2000 S-10 Blazer radio install

toyradios · Post by **toyradios** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 12:26 pm

Looking for someone who has successfully installed a remote mounted radio in a 2002 Chevy Blazer. Mines has the optional cassette deck below the ashtray.

Just bought one and looking for ideas for mount the control head, cable and radio.

thgiz · Post by **thgiz** » Tue Jul 09, 2002 7:17 pm

just did two remote maxtrac heads stacked under the ashtray, but secured it to the tray infront of the cup holder, limited the size of cup you can put in the driver's side one but not to much

toyradios · Post by **toyradios** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 6:32 am

thgiz wrote:just did two remote maxtrac heads stacked under the ashtray, but secured it to the tray infront of the cup holder, limited the size of cup you can put in the driver's side one but not to much

Is this the space in front of the cassette deck or above it.

Where did you hide the radio ?

jim · Post by **jim** » Wed Jul 10, 2002 12:57 pm

I've done a 2001 with a remote mount Radius mounted overhead to the right of the rearview mirror and angled toward the driver. It actaully worked well! The mic used a CAT5 cable from the control head and ran down through the A-post with the 25-pin cable and led into the center console where the mic jack was mounted. The mic was also stored in the center console.

thgiz · Post by **thgiz** » Thu Jul 11, 2002 11:34 am

mounted to the tray that is monted to the floor, radios are behind rear passenger seat, used in a firechief's vehicle. he is then installing cabinetry in the hatch area so the radios will be out of site, but easy to get to if you fold the rear seat. trying to get him to send a few pictures of it to me.

toyradios · Post by **toyradios** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 6:59 am

Prefer to leave to cargo area clear of any radio eqt. - since it is so small to begin with.

Has anyone try using the space behind the cargo cover device mounted on the left ?

Still trying to find a good place to mount the MCX1000 or Spectra control head.

Trying to make this radio install as stealthy as possible - plus my wife uses the car and she would not like seeing all the radio gear in the back.

AngelFire_91 · Post by **AngelFire_91** » Fri Jul 12, 2002 9:59 am

I have my Blazer set up with a A7 Spectra that I made Remote mount, so it's still the small rectagular face, not the bigger A9 head. and I mounted it in the same location above the drivers head on that center console there where the Door opener and sunglasses thing is, It works wounderfull. However I have the mic cord hanging down to the back. I really like the Idea of using CAT5 and running it down the side to a lower remote spot. I might have to try that eventually. I have the Radio mounted under the Center console where the Arm rest is. I also have my remote mount federal siren and power supply for Lights under there so there is plenty of room. It doesn't look that big, but if you remove it there is a lot more space under there than what you think.

GraFx Pro · Post by **GraFx Pro** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 8:35 am

thgiz wrote:just did two remote maxtrac heads stacked under the ashtray, but secured it to the tray infront of the cup holder, limited the size of cup you can put in the driver's side one but not to much

Were did you get the remote head kits? I have been trying to find them but all I ever get is a look

like Im nuts.

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 1:20 pm

I have a 2000 Jimmy SLS,same truck. I made my MaxTrac remote mount and took all the display and volume/on:off circuits out of the face. I then molded a piece of ABS plastic into the ashtry and attached display and knob to it with the knob on top and the display on the bottom. Works great.I also mounted the head from a UHF Maxtrac in my roof mount center console in the rear compartment in front of the dome light.When you open the compartment,the face angles down enough so you can see it,and goes back up when you close it. The mics come from under the seat,and the "Radios" are mounted in the Jack compartment in the back.
My local motorola dealer had remote mount kits for a few different radios,but it might be just as easy to do it your self with multiconductor wire.Just be careful with a solid strand cat 5 as it is brittle,espically if you don't strip it right.Stranded wire is best,a good electronic supply place should have something good.I used Mouser electronics.....

Will · Post by **Will** » Sat Jul 13, 2002 1:30 pm

The remote mounts for GM series radios, and some others by now, come from Industrial Radio in Redding CA. Quick-Mount. Motorola had a remote mount kit for GM and CDM radios. Or use a 24 pin ribon cable with single row .100 pin spacing connector(s), simmular to the computer hard drive cables/connector. Or I have changed the wires from the two circuit boards, display and volume/mic jack, to longer cable with the same fe. connectors at the far end. Only problem with that, is the head can not be taken out of the vehicle without the long cable being removed.... add a 24 pin Molex male/female connector near the head to seperate the cable from the head.

VE3TUH · Post by **VE3TUH** » Wed Jul 17, 2002 5:00 am

I have a Spectra remote mounted in a 2000 S-10. Space was very limited, so I mounted the radio under the drivers seat, and removed the ashtray, and mounted the speaker inside the hole where the ashtray used to be, and put the control head on a custom bracket at the front of this space. This install turned out very nice and functional, I would recommend it.

toyradios · Post by **toyradios** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 8:12 am

VE3TUH wrote:I have a Spectra remote mounted in a 2000 S-10. Space was very limited, so I mounted the radio under the drivers seat, and removed the ashtray, and mounted the speaker inside the hole where the ashtray used to be, and put the control head on a custom bracket at the front of this space. This install turned out very nice and functional, I would recommend it.

This sounds like a good possibility - can you post some pictures of the control head ?

Radio mounted under the seat - you must not have the electric seat option.

tomskillman · Post by **tomskillman** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 7:49 pm

Greetings:

I was looking for a location to mount a high power spectra in my 2000 Jimmy. I ended up building myself an organizer box for the back. I build a 3' square box, and along the edge at the rear of the vehicle, I mounted the spectra in one corner and a 1200 w power inverter in the other corner. I am getting ready to actually get it all hooked up. I'm not sure yet exactly where the spectra control head is going to go. My radio is an A9 head. Now that I read these posts, I'm going to investigate the option of removing the ash tray for the speaker, as I don't use the ash tray anyway. I think I'm going to make some sort of base to fit in the big junk bin that sits under the ash tray to mount the control head on. I modeled this the other night with styrofoam, but that's not staying in the bin because of the contours of it. I don't want to put holes in the plastic if I don't have to, but it's starting to look like i might. I also want to preserve the cup holders if I can. My Jimmy doesn't have teh overhead console - without that console, is there anything up there to mount a control head to? I woulding mind that option...

Initially I was thinking of mounting the actual radio under the back seat, but found out that the space there isn't big enough! GM should have left us more space for things like that under the back seat! I'm told that the older Blazer/Jimmy's had enough space to mount a radio under them. Oh well. Anyone out there put a second battery in their Jimmy/Blazer? That's my next project.

jim · Post by **jim** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 7:57 pm

Why would one need a second battery in a T-truck unless you plan on jump starting a Caterpillar D9 or a fire engine ?

tomskillman · Post by **tomskillman** » Thu Jul 18, 2002 8:03 pm

The instruction manual for the Power inverter suggests installing an auxilliary battery to prevent running down the vehicle's starting battery. I'm just going by the recommendation of the Power Inverter manufacturer.

VE3TUH · Post by **VE3TUH** » Fri Jul 19, 2002 6:21 am

Sorry, no digital cam, cannot get you pics of the control head. However, the speaker is in the ashtray hole, facing downwards, and the control head is mounted right at the front of the space where the ashtray used to be, looks like it was put there by the factory. To get the radio under the drivers seat I had to remove the seat, but you are right, no power seat option, so there was JUST enough room. To figure out where to put everything, and then to actually install it, took me an entire weekend. Would have made no money on that job!

jim · Post by **jim** » Fri Jul 19, 2002 12:37 pm

Alrighty then!

I'll recommend the Optima battery (yellow top) for the auxilary system. Use an isolator that's capable of 150-200 amps. Use #2 cable on the isolator and invertor leads. I'm assuming that the inverter is probably in the neighborhood of 1000 watts.
An option is to install a 'jump' switch between the positive of the aux. battery and the positive of tha main battery. With this, you can use the aux. battery to start the vehilce if the main were to go dead.
Ground the aux. battery to the same point as the main battery on the block. Run both inverter leads directly to the aux. battery. LOOM ALL WIRING PROPERLY!!!! If a #2 cable were to rub through, you'd soon learn about arc welding.

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