Since I didn't get the Navi package, I have been looking for a good compass and altimeter for my HCHII. My Garmin StreetPilot III doesn't have an altimeter, so I did some research and the Wayfinder V Series all looked good. Their stylish V7500 +3 seemed to have everything I would need (the V7000 most of the same options, but the unit is a little bigger).

Looking at pictures on the internet, I thought it would be much bigger... but the unit itself is very stylish and compact - just 3 3/4" wide, 2 3/4" high and about 1" deep. There is a clip-on base with window suction cups, and comes with a lithium battery. Here is a picture of it.



The nice thing is it runs off a lithium battery, so no cords that need to go to the 12V outlet are needed which means it can be put anywhere in the car! The V7500 has the following features:

- Digital Compass: This is the main feature of the Wayfinder line. Along the bottom is a directional compass that rotates as you turn. It's like looking at a ball compass only in a digital readout. It's very easy to configure - just drive your car in a full circle (I did it in an empty part of a parking lot).

- Atomic Clock: Displays the current time in analog format. The clock will automatically sync to the Atomic clock signal in Colorado (can take up to 72 hours to sync). You can also manually set the clock.

- Date: Date display in MM/DD format

- Altimeter: Displays a digital readout of your current altitude in feet based on air pressure. Since it uses air pressure, it does not change foot by foot, but will jump by 5 or 10 feet incriments. I'm not sure how instantaneous/exact the Navi is in the HCHII, but the V7500 is better than many others I've seen out there!

- Digital Barometer: Barometric pressure reading in inches of Mercury (InHg) based on the air pressure, along with an arrow indicator showing the trend of the pressure change.

- Weather Outlook: Displays a weather forecast for the next 12 to 24 hours based on the changes in the barometric pressure.

All this information is displayed on one screen. No need to press a button to change modes. The screen background is green with black LCD movements. I have no problem reading the screen during the day. At night or low light, it has the standard blue backlight you see on most LCD watches. You can set a timer to turn off the backlight so it doesn't drain the battery. You have to press a button on the top to turn the unit on, but it will turns off automatically after 10 minutes of no significant change in direction.

I tried several places to mount it, like in the rear view mirror space between the top of the mirror and the top of the upholstery, but the suction cup base made it look crooked. I wanted to suction it to the small window but the base won't turn left/right. I'll post a picture tonight, but I have put mine suctioned to the windshield in the upper left corner away from any blindspots (it covers my 4" tint strip in the left corner). This makes it inconspicuous to others but easy to see... I can just shift my eyes up and left to see it, then shift my eyes back to the road. The suction cup base can swivel up/down, so when I get in the car I just pull it one notch forward to get to the on button on the top, then push it back so it is at the correct angle.

As for price, everywhere I looked these were going for $60-$95 on eBay and $99 in the stores. I finally found it on eBay for $45.95 + $8.00 shipping (you can also go to geeks.com to get one at the same price - I bought one from their ebay listing).

So this is definetely an accessory I would recommend if you don't have the Navi and would like to see your direction and altitude changes that may help with the way you drive for better FE.

If you have one or you get one, let others know how you like it.

 

Seems too Boy Scoutish for such a tech-advanced car.

Magellan Maestro navigation devices also include altimeter and compass heading features. And, of course, the navigation itself.

Honda's own mirror compass accessory also is nice.