Eric Smith is another one of those people who got involved with the Car Audio industry at a young age. He started off working at one of the local shops to gain some more knowledge about the installation side of things. He learned quite a bit working for someone else and, after six years, decided to start his own shop. In May of 1999, Plainfield Mobile Audio was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ever since his Grand opening, Smith has strived to become one of the most reputable shops in the area. In his mind, the one way to get the word out about his shop is to build a demo vehicle for the store. The vehicle of choice is a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe.
The Tahoe was to encompass a full audio and video system to help display the caliber of installations Plainfield was capable of doing. "When seeing this type of vehicle and installation, customers will feel more comfortable with adding different products. They won't be as hesitant in doing larger scale installs," says Smith. He didn't want a system that was neither too simple nor too complicated. Just something in between with bass that was flamboyant enough to be heard at the GM factory on the other side of the state, that's all. Products used in the Tahoe were carefully chosen to best display the latest technology available in the market today, complemented by a high caliber installation. They took their time and did not rush the project because the two wanted the system to come out right.
Audio/Video Head UnitThe installers that tackled the project are Smith, himself, and his shop manager, Tom Deyoung who by the way claims to be born with car audio in his blood. Smith was responsible for the overhead video, door pods, and rear speakers. Deyoung handled the rest of the system. The two minds sat down and designed a system for many types of consumers to enjoy. The Tahoe uses a Pioneer AVX-P7000CD to handle all of the important duties. This fully motorized in-dash LCD also has a built-in CD player all in a DIN sized chassis. It is installed in the factory location on top of a custom-built piece of Plexiglas. A Pioneer AVM-P8000R adds several functions to the head unit such as, a/v inputs and outputs, independent a/v selectors for multiple screens, crossovers, parametric equalizer, and more. This hideaway unit was mounted in a custom built housing located underneath the rear seat. "The Pioneer pieces have displayed excellent picture quality and reliability in the past. That's why we use them," states Smith.
For the main video source, Smith turned to Panasonic. The DIN-sized CX-DV1500 Mobile DVD player was massaged into the factory pocket just beneath the heater controls. The secondary video source is a VCR from Q-Logic. Deyoung placed the unit in the rear of the center console. To enhance the entertainment for rear passengers, an Audiovox VOH682 drop down 6.8-inch TV monitor was installed in the headliner. The console is color matched and looks like it came from GM that way.
Crossfire ManiaThe preamplification comes from two Crossfire CFX-31M 1/3-octave equalizers. These 31-band mono equalizers feature built-in line drivers to increase the output voltage to 12-volts, giving the system plenty of headroom. They are mounted in a newly constructed center console in between the two front seats. Deyoung used half-inch MDF to construct the console. It is trimmed in marble style Formica(tm). Both rack style equalizers sit beneath 1/4" Plexiglas that is held up with 3/4" Plexiglas rods. Smith adds that the rods are sturdy enough to lean on the top Plexiglas plate. Ten red LEDs are placed throughout the console to highlight the components at night.