Hi,

Been enjoying the Navigation System in my 06 Mariner. Is that piece of electronics cool or what? I can't hardly believe there's not some sort of monthly fee associated with using the satelites.

I had another idea. Is it possible to get weather radar on the navigation system? Sure is lots of weather satelites up there.

Does anyone know of an aftermarket program that would let the Navigation System show weather radar? Is there anything else available for use in the Navigation System?

Watching the Navigation System is so cool, that I almost let my wife do the driving (I said 'almost' LOL).

Mark

Yeah, I like it...or should say I got used to it and it's fine. We test drove other hybrids and I think MMH is not as good as some others (and a bit small), but I have no complaints. It's really cool driving the car and getting the Nav feedback and all that.

I would have liked the ext/int temperature gauge, but the MMH/FEH dont come with that bit of a useful feature.

1. Compared to other car mfg's and aftermarket units, this one is WEAK. Small screen, CD based, and limited in capability. The thing doesn't even play MP3 cd's or allow a satelite radio interface...asking about weather is a bit of a stretch considering. The big problem with these OEM units like this is that everything is proprietary and internal. In other words, unless you know someone who works for Visteon or who is willing to hack the unit, forget about it. I never would have gotten one if it weren't for the fuel and hybrid feedback screens.

2. If you want external temps, the best bet is buying one of the rearview mirrors that come with the sensors. Donnelly and Gentex are the two biggest mfg's of stock mirrors.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 22,909
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


457 Gallons of gas saved
That's 9,150 lbs less CO2

I plan on owning this Hybrid for at least 6 years (that's when the warranty runs out), so I wouldn't mind that temperature gauge. I may look into those companies you suggested. I also need to get a remote starter installed by winter.

I've heard that the navigation system is week compared to others. But this is the only one I've ever seen, so to me it's the cats meow. But I understand the limitations you talk about. Maybe my next vehicle in 6 years will have a navigation system that includes satelite radio, weather and internet!

Speaking of the navigation system, I don't suppose it has an adapter to connect your I-pod to it, eh? I'm thinking not.

Mark

Nope. There is no auxiliary input of any kind available. Your choices are to use an FM Modulator on an unused FM station or to buy an aftermarket adapter that interrupts the CD changer. You can opt to do away with the CD changer altogether or get an adapter that plugs in between the changer and headunit and allows you to switch between the changer and whatever else you have plugged in. Check the audio thread here for more details on the PIE and other adapters.

-Tim

2006 Mercury Mariner Hybrid AWD
Black with Pebble interior
Premium Package with Nav & Moonroof



Current ODO: 22,909
Typical Drive: 20 min crosstown in heavy traffic (3.5mi there and back twice a day)


457 Gallons of gas saved
That's 9,150 lbs less CO2

Cool thought, but what you are asking for is wireless internet, not satelite weather downlink.

A very little known fact is the weather "pictures" come from the ground.
The data from satelites is somthing akin to the signal you send over a telephone modem. It's just raw data and all the cool pictures you see on TV or WEB need to be post-processed on the ground.

So while I know what you want, you can get it now with cell phone, or wireless web browser. No satelite required!
-John

There is a yearly fee, due every April 15.

There are some aviation GPS units that can overlay radar weather data onto the screen of the unit. They can also show other aircraft traffic. The Garmins (GNS 430's) in my plane has the capability but you have to pay a monthly subscription fee to get it. Not sure how the information is transmitted to the aircraft in flight but it certainly isn't wireless internet.
There are many different type of weather "pictures". The radar that shows the thunderstorms is ground based. The photos that show clouds and hurricanes are actual photos taken by a satellite (either geosynchronous or polar orbitting) and transmitted to the earth via radio signal. The only "post-processing" they need is converting from a digital radio signal (analog back in my days as a shipboard meteorologist) to a photo - much the same as emailing a jpeg file. Many of the pictures they show on the news are a composite with the radar image superimposed over a satellite picture.

So, to answer the original question, the capability is there to get more data on the GPS screen but probably not on the low-end junk (my opinion) in the FEH.

The other part of your question regarding fees - there is no fee for the use of the satellites but any good GPS system should at least offer a subscription service to allow for updates of the database. It can get quickly obsolete without it.

Its pretty unlikely it would be added even to the high end systems out there unless it came with it from the start. GPS signals are on their own satillite band. In order to put weather information it would seem to require another receiver that can pick up the radio band that the airplanes are using for their weather info, and might even have spotty reception on the ground depending on whether or not the signal is terrestrial or sattilite. So even with a fancy system, its not likely to be an "upgrade".

I agree. The aircraft units are around $6000 each (there are two in my plane). I'm sure some of that goes to the cost of developing and certifying them for aircraft use but they also have to interface with the autopilot and also have massive databases of all airports, navigational aids, roads, land features etc.

What's great about them is that once every 4 weeks I download a file onto a small data card, slide it into a slot on the unit and the unit is updated for another month. Why the FEH unit used CD when there is so much better data storage medium available is beyond me.

And why did they integrate the hybrid display into the GPS? I wouldn't mind having that without the GPS.

As for the interior/exterior temperature gauge, I picked one up at Target for $10 and it is actually pretty accurate when compared to some other thermometers. I velcroed it to the dash, ran the wire out the door, under the gasket. Cheap but effective. Doesn't look bad either.

As always, just my opinion here - no hatemail please.