ultasax

Has anybody ever tried to intrigrate a portable navigator neatly, within a vehicle with built in nav? I recently got my 2006 LS premium with nav, I absolutely LOVE this car but prefer my magellan 4350 navigator in every way. It could be because I'm used to it , but I like the lane guidance feature, the spoken actual street names, the 3D imagry, etc. etc. I'm thinking ,, some kind of tape hinged panel with a cut out to securely retain the magellan within a frame that in turn fits within the recess that houses the built-in nav. This will cover the built-in nav screen. The idea being , you can simply lower the frame downwardly in order to see and deal with the information on the original touch screen ...It really bugs me to start cluttering up such a clean interior with DIY doohickeys but???? Maybe there already is a system than can deal with this in the aftermarket world?? Or maybe some of you have some ideas other than ," hey man, get a life"!. I would really appreciate any input you could offer me... THANKS

LS430inDE.

Not to split hairs, and not ignoring your question, but wouldn't this be the ML version, not premium?

stock_sc

iTrader: (2)

this is the only thing i can think of what u might be able to do.. in terms of making it look clean. for it to work with your current navi no clue.

http://shop.beatsonicusa.com/product...7&categoryId=2

ultasax

Maybe they use different terms to describe the various upgrade packages up in Canada, but the car was advertised as (premium package with navigation). It does include the Mark Levinson 11 spkr set up. I have a copy of the 2006 brochure,(a photostat). Here too the features of my car are described as Premium pkg with nav? So I guess there is a difference in the terminology.
They do not use the term ML version anywhere in this brochure.

Kansas

You could mount your Magellan GPS on a bracket like I did in my 00 LS400.

Here's a link on how to install a swivel mount AMPS hole pattern Pro.Fit Legend bracket, like the one I have, in a 2006 LS430: http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/Adobe/MV-50-03-L-p18.pdf
Not very hard to do. I even ran my Magellan's power cord into the center stack and attached it via a 12 Volt extension cord (so as to not chop up the Magellan cord) to the accessory circuit so the Magellan turns on an off with the ignition key. Did something similar with a Garmin in our Camry.

Not sure why Canadian models are a topic here but the packages in Canada have often been very different than in the U.S. Attached is the brochure for the 2006 Canadian spec LS430.

ultasax

Very helpfull, Looks neat and seems do-able. I'm going to check this out.
Thanks for taking the time, very much appreciated.....The Canadian topic came about as a result of referring to my Lexus as a (premium package with navigation). This same package in The U.S.A is apparantly referred to as the ML PKG. I am a snowbird (Canadian citizen) I spend half the year in Florida. I purchased the vehicle in Canada, and hence the descriptive discrepency. The sales brochure that you sent me is the same one I have and uses the "premium with nav" term. Thanks again KANSAS.

LS430inDE.

Just to clarify, when I was stating ML I was referring to the Modern Luxury package..not Mark Levinson.

AlexusAnja

Whatever the case, US or Canada, it's got a NAV unit in there.

As for setups, if you're using it more for functions, then the easiest way not to do ANYTHING to the interior is to get a "beanbag" mount. I rather prefer that than window suctions or the perma-disc setups. I use it in my RX and it works fine. Besides some occasional slids over really hard bumps, never had it slip over or fall down on me.

Plus, the best thing after you've arrived at destination is, you removed it off your dash, put it under the seat or something, and no clue to potential thieves you have anything in your car.

The cleanest look there is, the bean bag.

ultasax

Wow! Sometimes the obvious just completey eludes me. Thanks AlexusAnja great lateral thinking. When I mentioned your post to my wife, she said, thank goodness your not going to mess with the beautifull interior. Yours', is clearly the solution. I just put it in the glove compartment when I'm not using it, and sit it on the removable bean bag as required. Elegantly simple,,, Thanks again.

ultasax

I've never come across the term "Modern Luxury" so I assumed ML referred to the Mark Levinson sound system. I don't know why Lexus doesn't simplify all of this, and use the same descriptive terms for both of our countries?. In Canada we speak english, in fact we speak American english. I don't think there is very much cultural difference.(other than our health care sytems) WOOPS!!!!... forget that I said that!...Frankly, the exspression "Modern Luxury" conveys more consumer appeal to me than Premium.

AlexusAnja

Yes, but you add "aye" after everything. I heard Canada was originally spelled CND, but when they asked the first Canadian to spell the name, he said "C aye, N aye, D aye"... a Canadian colleague told me this joke, Canadian from China.

Yeah, here in U.S., it was basically the base, modern, custom, then ultra. Ultra I can understand, the ULTRA all inclusive, but "Custom?" There was nothing Custom about it, not like you could get one thing without the other or whatever. It wasn't "custom built" or anything.

Have a great day... aye...

Kansas

Neither my wife or I remove the portable GPS units from their brackets unless we are removing them to use in rental cars. Both of us (usually) throw floppy hats over them to hide them when we get out of cars. Additional tint on the side windows make them harder to see and we both put a sunshade in the windshield when we park outside for very long on a sunny day. Maybe GPS thieves don't look for them mounted lower on the dash. We've never had a theft but maybe we've been lucky. I've read that portable GPS theft has plummited due to them now being so cheap.

We do notice during our frequent use of rental cars what a PITA it is to remove the GPS and stick it, its portable mount and its power cord in the glove compartment, console or under a seat and then have to put it back together again when we return -- not fun when making frequent stops and relying on GPS in an unfamiliar area. We haven't gotten brave enough to leave the GPS units on top of the dash in rental cars.

AlexusAnja

You out in Kansas.. here in NY/NJ area, anything even resembling a GPS unit (even if a $50 unit) sitting on the dash is like having a Whopper sandwich on the dash of an open convertible to a fly... it's um um good.