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Topic: Front TV and sound upgrade (Read 1506 times) previous topic - next topic

Front TV and sound upgrade

Ok, so I got the front TV I wanted finally and got it in.  I was going for maximum picture size without hanging more than 2" below the carpeted panel.  I also put in a Sony surround sound system, the low profile just works great in there.  As before, all the past contributions here helped me tremendously to know what to expect and how to handle it.  The paint removal tips were especially important to get the original black spray paint off.  I honestly haven't even messed with trying to "fluff" the carpet back out from the 19" CRT box.  I guess the reason being that I never notice it when I'm looking at the 46" screen that is there now :)

I really can't thank you all enough for the tips.  In the picture the black square to the left of the TV is the Sony subwoofer grill in the cabinet.  You can see the left and right speakers on either side of the screen as well as the low profile center speaker above  and slightly in front of it.  If you are in the recliners or on the couch it doesn't block any of the screen area, only a tiny bit if you're standing or in the kitchen at the table.  I don't have a pic of the surrounds but they are pretty inconspicuous next to the window valances by the side wall lamps.

If anyone is interested in doing something similar I'll be glad to share anything I learned to help.
I also installed a 4x2 HDMI matrix to feed the front and rear TVs and it has come in very handy.
Thanks ya'll!
Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #1 –
Nice!  Now you can watch that TV from the bedroom! ;D

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #2 –
To get that one out of the way when not viewing or to fit an even large one, consider hinging and storing it against the ceiling:

U225 overhead TV replacement - Help!!!

Brett
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #3 –
Steve, it's funny you mention that!  I have noticed that if I'm on the bed, the view is actually still a little larger of the front TV than the new rear one :o
I need to take a new pic from the view here with the old TV in it.

Other Steve, Sony has a few systems with the same speakers I used, here is one:
Sony - 1000W 5.1-Ch. 3D Blu-ray Home Theater System - HTSS380
I'll look at the box when I get a minute.  I listened to many systems and was concerned about the nonpowered sub, but don't regret it, it sounds very good, and the speakers fit very nicely.  I'll take a pic of the rears, I'm very happy how they blend. 

Brett, thanks, I actually considered that and looked at yours before I started mine, nice job.  I didn't figure I needed or could afford a 55" so I just went with the 46" that doesn't block my view at all.
 

Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #4 –
Very nice work....I'm taking notes
1996 U270 36'

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #5 –
Steven,

What type of a mount did you use to get the TV against the ceiling?  Did you attach the mount to the aluminum Foretravel frameworks?

How does your matrix HDMI switch help you get an HD signal to the bedroom TV.  Did you run a long HDMI cable from front to rear?

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #6 –

I'm still thinking over the HDTV/entertainment options for our coach but I'm leaning towards checking something like this wireless HDMI system out. It says that it uses 60gHz to transmit HD content up to 30 feet.

Amazon.com: VIZIO XWH200 Universal Wireless HD Video and Audio Kit (Black):

Craig

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.
1993 U225 36' Unihome GV with PACBRAKE exhaust retarder, Banks Stinger and Solar Panels.
Toad: 1999 Jeep Wrangler 2-door soft-top.

"No one has ever had to evacuate a city because the solar panels broke."

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #7 –
Barry,
The mount is mostly unistrut.  The normal brackets don't give the rigid mounting I wanted nor the flexibility, so I often make brackets myself.  We have lots of the metric hardware leftover from brackets we have installed in the past, so we use bolts from those.  (Did I mention that I install professional audio visual for a living?) 

With all the cabinetry removed a 1.5 inch square tube is exposed that some of the cabinets were attached to.  See the pic below.  I found there is also another piece of tubing directly in front of it (away from windshield), I assume for the ceiling panel to attach to.  Since my TV was in the corner there is also tubing there to support the old cabinet.  I attached a piece of strut to the visible, tubing, another to the one in front of it (away from the windshield), and a third in front of that.  The third strut was attached on one end to the tubing above the old TV cabinet, the other end is supported by a small stick of strut spanning the first 2. 

I'm trying to find a picture I thought I took of it, much easier to see than to type it.  Anyway, then I attached 2 pieces of strut perpendicular to those at the width of the mounting holes on the TV.  I bolted 2 pieces of strut vertically on the back of the TV connecting the mounting holes.  So now there is a piece of strut on the ceiling lined up with each strut on the back of the TV.  To connect the pieces I used garage door panel hinges.  They are quite sturdy and let me position the TV at whatever angle it worked out to be.  They also allowed me to get 2 bolts on each side of each hinge.  If you have worked with strut, one of the best things about strut is cone nuts.  This allows you to bolt something in, but adjust it easily and re tighten it.  This is how I got it so tight to the ceiling, loosen each side one at a time and slide it up and re tighten, repeat until beautiful :)    The last part of the mount was 2 pieces of all thread that I attached to the 2 struts on the back of the TV.  They are mounted in cone nuts and stick straight out from the back of the TV towards the cavity behind the cabinets. 

Once the TV was up hanging on the hinges, I swung it back to the angle it will be, slide the all thread down (using the cones nuts) until it lands on the tubing that runs along the bottom of the cabinets.  I put a small bracket on each piece of all-thread and then I tighten them up to the tubing.  This pulls the TV tight against the panel at the bottom of the TV and keeps the TV nice and rigid and quiet.  The all-thread on the back of the TV is low profile and but still hits the carpeted panel before the TV so there is a small gap for ventilation.  The TV doesn't require much because the large cavity behind it and it doesn't get very warm, but ventilation is always nice.  I'll see if I can pull a cover and get a pic of the hanging bracket, I thought I took one but can't find it.  I'll also take one from the bottom to show the small clearance.

Yes, I did run an HDMI cable to the rear TV from the Matrix, it was a nice easy pull down the curb side where the coax cable was.  I used the coax to pull a pull string in and then pulled the coax back (for off air) in with an HDMI and cable and a wire for the IR control.  I have 3 little ones, so the matrix lets me know exactly what is on the rear TV while I'm driving if they are back there.  I feed it a DirecTV DVR and additional receiver as well as a bluray player.  That leaves an input for iPad or computer if I want to show something on the TV.

I considered the wireless but I'm not for adding RF if it isn't necessary, and the wire pull was so easy I'm glad I went with wire instead.  I used a 45' cable, I think it was under $100, it works great.  The unit in your link has a switch built in which may be something to consider for your application.  I have the matrix so I don't need the switch.  If you get it, please let us know how it works for you.

Brett, I see your truck is on Craigslist, didn't realize we were that close together, I'd love to come see it before you sell it if I can.
Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #8 –
Steven,
 
Thank you very much for the additional details and picture (and more to come).
 
I am drawing a blank in trying to figure out what you are calling a strut. Would you please describe those in more detail?
 
Thanks,
 
Trent
Trent and Jean Eyler
2000  U295  4003  WTFE  ISC  350
Build#5603 MC#17385

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #9 –
Trent,
Unistrut, superstrut, etc. is used in electrical applications alot.  The 2 most common variations are available at lowe's or home depot, the difference between the 2 is just the depth of the channel.  It is kind of like a grownup erector set.

Here is a link, the picture is shallow strut (doesn't match the description):
1-5/8 in. x 10 ft. Metal Framing Channel-ZB14HS10PG at The Home Depot

Here is what cone nuts (channel nuts, sometimes spring nuts) look like, they commonly come in 1/4", 3/8", 1/2".  The 1/2" nut will not fit in the shallow strut, only in the deep.  The picture looks like 3/8" (doesn't match the description)
1/4 in. Nylon Cone Nuts (4 Pack)-ZCM100 1/4-10 at The Home Depot

thanks for asking, I'm in my own little world sometimes ::)
Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #10 –
Steven,
 
The erector set analogy was very apropos!
 
Your expertise and willingness to share got you some more Karma!
 
Thanks,
 
Trent
Trent and Jean Eyler
2000  U295  4003  WTFE  ISC  350
Build#5603 MC#17385

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #11 –
Here are pics of the rear speakers.  I decided to go towards the upholstery to make it blend better to my eye.  To me, it seems to stand out more if it covers wood.

I don't know what the karma is or how it got there, but I think I like it :D
Thanks to whoever put it there!
Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX

Re: Front TV and sound upgrade

Reply #12 –
Ok, I took some more pics.  On the back TV it was much faster and I documented more, should have done that on the front, but hopefully these pics will help.  If I end up uncovering it anymore later I'll post better pics. 
Camera phones are great for getting the camera to where is normally not seen.  These pics are not readily available views normally, you don't see any of the strut from a normal angle.  I'm 6' tall so after I had the TV in place I noticed I could see the metal above the TV from in the kitchen, so I put a strip of black gaff tape on it and it disappeared ;D  (gaff tape is tape used on stages that is part cloth and has a flat black finish as not to reflect light and be noticed, part of my dayjob work).  I forgot until after I looked at the picture I took with the camera against the ceiling above the TV and saw it, it works very well - see FrontTV09.  Incidentally, gaff works amazingly well at getting rid of annoying noises too, like anything that is metal on metal (e.g. the breaker panel door, drawer catches, etc.)

FrontTV14 shows behind the TV from the curb side.  You can see the front 2 of the 3 supports channels, the cross piece and one of the hinges.  The diamond shape part is the hinge.
Shop Genie Center Hinge at Lowes.com

I have to correct my earlier post, I had planned on putting the hinge on a perpendicular strut but I ended up spacing the 2 visible long ones correctly to put the hinges directly to them.  The 1 perpendicular piece visible is the piece that supports the end of the upper strut that had nowhere to bolt to on the curb side (the other end of which is supported by the original support aluminum tubing for the old TV cabinet).  The small piece bolts to the middle strut and the one closer to the windshield that you can't see in the pic.  The assembly is very rigid.

In FrontTV05 and 06 you can the 3/8" all-thread (or threaded rod, trying to examine my terms better now)
Shop STEEL CITY 3/8" Threaded Rod 10 Feet at Lowes.com

You can also see the bottom of the strut and the gap at the bottom.  The threaded rod coming off the strut is about 10" long probably and is also very rigid.  I used a different type of cone nut that isn't available at hardware stores, if anyone needs specifics let me know.

I took a pic from the curbside, FrontTV08.  You can see a black cable right behind the TV here where I got very lucky, it goes to the TracStar on the roof that the previous owner had installed.  My options wouldn't have been as nice if that was 3 or 4" farther away from the windshield.
Steven M
98 U270 WTFE 36'
Houston, TX