Digital Compasses?

I would actually spend a few extra bucks and pick up a handheld GPS unit like this one



http://www.garmin.com/products/etrex/



My father in law got me one for Christmas and it is pretty cool. You can enter in the GPS coordinates and let it get you there. Also, you can mark spots and use the GPS unit to find your way back to that original spot. It tells you your speed and has a compass as well.
 
My '05 Audi A4 has a digital compass in the rear view mirror (direction only N,S,SW, etc)



Outside temperature is given on a readout in the Intstrument cluster.



never really used it for finding my way though. Haven't had the need,
 
On Ebay you can get a rear view mirror w/compass & with or without a temp. reading for less than the cost of the seperate compass. I have done two installs for friends and it isnt too bad.
 
One advantage to having the compass in the rear view mirror is most of them are electrochromatic also. I never really realized how great electrochromatic rear view mirrors were until I drove a rental car at night that didn't have one. I thought I was going to need sunglasses.
 
kempie said:
On Ebay you can get a rear view mirror w/compass & with or without a temp. reading for less than the cost of the seperate compass. I have done two installs for friends and it isnt too bad.
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I like that...I'll have to check that out.
 
How do you get power to the rearview mirror? Hardwire? How difficult is it to hardwire a mirror? Is there any special equipment needed?
 
Maxy, my SSE has a factory compass. I can only remember one time when it was any value, where I was lost and knew I was heading the opposite direction from where I should be. I thought it would be really helpful, but the reality is if you are on a westbound road, for instance, it usually winds all over the place, and if you look at the compass you will make urself crazy as it changes...hardly ever pointing "west".



THIS IS MY OPINION. No hate mail because I don't use my compass as much as you do!
 
Well I frequently go to places for work that I'm not familiar with. I use my WI state atlas, and it is very helpful, but sometimes I'll know what road I'm on...just not which way I'm heading. If I'm near Lake Michigan or Green Bay, the direction is very easy to figure out. But when I'm farther inland in an unfamiliar area, that's when a compass could really come in handy.
 
Don't you love it when you get directions that say "Go north on 'insert road'" and you have no idea which way is north? A compass is handy to have in your car, handheld GPS even better.
 
TW85 HHI said:
Don't you love it when you get directions that say "Go north on 'insert road'" and you have no idea which way is north? A compass is handy to have in your car, handheld GPS even better.
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This is why you look at the clock, look where the sun is, and judge which direction is north on that road. ;)
 
White95Max said:
How do you get power to the rearview mirror? Hardwire? How difficult is it to hardwire a mirror? Is there any special equipment needed?
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If the car offered an electrochromatic mirror as an option, chances are power is already there if you install the fuse. If not you just run power from the fusebox up the doorframe and under the headliner. You can usually take the visors off and use the holes to help you run the wires. Use a coathanger to fish it through.
 
You can try looking at the numbers on buildings - odd numbers are always on the south and east side of the street, even numbers are on north and west.
 
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