Replacing Alpine Stereo in JL Jeep Wrangler

This post is about a complete stereo upgrade to a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.  I replaced the upgraded UConnect Alpine 8.4 system speakers and Alpine subwoofer to something substantially superior.  Read on to learn about this $2,500 to $3,500 Jeep JL Stereo Upgrade...

I have a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with the upgraded 8.4 Alpine stereo and alpine speakers/subwoofer.   While this Alpine was a huge improvement over the stock Jeep Wrangler stereo, it still wasn't exactly what I was looking for.  This was especially true when I had the sky one-touch top open, the Alpine sub and speakers had a hard time overpowering the wind noise from having the roof off of the Jeep.

So, I set about looking at my options to replace the Jeep Wrangler Alpine stereo and Alpine subwoofer. I quickly discovered the JL Audio Stealthbox for 2018-Up Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.   The model number is: SB-J-JL4DDRV     This is actually a pretty difficult speaker to research because of the confusion of "JL Audio" and a Model "JL Jeep".   Note that JL audio is by far one of the absolute best manufacturers of speakers, and it can get a bit tricky googling them for a JL Jeep unlimited.


Here is a picture of an Alpine Subwoofer and Jeep Alpine Speaker Enclosure removed from a 2018/2019 JL Wrangler Unlimited: 

First off, a few points: 

• The SB-J-JL4DDRV JL Stealthbox subwoofer is NOT compatible with the 2 door Jeep Wrangler, it is only compatible with the JL Unlimited Wrangers from model years 2018 and up.  I have a 2019 and it fit perfectly.    
• Second, this subwoofer, powered by the proper amplifier, will blow the doors of the Jeep (see what I did there..)   Seriously though, the upgrade of the JL Stealthbox over an Alpine subwoofer is astounding.   It can handle way more volume, it can hit faster highs and deeper lows, it is incredible for what they packed into the footprint.  Further, it actually takes up LESS room than the factory-installed Alpine subwoofer in your JL Jeep.
• It is NOT plug and play.  You'll need to install an amplifier and run wires to the Stealthbox subwoofer itself.

Let's get into the JL subwoofer install and swap for the Alpine Subwoofer in my Rubicon.... But, a word of caution, the model listed above is actually for the driver side wheel well installation, it does not replace the factory installed Alpine subwoofer.   I decided I didn't want to do that, and instead installed the JL Stealthbox in the original location of the factory subwoofer in my Alpine upgraded JL Wrangler.   In other words, I only wanted one speaker, and I wanted to replace the existing Alpine that was there.  Unfortunately, several high-end installers said that replacing just the sub itself would not accomplish my sound goals (deeper bass and louder bass), and they all recommended getting a completely new enclosure too; so the stealthbox made a lot of sense. 

Photo of a JL Audio Stealthbox installed in place of an Alpine Subwoofer in a 2019 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited

As such, I decided to do a complete swap and replace of the subwoofer and plastic surrounding it.   This became a bit more complicated, but I am very happy with the results.  Instead, of a driver's-side JL Stealthbox, I used the passenger side JL Stealthbox for my JL unlimited jeep.  This unit's model number is: SB-J-JL4DPAS   Note: they make 2ohm and 4ohm units of the passenger and driver side JL Jeep JL Stealthbox subwoofers.

In order to replace the factory Alpine subwoofer, you need to order some replacement parts from Mopar/Jeep in order to make the back look stock again.  You see, the Alpine subwoofer and enclosure actually takes up most of the passenger side rear cargo area in the Jeep JL.  So, when you pull it out, you'll need several trim pieces to replace it with when you put the JL Stealthbox in place.  Here are the same (or similar parts) to what I needed to buy from Mopar when I replaced the Alpine subwoofer enclosure:

• (x1) 6LU84TX7AD
• (x1) 6BM34TX7AA
• (x1) 6QJ13TX7AA
• (x1) 6BP30TX7AD
• (x1) 6BM28TX7AC
• (x1) 6BM29TX7AC
• (x30) 6510407AB  <--- these are the clips that go on the back of the panels, we used all new ones to ensure there were no unwanted rattles

Now, you'll need to be careful when you buy each of the above items.  If you have the rear back-up sensors or lane assistance, you might find a similar model to each part that includes an extra adapter or plug here-or-there.  That being said, all of the parts are available from your dealer or online (Mopar) and they are all black no matter what color jeep you have.  As far as I know 2018 and 2019 Jeeps are the same parts.  I have a 2019, but I ordered parts for a 2018 Jeep Wrangler.

With the above parts, an Alpine PDX-V9 Amplifier  and some other parts, I successfully replaced the Alpine subwoofer in the JL Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with a JL Audio Stealthbox.   The sound is absolutely incredible, and I have zero regrets.

But, if you are going to do the work of installing all of that, you might as well upgrade the rest, right?!

I also swapped out all of the rest of the speakers on my JL Jeep with Focal high-end speakers, and they sounds awesome too! 

So, here is the rest of the inventory:
(x1) Alpine PDX-VP 5-Channel 900W Amp with wiring kit - installed under passenger seat
(x1) Focal Access 100AC 2-way speakers in the soundbar
(x1) Focal ES 100K 4" 2-way components for the front w. crossover
(x1) PAC AmpPro Optical Interface 

I had this complete stereo installed by a high-end installer, and inclusive of taxes; it came to $3,500.  I was able to sell the factory Wrangler Alpine subwoofer, enclosure, and old speakers for $400 easily on Facebook Marketplace.   So, for about $3K, this was not a cheap upgrade, but it was an incredible one.  I think, with some shopping, and doing the work yourself, you could do this whole thing under $2,500 if you sell your old equipment.

The sound quality is outstanding, and the volume is able to hold up to the roof being down and the doors being off of my JL Jeep Wrangler.  Further, the quality of the voice and vocals are incredible, and it doesn't just sound like noise, it sounds like music.  If you can swing this stereo upgrade on your Wrangler JL, you will not regret it.  I kept the factory head unit, and aside from the subwoofer enclosure, which still looks very much like the OEM Mopar/Alpine original, everything else looks completely stock.


Alpine Subwoofer for JL Jeeps terms for search engines:

• Replacing Alpine Subwoofer in Jeep Wrangler
• Replacing Alpine Speakers in JL Jeep
• Swapping JL Stealthbox in JL Jeep
• Stereo Upgrade in Jeep Wrangler JL
• Speaker Replacement in Jeep Wrangler JL 
• Photos of JL Stealthbox in Jeep Wrangler Unlimited JL
• Replacement OEM parts when removing Alpine Subwoofer from JL

Google not working with Sonicwall only in Chrome

Out of nowhere, we started having problems on multiple computers in which Chrome Browser (in Windows 10) was unable to connect to Google.  Chrome could not access Google, and it seemed that ANY website that uses a Google API or Google Product, such as Google Adwords was also not able to load or was very slow to load in Chrome Browser.

The error seemed to be similar to DNS issues, where attempting to access Google.com in Chrome or attempting to search from the Chrome search bar directly would sporadically return an error similar to a dns issue where you can't find the website.  But, the abnormally long load times on websites that had other google services, such as adwords is not typically a symptom of bad DNS.

Oddly enough, the same exact search or website access in a browser other than Chrome, on the same computer, would work perfectly fine.  Google works in edge or firefox, but not in chrome.

I tried a variety of online help articles, including clearing the cache, uninstalling chrome and reinstalling chrome, deleting and adding the gmail user back in, but nothing worked until the following:

Open Chrome

Type "chrome://flags/" in the Address bar and hit Enter.

You will see "Careful, these experiment may bite" on top and some Warning Text. Ignore it.

Hold Ctrl and hit F (Ctrl + F) key on your keyboard for the Find Box to Pop up.

Type or Copy paste "Experimental QUIC protocol" in the find box to find what we need.

Now, From the Drop Down menu, Select Disabled.

Close Chrome Browser and Launch it again.

 Our environment includes Windows 10, Sonicwall NSA4600 Firewall, Chrome and AVG Enterprise.  I suspect that the Issue relies in the IPS settings of Sonicwall, but was not able to prove that out.  Regardless, the above solution seemed to fix our problems with Chrome being unable to access Google services.

Can't Sign In To Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Solved - Cannot login to Microsoft Account and Cortana on Windows 10
I recently upgraded Windows 8.1 Pro to Windows 10 and now have been unable to login to Cortana or my windows account properly.  My computer is logged into a domain (work computer).

Everytime I hit the search or Cortana logo, I would be prompted to login, I would, and it would seem to accept it, but nothing happens.  Every time I click search it says "Let's pick up where you left off" and then prompts me to login again. So basically, every single time I click the search box in windows 10 I am asked to login to my microsoft account.

 If I login to any other Microsoft apps (store, weather, etc) I am also presented the option to login to my Microsoft account.  It will accept the login, and ask if I want to make it my default account system wide, if I say yes, I get "We're sorry, but we weren't able to make this Microsoft account your default account for Windows.  Don't worry, we will sign you into this app.  If you want to use this account to sign in to Windows, you can set that up in the Accounts section of Settings."

 I tried everything under the sun, short of a wipe and restart.  Deleting and recreating accounts, restoring, etc.  Nothing would let me login properly to Cortana and My Microsoft Windows 10 account, until this:

1. Delete any fragments of Microsoft account sign-ins, including ones that you see under account settings in control panel. (start, settings, accounts, "other accounts you use").  In my case, I had already deleted it previously.
2. Delete any local accounts that are specific to Microsoft accounts.  Hit start, type user accounts, manage user accounts, delete the Microsoft account if applicable (the one listed with an email address).  Important!: be sure you add a LOCAL admin or domain admin account so you can still login, don't lock yourself out.
3. Edit your registry (start, type 'regedit')  navigate to
   HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\Microsoft\IdentityCRL\StoredIdentities Here, you will see the account that is giving you trouble.  Delete (Right click the email address and click delete).
4. Add the account back.  Start, settings, Accounts, - add your Microsoft Account.
   Done!
   
    

Cheap small keyboard for Samsung ES8000 Smart Hub Tv

I have a Samsung 65ES8000 LED TV with Samsung's Smart Hub and was looking for a compact, yet inexpensive qwerty keyboard/remote so that I could use the web browser with more speed.
I was originally looking at the Samsung RMC-QTD1, which I knew would work on the Samsung es8000 and es7500 smart tvs, but I didn't want to spend over $100 for a remote that I would barely every use.

So I took a gamble and bought the Favi SmartStick Keyboard for about $30.  The Favi qwerty keyboard was specifically designed to work with Favi Smartstick mini computers (that plug into the hdmi port of a tv), but I thought it should work for the Samsung TV running Smart Hub.
Long story short, it works just fine.   Some of the apps do not recognize the keyboard, but the important one, the web browser, recognizes both the keystrikes, and mouse action and mouse clicks. Simple plug the small usb adapter into the Samsung Smart Tv's usb port (in the back) and the TV automatically recognized the keyboard. No configuration or software to install, truly plug and play.

The keyboard works pretty well, but sometimes the touchpad is a bit slow to navigate the cursor around.  The touchpad also supports tapping as a mouse click.  Overall, the Favi Keyboard was a great buy for about $30, as a cheap alternative to the samsung qwerty remote for a Samsung smart hub tv.
______

For searchers:
Is the FAVI Smartstick compatible with Samsung Smart TV
Cheap mini keyboard for Samsung ES8000 TV
Cheap small keyboard for Samsung ES7000 TV

Cheap Wireless HDMI Solution

This is a brief review of an awesome wireless HDMI alternative that we use.

My company recently moved into a new facility and at the same time we decided to replace our old projectors with LED tvs in our meeting rooms. However, we did not have a huge budget. We wanted something that looked and functioned well, but did not have thousands and thousands of dollars to spend on it. We settled on 65" Vizio TVs that were on sale for less than $1,000 at BestBuy. But now we had a bigger problem. We had two very large meeting rooms and a constant demand for our consultants to connect their laptops to the presentation screen to show the group what was on their monitor.

In the past, we had a separate laptop dock that they could plug into, and VGA or HDMI cable going to the project that was sitting on the table. Obviously, that was not going to work anymore, as the tv is about 15 feet from the conference room table, AND we didn't want an unsightly cord hanging off of the TV.

 So, I started looking at wireless HDMI solutions. First off, they were pricey, averaging $150 to $200. Secondly, they only allow one person to connect to the tv display at a time. Third, the biggest problem we ran into is that not all laptops have an HDMI port on it. So, how do you go about wirelessly projecting a signal from your laptop to a tv, WITHOUT using Plex, apps or tons of adapters and plugs?

Well, we found the answer to cheap wireless video streaming from a laptop to a tv. Its a simple box, created by a company I never heard of before called IPEVO. The box, called the IPEVO HD WPS which stands for IPEVO High Definition Wireless Presentation System, is a simple device that looks just like a router. In fact, it actually is a router, with a bunch more capabilities.

Basically, this little box, connects up behind your tv via HDMI or VGA (and 1/8" audio) and plugs into the outlet. It then creates a wireless access point that you can connect directly to from any laptop. Then, you install a very lightweight software client on your laptop, and boom, you can instantly project your screen and audio on your display wirelessly. It works very well, in fact, I was able to stream Netflix and youtube with very very little loss of video quality.

 But, let's say you don't want to connect to another router (we didn't), no problem!  The device can alternatively connect to your existing network through wifi, or through the included RJ45 network jack.   So, my staff, who is already on my building's wifi, can simply launch their software on their pc and from anywhere in the building start sharing their screen.  In fact, 4 people at once can share their screens in a four way split screen.

We've now had three of these units running on our network for a couple of months, and they are working out perfectly.  Even visitors can quickly through their presentations up on our tv's wirelessly without worrying about dongles, ports, adapters and cords to trip over.

When I originally discovered the  IPEVO HD WPS,I actually found a product from Blackbox that did all the same things, but did not have an HDMI port.  Worse, it was twice the price.  As of this writing, the IPEVO wireless video system is $199.00, I think its a steal.   What is odd is that the screenshots I've found of the blackbox unit look to be identical to the firmware on my IPEVO, making me think they are manufactured by the same company.

So, if you are looking for a great way to share multiple laptop screens at once on a tv or projector.  Or you want wireless HDMI and wireless VGA but don't want to deal with adapters, the IPEVO HD WPS is the solution for you.

for searchers:
how can i display my laptop wirelessly
how to share the screens of multiple laptops at once
guest presentation system
cheap hdmi wireless
wireless vga adapters
cheap wireless video solution
business wireless video solutions

Archos 70IT vs. Amazon Kindle 6” Dimensions

A lot of people have asked me how the Archos 7” Internet Tablet compares in size to the latest model of the Amazon Kindle, Graphite 6” .

The reported dimensions of the Archos 70 IT are:

• 7.91” tall x 4.49” wide x .43 thick at 11 oz

  vs.

dimensions of the Amazon Kindle Graphite 3:

• 7.5” tall x 4.8” wide x .335” thick at 8.5 oz

Below you can see a photo gallery comparing the Archos 70IT and Amazon Kindle 6”.  As you can see, the Kindle is actually slightly shorter than the Archos, slightly wider and is less thick.  However, in reality, the Achos feels thinner due to a curved back.  Even though the weight is reportedly within 2.5 oz. of each other, the Archos feels substantially heaver than the Kindle.

Amazon reports a battery of up to 30 days on the Kindle, and I agree with that.  The Archos 70 reports up to 7 hours of video playback, and I am not getting anything close to that.  With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disabled, I am lucky to get 2 hours out of video playback on the device. After the latest update, I am getting about 5+ hours of video playback in Airplane Mode.

Amazon Kindle vs. Archos 70 internet tablet Photo Gallery:


 Read this article for a cheap carrying case for the Archos 70 IT

For search engines:
compare archos 70 it to Amazon Kindle 3
archos 70 vs kindle dimensions
which should I buy, Amazon Kindle or Archos 70"?
comparing Kindle and Archos dimensions

APC Replacement Batteries

After a good five years, it looks like my APC SmartUPS 750 batteries have kicked the bucket on two of my servers. I was looking into a cheap alternative than the $200 newegg and apc direct sell for the sua750rm2u batteries and stumbled upon this on amazon: APC RBC22 Replacement Battery Cartridge #22.

There is only one review, which is positive, but they claim that the batteries are not original APC batteries. I am looking to save a couple bucks, so I think I will pull the trigger, I will report back on my findings.

hmmm, on second thought, I am thinking about buying a bigger ups instead of replacing the batteries. this one? APC Smart-UPS SUA1000RM2U 1000VA 120V USB&Serial 2U Rackmount UPS System

Motorola Droid vs. HTC Touch Pro 2

Someone recently asked me if they should buy the Motorola Droid or the HTC Touch Pro 2 for Verizon Wireless. I will come back to this later and add some more thoughts and differences, but here is my preliminary list for anyone that is wondering if the Droid or HTC Touch Pro 2 (TP2) is better for them.

Motorola Droid versus HTC Touch Pro 2 for Verizon Wireless:

• Droid has much faster web browser than Touch Pro 2
• Droid has a much better application store (though you pay for each app)
• Droid has a slightly better camera, and has a flash, which Touch Pro does not
• Droid is slightly smaller and weighs slightly less than the Touch Pro 2
• Droid's touch screen is definitely more responsive than the HTC
• The resolution/picture quality is equal on the two devices
• I already found some bugs in the Droid , had problems getting Exchange calendar working and there are a few other complaints floating around about Droid Bugs.
• HTC Touch Pro 2 has a way better physical keyboard than the droid. There is no comparison on just how much better the HTC's physical keyboard is than the droids.
• Exchange integration is better in the HTC Touch Pro 2, for instance, in Droid, if you get a calendar request, you can only accept it or deny it from the calendar, where with HTC you can accept right from the email.
• Touch Pro 2 is a world phone, Droid is USA CDMA only
• From a business perspective, I think the HTC Touch Pro 2 has a better home/navigation system with displaying calendars/contacts/weather/etc.
• Droid does not allow you to set up signatures in emails, like "sent from my mobile phone" unless you are running Exchange Server 2007 with server side support
  
• Droid requires you use gmail or at least have a gmail account to access some of its features (HTC does not)
• Droid does not support Excel XLS and Adobe PDF natively, you have to purchase a seperate app (cheap) for them.
  

I think that Verizon will provide much better support and future updates for the Droid though, the windows phones they tend to leave alone and never update.

Although I like both devices, I would currently say that the HTC Touch Pro 2 has the edge as a business device. The Droid has an edge on the consumer front.

I may come back and add more thoughts about the HTC Touch Pro 2 vs. the Motorola Droid later on.

Green Screen Verizon FIOS via HDMI

I recently had Verizon Fios TV (and internet) installed at my house. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the level of service in notifying me about the install and the technician that was sent to do the job. However, I am having a problem, and it turns out I am not the only one.

I have new Sharp 32" LCD 720p tv connected via HDMI cables to the QIP-7100 Motorola HD set-top box. After watching the tv for about 30 seconds, it will turn to a green screen, yet the audio works fine. I need to powercycle both the box and the tv in order to get picture again, yet it will just happend again immediately. I have switched out the cables, inputs, etc and nothing works. The box does work if I use the 5 component cables, however that is not an ideal solution for anyone that is trying not to have a million ugly wires running up the wall.

So far, I have found on other blogs, that this is a known issue with the Verizon box, and that it has gone unresolved for almost a year. That is unacceptable, I hope my decision to move to Verizon because of Comcast's idiotic technicians and support was not a bad decision.

I did read on another blog that a patch is on the way, so let's see if it actually happens.

Cheap HDMI Cables

I recently purchased a Mitsubishi 60" DLP 1080p tv to replace an older 720p Toshiba I had. In order to get the best possible picture quality, I of course switched to HDMI cables.

As most of you probably know, HDMI cables are stupidly expensive. Especially if you buy the cables from a store like BestBuy or Circuit City, expect to pay $30-$50 bucks for a 6' cable. I had heard about a company, www.MonoPrice.com last year, but have not had the need to buy anything until now. So I figured I would give them a shot.

If you want hands down the most inexpensive HDMI cables (or any A/V cable for that matter) this is absolutely the place to buy them! I wound up getting several 6 ft HDMI cables (rated HDMI 1.3a) for $4.49 each.

I placed the order on a Sunday, and had the cables (to Philadelphia) by Wed afternoon of the same week. Last night I hooked them up. They appear to be solid and well manufactured, even the packaging they come in is very professionally done. I was half expecting to see cheaply made chinese crap, but this was not the case at all. I would say there is absolutely no difference in quality compared to the ridiculously expensive Monster Cables, and the picture/sound quality is perfect. FYI: Unless you have a $20,000 home theater set up in your home, NEVER NEVER NEVER waste your money on Monster HDMI cables. Keep in mind, HDMI is digital, there is relatively no intereference or signal loss like there is with older cables (rca, component, etc.), so if it works, it works, there is no grey area.

So, overall my review of MonoPrice.com is a 10 out of 10. I am very happy I purchased my HDMI cables from them.

Here is the link: Cheap HDMI Cable Note, for some reason, green cables are cheaper than black, but they have ever color you can imagine available at slightly different prices.

Getting Hulu and Netflix to Work on PS3

For my first post, I just wanted to write a quick summary of a product that I learned about yesterday.

I have long been looking for a solution to access Hulu content and Netflix content on my Sony Playstation 3 (PS3 Netflix Hulu). Unfortunately, there presently is not much information out there that does not require a signifigant amount of programming or a seperate unix server.

Although the solution is not perfect, I recently stumbled upon MediaMall's PlayOn product.
Here's how it works.....

Simply download there software (in the link above) onto a Windows XP machine. I used a 1.6 ghz intel Acer laptop with 1.5 gig/ram (nothing overkill). The software installs in just a couple of minutes. After that, fire up your PS3 or XBox. On the PS3 simply navigate to the Video Menu choice and you will now see PlayOn for Hulu and PlayOn for Netflix. At the time of this writing, the netflix option is not functional, but I will write more when it is up and running (with a review).

From the video menu, you simply navigate to the TV show you want to watch on Hulu and click on the show. There is no search functionality presently, so you have to know what you are looking for alphabetically.

Once you click on the show you want to watch, I have experienced up to a one minute delay (with a blank screen) on my tv. But after that, the show runs with no problems (you need a broadband connection). I experienced one or two lag periods, nothing major, and was able to do some light surfing on the laptop while watching the show. Although the picture quality is not fantastic (on a big screen) it is definitely better than watching your favorite tv show on a computer screen.

Basically, the playon sever is reading the stream to your pc/laptop and then sends the re-encoded stream out to your ps3 or xbox. Unfortunately this means that your pc has to remain powered on of course while you are watching shows.

The PlayOn software gives you a 60 day trial, and then has a one time cost of $60. If they do get the Netflix on PS3 then I would definitely spend the money.

My experience is that the Roku Netflix box is easier to use and does not require the pc to be on, but for now I am happy if they get the feature running on the PS3 so I can redeploy my roku box to another tv.