| cdawg |
I purchased an Audiovox 7" widescreen DVD package with RF headphones and a tv tuner. I also picked up an extra accessory cable so I don't have to go back into the roof again if I ever decide to add a game console.
Overall it was a long and tiring practice. The limited roof line between the front seats and the backs and the sunroof make for a less than standard installation for a flip-down lcd system. While the system is complete and works well I think I would recommend headrest installs to most others unless they have small kids like me (too much kicking and pushing buttons).
The DVD is mounted under the driver's seat and the antennae for the tv tuner is mounted underneath the rearview mirror on the windshield. I used an RF modulator to pipe the sound into the stereo system and the headphones are wireless RF (I did this because I didn't want line of sight limitations with the IR units because the next piece of the puzzle is to install my converter to view the DVD video through the nav screen and I wanted the front passenger to be able to hear the sound).
I've got some pictures here of the bracket and the finished product. I have more if anyone is interested. |
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| cdawg |
| Fabricated bracket from aluminum strips, attached with rivets. |
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| cdawg |
| Another view of the bracket, this time with the video unit attached to verify postion, clearance, etc. |
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| cdawg |
| Unit is in place now and works great. It actually looks even cleaner and better in person. Solid mount and it doesn't move a bit, and there is no clearance problem with the sunroof. |
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| WarpSpeed |
| I was researching the same setup. What did the whole system cost you?I hope you don't mind me asking. |
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| cdawg |
| Actually, the whole thing cost about $1250 with shipping, etc. I saw the system advertised for cheaper in a couple of places ($1129 or $1149 instead of $1200) but no one had it in stock. I did see it advertised for $979 yesterday online somewhere but they didn't indicate if it was in stock. I can try to dig up the site if you are interested. The only thing I added to the package was an extra RF headset and an extra a/v cable for the next console. |
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| MDXtrous |
| How about pics with actual pictures? Do all passengers get a good view, even at an angle? |
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| MDXtrous |
| Can we get some pics of the video itself for us to see the quality (pictures)? That's what I meant. |
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| srpbep |
Very impressive ... love to see well thought out plans ....
What did you mean by long and tiring [e.g. how long, how tiring]. Your installation looks clean, professional, .... I suspect far more functional than a headrest install. Did you do this yourself or get help? I know that dropping a headliner can be less than fun.
Anyway ... thanks for sharing, thanks for the pics, sure is something to consider doing ... based on your success, I don't headrest is the way to go ... |
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| MDXtrous |
| Agreed. Looks very professionally done. |
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| cdawg |
Hey guys,
Thanks for the feedback. The install was long and tiring (mostly the back because I didn't fully remove the headliner, just dropped it and left it attached in the very front (if I did it again I would definitely drop the liner all the way). As for long, it probably took me a good 8 - 10 hours all the way but some of that was figuring out and purchasing the bracket fabrication pieces.
The quality is excellent and the viewing angle is great from all seats and angles. The video unit will control the IR of any DVD or game console/video source and the pass through is done well. The headsets are awesome and I can even hear the source well from outside the car. The TV tuner doesn't have great reception but I haven't been in closer to the city where terrestrial broadcasts are better.
I'll post some actual usage pics tomorrow and some more of the install itself. |
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| cdawg |
| This is the front cross brace that is right behind the opening for the sunroof. This is the front brace that the bracket was mounted to. |
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| cdawg |
| These are the two pieces of aluminum strips that I purchased at my local Lowes for about $5 each. They are lightweight and strong and are approximately 1.5" wide. These are the full length pieces before I cut them to fit the car. |
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| cdawg |
| This is the area where the braces were to be mounted. You can see here the brace in front and the center map light bracket where I attached the braces. |
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| cdawg |
| This is a closeup of the brace mounted to the center maplight brace. You will see the rivets used to attach it. This turned out to be the key, the rivets were a cinch to set in once the holes were all drilled. A lot easier than standard screws/nuts-bolts would have been. |
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| cdawg |
| Here are the braces mounted to the cross brace under the sunroof recession area with rivets again. |
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| cdawg |
| The braces fabricated and installed with the sunroof shade slid back for perspective. |
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| cdawg |
| Another finished shot, this one from outside the car in the back. I will post some pics tomorrow of the actual video working and in some sunlight so you can see more detail. |
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| srpbep |
| Thanks cdawg. You mention that the aluminum was approx 1.5 inches wide. How thick was the aluminum stock that you used? |
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| Mocking-DX |
that is an awesome job considering the the time you did it. That could have taken me 2 days just figuring out ot remove the headliner and fabricating brackets.
Just wanna know how did you partially remove the headliner. Did you have to remve the A and B pillar plastic trims? Any other bolts clips you need to remove?
Thanks in advance |
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| TheWorm |
Nice install; way more gutsy than me with dropping the headliner, etc...
If you don't mind, let us know how you wired for power to the screen itself and to the DVD under the driver's seat. |
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| cdawg |
Hey guys,
Here are a couple of pictures of the system running but the camera isn't great and I didn't get home until almost dark so you can't see much detail.
To answer a few questions: the aluminum strips were approximately 1/4" thick. I was looking for something light and easy to cut that would still be strong enough to support the structure.
As for removing the headliner, I removed all the connections and pillar attachments from the front to the back. I removed everything except the connection in the front middle console in front of the sunroof. In hindsight I should have just removed it all.
As for the wiring, the video unit comes with a map light so that was wired to the center factory map light. All the other power for everything was wired to the back of the radio unit for master ground and accessory power. |
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| robert99b |
good job!
i went the lazy route and just mounted my 7" fold-up directly on the roof liner. |
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| MDXtrous |
robert99b,
Could you post more detailed experiences? Pics? It would be really helpful.
Thanks |
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| robert99b |
quote:
Originally posted by MDXtrous
robert99b,
Could you post more detailed experiences? Pics? It would be really helpful.
Thanks
Rather than hijack cdawg's thread with my install, I made a new thread . Please check there. |
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| Rufus |
quote:
Originally posted by cdawg
I purchased an Audiovox 7" widescreen DVD package with RF headphones and a tv tuner. I also picked up an extra accessory cable so I don't have to go back into the roof again if I ever decide to add a game console.
cdawg
Very professional install. It sure looks like you've done something like this before or you're just very mechanically minded. EXCELLENT job!! :)
You didn't mention the brand of DVD player you used. I assume if it was mounted under the seat, it was a small DVD "deck" I've seen that's about 1/4 the size of a standard DVD table top player.
I've seen a similar install using a small DiscMan (Sony portable CD player) size DVD player installed in the center arm rest with AUX inputs and wireless headphones.
Please list the brand/model and materials you used. If you purchased it online, the sie would also be appreciated or other sites that you mentioned that might even be less expensive.
Rufus |
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| cdawg |
Actually I purchased the entire Audiovox package that included the DVD player. I'll try to take a picture of the DVD player located under the front seat. It is quite small and fits easily.
As for the install, it's my first for a mobile video system but I've done lot's of stereos in the past. Also, you tend to take your time when your screwing something into a $45k vehicle. Overall it's great, the only thing left to do now is install the AVC1 so I can watch the video on the Navi system screen and install the DVD player remote eye in the vent next to the Navi so we can control it from the front. Right now it works fine but has to be aimed at the video unit which relays the signal to the remote DVD player.
The unit is the Audiovox MVP700. You can get it here:
http://www.truckaddons.com/Catalog/.../audiovox11.htm
Or you can look around. I saw it listed cheaper somewhere but I can't find the link. |
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| NaNaLi |
Cdawg,
You're installation talked me into doing the monitor this way rather than my original plan (Stand on Center Console). Could you please post or e-mail me directions on how to remove the headliner and panels that you think should come off to do the install.
Thanks in advance |
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| cdawg |
NaNaLi,
During the course of the installation I removed more and more connections of the headliner until in the end the only place it was still connect was the front center console area where the homelink buttons are and sunglasses holder is. In hindsight I would have removed those connections as well and taken the entire liner out. It isn't very hard. You need to go around remove all the pillar covers and all the hooks and handles and lights in the ceiling. Just be careful and take your time, it's not very difficult. If you have any questions let me know. |
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| NaNaLi |
Ok here is what I see when I check the panels and liner.
- Rubber seal around the moonroof and door opening/s - do I just pull these out?
- Panels & Liner - once those seals comes out, is it easy to figure out how everything comes out?
- overhead handles & ceiling lights (frame) - I'm assuming just few skrews?
On your aluminum brackets, why rivets and not self tapping skrews? Any reason?
I'm normally handy & OK with figuring out things and find my way doing it right as I go along, but for some reason I'm somewhat hesitant touching the 'Xs interior.
Here's my short resume (I know I can do this install. Just need a little push):
- Re-finished my whole basement by myself. Gutted it out to the foundation and did all framing, wiring, walls, ceiling and finishing.
- Did all the install on parts listed on Sig.
IknowIcan IknowIcan IknowIcan... Just Psyching myself out. hehehehe!!!
Thanks again |
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| cdawg |
>>Ok here is what I see when I check the panels and liner.
>>- Rubber seal around the moonroof and door opening/s - do I >>just pull these out?
Yep, they will come out very easily...
>>- Panels & Liner - once those seals comes out, is it easy to >>figure out how everything comes out?
Yeah, it's pretty easy, you will need to unbolt the seat belts to get the pillar covers off...
>>- overhead handles & ceiling lights (frame) - I'm assuming just >>few skrews?
Handles are easy, be careful with the lights, you pop out a section with a flat blade screwdriver and unscrew them...
>>On your aluminum brackets, why rivets and not self tapping >>skrews? Any reason?
I used the rivets because they were clean and easy to do, especially given the small area I had available to drill the holes for mounting. They also leave no sharp points...
>>I'm normally handy & OK with figuring out things and find my >>way doing it right as I go along, but for some reason I'm >>somewhat hesitant touching the 'Xs interior.
>>Here's my short resume (I know I can do this install. Just need >>a little push):
->> Re-finished my whole basement by myself. Gutted it out to >>the foundation and did all framing, wiring, walls, ceiling and >>finishing.
>>- Did all the install on parts listed on Sig.
>>IknowIcan IknowIcan IknowIcan... Just Psyching myself out. >>hehehehe!!!
SHOVE!
>>Thanks again |
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| damormino |
| Which map light did you wire the video unit to. The ones by the rear view mirror? Or the ones behind the sunroof? Have you experienced any problems where power either stays on or goes of when you don't want it to (because it is not wired to the radio master power)? |
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| cdawg |
| There are two power leads for my particular unit since it has map lights built in. I wired the map lights in the video unit to the rear (middle) map light assembly. The regular system power I wired to the radio power feeds up front. |
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| TheWorm |
quote:
Originally posted by damormino
Which map light did you wire the video unit to. The ones by the rear view mirror? Or the ones behind the sunroof? Have you experienced any problems where power either stays on or goes of when you don't want it to (because it is not wired to the radio master power)?
David,
If u click on the "video system" link in my sig line, there's a lengthy post in the thread w/description of the wires + colors for power... |
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| damormino |
To: cdawg and TheWorm
My MDX has a switch on the dash to control the interior lights. If someone leaves a light on in the middle or rear of the car, the driver can push the bottom of the switch to turn off all the interior lights. Does this turn of the video monitor as well since you wired it to the interior (dome) lights? |
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| TheWorm |
David,
No, the dash switch has no effect...the domelight is negative-switched, and you're only connecting to a positive wire on the domelight (which is always hot).
Just to clarify -- I'm talking about the power to the video itself...NOT the built-in domelights in a video unit. |
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| cdawg |
damorino,
In my particular setup, if you were to dim the interior lights and had the map lights in the video unit on then they would dim as well. I don't ever use them even though I wired them up.
Since I wired positive and negative power all the way to the radio up front the video monitor itself is not affected but as others have said that is not a requirement, you just need a switched power source, one that is on only when the ignition is on. I didn't want to wire to an 'always on' source because I was afraid someone would leave it on and drain the battery. It's a personal preference there. |
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| TheWorm |
| cdawg's caution about always-on is right...my monitor (not as good a unit as cdawg's -- but a bit easier install) turns itself off when it's in the up position...it's easy to remember to flip it up to avoid the battery drain...if it didn't have the auto-off feature, I'd have wired to a switched source for sure! |
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| cdawg |
Hey,
Just wanted to update the thread. I actually finally finished my video-navi conversion last week. I had a grounding problem in the RGB1 unit but Ron at StreetEffects e-mailed me back where to look. After a good bit of soldering and cutting it was done and it worked! I also added a pretty cool little feature. My DVD player under the driver seat has a remote and can be controlled by aiming it at the video drop down unit in the rear. The problem was that if you were driving then navigating the DVD menus was a nightmare. The DVD also has a remote eye with a 12 foot cord that can be placed anywhere with a sticky backing. I put it inside the left center air-conditioning vent in the dash. Now I can flip a switch up front and see the DVD on the navi screen and actually aim the DVD remote at the navi screen and control the menus, then switch back to navi mode on the screen. It's been even better than I had anticipated.
One question for you other navi-convert guys... my video on the navi seems to be a bit color saturated. There is an adjustment screw inside the RBG1 unit but I didn't want to muck with it. Will this control saturation or something else? Thanks. |
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| MDXtrous |
The air-vent placement is pretty innovative. Ron put mine right at the foot of the rearview mirror. Decent location for all positions in the car.
Don't know about the adjustment screw, but I know there is a setup screen where you can change background colors for Navi and other things. I've never seen it, but you can try that. |
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| cdawg |
| Thanks MDXtrous, I'll try finding the thread with the 'secret' nav menus again. |
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| felixmoral |
hey that looks great
when you did the install were there factory wiring up there that you just plugged into
and the bracket ... does it go from the some light bracket to the sunroof bracket? |
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