The AceCar T800 may not display as much data as the other heads-up display devices, but it does show the essentials: speed, compass heading, longitude, and latitude.
It’s one of the cheapest HUDs on the market, and it can do speed and braking tests, but it lacks essential features like onboard diagnostic alerts, and the warranty is only six months. Overall, the T800 is capable of providing vehicle information without distracting the driver.
What you will see here?
Price and availability
This $46 heads-up display is one of the most affordable of its kind. AceCar also makes some additional automobile accessories, such as the $48 Tesla 3 Model HUD, which works with both Tesla’s entry-level model and the slightly more expensive Model Y.
Design and features
When it comes to design, the AceCar T800 takes its very own way, opting for a direct view display instead of a windshield projection arrangement. It barely minimally obstructs the driver’s vision of the road ahead at 2.2 inches in height. It’s also one of the smallest heads-up displays on the market, weighing only 1.9 ounces.
The T800’s bottom flares out to form a stable foundation that can be fastened to the dashboard with the accompanying adhesive strip. If you trade automobiles before switching to a new HUD, it comes with an extra installation strip.
The T800’s 2.8-inch display is the focus of attention, which is small in comparison to the PHUD180BD’s 5.5-inch display. It contains a sensor for automated brightness adjustments and is powerful enough for other situations.
The T800, like the Sherox 3.5″ HUD, lacks an on/off switch, which would be a major design flaw. The control wheel on top of the HUD cycles through the options with each press. For power, there’s a tiny USB port that plugs into the vehicle’s cigarette lighter outlet. Regrettably, the wire’s design is rounder and heavier than other HUD wires, making it more difficult to store in dashboard places.
GPS receiver
The AceCar T800 can’t access the car’s OBD data regarding items like engine speed because it employs a GPS receiver. The car’s speed is displayed numerically so as a curving bar beneath the main screen. You can view everything from the satellites it’s in contact with to the auxiliary voltage and compass heading if you dig a little further.
For the off-roaders among us, it can even display longitude and latitude, although it does not display the car’s location on maps or provide directions. It also can’t show diagnostic issues due to the absence of OBD data.
The T800 may alert the driver of driving excessively fast and at low voltage, in addition to the car’s speed and direction. It also includes acceleration and braking testing, which will please performance fans.
Specifications
- Alarms: Yes
- Dimensions: 4.3 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches.
- Size of the display: 2.8 inches.
- Weight: 1.9 ounces
- Power: Cigarette lighter outlet.
- Color/Monochrome: Color.
- Number of parameters displayed: 6
AceCar T800: Setup
The advantage of just using GPS signals for both speed & location is it should operate with any vehicle that has a cigarette lighter connection. The system came to life as soon as I plugged the T800’s power wire into my car’s outlet.
The T800, unlike most other HUDs, only has a six-month warranty, which is half as long as others. In addition, the T800’s documentation, like that of the Sherox 3.5″ HUD, is woefully inadequate. The four-page fold-open booklet only scratches the surface of the essentials.
Performance
The screen came on after I hooked the T800’s power connection into the cigarette lighter outlet on my 2014 Audi A4 Allroad. The T800 was one of the least invasives in the driver’s field of view, at much less than 2-inches tall, but its display remained visible. The GPS circuits required a few moments to turn on and communicate with circling satellites.
I liked how the T800’s LCD displayed the speed in huge white numerals with such a speed bar graph underneath it. It gave me correct speed readings most of the time, but they stopped when I ducked into a tunnel. The inability to connect to the GPS satellites above are caused a problem.
A tiny control wheel just at the top was used to change the displayed units, and the device shuts off once the car’s motor was turned off. It’s not unusual on car HUDS, but I truly miss an on/off switch as well as the opportunity to program a unit to remain on for a few minutes longer – both of which the Pyle PHUD180BD provides.
For those looking to squeeze a little more performance from out the vehicle, the acceleration & braking tests were a welcome addition. Unfortunately, the T800’s GPS receiver loses out on the ability to give automotive data and digital maps to show you where you have been.
Conclusion
If you don’t need on-board diagnostic feedback, the AceCar T800 is indeed the heads-up display to get. The GPS receiver, albeit restricted, can provide information on your speed, longitude, and latitude. Even if it’s only indicating when you’re on a digital map, we still hope it had some form of navigation capability.
The acceleration and brake test function will appeal to performance-oriented drivers, while the inexpensive price and limited impediment make it a practical companion to have on the road. However, we can’t help but imagine the screen was a little larger and the guarantee was a little stronger.
