Thanks to MarkM, Stu, and Patrick, I'm hoping to have a few of these board made. Would anyone else be interested? I'm guessing they'll be around $300-$400 for the set of 2 boards (sender and receiver) but we'll know more once Stu has a chance to conduct some prototyping magic.

I would be interested in a couple. What's the max. distance with reliable operation?

I have tested these to 100 feet. It's the installation of feeding cable under carpeting that's time consuming.

Sound interesting (no promise yet!) for me as well. How do you control the player (e.g. when trunk mounted)? I presume the board only gives a remote display, not remote 'control'?

Jelle

nb: I do have a now disused original rio tuner, could that be useful for this?

One extender board is mounted to the empeg, the other board is mounted to the display. All front panel controls work. This allows for mounting the display in tighter spaces - dash, center console, headliner, etc.

Very nice, is the 'connector' at the display side of the ribbon strong enough to be used as 'removable' front plate (like most aftemarket radios)?

Jelle

Probably, but the connector type used isn't very handy for quick disconnects. I'd also be a little concerned with static discharge. I have killed a few of these board sets over the years, but I can't recall which components have failed.

Wow, that's quite a professional product. How'd I miss this project during development?

Detachable like a face plate would be amazing for stealth installs.

Does this supply the necessary power to allow lit buttons to light up?

Good work!!

I actually wasn't aware of it either. I had been asking Stu about the possibility of an extender and he showed me the link to MarkM's original post. It was an Empeg newb back then so I completely missed it.

On the button lights, good question. Perhaps MarkM or Stu can answer. I'm guessing so. I just placed an order for 10 sets of pcb boards so we will find out in a couple of months.

This design has been kept private for several years. I just got permission to share it with the public.

BTW - I haven't used an extender set with button lights.

I'm curious about the use of the extender. With the empeg metalwork in the trunk, you still have a DIN sized faceplate with a moderate thickness to put somewhere. That would require a big external housing to sit on the dash, or a DIN slot to sit in the dash. I know of one example where the shorter depth would help, the Volvo S40/V50 thin dash panel. But is it really that common?

One common application was to make a pod that molded into the dash. We'd remove the air vent plastics and create a hollow plug on the bottom of the pod. This was a friction fit with the cable running under the dash, though the air vent and into the nice looking pod. The pod of course was covered in vinyl or leather to match the dash. When the car is sold, there's not much to do, just pull some cable out and replace the factory plastics.

There were other applications where we mounted the display in a vinyl box. Some cars had depth issues. I could see this design used in classic cars, exotics, or customs. You could put it in a small glove compartment or center console.

If the empeg fits in the dash, by all mean do that! Our installations almost always retained the factory system and hacked the empeg audio into the main system with a audio switch. The main goal was to provide access and visibility to the display without hacking into an expensive vehicle's dash or console.

Hope this helps.

In a sense, it turns the empeg into something about the size of an ipod or a satellite radio receiver. There are plenty of interesting car mounting options for that sort of thing. People velcro them to the dash, hang them from vents, stick them in cup holders, that sort of thing.

Or you could install in a sun visor or center console (About half way down the page)

http://www.installer.com/pics/instpics.html

A sun visor install would be a little rough for the display extender. It's a little thick and heavy, unless you want to drive with the visor down all of the time. Plus there's that ribbon cable to hide. I must admit that a different cable connector on the display side could make the package smaller.

I like the idea of stashing it in the sunglasses holder located in the headliner console of some cars.

It kind of goes without saying, but I forgot to mention in an earlier post about dash mounting - please avoid any airbag locations. It would be dangerous to have a display shooting through the inside of your car.

That'll fit in the space in the dash currently occupied by the cup holder... hmmm some kind of adapter in order to put the display to an appropriate angle and this could be my thing.... let me check in the car and get back to you .

Tony

I've e-mailed Patrick about R52 and R51 and also the specifics on the static discharge issues, but have not heard backa s of yet. Mark could you look for one of your boards and see whether it's R51 or R52 on the transmitter board?

Alvin has informed me that the boards will be delivered 2-6. So we are getting close to building a set.

Thanks,
Stu

Where have you been all my life?

I'm definitely interested in one of these extenders!

There will only be 10 in the first run and I believe at least 3 are spoken for already, but I'm sure Alvin or someone could run another batch if this one doesn't satisfy demand.

Stu

Stu,

I'll try to get an answer to the resister question. We still want a couple of boards for spares.

Mark

Mark, I had you down for 3-4 sets of boards. Given that you're the one providing the design, I'd like to offer you first shot at the 10. I'll probably take 2.

The folks above expressing interest will get right of first refusal on the remaining 4-5 boards.

1-MarkM (2)
2-Mach (2)
3-caseyse (2)
4-juenk (1)
5-EtN (1)
6-music (1)
7-jarob10 (1)
8-mlord (1)
9-JimHogan (1)

Looks like there is a fair amount of interest here, so 2 sets is probably fine to cover us for spares. After Stu builds a few, we could probably have him repair existing boards if we get into a pinch.

I am definitaly interested in one set. It's been a long time since I spent any £ on the empeg.

Alvin,

Please tack my name onto the list. I'll take one set, if available to me.

Cheers

Looks like the 10 are spoken for.

Patrick might have a few extender circuit boards available. By a few, probably two sets if you're lucky. If you're already a friend of his, he might build a set if you ask nicely and pay him for his time. If I get in touch with Patrick, I'll let him know that it's okay to use the remaining boards.

Mark,

Count me interested. If these would ship from Seattle, I could even pickup. I'm planning to clean up some wiring and dents in the WRX this spring, so this would be a great addition to spring cleaning. Was there ever a definite answer about illuminated buttons?

Folks familiar with the WRX are perhaps visualizing that center pod in the dash where Subaru put the optional gauge pack.

Was there ever a definite answer about illuminated buttons? One thing that occurs to me is that if the Empeg is no longer in "I-must-remove-or-risk-tragedy " mode, then it would seem linke there might be room to revisit that -- a different/custom faceplate and LED buttons powered out of band, maybe?

And I might finally use my cherished tuner module, maybe, if I didn't feel the need to leave another headunit in the car...and...and....

Kennedy!