Hacking a Bad GPS for a good outcome

January 26, 2009 3:08 PM

I got a crap refurbished GPS for my girlfriend - a clarion NICE 430 because it was on sale for a low price. But it's got old maps, no updates and less support. I'm buying her another one, but what can I do with THIS one? Besides chucking it at the clarion building.

Okay this one is all my fault. Let me state this right up front.

My girl was constantly getting lost and Newegg had the Nice 430 on sale for, I think 50 bucks. Feel free to check the specs. For 50 bucks, I figured, how bad could it be?

I should probably not say that stuff in the future.

The software wouldn't load because it's vista. The maps are from 2003. There's no support on the website for the product. And the interface could only be more complicated if it was in chinese.

So, I got her another one - a tomtom I think. And she gave this one back to me. It's refurbished so I can't return it. I tried calling Clarion to see if they'll do anything and I got an answering machine message in spanish. And I think I missed my window to file an AMEX claim about it being broken.

So. Now it's sitting on MY desk. And not doing much.

It's got a windows CE interface and it is pretty peppy when you're in those windows. It's got bluetooth, a card reader and a pretty responsive touchscreen. If the program inside wasn't junk created by a company that abandoned it at birth, it might be okay.

So what can I do with this thing?

1) Is there any way to load a competing software (tomtom, garmin, microsoft, etc) onto it to make it a good GPS?
2) Can I hack it in some way to make it do something really cool that is worth the 50 bucks I paid?
3) Or, barring both of those, is there some creative way I can eliminate the device that will make up for the boner purchase I made with sheer juvenile fun?

I await your recommendations. I'm hoping for a decent GPS that I can loan to people who come to visit in LA who weren't smart enough to bring one. But I'd settle for something really clever or fun but stupid.

posted by rileyray3000 to Technology (5 answers total)

Maybe if you can pull it apart and sell the individual components. There's got to be a buyer out there for an orphan blutetooth, card reader or touchscreen. see if you can track down a list of the spare parts for it, match up part numbers and work out exactly what each component is...
...???
PROFIT!
posted by robotot at 3:31 PM on January 26, 2009

Check out this thread it's got some info on updates (though it's a year old) and some refrences to expansion/hacking. If nothing else it might give you some back alleys to search out.
posted by Science! at 4:11 PM on January 26, 2009

Apparently it can play DivX movies once you install Core Media Player (hunt around in that thread for a link to the old free version).
posted by Pinback at 4:26 PM on January 26, 2009

You may be able to run other software like TomToms on it if the device runs Windows CE. I have done so with a device that was made by a different company that also had pretty bad software on it. However, the process of doing so is likely not straight forward, and will, if it is possible at all, involve lots of tinkering. Getting the new software to work with the built in GPS module may be a problem, for example. Also, you'd have to buy the new software.

Also, Windows CE is a complete operating system for these kinds of devices, you may be able to run all kinds of software made for CE on it, stuff like calendars or media players. Just look around the web, there is lots.
There is bound to be some info on 'hacking' the device in some GPS forum or the like, just search around or ask in those places.
posted by Lynx at 4:40 PM on January 26, 2009

Can you have it direct you to specific GPS coordinates? If so, you could use it for geocaching. It's a fun outdoor treasure hunting type activity. Usually you'd want to use a weather resistant setup for it, but if you're not too attached to it, it would be a low-risk way of getting started.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 7:16 PM on January 26, 2009