February 17, 2012 7:29:47 PM PST
Ok, now it's time to get real! I found my 11.94v pin on the connector on this panel by plugging it into the unit. I used the DMM and found where it showed 11.94, then removed the panel and traced it back to the connector. So here's picture number 1. This shows point 1 on the front side which has two holes through the panel from the connector. Then it goes to point 2 which you can see on the picture, which also has two holes through the panel transferring it back to the rear side. This is 11.94 between both of these points. Again, this is the front side of the connector showing.
[IMG]http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee1/99scooter/1%20Reinstall%20Again/Alpine%20Customization/DSC05521-1.jpg[/IMG]
Now we go to the rear side, picking up on point 2 which was 11.94v. This goes into two different components, which I have to believe are reducers or resistors or something like that. We'll start with the furthest one, cause for whatever reason I numbered that one #3. That component has a number on it of 303. As you can see in the picture, the voltage goes from 11.94, down to 1.78v. Going back to number 4, the component there is labeled 472 on top, and the voltage drops to 3.70v.
[IMG]http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee1/99scooter/1%20Reinstall%20Again/Alpine%20Customization/DSC05522-1.jpg[/IMG]
Flipping it back over to the front, this is where it gets a little crowded but I did as best as I could to keep it under control.
Ok looking to the left side of the panel you can see #3 coming through. This is reading 1.78v. It goes up to another component up to the upper left of the panel, near the eject button. This is where it got a little tricky. I tested the opposite side of that component and got a 0.00v reading. I was like WTF?! So I decided to move on. On the middle right side of the panel, just under the connector there, is where #4 comes through, reading at 3.70v. This goes down, up to those two leds, and then back out and around to the middle there. I called this point #5. I put the meter on it and again got 0.00v. I was at this point stumped as hell. I could not figure out how I got voltage from a positive to nothing. Now you can look at the picture and see that these two points that I got a 0.00v reading on, points 5 and 6, are labeled as 0.00 / 9.98v. There's a reason for that.
[IMG]http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee1/99scooter/1%20Reinstall%20Again/Alpine%20Customization/DSC05521-1-1-1.jpg[/IMG]
Here let me show you the reason! Remember this little guy? Yep that's why i got a 0.00v reading. Cause the switch was open. I pushed the switch in, and did the reading again, and got my 9.98v reading, which would be my face plate power. Here's a little drawing I just did. I for whatever reason didn't go any further into it with my testing, maybe cause I'm exhausted, I don't know. But here you can see the yellow line, coming from the switch. It goes into a component, and splits out, one going to #5, and the other to #6. Both again, reading 9.98v when the switch is depressed, again indicating the face plate is up and in the closed position.
[IMG]http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee1/99scooter/1%20Reinstall%20Again/Alpine%20Customization/DSC05522-2.jpg[/IMG]
The bottom line is this. From what I've gotten out of this little bit of research is that instead of making the connectors as I did on the last go round, I can eliminate those, and go this route. I'll take the panel board and the front panel that it's currently on. I'll move it from the cage to the spot where the face plate will be, hopefully once again in the headliner. Then I'll take the second one I bought, and I'll put it on the front of the cage itself. I'll make a harness that will connect the connector on the unit, and the connector on the panel where the face plate will be, and that should get me better results than the first attempt. In theory. I'm not going to be 100% surprised if this doesn't work. But this is the next attempt in this project. I just have to figure out how I'm going to go about doing it. I have two ways really. I can either solder directly on the board right by the connector, or i can solder directly onto the connector itself. The other way is to try and find these connectors, which I've already looked for at pac parts.com, and cannot find. So I'm most likely stuck with direct soldering them.
I think if I decided to direct solder on the board, I'll have to take the cd mechanism out and get the board accessible. Those are pretty big tabs on that connector, but I'm not sure I want to take the chance.
Here's how things change a bit by doing it this way. By moving the panel, I have to now use the face plate for other things. What do I mean? Well now the eject button is going to not work on the main unit, it will have to be pushed and operated by the panel at the face plate which will now have the board on it. To do this the face plate must be movable. That's not a problem cause it was going to be anyway. I don't however, have to have a face plate or a base or anything like that on the unit itself. Like before. Same thing goes up at the face plate. That switch on the back of the panel, will have to operate and will do so by the face plate opening and closing. The only thing I'll need at the unit, will be to insert a cd, or remove a cd.
So things get a little different, maybe even a little more inconvenient, but if it works, it'll be worth it. I don't think I'll be using the cd player much anyway. So I think it'll be fine.
I'm very happy about all this, so far. Hopefully I'll get to test more soon!
Happy to hear any suggestions or thoughts. Thanks!
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