Navigational systems...worth the money?

[Subject]
Navigational systems...worth the money?
[Question]
I've always relied on mapquest and google maps to find my way around

(less successfully more times than not) how do the navigational systems work vs. online map, and are they worth the money or will they give me the "round about" way the maps do. I'll be doing a lot of out of state and rural driving soon.

jellyfish @ 2009-02-17 10:50:03

[All Answers]
if you get a good navi. system, they work pretty well. It all depends on if you have the money, and if you get lost a lot. If it won't hurt you too much to go ahead and buy it, and you get lost all the time, then it's probably worth it. However, if there comes a time where you dont have the time or resources to use mapquest, then yeah, it's worth it. BEWARE: there are certain times where you will go through areas without coverage and it will not be able to tell you where to go.

ballardb42 @ 2009-02-17 10:54:55

wrong category

uhoh @ 2009-02-17 10:57:36

it depends on where you live i have a garmin nuvi i live in the states its worth the money considering mapquest sucks and you save alot of paper it does take a lil bit more matnience like updating you maps and all that but overall its better because you can add detours and find food etc without trying to figure out how to get back to where you were going

corey m @ 2009-02-17 11:02:34

they work alot better then mapquest, twice mapquest sent me down the wrong way of a one way street and once it told me to go down a dead end street for a mile and the street was at most 1/4 of a mile so it kinda told me to go crash into atree



my garmin has never tried to kill me, all ways got me where i needed to go

Rajan K @ 2009-02-17 11:14:27

it depends if you like to drive around places then you really should get one because they will really help and if you get a god navi then it will be even better

Nathan 0 #1 @ 2009-02-17 11:17:51

you know what, 99% of the time you dont need a GPS system, but they are really nice for the 1% of the time. I have been looking at GPS systems over the last few months and I am goind to hold off on getting one. Garmin is coming out with a GPS system that is also a phone! That is what im gonna get! You get the reliability of Garmin GPS, not to mention they are saying no monthly GPS service fee, unlike your cell provider's GPS plans, that is conveniently going to be with you everywhere you go. and best of the lot it has a feature that bookmarks your exact location when you take it out of GPS mode, so that you will always be able to find your car in the huge parking lots, awesome!

drevrandfan @ 2009-02-17 11:19:50

i do deliveries and have rarely seen them fail and most failures were my fault, ther are many from 150 to 200 that will work fine.

they will tell you right when you pass the target location and tell you how to get back if you take a detour.

i say go for it.

kreekatt @ 2009-02-17 12:18:13

[Subject]
Killing trunk rattle on a budget?
[Question]
I am looking for an inexpensive way to cut down on trunk rattle from a subwoofer in my 96 Grand Prix sedan. I don't have the money for Dynamat, nor do I think putting $150 worth of sound deadening into a car I will be lucky to get $1500 for in a few years is worth it. I am open to any and all ideas to cut down or eliminate it altogether.

Austin G @ 2009-02-17 11:10:56

[All Answers]
Any sort of putty-like material between your license plate and car for starters.



You can do the same for any spot where you can isolate the source of rattle. I know its pretty lame, but you asked for anything.

El Terrorista @ 2009-02-17 11:19:33

I successfully installed my car radio and a subwoofer for a friend awhile ago. That rattle may be impossible to locate, but if you can limit it to the trunk you may be able to gently pry up some of the carpeting to find a possible loose panel.

Also (I'm 99% sure your spare tire and jack are located in the trunk) it may be loose and rattling around.

You could maybe think about buying some type of cheap foam bedding, maybe wrapping it around the sub or prying up the carpet and neatly gluing it everywhere you can and then put the carpet back over it. I've never seen it done, but if you take your time and get an extra set of hands it may turn out working well for a cheap price. As long as nothing breaks, snaps, or rips it can always be put back together.

Kirkanator @ 2009-02-17 11:30:35

get some great stuff iz a foam spray or i used a rubber coating u buy in a spray can u can get it at auto zone or an auto place like that but ive also heard of using ice and water shield we use it on roofing its very sticky and in rolls out iz just like dynamat but cheaper

Nate C @ 2009-02-17 11:30:51

if you have exposed metal seams you can use expanding insulating foam. you spray a line of foam in the seam let expand and wait 5 or 10 minutes until the surface is not tacky and use fingers or tool to press out air from the foam.

what you get is reduced metal movement at the seams, the material dries super strong and lightweight.

be warned this stuff is difficult to remove from the skin so leather gloves should be used.

also rubberized under coater can be used on panels and helps but stinks and is messy.

kreekatt @ 2009-02-17 11:31:57

I feel your pain, when I had my subwoofers put in my car, the trunk rattled like crazy. This is what I used to fix it.

It's called foam tape, it's used for like weatherstripping doors and windows, but it really helped cut down the rattle. You can buy this stuff almost anywhere, Home Depot, Lowes, or even Wal mart. I used it and sealed off my trunk and behind the license plate. I still get a rattle sometimes but it really did help out tons.



http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=foam+tape&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053



Good luck, hope this helps!

Kassy B @ 2009-02-17 11:36:31

Well, basically, even the really expensive sound dampening stuff uses the principal that it takes more energy to move objects with more mass. So the denser you can make the parts in your trunk the better, the foam works well because it doesn't transfer vibrations well. But I would try the using adhesive on the license plate, and anything else to make the metal parts of the drunk more dense, or reduce its ability to vibrate with the foam. Good luck

jawman2345 @ 2009-02-17 11:42:09

[Subject]
Strange bass noise inside car...?
[Question]
I have a Dual SBP-10 subwoofer powered by a Sony amp inside my 1996 Grand Prix. From the outside with the trunk popped, it sounds decent, not really powerful, but good solid bass. Inside the car, however, the bass sounds...pulse-y? I am not sure how to describe it other than that. My thoughts are that maybe the back seat is causing this noise. Has anyone else experienced this, and how do I get rid of it?
The noise is still there when the enclosure is facing the other way. If anything, it gets worse with the port from the band-pass box blowing into the cabin.

Austin G @ 2009-02-17 10:55:09

[All Answers]
dddd

jose t @ 2009-02-17 10:57:48

The noise is probably coming from something rattling inside your car. You could try using dynamat in your trunk to see if that helps cut down on the unwanted noise.

dk @ 2009-02-17 10:58:21

The box is probably turned the wrong way. This type of sound can be cause by the sound waves meeting one another during phase imbalance. With the box turned the other way, the waves can meet and reinforce rather than partially cancel out. Turn the box around and see if that helps.

Trey C @ 2009-02-17 11:03:06

First is probably the dual sub but if it isn't first try adjusting the amps output, make sure you have a really good ground, check if anything in the car is lose (seat, trunk lid, carpet, etc), next depends on the sub box you have is it ported because its a way better sound with a ported box. If You are hearing any metal vibrate there is insulation for the trunk in my 1995 Ford Mustang I had 2 10in sonys powered by a sony 1300watt amp it had so much bass to them I had to turn the amp down and insulate the trunk.

James @ 2009-02-17 11:04:18

check all your wires, you should run all the cords seperate to make sure no static is in the way...





but i dont think thats what your talking about..



i think whats happening with you.. is when the sub hits, the air moving hits the trunk and comes back and hits the air cycling.. so your bass cant hit a steady beat.. try moving the box around (if your not like me and have a f-body car where you cant move it).. see if that helps

adam_arielle @ 2009-02-17 11:04:29

[Subject]
is this gauge wire ok for my amp?
[Question]
my car is getting fixed so i have my farther in laws car who has a system but it is a small one and his power wire is alot smaller then mine i use a 4 gauge and i tyhink his is a 16 like speaker wire little thicker i just got a new pioneer amp 1200 watt and want to hook it up real quick to get it outta my system and i cant wait as long as its gonna take to get my car back so can i hook it up to that small of a power wire
it's not speaker wire it is as thiock as speaker wire maybe a little bigger but its a power wire and and i just want to hook it up for a little

Corey E @ 2009-02-17 08:36:52

[All Answers]
Speaker wire is only designed to give enough power to run the speakers, nothing else. That being said, you probably could use that wire, however you put at risk blowing your amp. And usually that is not fun.



Good luck

snowb1133 @ 2009-02-17 08:43:26

no uneless you wanna burn your car to the ground you should never use speaker wire as a power wire,never!! 8 guage is the smallest you should ever use and if that amp was bigger than 8 guage isn't safe...get 4 guage on it and it'll be good cause it'll feet the current to the amp that it needs to function properly!

iamdaddy! @ 2009-02-17 08:44:30

no way wire will get hot and melt and maybe cause a fire do not hoom it up you willhave more problems

KEVIN L @ 2009-02-17 08:53:39

http://www.the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp



it will melt. wiring guide link.

kreekatt @ 2009-02-17 09:56:26

[Subject]
what are some good subs for under 180 a peice?
[Question]

andrew k @ 2009-02-17 11:07:08

[All Answers]
JBL 1000 watts rms and make sure its power series they tend to be cheapo and very good quality

Investments UK @ 2009-02-17 11:11:35

I'm highly satisfied with my Alpine Type E 12". If you can spare the space, I highly recommend these in a sealed box. I think it was around $140/sub. Remember though, even the priciest subs won't sound good in an inappropriate box. Quality construction, correct size, and non-cube shaped (avoids standing waves) will make even economy subs sound better that pricey ones that do not follow this specification.

Trey C @ 2009-02-17 11:31:49

I would recommend Lanzar Opti 1232D subs they are the best sub for your money, I own two 1232D and they are awesome. I've been in to car audio since the 1980 and just to let you know more money doesn't necessarily mean they are better there's a huge markup with car audio some choose to do it higher then others. I put the subs specs below and the web site to get them at 149.99 each, also check out YouTube type in lanzar opti 1232D and watch the subs in action I put one video below. So if you get other replies from people who say their crap, DON"T LISTEN you can laugh all the way to bank because you know you got awesome subs and you didn't pay 500 to 800 dollars for them. Go to the you tube site watch it in action it's sick





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Impedance: 2 Ohms DVC

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Nick D @ 2009-02-17 11:41:10