Carputer 101

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

im sure its in here somewhere, but whats the proper way to use your laptop? would you just need a power converter?

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

you can use a laptop, inverter would be required. but remember to shuitdown the computer before turning off the car otherwise....well u get the idea.

i just find it to be a headache using a laptop. too many things to worry about IMHO

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

well my bro has an old laptop, and didnt want to buy a new computer. now could he chop it up? i know he's not planning on taking it out of the car. and if he did decide to do that, how would you go about extending the power button near the dash or what not.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

laptops are pain to take apart, the screen itself is like 15 wires used to connect to mobo. extend power IDK depends on the laptop itself.

laptops are usually springloaded, so it be hard to put it back together if u decide to give up.

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

well the screen is cracked, hard drive just crashed, and already bought a new laptop so i wont be using it for anything else anyways. is the easiest way just to use a power inverter and manually turn it on every time?

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

well the screen is cracked, hard drive just crashed, and already bought a new laptop so i wont be using it for anything else anyways. is the easiest way just to use a power inverter and manually turn it on every time?

simple answer: Yes

but do remember to shut it down, before turning car off

 

[.::DuD3::. 10+ year member]

what would happen if i didn't? wouldn't it just go straight to battery power? and i correct myself, it wasn't the hd that went bad, it was the power supply. could he buy an opus and have a few more options maybe? not sure if that would work with his application or not though.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

what would happen if i didn't? wouldn't it just go straight to battery power? and i correct myself, it wasn't the hd that went bad, it was the power supply. could he buy an opus and have a few more options maybe? not sure if that would work with his application or not though.

well if u had theinverter plugged incig lighter, then ur runnin through the acc wire. so when u shut car off it will cut power off. but if u intend on wiring inverter straight from battery i believe u still have to hook 1 wire to something like acc/remote, so it doesnt drain battery. so it would also cut the power straight off as well

OPUS is a PSU that has a startup shutdown controller. they cannont be hooked up to a laptop(im pretty sure it cannot) since the laptop is powered through the external psu block.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

Hey, meglo remember me? I'm that noob that pm'd you a few questions a couple weeks back.
Anyway my carputer is 90% done. I went the no-headunit approach. I'll post some pics

im trying to go the no HU approach as well now, I saw RedGti's carputer in person and i admire her Alpine Processor Im looking for one online right now

 

[Ruffy 10+ year member]

laptops arent hard to take apart. you just need to have practice at taking things apart. Screens are NOT hard to take apart. Hell on most you remove a top plate without touching any screws, remove 2-4 screws, tug on the ribbon cable connector and out the screen comes. There are no "wires" just 1-3 easily removed connections.

And I prefer a laptop for a carpc. Why drain the car battery when the laptop can run on standby for days or hibernation for weeks.

and for powering a laptop just use a relay to turn on the a/c inverter/Laptop plug

On top of that its smaller then almost any other carpc. At least in height. Heat is less of an issue, you get more power for your money AND size.

Oh and RoadRunner FTW

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

you can run a carputer(nonlaptop) on hibernation for days and weeks as well :fy: since hibernation reduces the power consumption by like 90%

and you encounter more problems on the laptop rather than the custom carputers IMHO.

Its subjective i know, but just my .02cents

 

[Randy Savage 5,000+ posts]

I have mine set up to go into hibernation...it's sat for over a week on a few occasions and had no problem starting back up...hibernate shuts down the computer completely, processes are stored and when booted back up it boots up from the stored processes. The power consumption in hibernate is what it would be as if shutting down the computer normally...I do believe it draws a tiny tiny bit of power, but nothing that will drain your battery....

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

my computer wont go into hibernation , pirated windows FTL

 

[Ruffy 10+ year member]

you can run a carputer(nonlaptop) on hibernation for days and weeks as well :fy: since hibernation reduces the power consumption by like 90%
and you encounter more problems on the laptop rather than the custom carputers IMHO.

Its subjective i know, but just my .02cents

the only issues ive seen with laptop usage have been getting power to it and getting it to boot properly when the car comes on. So please due tell one what problems arise

my computer wont go into hibernation , pirated windows FTL

not hibernating is not an issue with pirated windows, I have many machines running pirated XP. All can sleep and hibernate just fine.

 

[Megalomaniac 5,000+ posts]

let me rephrase my issue, mine can go into hibernation but wont turn back on, i probally just need to play around with it some more.

the laptop issues are turning it on, voltage drops, problems with monitors not turning on without use of short cut on keyboard, using the dvd/cd rom (u cant use it without reach for the laptop wherever it may be, unless u have an external, Sound quality...

u can use a laptop im not goin to stop you, but i dont believe i would use it one.