MP3Car.com - RV Computers http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ Installation, hardware, software and other information related to mobile computing in RVs. en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 05:12:47 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.mp3car.com/images/misc/rss.png MP3Car.com - RV Computers http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ Blu Ray problems rv-computers/155630-blu-ray-problems.html Thu, 02 May 2013 02:20:49 GMT Ok, I decided to upgrade the RV-PC to a new MB. I added a Zotac NM10-B-E-ION MB with an M4-ATX power supply, an LG Blu-Ray player combo DVD burner... Ok, I decided to upgrade the RV-PC to a new MB. I added a Zotac NM10-B-E-ION MB with an M4-ATX power supply, an LG Blu-Ray player combo DVD burner and a 120gb SSD. I still am using the 17" Viewsonic LCD (4:3) that fits the dash properly. And here lies the problem. It seems to play a Blu-ray movie, you HAVE to have a digital monitor! VGA or even RCA will not work.

I just spent most of the afternoon searching the internet, including Ebay and every manufacturers website I could find looking for a flip down monitor with either a DVI or HDMI input. I found only a couple with VGA connections but EVERY other one out there has RCA inputs that I could find. I would not mind using the HDMI output to go to a flip down if I could find one. Eonon has a 19" with a VGA but that was all I could find.

Before I pull out the drive and put a DVD one back in the dash, anyone have any suggestions? ]]> RV Computers Shutterstuff http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=155630 Audio selector switch? rv-computers/148687-audio-selector-switch.html Thu, 28 Jul 2011 00:33:18 GMT Many years ago for my home stereo setup, I had a 4 in 1 out Audio switch from Radio Shack. Is there such a thing for the mobile world? I have my head... Many years ago for my home stereo setup, I had a 4 in 1 out Audio switch from Radio Shack. Is there such a thing for the mobile world? I have my head unit in my RV but it only has 1 audio input. I need to select between my PC, XM Radio and a Ham radio. If a reasonably low cost head unit exists with 3 inputs, I would be interested in that too.

Below is what my RV-PC setup now looks like. I still need to make a plate for the switches and LED's.

]]> RV Computers Shutterstuff http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=148687 will i get MS ramaiah or RV computer science? rv-computers/147247-will-i-get-ms-ramaiah-or-rv-computer-science.html Sat, 26 Mar 2011 03:06:14 GMT Also tell me that are these colleges better than manipal institute of technology....i have got electrics and and communication there but i may... Also tell me that are these colleges better than manipal institute of technology....i have got electrics and and communication there but i may withdraw if i get one of these two.....
which is better placement wise? ]]> RV Computers Richardein http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=147247 RV computer CHEAP! proposed setup rv-computers/142673-rv-computer-cheap-proposed-setup.html Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:49:59 GMT hello and thank you in advance for your ideas! i have been reading about carputers for some time now(but im still a nooB), and im about ready to... hello and thank you in advance for your ideas! i have been reading about carputers for some time now(but im still a nooB), and im about ready to purchase some parts to get started... but ive got some questions, especially since i am on a slim budget. (yeah i got no home and live in an RV so cheap is critical)

ok. what im looking to do is have a system which can run and download torrents all day, be able to surf the internet and watch video on the larger screen, use GPS, and also run my music off this system through a usb soundcard which i already have. so low power usage is very important to me(i have a 60 watt solar setup now and really only can put about 25-40 watts towards this computer). i would like to have enough capability to be able to run video and some basic games, burn cds , run GPS, and also have usb 2.0 so i can power a 1 watt usb wifi card, and a usb harddrive for extended data storage, as well as power a usb cd burner(which i already have) .

(i was thinking pentium m chip because it steps down power usage when it can?)


im looking to have a screen in the rear(15 inch max so it consumes less power and im figuring i can run this off the dc-dc power supply as well). and also have a small screen in the front for when im driving so i can change songs and run gps.(even a 3 or 4 inch screen is fine if its cheap... as it would then also be rather hidden which is important to thwart theives)

so... should i rip apart a laptop and go that route with extending the lcd screen wires? (partsexpress.com has a automotive power supply for computers for about 30 dollars, i dont want to use an inverter because it wastes too much power to heat) .. any suggestions as to specific laptop models i should seek out? then im figuring i can run the front monitor off of usb when i run the front usb hub?? (auto shutdown is not important to me as this thing will run most of the time)

or should i put together a system from loose parts? (im figuring i can make my own enclosure to save money as i am good with 12 volt systems and building with my hands, but specific parts such as which motherboard to use with which processor i dont really know about).

any suggestions are appreciated... !!

i already have a copy of windows xp so im planning on using that... and i already have a couple hard drives i can use for this application... and i already have a usb powered cd burner... and a usb powered audio card ... im figuring on using a trackball mouse in the front to control the small screen

thanks for the ideas, i really appreciate it!

-Jon ]]> RV Computers boxlifeusa http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=142673 Pimp my RV rv-computers/140088-pimp-my-rv.html Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:10:53 GMT Hey guys, started lurking this forum a few weeks back, all kinds of good tips. I just bought an old used RV in good mechanical condition and am... Hey guys, started lurking this forum a few weeks back, all kinds of good tips. I just bought an old used RV in good mechanical condition and am going to be adding in my own new car PC and stereo system from scratch and just wanted to ask a bunch of questions. I'm open to any suggestions and am a computer engineer so feel free to get freaky in the reply, but most importantly I'm looking forward to a really fun project and updating the thread with results as I go along.

Attached you can see a picture of the inside of the cabin. The current speaker positions are circled red, the empty seat cabinet I want to put the PC & amp in is the blue arrow. I'd just like to list out categories of what's being added for suggestion.

1) Speakers
Currently those cabinets have false bottoms and the original install what sound like $10 coax speakers. The same speakers are in the front door, which I may just leave to listen to the radio, but I will definitely be upgrading the rear pair, so had these questions:
a) Should I keep the original speaker locations and get rid of the false bottoms, or just wall mount (or another location) the new ones?
b) If I keep the current locations, can I put a woofer and a tweeter in there and get good sound? Or should I just get a half-decent full range speaker?
c) If I put some sealant and egg cartons or insulation in the cabinets, could I turn them into speaker cabinets (albeit bad ones), or would it just sound like a muddled mess? Could I put my own smaller custom enclosures inside the cabinets, or would the cabinet itself still screw up the sound?
d) Should I be leaning towards raw DIY speaker drivers rather than car audio because they will be in a clean environment?

2) PC & pre-amp
All that's in there is the factory AM/FM/Cassette you can see in the dash. My main objective of this whole thing is to be able to play my mp3 collection via the car PC. I have an old Acer laptop that has a dead HD, so I was going to do the XP on an SD card thing and get an external solid state 120 GB, then feed the PC into an M-Audio Firewire 410 I have. Those will be housed where the blue arrow points.
a) I want to go solid state to reduce vibration risk if I'm driving. Is it possible to get away with an actual disk, or will it just die at some point?
b) I've seen mention of the Firewire 410 being used in car PC's on this forum so I assume it's kosher, just curious if anyone has any experience with its ruggedness. I know it seems like overkill, but I need it to plug guitars, keyboards and mics into for recording, so it will actually be handy to have it mounted down there.

3) Amp
The out from the Firewire 410 will go into a full range class D amp for efficiency reasons. Question is, a $250 Pioneer PRS-D2200T, or a $50 Sure Electronics board?
a) Any cheaper, well reviewed full range class D car amps out there?
b) If I buy the $50 board and the RV batteries are 12V, I don't know how I can get enough power to the speakers. A 12-36 DC step-up power supply costs $150, so now I'm not really gaining anything money-wise. Is that the only way to get a high enough rail voltage?

4) Interface
Should I take the existing 14" laptop screen, jerry rig an extendo cable and buy a $200 touchscreen overlay, or buy a 7" USB touchscreen for $200? I'm leaning towards the USB method in case of emergency need to use the laptop as it was intended...with a screen.

5) Heat & Power
I imagine it might get hot in that little cabinet, but I can cut a hole and attach a fan, so no worries. My random questions here:
a) If I'm connecting an amp, soundcard and PC down there, I assume the best way is to just get a 12V DC "hub" type device off the battery, then buy a car DC adapter for the laptop, a generic one for the soundcard and directly to the amp? As long as I get some fuses in there, no danger, right?
b) In DC watts, how low can a decent performance 4 year old laptop be transformed to consume? I know the answer is "it depends", so just guidelines. The power supply is rated at 65W, but if I'm not using the screen, turn off BlueTooth, WiFi, CD drive, etc. in BIOS or Device Manager. will that lower it? Should I open up the case and actually unplug stuff?

This is getting very long and those were all the big points, so I'll just quit for now. Whatever anybody else knows or thinks, I'm all ears!
Attached Images
 
]]> RV Computers BTron http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=140088 DirecTV to PC? rv-computers/136258-directv-to-pc.html Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:56:29 GMT Hi all, this is my first post and my first car-pc! I am building a car-pc for my 1988 31' class A motorhome. It has a 13" CRT and VCR now and that leaves me lots of room behind it for a full size MB and so on. I plan on a 17" touchscreen on the dash over the hole for the 13" is now (yes, it will fit). I want to use a ~22" TV on a fold down bracket for the main cabin area mounted on the roof behind the drivers area.

1. How do I incorporate satellite TV? This has me stumped.

2. Since I need a new radio head unit, should I just get a radio card for the PC?

My list so far is below and maybe someone has better suggestions on hardware and software. I am still in the early stages of design, so making changes is easy. I have 8 months to build this...

Items to purchase:

19-26" LCD TV with fold down for main cabin TV
17" LCD touch screen monitor for main screen
12v car-pc power supply (brand?)
New radio head unit?

Items on hand:

Motherboard w/1gb ram
Dual video card (ATI)
Hard drive
WiFi card (Linksys)
GPS dongle (MS/Pharos)
DVD combo drive
USB/Memory card bay
Video input device (Will Dazzle work?)
Backup camera w/IR

Software:

Windows XP
RideRunner
WinAmp or Win Media player?
DVD player drivers?
MS Streets and Trips
Geo-caching
APRS

Wish list (future add-ons):

Engine status and gauges
Battery condition/charging
Generator status
Fridge status and temp
Water and propane levels
Gray and blackwater tank levels

Here is a before picture:

]]> RV Computers Shutterstuff http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=136258 winnebago PC rv-computers/134800-winnebago-pc.html Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:55:46 GMT First off I don't think a pc in a rv is very special. It’s not hard to integrated one into a rv when compared to a car. So this is my not so special Rv setup.

Shuttle PC- mod case two 120 fans (aka Princess Leia Organa)
Logitech X-540 5.1 surround sound
Cordless Desktop MX
MX 1000 Laser Cordless Mouse
ATI All-In-Wonder Radeon 9800 Pro
ATI Remote Wonder
Linksys - Ultra RangePlus Dual-Band Wireless-N USB 2.0 Adapter
Plus phone as modem

2 hdd: one 40hdd (os only), one 500hdd (movies and music only)
OS: XP
2gb mem ]]> RV Computers Bigseven74 http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=134800 RV Power rv-computers/134554-rv-power.html Sat, 08 Aug 2009 17:21:26 GMT This question is a little broader than being specific to RV computers but I thought this would be the best place to ask it. I just purchased a... This question is a little broader than being specific to RV computers but I thought this would be the best place to ask it.

I just purchased a Travel Trailer that I am looking at adding an inverter to (probably along with additional batteries) so that I can operate a computer and other electronics when not connected to an AC power source.

I am considering two different configurations. The preferred configuration would be using the inverter along with a manual or continuous power switch (as would be used with a generator) to automatically transfer to AC power when the trailer is plugged in but I would not want the AC to DC converter to charge the batteries when running off the inverter (causing an endless power drain). The nice aspect of this would be that I could use the existing wiring.

The alternative configuration would be to add additional outlets that would go directly back to the inverter.

In either case would an AC power conditioner be a good idea to make sure the power is clean?

Also, I am wondering if it is reasonable to feed AC power back to my truck or if I should just stick to using a separate smaller inverter there?

I appreciate any input or recommendations on this. ]]> RV Computers Paul77M http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=134554 Whoo Hoo!!! First RV Thread Not About A Sub rv-computers/134523-whoo-hoo-first-rv-thread-not-about-a-sub.html Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:32:40 GMT Aight So my friend just moved in my backyard. We have all the rv hook ups back there so it made sense. As of right now, its running off the 115v from... Aight So my friend just moved in my backyard. We have all the rv hook ups back there so it made sense. As of right now, its running off the 115v from the house. I have a master plan to put in a computer, but I wouldn't mind hearing some ideas from other RVers about how to go about the install.
My friend's RV is a 5th wheeler (dont know what class that is).

Oh, just had a thought, is it illegal to ride in the back of a 5th wheeler while its in motion (i.e. behind a truck going down the road/highway/interstate)?

In hers it has like an "entertainment center" (needs pictures i know) that I was going to do a stealth like install and have the video output to the tv and have two seperate sound systems 1) for inside the rv 2) for outside. Would be cool to bring video out there but thats too pimp my rides for my taste. (God I hope that comment doesnt bring that douch from Crimpdaddy's thread over here to crap on mine) Give Some thoughts. I really dont know jack about a RV but at least I listen/read. ]]> RV Computers SjLucky http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=134523 Mobile RV computing sub forum? rv-computers/133873-mobile-rv-computing-sub-forum.html Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:19:03 GMT i noticed you guys have a boat PC forum. how about an RV one? I know of a few people that have been working on extensive RV computer setups, and i... i noticed you guys have a boat PC forum. how about an RV one? I know of a few people that have been working on extensive RV computer setups, and i myself am looking to delve into this. having a forum for specific questions relating to RV's would be great - the dynamics are different when you introduce generators, 110v AC versus 12v DC, etc, etc... :) ]]> RV Computers ABTsportsline http://www.mp3car.com/showthread.php?t=133873