Sat Nav update....but can I mirror my Android phone.

[Lexus4Me?]

At last

The Lexus Portal reports an update for the navigation on my GS450h Premier Gen4 (2012)! It now gives 02-16-50 as the latest version for my EMVN (11HDD) model navigation. I still have the original 2012 version (12-02-00 (2011-11-0) installed but the up to date version when I bought the car was 2015-05-1 which indicates they seem to have changed the version naming format. Establishing what the latest update is seems difficult and inclines me to wonder if the information one receives is always accurate. The garage where I bought the car claimed that they could supply me a updated data from early 2016 but the Lexus Portal has remained with the 2015-05-01 until very recently. I contacted Lexus tech staff through the Portal but they just referred me back to the garage. One wonders if the tech staff don't know who does.

I'm tempted to get this latest update since I have a deal with the garage to get it at half price because of a misunderstanding when I bought the car but £80 is still quite a chunk of cash for a piece of software which will soon be out of date on fairly clunky bit of kit (although the GS screen is great and I like the voice guidance). Google Maps on my mobile seems brilliant - I can even tell it verbally to provide the route to somewhere and it does it quite well. I also understand that Sygic is good for Android at about £17.50 - £29 depending if one wants only European maps or World coverage and either the standard system or the one with Traffic information (The maps can be downloaded and don't need an internet connection - I think the latter is only needed for Traffic).

So how can I get my mobile screen displayed on the car's screen and controlled by the car's remote touch/steering wheel? Viastech provided a system for the Gen 3 GS and I've picked up rumours about BeatSonic, MirrorLink and Grom but don't know anything about them. Has anyone experience or advice on how to do this and how well it works? I like the Lexus screen and I don't really want to have to clamp the phone to the car and have charging wires draping all over my lovey interior.

[Zotto]

Still trying to have an update in my GS300h with same navi system, but forget to have mirroring of cell phone. In Lexus (and Toyota also) are making a mess with updates.

[ColinBarber]

Lexus are refusing to support CarPlay / Android Auto for their latest cars, even though most other manufactures now provide support. Clinging on to an old business model is never a good strategy, I expect they will lose sales because of it.

Vaistech are the best systems out their but are expensive and they typically cannot guarantee they will work with UK vehicles (until at least one customer purchases and tests it).

Personally I just purchased a Brodit holder and hid the wire as best I could. I can charge my phone and have choice of infinitely better Nav applications that the built in system.

[Lexus4Me?]

Yes Zotto I think we are caught with systems in our cars which did not have a huge production output in our countries and navigation systems that changed quite often. I can understand why we may not be Lexus' highest priority which is why I'd rather find a way of linking to a mobile phone system.

[Lexus4Me?]

Yes, Colin. Vaistech is expensive until one compares it to updating the Lexus maps! Sadly they don't seem to make a system which will work with the navigation system in my car. Maybe I'll follow your course with a phone holder but it isn't really what I'm after. Lexus will never be able to keep up with mapping applications which can be sold cheaply/free to a vast number of consumers and which do the job better. All they get by trying to do so is adverse criticism.

[Zotto]

Updating maps on Lexus premium navigation system with HDD is quite complicate, as it's not sufficient to buy a DVD with maps, but to avoid copying there is a code registration, and the code has to be generated from navy system number.

Maps are from Navteq.

 

 

Toyota_HDD_Navi_map_update_AIM_002_769_0_PZ445_HD332_0D.pdf

[Lexus4Me?]

Thanks for that Luigi. I've only scan read it but it certainly does look complex but not, I think, so complicated as to justify the Lexus pricing.

I contacted Beat-Sonic. They have a system with lots of wires, plugs and boxes which connects up behind the audio system. It mirror the Android phone on the screen but does not allow control using remote touch. I looked at a You-tube video of it working - it looks a bit clunky and at close on £300 definitely not for me. 

[Britprius]

Bringing an old post back to life I am working on using an android phone or tablet through the GS450H screen. I am going to use a ball mouse or possibly a touch pad and buttons from an old laptop to give a mouse pointer on screen. This is working on the android devices I have. This will mean the Lexus touch screen will show the mouse pointer, and the "mouse/touch pad" will be used to input instructions "post code ect" to the android devise via the touch screen mouse pointer. Voice input could also be used.

For those that like Tom Tom the software is available for android phones, and tablets in Playstore for very little money, but free software is also available.

I am at the moment working on the method of transferring the video from the android device to the Lexus screen, but I have a few ideas on how to accomplish this in the simplest manner. This will bring the Lexus Satnav up to date with speed camera, and speed limit warnings along with full postcode entries at far less cost than a map update without loosing in fact gaining functionality. Audio will also be implemented.

When I have a viable system up and running I will post details.

John.

[SpeedyGee]

Sorry to bump an old thread but @Britprius did you manage to get an Android mirrored onto the Sat Nav screen ?

[SpeedyGee]

@Britprius/John, just seeing if you saw my message above ?

I've not seen much else on the site regarding this, so I assume no one has attempted it yet ?

I'm interesting in looking into this some more and would be good to hear what how far you got with this. 

[Britprius]

1 hour ago, SpeedyGee said:

@Britprius/John, just seeing if you saw my message above ?

I've not seen much else on the site regarding this, so I assume no one has attempted it yet ?

I'm interesting in looking into this some more and would be good to hear what how far you got with this. 

Sorry for the slow reply as I have been away for a few days. I am still working on a realistic solution to the problem. I did have some success using a small TV main board mirroring the tablet or phone to this then using the video out to supply the OEM screen. This is cumbersome to say the leased. For those that have android devises with HDMI out it should be possible to use a HDMI to video converter, and injecting this into the OEM screen.

My android systems do not support HDMI so I am still working on it, and will post here as soon as I have a viable solution.

In what area of the Westmids are you in? Although I live in Herefordshire  I go over to Stourbridge at leased once a week,

John. 

[Lexus4Me?]

Hi guys,
              I'll add my two-penneth as I started this thread.

In the event I paid my £80 for the navigation update (half price) and got a decent cup of coffee and a nice clean car back too. It is something of a relief now to travel down the A11 and find that the sat-nav has me securely placed on a road an not in the middle of a field but I know it is only a matter of time before I'll need to buy a further update (at full price this time) or find some other navigation system.
I additionally bought from e-bay an inexpensive Bakeey NonSlip 360° Rotation Dashboard Car Mobile Phone Mount Holder GPS PDA to hold my mobile phone which, as holders for mobile phones in cars go, does a very good job. holding the phone in an excellent position for viewing above the cowl to the screen but it isn't that convenient to control and I haven't got a power supply to it. The mobile I own has good Battery life and charges rapidly so the latter hasn't been a problem so far.

I also note that Beat Sonic now appear to make a screen mirror (ID   IF-04EP) for many Mk 4 GS models. Videos are available on the internet and I think I found a UK supplier while surfing on this topic (but I can't quickly locate it now). It was expensive but as I noted above so is buying navigation updates every year or so. I'd welcome a review from anyone who has purchased this item so that I can further consider this option when I feel the present built in navigation maps are beyond their useful life.

[SpeedyGee]

On 18/12/2017 at 2:44 PM, Britprius said:

My android systems do not support HDMI so I am still working on it, and will post here as soon as I have a viable solution.

Do you mean it doesn't have a MHL on the USB ? 

You could use a MIRACAST device instead though.

Incidentally just as some side info for Android users, there's a app in Play Store that can actually tell you if your phone has MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) ability, just search for MHL Checker.

 

On 18/12/2017 at 2:44 PM, Britprius said:

In what area of the Westmids are you in? Although I live in Herefordshire  I go over to Stourbridge at leased once a week,

I'm about 20 minutes from Stourbridge, under 10 mins from J2 M42 and J4 M5.