think so, haven't looked though. Not sure why you'd want to!

 

[royalsteve68]

I used to have the TomTom mounted in the Brodit mount attached to the centre console but much prefer it in it's current location.

yeh agreed as my clumsy oaf mate keeps bashing it where it is on the dash

 

[royalsteve68]

Vauxhall Cresta owners in the early 60's could play records!!!

until you hit a pebble

 

[h5djr]

Here are some pictures showing my old TomTom One mounted in my previous 2009 A3 but I have done it the same in my current 2012 Sportback. Being right-handed I like the unit at the right-hand end of the screen rather than in the centre as it's 'out of the way' and much easier to enter things. It so happens that the fuse box on these models is also at the right-hand end of the dash just below the unit. I connect a power lead with a normal 12v socket on one end to an always live fuse in the fuse box and the earth to a fixing bolt and then plug a normal 12v plug into the socket, wrap it all in foam and loose it behind the fuse box. The cable comes out through the trim and runs up inside the door rubber.

View attachment 23352View attachment 23353View attachment 23355

I know I'm replying to my own post but having got a new A3 for a 24hr test drive I have just been looking at the Owners Handbook and the fuse box is in a totally different position. On my current 8P sportback the fuse box shown in my pictures is at the right-hand end of the dashboard but I see from the manual that on a RHD drive 8V it is located in the glovebox. That should make it easier to get a fixed cable to a centre mounted Sat Nav but a little more difficult to get the cable to one mounted at the right-hand end of the screen like mine in the picture.

 

[PilotAudi]

I appreciate the love, time and effort that goes into mods but on a £30k+ motor you have to admit that scrimping on a £400 built in Nav which will recover much of the cost on resale seems a bit pointless. Well it does to me!

 

[Cumbrian_bob]

Still considering a aftermarket satav sim card And if it doesnt add any value to the car on trade in I can format the card and use it for something else such as a spare camera card, yes if it isnt adding to the cost, then its not getting transferred.

Love to see some puctures of the satnav in use to help me make up my mind.

 

[RobH_S3]

There's plenty of videos on YouTube of the nav .

 

[cemerson]

Sat Navs tend to add ~£300 to sale value on average

 

[cemerson]

I know I'm replying to my own post but having got a new A3 for a 24hr test drive I have just been looking at the Owners Handbook and the fuse box is in a totally different position. On my current 8P sportback the fuse box shown in my pictures is at the right-hand end of the dashboard but I see from the manual that on a RHD drive 8V it is located in the glovebox. That should make it easier to get a fixed cable to a centre mounted Sat Nav but a little more difficult to get the cable to one mounted at the right-hand end of the screen like mine in the picture.

I did it in my old car for a phone charger - cable disappeared into the A pillar trim , down to a 3 way switch I installed by my right knee, then ran down, just above my feet just tucked into the bottom edge of the dashboard, behind the radio (where it was grounded to the chassis), then over the top of the glovebox and to the fuse box on the other side. Had to take the centre console apart and pull the radio and HVAC units out but it was relatively easy. Not sure it would be for the A3 though!