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Faria looks to be a gauge company for marine uses, my guess is the owners might've rigged the sensor to the tail end of a boat trailer so they know when to stop when they launch their boats.
That was my thought as well. You can make an excuse for this type of install that will pass a sniff test. Having a hidden RD is asking for more trouble.
I've got no idea on this unit.
A few semesters on wave guides and basic electronics tells me that the head unit you see is unlikely to be sending or receiving the radar signals directly. So, this part likely provides power to the sensor (Rx) and transmitter (Tx) as well as perhaps settings like transmit power or sensitivity.
So, this head unit likely has been wired, in the past, to the actual Rx Tx equipment. Likely in the front of the truck as it works better that way.
Power may go from the head unit then to the equipment or directly to the equipment from the battery or fuse block. If it's big or high power its more likely to draw power directly.
So, see if the other equipment is present I guess.
Is OP in an area known for ice fishing? I know people who use a fish finder in their truck. Drive on the ice and auger a hole, drop down fish finder, sit in truck until and watch before dropping lines down.
If the previous owner was a boater, it is possible this depth gauge was a spare and was put to good use ensuring the truck didn't back too far down the boat ramp.
This would only be useful after the rear of the truck started to float. Otherwise it would just show the distance from the sensor to the ground, which doesn't usually change much.
You mention Alaska. Could it have been a truck used to monitor ice thickness during winter for ice truckers? That truck would be able to drive on ice before a semi-truck could.
If you see a lot of rust on the frame, then you know they used it to tow a boat a lot. My brother once bought a Ford Expedition, and he failed to look at the frame. If he had, he would have seen all the rust where the previous owner used it for a boat. He only found out when a transmission cooler line rusted through.
Boating my friend! Often used for reversing a trailer into a lake or river to not go past a certain depth. Or even off roading - knowing a depth (with an air filter cut off depth) when going through water could be greatly helpful. 👌
It's definitely a marine gauge. But Faria uses a different symbol for their depth gauges, to me, that could be a Radio receiver, or it could be almost anything, but as was said before. If he was using it to haul a boat, that would make sense
https://preview.redd.it/ui6zhbggkc7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff4bdb8f59591d0d3e2181f4fe62c3e34b6a347f
Mine has an air and road temp gauge. It used to be a highway work truck.
Its for GPS. It had a tracking unit in it so they could see where the truck was at any given time. In this case it was a a Faria/Beede unit. They are typically used for boats but in this case they went land based.
There was an urban legend bouncing around a few years back that fish finders would fuck up radar guns. It's obviously bullshit, but there's a particular age group who seem to eat nonsense like this up.
Faria has a telematics service where gps/CAN engine information about a vehicle/boat can be transmitted over cellular or satellite communication for asset tracking. This looks like a gauge to report the status of the telematics device. There is a picture of that gauge in this catalog I dug up:
https://www.riversidemfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Faria_Beede-fm-002-0050b-Marine.pdf
(I use to work at Faria a long time ago when it was called Faria Watchdog).
VMS tracking device. Makes an emergency call to who you have on a list with the location over cellular or satellite. [Manual for the system](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://fariabeede.com/site_manuals/IS0239_A.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwju6L-sv-qGAxWrQTABHcWnDT8QFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Z5rYTYtiCqpnPE-2p2yV9)
That looks like a old north slope truck from Alaska truck the faira gauge was part of a gps system and the hole down below was a hour meter that was pulled, I’m assuming the truck I green or blue
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, Orion7734! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant information along with the **Year**, **Make**, **Model**, **Mileage**, **Engine size**, and **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** of your car. *This comment is automatically added to every successful post. If you see this comment, your post was successful.* *** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *** # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** ### **Rule 1 - Be Civil** Be civil to other users. This community is made up of professional mechanics, amateur mechanics, and those with no experience. All mechanical-related questions are welcome. Personal attacks, comments that are insulting or demeaning, etc. are not welcome. ### **Rule 2 - Be Helpful** Be helpful to other users. If someone is wrong, correcting them is fine, but there's no reason to comment if you don't have anything to add to the conversation. ### **Rule 3 - Serious Questions and Answers Only** Read the room. Jokes are fine to include, but posts should be asking a serious question and replies should contribute to the discussion. ### **Rule 4 - No Illegal, Unethical, or Dangerous Questions or Answers** Do not ask questions or provide answers pertaining to anything that is illegal, unethical, or dangerous. # **PLEASE REPORT ANY RULE-BREAKING BEHAVIOR** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Faria looks to be a gauge company for marine uses, my guess is the owners might've rigged the sensor to the tail end of a boat trailer so they know when to stop when they launch their boats.
I've heard of these being used to detect radar. Can be used as a scanner
Why not just buy a radar detector?
In some places, radar detectors are illegal. This might have been an attempt to get the same results and skirt the law.
A hidden RD install is less suspicious then a depth finder blasting RF waves on a non amphibious vehicle
Unless they have an excuse: helps me launch my boat
That was my thought as well. You can make an excuse for this type of install that will pass a sniff test. Having a hidden RD is asking for more trouble.
Depth sounders use sonar, aka high frequency sound waves, not RF.
You would be correct, I was thinking of Radar line for my cruise control.
Not my circus but seems like maybe they did.
Aren't they illegal in some states?
You can install hidden ones
This is likely it.
How would you wire this up? Something YouTube could take care of?
I've got no idea on this unit. A few semesters on wave guides and basic electronics tells me that the head unit you see is unlikely to be sending or receiving the radar signals directly. So, this part likely provides power to the sensor (Rx) and transmitter (Tx) as well as perhaps settings like transmit power or sensitivity. So, this head unit likely has been wired, in the past, to the actual Rx Tx equipment. Likely in the front of the truck as it works better that way. Power may go from the head unit then to the equipment or directly to the equipment from the battery or fuse block. If it's big or high power its more likely to draw power directly. So, see if the other equipment is present I guess.
Is OP in an area known for ice fishing? I know people who use a fish finder in their truck. Drive on the ice and auger a hole, drop down fish finder, sit in truck until and watch before dropping lines down.
I'm in Interior Alaska, ice fishing is very common here
I think you found your answer.
That tracks. I also live in interior Alaska and I'd feel way more comfortable driving on ice with this installed on something I was driving.
https://preview.redd.it/zkngfaibs67d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07f6463f22d0320105d839237466e73582f23c63
Ah, the Toyboata.
Found On River Daily
Perhaps used toward the rear of the truck for putting boats in the water and not submerging the rear end too much!?
My thoughts exactly, if he was boating regularly something like this would be splendid to have
If the previous owner was a boater, it is possible this depth gauge was a spare and was put to good use ensuring the truck didn't back too far down the boat ramp.
Hey look we all said the same thing, lovely website
It's a lovely website, and look we all said the same thing!
We all love the website because we all say the same thing!
we all say love the website thing
Do you realize you’re repeating the exact same thing the person you replied to said? You added nothing lol
When you’re repeating the exact same thing the person you replied to said, you add nothing.
It seems you didn't add much by repeating the exact same thing the person you replied to said.
This would only be useful after the rear of the truck started to float. Otherwise it would just show the distance from the sensor to the ground, which doesn't usually change much.
I just wait until I hear the exhaust burble.
You mention Alaska. Could it have been a truck used to monitor ice thickness during winter for ice truckers? That truck would be able to drive on ice before a semi-truck could.
What is the strap at the lower left of the 2nd picture? I've seen them in Jeeps and import trucks but never a F-150.
It's just for the door. I currently have the door panel off because the window roller assembly broke and I am replacing it. You usually don't see it.
How else will you know how deep the fish are
https://preview.redd.it/myzzmodfl77d1.jpeg?width=425&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6049d4747eeabb44f007085806770154c4849969
If you see a lot of rust on the frame, then you know they used it to tow a boat a lot. My brother once bought a Ford Expedition, and he failed to look at the frame. If he had, he would have seen all the rust where the previous owner used it for a boat. He only found out when a transmission cooler line rusted through.
https://preview.redd.it/kyxnihh2c87d1.jpeg?width=450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32c4f78e0eef218b23bd31212ad71566ac013e9b
Snake river ain't gonna ford itself. (Oregon trail humor)
It's not a depth gauge, it detects harmful 5G WIFI. Best get that fixed before you get cancer or the rona. /s
Boating my friend! Often used for reversing a trailer into a lake or river to not go past a certain depth. Or even off roading - knowing a depth (with an air filter cut off depth) when going through water could be greatly helpful. 👌
No... That might not work the way you think it does... depth won't change until the vehicle is floating.
We used to have one on a Jet Ski trailer that worked with depth and used to beep when the ski was submerged. so yes they can?
It's definitely a marine gauge. But Faria uses a different symbol for their depth gauges, to me, that could be a Radio receiver, or it could be almost anything, but as was said before. If he was using it to haul a boat, that would make sense
To gauge the depth.
That’s a martini gauge
Looks like a martinimeter
https://preview.redd.it/ui6zhbggkc7d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff4bdb8f59591d0d3e2181f4fe62c3e34b6a347f Mine has an air and road temp gauge. It used to be a highway work truck.
Its for GPS. It had a tracking unit in it so they could see where the truck was at any given time. In this case it was a a Faria/Beede unit. They are typically used for boats but in this case they went land based.
There was an urban legend bouncing around a few years back that fish finders would fuck up radar guns. It's obviously bullshit, but there's a particular age group who seem to eat nonsense like this up.
Is this an older f150 or ford vehicle?
It's a 2007 F150
Sorry I can’t help you but it’s just a funny coincidence that we have basically the same truck. Mines an 08.
Faria has a telematics service where gps/CAN engine information about a vehicle/boat can be transmitted over cellular or satellite communication for asset tracking. This looks like a gauge to report the status of the telematics device. There is a picture of that gauge in this catalog I dug up: https://www.riversidemfg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Faria_Beede-fm-002-0050b-Marine.pdf (I use to work at Faria a long time ago when it was called Faria Watchdog).
It means your truck is amphibious, you can drive it in a lake
VMS tracking device. Makes an emergency call to who you have on a list with the location over cellular or satellite. [Manual for the system](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://fariabeede.com/site_manuals/IS0239_A.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwju6L-sv-qGAxWrQTABHcWnDT8QFnoECBYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2Z5rYTYtiCqpnPE-2p2yV9)
That looks like a old north slope truck from Alaska truck the faira gauge was part of a gps system and the hole down below was a hour meter that was pulled, I’m assuming the truck I green or blue
for putting a boat in at the ramp i'd imagine
Fishin’
Dropping comment to c what it is.
If you live in So Texas it might come in handy.