In Dash GPS Install/HIDs

In Dash GPS Install (DNX8120) +Speakers +Sub/HIDs

Hey all...

Recently join the forums, long time lurker though...as I've had several Explorers...

I'm getting ready to put a complete system in my 2007 (1 year old, bought it new) and thought I should document it if there is any interest. I'm a non-practicing MECP installer from years ago...

I'm not doing it all at one, but the line up is (subject to change if I get a hot deal on something, but the head unit is in hand as are some of the speakers)

Kenwood DNX8120 (GPS/DVD)
HD Radio add on later
Alpine PDX4.100 (doors)
Alpine PDX1.1000 (SUB) (Planned, may reuse RF 1500bd if I don't sell)
Boston Acoustics SL80's (all doors)
Boston Acoustics SPG555PS Sub (planned, I may reuse my BA 12 pros if I don't sell them)
Scosche kits...

Also looking at HID upgrades, true dual capsule (no halogen or sliding shade highbeams) and foglights (single capsule) at 4300 or 5000k if anyone has favorites.

Looking at style like on gcop.net(nope, I have never used them before or have any relation) and use one of the relay outs on the head unit to force the second capsule on so I can have the lows, high and fogs all on at the same time. (Stock, Highbeams disable low/fogs.)

I drive in some super desolate areas and mostly worrying about nailing some wildlife in the middle of nowhere. (I drive from SoCal to Montana a few times a year, sometimes via NorCal across N. Nevada, Sometimes NV/NM/UT/ID. Usually at night, Usually in one sitting.....so anyway, sometimes I've gone hours w/o seeing another vehicle depending on the leg of the trip and time.)

I don't wanna be found dead with an equally dead moose/elk/prius through my windshield, lol.....

I've started this and made a link to my personal gallery.

First up: Soldering Scosche adapters to Boston SL80's and getting them in the doors. Not earth shattering, but hopefully useful to someone who's never done it before.

I got the DNX8120 today, bench testing tomorrow, maybe installing Friday (took work off) or otherwise this weekend. I don't have all my amps together yet or the SUB, so going to probably run off the head now and prewire the preouts for the doors and sub, AV to under the seats and backup camera.



Hack idea, if I can find a cheap enough one, use an AV input for a real IR camera for night driving... yes, I'm a nerd...(you'll notice if you poke around outside the install album in the gallery, lol....)


Narrative is in the comments...so if you go to the first one and keep hitting next...it's all in order....

So I put it in Friday...bnut with fun, BBQ and life in general had not gotten to putting up the pics and narrative.

Done now...still at rips07.notlong.com

Hum, no major issues, and it's still new to me...I'm formulating in my head 101 ways to make the DNX8120 better, not that it's bad, but I sit on development teams for some pretty complex systems, I'm always thinking like that....

Things that I'd like different....also keep in mind I have not mastered the unit yet, so some of these are probably my fault....I haven't messed with Zones a whole lot and suspect that's part of the issue.

Scosche Kit: The plugs are fine, the HU kit was not up to expectations and requires tweaking and fitting....I'm told the Metra kit is better, so try that first.

Phone: The voice prompt don't always initially come through the speakers (Like I can hit the HF button on the phone and it should say "Say a command"...but doesn't...but if I say one anyway, it does do the command...this is intermittent and probably something I'm doing.)

Phone: Should be more configurable and probably is...the TX and RX volume could be better.

Nav: Sweet, again, the audio doesn't follow the volume control.....Listening to stuff of the USB loud, the nav is so quiet compared tot he music/windows open, it's just an interruption in the music and nothing really is heard...again probably my fault, need more playing time.

Nav: Accepting the warning EVERY TIME, argh....hack needed....

Things I'd like to see in the future 8220 or whatever....Blue Ray, HDTV/DTV tuner, digital component video and matching monitors out, FM traffic should be built in at the cost of this unit....

More rants as they come, lol....

next up, front x4 amp (Probably Alpine PDX4.150) followed bu (probably) PDX1.1000 sub pushing a Boston Acoustics SPG555PS....HIDs later...I want to use a relay out on the HU to force the High beams on on true dual capsule hids.

Anyone interested in a RF 1500bd amp (excellent shape), 1.5F cap (good) and 2 12.5LF Boston Acoustics 12's(Very Good to excellent)? Also a set of Boston Acoustics 6.53 3-ways(very good (Missing kit parts, all the drivers, etc and crossover and flush tweet kit is there, no grills, work perfect), all pulls form my 2002 when it was traded in last year...Lemme know in PM before they hit ebay....also guys at work are eagle eying them, so first come first serve....

So, I have the PDX-4.150 on the way for the doors, PDX-1.1000 in the works.

Working plan is use a tsunami cap since it has 1/0 ga in and 3 4ga out. i rther do that than a bunch of blocks and junk cluttering up the place and I can run 1/0 to the cap and 4ga to the 150 and 1000....

Anyone know were I can get a full set of console buttons for the 07 explorer? Mine only has the traction control button, I'd like to the the other spots for switching camera inputs and lights.

I looked but even the ford accy store didn't have them.

So i was wondering, i installed a jensen vm9022 with the nav101, xm radio, rear camera, hids (head/foglights). now i was wondering hmmmm digital tv. has anyone tried using a digital tv tuner usb 2.0 style and attached it to their in dash unit? if so, does it work?

I haven't updated this is a long while, heh...

Yes, I've kicked this around some and have used a laptop with a tuner card and composite out. (Careful, one of my laptops have it's own composite out, I have yet to see a laptop USB tuner turn ATSC around out it's own composite connector. Someone probably makes one that will, but I haven't seen it in a USB stick config.)

So you can display an HD signal, but it's being dropped to a 70MHz composite, thereby de-HDifying (Trademark) the signal. I think this is true in just about all cases, nobody makes a 7" 1080i/p native resolution screen anyway. Again, some high dollar boutique will prove me wrong at some point.

There is a slowly growing flood of mobile ATSC tunes coming out of China, I just wish Kenwood would step up and offer one that my DNX8120 can integrate with. (ATTN KENWOOD: It's 2009, WTH?!?)

Bottom line, generally not compelling enough to make me want to make it a permanent feature.

Something else I found more interesting is running the video out off DVD or USB stick to a video projector and FM transmitter...watch movies while camping, projecting on a sheet or side of an RV, and the whole beach/campground can tune in.


On the original install: PDX4.150 running BA sl-80s in the doors, PDX1.1000 running BA SPG555PS, I should document and post. That sub is violent.

I'll probably go to 5" pros at some point as that's a better use of the amplifier, and I can plate them ala sl-80 style with tweeter stealth in the factory locations with no cutting or other drama....it'll have to wait though, money is focused on home purchase.

i was just wondering if i could use a usb tv tuner directly into my jensen media modula usb connector. will the tuner operate or is software need to be installed? im seeing some atsc usb tuners, was making me wonder if i should try.

rip, did you end up doing the HIDs?

jamessmithii said:

i was just wondering if i could use a usb tv tuner directly into my jensen media modula usb connector. will the tuner operate or is software need to be installed? im seeing some atsc usb tuners, was making me wonder if i should try.

Click to expand...

Sorry, Havn't been here in a while. Been busy with a place in escrow and getting ready to move (WooHoo, BIG GARAGE!)

I doubt this will work, I'd guess it's software driven. You'd be better off using an outboard, standalone ATSC reciever and piping it in a regular AV input. I'd try to find a 120V unit that uses a 12v wall wart to power it to make it an easy swap to mobil euse...failing that, find the smallest one you can and crack it opwn and put in your own home brew power supply or but a mobile one off eBay.

Remember, you'll need a NTSC composite out....unless you've shoehorned a real HDTV into your ride.

guessing the pyle digital tv tuner is the way i need to go. was hoping it would be more simpler. all well need to open the dash anyways to hook up my back up camera wire to a the reverse switch.

Jon04CTSV said:

rip, did you end up doing the HIDs?

Click to expand...

On the back burner because of the home purchase.

I found a kit I really REALLY like and some LED replacements for the markers and brake lights....but like I said, on the back burner as cash is going ot be rationed carefully for a while.

In short, it a real HI/LO HID with 2 capsules in the bulb (no shade sliding back and forth)...the capsules are offset for different focal points....4 ballasts....I thought about using one of the outputs on the DNX8120 to force the highs on in lowbeam (On the 07 explorer, flipping HIs on shuts down the LOs and foglights.) so I'd have the FOGs and HI and LO capsules all burning at the same time....and probably melt my lenses..

I do some long distance driving which....ummmm....I make in record time....(Avg speed >75) from Montana to So Cal in one sitting only stopping for Gas....I figured I'm more likely to hit wildlife than another vehicle, so would like some intense but somewhat legal coverage for those long stretches...I wouldn't get away with a lightbar, but wicked highs, maybe.

I'll try to dig up some links for the kit and LEDs and post if you are interested.

man telling you, hids was the best thing i done. my sport trac didnt come with fog lights, so doing so, i hooked a hid kit to them and made my hardness. after liking how they looked, i went a set of hi/lo for my head lights. i travel long distance, they seem to burn less hotter then my standard bulbs. im using 10000 bulbs. had to by pass the head light switch since the ford wasnt per wired for fogs.

http://www.teamfordparts.com/partlo...7650&callout=7&catalogid=2&displayCatalogid=0

dont know if you found those switches you was looking for RIP, but here a place you may find them.

Thanks, I'll look into that switch kit. Was thinking about it Sunday again as i want to intergrate the garage door opener some place out of sight, and using the logic outs on the head unit is too cumbersome (would have to wait for it to boot just to pull the car in at night for instance).

The most interetsing HID kit to me so far is from http://gcop.net I don't have any experience with the company FWIW.

can i install factory gps on a non factory gps ford explorer 07

jimkos5 said:

can i install factory gps on a non factory gps ford explorer 07

Click to expand...

I don't see why not, so long as you have all the pieces. For the most part those things are made by someone else and just branded by the car manufacturer anyway. I don't know where they put the antenna on the stock install, but if you've looked at my install in the gallery, I just stuck my antenna on the dash and it's pretty discrete. Works perfect...

Will update teh install here soon. Just ordered and got the HD radio tuner from crutchfield (was 3 cents more than fleabay and free shipping, so why not?)

I installed the factory GPS on the 07 explorer and it is working excellent

:ttiwwp:

BrianDye said:

:ttiwwp:

Click to expand...

Yep, post #3 has a link to the pics (rips07.notlong.com)....which will be updated soon. FedEx is delivering a Tsunami 40F cap tomorrow and that'll be feeding Alpine Amps PDX1.1000 for an Boston Acoustics SPG555PS and a PDX4.150 feeding BA SL-80s (Turned down...kinda overkill but I have the amp, so WTH.) One day will probably replace those with Pros or SPZs if I get a deal on them.....Went with the 80's for ease of install.

I'm still not completely unpacked from moving...one thing missing in action was my cord for the camera, argh.

I took a ton less photos on the second part of the install, I had a lot to do, but here's the basic idea:

Alpine PDX1.1000, Alpine PDX4.150 and Tsunami 40F Cap...lol


Test Fitting


HD unit under the passenger seat.


Now that's a stealth install!


Except for this part, but it hides under a cargo cover anyway.


I put the main fuse right on top of the fuse box.


I came back over the inside with my dremmel and knocked the tips off the screws, one contacted a relay case. Better safe than sorry.


20 minutes later, the charge bulb is still got a good glow going, ARGH...40F is overkill


Lots of wire involved. Prewired for AV in and Out, Rear camera, plus all the current setup. 4x150, while NOT optimal, is wired all the way to the factory harness!! None of this stuff gets traded in....I can save the goodies and slap the factory stereo and speakers in in about an hour and a half, abandoning the wire in place.



Thanks for everyone who's weighed in with support, suggestions and interest. I still wanna do hids, but with the new mortgage, that's on indefinate hold....maybe some LED upgrades instead.