TC09X1 - Dash mounted double DIN GPS

[sokahmed]

Ok, as promised, here's a quick write-up about my experience so far with the TC09X1 head unit into my Camry. Thought I would put it up to help others who were looking for something similar, or had any questions. With some luck, we can capture most of the information required to help people decide if this is the right unit for them, and also to get it into their Camry / Aurion. :)

First things first - The Disclaimer: I am in no way associated or affiliated with the seller of this head unit, except as a customer. All opinions are mine - the positives because I feel that way, and the negatives because I've walked away, had a think about it, and still feel that way.

With that said, here are the details:

The purchase

I purchased the unit from DIG Options, after a bit of digging around on eBay and various online forums. They seemd to get a fair number of positive reviews on the PradoPoint forums, which is the online community of the Land Cruiser owners. The unit I purchased is functionally identical, except it comes with the housing specifically made for the late model Camrys and Aurions.

Although I considered the unit offered by Auspack Electronics, in the end I decided that I could probably put the $250 I would save to better use, and still have functional parity between the two units. I found DIG Option's contact details online, and sent them some emails and a couple of phone calls. Payment was made through direct deposit into their bank account on a Thursday, they sent the unit out through registered post on Tuesday, and I had the unit on Thursday.

The sales experience has been positive overall. The couple who run the business, Matt and Donna, are friendly and relatively responsive. I believe they only check their emails at night, so expect about a day's turnaround when sending through any questions. Replies are, however, pretty good and helpful.

Unboxing

A picture says a thousand words, so here are a few that show what the unit initially looks like:

The Install

The install itself isnt very difficult. Just took us a little while because we kept taking breaks and then worked at night with just the car's internal lights and a flashlight. Yes, I know how stupid that sounds. :) Just wanted to get it in there ...

Here's how we did it, starting from the stock dash that we all know and love:

First, pop out the aircon panel.

Then, pull out the little side panels:

Next, pull out the panel that houses the ashtray and storage compartments:

And finally, out come the head unit and air con control knobs that are held together with brackets:

Now, most of these things are held together by clips, but there are a few bolts that need to be undone as well, so might be helpful to have some socket wrenches handy.

Once everything is out, unscrew the original head unit from the brackets, screw in the new one, and we're almost there:

As you can see, it's a pretty good fit, and looks just like the factory unit. The connectors in the back are very helpfully provided in the same plug and play manner as the original unit, so its simply a matter of ... well ... plugging them in. Here's a picture of us testing the video with a "Casino Royale" DVD:

We also made a quick video:

Please wait a few seconds for Video to Load!

And that's about it for the install of the head unit itself. We did also install the camera, for which we drilled a couple of small holes in the boot to run the cable through and mount. The camera is powered through the cables for the reversing lights, and this is also what the brown wire from the head unit labelled "CAR-BACK BACKSIGHT POWER" needs to be connected to. Trust me, that will make sense if you buy this unit and are hooking up the camera. Took us forever to figure this one out. :)

Initial thoughts

So far, it's been a great little unit, barring a couple of hiccups. One, and this is not a reflection on the unit itself and probably due to not having configured the software properly, was that the GPS took me home by possibly the longest route possible. Not good, even when I headed down a direction which I knew was shorter, it kept recalculating and sending me back.

The other thing that has not impressed me was that the Micro SD card that was in the unit (and which stores the GPS software) was stuck, and took an immense struggle to get out. Now, I know how to use SD cards (all my laptops, cameras and phones use them), so it definately wasnt me. The process of eventually removing the card seems to have damamged it, which means I don't have GPS in the car anymore ... which is almost self-defeating. I've emailed Matt from DIG Options, and will see what eventuates.

On the (very) positive side, the overall experience has been good. The unit looks great, is quite responsive, plays almost every kind of media you throw at it. The GPS receiver is incredibly fast and strong (we placed it under the dash between the air con vents). The Bluetooth paired with my friend's mobile very easily and its sound was loud and clear.

All up, I'm pretty happy with it. Now to get the GPS on the SD card issue sorted, and its happy days. Feel free to send me any questions, and I'll try to answer as best I can. Will also post some more pics and a follow up once I've been using it for a few days.

Off to bed, looks like it's going to be a long day at work in the morning ... :)

Edited August 16, 2009 by sokahmed

[sokahmed]

Alternatively, for a better way to take out the head unit, follow DJKOR's instructions here.

I just saw them, and slapped myself in the head ... Doh!... would have saved us a lot of effort taking it all apart.

Note to self: Next time, look through the forum more thoroughly!

[akuma]

nice write-up!.. how much did you get the unit for? $799?

[sokahmed]

Thanks! :)

Got the unit (including the reversing camera) for $650 delivered.

[DJKOR]

Nice work. Hopefully you get that SD card sorted out. If not, you can pick up like a 1GB one for like $10 these days.

Also looks like you have the previous version of iGO8. That interface looks just like it from what I can remember. Last time I bothered to update mine, they were currently up to version number 8.3.2.80621 dated March 10, 2009. If you feel like experimenting, I have uploaded it as per this post.

Alternatively, for a better way to take out the head unit, follow DJKOR's instructions here.

I just saw them, and slapped myself in the head ... Doh!... would have saved us a lot of effort taking it all apart.

Note to self: Next time, look through the forum more thoroughly!

I have had a look at how the Camry dash disassembles and I think the way you have approached it is the correct.

The Aurion has certain panels that are attached together unlike the Camry so my instructions probably wouldn't have helped much anyway.

[sokahmed]

Thanks man.

Yeah, I think that's probably what I'll end up doing. I do have another SD card with TomTom on it, and it even loads up, but it keeps showing the low battery indicator for some reason. I suspect this is because the software is for my Windows Mobile device. Will do a bit of digging around as soon as I get done with my exams in a couple of weeks and report back.

The other thing that might be interesting to note is that I was unable to play any media off the SD card. Looks like it might be restricted to be used only for the GPS software.

Any thoughts around what the best GPS software for a device like this is? What are people running here that they seem to be satisfied with?

Edit: Had a look at the thread you pointed out. What can I say? You're the Man! :)

Edited August 17, 2009 by sokahmed

[sokahmed]

Update on the GPS: Got an email from Matt today, who's going to send me another SD card with the software on it. Nice one!

Will hopefully get it in a couple of days, and will be all set to try out the GPS again.

Has anyone tried / have any experience with CoPilot? I like the way it looks, but haven't had a chance to use it.

[sokahmed]

Update: True to his word, Matt from DigOptions sent out the SD card, which arrived today. Will give it a bit of a spin over the weekend, and might even try to upgrade the version based on DJKOR's instructions.

[Styles]

HI sokahmed..

Sorry to ask.. might be a stupid question.. with the video you posted.. i heard that it was saying yards & not metres.. is it possible to change that?

[sokahmed]

HI sokahmed..

Sorry to ask.. might be a stupid question.. with the video you posted.. i heard that it was saying yards & not metres.. is it possible to change that?

Sorry mate. Just been super busy at work and haven't had a chance to check the forums.

Yes, measurement units can be changed from yards to metres.

Edited October 19, 2009 by sokahmed

[mrl]

Hi

Can you please advise where you ended installing the GPS aerial? Did you have it mounted internally or stuck on the dash?

[sokahmed]

Hi

Can you please advise where you ended installing the GPS aerial? Did you have it mounted internally or stuck on the dash?

Hi,

Sorry about the delayed response, just got back from overseas on Monday.

GPS aeriel is "installed" (or just simply placed) under the dash. Works fine from there. Hope this helps. :)

[miyage007]

I also purchased this unit and im just abot to install it. Regarding Tomtom installation, can someone confirm as to what Tomtom version and australia map version this unit (wince 6) will run on? I just want to give tomtom a try to see it it will indeed work.

Thanks

Nice work. Hopefully you get that SD card sorted out. If not, you can pick up like a 1GB one for like $10 these days.

Also looks like you have the previous version of iGO8. That interface looks just like it from what I can remember. Last time I bothered to update mine, they were currently up to version number 8.3.2.80621 dated March 10, 2009. If you feel like experimenting, I have uploaded it as per this post.

Alternatively, for a better way to take out the head unit, follow DJKOR's instructions here.

I just saw them, and slapped myself in the head ... Doh!... would have saved us a lot of effort taking it all apart.

Note to self: Next time, look through the forum more thoroughly!

I have had a look at how the Camry dash disassembles and I think the way you have approached it is the correct.

The Aurion has certain panels that are attached together unlike the Camry so my instructions probably wouldn't have helped much anyway.

[GeorgeGoosen]

I also purchased this unit and im just abot to install it. Regarding Tomtom installation, can someone confirm as to what Tomtom version and australia map version this unit (wince 6) will run on? I just want to give tomtom a try to see it it will indeed work.

Thanks

Nice work. Hopefully you get that SD card sorted out. If not, you can pick up like a 1GB one for like $10 these days.

Also looks like you have the previous version of iGO8. That interface looks just like it from what I can remember. Last time I bothered to update mine, they were currently up to version number 8.3.2.80621 dated March 10, 2009. If you feel like experimenting, I have uploaded it as per this post.

Alternatively, for a better way to take out the head unit, follow DJKOR's instructions here.

I just saw them, and slapped myself in the head ... Doh!... would have saved us a lot of effort taking it all apart.

Note to self: Next time, look through the forum more thoroughly!

I have had a look at how the Camry dash disassembles and I think the way you have approached it is the correct.

The Aurion has certain panels that are attached together unlike the Camry so my instructions probably wouldn't have helped much anyway.

I just wanted to check a few things..

i am about to buy one myself..

Frstly is everything still working?

Secondly with the ipod integraton i am assuming there is a cable that needs to go somewher.. ddi you route the cable to the glove box or to the center console.. if so .. was there any drilling required?

Thirdly you put in a reverese cam? what was involved with that.. i know you said you had to wire it to the reverese lights power.. but what holes did you have to make in order to get the camera in? could you maybe post a pic of where you mounted the camera? and how hard was it to run the cable from the camera to the unit(do you even have to do that)

THANKS

[GeorgeGoosen]

also i wanted to check ..

when installing the reverse cam? did you get the one that you had to drill into your bumper? or the one that goes into the number plate light....

[MrMeToo]

Hi guys! I'm a long time reader, first time reply-er. I have a black 08 aurion prodigy and am looking at the dig options unit too. How's the fit? Does it sit flush with no gaps etc? (pics would be awesome) also is the unit still functioning?