My New Honda City in White - The Albus


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Dr MUDHAN

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LOVE TO SEE ANOTHER ALBUS LIKE ANHC 2013 CAR!

I am surprised to see this YouTube video yesterday and happy to note that another ALBUS like ANHC 2012/13 model exists in the other side of INDIA.
What more surprised me, I came to know that the owner Mr. Shiva Choudhary is inspired by this thread & from automotiveindia forum.
If you are one of the regular reader of this thread, you would love to note some of the significant modifications added in this car like Android Head Unit, Civic HU controllers, Front side sensors, roof spoiler, Armrest, some beautiful interior modification and more.
I am delighted, there are so many silent readers like Mr. Shiva love ALBUS and inspired. I wish he should join soon with us at TAI and share the links of those add ons.

Please don’t miss to see the video fully.

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Thread Starter #1,878

Dr MUDHAN

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@ Drbeat -
Thanks Dr Rejaneesh for your visit to this thread, appreciation and comments.
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ANHC 3rd GEN FACE LIFT INDIA Version vs PAKISTAN Version


I would like to share one interesting information about our Honda City Third generation (Face Lift INDIA).

It seems that the generation varies in some countries. The Third Gen (FL) which was introduced in INDIA during the end of 2012 and was available only for a short period like a Limited Edition as the fourth Gen was introduced during 2014.

The Third Gen Face lift itself is a better version as it has 165 Ground Clearance than previous version(GC 160) that got introduced during 2008/2009, little lengthier by design, of course with some cosmetic changes in front chrome grill ,tail lamp and alloy wheel.

I am quite surprised, the same version which is recently introduced in Pakistan as ASPIRE and PROSMATIC Editions with some cosmetic add-ons.

Pakistan had 1.3 L engine and these versions comes with 1.5 L i- VTEC engine. You may like to see these videos to note the changes which are introduced in these editions.


 
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LOVE TO SEE ANOTHER ALBUS LIKE ANHC 2013 CAR!

I am surprised to see this YouTube video yesterday and happy to note that another ALBUS like ANHC 2012/13 model exists in the other side of INDIA.
What more surprised me, I came to know that the owner Mr. Shiva Choudhary is inspired by this thread & from automotiveindia forum.
If you are one of the regular reader of this thread, you would love to note some of the significant modifications added in this car like Android Head Unit, Civic HU controllers, Front side sensors, roof spoiler, Armrest, some beautiful interior modification and more.
I am delighted, there are so many silent readers like Mr. Shiva love ALBUS and inspired. I wish he should join soon with us at TAI and share the links of those add ons.

Please don’t miss to see the video fully.

View attachment 267339
He had done a great job. Hope he joins the forum soon.
7
 
Thread Starter #1,880

Dr MUDHAN

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What should you look in a best Car Mobile Charger?

THE BEST CHARGER THAT I HAVE NOW!

The most inevitable Car Gadget today is to have a reliable, safe and performing Mobile USB Charger.

Gone are the days when we used to have a dual port 5Volt/1Amp and 5Volt/2Amp USB charger. Today’s technology brought to us the Quick Charging Mobiles and Electronic gadgets where the charging volt output need to be 9 to 12 Volts. These intelligent chargers communicate with the embedded chip and, QUALCOMM stands out and has become a standard.

As on date Qualcomm Certified QC4 claims the maximum possibility - 5 minutes RAPID CHARGING for 5-hours battery backup. Incredible, isn’t it?

I have now a fast charging Mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy Edge 7) and my old chargers were no way useful, so I have done some analysis to buy QC3 Car Charger that outputs adequate volts in my ALBUS. Fortunately, I could get the original SAMSUNG CAR CHARGER from AliExpress which performs till today as expected but now not available at there. I have recently bought another one for my relative which is also an excellent performer- you can note from the link below.

I have also purchased a reliable USB VOLT TESTER to ensure that the phone gets the right volts and the fast charging notification to pop up. Another most important thing that we should get is a right fast charging cable to facilitate the performance.

So, please note:

BEST CAR USB CHARGER must be
Faster Charging with Lower Temperature, Intelligent Negotiation for Optimum Voltage, More Secure, safety and protection features. Preferably a Dual Port - QC 9 to 12V and 5V for the use of old gadgets.

BEST CHARGING CABLE must be
With an excellent copper core wires, perform two-way communication between the gadget and charger. (Please note, all the cables in the market are NOT compatible as there are two types - 1. One way for passing the power only and, another – Two-way Data Cable where you can transfer the files to/from PC. The second one can be used for fast charging. It may USB mini or USB Type C.

USB OUTPUT/VOLT TESTER
Now it is affordable, very useful to ensure the charger performance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are so many manufactures - Branded and Generic (CHINA).
But I experienced the best and excellent quality products from these Manufactures / Sellers at a value for money price. You can have a try if you need them.

FAST CHARGERS:
CAR:
US $8.99 40% OFF|Ugreen Car Charger Quick Charge 3.0 USB Fast Charger for Xiaomi mi 9 iPhone X Xr 8 Huawei Samsung S9 S8 QC 3.0 USB Car Charger-in Car Chargers from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

HOME:
US $4.17 35% OFF|TOPK Quick Charge 3.0 Mobile Phone Charger 18W Fast USB Charger EU Plug Wall USB Charger Adapter for iPhone Samsung Xiaomi LG-in Mobile Phone Chargers from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

NORMAL CHARGER FOR HOME:
US $2.41 41% OFF|Top Quality 5V 2A EU Plug USB Fast Charger Mobile Phone Wall Travel Power Adapter For iPhone 6 6s 7 Plus Samsung S7edge Xiaomi-in Mobile Phone Chargers from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

CHARGING CABLES:
EXCELLENT
US $1.49 25% OFF|Ugreen USB Type C Cable for Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 mi9 USB C Cable for Samsung S9 Fast Charging Wire USB C Mobile Phone Charge Cord-in Mobile Phone Cables from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

US $1.69 20% OFF|Ugreen Micro USB Cable 3A Nylon Fast Charge USB Data Cable for Samsung Xiaomi LG Tablet Android Mobile Phone USB Charging Cord-in Mobile Phone Cables from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

VERY GOOD
US $1.49 40% OFF|TOPK Micro USB Cable 2.4A Fast Data Sync Charging Cable For Samsung Huawei Xiaomi LG Andriod Microusb Mobile Phone Cables-in Mobile Phone Cables from Cellphones & Telecommunications on AliExpress

USB OUTPUT TESTER:
US $3.9 20% OFF|12/13 in 1 usb tester dc power meter digital voltmeter voltimetro volt meter power bank wattmeter voltage tester doctor detector-in Voltage Meters from Tools on AliExpress


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READ ALSO EARLIER WRITE UP:
My New Honda City in White - The Albus
 
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Back here after like 3-4 years and not yet gone through all pages but I am planning to go. Once back to India I hopefully do some more mods. I was watching that above musafir video and I suddenly I remember about this thread. Came here to say hi !!!
 
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Dr MUDHAN

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ANDROID HEAD UNIT- Should I give one to my ALBUS?

I buy things for my ALBUS and share my experience in this thread.
I never buy things but also share about the facts on my exploration for the benefit of our Forum Members/Guest Readers here.
Please read, and you find out what kind of article is this.[;)]

ALBUS has got an aftermarket custom made Chinese 8-inch LCD unit purchased during 2014 that runs on WIN CE, a decade old Operating System but still functional and in immaculate condition. Only issue I face that the clock is useless due to missing India GMT.
181357-ae39a22f8890497b7a8bb8b98fc5ace2.jpg


Almost all new generation cars today provided with Head Units - a Basic or a Better version.
At least with a Clock, Radio, Bluetooth and USB port. Better versions have a touch screen, multimedia interface and Navigation support. But, Auto manufacturers infotainment systems still don't measure up to what's available on our tablets and phones. They provide Apple CarPlay and Google's Android Auto interface for a limited number of applications. Still they are NOT an infotainment system that runs on full Android. May be the Car Manufacturers is keen in ensuring safety as they don't want to distract the driver by providing too many things in their Head Units.

But car enthusiasts want to have a COCKPIT like Car Dash HEAD UNIT & AVN SYSTEM as things have become very affordable. That's exactly what Chinese electronics manufacturers have done. They make not just head units, but complete kits available for a wide variety of cars that includes connections for Rear/Front Camera, OBD, Tyre pressure monitor, USB, Mobile Hotspot, DVR video recorder, etc. runs on Android like a tablet, and also integrates with our car seamlessly. Their wiring harnesses is simple plug and play and installing Google Map and favorite Apps are easy. As they are so attractive and really tempting for an upgrade. But,

Are these Head Units still worthy?
What are those risk that we need to bear?

Hope, the following facts may help you to take a right decision:

MANUFACTURERS
Only few Manufacturers like DASAITA, ZESTECH, TOPNAVI & SEICANE located in CHINA provide / customize according to the needs of their Traders/ Retailers.

In INDIA, sellers like HYPERSONIC, FOXFIRE import from them, Re-brand , get customized the configuration even with the their own logo (Hypersonic) depends upon the local market demand. The Quality expensive Manufacture is DASAITA and the cheapest is SEICANE

DISPLAY
The display quality and the multi touch control spots are almost same in all (probably outsourced), well designed to replace the original panel of different cars that leaves a flawless integration. Two types of screen are available- 1. HD LCD 2. IPS Panel protected by 2.5D Glass (aka, Gorilla) cover as scratch proof. Capacitive Screen Multi-point touch, Resolution is 1024*600. Screen size varies from 7 to 10 + inch, depends upon the car panels for all most all cars. Huge Tesla style vertical displays is also available with provisions for OE climatic control integration and more.
For Honda City 3rd Gen both 9 inch (old stock) and latest 10.1 inch Screens are available.

CONFIGURATION
Importantly the ROM / RAM, Processor and the Android version of OS.
Minimum 1/16 GB to 4/64 GB and the Android versions are 7 to 10 as on date. Note, the system may show as claimed by the manufacturer but the third party App like CPU Z will show lower config in cheap units [frustration]. Better to doubly check the configuration at the time of buying. Minimum 2/16 GB and Android 8.1 is okay, provided you should not play Games, avoid recording functions & adding unnecessary APPs. Quad Core or Octa Core Processors are better.

SOUND QUALITY
Okay, may be little better than OEM unit in some cars. If you're looking for audio quality better than OEM then you go for a better reputed brand. Remember adding an amplifier is no way going to improve the original output. OR, At least ensure 4x50w Mosfet, DSP inbuilt and AMP pre out. It is good to add Antenna Booster Adopter for better FM quality.

PURCHASE LOCAL / ABROAD
Local Price ranges from 12.5 K to 20 K without additional accessories like Camera, FM antenna booster etc.,
Purchase locally brands like Hypersonic, Foxfire better through their dealer network. At least they provide proper/ free installation and replacement any faulty part at the time of purchase. They do provide warranty for one year but I am not sure how far they have committed. But their cost is 200 times more than direct CHINA purchase. Delhi friends are so lucky as so many dealers are around Karol bagh area.
Purchasing from CHINA through AliExpress works cheaper but expect 30 to 40% custom duty and no after sales service. One must be lucky enough to get fully functional unit.

PREFERRED CONNECTIONS
All basic connections like GPS, Rear Camera, Radio Antenna, external USB, Steering Wheel Remote, Hotspot/Wi-Fi are must and are all there. Some units provide more connections as to front camera, DVR recording, adding SIM card, External mike, Bluetooth based OBD II Adapter, TPMS etc.,

INSTALLATION
Charges around Rs. 750 to Rs. 1000.00
Many carry out DIY fitting provided if you have correct tools. But, better do it with a professional help.
Lot of videos are available, go through for proper and easy guidance for your car even if you get professional help. Check all functions especially steering remote integration.


WHAT I DID:
I have decided to keep away at present upgrading to ANDROID UNIT.
Reasons:
I have already invested 20K for my older unit which is functional and 8-inch touch that is adequate. WIN CE OS starts faster than ANDROID OS.
I can’t resell this unit as already my original OE Head Unit lying as e-waste as no takers [sad].
I don’t think that these Re_ Branded Indian units are available in my place except Generic 1GB /16 GB units.
My Car doesn’t have a OE steering control buttons and I feel that these new units cannot be controlled by external infra-red remote.
I never often use the Video Player and use regularly only the FM Radio, Rear CAM, BT, and Stereo for my stored songs which performance are very good.

It’s okay, I would be missing the ultra-modern look, Pure Android Experience like Google Maps, some interesting TV Apps.; never like to set up notifications for new email or Facebook messages etc., …

Yes, I convinced my soul[lol]


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USEFUL LINKS:

HYPERSONIC SHOP
1. FOXFIRE
2.
FOXFIRE
1. Honda city 2012 Fitment
2. Honda city 3RD GEN Fitment


READ MORE:
1.
MY ALBUS GETS A NEW ICE- In Car Entertainment!
2. BUYING A CAR STEREO HEAD UNIT - FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED
 
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Thread Starter #1,884

Dr MUDHAN

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The best unit as on date for our 3rd Gen Cars. LINK
Remember, its expensive.
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10.2" Car Radio GPS for Honda City 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Android 9.0 Head Unit 4G 32G Octa Core 4*50W Navi MP3 Wifi BT
Muliti-Touch 1024*600 Touch Screen Car Video Stereo In-dash System Radio/A2DP/Bluetooth/WIFI/EQ/Navigation/Music
Powerful Rockchip PX5 Vehicle Solution
CPU: Rockchip PX5 Octa-Core , 64-Bit OS: Android 9.0 RAM: DDR3 4GB ROM: 32GB Amplifier Chip: TDA7850 (4*50W ) Radio Chip: ST7708 Screen: 1024*600 IPS Buttons illuminations :Blue Bluetooth: Hands-Free Profile / Audio Profile (A2DP) ; Free 1.5m Microphone Fast Boot time (2nd time): about 3s ; Cold Boot time : about 20-25s
VEHICLE COMPATIBILITY:
This products will fit for Honda City 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
 
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Dr MUDHAN

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NOT ONLY HONDA BUT ALSO FOR ALL CARS [:D]

We are not always lucky to get the best information during our search / research; but sometimes we are lucky. The following information of another top end manufacture of ANDROID CAR UNITS is really exciting and certainly useful to all car owners who are interested in such infotainment system.

You will know the configuration possibilities at a glance.

LINK: Ownice Android 9.0 Octa Core DSP 4G LTE SPDIF k3 k5 k6 Car Radio Player GPS DVD

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Thread Starter #1,886

Dr MUDHAN

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@ kuwaronline
Thanks for visiting our thread after so many years. We can't forget your interactions / contributions of those days. Please keep visiting.
 
Thread Starter #1,887

Dr MUDHAN

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HONDA CITY SUN SHADE.jpg



Early summer on the way, as temperatures set to soar but we will enjoy cold breeze @ My home town -Coimbatore when others are scorched during peak summer in the state.

The climate is pleasant throughout the year and hot during early summer sometimes which literally means hot, experiencing maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius though we will have breeze during evenings that reduces the reading to minimum of 30 degrees.

Therefore, decided to go for some good window sunshades to get a better cabin AC temperature. Inspired by CRACING information, searched for IN-FRAME sunshade for ALBUS but I could not find one for Honda City, and finally felt better to have the MAGNETIC ones than better not have anything.[drive]

I did not find any REAL BRANDED ones and everything sourced from one manufacture, may be local or generic China as usual. I have decided to go for Kozdiko Zipper Magnetic Sunshades as cheaper at Amazon and purchased. I preferred full design and not the front half cut one which I felt that the full one looks better.
AMAZON

PLUS: Car specific, looks elegant from outside and improves (Black Shine) on the already mild tinted window glasses and cuts the UV radiation to some extent.

MINUS: The bend corners of the netted black cloth are little open exposing inner metal frame, few Magnets that are sharp, need to be handled delicately as harsh closing of door makes it move and gives little detaching sounds.

HONDA CITY SUNSHADE .jpg


HONDA CITY SUN SHADE 2.jpg

READ MORE HERE:
CRACING @ Kozdiko Zipper Magnetic Sunshades, Neodymium Magnets

HaruH @ Magnetic Sun Shades

HaruH @ In-Frame Sunshades

Dr MUDHAN@ Universal Sun Shades
and
LINK
 
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Nairrk

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Looks nice. Intend to buy one for my Tigor, but I need Windscreen Sunshade also because it is very difficult to enter/sit in the car after parking the car under the sun .
I have this one from Amazon - any opinion?
 
Thread Starter #1,889

Dr MUDHAN

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FRONT WINDSHIELD SUN SHADES

Good Day Nairrk

It looks decent and will serve the purpose as it has aluminium coating.. There are very few Retractable Windscreen are available in the market, of course mostly imported from China.

@ AMAZON INDIA, you have the advantage of 10 Days return policy, keep safe the original packing material for few days and have a try.

As noted those rubber suction cups & plastic screws are to be handled properly.

Please go through the following LINKS, it would be very useful to you really.

1. Best Car Front Windshield Sun Shades Reviews ( Particularly -How Do Windshield Sun Shade Works? ...Available Car Sun Shade Windshield Materials.. )
2. AliExpress
3. AliExpress
 
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Nairrk

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Thanks Doc, for the links.

A1 shades looks nice for me.
The rolling type from ALi Express also nice ( I used to have similar shades in my previous cars - 5 Years back). But, I think, will have a problem with buying from Ali Express as mostly they will be using big courier companies like DHL or Blue dart etc and their offices are about 3kms away from my home; Their usual practice is to call the customers and ask them to pick up the parcel from their office which means they don't deliver at home. I hate this process, hence always prefer buying through Amazon or flipkart.
 
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