Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 10:41:40 -0800
Reply-To: Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Entertainment System upgrade
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
I received some new components and am in the process
of installing them. They include another 5.6" lcd, a
color camera and a wireless headphone set-up.
First, a big thank you to Larry Chase for the LCD and
camera.
The LCD is mounted where my rearview mirror used to
be, in fact it uses the stock arm that the mirror was
mounted to. A link to picture of it and the mount I
made for it is here:
(http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/photos/New_Pyle_LCD-2.jpg).
The power supply for my Clarion LCD has an additional
video output so installation is pretty simple (except
for hiding all the wiring).
I'm gluing a magnet to the base/mount of color camera
so it can be moved and re-aimed as needed. For now, it
will go inside of the rear shelf looking out the back
window. I'll use it for a quick check behind the
vehicle before I back up, its simply of changing the
TV tuner to the proper input channel from the headend
unit.
I picked up a set of Clarion 2-channel wireless
headphones of of ebaY for the rear seat passengers.
The transmitter mounts to the left rear corner of the
A/C duct housing. There is a small removable panel on
my housing to fill the gap made when the smaller rear
cabinet is installed with the GL camper A/C duct/vent
unit. This works out well, since my VCR is located on
the top shelf of the rear cabinet and the power and
signal cables just have to slip over the top of the
cabinet. I did have to drill a 1" hole in the inside
top of the cabinet to get the cables inside.
I also had to get set of RCA M/M/F "T" cables so the
audio signal from the VHS/DVD/PS-2 would go to both
the headphone transmitter and the TV tuner. Since my
headend unit can switch the audio signal independently
of the video source, the rear seat passengers will be
able to watch the program video and listen to the
program audio in the headphones while the rest of the
passengers can listen to the radio, CD player or CD
changer, kind of a "poor mans" A/V zoning setup.
I need to install an additional RCA video cable to
support the camera as well as reconfigure the system
power. Combine that with installing the wiring for the
front monitor and it means that the left upper bunk
support cover and the front headliner need to come
out.
Currently all the electronics in the rear cabinet are
connected to the A/C power fuse. I set up a power buss
connector inside the rear cabinet so items can be
added individually. I also made another power buss for
the equipment mounted behind the drivers seat. I'll be
running a 12-Ga wire from the auxiliary battery
compartment to each power buss. It won't be connected
directly to the auxiliary battery, but will run
through a relay controlled by the amplifier control
signal from the headend unit. That way I can shut off
the entire system by just shutting off the headend
unit.
The headend unit itself will stay connected to the
main battery. I had it wired to the aux, but if you
have to remove or disconnect the aux battery for any
reason, you can't listen to the radio.
One last item will be a noise filter. It will be
installed on cable that connects the auxiliary battery
to the main battery when the engine is running to
cover the small amount of alternator noise I can
currently hear.
Thanks for listening if you made it this far. I will
try to post some pictures, but most of this will be
invisible once it is installed.
Thanks,
=====
Tim Hannink
Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition
Winter Park, Florida
http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers
http://photos.yahoo.com/tjhannink [Vanagon] Album
__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus – Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com
