Community Forums

BiVo · 08-11-2019, 10:23 AM

We have a 2016 Anthem with a 7” display XSG2NA-X2 system with Rand McNally RV GPS. We would like to upgrade to a better, faster, more reliable GPS ... and the CD player does not work ... SO ... wondering if anyone has ideas for options.

I am considering just getting a new radio and replacing the old unit (is this hard to do, can places like Best Buy do it?) and either using my IPad or a top of dash mounted GPS that is set up for RVs .... any ideas???

Can I get a replacement that will fit that is newer and updated that has the radio and GPS all in the same unit ??

Any Ideas would be appreciated!!!

rogelling · 08-11-2019, 07:43 PM

I just replaced the same unit in my 15 CS with a Kenwood
DNX 874S. It uses Garmin nav and is Apple Car and Android Auto ready. I love all the features including the menus and the Android Auto. It also has DVD.
You will most likely lose the steering wheel controls and it will not output the nav screen to the oh tv. It will play DVD on that tv. The sound quality is amazingly better specially the bass.
With Android auto you can also use Google Maps for navigation.

I did the installing and it wasn't easy. I recommend a professional if you're not experienced.

Other units that I recommend are the Pioneer or Alpine.
You can also pick an Android or Apple iOS based system for a lot less but are only able to use nav when connected to cell service.

BiVo · 08-12-2019, 11:14 AM

Thanks for the info ... I’m going to look into your ideas.

Cruzer · 08-13-2019, 07:04 AM

I did the same in our 2016. I used a Kenwood DNX572TR, which uses Garmin GPS. It is a bit of work - not plug and play but the result is worth it. This model does not have Apple Car Play but it does have RV and truck specific features.

voltdoc · 08-13-2019, 04:18 PM

Talking strictly about GPS, there's no bigger fan of Garmin than I am including their marine gear, I was using their automotive GPS before it even had routing (GPSmap) and before GPS was demilitarized.

Much later I had a Kenwood unit with Garmin GPS in one of our cars and it was great except there were issues with the map upgrade process - it was either very expensive, or not available and required a lot of hacking effort not to mention massive (4GB) data downloads. Don't know if that's still true with the newer units. You might want to look into that.

However, in todays connected world, IMO the dedicated off-line database oriented GPS like Garmin and RM just can't hold a candle anymore to online mapping tools like Google Maps.

Sure I have a dedicated backup GPS just in case (a Garmin), but Maps on my phone is the goto device every time. It's WAY faster, WAY more up to date (both roads and POI's), has WAY more accurate crowd sourced traffic info (near real time), has WAY more advanced satellite, topography and Streetview display options and it's WAY cheaper - like free. Plus I never need to upgrade it, it just happens automatically. Data usage is minimal and for most with unlimited data plans doesn't matter anyway. Map data can be downloaded for areas with spotty coverage or weak service and the route manager seems to handle this seamlessly most of the time anyway. Routing is WAY, WAY superior to the RM and at least equal if not better than Garmin.

The only con is lack of support (currently) for large vehicles so you do need to watch out for routes that might take you down less than desirable roads for big rigs (which you should do with ANY GPS).

It will run on almost any device and chances are you can cast the video from your device to the front TV if you want to see it there.

So I guess what I'm saying is get yourself a slick entertainment unit and if it has GPS that's great, it can be your backup, but check out the online mapping solutions too.

Razorrick · 08-13-2019, 04:31 PM

Great read Voltdoc. Certainly agree that the RM we have in our 16’ Cornerstone is very limited in its mapping, especially in traffic issues. You mentioned you can view your phone map app on your overhead tv. We’ve never tried. Is this done by using the Bluetooth mode on our stock Entegra radio/gps? Thanks

voltdoc · 08-14-2019, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Razorrick

Great read Voltdoc. Certainly agree that the RM we have in our 16’ Cornerstone is very limited in its mapping, especially in traffic issues. You mentioned you can view your phone map app on your overhead tv. We’ve never tried. Is this done by using the Bluetooth mode on our stock Entegra radio/gps? Thanks

There may be a way to do it that way but don't think so. Also, this isn't what you asked but you should be able to display your Riverpark display including RM maps on the overhead TV, it is hardwired and that's done with a few settings on the Riverpark.

To answer your question our TV's are all Samsung "Smart" TV's my Smartphone is Samsung also and I have had no trouble casting my phone screen to the TV directly. I've heard it may be more difficult with another brand phone or tablet, not sure. There may be other wireless options as well like Chromecast but that might be a little more complex.

Here's a real easy way tho. If you have a late model smartphone or tablet, most can output to a special HDMI cable. Just plug in the cable and switch to the proper input on the TV and off you go. Always worked great for me (Galaxy Note 8). Even better, I'm using the device below which uses a standard HDMI-HDMI cable for the TV and also let's you power the phone at the same time it is connected to HDMI.

Manifun USB C to HDMI Adapter,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8N845Q...p_mob_ap_share

Razorrick · 08-14-2019, 12:02 PM

Thanks I’ll give that a try.

lp5151 · 08-14-2019, 04:19 PM

I would like to "upgrade" my GPS capabilities (2019 Anthem)...
But I'm a bit tech challenged here... but do I understand that I can send my Samsung s10 mapping to the entertainment screen via bluetooth function on my 2109 Anthem? Or am I totally missing the point of this thread?

voltdoc · 08-15-2019, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lp5151

I would like to "upgrade" my GPS capabilities (2019 Anthem)...
But I'm a bit tech challenged here... but do I understand that I can send my Samsung s10 mapping to the entertainment screen via bluetooth function on my 2109 Anthem? Or am I totally missing the point of this thread?

If by "entertainment screen" you mean dash entertainment unit then no, as far as I know Bluetooth currently is not capable of carrying video, only audio.

However, I believe you should have an HDMI Jack in the dash that would let you send your phone screen (mapping, Netflix, photos, whatever) to the in dash screen via a HDMI cable and a type C USB to HDMI adapter like this: QGeeM USB C to HDMI Adapter 4K Cable, USB Type-C to HDMI Adapter [Thunderbolt 3 Compatible] MacBook Pro 2018/2017, Samsung Galaxy S9/S8, Surface Book 2, Dell XPS 13/15, Pixelbook More https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JW7GT7H..._tyAvDbXGW1VX5

Note that the above adapter won't supply power to the phone which would be problematic on a long trip, but this one will so is probably a better choice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8N845Q...p_mob_ap_share

CAVEAT EMPTOR: I have not tested this and may be misinterpreting the purpose of the HDMI jack in the dash. I'll check it out in a few days next time I am on the coach and post back.

OTOH, if by "entertainment screen" you mean the TV above the dash, you can use the same HDMI adapters linked above and display your S10 on the big screen. That requires plugging an HDMI cable into the back of the TV.

To do it wirelessly, assuming your TV is a Samsung Smart TV you can wirelessly "cast" or "mirror" your S10 screen to the TV. I do it with my Galaxy Note 8 to any of our TV's aboard. The possible gotcha with this method is you may need a full time wifi network on board, not necessarily an internet connection, just an access point that's on all the time. Here's an article about how to do that: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.tom...w-4663-14.html

lp5151 · 08-15-2019, 07:40 PM

This sounds promising..
Please post your findings when you get a chance and I'll explore it as well.
Thank you

Gary.Jones · 08-15-2019, 07:45 PM

Amid all this discussion, dont forget iPhone apps like WAZE which is a real time, mapping program and additionally shows issues like police location, road hazzard locations, other important issues. Like google maps and most of the mapping programs, I am not aware of how to program in our height, our weight, and our length, which to me is the most important issue in our RM GPS dash units.

Now, I dont understand people's problems with the Rand McNally / Xite. Mine is very good. In fact, virtually all of the time, if the Garmin GPS which we always run simultaneously (but doesnt care about my length and height tells me one thing, and my RM tells me another, we go with the RM. You MUST update your maps frequently and also the RM software frequently. I upgrade the Garmin and the Rand McNally system software and maps before every major trip. As I have said in another thread in 4.5 years of using Xcite's RM unit.... it seemed to lead me astray twice, but really when I analyzed the situation, it was my operator error.... I turned right too soon (thinking the GPS said now, but it was another 900 feet or so before it wanted me to turn). Only once did it want to send me down a road that I had no business being on, and I coul see that it seemed like a bad a choice and I told the TM to "go jump in a lake" and I did my own piloting.

I am not sure what peoples problems are. Now, my unit in the 15 Anthem had the control box for the GPS and XCITE up in the headroom above the dash which was a really dumb place to put it and I had heat problems. However, the GPS itself has been very reliable and I have used it 100% OF THE 17,000 miles that I have now put on this Cornerstone. No failures.

Gary

MRUSA14 · 08-15-2019, 07:54 PM

I am in 100% agreement with Gary Jones. My Xite Rand McNally GPS has performed flawlessly. I have had several others that were nowhere near as good.

voltdoc · 08-17-2019, 02:58 AM

Gary, Waze isn't an Apple app, it's a Google app that runs on Apple - and Android and maybe some others. Google bought Waze years ago and now some of its features are integrated into Google Maps. For example incident reporting, like active accidents and speed traps along your route now show up in Google Maps as well as on Waze.

Low priority incidents like vehicles in the breakdown lane currently still only show in Waze. When we travel Linda runs Waze too and we report any incidents we encounter. This is what is known as crowd sourcing. I'm sure Google is using that Waze data to augment its traffic reporting in Google Maps which in my experience has been very accurate.