Dual DIN 7" Touch screen radio install

[jb92563]

I've just ordered one of those Dual DIN 7" Touch screen radios to install and will document it here.

HQ-GPS-Device-7-Motorized-Car-DVD-CD-Radio-Player-USB-SD-Ipod-Bluetooth-Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receiver + Backup Camera

Features:
Price: $239 including shipping from California
Touch screen controls
AM/FM Radio
CD Music
DVD Music and Video for TV
TV Tuner
Ipod/Iphone connection via cable
USB flashdrive/memory device connection via cable on the front panel
Backup Camera Included for display on screen.
GPS Naviagation (Sygic Navigation with voice direction + Maps for US/Canada)
SD card slot (For music, movies, software etc)
WinCE 6.0 Operating system (You can load other software as you might have on a PDA such as spreadsheets, calculator, word Processing, etc also I suspect that with your phone connected you may even get an internet connection so you can use a web browser online)

When it arrives I'll start documenting the install with lots of pictures and video.

I chose this China manufactured unit after looking at my local BestBuy at models with similar features for between $600-$1200 dollars.
Since those brand name units are also manufactured in China I figure I'm just lining some guys pockets with the extra dough so I may as well get the units that avoids the $600 pricetag for a "Kenwood" logo slapped on a China unit.

Support and warranty? I'll take my chances as I can buy 4-5 of these units to the 1 brand name unit. Chances are I'll replace it with the next latest greatest thing in 5+ years anyway.

[particlewave]

Feeling envious! I need to update my HU. Its a nice Sony, but starting to show some wear and it does not look right in the car.

Thought about the double din, but it would be nice to just get another Sony and swap it out in 5 min...now I'm not so sure. GPS and bluetooth would be awesome!

Wow! That is sportin some serious specs for the price! Definitely give it a good all around work out and let us know how it holds up.
Would be nice if there were more room on the face...wanted to do something with a Porsche key fob crest to tie in the aftermarket stereo.

[jb92563]

When powered on the Radio will have a configurable home screen background that can look like this:



I think that will tie it in nicely.



Can even arrange all the Feature Buttons to occupy the white space either side of the crest
so that its always visible.

This unit with its WINCE 6 operating system is basically like PC/PDA with all sorts of software that can be loaded up.

It would be a nice place to put a Track Timer to clock your laps if you go to the track,Chronogps Software or perhaps your Todo/shopping list etc.

Possibilities are endless.
http://www.pda-archives.com/wince/9.htm
http://www.hpc.net/
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/1509/topic.html
http://www.cnet.com/topic-software/microsoft-windows-ce.html

[particlewave]

Very cool! I may just take the plunge, but I'll try to wait for your write up.

[MConte05]

Consider me watching this thread closely as well! I am all for trying out cheap Chinese products.

Though it says motorized? That mean the face tucks away? Or moves up and out? Any idea?

When you get it installed. Can you take a video going through the various screens and such? Would love to see what kind of lag the unit has, as well as what the various screens look like. It seems a lot of name-brand units have terrible looking screens...

[tony_fury]

Nice find, lets us know how it works out..
I'm kind of curious of the depth of the the radio cavity.
The radio spec states 160 mm or 6.3 inches, does anybody know the depth of the Boxster radio cavity?

You also might want to check out this 2 DIN installation kit..
97-02 PORSCHE 986 BOXSTER 2 DIN INSTALLATION KIT | eBay

[CoBeerToad]

Installing one of these is my plan too. But I do not have that section between the center console and the current (stock) radio.

Any ideas on what that piece is called so I can try to find one?

[Nimbus117]

Here's my double din installation. It's a Pioneer Avic 930BT, bluetooth, satnav, reversing camera etc etc. Well worth the pain, functionality and sound are a huge improvement.

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by MConte05

Consider me watching this thread closely as well! I am all for trying out cheap Chinese products.

Though it says motorized? That mean the face tucks away? Or moves up and out? Any idea?

If you check the link, you'll see that the screen moves out at the bottom and tilts back to expose the dvd/cd slot and possibly change the viewing angle(?).

[vitaminC]

Very curious about the quality of the display, as most of the images in the ebay listing are photoshopped and not actual screen captures. My main concern would fall into the "too good to be true" category. Looking forward to hearing about your experience with it!

[tony_fury]

Does anyone know the depth of the radio cavity?
I looked at the specs on the HQ and it states depth is 160 mm or 6.3 inches..

[aclark133]

Does anyone here know if a oem PCM1 headunit will work in my 2004 boxster s? I understand the wiring changed to the optic system for the 2003 models

[jb92563]

Originally Posted by jb92563

I've just ordered one of those Dual DIN 7" Touch screen radios to install and will document it here.

HQ-GPS-Device-7-Motorized-Car-DVD-CD-Radio-Player-USB-SD-Ipod-Bluetooth-Car_Audio_In_Dash_Receiver + Backup Camera

Features:
Price: $239 including shipping from California
Touch screen controls
AM/FM Radio
CD Music
DVD Music and Video for TV
TV Tuner
Ipod/Iphone connection via cable
USB flashdrive/memory device connection via cable on the front panel
Backup Camera Included for display on screen.
GPS Naviagation (Sygic Navigation with voice direction + Maps for US/Canada)
SD card slot (For music, movies, software etc)
WinCE 6.0 Operating system (You can load other software as you might have on a PDA such as spreadsheets, calculator, word Processing, etc also I suspect that with your phone connected you may even get an internet connection so you can use a web browser online)

When it arrives I'll start documenting the install with lots of pictures and video.

Wow ordered it Monday and its going to arrive Thursday...awesome, so I'll start posting updates Thursday then.

First task is to move my Air Conditioning Unit to the bottom slot and remove the old radio.

My digital equalizer is taking a slot and is connected to the Amp in the Frunk so from what I have read you can not just remove it, but it must be incorporated into the new system.

Guess I'll find out soon if this is true, maybe something to do with the amplifier its matched with?

More to come starting tommorow.

yes, complete with pictures, comentary, movies, cursing, skinning my knuckles, all the bloody details.

Resolution is 800x480 which is excellent.

I have a Navigator HP Ipaq 310 that is 5" and I use it to navigate in my airplane and it is crystal clear at that resolution. should be just as nice at 7" for the car unit.

I plan to explore all the units capabilities and as you will note from the links to WinCE software I already found a neat little track timer that will be useful to some folks.

I should also be able to hook it up to the autonomous drone that will do recon and follow at altitude above the car to warn of popo and other undesirable activity around the car, but I digress. A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors - YouTube

[jb92563]

Here is the starting point for me:

AC in the top slot moves the the bottom slot.
Radio will be removed.
Shelf stays where it is if possible.
Equalizer is removed or placed behind the dash after being set to a neutral setting.

Amplifier in Frunk will still be used if possible.
6 CD Changer in Frunk is obsolete and will be removed if possible

[aclark133]

I can't wait to watch your progress!

[jb92563]

Here is todays work with the project:


Pic 1, Pulled out the shelf...literally just yank is straight back and out it comes.


Disconnect the battery lead or else you might short something and the radio anti theft alarm will sound when the radio is removed.


Pulled the bezel plates from around the AC unit and the Equalizer.


Made my own radio removal tools out of some thin aluminum I had laying around the shop, and cut them to this shape because I remembered the one you buy where that shape. You need 2


Here is the little springy catch that you use the above tool on to to bend the catch inwards towards the radio.


There it is pushed inward to release the catch. You do both at the same time and the radio comes out.


There are little slots for the tools near the bottom corners.


Radio slides out, the upper AC unit and its rails come out with just 2 screws.


Equalizer also comes out with 2 screws.


This is the radio theft alarm. The Brown/Red wire to be grounded, (One person said it should NOT be grounded so test it out yourself) so unplug it and connect it to ground before conecting your car battery again or else the alrm will sound. I was able to leave it in place as the new radio made contact with it as it was with the original radio.

[jb92563]

cont'd

All the panels on the console just pull off and I needed the carpeted side to come off so I could fish the AC wires down to the bottome slot where the Equalizer was.


Everything is out, plus I needed to remove the bottom cover with "Boxster" on it to get the AC in properly.


A few more minutes and the AC and shelf are done.


Just about half way through the UPS guy arrived with the new radio/gps unit...perfect timing.

Here is what I got for $230

A night vision backup camera, Radio unit assorted cables including USB, and ipod/iphone cables, remote some mounting hardware etc. all well packed and in good condition.



I had to hook it up to a 12v battery and try it out inside first to see that it all works. The GPS software on an SD card is under the yellow sticker preinstalled in the unit. I removed the ugly yellow sticker.
Everything works perfectly


Some GPS menus


Main Menu


Playing with the SD chip


More tommorow.

[acilliers]

Very exciting, can't wait for tomorrow's update.

[MConte05]

How is the lag between screens? That is one of the negative things I read about these units. I like the menu style better than most of the major brands out there.

[Nimbus117]

Easiest way to run the camera cable is under the carpet on the rear shelf and the black foam water channel with the roof in the service position. Take the carpet out in the rear trunk and look at the bulkhead you will see a perfect sized hole to run the cable through. I drilled a hole near the license plate, put the spoiler up, fed a piece of string through the hole I just drilled and hooked it from the spoiler with a piece of wire and pulled up the camera cable. There is a grommet you can use to get the wire into the trunk which is accessed inside the trunk. One thing, the trunk floor does get pretty hot where I fed the cables so put your RCA connector somewhere cool as I had trouble with mine. The positive wire to the reversing light is permanently live which was good (if not a bit confusing).
Mine is the 2003 model with the lousy MOST system, I removed the lot and got a good price on fleabay. Front and rear speakers I connected to the head unit speaker connections and an RCA plugged into the subwoofer output and out into the battery bay just above the pedals. This runs to an Alpine amp where the Porsche amplifier and multi-changer were, this then feeds back the the subs in the doors. I had alternator whine at first but this configuration got rid of it.
Good luck.