RTI - Sat Nav

[Diggerv70]

After reading the various comments regarding the RTI sat nav in the XC90, I'm somewhat relieved that I decided not to add this to my options list at £2500. We take delivery later this month, I know there are a myriad of hand held and portable sat nav systems out there. However, can anyone recommend or have experience in their XC90 of any other in built systems that they have heard of or used in their XC90, such as Alpine, Pioneer or Clarion, who all make similar flip screen systems at a substanially lower price?

Thanks James

[Peter Fox]

I dont have an answer but would be interested to establish same. Particularly interested to hear if anyone has sugggestions how to acquire/install the Volvo pop-up cradle for the satnav screen, with a view to installing a different & better 3rd party satnav system.

[bircham]

I have to say that I also didn't order the rti satnav from Volvo but instead bought myself a Garmin Nuvi 610 (4 inch widescreen model). It has proved incredibly useful mainly because it is totally portable. It is updated via my pc, can be moved from car to car and I can use it to find restaurants, hotels etc while walking around towns. I can alos enter coordinates which is incredibly useful for geocaching and of course it can find addresses from postcodes (unlike the Volvo system). I personally would look at buying one of these units at less than £300 rather than spending large amount of money on a built-in system.

I have seen pictures and details of someone fitting an Alpine(I think) flip-up satnav into the dash of an Xc90 but I have been trying to find the link again but for the life of me I can't find it. I would say that it was an incredibly huge amount of work for the guy ( and he was an expert). Have a look at some of the portable systems and see what you think first.

Jon.

[Diggerv70]

Thanks for the posts, specially the last one Jon, I ended up going down the protable route too, with the road angel navigator - which also included the speed camera alerts etc - very useful for my wife - who can be enthusiastically heavy footed sometimes!

[Genghis]

Hi All

My Volvo has an in-built Sat Nav but if you're after a portable then I highly recommend a TOMTOM (I had a 700). I added the speed camera alerts which was incredibly easy (I think the new ones already have them installed). I also travel with work around Europe & US so it was great to take with me in hire cars. The only thing you will find tiresome is using a portable one you sometimes suffer signal loss (tunnels or in a big built up area like London with lots of tall buildings) this can be tedious but you can buy an external arial. Also with a portable you suffer the risk of thieves having a go at your car - I use to remove the holder and then clean the mark which it leaves behind on the windscreen - this is a little tiresome. Overall though they are excellent and extremely helpful plus being very good fun. My son loved the fact that you could add different voices to the TomTom (like Darth Vader, Homer Simpson etc.,) which meant for nicer journeys!

[Gurj]

I use the built-in RTI Sat-Nav most of the time and it works reasonably
well (most of the time). I use TomTom on my SPV phone (with a small
bluetooth GPS receiver) to supplement that for longer journeys or when I'm going into a new area. The phone sits on a small magnetic vent mount that shouldn't attract too much attention.

Often fun watching the routing choices between the units. TomTom's choices are usually better, except when it decides to take me down single-track roads, which the Volvo unit seems less inclined to do.

[dipsta]

Our xc90 rti is rubbish, i quote "slight right turn" (what on earth is that).

However we have a contingency plan, a pioneer avic s1, brilliant little unit, but personally i would recommend a tomtom, everyone has one and nothing to report but good things.

In my c70 i have a dual din pioneer avic hd1bt which is brilliant, the sat nav is the bst i have ever used and it hasa built in dvd mp3 etc etc..

Fantastic unit, the best all in 1 out there. The price £1800 inc fitting. And looks as though it was made to fit the car.
You will struggle to find somewhere to fit it in the xc90 and really you shouldnt have to change you r stereo as really the standard volvo one is quite good.

I'd personally opt for a nice tomtom, but remember to remove it when you are not with the car.

[Ron_XC90]

Hi, I'm a new member and will take delivery of my new XC90 d5 SE next Friday.
I'm looking for a portable satnav system (either TomTom or Sony) but am wondering since my car is the SE spec (heated windscreen and so), if I would need to fit an external aerial.
Any recommendations will be much appreciated

[RoyMacDonald]

Hi, I'm a new member and will take delivery of my new XC90 d5 SE next Friday.
I'm looking for a portable satnav system (either TomTom or Sony) but am wondering since my car is the SE spec (heated windscreen and so), if I would need to fit an external aerial.
Any recommendations will be much appreciated

The TomTom works fine in XC90. Most cars including the XC90 have special spot for good reception using an internal arial up by the rear view mirror. I bought an internal arial but never needed to use it as the standard mount is perfectly adequate.

Modern GPS chips are extremely sensitive. I love the new voice sensitve TomTom's with their bigger screens as well. Wonder if I can persued my Wife we need a new one. :) You can have your maps updated online free as well now with the new TomTom HOME computer programe.

Roy

[tem]

Just noticed this.

http://www.volvocars.com/salesandservices/portable_navigation.htm

Anyone know what it costs?

Thanks.

tm.

[Clan]

Just noticed this.

http://www.volvocars.com/salesandservices/portable_navigation.htm

Anyone know what it costs?

Thanks.

tm.

Yes around £400 and out soon ! looks a good alternative ...

[RoyMacDonald]

Just noticed this.

http://www.volvocars.com/salesandservices/portable_navigation.htm

Anyone know what it costs?

Thanks.

tm.

This is interesting. I had been thinking that because electronic devices in cars.....Radio CD DVD sat nav mobile phone etc....become outdated so quickly it would be more sensible for car manufacturers to have removable units that can be easily taken from the car and programmed online or replaced, instead of all the totally integrated almost immediatly out of date stuff we get with our cars now.

Roy

[RoyMacDonald]

The only thing I would add about Garmin is they have the best maps if you live in the USA. For Europe and the UK TomTom have the best maps.

Roy

[Clan]

This is interesting. I had been thinking that because electronic devices in cars.....Radio CD DVD sat nav mobile phone etc....become outdated so quickly it would be more sensible for car manufacturers to have removable units that can be easily taken from the car and programmed online or replaced, instead of all the totally integrated almost immediatly out of date stuff we get with our cars now.

Roy

The whole point of the new networked car systems now , including those used in Volvo's is that they can easily be updated and radicaly changed with just a software download . That goes for the RTI as well . There are enhancments on each map update which are downloaded automaticaly when the new DVD is put in the drive but they are priced as to not encourage owners to buy them . My view is that you have paid a considerable amount of money for these systems and they should be upgraded when they or you think fit by Volvo at a nominal cost . It can easily be done whilst the car is connected to the system at each service ..

These systems don't get outdated , the system is bang up to date and easily changed with software .Thats how they have managed to add the reverse parking camera to the RTI system recently ...

[RoyMacDonald]

The whole point of the new networked car systems now , including those used in Volvo's is that they can easily be updated and radicaly changed with just a software download . That goes for the RTI as well . There are enhancments on each map update which are downloaded automaticaly when the new DVD is put in the drive but they are priced as to not encourage owners to buy them . My view is that you have paid a considerable amount of money for these systems and they should be upgraded when they or you think fit by Volvo at a nominal cost . It can easily be done whilst the car is connected to the system at each service ..

These systems don't get outdated , the system is bang up to date and easily changed with software .Thats how they have managed to add the reverse parking camera to the RTI system recently ...

I agree with the low cost update. The TomTom has free weekly updates.

I the kind of improvements I had in mind though don't go as far as even Volvos system would allow.I was thinking of things like the change to digital radio, tape to CD, mini disk to mp3, hands free mobil phones, new gps chips for the satnav, voice activated satnav, etc. etc. Things that really mean a complete new device.

When I've asked the main dealer if I can have an accessory fitted retrospectivly I've been told "Sorry factory fit option only sir" At the moment car manufacturers don't really seem to cater for after market accessories especially well. Even repairing what you already have can't be called easy when a simple repair to the radio/CD console can run to £2000, which is ridiculously expensive in my opinion.

Roy

[nc11]

whilst on the subject of satnav and RTI, just wondering - has anyone seen a manual for the new HDD system? been trying for the past 4 months to figure out how to enter the full postcode... Mine (MY08 model) only let's me enter the 1st 3 caracters, than move to the street level, which is very annoying!

Any ideas?

[Clan]

whilst on the subject of satnav and RTI, just wondering - has anyone seen a manual for the new HDD system? been trying for the past 4 months to figure out how to enter the full postcode... Mine (MY08 model) only let's me enter the 1st 3 caracters, than move to the street level, which is very annoying!

Any ideas?

i hope this is useful , I just happen to have a handbook laying around ! Maybe UK is one of the countries you can only input the first 4 digits , is this what you find?

[nc11]

that is exactly what happens. pretty strange though, as any tomtom device and the likes will offer full postcode search...

[dipsta]

pirate bay has new 2007 dvd its much better than the 04 disc and seems to be a bit more accurate somehow

[magni]

Hi
Might be telling everyone how to suck eggs here, but not everyone may be aware that your Volvo dealership are supposed to update the GPS operating system along with map details at each service.

To date we have had it updated once, (after sales care) and its now due again at its first service, our dealership seem quite happy to perform the update.

Rgds Magnimike

[tem]

Hi
Might be telling everyone how to suck eggs here, but not everyone may be aware that your Volvo dealership are supposed to update the GPS operating system along with map details at each service.

To date we have had it updated once, (after sales care) and its now due again at its first service, our dealership seem quite happy to perform the update.

Rgds Magnimike

I do not think this is true in the UK.
Two times a year, Volvo release update DVD's for the Sat Nav and they cost approximately Euro 399.00 each.
Also, the update can take around 90 minutes to install and I cannot see Dealerships doing this for nothing.

tem.

[KeatV70D5SE]

I can see how a dealer might decide to update the sat nav operating system but can't see how they'd do the maps since they are contained on the DVD in the boot and to "give" you the new maps they'd also have to include a DVD in your service. That certainly won't happen over here in the UK. I was recently charged 35p for a mudflap rivet on a £320 service..... They even had the cheek to say they hadn't charged me for labour to fit it....

[magni]

True to say that I have only had experiance of Volvo in France and only the dealership I bought the car from. However as I understand it they they carry out updates for clients as they take their cars back for service.

Checked whilst booking the service and no metion of a charge, hope it stays that way. Perhaps we have been lucky with the dealership as we have also received a number of freebies from them for the car.

Rgds Magnimike

[dipsta]

http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3835765/Volvo_RTI_0720_DVD_2_2007
There you go!

Been using it for 3 weeks is very good, well its vastly improved!

[Bigstoo]

cheers dipsta. I dl it and works a treat. Make sure you use Verbatim DVD+R DL 2.4x media, I tried with diff brands such as Datawrite and found that it kept bombing out when burning the image, making them expensive coasters. The Verbatim dvd worked first time.

[dipsta]

glad to be of service. yup verbatim are the way forward

[JIM C]

Many thanks for this. I am going to purchase these Discs and give it a go.
Thanks again.

[coco123]

I hope this would help to you
I purchased the RTI navi from China for about 800USD
http://www.xcaraudio.com/Shop/HDGPS/201002/22.html
with camera /Navi /speaker cover and Indash monitor with 800X480 resolution
it can run Garmin Tom Tom and IGO
i think i get the best units than getting one for 2500 :loser: