Those With the Metra faceplate, how did you do it.

[Michaelc1220]

how much does that whole set up cost? ive never seen that before and really dont know much about it. Did your car originally have navi? confused..

[mrpeaches]

Originally Posted by Michaelc1220

how much does that whole set up cost? ive never seen that before and really dont know much about it. Did your car originally have navi? confused..

I'll assume that you're directing that at me

My car is the SE trim with the 203A equipment package, so just the base sync system. No MFT or nav included stock.

The setup (minus the cost of the metra faceplate itself) ran around $700 or so. The screen was $375, google "669 double din" and you'll find a bunch of places that sell the Lilliput 669-HB monitor in a double din enclosure (get one with a capacitive touch overlay, you'll want it for windows 8 gestures). The computer was a Zotac AD-10 mini computer and was about $200. The AMD E-350 is plenty to run windows 8. You then need a power supply (I used the Carnetix P1900 ~$80), a USB GPS adapter (I used the BU353-S4 ~$30) and a hard drive and ram for the computer (I used extras I had from old laptops). For nav, I'm using an older copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips (~$40) until something better like Copilot or Sygic or Garmin gets ported to Windows 8.

The advantage to me is that most aftermarket GPS nav equipped radios run around $700 as well. So, for the same cost, you get an awesome, multitouch capacitive screen and a full featured windows 8 computer that you can load whatever you want on. Downsides are the wiring complexity and lack of single point of warranty in the event of equipment failure.

I simplified a lot by keeping the stock Ford radio in the dash and piping my music via bluetooth from the computer to the stock radio. This gives me the best of all worlds: AM/FM/SIRIUS/Phone from the stock radio, and GPS nav/any apps and music that I want from the computer. Also, sync automatically maps the steering wheel buttons when you connect via bluetooth, so when I play an album or playlist from the Xbox music app on the computer, the next track/pause/etc. buttons on the steering wheel control the computer audio playback.

I am very pleased with the setup but it was a fair amount of time to install (especially since I was learning a lot on the way).

Let me know if you have any questions.

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Originally Posted by mrpeaches

I'll assume that you're directing that at me

My car is the SE trim with the 203A equipment package, so just the base sync system. No MFT or nav included stock.

The setup (minus the cost of the metra faceplate itself) ran around $700 or so. The screen was $375, google "669 double din" and you'll find a bunch of places that sell the Lilliput 669-HB monitor in a double din enclosure (get one with a capacitive touch overlay, you'll want it for windows 8 gestures). The computer was a Zotac AD-10 mini computer and was about $200. The AMD E-350 is plenty to run windows 8. You then need a power supply (I used the Carnetix P1900 ~$80), a USB GPS adapter (I used the BU353-S4 ~$30) and a hard drive and ram for the computer (I used extras I had from old laptops). For nav, I'm using an older copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips (~$40) until something better like Copilot or Sygic or Garmin gets ported to Windows 8.

The advantage to me is that most aftermarket GPS nav equipped radios run around $700 as well. So, for the same cost, you get an awesome, multitouch capacitive screen and a full featured windows 8 computer that you can load whatever you want on. Downsides are the wiring complexity and lack of single point of warranty in the event of equipment failure.

I simplified a lot by keeping the stock Ford radio in the dash and piping my music via bluetooth from the computer to the stock radio. This gives me the best of all worlds: AM/FM/SIRIUS/Phone from the stock radio, and GPS nav/any apps and music that I want from the computer. Also, sync automatically maps the steering wheel buttons when you connect via bluetooth, so when I play an album or playlist from the Xbox music app on the computer, the next track/pause/etc. buttons on the steering wheel control the computer audio playback.

I am very pleased with the setup but it was a fair amount of time to install (especially since I was learning a lot on the way).

Let me know if you have any questions.

I like that setup you have, but couldn't you just use a ipad mini or a 7" android tablet and avoid having to use all that extra equipment.

[mrpeaches]

Originally Posted by I Bleed Ford Blue

I like that setup you have, but couldn't you just use a ipad mini or a 7" android tablet and avoid having to use all that extra equipment.

Certainly. I tried a Nexus 7 originally, but had several issues that made it non ideal for my use.

The first was that I had issues fitting the tablet with the charger cable attached behind the faceplate. When the cable was plugged in the tablet was tough to mount centered on the dash opening. The cable would also come lose at times due to being squished by the air vents. I tried a right angle micro USB cable but it was still spotty at times.

I also found that with the gps running and the tablet brightness up to max (for daytime nav use) the battery would still drain even though the device was hooked up to a high amp car charger. This happens a lot on cell phones as well. Since the car charger is only charging while the car is running, this would eventually lead to a very slow draining of the tablets battery and require a pull of the dash to remove the tablet to charge on an outside source.

Finally, I take a lot of trips for business, and on some of my longer trips the tablet would drain and require a pull of the dash again to charge (yes, i placed it in airplane mode before leaving it). In addition, if the battery depleted for any reason you would have to pull the dash off in order to reach the power button to turn the tablet back on.

Android tablets and iPads are great, but I was looking for something that I could use while leaving it permanently mounted. My setup now is more expensive and more complex, but it works for me. If someone else is better served by a tablet of some type, then rock on.

[Michaelc1220]

Originally Posted by mrpeaches

I'll assume that you're directing that at me

My car is the SE trim with the 203A equipment package, so just the base sync system. No MFT or nav included stock.

The setup (minus the cost of the metra faceplate itself) ran around $700 or so. The screen was $375, google "669 double din" and you'll find a bunch of places that sell the Lilliput 669-HB monitor in a double din enclosure (get one with a capacitive touch overlay, you'll want it for windows 8 gestures). The computer was a Zotac AD-10 mini computer and was about $200. The AMD E-350 is plenty to run windows 8. You then need a power supply (I used the Carnetix P1900 ~$80), a USB GPS adapter (I used the BU353-S4 ~$30) and a hard drive and ram for the computer (I used extras I had from old laptops). For nav, I'm using an older copy of Microsoft Streets and Trips (~$40) until something better like Copilot or Sygic or Garmin gets ported to Windows 8.

The advantage to me is that most aftermarket GPS nav equipped radios run around $700 as well. So, for the same cost, you get an awesome, multitouch capacitive screen and a full featured windows 8 computer that you can load whatever you want on. Downsides are the wiring complexity and lack of single point of warranty in the event of equipment failure.

I simplified a lot by keeping the stock Ford radio in the dash and piping my music via bluetooth from the computer to the stock radio. This gives me the best of all worlds: AM/FM/SIRIUS/Phone from the stock radio, and GPS nav/any apps and music that I want from the computer. Also, sync automatically maps the steering wheel buttons when you connect via bluetooth, so when I play an album or playlist from the Xbox music app on the computer, the next track/pause/etc. buttons on the steering wheel control the computer audio playback.

I am very pleased with the setup but it was a fair amount of time to install (especially since I was learning a lot on the way).

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for all the info! I think thats a little more than I would be willing to do but yours certainly looks great! Glad to see your enjoying in too lol