Modifying a remote control.

I am new to this site.  I signed up to find out how to modify my car stereo remote.  I have a Jeep  with a soft top.  I built a center console and have the stereo mounted inside of it to help prevent theft.   There is a small door that I can open  to only expose the stereo.  What I would like to do Is install buttons on the outside of this door so that i can keep it closed and still operate the stereo.  The head unit came with a remote and I was thiking that there must be a way to tie in these exterior buttons into the remote and have the remote mounted inside of there stereo cabinet.  But I can't figure out a way to do it.  Hopefully someone can tell me if it will work or not.  And if it can be done can anyone give me step by step instructions. 

Thank you

I would give this product a try

h ttp://www.pac-audio.com/products/productsCatagory.asp?mmSearch=Infrared%20Repeaters

You can take the remote control or the radio aparts and solder wires off of the push button contacts wiring points and add your own momentary switches. Below is how I did it on my 73 Nova. I took an old Alpine faceplate to get the square buttons out of it, used some tack switches from work, made my own fiberglass housings for the backside of the steering wheel and then used some electrical parts to be able to remove the battery in the original remote control (housed under the horn button) to where I don't have to feed it batteries.

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1091561589049730488BZcWqw

Jim

No problem and thanks for the compliment.

You now have some options to do what you want, it's just how much you want. Thinking about this too if you are using buttons and they are on top (or even on the sides of the center console) I would also think about water resistant style switches or keyboards. I had an old Alpine alarm keyboard in my 73 Nova and accidentally spilled a soda on it and the liquid got inside and shorted out things. I did some work with a customer's 33 Dodge truck and I installed the Pioneer remote keypad/display in the overhead console and while designed for a boat it is water resistant. Jeeps with hardtops and soft tops I've heard have more problems with the interior getting wet than other types of vehicles.

Good luck on your design and project. Post back with the final work.

Jim  

crack remote in half  (along the seam, not as in breaking it) and remove the guts from it...

take the empty top piece and set it where you want it to go on the center console..

trace around the piece and then cut that shape out of the center console...

epoxy the remote piece into the spot you just cut out, making sure not to get any epoxy under piece.. gotta make sure the thing will go back together again...

bondo the edges of the piece, to make it look like one smooth piece (but with the holes for the buttons still in it)...

paint it with a textured paint, trying to match factory pieces..

on remote pcb, solder leads onto the power points (where the battery goes) and adapt it for 12v power using a resistor / regulator setup, kinda like the led thing in the download section of this site...

also on pcb, desolder the infrared led and extend the lines so you can put it on the front of the console, where it can see the deck...

snap remote back together under console, and run lines to power..

enjoy custom remote sexiness!