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Thread: I did a thing.

  1. #751
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! MaRcOp01o's Avatar
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    Hell Yeah! I am happy youre doing an audio upgrade because I am looking to upgrade mine on the new NB!
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  2. #752
    Super Moderator Bryan's Avatar
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    I'll be taking notes. Hard to believe when I went to put in my head unit that I realized my speaker setup is now 10 years old!
    Quote Originally Posted by DazedAndConfused
    I dont know a word you just said, but that **** sounded COOL.

  3. #753
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    I won’t be doing speakers yet. One of the previous owners already installed some nice ones, and I want to see if the new gear unveils any weaknesses before replacing them.

  4. #754
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    Santa showed me the goods early. Can't wait for the install!


    No todo que es oro brilla.

  5. #755
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    I did a thing.

    Here’s the broad plan:

    Alpine ILX-W650 head unit

    Alpine KTA-450 power pack amplifier

    Integrated USB power/data port in the center console.

    I chose this for the features, very shallow mounting depth and durability. The headunit is a 7” capacitive touch screen with gesture controls. It is Car Play and Android capable. Having been impressed with my wife’s Car Play unit, I have been coveting adding this level of infotainment for a while.

    This is a Mechless unit, no CDs. I couldn’t tell you the last time I have used a CD. There is a USB port on the back of this that I will use to connect to my phone while charging it too. This will be in the center console storage compartment. Nice and clean.

    The KTA-450 is a VERY compact class D 4-channel amp that attaches to the back of this head unit. It is 4x50w, bridgeable to 2x100w peak at 100 and 200 respectively. It’s a pretty slick system and even combined with this headunit still has a depth than is the same or less than most headunits.










    The ILX-W650 is in the left, the KTA-450 on the right. That last photo shows how it connects with the supplied brackets.

    I am waiting on a few bits, but will begin this install soon.

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  7. #756
    Super Moderator Bryan's Avatar
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    Oh that's hot...if I'd have known such a narrow amp existed, I'd have just gone with this arrangement. My HU doesn't have a CD player and it's SO light!
    Quote Originally Posted by DazedAndConfused
    I dont know a word you just said, but that **** sounded COOL.

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    kung fu jesus (12-25-2020)

  9. #757
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    I did a thing.

    Alpine makes a few others this size without the brackets.

    KTA 445A, a plug and play 4 channel x 45 amp with all Alpine HUs.

    KTA 445U, the universal version of the above with RCA or high level inputs. Bridgeable to 2 x 90.

    There are others too for subs in that sizing. I’m not much of a brand homer on this stuff, but all the Alpine equipment I used in my previous cars, especially my e30, really impressed me.

    I love mechless/digital media headunits. They are shallower for easier installations in cars like ours or in more modern cars that run the HVAC systems close behind, like BMWs.

  10. #758
    Super Moderator Bryan's Avatar
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    Dang it. Now you're making me wish I'd have bought a different HU (I love mine, but if I'd have known it was that easy to put an amp in...).
    Quote Originally Posted by DazedAndConfused
    I dont know a word you just said, but that **** sounded COOL.

  11. #759
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    My wife bought me this cool shop light. It’s rechargeable and LED. It is a spring-loaded bar and clamps on to the windshield or hood. Two settings (hi/lo) for the intensity.

    This will be REALLY handy! These images are taken with no other lights on and fading evening light coming through two north facing windows in my garage.












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  13. #760
    Super Moderator Bryan's Avatar
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    Nice light!
    Quote Originally Posted by DazedAndConfused
    I dont know a word you just said, but that **** sounded COOL.

  14. #761
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift HarryB's Avatar
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    I really like the HU and the amp integration, very smart design. I also love the clean design, albeit I would miss a physical volume/mute button.

    That light is lit (as the kids say these days)!

    Jokes aside, I need one in my life. Could you share a few more details?

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    kung fu jesus (12-26-2020)

  16. #762
    Ninja Messiah kung fu jesus's Avatar
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    Harry, I struggled with the volume knob question for a while. My wife’s HU has one and is no longer made. Her car has steering wheel controls (SWC).

    The units with volume knobs either didn’t have rear USB ports (a must for me to integrate a cleaner install and not have the phone and cable hanging out), non-customizable colors (prefer red or white buttons), non-capacitive screens, or a brand I did not trust.

    I even went so far as to research retrofitting a steering wheel with SWCs. The issue of airbag compatibility was the stickler there. I even looked at the possibility of grafting SWCs from another wheel and re-covering it to look stock. This also included looking at compatible clock springs that could relay the SWC signals. Yeah, I’m a little crazy.

    What intrigued me about a few of these touchscreen units was that despite the lack of a physical knob, some use gesture controls. Some are more sophisticated than others. This basically works like the pinch-zoom gestures in a smart phone. This Alpine has some of that, IIRC some of the newer JVC units have it too.

    I also watched carefully where the volume “buttons” of these were placed. Looked at where they were placed on the HU and where those would be in the centerstack after being mounted in the car. This being a LHD car, I was able to ascertain with some reasonable comfort how this operation would work while driving, including the mute feature.

    You can find that shop light here:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MTXC016...ing=UTF8&psc=1

  17. #763
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
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    We have the same light! It's good for car work and hurricane prep kit down here. It'll light up a whole room like daylight when the power goes out.

    A7DA71B6-93B5-4BE7-A875-98E55F1B2503.jpg


    No todo que es oro brilla.

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  19. #764
    6,000 rpm - mere mortals would shift HarryB's Avatar
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    I have been down that rabbit hole during my Nexus 7-based "HU" 5 years ago. There was an idea proposed by someone else back then, using a 2000s Protege/Familia steering wheel that has buttons for cruise control. The wheel itself is the same design as the NB (and FD RX-7) steering wheels except the back plastic cover has a cut-out for the bracket and wiring to the buttons that then run through along the steering column. These are for CC, but guess you could make them do anything. They are unfortunately a bit bulky for my liking.



    These days I would go with the most minimalist universal wireless controls I could find, and create a bracket to mount it on the steering wheel in a similar fashion to the Familia steering wheel mentioned above.

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    kung fu jesus (12-27-2020)

  21. #765
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    Yes, I found similar information. I looked into the 626 steering wheels and clock springs, looked at SWCs from other makes and models to integrate the controls into a Miata/Mazda steering wheel, etc. but everything was too bulky. I looked at airbag compatibility in newer Mazdas as well.

    This is where tech reaches the diverging point, right around 2005/2006 where the rise of smartphones and Bluetooth connectivity becomes prevalent in automotive design along with SWCs for more features (volume, tracks, calls, etc). This is 15 years out now and beyond the NA/NB lifecycle. Few aftermarket head units account for this the further you get from that point.

    I didn’t see any wireless options for adding SWC that I liked, but I will still keep an eye on them.

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