Second dash monitor

[Jeff Watt]

I am wondering if it is possible to add another dash monitor so that two things can be seen at the same time. For example in my unit the Kenwood indash screen shows Aladdin (including back-up), Navigation and radio. Now the Navigation is 6 or 7 years old so i don't necessarily rely on it but it is still there to watch. I do like to check engine status and trip/fuel usage. To do so requires changing input on the Kenwood and then toggling through Aladdin. I know it should not be a big deal, but traveling at highway speed and trying to switch inputs necessitates some caution.

This is where I don't have a clue if it is even possible. If there is a second monitor, which has the Aladdin screen showing, can the Kenwood be left to the Nav or the radio? Then does the Aladdin toggle work?

My coach only has the back-up camera, and I have been thinking of adding a couple of other cameras - maybe more work than it is worth. Any thoughts?

[Brad Burgess]

Hello Jeffrey

I did this exact thing in my ',03 Monterey.  I use the original Sony unit for the rear camera and use the additional screen for all of the Aladdin data, which is still controlled by the Aladdin joystick.  Easy to accomplish, but hard to explain, as I do not type well.  If you are interested call me at 480-502-2651.

Kindest Regards,

Brad Burgess

[Mike Humble]

We did similar on our 2008 Contessa.  Replaced the radio with one with screen, and have GPS on old monitor, with left and right cameras when turning and rear view on radio.  We don't have Aladdin, so that is totally separate.
Mike

[Bill Sprague]

There goes another $500!  I gotta have a better "radio" than what Beaver gave me.

[Brad Burgess]

Hi Bill

I used a $50.00 TFT screen from amazon and added it to the system - the radio was not involved at all.  This is a much safer setup than only having the one screen - - I can constantly see the toad on the Sony monitor and can constantly see the Alladin readout for the engine, transmission and cruise control data without having to toggle through menus and screens to obtain the critical information (although the TFT screen does provide all of the Alladin menus) - and only for 10% of your $500.00 radio cost.

The $50.00 is worth it from a safety standpoint so as not to have to toggle through menus and screens while not looking at the road.  You also have instant access to the toad view and engine data at the same time.

Kindest Regards,

Brad Burgess

[Jeff Watt]

Brad, this sound exactly what I want to do - I don't mind the Kenwood system and I have a TFT screen left over from a portable DVD player which we don't use anymore. Will get in touch with you.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Bill Sprague]

I used a $50.00 TFT screen from amazon and added it to the system - the radio was not involved at all.  

Brad,

Was it this one?  http://www.amazon.com/PYLE-PLVHR75-7-Inch-Headrest-Monitor/dp/B0009SURMY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1320158333&sr=8-3

Where and how did you mount it?  How did you do the wiring?

Thanks.

Bill

[Brad Burgess]

Hi Jeff and Bill

My coach is currently at Massey Diesel in Phoenix for its annual service and some other issues.  When I get it back I will take some photos of the installation and post them here along with a description of how I did the wiring.  Also, Bill I did use a 7" Pyle TFT - don't know if it is the same as the one you posted but I will find out - again when I get the coach back.

Thanks for your patience.

Brad Burgess

[Brad Burgess]

Hello All

Well, I finally got the coach back from Massey Diesel and I went over to it today and took some photos of the auxiliary display screen that I installed.

First, the physical installation of the screen (and yes Bill it is the Pyle PLVHR75 from Amazon) -
      -  I used a RAM mount to anchor the Pyle unit  (had to glue the RAM ball piece to the back of the Pyle as the Pyle did not have appropriate machine screw holes) to the driver's side window glass (see photo) and spaced it so that the RAM mount was utilized to secure the screen on the side to side and front to back axis' - the screen is too heavy for the RAM mount to support it in the vertical axis so I set it up so that the edge of the RAM ball mount that I glued to the rear of the Pyle unit sits directly on the dashboard with some earthquake putty to prevent any squeaking -

      -  The cable that comes with the Pyle unit has a very small connector which I fed through the top of the dashboard in a hole that was drilled for this purpose directly under the lower right corner of the display - the coax connector for the Pyle unit is behind the dash

Second, the wiring -
      -  You must find the Alladin control box that accepts all of the various inputs from the Alladin sensors - mine was above the driver's seat forward of the cabinet there - I had to remove the forward panel of the cabinet box to reach it -
      -  I do not have side cameras but only the rear view camera - I decided to put the camera view on the existing Sony unit and the Alladin input on the Pyle unit - it can be done either way - if you have side cameras I believe that they will come across the Alladin input anyway -
      -  Find the rear camera coax input on the Alladin controller and disconnect it from the controller - now you have another choice - you can plug the camera coax into a splitter so that you will have the rear camera on both screens when you engage reverse (in this instance you will need a jumper coax from the output side of the splitter that would get plugged back into the rear camera input port on the Alladin controller) or you can not use a splitter and have the Alladin designated screen go blank when you engage reverse - this is what I opted to do as I did not want to degrade the camera signal with a splitter -
      -  Now the most difficult part - find a way to feed an extension coax cable from the Alladin control box area to the rear of the dash - I went down the "A" pillar enclosure and slightly bent the cover in the process - attach the extension to the rear camera coax (or the splitter if you used that approach) and then to the rear of whichever screen you want the camera display on - if you choose the Sony unit you will already have removed the coax from the Alladin controller that goes to it - this Alladin coax will now go to whichever display that you choose to display all of the basic Alladin info -
      -  The Alladin joystick still controls all of the functions that it originally did only now on a new screen (or the original screen if that is what you chose) and, in my case, the rear camera view is on the Sony unit continuously until the system is shut down.

I have attempted to attach the photos to this post but I don't know if it worked - if not I will email Glenda Farris for instructions and post the photos in a subsequent post.

Again, thanks for your patience,

Brad Burgess
03 Monterey #800460

[Mike Nunn]

Brad, if I leave the side and rear cameras on the oringal display how many wires will need to be moved from the current display to the new unit in order to show the coach information? Thanks

[Bill Sprague]

Brad,

Thank you!

You have done what I've wanted for almost 8 years!  

Now that I know how to do it, this project gets moved up the list.  

Best...
Bill

[Jeff Watt]

Thanks Brad for the information and the photos. Now I have to see if I can do the work    I do think it would be a nice thing to have a second monitor in place. I am also thinking of adding another couple of cameras as my system allows for back-up (used) plus three more, so I assume it was set up for the SeeVision (sp) system.

I was searching the web for info on this and came across a web site:

http://robmorgan.net/Dip/Mods.htm#Other

where Mr. Morgan shows the installation of a second monitor. He mentioned that older Monacos have a different Alladin system. On his site, there is a picture of his Alladdin:

http://www.robmorgan.net/Dip/images/Aladdin_cu.jpg

Is this what ours looks like?

[Brad Burgess]

Hello All

Mike - on my coach there is only one wire from the Alladin controller that goes to the original Sony display and it is a coax cable which is what feeds all of the Alladin DATA to the display.  There is another connection that powers up the display but it does not carry any data.  All of the primary data inputs go to the Alladin controller (not the display screen) and the joystick drives the controller to put the desired data onto the display screen via the one coax cable.  I don't think (but don't really know) that the Alladin controller has more than one primary coax output to do what you want to do - I don't think that it can be done with multiple cameras on one display and Alladin data on the other display (see disclaimer!) - however, if the side camera inputs remain connected to the Alladin controller then those cameras should show up on the screen you chose to display the Alladin data when you use the turn signals, with the rear camera still showing on the other display.

Jeff - my controller is silver and I don't believe that it has multiple AV inputs (but it might.)  See my comments above - if the additional cameras that you want to install can be connected to your Alladin controller, i.e.: if the controller has the appropriate ports, then the side view cameras that you install should show up on the Alladin driven screen, when you use the turn signals, but not the screen that shows the rear camera.  Still better than none at all!

BTW, I did see that website and it proved to me that I could do what I wanted to do - I just had to figure out the wiring.  Also, Dave Rudisill on this board provided assistance so I can't take 100% of the credit for figuring this out.

The wiring is hard to explain in a typewritten post so if anyone would like to call me at 480-502-2651 I would be pleased to try and help.

Kindest Regards,
Brad Burgess
03 Monterey