Work in progress still…Will add pics as I finish this up over the next week.

Firstly, I take no responsibility if you screw something up. Use this guide at your own risk. Its pretty fiddly but if you are patient enough you should be able to get through without breaking..much..

Since so many guides online regarding Reverse Camera installations are for the W204 Sedan (Which only half applies to the Wagon or Estate) I’ve decided to make the internet’s life easier and post my own estate-based guide. Hopefully this will assist you if you’re looking to retrofit a reverse camera or even change your license plate globes on your MB Wagon.

I carried this out on my C63 Estate but it should be similar for other W204/S204 estates as well.

Parts Required:
Right Angle Fakra to RCA cable
Plastic trim removal tools
W204 License plate light camera or alternatively you can this tailgate handle camera. (This guide focuses on the license plate camera though)
2.4ghz Wireless reverse camera kit
Kobalt 24pc Right Angle Torx kit – This one I found on Amazon lets you get on a 90 degree angle – I wish I had this….

A few words before starting.
The wagon/tailgate is a pain to get a cable into. You would need to run something via the rubber boots that connect between the body of the car and tailgate. This is the reason I have chosen to use the wireless sender kit. Unlike the sedan – There is no easy way to route a cable into the tailgate.

The tailgate trim is a pain in the ass to remove. You need to be pretty forceful to get the thing off. Also the fact that you HAVE to take all this off to change a license plate bulb is nuts.

There are two screws holding in the rear license plate trim on the outside. They are an absolute shit to access, unless you have a right angle torx kit I linked above. Even then you’d still probably need to undo the wiper motor bolts.

Tailgate trim removal

Headunit removal

Rear Camera Install/License Plate globe change

Headunit Setup – Engineering mode

January 16th, 2017 at 12:42 am

Posted in Cars,DIY

Ikea MICKE Desk Hack!

with 30 comments

I had bought an Ikea MICKE Desk awhile back because it was pretty simple, had some good drawer space and more importantly, hidden cable management!

The only downside to this desk was its depth. Unless you used a laptop or something on it, there really wasn’t much space at all.

In order to overcome this, the thinking cap came on and with some inspiration spurred on by this workspace and the whole Ikea Hackers movement. I decided to see what I could do to improve the desk, rather than go out and buy something totally different. (I did look, but didn’t see anything that fit my needs and that was affordable – so might as well make something!)

My idea started off as to use an extra shelf. Raised, so I could place the monitors on it and gain much needed desk space underneath back. I had a LACK wallshelf hanging around so I played around with that first, to get an idea of what would work.

Using some old Manfrotto boxes and the LACK, this is what it looked like: So all I needed, was some brackets to raise the shelf up..and the shelf it self. Ended up settling on the CAPITA brackets and the EKBY AMUND shelf.

Here was the final result, at a cost of under $65 AUD. Pretty good for more functionality, looks decent as well! If you’re interested and want to see the progress shots on how it was all put together, check out the flicKR set here.

Interested in peoples thoughts on this! Let me know what you think.

April 6th, 2012 at 1:34 pm

Posted in DIY,Rants

Tagged with CAPITA, Desk Hack, DIY, EKBY ABUND, IKEA, Ikea Hackers, MICKE

DIY Beauty Dish

with 2 comments

Made a beauty dish! Inspired by the guys over at IShootShows’s – The Best DIY Beauty Dish

47cm Mixing Bowl = $12
8cm Aluminium Pizza Tray = $7
From London and American Supplies in Elizabeth St, Melbourne

Nuts, Bolts, Spraypaint = $20
Dremel cutting wheel kit = $30
From Bunnings Warehouse – All across australia

Speedlight adapter = $30
From eBay! Some photos that I’ve shot with this thing: November 12th, 2011 at 2:23 pm

Posted in DIY

Tagged with Beauty Dish, DIY, Strobist

No caption, need help!

with one comment Nikon SB-26 1/2@24mm into silver umbrella, camera left.
Nikon SB-26 1/8@85mm, above camera right.

Playing with some lighting, as you do!

September 3rd, 2011 at 3:38 am

Tagged with portrait, Strobist

Vewlix arcade cabinet update

Put together another short video.

Still haven’t painted it, have put speaker grilles on and also put in some LED lights for the top marquee and moves section. These give a nice ambient light if you want to play in the dark at the moment.

Used some Contact for the front of the CP, just to stop sweat and crap soaking into the bare MDF. Contact is the stuff you used to use in school to cover your books and stuff with.
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