NAS LR3 build with an overseas twist

[Ray_G]

Odds & ends

Glad to see the brake switch in there. I was going to mention it. I agree the winch is "for the other guy". I personally prefer the cubby vs the unimpressive factory nav, and hard mounted my GPS to the left of the steering wheel. I think you can add Bluetooth. Try "GROM Audio", or "USA Spec". I install a GROM in all my cars.

Edit: sorry, just checked and neither GROM or USA Spec make a Bluetooth integration kit. However, their is an OEM kit you can buy

I'm wandering through all the retrofit threads on D3.uk and looking at a few options for MOST integration...not sure I want to go all-in for the OEM for something that is as much an irritation as anything. My D1's upgraded radio is better than my LR3s-but I digress.

A few random things for today's update and then we'll be close to closing out what I consider phase 1 of the build. With some time back in the US, Ramadan here, and ambient air temps near 100 at 0800 in the am the project will slow down for a bit until the fall, that said a couple of other things:

-Mandatory upgrade: IID tool, upgraded with velcro to hold it on the console lid. (Bonus points b/c the infernal fuzzy dice made it into the pic)


-Frontrunner ladder: sourced from the US since there was a delay with the folks here-many thanks to Frontrunner USA pulling this out of their container after the port strike finally cleared up enough for movement and getting it to me while back in the US over spring break. Incredibly simple install, I don't know that I like it aesthetically quite as much as the OE rack but apparently that doesn't work with FR racks so this was a no-brainer. Looks aside, the fit/finish and build quality is excellent as you'd expect and the price is very good too.


-Panavise mount (the least un-elegant option in a realm of no elegance). Sourced to find a place to put the ipod since the truck didn't come with the integration setup and I didn't feel like adding it (yet) I prefer using the classic over streaming and the classic can't live in the wife's cup holder. A very good mount that uses the screws holding the radio in on the passenger side and then has a face that can be adapted to any number of applications (in this case its a RAM ipod holder) (Panavise LR3 mount). Even if we find a good bluetooth solution this may continue to live here, Twin Mountain's LR3 used the same mount to good effect for CB and other radios so I can see adding on in some form/fashion once back in the U.S. and a VHF RT gets added to the truck.

 

[johnsoax]

Here is how I added Bluetooth to my LR3 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NLTW60?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

It plugs into the aux input, and gives you control over your phone with the dongle..

I use it for music and navigation through the radio.

 

[Ray_G]

Here is how I added Bluetooth to my LR3 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009NLTW60?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

It plugs into the aux input, and gives you control over your phone with the dongle..

I use it for music and navigation through the radio.

Alex-
Thank you, ironically between my post and yours I actually added the BTC455 into my Amazon and have one on the way-great minds!
r-
Ray

 

[Ooops]

Hope you are enjoying the return of summer as much as I am...which is to say not so much!
r-
Ray

Its been raining all afternoon here, marvellous.

 

[Ray_G]

Its been raining all afternoon here, marvellous.

All we got was sandstorm.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[zelatore]

I'm using that same panavice mount. I originally bought it to mount an iPad for MotionX, but I didn't like the iPad there after all. I ended up making a simple plate to mount the faceplate of my Yaesue FT8800 and it's mic, with the body of the radio stashed under the passenger seat. Seems to work fairly well so far but no real trips under my belt since it went in.

 

[jerdog53]

There probably should be a whole new thread dedicated to HAM installs in the LR3/4s

 

[Ray_G]

I'm using that same panavice mount. I originally bought it to mount an iPad for MotionX, but I didn't like the iPad there after all. I ended up making a simple plate to mount the faceplate of my Yaesue FT8800 and it's mic, with the body of the radio stashed under the passenger seat. Seems to work fairly well so far but no real trips under my belt since it went in.
]

I like the setup and will probably mimic something like it when I install mine; was very happy with my first yaesu and will probably be looking to put a 7900R in the D3 when I get back.

Concur with jerdog, we might hit a point where a thread on how HAM into the 3/4 could be useful.

Where/which antenna in your application?
r-
Ray

 

[zelatore]

I have a Diamond CR320A. I had planned to mount it on my roof rack above the drive's door but decided I'd just tear it up in the trees. I ended up making a small bracket that attaches under the hood just in front of the driver's A pillar. It's not as high as the roof rack but should work pretty well. At least I hope so - I haven't actually had a chance to test it yet.

 

[MontyMog]

LOVE the seat setup with lables. You keep talking about how the heat is out there. Are you worried about the two rear fuse boxes since there is zero ventalation in the rear box where you mounted them?

 

[jerdog53]

I have a Diamond CR320A.

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Thats great Don!

 

[Ray_G]

LOVE the seat setup with lables. You keep talking about how the heat is out there. Are you worried about the two rear fuse boxes since there is zero ventalation in the rear box where you mounted them?

I will be 100% honest, I never really thought about that aspect of the heat issue until you brought it up. My D1's blue sea aux fuse thing is living inside a space where foam was removed from basically the area under the steering wheel (where the panel folds down to access the fuse box on the D1) and I've never noticed heat issues with that and those circuits get used a lot. I will have to keep an eye on the cubby-right now it has more 'ventilation' b/c of the holes drilled/cut into it for mounting the fuse box and routing the wires. I could sacrifice the cubby lid by putting some vents in it, or if I really got concerned wire in a fan I guess.

I have a Diamond CR320A. I had planned to mount it on my roof rack above the drive's door but decided I'd just tear it up in the trees. I ended up making a small bracket that attaches under the hood just in front of the driver's A pillar. It's not as high as the roof rack but should work pretty well. At least I hope so - I haven't actually had a chance to test it yet.

I like that antenna setup, I have been mulling the same potential issues with a future rack install and may go this way instead-many thanks for posting up all the pics!
r-
Ray

 

[zelatore]

I have to confess: I stole the idea from another guy in our club - Pedram...he's sort of our go-to fabricator/maker-of-all-things. I saw a set-up like this he had done for another guy's LR4 and figured it didn't look too hard to make.
.
If you go this route the only thing to watch out for is to keep it as far to the outer edge as possible to clear the wipers when they swing up. Also, I don't know if you can see it in the pics but I added a small gusset to strengthen the plate. I don't have a break to bend metal in so I just made a cardboard template then hammered a piece of steel to shape in the vice. Pedram's a metal worker by trade so I think he made his from thicker stock than I did mine, so he didn't have the extra gusset that I did.

 

[Ray_G]

Liwa Oasis/Moreeb Dune

Heading into Memorial Day the truck was what I considered Phase 1 complete based off the build plan I'd be operating off of. We'd intended to head to Oman to Jebel Shams for a weekend in the mountains with some family that lives in Muscat but some issues popping up took that off the table and left the wife and I with a free long weekend (and me with a built truck I wanted to play with and nowhere to go). We took a look around and decided to head to Liwa Oasis for a quick overnight vacation. Liwa is in the southern portion of the UAE close to the border with the KSA and near the empty quarter. The Liwa hotel is in close proximity to Tal Mor'eeb, aka Moreeb Dune which is a spectacle in its own right. The overview graphic shows the route in/around/out; with temps well above 100 and traveling solo we didn't get too adventurous, but it does make for some good images which I thought were worth sharing. The way home also was a chance to stop by the Emirates National Auto Museum so some shots from that are worth sharing too.

After checking in, and some quick exploration validated that we'd made an extremely good choice coming down here (at great rates since it was off season and not technically a weekend evening)



The trip down to Moreeb Dune didn't take too long but it was cool to see the sand migrating with the wind. Gotta watch speed coming around corners as hitting a deep drift wouldn't be fun!

These pictures of the dune don't come close to doing it justice.

Mandatory truck shot.

 

[Ray_G]

Liwa/Moreeb Pt 2

Cont'd in order to dump some more pics in.

Playing with the tripod/timer resulted in some great awkward selfies:


With the temps what they were, we decided to head back. Stopping a few times just to get some pictures of the amazing landscape-for which my photography skills don't do justice.

Easy to see how the most recent Star Wars was shot in part out here.

Back at the hotel close to dusk with yet more chance for pics.

Too much dust rendered the actual sunset less dramatic but the coloring was still pretty cool.

Dinner was pretty much just the two of us in the hotel which was a lot of fun-it also allowed her to find a new drink to take back to the U.S., aka the Liwa Sandstorm. Guinness in a can is not as great as one on the home island but it tasted pretty good to celebrate turning 40 in the Middle East under much more pleasant conditions than turning 30 in the Middle East a decade ago.