Alpine W200 Nav Options Clarification...

[af22]

Ok, so i went to check out the W200 in the store the other day, and saw it has a NAV selection on the menu screen... But none of the employees know anything about the NAV add on's and the website doesn't say anything.

So to my understanding, only the black bird connects to the W200, but the dock is not availible yet? The other alpine nav unit is like $1700 too....

Am i missing something here? Is the alpine "NAV" selection an alpine perpriortory connection, or can it work w/ 3rd party nav units also?

[dbphelps]

You have to use Alpine nav units with thier headunits...

The available Nav units that will work (with the appropriate connection cables that is) are:

NVE-751AS
NVE-851/852
NVE-871/872

And I know there are a bunch of european version with different numbering schemes that will work as well...

It is the only fully backwards compatible thing Alpine has done in allowing any Nav unit to work with thier newer headunits... Even nav units that are no longer supported like the NVE-751AS...

Personally I have a IVA-D900 en-route that I should have next week, which I will be using with a NVE-751AS as I have the proper specialty cable to allow me to plug it right in... I will probably upgrade to one of the newer DVD-based nav units (probably the NVE-851/852 as it has gotten to be pretty reasonable pricewise for a second hand unit now)...

[BodegaBay]

Originally Posted by af22

So to my understanding, only the black bird connects to the W200, but the dock is not availible yet? The other alpine nav unit is like $1700 too....

Am i missing something here? Is the alpine "NAV" selection an alpine perpriortory connection, or can it work w/ 3rd party nav units also?

All Alpine video head-units will connect with Alpine DVD based navigation units (e.g. NVD-N851A, NVD-N852A, NVD-872A, etc.) or newer hard-drive based portable unit (at this time, the Blackbird) with a docking station.

All of their NAV units connect to the video screen via Alpine's propriety "RGB" cable witch carries the video, audio, and remote control signals. At this time, only the current NAV units 872 and Blackbird support touchscreen; all their previous NAV units were remote control only.

You can theortecially connect a non-Alpine NAV unit if it has a composite (RCA) video output, which then can be connected to the Alpine head-unit's video screen either brough (i) a RGB-to-RCA breakout cable or (ii) a composite (RCA) video input. But if you did that you would still have to use either a remote or manual input your information through that non-Alpine NAV unit -- which is a cumbersome route IMO.

[rcantu]

that's cool to know that older nav units work but after having an eclipse, a touch screen is definitely a necessary feature.