Chevy S-10 Install

KE4NYVJR · Post by **KE4NYVJR** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:34 pm

I recently re-installed everything in my truck. Took some old stuff out, put some new stuff in and cleaned up the whole deal 100%. Here are some pictures of the installation and the final results. I have a few small items such as my HamHUD II (APRS Display Unit) and GPS that are not shown, but will have pictures soon.

Refer to Picture number 4...

(Left to Right)
Alpine "brain" unit for in-dash DVD Player
Alpine XM Receiver
8 Port PowerPole Rigrunner (above XM Receiver)
Icom 706MKIIG HF/VHF/UHF
Kantronics KPC-3 TNC (laying on top of the 706)
Icom 2720 VHF/UHF
Motorola VHF Maxtrac (laying under 2720 and connected to the KPC-3 for APRS)
Uniden 796D Digital Scanner with remote head kit.
Three genuine Motorola Spectra speakers on top of the box.

KuhnElectronics · Post by **KuhnElectronics** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:54 pm

very nice...how do you like the in dash DVD?

I have been considering that for a few months now but have heard mixed opinions...

Also, I love the custom job concealing behind the seat.

- Nick

BikerScout · Post by **BikerScout** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:24 pm

That is a Sweet install. Don't forget to show your antenna set up.

Bryan

sglass · Post by **sglass** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 8:25 pm

looks great man

how did that back pannel come off? Been meaning to do some work on my 94 s-10

Seth

KE4NYVJR · Post by **KE4NYVJR** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:41 pm

BikerScout wrote:That is a Sweet install. Don't forget to show your antenna set up.

Bryan

I will do that soon. I just ordered a Turbo Tuner controller for my Little Tarheel II screwdriver, so I'll put that in and get some pictures taken.

KE4NYVJR · Post by **KE4NYVJR** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:43 pm

sglass wrote:looks great man

how did that back pannel come off? Been meaning to do some work on my 94 s-10

Seth

The back panel isn't too bad. You have to pull the bottom out first so that the metal spring pops come out and then there are about 5 or 6 plastic tabs along the top that slide into metal catches. Be careful putting it back. I have managed to break about 2 of the tabs off.

KE4NYVJR · Post by **KE4NYVJR** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 2:46 pm

KuhnElectronics wrote:very nice...how do you like the in dash DVD?

I have been considering that for a few months now but have heard mixed opinions...

Also, I love the custom job concealing behind the seat.

- Nick

I love it. If you do, go with Alpine they seem to have the best on the market for the price. Kenwood is right up there in price, but the quality is not as good. The feedback touchscreen on mine is awesome too.

The box behind the seat, I made out of MDF board and covered in OEM GM material (same woolly stuff they use on the back of the seats). I cut out my jack bracket and took out the dog house (total waste of space). This gave me plenty of room for the box to stretch the whole width of the back of the cab.

IMBEJames · Post by **IMBEJames** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:29 pm

Impressive! Any problems with heat buildup in the box? I was thinking of doing something similar.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:30 pm

I was just going to ask that myself.

I guess if heat became a problem a fan could always be added along with a grill on top as an exhaust.

KE4NYVJR · Post by **KE4NYVJR** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 7:18 am

IMBEJames wrote:Impressive! Any problems with heat buildup in the box? I was thinking of doing something similar.

Not yet, the front of the box is pegboard, covered in the GM cloth. Its very "bereathable". One addition I might make is a fan on the left (passenger side) of the box. Drill a 2-3 inch hole above the current cable access hole and mount a fan on the inside, pulling the air out of the box. This way, the air is drawn in through the pegboard holes and in the process, the cloth other the holes will "filter" the air of dust and dirt before it comes in the box. Just an idea.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:46 am

Ahh! Very smart using the pegboard, i like that.

Use a 80mm dc fan and have it ignition switched and you should be good to go. One big complaint i always get about fans in computers is how noisy they are, but it's not the fan itself it's the airflow that your hearing.

I usually use high airflow ball bearing fans with a mesh grill or a foam filter grill on the output side. Sounds stupid having the filter on the output side, but it keeps stuff out of the fan and the enclosure when its not running, and it also serves to break up the airflow a bit when it exits the fan, less air noise and therefore less fan noise.

Don't use a sleeve bearing fan. All they are is the cheapo plastic bushing type. The first hot afternoon or cold morning after it's broke in from use and it will howl or whine for the first few minutes of run time.

IMBEJames · Post by **IMBEJames** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:49 pm

I could be standing in front of the pegboard at Home Depot and that idea would never enter my head. Great job with that.

apco25 · Post by **apco25** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:06 pm

Looks extremely nice, clean and functional. A+!

tvsjr · Post by **tvsjr** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 8:09 pm

kb0nly wrote:Use a 80mm dc fan and have it ignition switched and you should be good to go. One big complaint i always get about fans in computers is how noisy they are, but it's not the fan itself it's the airflow that your hearing.

Sort of. It's a combination... lots of airflow being generated by a small fan.

Use an old trick... bigger fan, less voltage (clearly above the turn-on threshold to get the motor spinning). Lots of overclockers run 120mm fans in computer cases but connect them to the 5V rail... you get quite a bit of airflow, but it's a big fan turning slow, so very low noise.

Personally, from an airflow dynamics perspective, the pegboard is potentially a bit inefficient. It'll be tough to flow air across all of the radios (if you pressurize the box, it's going to flow through the peg holes, and the pressure will decrease as the square of distance... you'll lose most of your pressure in the first 20% of the box). Computer cases are sealed for a reason... effective cooling happens by flowing air across a surface. Thus, most cases inhale air low on the front, flow it up across the bus cards, processor, etc., and out through the power supply.

The good part of the pegboard is that it may stay cool enough without the help of any fans. You might consider picking up a cheap thermometer somewhere with logging/storage capabilities and running the sensor inside the box. No point in investing effort unless it's needed, but you certainly don't want to be baking the radios either.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 9:07 pm

I use pulse width modulation fan speed controllers to dull the noise in my gaming system. That system is loaded with fans. A front 80mm high flow, top 80mm exhaust, side 80mm intake directed at the video card location and a rear 120mm exhaust.

Not to mention the CPU HSF, the dual fans in the power supply, the fan on the video card itself, etc.