Thanks. Always beer, just a double IPA in a sniffer glass.

 

LOL @ Always beer.

 

got a wide 1/0 cable that needed 3/0 copper terminals that i flattened/crimped in a vice then dented with a ballpeen hammer then covered in heat shrink.




sanded the floor and used a Grade 8 bolt and nut.






terminated the ground at the ultracap then continued to the amp.






power and ground is 4awg on the amp rack and will be fused at 100A. a 100A fuse will be on the ultracap feed also and using a MAXI holder allows for a quick disconnect.


i did some measuring last night to look for a good ground. used 2 awg to get from the battery negative back to the trunk and included test lead resistance. my fluke measured 0.2-0.3 ohms. testing various grounding locations, including where i chose, i did not get a measurable difference of more than 0.1 ohms. given the tolerance of the meter, that's pretty good.

i've located the factory grounds and engine bonding jumpers. they will be upgraded soon.

next i will install the LOC and do some RTA and oscilloscope testing on the HU output to characterize it's frequency response through the LOC. remember, the end goal is for the CDA-9887 to feed the Audison and be a clean source while the factory system feeds the 9887 AUX input for general listening, BT, etc. testing will determine if i'll use the HU volume or the 9887 volume. i already have the PAC interface to use the steering wheel controls for the 9887 if need be, though my preference is to use the 9887 as a preamp and use the factory HU volume control. in the end, system noise will determine what path i end up on.

i'll likely have an iPod with lossless demo music stashed in the dash and connected to the 9887 directly. I also have the KTX-100EQ and will use it if need be.

 

the head unit testing has convinced me to put the 9887 in.

so i removed the pocket, cut it up, and am now prepping it

cover removed


mockup


cutting


putting the sleeve in




starting the fill process



empty dash

 

spent the weekend working on adding the CDA-9887.

more work on the mount - some bondo fill




not sure i like this color and there are still some imperfections that i need to sand out


but i had to button the car up for a trip on Monday so this is where it is right now


these head units need some sort of trim ring but i suspect only three sides of the trim ring will actually fit. there is more work to be done but removing the deck isn't that difficult.


a lot of time was spent wiring new power distribution. i use a relay powered by the head unit 12V ignition feed to generate a new switched ignition source. i added a fuse block with separate outputs for the radar detector, GPS, PAC SWI-JACK, Navone LOC, and the 9887

 

well boys and girls, we have power.

i'm still not happy with the HU mount. despite more sanding and fill there are still some imperfections. and i went with a satin black that is still too glossy for the dash. so i got a can of flat black for the next time i pull it out.


i modified the cover for the factory pocket to make a removable cover for the HU to make it look like stock when parked. the cover has a CCF backing and neo magnets glued to it behind foam. two more magnets inside the mount provide plenty of holding power.



amp is wired and powered.





the crossovers are left over from when the comps were powered from the deck. they can be removed and repackaged now.


did some scope testing with each output and also the AUX in from the factory output and LOC. no clipping at full volume on the Alpine (typical). HU output clips the Alpine AUX in at volume 21 out of 40 - overdrives the input. The stock deck clips at volume 33 of 40.


battery wiring for now




GPS and radar detector wires hidden

 

illumination looks pretty good

 

Looking good as always

 

Illumination looks damn good !!!!! Nice work !!!

 

got a sub box built for the Hertz ML3000. intent is for this to be a temporary box for a few months.