Carputer 101

[ronjon228 10+ year member]

Just check around for a Lilliput EBY701. You should be able to find one for under $200 shipped easy. It's a fantastic budget 7" touchscreen. If you want an 8" I got mine off Ebay for 170 shipped years ago. Not sure what they are going for now.

Also, stay away from digitalww. They are known to be running WAY behind on orders right now and the owner is MIA. Don't order from there.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Wow, hasn't been a post in here in a while.

I'm thinking about finally finishing up my carputer. Need to put it in a proper case, and also want to switch to a Sirf III GPS receiver.

Probably going to get a HTPC case for their small footprint, something like this-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108058

Only bad thing about my system is that it's a micro-ATX case, so can't do one of those tiny ITX cases.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

Wow, hasn't been a post in here in a while.
I'm thinking about finally finishing up my carputer. Need to put it in a proper case, and also want to switch to a Sirf III GPS receiver.

Probably going to get a HTPC case for their small footprint, something like this-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108058

Only bad thing about my system is that it's a micro-ATX case, so can't do one of those tiny ITX cases.

So just upgrading the case and GPS? sounds fun, are you going beef up anything else

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

So just upgrading the case and GPS? sounds fun, are you going beef up anything else

I don't think I'll mess with anything else...I may add another HDD if the case has room for 2. I have an 80gig in there now, may throw a large one in there, say 250gig, just to put some more movies in there.

To be honest, I really haven't used my carpc for anything more then satellite radio and occasionally watching some Family Guy or something...between work and school, I really haven't had the need to use it for anything else.

I'd like to touch up the screen bezel a little bit, match the color perfectly with the dash, but we'll see about that.

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

From a PM...
1. Centrafuse 1.5(most stable,new purchaseable version with its own navigation software and maps are coming out,should be fun),yes it is skinable

What is this Centrafuse 1.5? I saw that is your interface, but interface for what?

This is a wicked idea. I have thought about doing something similar to this for years, but never put this much thought into it. This would look amazing in the Dodge.

How does your screen do with angles? I would be installing this in the dodge dash, and am worried that myself or that passenger would not be able to make out what is on the screen.

Murray

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

centrafuse is the software frontend. its what you see and has all the "buttons" makes it look pretty and functions.

been a while since i had a carputer, basically i can view it in any angle withing reason from driver or passenger seat. sun light can be an enemy, but techonlogy is getting better and better these days to fight that.

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

centrafuse is the software frontend. its what you see and has all the "buttons" makes it look pretty and functions.

I thought you ran windows on these? Please excuse my ignorance. Is that just the front end for the MP3 software?

Why aren't you running your Puter anymore?

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

I thought you ran windows on these? Please excuse my ignorance. Is that just the front end for the MP3 software?
Why aren't you running your Puter anymore?

you are running windows. but you use the software to "hide" the unpleasant windows explorer //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif makes it look more like how you would see a Pioneer navi screen, and easier to use. Centrafuse has its own media player, where as Roadrunner uses Winamp as its media player.

My lcd fried because the fuse didnt blow in time //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif probally my fault. i wont do a carputer in this car, cause i plan to buy a new car soon.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

you are running windows. but you use the software to "hide" the unpleasant windows explorer //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif makes it look more like how you would see a Pioneer navi screen, and easier to use. Centrafuse has its own media player, where as Roadrunner uses Winamp as its media player.
My lcd fried because the fuse didnt blow in time //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif probally my fault. i wont do a carputer in this car, cause i plan to buy a new car soon.

Like Mega said, it's a front-end program, basically presents all your media/gps/etc. into one program to make it easier to launch things, listen to music/radio, watch videos, use GPS, etc.

Here's a picture of mine. I'm using a front-end called "Road Runner"

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

Oh no kidding. that is cool. I'd like to play around with that. If you wanted to you could use Windows Media Player, and open a seperate software for the GPS, but this lays it all out nice so you don't have to piss around while you're driving?

Wow, I might have to go digging through all our old laptops here and see if I can find a working motherboard. This is getting the gears turning.

I love seeing the crazy/cool stuff everyone is doing. I've said it before, we just don't see this kinda thing up here.

The screen you guys put in, does it just connect with a VGA cable? I don't know much about touch screens.

Murray

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

Oh no kidding. that is cool. I'd like to play around with that. If you wanted to you could use Windows Media Player, and open a seperate software for the GPS, but this lays it all out nice so you don't have to piss around while you're driving?
Wow, I might have to go digging through all our old laptops here and see if I can find a working motherboard. This is getting the gears turning.

I love seeing the crazy/cool stuff everyone is doing. I've said it before, we just don't see this kinda thing up here.

The screen you guys put in, does it just connect with a VGA cable? I don't know much about touch screens.

Murray

yes, yes(also the touchscren portion uses USB)

 

[SilverSquared 10+ year member]

I am a nut for winamp and the avs screens. Looked GREAT in my silverado.

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

Oh no kidding. that is cool. I'd like to play around with that. If you wanted to you could use Windows Media Player, and open a seperate software for the GPS, but this lays it all out nice so you don't have to piss around while you're driving?
Wow, I might have to go digging through all our old laptops here and see if I can find a working motherboard. This is getting the gears turning.

I love seeing the crazy/cool stuff everyone is doing. I've said it before, we just don't see this kinda thing up here.

The screen you guys put in, does it just connect with a VGA cable? I don't know much about touch screens.

Murray

Here's a little vid I made of mine-

http://www.realmofexcursion.com/videos/Various/carputer.1.wmv

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

That is wicked man. I don't even have my sub box built, or a monoblock purchased yet, and I'm already pumped for this. I think we have an old blown up laptop kicking around here too. I just hope the motherboard is ok.

This thing would look sweet in the stock location in my Dodge too. With the new dashes it will be mounted up high, nice and easy to get at.

Murray

 

[jdc753 10+ year member]

That is wicked man. I don't even have my sub box built, or a monoblock purchased yet, and I'm already pumped for this. I think we have an old blown up laptop kicking around here too. I just hope the motherboard is ok.
This thing would look sweet in the stock location in my Dodge too. With the new dashes it will be mounted up high, nice and easy to get at.

Murray

Sounds like you got a prettygood plan going there. Sadly I got all my components and got the computer up and running but have yet to get the stuff moved from my room and into the truck yet. If I remember correctly I think there were a few installs in Dodge trucks over on MP3car.com not sure if they were as new as yours but I think there might have been at least one. I think most of them were putting the actual computer guts down in the lower portion of the center seat/console.

 

[mil81 10+ year member]

Sounds like you got a prettygood plan going there. Sadly I got all my components and got the computer up and running but have yet to get the stuff moved from my room and into the truck yet. If I remember correctly I think there were a few installs in Dodge trucks over on MP3car.com not sure if they were as new as yours but I think there might have been at least one. I think most of them were putting the actual computer guts down in the lower portion of the center seat/console.

Oh what a good idea. My old truck ('04) had lots of room in the lower console cubby for beer, but this one is kinda shallow and useless, atleast so I thought. LOL.

Too perfect. Then I just have to take a look at the truck and decide what space I want to sacrafice for the HU. Too bad I just went out and bought the mounting kit for the Alpine. LOL. What can you do.

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

I need some carpc help //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I have a Clarion VRX935VD. How do I connect the video/audio to the brain? It has RCA in, do they make VGA to RCA converter (let me clarify before someone says search LOL all of the searches only show up with a vga to the 3 color connections. I believe i only have the single yellow input)? Audio should be easy as it would just be RCA to RCA.

Thanks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

will this work?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180240813631&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=8257683392&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D42

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

I need some carpc help //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif I have a Clarion VRX935VD. How do I connect the video/audio to the brain? It has RCA in, do they make VGA to RCA converter (let me clarify before someone says search LOL all of the searches only show up with a vga to the 3 color connections. I believe i only have the single yellow input)? Audio should be easy as it would just be RCA to RCA.
Thanks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

will this work?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180240813631&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX&refitem=8257683392&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m185&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D42

well there are fancy boxes to convert VGA into Composite(the yellow rca you have) but VGA to RGB can be done easiest since its the same thing. Does your mobo have an composite out or an SVideo out you could use instead of converting?

btw composite will have some serious shitty video quality just thought id throw that out there

edit: i see your link, you could try it. i never have seen that before

 

[Pl8er 5,000+ posts]

well there are fancy boxes to convert VGA into Composite(the yellow rca you have) but VGA to RGB can be done easiest since its the same thing. Does your mobo have an composite out or an SVideo out you could use instead of converting?

btw composite will have some serious shitty video quality just thought id throw that out there

edit: i see your link, you could try it. i never have seen that before

How do you connect your carputer to the screen? Are you using an add-on screen rather than an indash player? Video quality isn't a huge concern as I have a dvd player in the car already, i'm more interested in sound quality. I may have to rethink the computer I was going to use, not enough options on it.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

mine was connected just like you would connect at your home on your desktop using VGA //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif. its just a 7" touchscreen monitor. the touch panel plugs in via USB port.