VXOC Astra-J/GTC

Happy blue update:

They sent me another one but I have the same issues with it... It works but the welcome lights etc. Don't work the way I configure them too... Only fogs come on. Also for some reason the wiper jets randomly stop working you till the dongle is removed.

The company said they have never seen this issue before but are working with me to get it sorted [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

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Few small updates here:

1. I ordered a 3 meter MIC which I wanted to fit to the factory MIC location and use that instead of the one i had sat on the dash...it's now done and works great!



No more MIC on the dash:



2. I used to have the 3G dongle connected to the USB port on the rear of the head unit which was fine...but should i ever want to swap networks or remove it for troubleshooting or whatever I'd have to take all the head unit out...So I swapped it to the front USB port instead:



3. Yanked the BT module as I don't need it anymore...will be selling to



BONUS SHOTS OF HEAD UNIT WIRING

does the mic stick out of the roof or is it hidden behind the plastic

Completely hidden behind the plastic...looks just like yours or anyone elses does

well it will when i actually get an astra lol

Oh...sorry :( hahaha. But yeah...hidden will grab a pic...but nothing really to see.

As for the 3G dongle, I'm actually going to get a mobile hotspot dongle instead and stash it in my glove box and have it powered by the 2 USB sockets i retrofitted in there...then I can just connect anything (incl. the head unit) to it via wifi...easy

instead of the dongle could you use your phone as a mobile hotspot?
i get 16gb a month (got it for when im on my boat)

This is all amazing stuff but is the outcome worth all the hassle & expense?

What exactly do you have above & beyond?

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(9:th-Mar-2016, 19:45:17)mrtc Wrote: [ -> ]instead of the dongle could you use your phone as a mobile hotspot?
i get 16gb a month (got it for when im on my boat)

Yep you can tether your phone and I have done to test it

and @J1ODYA what do you mean by that question? Yes it's worth the expense as it was actually quite cheap really for what you get...the installation and everything to do with the MIC wire etc. took no more than 2 hours total...not much hassle really Oh and bearing in mind that was the first time i'd ever installed a new head unit...I could probably do it again in less than 45 mins

I'm talking about the whole head unit... you get a lot of options but do not really understand what's worth having?



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Well it's going to be down to personal preference as to whether or not it's worth having...I personally think it's better than any standard Vauxhall system...even the Navi systems because you can actually get apps to do a lot of the stuff which you'd otherwise have to use your phone for e.g. Alternative satnav apps - no need to pay 80 quid or something silly to get the latest maps as you can get any free app from the app store. Spotify, can watch DVDs if you want too, YouTube, then you can have stuff like reverse cameras and have it send video to back of seat head rests for kids to watch etc.

So as I say yeah...personal preference really and there probably will be the odd thing you won't use...but for me I use quite a lot of what it has to offer and the stuff I don't use is only really like Digital TV...but that would need an extra module anyway.

Right so apps are cool, but suppose point is are you really going to watch YouTube in your car?

I had a couple of cars with dvd players that I liked.

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Indeed I do well....more listen to songs which I can only find on YouTube...just open them and let them play and ignore the video...

I guess it's more about having the option irrespective of whether you use it or not.



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I agree it's just cost v use & the convo about trying to lower the car as cheap as poss compared to spending a fortune to get a fancy entertainment system; I'd sooner spend more on parts that make the car look better externally than having the option of YouTube on my stereo... just trying to see what other functionality it brought.

Bear in mind my car has the infinity upgrade speakers, sub and a dab stereo which is all I seem to need.

Not criticising just making convo here... in reality I wouldn't search YouTube for a song in the car, just wondered if this would be a gimmick that doesn't get used after a week (like most functions on my smartphone lol)

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(10:th-Mar-2016, 08:24:43)J1ODYA Wrote: [ -> ]I agree it's just cost v use & the convo about trying to lower the car as cheap as poss compared to spending a fortune to get a fancy entertainment system; I'd sooner spend more on parts that make the car look better externally than having the option of YouTube on my stereo... just trying to see what other functionality it brought.

Bear in mind my car has the infinity upgrade speakers, sub and a dab stereo which is all I seem to need.

Not criticising just making convo here... in reality I wouldn't search YouTube for a song in the car, just wondered if this would be a gimmick that doesn't get used after a week (like most functions on my smartphone lol)

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And that's why it's good everyone is different otherwise we'd all have the exact same things done to our cars.

The headunit looks awesome and has some good features and I can't wait to get one personally. I have a 10 month old so YouTube with headrest screen could come in very handy when she's a bit older!

Never really looked into the infinity much, is it much better than standard?

I'm sure some features will be forgot about too but there'll be others you use everyday!


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Yeah and it's the others I'm interested in as always up for a mod.

YouTube and head rest screens is a good feature but suppose you're constrained by the network signal?

Infinity is hugely different IMO & considering I've been through the days of throwing my own subs and 6x9s it's up there with them!

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If you create a kids account on youtube, you can then save all their favourite cartoons to a playlist and once you press play it will play them one after another without the need for them or you to search. The same can be applied to songs, educational stuff etc. I can see the benefit of such a system, I just wish you could get a plug and play system that did all of this.

Car vision will install Touch Screen DVD Headrests with HDMI, Mirror-Link technology, Remotes and Headphones and fit them for £299...

https://www.car-vision.co.uk/cube-v2-dvd...21086.html

You can buy the headrests for £100 and fit them yourself

Can't remember if I said but just got my insurance even cheaper! Was paying £89 a month last year, got it down to £62 a month this year (2 weeks ago I got my new insurance) but they rang me and said I can get mine down to £52 a month if I get someone else to move to them (multi car discount). I asked my mother who said yeah go for it...they got her a quote for £10 less than she's paying now and i got mine for a tenner less too! Cheapest I've ever had insurance

Nice one mate, I've just started mine at £51 a month for 9 months and a deposit of £69, so two months free lol. That's with everything declared too!

Has insurance charged much for retrofitting navi?


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Oh wow! That's an awesome deal then! Who's that with? And nope... They didn't even ask for me to declare all the internal stuff... I mean there was an option for like "interior modifications" so I picked that... The options were vague but I picked as many as i could find that were applicable and it didn't seem to make much difference (if any) to the price

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Ah nice one then! I got that through Flux Direct (part of Adrian Flux). I am 28 with 8years ncb though lol! But saved £300 from last years price!!


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Oh what!?!!? I'm 25 with 2 years NCB...smaller engine but even on a VXR (yes I did check haha) it came back at only around 60 a month!

It's where I live lol! I live opposite bungalows and it's very quite quiet but down my estate is rough lol!


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Ahhhh that's it then! Haha. Mines an okay area so that will be helping [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] pretty chuffed with mine as even my mum who has been driving forever and had my old corsa d 1.4 Sxi is paying 44 a month with 9 years NCB!

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Insurance is a joke, how they get their prices baffles me as its as if they just make it up whether they like you name and voice hahaha


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(10:th-Mar-2016, 17:12:49)Tonto Wrote: [ -> ]Insurance is a joke, how they get their prices baffles me as its as if they just make it up whether they like you name and voice hahaha


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Or they have a morning meeting where the big boss man sticks a price on the screen and says go from there chaps...!

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Both sound likely! I did my insurance quote at 9am and then again at midday (the same day!) and there was a tenner a month difference between the two prices! Lol

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Hi sheppy1, where did you order the 3 meter mic from ? I want to do that too , in the picture you have your 3g dongle plug int o the USB port near the gear stick how did you change the USB port from the old one to the new one it's molded around the plastic , and last were did you put your GPS aerial ? Thanks

Yep was the exact one that @mrtc posted and it works great! [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] also for the USB you actually get a wire with the head unit which you can use to replace the factory wiring which essentially links the factory USB port to the head unit so then you can use it for whatever you want.

The GPS module I ran up the back behind the head unit and into the speaker compartment on the dash under the grill (near the windscreen in the centre). I then melted a small groove in that plastic grill and fed the GPS module out there... See this pic



You can barely see it and you get the best reception as nothing is blocking it and barely any wire on show [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]



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That's great thanks, last , what website did you order your 3 meter mic cable , and run it up to the roof .

Was this ebay link that @mrtc posted above mate:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/External-Micro...SwDNdV23Fu

Literally ran the cable down the A pillar, across the top of the driver footwell and into the panel that covers the centre console and then to the back of the head unit...only took 5 mins

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Quick clip of the Happy Blue which is set to turn on my high beams and fogs (along with Reg plate leds) on unlock and also when I open the door after getting out of the car [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

https://youtu.be/mOL3BrEo49k

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Thanks for the info

The 3G dongle I have is a bit flakey and drops connection often so I went and bought a MiFi device to replace it... Now the head unit connects via WiFi to the device which is how it gets its Internet connection. Works amazingly well so far!

Here it is:



I've got it connected to the USB socket I retrofitted inside the glove box so it sits there and comes on when the car comes on [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]



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Found this clip in the boot





Anyone know what it's for? Would like to put it back in its home

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It looks like one from the plastic boot liner, the one you take off when doing wires for reverse sensors..


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Hmmmmm will probably take it off and have a look then [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES] ta

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Tonto is right.
I damaged one when installing reverse camera.

Thanks chaps! I'll leave it anyway... Cba taking it off just to put one clip back on which obviously isn't causing any issues. I still think some of them are designed to be broken and not make any difference to the panels they're holding together lol

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There's plenty of them on there so one shouldn't make any difference lol! Especially if you never noticed the panel being loose!


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How's about sending me that clip lol. I lost one when I pulled the panel off near the quarter window to install my aerial cabling.

At least I think it's that clip.

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(11:th-Mar-2016, 19:19:05)bhalay207 Wrote: [ -> ]How's about sending me that clip lol. I lost one when I pulled the panel off near the quarter window to install my aerial cabling.

At least I think it's that clip.

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You can have it if you need it mate [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-X-7-Car-DVD-...SwG-1W1Qyr

my nephews would love this lol

In your picture above the head unit is out , is the black with all the little holes is that Bluetooth ? If so where did you put it ?

(12:th-Mar-2016, 13:45:56)opelastra Wrote: [ -> ]In your picture above the head unit is out , is the black with all the little holes is that Bluetooth ? If so where did you put it ?

Nope that's the speaker which is used for the door chimes and indicator sounds etc. I've literally stuck it to the top of the unit as you can see in the pic. Fits fine [SMILING FACE WITH SMILING EYES]

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(16:th-Feb-2016, 19:28:52)Tonto Wrote: [ -> ]Probably as its on full time lol, take bulb out and see if bit is there/snapped/ missing


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Sorry to hijack your thread @sheppy1

Ive just taken my glovebox out to run my cable and noticed that something is missing from the top. I'm assuming that's why the bulb doesn't doesn't turn off? Any ideas what part I'm missing?



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Does the plastic bit push in and turn bulb off if you do it by hand?? When the glovebox door closes its meant to push it in to turn it off


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Yeah it does... or at least did. Something should be yhere but its not

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Haha.... I know why. I've just looked on ebay and realised. When I changed the bulb to an led, I put it back on the wrong way round [FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY][FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY][FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY][FACE WITH TEARS OF JOY]

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