Relocating headunit and extending faceplate somewhere else. - Page 6

Hark · 10-17-2005, 09:48 PM

Any more recent updates to all these efforts???

turbocad6 · 10-18-2005, 07:24 AM

if the volume is controllled by a variable resistor pot in the face theres a chance the long wire run is adding to the resistance enough to affect the volume control....IF this is the case the only solution would be using wire with less resistance on that circuit(if you caneven isolate it) or shorter extention??

munkynpunky · 10-31-2005, 10:41 AM

Hey, I love this idea and I'm gonna deffinately have a go at this, I have a Pioneer P6400R head unit, and I have a spare back since the plastic surround has been ripped off it.. So i have a head unit to test with before i shag my actual stereo..

Hark · 11-01-2005, 10:29 PM

Ugh, having the worst luck trying this with an Alpine CDA-9855. I must've soldered it 5 times now, and all I get is working buttons, some lights, but no screen. Using Cat-5 like others, and using a volt meter to ensure everything's connected ok, no crossed cables, double-checked wires... so frustrated.

Hark · 11-01-2005, 10:31 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by modUlarBeing

well i finally got mine working.....

turns out that the cat5 coupler was KILLING the coltage, there was more than a 90% drop through that coupler!. so now its soldered straight to the HU. I dont plan on using the cd player so its not a big loss. I will post pictures later.

I'm a little new with the electronics stuff... I'm using a volt meter to measure resistance between the contacts over the wire to ensure each contact is connected. Is this what you're talking about, or are you actually measuring voltage? I'm also using cat-5 couplers, but since the resistance measures the same with them on/off, I didn't think they were affecting anything.

DaveB · 01-22-2006, 04:50 PM

Hark,

Did you get yours working? All my buttons work, the CD plays, but no LCD screen. I'm interested in how you fixed yours?

Hark · 01-22-2006, 08:32 PM

LOL - I gave that up a while ago. Had the same problem, no LCD screen. I even had a local radio shop that claimed to be able to do it before give it a try, with no luck (on my Alpine CDA-9855). I think these new screens need too much juice and the long connection can't do it.

I bought an XM radio (XM Direct) instead, and am so glad I did. SOOOOO much better.

DaveB · 01-25-2006, 09:53 PM

Bad news. None of the newer CD receivers are capable of having the faceplate relocated. They have gone to a design where its really tough to solder the wires in place.

justintime · 01-25-2006, 10:48 PM

I am going to try to do this with my HU. What's so particular about mine, is that the volume, bass, and treble knobs are physical pots. So my plan is to wire all the pins on the board, and then also wire the pots end to end. Not sure if this will work though, but I have 2 units, so if I screw one, who cares.

DaveB · 01-26-2006, 02:18 AM

The HUs with the motorized faceplates use a tiny ribbon cable from the HU to a socket that sits on the movable backing plate, which the faceplate attaches to. There is virtually nothing you can solder to on these. The sockets are soldered to one side of the board. There are no solder pads on the back side of the board. If you try to solder to the front side of the board, the thickness of your wires will hold the circuit board away from the case.

THe only way you could solder your wires is by soldering to the pins on the face-off connector. If you do that, you wreck it and you can't go back to stock. So if you go through the work of soldering it all up and you find the LCD doesn't work, you've wrecked your HU.

I've bought and taken apart brand new Sony, Pioneer, Panasonic and Kenwood CD receivers in the last 3 days. None of these new receivers are very promising for remoting the faceplates. They have moved to a construction method which pretty much precludes soldering wire leads onto the connections. The new faceplates use microcontrollers that put out such little power that the distance of the cables will likely result in a non-functioning LCD.

I considered making a mold of the male/female sides of the IC thinking that this way a guy could make an extension cable without soldering anything to the HU or faceplate. But I couldn't figure out how to embed the metal pins into the molded pieces.

I also tried to locate the male/femal sides of the IC at electronics suppliers but didn't have any luck. It would help if I knew the technical names for these pieces.

Bottom line....you need to buy a reciever that is at least a year old because the new stuff is really tough to work on.

judoGTI · 01-26-2006, 06:27 AM

Ebay Ebay Ebay for those older receivers! lol

Anyony tried beefier cable? Cat 7 maybe?

DaveB · 01-26-2006, 09:34 AM

Yep, I am buying off of ebay. I'll be using a 10 foot DB25 computer cable.

Vita · 01-26-2006, 10:47 AM

anyone sucessfully do this with a stock GM Delco head unit?

justintime · 01-27-2006, 07:28 PM

DaveB: Did you try a HU with DETACHABLE faceplate, instead of the motorized/tilting ones? Those are more likely to have standard pins etc, without flimsy ribbons....

I think Alpine's are being used a lot for remote face plating...

Hark · 01-27-2006, 08:45 PM

*cough* post 33 *cough*