My 3rd KR GPS Mod

[taoworm2323]

New video of my mod is up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE9nwTW6J7Y" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Avenger95]

Nice job!

[tamatt27]

Awesome man!!

[kittkkarr]

love it
i want mine to do that

[taoworm2323]

Thanks guys!
I used a 2 wire power ribbon cable connector to hook up as a 'audio out' plug.
It looks reaaly good when I shut the GPS LEDs off and just pipe it through his voice modulator.

[clarkkuhn36]

So could you tell us about your first 2 mods and how you did them. Awesome 3rd mod. Where dic you get the voice modulator, ebay.

[taoworm2323]

The first 2 mods I did where software mods.
I changed the pitch of William Daniels voice and added new sound effects and cleaned up hd audio from the show.
The 2nd mod I did was add more effects (Battery low chime is now KITT saying his battery pack is low.)
As well as when you go over your speed limit instead of showing you a red circle sign I made it have correct US speed signs, and it no longer just beeps when you speed, KITT now gives you a verbal warning and asks "what in the hell are you doing" (paraphrasing)
My other hack was to unlock the Mio KR GPS to use in windows CE mode.

And yes I got that paticuular VU meter from Christian Forget on Ebay. (Jupiter electronics)
Christian makes the best old KITT VU meters hands down!

[yanKnight]

Great mod!

I just acquired one Knight Rider GPS (in-store demo from the canadian version of Radio Shack) and am starting to look into it.

I kinda understand I need to keep away from the miomore software that came with it? anything more a newbie need to know?

Anyway... GREAT MOD! I am starting to look at making my own voicebox vu-meter like that, thanks for that great idea. I would like to know if its possible to get the software mod somehow?
More importantly, is there a way to get an additionnal name for the greetings? My name isn't there... "Yan".


Cheers and keep up the good work.

[yanKnight]

I ended up connecting the mio device to my computer, browsing to the KITT data, and making my own YAN file; I edited Ryan and a bit of Tanya in order to get the proper phonetics, and ended up with a satisfactory file.

Can we "ADD" a name? at this point I had to overwrite one that I don't think I'll ever use (Imogen)


Something else that bothers me; if I am to not use the miomore software, do I have a way to get updated maps?

It seems the maps are already dated; the whole neighborhood where my brother has been living for the last 5 years or the bank I do business with are completely inexistant in the maps included in the GPS; I can only assume there is going to be more cases like that.

anyone knows how to obtain and install maps without screwing the KITT voice in the knight rider GPS?

[taoworm2323]

I am working on a solution to all of those issues as we speak.
Yes you can change out one of the voices for your own file.
Do not use mio moore with KR GPS.
Stay tuned to this thread for a fix, updated map, and updated hacks.
With a very big thanks to Chris (CJaguar265) for his indispensable help with the mod.

[yanKnight]

That's great!

I've been browsing trough the files within the device's flash drive and tought there would be a way; but my knowledge of the Mio GPSes and the Knight Rider GPS is very limited, having owned mine for only 48 hours as we speak.

What I tought would be doable is to use the faulty software for the update, then revert the missing files after it did damage... but if you have a better way of doing the update, that would be just perfect!

BTW, the current canadian maps sucks big time. There's a specific location on the map that always reboot my KRGPS (tried 3 times in the last 48 hours) and several addresses are off from the real location (sometime way off)


Your solution will be more then welcomed from my end. if I can be of any assistance working details out or doing some testing, let me know.

Thanks for working on that. I really like the device, wouldn't want it to become obsolete because of non-updatable maps.

[Knighttime]

Ah! I should have read this before I PM'ed you taoworm2323.

This is seriously good stuff and I hope when you've perfected your work you consider publishing instructions or something to assist others in doing the same. The pitch alteration/additional phrases and cleaned up hd audio/sound effects from the show are all things so many would love! If only we had the expertise!

What would be good is working out how to apply the voice and other knight-riderisms to other gps'. The Mio KR would be fine for me, but no UK version (though we do have mio, garmin and the others in standard models). I'm guessing this would have been done already could it have been possible.

Best wishes,
Knighttime

[yanKnight]

I can't wait to change the voicepack. I think the reboot issue is caused by something within the voicepack not loading correctly: every instances of the map that causes a soft- or hard- reset is when I need to take a left exit on the highway; if I change the voice to a non-KITT voice (lame, I know) then it doesn't seem to fail.

(sorry its long to test, I actually need to travel the highway to re-create the bug)

anyway, I hope a new soundpack (a .dat I think?) will fix this issue, because there seems to be quite a few rebooting places around Montreal. Good news is: the GPS reboots quickly and goes back to telling you where to go.

(well, that's as long as I don't add miopocket to it. anyone recommend miopocket?)

Cheers!

[taoworm2323]

The knight Rider GPS comes with detailed north American maps (which are in .map format instead of .cpf or .fbl format) which the older iGO8 based Mios used. (Ours KR (and Moov) GPS is based on Navman SmartST2008). In Eastern Europe the Moov devices are based on the Mireo engine.

Still working on the upgrade.

[yanKnight]

Does that means we could find old iGo maps compatible with that?
altough I assume they won't be any good as update... there are several areas of the actual map even in the metropolitan area that aren't all that good. It still is a good navigator, but you cannot expect to pinpoint the destination to the exact location.

Reboot issue, I can rule out the map as being responsible. Tested all week, only the KITT voice cause reboot.

Now, I wonder if I got unlucky and have a corrupted voice file, or if in Quebec we have a rare occurance of something on the road that wasn't recorded for KITT, but it is somewhat an issue.

Is there a way to skip the security agreement when we boot? I wouldn't mind much the reboots if I didn't have to hit "ok" while it reboots.


I have an installation of miopocket on SD card; its cool if you want to listend to music with the GPS, but doesn't help at all for anything else. just tought I'd mention.


Taoworm, again thanks for working that out. If you need any assistance, please let me know.

[taoworm2323]

Yeah I had Miopocket on an sd card too, and you hit it on the nail. There is nothing that unlocking really adds to the unit by making it play video and audio, I agree.

Well updating the maps has been a nightmare.
Seems they did not come out with the 2009 map updates for a while because of technical issues. (As in A LOT)

My Mio 2009 map update came on an ISO file that I had to create a path for after I reinstalled MioMoore Desktop 2008 and downloaded a special update via an setup.exe installer to patch MioMoore Desktop so it wouldn't screw up our GPS's. Then I had to use Mio Moore Desktop to connect to the device and then search my computer for the ISO file THROUGH my MioMoore desktop software so I could upload the maps. And then I find out you have to delete more than 15mb off of your Mio because the updated maps will not have enough room. (For this I opted out of installing any of the Alaska or Hawaii maps since I figure I am not going to be driving there anytime soon. )

Then Miomoore desktop is telling me that it is erasing my old maps and installing the new ones.
I'm all like "Thats awesome".
After a couple of minutes it says its done click finish.
I hit finished, unplug my GPS from the PC and turn it on.
"Hmmm my mods still works...let me go in the ABOUT screen page and see what I got."
Then I see that it says that I still have MioMaps 2008!!!
I could not figure it out.
My OLD 2008 maps read like this:

CA99R080.map 36,910 kb
US95R080.map 3,753 kb
US96R080.map 208,784 kb
US97R080.map 220,723 kb
US98R080.map 60,615 kb
US99R080.map 75,412 kb

The new 2009 maps look like this:

CA99R082.map 45,576 kb
US95R083.map 4,212 kb
US96R083.map 255,978 kb
US97R083.map 267,945 kb
US98R083.map 70,905 kb
US99R083.map 90,948 kb

It showed I had the new maps but my mapshigh.xml was 28kb instead of 38kb (as it had previously been) But a quick look at the update ISO file shows that I had a mapshigh.xml (program file path) document that was 57 kb!

So I replaced my 28 kb mapshigh.xml for the ISO's mapshigh.xml (57kb)
(Thinking at this point Miomore desktop might have not installed mapshigh.xml right.)
Well now I get a "Some maps did not load correctly" message when my GPS starts up now. (I might need to change it back to my 28 kb one. Not sure yet)

Theirs a lot of traffic stuff like TMC and stuff that I think is for the Mio Moove and not our Knight Rider GPS. (Even though the KR and moov are identical.)

If any of you want to help, please do me a favor.
Go to a place that your map does not cover on the 2008 maps.
Then upgrade or use my hack later to update to the new maps and go back to the same place and check it out to see if its on the new maps.

I have noticed that places that did not show up before show up now, so I think everything is working correctly.

99% of the folks that upgraded the maps on the KR GPS still have the old maps.
Mio is so full of fail...

[yanKnight]

Well, I do not have areas "not covered" by the maps, but I do have a lot of places where the maps are out dated and the physical street I am on is totally missing from the map, with the GPS suggesting I go back to the road immediately.

If that is suitable for you, then I am more then willing to do the tests. However, I don't have the update, nor your mods. If I can be of any help, I'm willing to try out; please PM me how to get the files.

[taoworm2323]

Yes Yan that sounds awesome if you could do that.
Ok make a backup right now. (I would delete the mioautorun folder if you have it on your unit (For the unlock method we did before.) space issues demand we delete it for the map upgrade.

I am going to have you try out several different versions of the software.
After each one I want you to do a wipe and clean install of the next one and so forth.
Should be about 3 versions in all.
Then we will see if I can just dump the maps or if we need the xml files and other poly folders or whatever.

PM me your yahoo or hotmail e-mail if you have one.


All the rest of you guys stay patient we are trying to get something right that Mio failed at and I want to make sure we all have a superior version with no bugs.

[Knighttime]

I am awesomely interested but completely lost.. looking forward to the 'for dummys' guide !!

Best wishes with the work..
Knighttime

[taoworm2323]

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Ok My new upgraded GPS program is now available!
Taoworm23 upgrade 4.0
PM me now for the file.
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[Knighttime]

Thanks for this. I have a few quick questions to help apply this taoworm, the answers might be useful for other folks too!

First. The KR Mio is a US product, but what maps are/can be included/used with the system? I will be getting the KR gps asap, as an enthusiast, and will enjoy putting the upgrade you've created and generously shared on the system (the standard versions' flaws with the voice etc put me off until now you have kindly improved it). but I wondered if it I could make it usable in the UK by loading an appropriate map? Say if you went on vacation abroad with your gps, you might want to upload the map of the country, and, though I am certainly no expert, as far as I know this can be done. Could you advise me on this taoworm? I'd be very grateful, and I'd love to be able to use the KITT system at home and give you the feedback when that time comes!!

Last, little question. We have lots of GPS in UK including MIO, they just don't have Kitts voice or special features. My other question was: can any of these features be used on another gps unit (i.e. not the ''KR' branded unit, but another MIo or similar) ? That would also be useful to know.

I really want to be able to work this out, your advice would be really appreciated!
Best wishes,
Knighttime

[taoworm2323]

Old 2008 miomaps for the UK and such will look like this...

2.1M ie00r020.map
36K ie01r020.map
13M uk0mr020.map
28M uk0nr020.map
16M uk0or020.map
17M uk0pr020.map
25M uk0qr020.map
1.6M uk0rr020.map
300K uk0sr020.map

I am not sure if the UK maps for the moov would work but I am sure they would since its the same unit basically.
As far as KITTs voice, the Mio Moov 500 would also be able to play the KITT voice as well.

[taoworm2323]

This is what KITT 'thinks' when you shut him on. The following is a dump of his bootup sequence and associated file paths:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
- <paths>
- <filegroup>
<name>appstartupsec</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\System</basepath>
- <files>
<file>AppStartupSec.exe</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>smartst</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE</basepath>
- <files>
<file>SmartST_CE.exe</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>authentication</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE</basepath>
- <files>
<file>sigreg.dat</file>
<file>cdkeys.dat</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>avoidareas</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>MyAvoidAreas.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>favourites</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>MyFavouriteLocations.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>multistoproutes</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>MyMultiStopLocations.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>poisettings</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>poialerts.xml</file>
<file>poitypes.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>recents</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>MyRecentLocations.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>settings</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UserData</basepath>
- <files>
<file>user_settings.xml</file>
</files>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup><property name="display day hues" value="true" />
<property name="unit system" value="IMPERIAL_FRACTIONAL" />
<property name="mute" value="false" />
<property name="startup show language select" value="false" />
<property name="startup show tutorial" value="false" />
<property name="greeting name" value="Joshua" />
<property name="volume" value="80" />
<property name="display mien options" value="audio" />
<property name="display etaspinner colour" value="blue" />
<property name="last known longitude" value="--------" />
<property name="last known latitude" value="=======" />
<property name="last location name" value="" />
<property name="last country code" value="US" />
<property name="display map colour scheme" value="napier.col" />
<property name="route prefer shortest distance" value="0" />
<property name="route prefer freeway" value="255" />
<property name="keyboard use keypad" value="2" />
<property name="voice scheme locale" value="US" />
<property name="voice scheme gender" value="m" />
<property name="tts language" value="American English" />
<property name="tts voice" value="Samantha" />
<property name="voice scheme type" value="natural" />
<property name="voice scheme source" value="ki_m_5.dat" />
<property name="language" value="en-US" />
<property name="screen brightness at night" value="10" />
<property name="speed limit" value="65" />
<property name="route warn operate while driving" value="false" />
<property name="warn exceed speed limit" value="true" />
<property name="display northup" value="true" />
<property name="keyboard speak chars" value="true" />
<property name="screen brightness" value="10" />
<property name="keyboard use qwerty" value="1" />
<property name="gps data logging" value="false" />
<property name="gps mode" value="0" />
<property name="LED Display" value="false" />
</propertybag>
<name>mileagelogs</name>
<basepath>\My Documents</basepath>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>alertsounds</name>
<basepath>\Program Files\Navman\SmartST_CE\UI\Sounds</basepath>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>customPOIicons</name>
<basepath>\Navman\icons\</basepath>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>POIdatabase</name>
<basepath>\Navman\database\database.db</basepath>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>NavPixStorage</name>
<basepath>\Navman\photos\</basepath>
</filegroup>
- <filegroup>
<name>mapdata</name>
<basepath>\Navman</basepath>
</filegroup>
</paths>

[CJaguar442]

my device now goes your hard disc is full and won't let me install anymore files

[taoworm2323]

Chris delete everything again and reinstall your original, original backup.
Now go back to the login page and download "mio knight rider gps mod V4.0 extras" .
Read the instillation instructions contained in that zip file and replace only the appropriate folders in the proper locations.

You will have the new updated 2009 maps as well as improved KITT audio and software

Be sure to reserve 15mb or more of additional space or else the new maps will not fit.

If you still have problems let me know.