Wow... Just read the manual for the P1900 and scatching my head. Help.

zaytser · 06-29-2008, 03:10 PM

Ok so I have been wanting to install a Mac Mini for a long time but just haven't gotten around to it. Unfortunately, I am not a computer hardware wizz. I finally got around to buying the Carnetix P1900 and read the manual and was totally lost. Maybe I just need to read it again, but the wiring diagram is just a simple and not specific, and really tells me nothing about where to connect the wires.

I have the V2.2 P1900 and the manuals that are on this site are V1.0 and V2.0. Also it referred to cutting the DC power cable and splicing wires together. I thought the Mac Pac power cable kit replaced that???? I have installed several car stereos, and have no problem running wires here and there and making the proper connections, but when it comes to computer hardware I am clueless. To me it seemed like the manual describes the purposes of each feature on the P1900, but no specific install pics to help give a clear understanding of them.

Anways I read the manual again and will continue to search through the forums for more info and other members worklogs that may have pics to help understand what to do. Any tips or help you can provide me, or links that you send my way I am very thankful for, as it seems I am steping into unknown territory.

rgarjr · 06-29-2008, 05:05 PM

At first glance at the manual it can be quite intimidating, however if you go over it a few times it begins to make sense.

I dont have a mac mini, but an aopen mini pc with a 2140.

Good Luck..

zaytser · 06-29-2008, 05:08 PM

10 people have read my post and don't have anything to say. I recieved a Mac Pac power cable, but I also have another cable that fits into the same plug-in, into the P1900. What do I do with the other one? Or is it just the cable that comes with the P1900 if I wanted to hack up my power cable from home? Also why are there two red power wires and two black ground wires going to the battery? In the V2.1 manual on the Carnetix site it has a diagram saying with one being used and the other is not used? How does this make sense. Also there is a secondary power wire for an LCD screen or usb hub, Am I supposed to hack my LCD wire to power it? Is there a ground wire dedicated to it? The Mac Pac Power cable has a +Red Power, -Black Ground, a Brown secondary power wire, and from what I can tell a Blue Remote cable to hook up to an amp just like Car Audio Deck.

So far I have done about 20 searches for pictures that show just what cable and wires to hook up to what location and found absolutely nothing. For those of you that know computers it is simple, but I haven't a clue about hardware like this. Please direct me to some links that have detailed pics of proper wiring for this device, as Car Decks only have one power wire.

I have only begun and had no idea that this was so complicated just to power a stupid mac mini.

rgarjr · 06-29-2008, 05:13 PM

Yeah that other pigtail connector is just an extra if you didn't have the mac pac wiring.

There's dual wiring on the primary rail for those pc's needing heavy current. You can simply wire them 2 in together, same goes for ground.

As for the wires that go to battery and ground, just double them up as well.

zaytser · 06-29-2008, 05:25 PM

So Am I correct about the blue wire being a remote wire for an amp? How the hell do hook up my 17 inch touch screen when all they supply is a brown 16 wire? Do I have to splice into the original power wire that came with screen? Also the small white wire on the Mac Pac cable is dedicated to the power button, but the pics I have seen for this applcation are **** poor too. It doesn't even look the the Y cable in the pics is what was used for that app. How bout the red and black wire along side the actual power able that plug into the Mac Mini? Are those the ones that you refer to as being for PC's needing heavy current? It makes no sense to me as to why there is a power plug in for the Mac Mini as well as a red + and Black - and then another brown secondary power wire?

Sorry for all the questions. This is just so different from installing an Alpine deck. It is almost on the point of retardedness.

rgarjr · 06-29-2008, 05:35 PM

Yup the blue wires is your delay on wire so that goes to your audio amp. The pulse start wire is also blue so make sure you don't confuse it. U have to cut your connector off your monitor cable and solder them to your secondary rail, which is the brown and black.

The wires that go to your battery and ground, are pairs so you just but them together red with red, black with black.

If you have another set of primary rail wires (red and black) you dont need to connect those just tape them up and just plug your mac connector to your mac.

zaytser · 06-29-2008, 06:15 PM

So the remote and the pulse start are the blue wire? So the remote is apart of the Mac Pac cable and Pulse start is at the other end of the P1900 where the yellow ignition wire, and dual red power, and dual black ground wires are. One more thing though. I believe there is a black and green jumper cable and don't know where it should be placed. And the red power wire that is apart of the mac pac cable is not in the picture in the manual for the P1900. I think maybe it was put there by accident. Thanks for your help. I think after this post I should be in the clear.

DarquePervert · 06-29-2008, 08:19 PM

The black/green cable goes inside the MacMini. It should be a y-cable and it basically spliced in with the power button.

zaytser · 06-29-2008, 11:55 PM

Not that cable. The Y cable has white connector ends and comes in a little plastic bag. The Black and Green cable I am referring to has black ends and has a twist tie wrapped around it. It looks as though those ends fit over a jumper. I may be wrong. I have been really going over the jumper connections a lot all day, and it is becoming clearer. But I am still puzzled as to why there is a red power wire coming out of the Mac Pac cable assembly. It is on the top right hand corner of the assembly beside the black Ground. But the ground is supposed to be for the brown secondary power wire. It is not inthe picture of the Mac Pac cable on this site or the Carnetix site. In the there is only the Computer power cable, the power button cable, the blue remote cable, the brown cable and the black cable. but mine has an extra red
power cable.

Bugbyte · 06-30-2008, 12:37 AM

You aren't looking for a diagram like this, are you?

zaytser · 06-30-2008, 01:26 AM

No no. I mean an actual picture of someones set up with all of the cables that I have. I have no idea what this red power wire is for that is apart of the Mac Pac cable assembly. It is not a part of the Mac Pac cable pictured in the Mp3car store.

Bugbyte · 06-30-2008, 08:55 AM

Don't describe it. Post a photo of it.

In the store photo, there is a black, brown, and blue cable on the MacPac. Does yours have all three of those PLUS a red one? If not, it is possible they simply have substituted a wire color.

Now, I'll put in my standard refrain when people have wiring questions: If you use a multimeter, you can figure out what the wires are AND make sure you aren't hooking things up improperly before you send the juice into hundreds of dollars of electronics. Trust me, there are lots of things that can go wrong and using a meter only helps with some of them. I have personally destroyed $500 worth of VGA screen due to careless static handling. That was a fun lesson to learn.

If you use a multimeter (and anyone who installs stuff in cars should have this as the BASE MINIMUM in their toolset), you could figure out what those wires do without the diagram. Google up "how to use a multimeter". There's tons of video tutorials. It's easy.

zaytser · 07-05-2008, 10:22 AM

Oh for sure. I have used a multi-meter. And yes there is a black, brown, and blue cable, plus a red one. Then there is the small white cable for the power button connection and then of course the large white power cable that plugs into the back of the mini. I was just wondering if that red cable is an upgrade or something like that.

I think I pretty much have this figured out. I just need to study the manual better for proper jumper connections for my lcd. Also I never new that you needed a an exta device to hook up a powered usb hub.