replacement GPS/sound unit for 120 Grande - Polaris or Opal?

[Bellyup Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bellyup]

Hi Guys,
Would love to hear your thoughts on replacement units for a 120 Grande GPS sound system.
Our original equipment (Fujitsu I think) has stopped working. Toyota service say they can swap it out with a refurbed unit for $1400, or $4400 for a new unit!!! The original is pretty limited in its capabilities and uses Whereis discs ($400 ea)and nothing else.
I would like to use Hema as I get offroad regularly.Good sound is also important as I listen to most of my music in the car - the kids rule over any music in the house!
I know Polaris can use Hema and that Opal is about to be able to use Hema. Both of these units now sell for around $1200. Has anyone had experience ,good or bad, with aftermarket units.
Many thanks,
Bruce.

[Bellyup Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bellyup]

Well, I decided on the Opal unit - seems to have less glitches than Polaris according to my research. I'll let you know how it goes.
Bruce

[craigm Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close craigm]

How much did the Opal unit cost you Bruce?

[Bellyup Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bellyup]

G'day,
THe Opal has a RRP of $1400.+ $120 for a camera. I spoke with Ron from Offroad 4x4 Bathurst and did a deal for $1180 inc. camera and free post.
Bruce.

[Bellyup Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bellyup]

HI All,
I had the Opal (Toyota universal) unit installed professionally last week, just before my trip with the little bloke to Innamincka via Tibboburra and the Strezleki.
In a word - disappointing.
Audio - ordinary, not as good as the OEM Fujitsu. The sound clips alot earlier (but still loud) and there is a lack of fullness in the bass. The sound turns muddy when "loudness" is applied.
Radio - our local FM station faded away at the outskirts of town - only a few km from the tower!. I will have the installer check that the aerial is plugged in.
Ipod - works really well through the screen though it did "lock up" more than once, but the really annoying thing is it is not accessable from the main screen or buttons - you have to go through Home then Accessories then Ipod. But they have a DVD button on the front panel - WTF?
GPS - nearly ***** killed me. What a load of rubbish! It runs on PolNav software - it may be fine for getting from Pitt St. to Bondi but for out here it is absolutely bloody useless. Innamincka does not exist on this unit. There is no overview of where you are going, only where you are ie, if you try to zoom out to see surrounding towns/areas you will not see any towns listed on screen. You do not have a choice of an alternative route other than the one the unit says - it will not look/offer another way.
The mapping is inaccurate, on the road from home(Broken Hill) to Tibboburra the unit spent half the time telling me I was "off road" It does not display anything geographical ie creeks, lakes (dry or otherwise). While the unit says"offroad" there is no update of distance to go - it just stays on the last distance displayed
At one point, we arrived at a t-junction on the way to Innamincka and the unit couldn't tell me whether to go left or right, I couldn't even find a town on the unit to let me know basic direction - thank God for my old Hema maps. This unit is a good example of why you should always have paper maps.
Now, having bagged this unit, Im told by the distributor that they are working on making it compatable with Oziexplore/Hema, that may make the unit better and more accurate as I suppose it is the existing software that makes the unit perform so poorly.
I will be looking to have my money returned.
I will buy a good sound system to replace the Opal and a Hema 7" GPS to get me where I need to go.
Bruce.
PS My wife just ran while driving to Mildura to say that the navigation system has frozen - what a P.O.S.!!