AlfaOBD TV

[SitKneelBend]

Reposting info here in a separate thread with more detail for anyone interested...

2 LockPicks have failed on me so I won't go that route again. I had every input on the LockPick in use so I was left with a Digital TV tuner and front/cargo/left/right cameras inoperable.

@Mpgrimm2 let me know about some tricks others on the forum had figured out to get a front and/or cargo camera working using AlfaOBD.

So I've run switched ACC power to power all of the aforementioned accessories and I have a (cheap) manual RCA switch which shipped quickly by air from from Korea...

RCA switch


I've turned on the cargo camera with AlfaOBD and used @Mpgrimm2 's $20 camera harness for video.

AlfaOBD Cargo Camera Settings to enable:

VehConfig 1 - CHMSL Camera
"Yes"

CBC Features - LED CHMSL Lamp Present
"Yes"

If you stop here, you'll have a working video input on the on-screen cargo camera button.

I then removed the factory pins for the radio AUX input at the back of the radio and inserted my own re-pinned RCA Jack's for right/left audio on pins 6/7 respectively...



I now have left/right audio and video for Digital TV on the 8.4 screen.

DTV


To watch TV, I currently select the AUX input for audio and then switch to the cargo camera (and I wait for my wife to come out of Target). I probably could have left the factory AUX jack useable by just tapping them for my audio, but I decided that was more than I cared to try after discovering I no longer even owned and AUX cable.

I use the cheap switch which I placed in my glovebox for now to leave it on front camera for most of the time...

Front Camera




But I can also select the other two cameras or DTV if needed without opening the dash up...

Cargo Camera


Right Mirror Mirror



Costs

Cameras used (front/left/right) $17 each

CNGATE Front Car Camera |360 Degree Eyeball CCD Waterproof Front Car Camera with Wide Angle https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AWRAYA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uFzrEbQB6Y9Y6

Mpgrimm2 RCA harness (x3 if you want video/left audio/right audio) $20 each

DTV receiver (this one gives you an extra input) $50-$70

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pyle-View-...44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc#vi__app-cvip-panel

This is the smallest/cheapest video only RCA switch I could find $20ish...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Port-SIN...1?pageci=e9fa0da2-1c5b-4632-a89e-5e3a45b702a2

There are many options for the cargo camera and I no longer would recommend the one I'm using because while it is good it has more than doubled in price since I purchased it.

That's it! Much cheaper and likely more reliable than a LockPick! It was $50 to have the first LockPick replaced UNDER WARRANTY!!! You can get AlfaOBD for that much! AlfaOBD wins again!

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[Mpgrimm2]

Glad you put links to everything in there

M² Mods.

 

[Jeff Krawczyk]

This is great, I now need to try this...thanks for the info!

 

[likes2build]

Reposting info here in a separate thread with more detail for anyone interested...

2 LockPicks have failed on me so I won't go that route again. I had every input on the LockPick in use so I was left with a Digital TV tuner and front/cargo/left/right cameras inoperable.

@Mpgrimm2 let me know about some tricks others on the forum had figured out to get a front and/or cargo camera working using AlfaOBD.

So I've run switched ACC power to power all of the aforementioned accessories and I have a (cheap) manual RCA switch which shipped quickly by air from from Korea...

RCA switch


I've turned on the cargo camera with AlfaOBD and used @Mpgrimm2 's $20 camera harness for video.

AlfaOBD Cargo Camera Settings to enable:

VehConfig 1 - CHMSL Camera
"Yes"

CBC Features - LED CHMSL Lamp Present
"Yes"

If you stop here, you'll have a working video input on the on-screen cargo camera button.

I then removed the factory pins for the radio AUX input at the back of the radio and inserted my own re-pinned RCA Jack's for right/left audio on pins 6/7 respectively...



I now have left/right audio and video for Digital TV on the 8.4 screen.

DTV


To watch TV, I currently select the AUX input for audio and then switch to the cargo camera (and I wait for my wife to come out of Target). I probably could have left the factory AUX jack useable by just tapping them for my audio, but I decided that was more than I cared to try after discovering I no longer even owned and AUX cable.

I use the cheap switch which I placed in my glovebox for now to leave it on front camera for most of the time...

Front Camera




But I can also select the other two cameras or DTV if needed without opening the dash up...

Cargo Camera


Right Mirror Mirror



Costs

Cameras used (front/left/right) $17 each

CNGATE Front Car Camera |360 Degree Eyeball CCD Waterproof Front Car Camera with Wide Angle https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AWRAYA2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_uFzrEbQB6Y9Y6

Mpgrimm2 RCA harness (x3 if you want video/left audio/right audio) $20 each

DTV receiver (this one gives you an extra input) $50-$70

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pyle-View-...44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc#vi__app-cvip-panel

This is the smallest/cheapest video only RCA switch I could find $20ish...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Port-SIN...1?pageci=e9fa0da2-1c5b-4632-a89e-5e3a45b702a2

There are many options for the cargo camera and I no longer would recommend the one I'm using because while it is good it has more than doubled in price since I purchased it.

That's it! Much cheaper and likely more reliable than a LockPick! It was $50 to have the first LockPick replaced UNDER WARRANTY!!! You can get AlfaOBD for that much! AlfaOBD wins again!

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

@SitKneelBend was the shipping for the RCA switch $35 when you bought it or is it Covid surcharged? I'm getting ready to do this mod and was just wondering.

 

[SitKneelBend]

@SitKneelBend was the shipping for the RCA switch $35 when you bought it or is it Covid surcharged? I'm getting ready to do this mod and was just wondering.

Nope, I paid $3.00 shipping from Korea ($21.24 total). There used to be Digital TV Tuners with additional inputs for around $60. I wish I would have bought one of those instead. Might be worth looking into for your application.

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[likes2build]

I thought it might be covid surcharge, I see a lot of that in shipping from overseas lately. I'm looking more towards the multiple cameras and not the TV. M2Mods did the radio RCA tap harness and I already used your directions to turn the second camera on. The switch you posted looks really nice and compact with no extra RCA's in it other than what I need. Mike and I talked it over and I'm going to use one or two of the inputs for wireless cameras on my cargo trailer. I'll keep looking for a switch, $35 to ship a $16 switch is stupid.

 

[SitKneelBend]

I thought it might be covid surcharge, I see a lot of that in shipping from overseas lately. I'm looking more towards the multiple cameras and not the TV. M2Mods did the radio RCA tap harness and I already used your directions to turn the second camera on. The switch you posted looks really nice and compact with no extra RCA's in it other than what I need. Mike and I talked it over and I'm going to use one or two of the inputs for wireless cameras on my cargo trailer. I'll keep looking for a switch, $35 to ship a $16 switch is stupid.

Agreed! If I come across one I'll be sure to let you know.

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[oldmitch]

I'm assuming the "lockpick" is a way to add video inputs? Does it also circumvent the automatic screen change, while driving? Is there a way, in alfaodb, to turn off the auto-off feature for the camera input?

 

[SitKneelBend]

I'm assuming the "lockpick" is a way to add video inputs? Does it also circumvent the automatic screen change, while driving? Is there a way, in alfaodb, to turn off the auto-off feature for the camera input?

It used to but I don't know if it still does. It never did it well for me either. If I had the option on and went to reverse then drive it would make the NAV think I was driving backwards.

Sent from my HTC U11 using Tapatalk

 

[oldmitch]

Huh. I've been snooping around all day, looking for a wiring diagram for the radio. There's got to be a wire that tells the radio the vehicle is moving. If you could interrupted that signal, then the video inputs would stay on indefinitely. That HAS to be how those lockpick things work right? I mean they don't have any programming that takes place? Although, if one was able to figure that out - like the lockpick folks - the same issue you had might arise. There's gotta be a way though.

 

[Gixxer750]

I'm assuming the "lockpick" is a way to add video inputs? Does it also circumvent the automatic screen change, while driving? Is there a way, in alfaodb, to turn off the auto-off feature for the camera input?

Yes, the lock pick as far as I'm aware was originally used mostly to enable video while in motion. I could be wrong, my brain seems to have fused the lock pick and watching movies while driving

 

[Gixxer750]

I know where the setting in alpha obd is to disable the screen cutout, but progressive snapshot has me locked out of my obd2 port for a few more weeks

 

[crash68]

Huh. I've been snooping around all day, looking for a wiring diagram for the radio. There's got to be a wire that tells the radio the vehicle is moving. If you could interrupted that signal, then the video inputs would stay on indefinitely. That HAS to be how those lockpick things work right? I mean they don't have any programming that takes place? Although, if one was able to figure that out - like the lockpick folks - the same issue you had might arise. There's gotta be a way though.

The wire that sends the "signal" to the radio that the vehicle is moving is via the CANbus interface, without that the it can't communicate with the BMC/HVAC controls either.
As for the Lockpick it utilizes hardware and software to reinterpret the information the radio receives. The Lockpick has had several firmware/software upgrades to resolve issues specific to different model years.

 

[oldmitch]

I know where the setting in alpha obd is to disable the screen cutout, but progressive snapshot has me locked out of my obd2 port for a few more weeks

I would VERY much like to know where that is! OR what it's called at least. I fiddled with mine for a while, and for some reason my alfa will not connect to my radio... kind of. The only things I can mess with are the "audio amplifier" and "(ICS) MY2013+ Powernet". everything else times out.

 

[oldmitch]

The wire that sends the "signal" to the radio that the vehicle is moving is via the CANbus interface, without that the it can't communicate with the BMC/HVAC controls either.
As for the Lockpick it utilizes hardware and software to reinterpret the information the radio receives. The Lockpick has had several firmware/software upgrades to resolve issues specific to different model years.

I see. From the pictures of them that I saw, It looked like just a harness; no brains.

 

[likes2build]

Good news on the ebay switch that @SitKneelBend has listed. This morning I got the ebay seller to lower the shipping cost from $35 to $13 if anyone is interested in purchasing.

 

[Gixxer750]

I would VERY much like to know where that is! OR what it's called at least. I fiddled with mine for a while, and for some reason my alfa will not connect to my radio... kind of. The only things I can mess with are the "audio amplifier" and "(ICS) MY2013+ Powernet". everything else times out.

It will be a while but once I can plug my obd link back it I will post it. Im going to be adding the bed camera and I want to be able to have it on more than the 5 secs that it will allow in motion. Also I'm going to enable the disc player option so I can get my phone mirrored to the screen. This progressive snapshot thing is really starting to bug me. The website says: "you're on your way to a big discount for your safe driving habits. We just need to gather a little more data. Please leave the snapshot device plugged in until we notify you. There will be a penalty for removing it in the first 45 days."

 

[chri5k]

It will be a while but once I can plug my obd link back it I will post it. Im going to be adding the bed camera and I want to be able to have it on more than the 5 secs that it will allow in motion. Also I'm going to enable the disc player option so I can get my phone mirrored to the screen. This progressive snapshot thing is really starting to bug me. The website says: "you're on your way to a big discount for your safe driving habits. We just need to gather a little more data. Please leave the snapshot device plugged in until we notify you. There will be a penalty for removing it in the first 45 days."

I did the snapshot thing. I removed it to do some Alfa work and they never squawked. I think it doesn't matter about removing it if the engine isn't running. Also, the savings were not that big. About $45 per vehicle. It seems they use an accelerometer to measure acceleration, braking and turning. The stats I see that make up their "score" are all related to those factors. The kids did have fun bragging about whose score was better though.

 

[oldmitch]

It will be a while but once I can plug my obd link back it I will post it. Im going to be adding the bed camera and I want to be able to have it on more than the 5 secs that it will allow in motion. Also I'm going to enable the disc player option so I can get my phone mirrored to the scree
n. This progressive snapshot thing is really starting to bug me. The website says: "you're on your way to a big discount for your safe driving habits. We just need to gather a little more data. Please leave the snapshot device plugged in until we notify you. There will be a penalty for removing it in the first 45 days."

Tell me more about this "disc player option"!?

 

[oldmitch]

Also, anyone have a diagram showing which connections are what, on the back of this head unit?