I LOVE my Mini -- have had it since January. It has lots of great features but I was kind of surprised that there is no compass.

Anybody got any great ideas about a nice model (digital or otherwise) that works/installs well for the Mini??? And where might I find it?

Thanks for any suggestions you might send....

PS The Mini Meet, Motor and Mingle in NE Ohio (sponsored by Classic Mini) last Sunday, Sept. 11, was a blast. Great people, fun drive of about 50 miles, lunch and no merchandising. Very nice. Seeing 200-300 Mini Coopers all together was so much fun. Looked like a giant bag of M & Ms just exploded in the parking lot. And everyone was just smiling away. What happy little cars they are! And their owners just LOVE them!!

 

You mean to see if your heading North, South, etc.? Well, most every GPS has a built in compass.

 

Real men don't need directions!


We just like to pretend we're lost sometimes for the fun of it!

Speaking of which - on the way home tonight, an old guy, probably about 80, in an old Caddy, was saying something to me sitting at a light. I figured it was something about the car, shut off teh radio and said excuse me? He said - Do you know where (Melvindale or something like that - I hadn't heard of it) is? I said, no, sorry, I've never heard of it. We inch up and are waiting through the next light cycle and he says something again. I turn off the radio again...he asks me 'where does this road go to? I said Oldsmar. He said oh, ok. I live in (Melvindale or wherever) but I don't know where it is.

LOL - that's FLorida!!

 

most gps systems report NSEW accurately only when the vehicle is motion.
(the gps doesn't enough info to determine which way you're facing if
the vehicle is stationary)

 

Yes, a compass would be pretty unnecessary if I had GPS. But I don't.

So, again I ask, what about a compass for the Mini?? For those of us who find our own way without undue technology, a simple compass is just a bit of support when navigating. Anybody out there using one?

 

i just saw one at autozone today

it looked like a screen that showed a large dial that turned to indicate what direction you were going.

i saw it in the mentor - on - the - lake autozone by the lightbulbs and the gearshift ***** and the vanity licene plates.

 

i would spend a little extra and get a Gentex mirror with compass and auto-dimming function.

most aftermarket compasses work well in room temperature and works terribly after being exposed to automotive temps. very ironically made, but that's wat you get for cheep consumer electronics products.

 

I, too, would love a compass in my MINI. I find that a compass helps my navigation skills, especially when I am in places I don't know well. In my Ford Contour SVT I have a autodimming rear view mirror that shows outside temp (not needed in the MINI with its computer thingie) and compass display. I bought it from an OEM company in Detroit. However, it uses the standard metal glued-to-the-windshield metal foot. My 2003 MCS uses a wierd mounted mirror. Have they upgraded to a more standard mirror in 2005 and 2006 MINIs? If they have that would be an ideal solution. Before I added the RangeLine extra gauges that fits in a pod alongside the tach, I had made a bracket to hold a compass I bought in some generic autoparts store (Like AutoZone, maybe). It worked ok. Most accessory car compasses are hard to mount in the new MINI.

So I will follow this thread to see if anyone has a good solution, other than buyin an aftermarket GPS.

cheers,

Paul

 

Then I won't tell you about my new Garmin c330....that is really cool, and does all the stuff I want from a GPS right out of the box!

Maybe try this link: Don't get lost

 

Try this link: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/S...searchbtn.y=13 Not too bad pricing and usually a decent quailty product. Easy returns if needed.

 

A compass would be great for my 07 MCS as well.

I was out in the boonies, and discovered that my Internet directions were "off" with nary a gas station in sight.

The suction cup cheapies I've tried have all been worthless. Some seemed to work in the store, but never on the road.

Any suggestions?

 

I tried some cheap ones from the local autostore, and had issues where they would "lose" the direction (i.e. end up pointing one direction and not turning with the car). I think it was interference with something magnetic in the car, but don't know for sure (maybe it was just too cheap). I tried different mounting spots (dashboard, window lower center, window upper right, etc.), but still had issues.

In the end, I gave up and don't have one...

 

i loved having that digital readout in our old Blazer... helps navigate most roads you dont know. I i wish there were a little display in the corner of the mirror like most cars these days. itd be tough finding one that looks good mounted somewhere. GPS is probably the best bet...

 

If you want a GOOD compass, get one intended for use in a light airplane. New ones at retail are quite expensive, but they are available used on eBay. Mounting can be on your windscreen using cement of the type used to mount a rear view mirror (probably too heavy for double sided tape.). An airplane compass can be "swung" to be exactly on....but frankly, an airplane compass is probably overkill for a car. A marine compass would probably work too, and much easier to mount. The other possibility is a decent handheld compass which, even with all the metal around, will give you the general direction, and can be stored when you're not actually using it, unless of course you just like to know your direction of travel at all times.

 

I've always felt for what MINI charges for an auto-dimming mirror it should include a compass.

The one in our Subaru only cost 225 for auto-dimming with homelink & compass. Unfortunately I see no way to fit one of those in the MINI.

I have a pretty good sense of direction, but there are times when my internal compass is off. At those times a real compass sure is helpful.

 

I tried mounting a good-quality ($45) liquid-filled marine ball-compass (the ones that are about the size of a racquetball) ANYWHERE on my '07MCS, and had to return it -- could find NO place on the dash, dash-shelf, or windshield that didn't throw the reading of the compass off to where it was useless.

When I do eventually break down and get one, I'll probably go with this one -- same as on my Subaru, but also requires attachment to the windshield.

 

All postings for compass info seem to be quite aged. Has anyone found a reliable solution?

 

It depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. You can pick up an inexpensive compass in most any auto parts store or truck stop that will either stick or screw on to a clear suface in the car. Beyond that you can get a digital version that will cost about $40. If you want a good compass go to a boating supply and spend a bit more or you can find a universal mount rearview mirror with a compass readout in the corner for a couple hundered dollars on aftermarket websites.

 

Hi Imagine,

Finding a decent compass that works in your Mini might be a bit difficult. A better idea might be to find an aftermarket rear-view mirror that has a compass built in. The next thing would be to consider a GPS by Garmin with a decent sized display.

 

I bought this cheap $10 compass at the local auto store. It took about an hour to find a location where the calibration adjustments were effective. This was the only location that worked with the added benefit that the little lights in the panel allow you to use it at night. Because I have a clubman, the slight intrusion into the rearview mirror lines up exactly with the center posts in the rear doors, so that's not a problem. Why MINI doesn't offer an electronic compass is still a mystery to me, but this is an easy and cheap solution.

 

But in 2012 when the poles move, none of this stuff is gonna work.

 

I thought the Poles were staying in Poland. Where are they moving?

 

They keep going around in circles because their compasses can't decide which Pole to point to.

 

So was I, I tried several but most seem to either not work or give the wrong reading because of the magnetic interference. I now use my GPS in the MNI but in my Traverse, where there is also no compass, I found a nice digital one at Autozone that's not another big clunker device hanging off my windshield.

Sorry don't have the name, it is a small silver box about 2" square, with a black narrow ribbon cable that is 4" long, at the end of it is a small square digital LCD display. The box adheres to the back of your review mirror with 2-sided foam tape, the ribbon cable wraps around toward the front, and the LCD display sticks to the front on the top corner of your mirror. Cost about $30. Nice fit, almost looks stock...OK maybe not, but if I paint the box black then it can't be seen at all from the outside.

** UPDATE: I have moved this compass into my MC, it is a Bell 29001-8 Digital Mirror Mount Compass Silver. Works great, easy to configure. Bought it at Auto Zone for about $30-35.

 

It depends on what you want and how much you want to spend. You can pick up an inexpensive compass in most any auto parts store. Beyond that you can get a digital version that will cost about $40.