And if so, how hard is it....There is a NAV radio on ebay that I'm scoping out....Also, do I need anything "beyond" the radio ???

Thanks men,
Hummer:
Like Nothing Else

 

I have the stock NAV and it works fine. The map, routing and POI are not as good as my Garmin portable GPS, while it is quick, precise and works seamlessly with other functions in H3. On Crutchfield.com, you can find many in-dash gps unit compatible to H3. There are also many threads on this forum which can provide you lot of info about installation. Bestbuy might also be able help you if you don't want to DIY

 

Depending on whether you have Onstar or the Monsoon system, I think you need a certain harness adaptor (Metra GMOS 04 I think) so everything will work right. You should be able to find it searching around here or other forums.

 

Just add a portable Navigation system, means you also dont have to mangle your car's original things. i've done it. works like a charm.

Navman is the best in my opinion

http://www.navman.com/

 

I just ordered an Avic X910BT from sonicelectronix.com. Shipping info has it arriving tomorrow. I plan on putting it in this weekend. I will post my experience when done.

 

I can't believe it, but I ordered over the weekend, they processed my order on Monday and everything arrived on Tuesday. I bought the Avic X910BT, GMOS-01, Pioneer GEX-P920XM Tuner, and CD-IU230V iPod Cable. I was planning on putting it in this weekend, but who am I kidding, I couldn't have all that stuff sitting around for almost a week. So, I went to work.

Taking the old radio out was a breeze, thanks to this forum. Console snapped right off, no problem. Radio came out easy. The hardest part was taking out the old XM Tuner above the glove compartment.

Tying all the wires together, although looked a little intimidating, was a snap with the instructions that came with the GMOS adapter. I did do the hardware bypass to allow the Nav and DVD system to play while driving. No problems there at all.

I was able to use the existing XM antenna by simply breaking the clip on the old one. It may not be as secure without the clip, but it still fits pretty snug, so I think it will be fine. I placed the magnetic GPS antenna on top of the air bag assembly. I wasn't quite sure if that would be OK reception wise but I was getting good signal strength even in my garage, so I think that will be fine as well.

I did end up breaking off the metal radio support tab as it was getting in the way of the new unit. But after that, I shoved everything back in the dash and I was good to go. Sonic Electronix threw in the radio antenna adapter and the mounting bracket for free and both fit like a champ. I plan on adding a backup camera as soon as it arrives but that seems like no problem after getting everything else done. All in all it took me about 3-4 hours.

As far as the unit, I am pretty impressed. Bluetooth is flawless and contact sync worked like a charm. I had to turn off the VR Cataloging everytime I plugged in the phone because it took like 3 minutes or so and if you switch screens it stops it. You can still play music though while it's doing it by using the forward and back buttons. I called XM to transfer my subscription and they told me it would be $15 dollars. I asked them how much I would have to pay to cancel and they got the idea and did it for free. The interface is responsive and the route entry is way better than my Navigon GPS unit and the Navigon app on the iPhone. MSN Direct is sweet and I can certainly see me subscribing to that. Mostly for the traffic info.

So far, the one complaint I have is trying to call contacts via voice commands. For some reason it just doesn't want to recognize anybody and will often just call random numbers when I try and say a name. Which is weird because I have had no issue when voice dialing with numbers or playing songs/artists with voice.

That has pretty much been my experience for the last 24 hours, but I can say that I absolutely love the unit so far. Next on my list is mounting and iPhone dock somewhere for easy access/docking and possibly splicing in to the OnStar mic and ditching the mic that came with it. Oh, and the back up cam.

 

I upgraded my factory head unit with one that has it all. DVD, Navigation, BlueTooth, backup camera. All you need is a module that allows you to keep your onstar stuff. It's about $90. Metra Axxess makes them.

Works great and I love the bluetooth. No need for those expensive onstar minutes and works just as good.