Convert MCA into MCA-Plus (Discussion)

[oscarboiro]

Any user know where I can buy a screen board To try to install all componentes? Or a not working unit. I have located some MCA in good price, but now are sold out.

[Stevebe]

Thanks, now it's up to you folks to convert your devices
Hope to get some picts from your builds.

Just a thought
Can you supply a kit of parts ? If so can you give price

[phx-]

perfect tutorial, but with my blind eyes and shaky hands, will stay in c+ mod translating into multi languages and for this i will ask someone steady with shart eyes

[Go4IT]

Thanks, now it's up to you folks to convert your devices
Hope to get some picts from your builds.

Just a thought
Can you supply a kit of parts ? If so can you give price

I've thought about that, but i don't see me as a salesman.
The broad of the parts are available on every electronics shop, only some parts are hard to get or need to be imported from China.
Also i don't know a good method to put single parts (0402, remember) into some carrier. One of my ideas was to put them between two Tesa stripes an write the values with a pen onto it. So you can rip off one by one, groupwise, as i made the tutorial. But this is a lot of work... but, well, you are one of people here it think able to solder these kind of parts because you have the equipment and experience and patience for that kind of work

[Go4IT]

There is still one thing where i don't have a really good solution for right now, and that is the Fakra-plug.

Here is like it is made in an genuine MCA-Plus:

fakra-i_mounted_topview.jpg

fakra-i_mounted.jpg

As you see the Fakra connector is "I" encoded (beige) and placed with an angle of about 15 degree. The cutout in the rear plate is made this way also.

fakra-i_blende.jpg

This is a very special Fakra housing used here. The plug is fixed in position by two "bolts" incorporead into the housing and crimped from the backside:

fakra-i_mounted_rearview.jpg

In an MCA this place looks like this:

fakra-i_not-mounted.jpg

I've search the whole Internet (no joke, i really looked for it since month!) for a plug like this, but there is none. You can find some in China having no bolts and this from DeLOCK:

delock_fakra-i_crimp.jpg

delock_fakra-i_crimp_rear.jpg

Two problems to solve:
1.) how to fix the right orientation?
2.) How to crimp from backside (much too less space to get inside with a crimp-tool)?

First i tried this, but it was a complete fail because of the wrong orientation the rear plate does not fit anymore:

IMG_4162.JPG

I think i will make an adapter-plate which has the needed bolts to fix the position and also a part to put a screw nut from the backside. The Delock Fakra part could then be fixed with a screw onto that plate. But i must check that this does not get too thick for the rear chassis sheet. But this way i could crimp the Fakra outside and mount everything together. Also, this can be done by anybody, even without special tools, as it can be prepared and shipped.
But - i'm not a mechanic... also my toolset for this is very limited.

[Go4IT]

For the cable part (connection from Fakra to board) it is a bit more easier.
The RF-cable used is RG-178 or RG-316 (not 100% shure, but both are absolutely sufficient because of 50 Ohms impedance).

From the Fakra there is a pigtail going to an SMP plug on the mainboard:

IMG_2624.JPG

IMG_4167.JPG

On an MCA it is easy to put this Rosenberger 19S101-40ML5 connector here:

video-in_smp-con-mb_unsoldered.jpg

rosenberger_smp-con_19S101-40ML5.jpg

video-in_smp-con-mb_soldered_top.jpg

Also, use an Rosenberger 19K201-302L5 plug and solder/crimp it to the cable:

rosenberger_smp-plug_19K201-302L5.jpg

Instead of SMP, you may also use MCX which has nearly the same dimensions. But when buying plugs and sockets there is no price benefit. Maybe if you buy a fully crimped cable... i've seen MCX pigtails with RG-316 for a few bucks. This can be an alternative.

[amplified]

Isn't it better to just put RCA plug instead of fakra, one less joint without fakra-rca adapter if an aftermarket rca cam will be there of course

[Stevebe]

Thanks, now it's up to you folks to convert your devices
Hope to get some picts from your builds.

Just a thought
Can you supply a kit of parts ? If so can you give price

I've thought about that, but i don't see me as a salesman.
The broad of the parts are available on every electronics shop, only some parts are hard to get or need to be imported from China.
Also i don't know a good method to put single parts (0402, remember) into some carrier. One of my ideas was to put them between two Tesa stripes an write the values with a pen onto it. So you can rip off one by one, groupwise, as i made the tutorial. But this is a lot of work... but, well, you are one of people here it think able to solder these kind of parts because you have the equipment and experience and patience for that kind of work

This is true
Great work I have a NX that has all the places for video parts but I don’t think they are the same. OR are they,, ?
I must get time to look at my dead NOS MCA2 plus , but I’m nuts deep into the sync3 at the moment and also mk5 all digital cluster.
Apart from all that I hope you keeping ok

[Go4IT]

Of course, but it depends in what you want to have. Because of that this is another variant of my retrotif-tutorial. Besides genuine Fakra I and RCA there is also Fakra Z, which is compatible to every Fakra and tho many adaptors.

I've now simply glued it to the bracket using a two-component-glue. Cheap, easy to do for everybody and sufficient.

[Go4IT]

I have a NX that has all the places for video parts but I don’t think they are the same. OR are they,, ?

I'm not shure i understand you right, do you want to tell that you have an NX-Plus at hand? The NX graphicsboard does not have unpopulated parts, so it's not possible to retrofit.