By James Chevrette
Doug Bernards of Soundman Car Audio has expanded his installation kit offerings with a new Stinger Horizon 12 Custom Dash Kit.
Bernards was a pioneer in developing iPad installation kits and has offered iPad kits exclusively for the past 15 years. But he is now adding the Horizon 12 kits to his lineup, as the thin screen of the Horizon 12 floating radio and its built-in adapters allow the unit to fit in a wide range of vehicles when used with a Soundman Flush kit.
At 0.8 inches thick, the Horizon 12 provides an additional 4 inches of screen space compared to the iPad mini. The additional thickness of .5 inches over the current generation of iPad is easy to overcome with the Flush kit, said Bernards.
“Our flush Mount kit can be molded into any dash panel, and it lets you securely mount the Stinger Horizon. A lot of people who are restoring and modifying older vehicles want to retain an OEM appearance while updating the technology with more modern features,” explained Bernards.
The Flush Mount Dash Kit retails at $279.99 USD. The kit includes:
- CNC machined acrylic panel
- Four mounting screws
A full installation video featuring the Horizon 12 in a Ford Excursion King Ranch Edition is available here.
The Horizon 12 features include:
- Complete factory retention – Preserves all OEM features including backup cameras, climate controls, factory amplifiers, USB ports, steering wheel controls, heated seats, and safety chimes
- Advanced diagnostics – Displays real-time gauges for tire pressure, battery voltage, oil pressure, and transmission temperature, plus reads and clears check engine codes
- Professional audio capabilities – Features 15-band EQ, 8-channel RCA outputs with subwoofer control, built-in crossovers, and amplifier compatibility
During a recent interview, Bernards discussed the challenges of adapting iPads – designed for home use, to work in automotive environments. “Converting Apple products requires adapting to 5-volt charging, 3.5mm headphone jacks, and using DACs (digital-to-analog converters) for Apple’s Lightning connector. This has been the largest hurdle to overcome,” said Bernards.
Soundman Radio Launch
Bernards has also launched a new venture called Soundman Radio, following the success of his YouTube channel, Soundman Car Audio, which started in 2016, and has accumulated nearly 85 million views.
“Soundman Radio is for the people who enjoy the humor of our YouTube show and want more of it! So far, we have over 10 hours of Soundman Radio on the website. And since it’s on my own website, we don’t have to conform to YouTube or Patreon’s guidelines and limitations! We are having a blast so far, and doing whatever we want with no restrictions.” The tagline of the show is “Too Rude For YouTube.”
The show “investigates the crimes of other Automotive YouTube channels, fake automotive influencers, and we also have prank call segments, music and much more,” Bernards said.
More information is available at Soundman.co.
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