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FusionFanatic · 04-14-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by parasomia

I guess those are important because I'm deciding if I want to find a way (headache) to keep my current Alpine HU in there alongside a pc and screen (yep that will be a tough fit) to control am/fm and power antenna (doubt I'd buy a fm thing for the pc though)

I personally prefer keeping a HU for audio control (that way I don't need the carPC on to play music, and I don't have to wait for the carPC to boot up first). you certainly don't need to a HU to control your power antenna (see below). do you have any pics of your car's dash/console? we can help you find a mounting solution if you post a pic so we know what spaces you have available.

Quote: Originally Posted by parasomia

For those out there with Power Antennas in their vehicle.. how do you control that with the carPC? I would think a traditional HU would be needed?

a power antenna (PA) does not require a head unit (HU) to function, in fact many aftermarket HUs don't even have dedicated PA outputs anymore (most modern HUs just have a single +12vdc ["REM"] output that can be used as a signal wire to switch an amp, PA, etc on/off.

the PA output on a HU is just a switched +12vdc output. in most cases, this wire is not used to directly power the antenna motor, it's just a signal wire to tell it when the radio is on/off. if you decide not to use a HU in your setup then you simply need to hook the PA's signal wire up a switched +12vdc source. you can use:
1.) -your car's ACC circuit. this will extend the PA when the key is in the ACC or RUN positions (but it will also retract while in START position, then extend when the key is released back to the RUN position)
2.) -your car's IGN circuit. this will extend the PA when the key is in the RUN or START position (but it stay retracted when in the ACC position)
3.) -your carPC's +12v PSU output. this will extend the antenna anytime the carPC is on
NOTE: if your antenna is directly powered by the HU's PA output, then you should not wire it to any of those sources mentioned above, you can use the above sources as a signal wire for a relay, and let the relay power the antenna.

good luck

04-14-2008, 11:19 AM	#3
FusionFanatic Maximum Bitrate Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boston Posts: 662	Quote: Originally Posted by parasomia I guess those are important because I'm deciding if I want to find a way (headache) to keep my current Alpine HU in there alongside a pc and screen (yep that will be a tough fit) to control am/fm and power antenna (doubt I'd buy a fm thing for the pc though) I personally prefer keeping a HU for audio control (that way I don't need the carPC on to play music, and I don't have to wait for the carPC to boot up first). you certainly don't need to a HU to control your power antenna (see below). do you have any pics of your car's dash/console? we can help you find a mounting solution if you post a pic so we know what spaces you have available. Quote: Originally Posted by parasomia For those out there with Power Antennas in their vehicle.. how do you control that with the carPC? I would think a traditional HU would be needed? a power antenna (PA) does not require a head unit (HU) to function, in fact many aftermarket HUs don't even have dedicated PA outputs anymore (most modern HUs just have a single +12vdc ["REM"] output that can be used as a signal wire to switch an amp, PA, etc on/off. the PA output on a HU is just a switched +12vdc output. in most cases, this wire is not used to directly power the antenna motor, it's just a signal wire to tell it when the radio is on/off. if you decide not to use a HU in your setup then you simply need to hook the PA's signal wire up a switched +12vdc source. you can use: 1.) -your car's ACC circuit. this will extend the PA when the key is in the ACC or RUN positions (but it will also retract while in START position, then extend when the key is released back to the RUN position) 2.) -your car's IGN circuit. this will extend the PA when the key is in the RUN or START position (but it stay retracted when in the ACC position) 3.) -your carPC's +12v PSU output. this will extend the antenna anytime the carPC is on NOTE: if your antenna is directly powered by the HU's PA output, then you should not wire it to any of those sources mentioned above, you can use the above sources as a signal wire for a relay, and let the relay power the antenna. good luck __________________ Fusion Carputer (v.2.0) Fusion Carputer (v.1.0)