Add GPS Navigation to clock spot, + outdoor temp, back-up camera, traffic, radar

I missed having a backup camera and Navigation so I designed this. While not as slick as the NavPod, you can print it to bolt right in and replace the stock digital clock with a 7” Garmin Nav unit in minutes. Although you lose the clock display, the GPS can display the time in the bottom corner. Garmin devices do this, or the exterior temperature, or both, or a myriad of other configurable (trip data setting) things…

I used a Garmin DriveSmart65, which has a 7” screen. It links to your phone using Bluetooth to provide outdoor temperature, traffic, and weather data, and more. It has the stiffer ~46 mm disk fitting, as opposed to the 17 mm ball fitting, but I've included the files to use the 17 mm ball as well.

This mount fits into the clock location and uses the vent mounting screws (M4x16) that are behind it. I originally made it with clips identical to the stock clock, but it wasn’t quite solid enough for my liking, so I added holes for the vent mount. Unlike the factory NavPod, the vents do not need to be changed to smaller vents in order to install it.

The mount can be left in the car, but the Garmin unit can be easily detached to take to other vehicles or for theft prevention.

Perhaps best of all, if you decide you don’t like it, you can go completely back to stock in about a minute if you own a Phillips screwdriver.

Traffic:


Power:
The Garmin power supply usually plugs into the cigarette lighter. For a cleaner appearance, I used the clock power supply into the back of the mount. I used a standard 12V=>USB power supply with a mini-USB cable.

To use the clock power supply, use pins 1 & 4 for ignition-on operation. (2 & 4 if you want it always powered, to turn it on and off manually.) The pins are flat, 2.3x0.7x~8 mm but you can also use 1 mm solid core wire (18 Gage?) ~5 mm long. Solder it onto your adapter and then cut to length. The plug then clips into the connector hole in the back of the mount assembly to avoid rattling. If you use this clock supply, you lose the FM-based traffic from the antenna in the Garmin power supply, but the Bluetooth traffic through the DriveSmart ap is much better and includes outdoor temp, …

The mount has a hollow section to contain the electronics with a port to the front for the GPS power and a port in the back to hold the clock power supply connector. The slide-in cover for the hollow section has vent holes, now changed to the NSX logo. With a draw of only 0.3A, it doesn’t need vents, but I needed a spot to put that awesome logo! The screw is a 1/2” #4 . Black may be hard to find, but it’s hidden anyway so anything will do.

Backup Camera:

It can also be used as a Back-up Camera. The Garmin BC40 camera is wireless and requires no additional wiring or drilling holes – it installs over the plate in seconds, and also preserves “stock”. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries, which last a surprisingly long time, 9 months so far, but you probably want to carry a spare set. See this holder that’s much more aesthetically pleasing on the NSX than the chrome one included with the camera.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4854107

Enforcement Radar and Weather Radar:
The DriveSmart65 can warn you of speed camera locations if you have that enabled.

You can also use the unit for weather radar, but only for passenger use; don’t try to be a meteorologist while driving an NSX (unless you actually are a meteorologist).


Printing:
Print files, instructions, and lots more pictures at:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4975285
Print in ABS, ASA, polycarbonate, or PETG, 0.2-0.3 mm layers. No PLA! Be sure to print the device-specific fitting point laying on its left side to get the layers oriented for maximum strength. (There is a slight jog on the right.)

I’ve also made the fitting point for Garmin units with the 17 mm ball mount. Print horizontally with supports – it won’t look as smooth but will be much stronger and it’s hidden anyway. Depending on the Garmin unit you may want to shorten its length for aesthetics using the cut feature in Slic3r. PM me if you need instructions for this.

A 1/2” #4 screw can be threaded through a hole in the base to further fix the device-specific fitting point, but I found the friction fit adequate. Depending on your printer/filament, you may need to sand to an interference fit. (Cheap fibers “squat” a bit more.)

Very creative! Thanks for sharing

This looks surprisingly good!

[MENTION=37580]tturkstra[/MENTION]

WOW this is an amazing development for the NSX. For owners that do not want to go the factory navpod route, it's perfect. it also looks like the more modern navi options on the newer cars that look like tablets versus embedded screens. [MENTION=33247]MotorMouth93[/MENTION] and I have a little clock side project that may also benefit from this...

Honcho said:

WOW this is an amazing development for the NSX. For owners that do not want to go the factory navpod route, it's perfect. it also looks like the more modern navi options on the newer cars that look like tablets versus embedded screens. @MotorMouth93 and I have a little clock side project that may also benefit from this...

Click to expand...

clock side project? Do tell. Analog by chance? I always prefer analog clocks.

I found some dot matrix vacuum fluorescent displays that will fit inside the factory clock assembly and allow it to display text or small graphics but otherwise look stock. So I want to remake the internal PCB using this display and a small microcontroller instead of the 3x 7 segment readout the clock has, then link it to the ECU using a serial connection to show things like coolant temp, intake temp, oil temp, AFR, etc.

Its on the back burner though...too busy with other projects to mess with it much lately beyond figuring out how it will all work at a high level. I've barely touched the PCB design or programming side of things other than the ECU code for transmitting runtime data.

Reviving and old thread, but I'm considering printing this but adding an apple car play dash cam/backup cam instead of the garmin. Any chance anyone has done this and has options for the actual unit itself plus modifications that may be required for the 3D print? I'm happy to print a couple if others are interested.

Sorry, I don't know anything about Apple car play or their backup cameras.
If you PM me the size of the screen and the spec's for the mount, I could let you know if I could draft a mount for you.

That would be awesome! I’m trying to figure out which one might be best. The leading contender is this one.

T

tturkstra said:

I missed having a backup camera and Navigation so I designed this. While not as slick as the NavPod, you can print it to bolt right in and replace the stock digital clock with a 7” Garmin Nav unit in minutes. Although you lose the clock display, the GPS can display the time in the bottom corner. Garmin devices do this, or the exterior temperature, or both, or a myriad of other configurable (trip data setting) things…

I used a Garmin DriveSmart65, which has a 7” screen. It links to your phone using Bluetooth to provide outdoor temperature, traffic, and weather data, and more. It has the stiffer ~46 mm disk fitting, as opposed to the 17 mm ball fitting, but I've included the files to use the 17 mm ball as well.

This mount fits into the clock location and uses the vent mounting screws (M4x16) that are behind it. I originally made it with clips identical to the stock clock, but it wasn’t quite solid enough for my liking, so I added holes for the vent mount. Unlike the factory NavPod, the vents do not need to be changed to smaller vents in order to install it.

The mount can be left in the car, but the Garmin unit can be easily detached to take to other vehicles or for theft prevention.

Perhaps best of all, if you decide you don’t like it, you can go completely back to stock in about a minute if you own a Phillips screwdriver.

Traffic:

Power:
The Garmin power supply usually plugs into the cigarette lighter. For a cleaner appearance, I used the clock power supply into the back of the mount. I used a standard 12V=>USB power supply with a mini-USB cable.

To use the clock power supply, use pins 1 & 4 for ignition-on operation. (2 & 4 if you want it always powered, to turn it on and off manually.) The pins are flat, 2.3x0.7x~8 mm but you can also use 1 mm solid core wire (18 Gage?) ~5 mm long. Solder it onto your adapter and then cut to length. The plug then clips into the connector hole in the back of the mount assembly to avoid rattling. If you use this clock supply, you lose the FM-based traffic from the antenna in the Garmin power supply, but the Bluetooth traffic through the DriveSmart ap is much better and includes outdoor temp, …

The mount has a hollow section to contain the electronics with a port to the front for the GPS power and a port in the back to hold the clock power supply connector. The slide-in cover for the hollow section has vent holes, now changed to the NSX logo. With a draw of only 0.3A, it doesn’t need vents, but I needed a spot to put that awesome logo! The screw is a 1/2” #4 . Black may be hard to find, but it’s hidden anyway so anything will do.

Backup Camera:

It can also be used as a Back-up Camera. The Garmin BC40 camera is wireless and requires no additional wiring or drilling holes – it installs over the plate in seconds, and also preserves “stock”. It’s powered by 2 AA batteries, which last a surprisingly long time, 9 months so far, but you probably want to carry a spare set. See this holder that’s much more aesthetically pleasing on the NSX than the chrome one included with the camera.
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4854107

Enforcement Radar and Weather Radar:
The DriveSmart65 can warn you of speed camera locations if you have that enabled.

You can also use the unit for weather radar, but only for passenger use; don’t try to be a meteorologist while driving an NSX (unless you actually are a meteorologist).

Printing:
Print files, instructions, and lots more pictures at:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4975285
Print in ABS, polycarbonate, or PETG, 0.2-0.3 mm layers. No PLA! Be sure to print the device-specific fitting point laying on its left side to get the layers oriented for maximum strength. (There is a slight jog on the right.)

I’ve also made the fitting point for Garmin units with the 17 mm ball mount. Print horizontally with supports – it won’t look as smooth but will be much stronger and it’s hidden anyway. Depending on the Garmin unit you may want to shorten its length for aesthetics using the cut feature in Slic3r. PM me if you need instructions for this.

A 1/2” #4 screw can be threaded through a hole in the base to further fix the device-specific fitting point, but I found the friction fit adequate. Depending on your printer/filament, you may need to sand to an interference fit. (Cheap fibers “squat” a bit more.)

Click to expand...

This is just ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Thank you - this makes me want to buy a 3-D printer JUST FOR THIS PROJECT!

That mount looks like something I can draft up, but you'll need to send me the measurements VERY accurately (1/10 mm) using a digital caliper. Send them by PM & I'll have a go.

Will do, thx!

dansplan said:

T

This is just ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Thank you - this makes me want to buy a 3-D printer JUST FOR THIS PROJECT!

Click to expand...

I'll print you one if you get the same one. Just come up to SF one of these days! Or I'll come down for car week. =)

Here’s the rear of the unit with one of the mounting options. This makes it easy as I just need a roughly similar trapezoid to drill mounting holes into. The trapezoid is 2.5 tall. The top (long) dimension is 4.5” and the bottom is 3.625”. It can rotate and flip so I think if you make the face vertical that would work well. Maybe make it 1/4” thick or so? And make the infill fairly dense so the screws have enough meat to grab onto?

That's not the information I need. 1/4" is way too thin for a 3D printed face to bolt into. It will break. 3D printing is a different mindset than injection moulding. The cutouts that save plastic with injection moulding with a small decrease in strength make a 3D printed part WAY weaker and yet actually use more plastic because infill can be varied but perimeters are solid. And parts have different strength depending on which way they're printed. Due to the power cable storage box, the design must be printed oriented normally to avoid table topping. But I'll take care of all that stuff.

Also, you do not want to make the infill dense for screws to grip into - the screws will just split the layers and break it. You draft the screw holes in the correct size in the correct locations and print them in, so I need center to center distances and inner and outer diameters of the screws. Are they metric threads? Imperial threads? wood screws? Machine screws? Length? Taper? Are there nuts that can be dropped into the print during printing? Probably need a picture of the screws/bolts as well.

Do you know any engineers that you could bounce it off locally on how to measure these sorts of things? It should be metric for drafting, although I can convert everything if that's not in your wheelhouse. More importantly, I'd advise we switch to PM's so we don't fill this thread with a lot of back and forth that won't help anyone else later.

I will PM you a diagram with arrows and fill-in boxes for you to give me the information I need so I can calculate the 3D geometry. With that, I should be able to draft it up in a few days.

While you're waiting, think about where you want the cable to go for the backup camera and how thick it is (including the connector). Add that info to the PM and I'll add that to the design, or is there a wireless option that wasn't clear on my review of the ad? (My Garmin has a wireless camera, so no wires or drilling.) It looks like you can cannibalize the 12V power cord and run off pins 1 and 4 of the clock power supply, unlike mine, which runs off a USB so I had to add a 12V-5V converter box. Or are you just going to connect to the cigarette lighter?

Sent PM

@oneplustwo what unit are you using?

OK, Thingiverse now includes a version you can download for this Carpuride unit, but could also be generic for similar holders. For mounting holes in different locations for another device, just make the area around where you want the holes solid using a modifier in your slicer and then drill it out, carefully, with a clamp reinforcing the layers during drilling. Thanks for the measurements, @oneplustwo. I'd recommend PetG, polycarbonate, or ASA/ABS. Post a pic if you like the design.

Thx for the design work!

Hi, Wild Turkey,

I just bought a 3D printer (I had no idea what to buy so I went with a Bambu Labs X-1 Carbon) and will print out your mount (thank you!) - but forgive my ignorance, can you please reply to this message with an Amazon link or screenshot of the power supply/adapter that you recommend? I wasn't quite clear on it based on the below section of your post (I'm not too savvy with this stuff!). Thank you!

Power:
The Garmin power supply usually plugs into the cigarette lighter. For a cleaner appearance, I used the clock power supply into the back of the mount. I used a standard 12V=>USB power supply with a mini-USB cable.



To use the clock power supply, use pins 1 & 4 for ignition-on operation. (2 & 4 if you want it always powered, to turn it on and off manually.) The pins are flat, 2.3x0.7x~8 mm but you can also use 1 mm solid core wire (18 Gage?) ~5 mm long. Solder it onto your adapter and then cut to length. The plug then clips into the connector hole in the back of the mount assembly to avoid rattling. If you use this clock supply, you lose the FM-based traffic from the antenna in the Garmin power supply, but the Bluetooth traffic through the DriveSmart ap is much better and includes outdoor temp, …

This is the power supply I used. It's still available 3 years later?

This is the USB power cable with 90 degree connector for the DriveSmart65:

Here's a pic of it inside, along with the 18 G solid core wire I soldered on before clipping it off to leave "pins" that could be inserted into the OEM connector. (The OEM connector then inserts into the "house-shaped" hole in the back of the print, to avoid it rattling about.)


Hope that helps,

Thank you, very helpful, I will give it a go!

P. S. @oneplustwo
Is that a bluetooth cassette adapter in that picture? My cautionary tale suggests pitch it ASAP. Poor sound quality converting the signal to emulate cassette tape (no treble, ++hiss), & a Prime search for stuck cassette will return a plethora of reports of cassettes getting stuck and bricking the radio, including mine. That player just wasn't designed to last 25+ years. Here's one:

1-2 hours work to install the GROM, but WELL worth it. The improvement in sound quality over the cassette adapter is night and day, and the extra space in your trunk ditching the CD changer is welcome as well. The bluetooth is practically as good as the 1/8" jack direct input.

Turned out nice! Used ABS material (I bought carbon material, too, might try it later), thanks again for the 3D print files and expertise, Wild Turkey