I recently purchased an Android Auto unit for my car and soon realized advantages for coach use also.
My unit is a "plug and play" model which does NOT require taking the dash apart and uses the existing radio to power the speakers. Sound is sent to the radio via built-in FM tuner (ok sound), bluetooth (better sound) or an AUX input (best sound)
1) Tunes are a big part of my driving life and with this you can select from Pandora, Spotify or your own music on a thumb drive if you have it. Volume, tone and balance are controlled at the radio.
Large buttons on the screen make changing songs/stations easy. (More on that later).
2) Lane diversion warning.
Unit will warn you if you wander out of your lane.
3) Collision avoidance.
Unit will warn if you get to close to cars ahead.
3) Looping dash cam that stops recording in the event of a collision.
4) Back up cam. Yes, I know we already have them, but I was thinking mounting the provided cam on one side of the rig or the other might help remove blind spots.
5) Google maps.
Now I don't use maps ALONE when in the coach, but more of a second opinion as you can't program for height or weight.
6) LARGE screen.
Much larger than my Garmin making it easy to see information or make selections. (Naw, I have the eyes of a 29 year old)
7) True "hands free" operation.
With Google assistant you can perform most functions by voice, including making phone calls, hearing and sending texts, selecting music, advancing tracks and chosing destinations.
Yeah, I know you lucky people with newer rigs already might have this, but I thought those of us with older rigs mightb like the info.
what is the brand of your unit? Seems like a great addition to the coach!
After reading I was going to look more into what you bought since it sounded like something I would get but you just reeled us in with no idea what you have.
Bwahahaha!
The evil power of a retired salesman!
Amazon.com: Wireless Apple Carplay & Android Auto, 9.3 Portable Car Stereo... (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C86CV679/ref=syn_sd_onsite_mobileweb_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&pd_rd_plhdr=t)
Not the best pic, but....
How does it actually do these? Generally (on MHs that have lane departure, collision avoidance like OnGuard) there are large, rectangular sensors mounted on the front of the coach to detect lane striping and forward object distance.
I'm not sure of the programming method, but it uses the dashcam to identify the road markings to determine the lane. As you drive you can see it map out what it thinks is the path.
On collision it identifys cars (you can see it circle cars in front of you) and goes from there somehow.
AI? I don't know
Skynet has been activated. Drive with me if you want to live.
Apologies to those who never saw Terminator.
Thanks Moby for your report on a interesting electronics product category I didn't even know existed!
One of the many reasons I love this Forum - other members help keep me up to date on emerging technology and fun toys. :thumbsup:
Chuck,
Yea, electronics is amazing! It puts the driver friendly aspects of your phone on your dashboard while keeping the button pushing to a minimum. For example you CANT type a text in it at all if you wanted, yet still send a text without taking your hands off the wheel. Google Assistant voice recognition is very good. Yes, it has made some funny mistakes though.
I LOVE the larger screen. My phone is a Note - large by itself - and the navigation screen on it is tiny compared to the Android Auto. No more squinting.
I knew it.... Soon as I upgraded to a first class single din satellite capable radio with the flip up screen ( love it) ,, someone would find a technology that I wanted.
Or, could it be adapted to my Pioneer radio.
Just don't want my DW programming the collision avoidance part. She would have me a 1/4 mile behind.
It should work just fine with your Pioneer radio.
(My DW says she's with your DW)
The head unit in my coach had been replaced when I bought it but the previous owner had given me a nice pioneer head unit with a flip up 7-in screen. I installed that and used it for 2 years before the screen stopped working. I replaced it with another pioneer head unit that has a permanently a fixed screen to the front.
Pioneer DMH-WT3800NEX 9" Digital Media Receiver & Android Auto/Apple CarPlay & SiriusXM Tuner w/Backup Camera Amazon.com: Pioneer DMH-WT3800NEX 9" Digital Media Receiver & Android... (https://a.co/d/7h5RWXV)
It has Android auto which means you have to plug your phone into the head unit through a separate USB port. It has the ability to attach two cameras, but right now I'm just using one for the passenger side and my separate rear with a different screen. It has more features that I would ever use. I did put serious satellite radio into it but find that I'm not using that and it was just a waste of money. The most thing I use it for is to listen to music and play audible books bye it can do a lot more. They can show a map it can show weather and if somebody calls you you can use it to have your conversation. I like it a lot more than the previous pop-up screen that after 2 years was choked with dust.
Hmmmmmm.
My unit is completely wireless. As long as you love yours as much as I love mine.
*edit*
That MAY have come out wrong....
No intention to "dis" your unit, just trying to make an observation.
LOL no disrespect noted. Mine is wireless with Wi-Fi as well as Bluetooth but to get the full Android auto effect they want you to plug it into the unit with the supplied USB cable. I haven't done it enough to know the difference. I'm not completely happy with my touch screen as it is quirky. I've learned that I have to set up Bluetooth before I start driving as even though it says it has a auto reconnect it rarely does. Had the same issue with my previous pioneer unit. For the amount of money that I spent on this you would think it would do the job better.
Just like the Garmin 1090 GPS I use with the 10-in screen. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense that it will allow you to use voice commands but they don't have one for zooming in and out on the map. It makes no sense to me at all and I have to assume that the people that design these things don't actually use them.
Yeah, none of them are perfect abs each has it's little quirks.
For example in Nav the screen will tell me the speed limit but not my speed which my phone alone does.
But hey, for $170 it does the job.
Just spent a few minutes reviewing this again on Amazon and I just have to say how amazed I am that they can include two cameras, one which is 4K and the other 1080, 64 GB of memory, a nine inch LCD screen not to mention all of the bits and pieces that bring that all together for that kind of price. Not to mention the packaging and then the shipping across the Pacific and then the shipping from wherever it got off the ship to the Amazon warehouse. It truly is amazing. While the price of everything else is gone steadily up technology has certainly come down quite a bit.
Anyway grams for dollars it packs a huge amount of technology and a small space and price so sounds like you got a winner there.
Talked to my son about this unit today. He said a good dash cam that he likes is close to $200.00 He told me I really need a dash cam. I was wanting android auto so I guess this gets me both.
It DOES!
Plus you got the backup cam if using it on your car, side cam for the coach if going that way. The second cam takes power from the backup lights but for coach use wiring something up under that huge dash would be a snap!
And who can argue with the younger generation when it comes to electronics?