NEO Car MP3 Jukebox
 (aka Traxaudio mStation)

MP3 Jukebox Comparison [Neo-35, Phatbox and Rio Car (empeg)]
Pin Assignments for NEO dock
Mounting Case for Trunk-installed Neo Car

Some people like seeing what something will look like before getting started.

On the left is what the remote will look like after being modified. This is a pretty simple procedure. You'll need the following:

 Thin Flat (-) screwdriver
 Small Philips (+) screwdriver
 Dremel (rotary tool) with small cut-off disc (optional: plus drill bit)
 Drill and 3/16" (5mm) bit (optional: can use rotary tool instead)
 Optional: Super-Glue (or other suitable for plastic parts).

1st, remove the small sliding cover where the wire enters the unit. You may need to use a very thin knife or screwdriver to pry back the lip of the cover on the end where the wire enters the remote.

2nd, unplug the wire from its connector (it's keyed so don't worry, you won't put it on backwards later).

3rd, Using a small Philips screwdriver, remove the three screws from the back cover.

Your remote should now look like the one on the right, with the small sliding cover and cable removed.

NOTE the red circles showing where the top cover of the remote makes a ledge - it rests right next to the PCB. You will have to cut away at least the ledge shown by the bigger circle.

Once off it will look like the image on the left. Put the PCB/screen half of the remote in a safe place for a little while - you won't need it until your modifications are done.

5th, Cut away the ledge along the back (right red arrow) using the cut-off wheel. Next, trim the vertical part that this ledge is attached to. This will give enough clearance to run the wires between the PCB and the case (note the space under the case where the arrow is).

6th, Next cut a notch (red circle at left) big enough to fit the remote cable (no more than 1/4" in diameter)

7th, Using either your drill and 3/16 bit (recommended), or a drilling bit on your rotary tool, make a hole on the sliding cover close to its edge. This hole must line up with the notch made in the 6th step when the cover is in place.

8th, With the rotary tool and cut-off disc, cut the cover to open the hole all the way to the edge - now it's a rounded notch which should look like the picture.

You'll probably want to do something about the hole now left where the remote wire used to be... You can choose to handle this in a number of ways from simple to intricate - all depending on your skill level & materials at hand (creativity helps here).

I used two pieces of plastic: The grey (black is preferred) piece you see in the picture and a small piece of thin plastic on the backside of the cover. The grey piece was just a scrap used to secure wire-ties in toy packaging (a lot of packages use wire-ties to secure action figures and other accessories to their backings). The hidden piece was just cut from the clear display window (fairly stiff) on another package.

Cut the small thin piece to cover the hole from the inside. It will be used as a support/backing for the piece that will actually fill in the hole. Cut it to fit under the two small tabs in the cover so it doesn't interfere with the case when closed. Glue this piece and let it cure solidly.

Using the rotary tool, cut and shape one end of your plastic stock to fit the hole in the cover. I first cut to get a rough shape and then exclusively used the disc to grind the curved shape.

9th, Take this time to clean away any rough spots or burrs from the cutting you have been doing on both the back cover, on the sliding cover and on your filler piece.

Glue the filler piece in its place as above and let it cure/dry completely.

Using the cut-off disc, trim the filler piece flush with the cover. Depending on the fit/finish of the plastic you chose and your cutting and glueing proficiency, you may need to do some additional sanding.

If you ended up using an off-color piece of plastic as I did, apply a few coats of black spray paint suitable for plastic to the cover end. Sand (very fine grit) and repeat if necessary.

11th, Guide the cord through the opening in the back cover - the cors should enter from the back (flat - outside) part of the cover.

12th, Connect the cord to the PCB, noting the keyed connector - be careful not to bend any pins, it only needs a gentle push.

14th, Bend the thick wire casing back toward the opposite side (the side with the connector). The wire should bend toward the bottom of the remote. It should form a U-shape as seen on the right.

15th, While holding the U-bent casing, align the stress relief attachment (if present) and large wire so that it is at its lowest profile and away from obstructions on the board.

16th, Take a last moment to make sure all the small wires are as close to the board as possible and none are stick out beyond the top edge of the remote.

17th, With your other hand, bring the back cover over the PCB while holding the wire in its U-shape. Line up the long end of the wire with the notch made in the 6th step and check to see if you can close the case without crimping any wires.

18th, Gently close the case after letting go the wire on the inside.

You may need to move the wire around a bit and try a couple of times to get everything lined up to properly close the case. Make sure it is snapped and aligned all the way around. Don't snap it shut until you are sure everything is lined up well.

19th, Put the three screws back where they belong. Do not overtighten these screws, stop when they're snug. They are going in to plastic and can strip the threads if overtightened.

Your remote should now have its main wire routed as seen in these pictures.

As a safety, just make sure none of the wires were crimped or snagged after you closed the case. Make sure they're as flat as possible against their connector.

20th, You're ready to test the sliding cover. Set it in its place, flush with the remote case and push it toward the wire. Make sure the wire lines up with the notch in the cover.

21st, The wire should fit snug into the notch in the cover. Straighten the wire slightly and push the cover closed all the way. Make sure the two tabs at the back slide into their slots on the remote. The cover should "click" into place.

You're done. You should now be left with something like the image on the right.

Additional details of my former car install - the vehicle was stolen October 2003 from Maple, Ontario

Vehicle

1995 Acura Integra GSR (1.8L DOHC VTEC Hatch/Coupe) Milano Red with Black Interior
Ontario Licence Plate # ABTJ 952