Custom hidden mic bracket for aftermarket head unit
- Thread starter Dr. Monkeypants
- Start date
Anyone?
OK, well it seems Dr. Monkeypants has gone missing and I haven't been able to get in touch. Bummer, because I'm about to install my system!
That being said, this gave me the opportunity to play around with some 3D software and it's been a good learning experience. I've been working with AutoCAD for almost 20 years, but AutoDesk Fusion 360 is completely different.
Anyway, I'm going to give this design a shot. I pulled the factory mic and took some dimensions with my calipers - plenty of room for the Kenwood mic in there. It will obviously require some supports during printing, and I admit I've got little experience in this area.
A couple images:
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If you live near a big city, you'd be surprised how many public libraries have a 3D printer. I'm going to use one nearby, and you don't even have to be a member to use it. Their rate is 15 cents/gram of plastic, so I could print three of these for under a dollar! Their machine is much more expensive than most people purchase for home use too.
I haven't printed and tested it yet myself so no guarantees at this point, but I'd be happy to send anyone the .stl file.
matoolie
New member
Nice! Any chance you can send me the .stl file as I have a Kenwood unit and where I have the mic mounted has been bothering me and willing to give this a shot.
Would love a copy (or post a dropbox link here or something?)
For anyone printing these I'd recommend against PLA. You want ABS or something that has some flex to it
[MENTION=42864]KP Texan[/MENTION]: What about a larger recess in the hold so that we can fit an o-ring or two in there? provide some vibration isolation to the mic for less car noise maybe? Not sure if it would make a difference or not but with how terrible the factory mic is (could just be the factory mic) who knows
QwikKotaTx
New member
Very cool. I stuffed ours in the gap between the steering column and the dash, on top of the rubber boot or rubber layer. I can't hear my wife really well when she calls. Not sure if that is good or bad, hah.
You bring up a very good point about ABS. I need to see what my options are for this. Looks like the library I was speaking to only does PLA, but another one nearby also does ABS - hopefully I don't need to be a member there to get something printed.
Also for the O-ring that's a good idea too. The one thing I have to contend with is the upper microphone holes, and I made the notches in the side to specifically not interfere with those. The design might be OK as is, but it's definitely a work in progress!
I've opened a Thingiverse and will upload it there for you guys to access. I'll send out a link shortly!
I originally had that rim around the top since I planned on tightening it up with an 1/8" zip tie - would've worked without a zip tie since it should have a bit of spring pressure but I wanted to be sure. Now that my design has the teeth to interface with the grooves in the mic, I've gone ahead and removed the rim and softened up some of the edges:
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After doing a bit of research, PLA is a no-go in a hot car environment anyway. We'll have to use ABS or something else. I'm still checking with the libraries, but the UPS store will be my fallback. $30/in3 is pretty steep, but the part is small and would end up being only $2.40 or so... might be worth it anyway due to ease since I can just e-mail it and be done with it.
Edit: Thingiverse requires 24 hours after creating an account before publishing uploads. It will be available tomorrow and I'll update with link.
Edit: Thingiverse requires 24 hours after creating an account before publishing uploads. It will be available tomorrow and I'll update with link.
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Here's a link to the two most recent versions: 5th Gen 4Runner Kenwood Bluetooth Microphone Mount by KPTexan - Thingiverse
Hopefully I cant get it printed somewhere today and test it.
Hopefully I cant get it printed somewhere today and test it.
OK guys, don't use this design. I had a prototype printed up at the local library; they do ABS and it was only $1! The way it held the microphone worked perfectly, but I had to make some slight dimensional modifications to the base that sits in the OEM mic plate. I'll update shortly.
Just curious, but which Kenwood head unit did you go with? Do the steering wheel controls still work similar to OEM? and is the NAV significantly better vs OEM?
It's the Kenwood DMX905S, but I wish I could say it is already installed! I'm using the iDatalink Maestro RR, so it all goes as planned the steering wheel controls should work like stock or even better. Link to my stereo build thread: My Basic Stereo Build - 2012 Limited
As mentioned, I made a few modifications to the design, primarily due to the OEM microphone pocket dimensions. It actually would've worked the way it was and it technically fit, but it was not close enough to my liking. I also didn't realize I could remove the microphone plate from the outside of the console, so this allowed me to do a more precise job on the dimensions.
I made 1 leg slightly less wide than then other so as not to interfere with the catch on the panel. Another enhancement I made is that the mic can now be inserted from the top. The last one was designed to accept the mic from the wire side first - this essentially meant that you had to pass the connector and wire through the bottom of adapter before fully seating the mic. Kenwood put a taper on this mic that makes design a bit of a challenge! For this latest version, the mic can be inserted from the top of the adapter and it engages the bottom 3 grooves of the mic. The top 3 grooves of the mic also have holes for sound, so it may be better not to interface with these anyway, even though I did have a cutout for them.
The Thingiverse link I posted above has been updated with the latest design. A few images:
I made 1 leg slightly less wide than then other so as not to interfere with the catch on the panel. Another enhancement I made is that the mic can now be inserted from the top. The last one was designed to accept the mic from the wire side first - this essentially meant that you had to pass the connector and wire through the bottom of adapter before fully seating the mic. Kenwood put a taper on this mic that makes design a bit of a challenge! For this latest version, the mic can be inserted from the top of the adapter and it engages the bottom 3 grooves of the mic. The top 3 grooves of the mic also have holes for sound, so it may be better not to interface with these anyway, even though I did have a cutout for them.
The Thingiverse link I posted above has been updated with the latest design. A few images:
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Assuming your library has a 3D printer, that’s pretty much all you do! Ideally it should be printed in ABS plastic, so see what your library uses. PLA (another commonly used 3D printing plastic) is supposedly not as flexible and won’t stand up as well to heat in a vehicle. One other option is the UPS store and they definitely use ABS.
I also wouldn’t mind making a more generic version that would fit microphones other than Kenwood. It would be useful to more 4Runner owners who want to install an aftermarket headunit. I just don’t have the dimensions to do it.
matoolie
New member
[MENTION=42864]KP Texan[/MENTION] ..... thanks for work and the file! My local library printed the mount this week for $0.40. The mount fit perfectly. Those of you who have the SOS button in the console should leave the OEM microphone plugged in as unplugging it will result in the red LED next to the SOS button staying on anytime the truck is running as I found it. I just zip tied the OEM microphone to wiring harness And left it plugged in.
