Is the Navigator III based on a 2720 or 2820 unit ?

[DaveH]

Have just bought a Nav III for a 'discount' £799.....am reading up about it before i take the plunge and fit it as I'm not too sure I've done the right thing.
Currently have the Nav II unit which has been a brilliant piece of kit but 'big boys toys' & all that..

Anyway....have seen the 2820 unit for sale at £540 and it states this has a built in Mp3 player which the Nav III doesn't seem to have.
The 2720 units I have sen advertised don't seem to have the bluetooth option.

So is the Nav III a 2820 or 2720, and if a 2820, why no mp3 ??

Dave H

 

[steveuk]

i just sold my nav 111 + bmw cradle (with all the cables etc)for £375 - it was less than 6 months old -

i just bought a 2820 - for £540 brand new.

as far as i can see the garmin 2820 does everything the nav 3 does and in addition-

plays music / audio books. (like an ipod - you "store" the files on the sat nav)

comes with the cables and mount to make it work in your car. (the nav 111 does not - you have to pay extra)

comes with a remote control

and most importantly for me-

has audio in and and out on the unit - so you can actually use the unit to control your phone via bluetooth.....pair them with bluetooth (no cables from phone- stick it where you like) the garmin "reads" your phone book and recent calls from your phone and comes up on the touch screen - you can make and receive calls as you want....i run mine through an autocom system - the cable you need to get this working is a "1298" which costs £28. it is impossible to use the function (described above) on the nav 3 as the muppets at bmw have given you no way of getting "audio in" on the unit.

i had a nav11, nav111 and now a garmin 2820 - i think the garmin is streets ahead of the nav111 and cheaper to boot. i am sure others will have opinions though.........

 

[DaveH]

So could I connect external music source to a 2820 ?

Bit confused here...I know the 2820 has inbuilt mp3 player, but suspect memory will be limited, especially if a load of POI's installed.
Could I connect/control an external mp3 via the 'mic in' socket
Also, will the player play wma files or just mp3...thanks

Dave

 

[steveuk]

i don't think (using the "audio in") on the 2820 you could control an external MP3 player...in fact i am sure that is not how it works-

as for memory - there is about 800mb for all aditional files (either POIs / music / whatever) as i understand it the memory in the garmin is partitioned ie - the rest of the memory is for the "maps" (pre-loaded) "only" - and the 800mb for additional files "only"

not sure what that means in real terms - - but i am guessing 800mb is in the region 250 / 300 music files....or maybe 100 and a bunch of custom POIs..

you get it?

 

[DaveH]

Yes...
thanks steve....

do you know if the 2820 will work with an active 7 Smart Autocom.....have just looked on their web site and they list the lead you mention in conjunction with their newer systems...

don't really want to have to upgrade my Autocom as well as a new GPS....

Dave

 

[steveuk]

i am not sure - sorry can't help more

call them and ask - i always find them really helpful / they will def. know..

good luck

 

[beemerboy9]

Yes...
thanks steve....

do you know if the 2820 will work with an active 7 Smart Autocom.....have just looked on their web site and they list the lead you mention in conjunction with their newer systems...

don't really want to have to upgrade my Autocom as well as a new GPS....

Dave

The 2820 will definitely work with the active 7 smart. Note that music sound will be mono

 

[DaveH]

Thanks for your help guys....returned the Nav III yesterday....
Goint to stick with the trusty Nav II for a while longer..
Could have been tempted by a 5820 if it was compatible with my Autocom (ie stereo output)
As I spend more time listenening to my music than on the phone, this is the main issue for me....
The big tempter was the downloadable POI for speed camera database and the warnings on the unit.
My Nav II has the gdb overlay which does the job but gives no warnings....but already have an Inforad M1 for that anyway.
Guess I'll wait to see what the next generation of Garmin units bring before upgrading the lot....just can't justify it at the moment with a setup that works perfectly well for me.

Thanks again

Dave

 

[st13phil]

Could have been tempted by a 5820 if it was compatible with my Autocom (ie stereo output)
As I spend more time listenening to my music than on the phone, this is the main issue for me....Dave

Dave, AFAIK the 2820 does provide stereo output for music. Is beemerboy9's comment about mono music related to the capabilities of the Active 7 Smart?

 

[beemerboy9]

Dave, AFAIK the 2820 does provide stereo output for music. Is beemerboy9's comment about mono music related to the capabilities of the Active 7 Smart?

2820 cable developed by Autocom uses the mono sound output that is T-eed of the multi-pin connector for 2820 power. According to one of the staff whom I met at the Excel show yesterday, there are no plans to change this.

Of course there is a separate stereo output socket above the mic in if one wants to run an extra cable.

Some people have reported TFT dispaly interference from this stereo socket.

Hope this helps.

 

[st13phil]

2820 cable developed by Autocom uses the mono sound output that is T-eed of the multi-pin connector for 2820 power. According to one of the staff whom I met at the Excel show yesterday, there are no plans to change this.

Ah-ha! So that's why it's mono then. One lives and one learns

 

[steveuk]

Of course there is a separate stereo output socket above the mic in if one wants to run an extra cable.

Some people have reported TFT dispaly interference from this stereo socket.

Hope this helps.

i use the part 1298 to plug into the line in (mic in) - and i use the original bmw nav3 power cable (was already hard wired to bike) which does not have the audio out cable attached (like the garmin one)....and i use a standard mini jack to mini jack coming out of the line out (sound out) going direct into the autocom under my seat....

the guy i spoke to on the autocom stand at ExCeL said this line out / sound set up with out using the "garmin" power cable (with the built in line (sound) out) would cause interference / poor sound quality and i should replace the nav 3 power cable with the garmin one (with the line / sound out built in to the power cable) but in fact my set up is perfect / no problems -

hard to explain in writing - but i know what i mean!!

 

[beemerboy9]

i use the part 1298 to plug into the line in (mic in) - and i use the original bmw nav3 power cable (was already hard wired to bike) which does not have the audio out cable attached (like the garmin one)....and i use a standard mini jack to mini jack coming out of the line out (sound out) going direct into the autocom under my seat....

the guy i spoke to on the autocom stand at ExCeL said this line out / sound set up with out using the "garmin" power cable (with the built in line (sound) out) would cause interference / poor sound quality and i should replace the nav 3 power cable with the garmin one (with the line / sound out built in to the power cable) but in fact my set up is perfect / no problems -

hard to explain in writing - but i know what i mean!!

You're the second person who has a set-up that definitely should not work according to my pre-conceptions, but has absolutely no problems . Shows what I know!!!!

I was trying to help another chap with a new Zumo the other day that was giving no sound. The group came up with all sorts of fancy ideas. Turns out that he forget that there are two volume controls and he had switched off one of them!