What's this on the dash?

A few more photos showing lid support ....

DSCN3140 (Large).JPG

DSCN3139 (Large).JPG

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Daqsh will be coming out soon, so not the fully-finished article, yet ... but you get the idea ...

David
 
DJ 190 said:
A photo of how a Sat-Nav looks in that position ..... It fits easily in the tray ... View attachment 12479

David
Click to expand...

As you all know, there are limitations to the Sat-Nav feature of the RNS-E. No 7-digit postcode search is but one of them! Then there is the cost of upgrading the maps ... very expensive! "Which" for this Month featured Sat-Navs and a Garmin Nuvi 52 LM was highly recommended at just £80. Now that "LM" stands for "Life-maps"! I travel to Europe regularly and have been frustrated recently in Italy when I took my TomTom and the mapping was out-of-date! So just look at this!

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/phones...9902!&ef_id=VEFnuQAABMvQGo48:20150604185526:s

This is the more recent version of the Nuvi. It's got Life maps for the U.K., Ireland AND Western Europe! It's a great unit and had been £180+. I have just purchased it for £72! It doesn't have live traffic information, but my RNS-E

does! ( I could have both running at the same time) I am going to do a good job of fitting it into the rectangular recess that I have developed on the top of the dash. The lid will be double-hinged and will open smoothly and gradually.

Ideally, I would like to have the same system as used on the Audi A1, or similar to it. I will have to investigate how much room there still is below the dash? I will be fully removing the dash, soon. This will give me the opportunity to

(maybe) completely re-design the air-ducts and to re-route them to give more space below that area of the dash? I could then look-out for the Audi A1 Sat-Nav mechanism, for a really professional installation .... Like this :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A1-T...685?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item541a612bcd

That would be a bit wasteful on having a useless screen, though? Ideally, I could do with one that has a defunct/faulty screen ...

The work goes on!

David
 
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Love the work you have done. I would be happy with a simple non lidded tray so if you ever go into business, let me know! :cool:
 
Fantastic work David. I have always thought that space was begging to be used. Are you going to any socials this year, I would love to see your car. Would you be willing to do a members' cars thread as i'm sure your car has so many modifications that we are not aware of.
 
A2Steve said:
Fantastic work David. I have always thought that space was begging to be used. Are you going to any socials this year, I would love to see your car. Would you be willing to do a members' cars thread as i'm sure your car has so many modifications that we are not aware of.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for those kind words, Steve. Yes, there are a few mods I've completed, and always a few more in the pipe-line! I do let the A2OC know about most of them, though. There is the now flush, illuminated rear badge to

divulge. Also, I have it in mind to extend the front, (already heavily-modified), grill/inspection-flap, downwards with a broad, chrome-strip. I'm also trying to mount a front, external DAB aerial to improve both DAB and DVBT reception.

This one :- http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/Kinetic_DEGA-T4002_telescopic_glass_mount_DAB_car_aerial.html It secures to the front screen at a position close to the rear-view mirror and transmits through the glass

to an internal receptor.

What I'm going to require for this future work is not only a spare front dash in "Twist" (beige) but also some pieces of plastic duct that allow air-flow to the centre-vents. I can then modify them to allow the fitting of the Audi A1

dash-top, Sat-Nav screen mechanism. No luck with the A2OC yet in locating these items?

David
 
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The flush rear badge sounds very interesting and a lot of work. Really looking forward to seeing the dash top develop.
 
I was in my usual "impulsive" mode and was just about to purchase this item :-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A1-T...685?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item541a612bcd , for a negotiated £175. Then I find that it is 9 cm deep.

That is a no-no, because even more of the air-ducts would have to be removed! The Garmin Nuvi 55LM is very shallow and would mean very little ducting requiring removal, if at all!. I am going to design a special tray in aluminium, that is

just deep enough to accommodate the Sat-Nav. When the lid that I have previously designed in the top of the dash is raised, the Sat Nav will majestically rise to a vertical position. I will have to think this out ... I have in mind an

aluminium frame with small rollers on the base. Those rollers would travel along two tracks. The Sat-Nav would be retained and easily detached from that frame. Two pivoting arms would allow the elevation of the Sat-Nav to vertical as

the lid was progressively lifted. I'll need to obtain another pair of air-ducts so that I can redesign them for a minimum of material removal. Any helpful ideas that members might have would be much appreciated. I wonder if you were

aware that it would appear that only Audi (with the A1) and Volvo seem to have adopted a dash-top, Sat-Nav screen location?

David
 
There may be a simple explanation for this David. It,s only my theory but could it have something to do with windscreen obstruction and all round reduction in forward visibilty ?.
Ta
Dave
:)
 
You'd have to be crouching down to have any obstruction effect at all ...... Try it out yourself, Dave ... This Month's "Which" magazine featured Sat-Navs .... (that's why I went and purchased this Garmin device). They gave two

recommended positions for the location of the Sat-Nav. The best position was on the top of the dash, in the centre. The other position was to the right of the driver, and again, at a high position. I find that my RNS-E screen is certainly

not in the most ideal position.

David
 
I,m with you and appreciate your interesting thread. Please continue to keep us updated and i hope there is a successful outcome.
Ta
Dave
:)
 
Although not quite 'on top' of the dash, I'd consider the multimedia screens on modern Mercs to be near as, though the lack of integrated design is not to my taste. The issue I could see with mounting a screen atop the A2 dash would be in reaching it, unless you have an auxiliary controller (per A1, Volvo, and the Astons that have the Volvo nav); are you okay with the stretch or will the mechanism bring the screen in reasonable reach?
 
I find the RNSE in the perfect position. As I need glasses for driving I am able to view the screen under the lenses where as on the screen it's somewhat blurred as it's too close.
 
sailesh said:
are you okay with the stretch or will the mechanism bring the screen in reasonable reach?
Click to expand...

Yes, I can reach it easily .... try it in your A2.? Now imagine a triangle ... The Sat-Nav rises vertically from the front-edge of the opening in the top of the dash. It rises only about 10 cm. The lid of the dash opening (and a piece of the

actual dash) forms the hypotenuse and slops backwards. When not in use, the Sat-Nav is completely concealed below that lid. This means that the Sat-Nav is as far-forward as is possible and with a minimum height. I'm just working on

the mechanism, now. It would be good if the Sat-Nav rises with the lifting of the lid, in one smooth action. However, it wouldn't be too bad if it's a dual action ... lift the lid first and then the Sat=Nav. Then lower the lid to lock it in place

onto the top of the Sat-Nav frame, thus making a triangle. It should work.

David
 
Sounds good, I wasn't sure if it was front or back hinged but will look forward to seeing your motor sometime
 
DJ 190 said:
There is more space than you think below there! I had it in mind to cut around that rectangle with a "Dremmel". It needs to be cut out very carefully, as it would form the lid of the "storage compartment" Next, a suitable tray would need to be fabricated, to maximum depth. This would just drop into the opening, sitting on its own ~ 1cm lip. Now, the removed rectangle (which may need to be edged, either for strength or appearance), would be hinged at the rear to the "storage compartment" and there would be a "press-to-release/retain" catch at the front. This compartment would be flush with the top surface of the dash, the lid would be in the same material/finish and there would be no hinges/catch visible! I feel that certainly ones wallet and maybe even a sat-nav would go in that compartment! (if the sat-nav was secured to the underside of the lid, then that would make a very visible location for that device ..... just like the current A1?)

David
Click to expand...

Would this Q3 display fit in it?
https://tinyurl.com/yc2qqn2o

Would it work? Thanks!
 
Sorry, no need to answer to my previous message. I re-read and realized it's a no-no due to air vents location.
Anyway hands down, David. You did a superb job. Congratulations.
 
I think it MIGHT be do-able! Things can be re-routed. Vents can be changed (or blanked-off) I feel that if I really had to, I could use that item? I DO have a complete spare double DIN dash to experiment on! Just need the time, that's all! I'm going to look at the dash, tonight, to see what could be done .... I think that I'd need narrower centre air-vents .... from another model? There are a couple of ideas that have already come into my head .... The air-ducts under the dash could be completely re-designed into flexible tubes and routed anywhere. I also wonder if a complete spare RNS-E screen unit could work via suitable cabling up in that position? I've already mounted a sat-nav, there.

David
 
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