Hi All,

A friend has an imported Scoob with an AddZest multimedia system installed comprising boot-mounted CD/control unit and in-dash double DIN CD/tape/radio/TV etc. The car has a GPS antenna on the boot lid and some form of sat-nav system with maps of Japan. Unfortunately (obviously) all the menus etc are in Japanese so I can't work out how to operate the thing. It seems to be a pretty powerful setup and would be good if it could be converted to work in the UK.

Firstly, does anyone have any useful info (model number on the head unit is NAX9200). I've looked on AddZest and Clarion's websites but couldn't find anything there.

Secondly, there is a CD in the boot-mounted unit - does it boot from this (it takes a fair while to fire up) and if so is it just a case of swapping the CD, or does it boot from ROM/flash memory?

Any info gratefully received as getting this thing working will probably become a personal crusade

Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

I stand corrected, but I think theres NO chance that this will ever work in the UK.
Me too each and every time I am in Japan I drool over these units, but no chance.....
maybe getting a DVD or CD with a map of Europe, changing the antennas etc...

 

There will be no need to change the antenna - GPS is the same whichever country you are in. Also I have no problem getting my hands on mapping in various formats.

My primary concern is how easy it is to convert the unit's operating system into English so that I can start investigations.

 

Really, that means if I buy a GPS in Japan that will work here in Europe w/o any problems? I'm not too worried about the Japanese language.....would even prefer having it in Japanese than English, French or German.

So, to be clear, I'd just had to put w DVD in the unit with Westerne Europe and off you go?? Somehow, I doubt it will be that easy....

 

Alberick,

The satellites that orbit the earth continually broadcast the GPS information in the same format. An antenna that picks up the signal is the same wherever you are on the planet (apart from some antennas are passive and some are active with varying levels of dB gain).

It's what happens to that information when it gets to the GPS receiver board that's important - different receivers manipulate and output the data in different formats (variations on a common theme). The data (position) then has to be plotted accurately on a map and there are different formats of position data (eg lat/lon or Eastings/Northings) and mapping (ellipsoids, earth centre offsets etc).

I'm sure that if I can identify what coordinate system etc the AddZest unit is using I can get it to work. But in order to do this I need the thing to talk to me in English! What I need to know firstly is if the unit's operating system boots from ROM and therefore needs re-flashing or re-chipping in order to change language, or if it's as simple as changing the CD in the control unit.

Steve

 

I am 100% sure that even with that info, you will struggle to make it work, for there is so much specialised software involved.
Japanese Clarion Navi I think use Zenrin Data, with its own software whilst european Navi's use Tele Atlas. Without access to specialist data, it is in my view, impossible.

However, if you do make it work, hats off to you.

Good Luck

 

Sounds complicated and a big job to me.
Same here, if you manage to make it work, hats off!!! And keep everybody informed.
I was just thinking, when I see those fancy Jap units where the map & routing is so nicely done with graphics looking like a Playstation game etc. By using a Euro CD or DVD you would just lose all this, no??
The other point is, if if would be possible to use a jap navi system over here, then why do jap Mobile phones not work?

 

Alberick - mobile phones and GPS are completely unrelated

Atche - I know what you're saying about the differences in the software that process the incoming GPS data (see my earlier post) and this is exactly the kind of info I need. I'm sure once I have the info I need I will be able to do something with it

By the way guys, I ought to confess that the company I work for specialises in vehicle tracking systems and mobile data

Steve