Car Stereos: Head unit, rear view camera, portable gps units

Question
Hey Brian,

I have a Pioneer AVH-P5000DVD head unit in my vehicle. Do you know if it is possible to install a GPS so that it appears on the head unit's screen? Also, is it possible to do the same with a rearview camera?

Thanks

Answer
Hi Jake,

Adding a rear-view camera to your head unit is easy; Pioneer makes a pair of camera models designed for use with AV decks like yours.  The model numbers are ND-BC2 and ND-BC20PA.  Cameras from other manufacturers should be compatible as well; the Pioneer unit has a standard RCA jack for the camera's video input.  There is a wire on the back of your deck that's supposed to be connected to your vehicle's reverse wire (the wire that activates your back-up lights).  This tells the head unit when you're in reverse gear, and automatically activates the camera input.  Most installers don't bother to connect this wire unless a camera is installed.

The navigation display is a bit harder.  Your deck includes a set of A/V inputs, so if you can find a portable navigation system with a video output jack, then you can link it to the deck's display.  This isn't a common feature of the portable GPS units, though; in fact, I don't know of one that has such an output.  In any case, you wouldn't be able to use the Pioneer touchscreen to control the GPS.  Pioneer used to make a DVD-based navigation add-on (AVIC-88DVD) for use with their older AV head units, but they've now abandoned that system, and it wouldn't be compatible with your AVH-P5000DVD.  There's currently no Pioneer add-on navigation module available.  Apparently Pioneer assumes that if you want navigation, you'll purchase one of their AVIC line of head units.

Thanks for your question.

Brian