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Hello guys, know this is a old thread, giving it a "bump"
Like the in-dash installs like done by turbocad6 & can see merit in using the docking station as GizmoQ did above.
Each type having it's own set of pro's and con's.
GizmoQ- I'd like to see some more pics of the install, from the side, pics of how you modded the docking station /dash.
turbocad6 - I'd like to see /hear about the touchscreen overlay? you are using with the st5031.
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GizmoQ,
I have a idea to keep your windows from getting knocked out if you have the unit with you (or hidden under the seat)..
Idea is real cheap & simple... Get a yellow note pad that you can throw in the docking station cradle... That way it will look like just a holder for a notepad - instead of a docking station for a PC?
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I thought of that but is easier to have a bunch of PostIts stuck on the back and fold it down like a table... or maybe just set my coffee mug on it like a table.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Hmmm, so the docking station folds down?... Could you upload /post some pics? I'd like to see how you modded it.Quote:
Originally Posted by GizmoQ
BTW thanks for posting some info on the various units- I for one did not know that units above the 3500 require the Fujitsu oem pen to operate, nor was aware on how to identify which types of screens are used in what models.
(I.E= Model numbers end in 0, 1, and 2, i.e. ST4120, ST4121 or ST5130, ST5031, ST5032.
0=10 inch indoor screen
1=10 inch outdoor (front-lit screen)
2 =12 inch indoor screen.)
Main use for the unit? - GPS / Topo mapping at the moment as I'm looking for land (out in areas that are dirt roads sometimes) to build a house on. (Later on I want to be able to use it as a tuner, Engine monitoring, etc)
PS: On the coffee cup idea.. Liquids and electronics in close quarters as you know is asking for trouble. :boom:
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I didn't take picks when I installed it, but as soon as I replace the headunit CD with my computer's slot-load DVD, I'll take it all out and do a pictorial walk-through. I'm just being lazy right now cause I no longer have a bay to work in for the winter and its been a nasty winter with nothing getting done. I got parts scattered all over my basement waiting for a warm day so I can get started.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Yeah, most folks don't. Hell even today I made the mistake of taking my Mustang out for a short roadtrip and forgot to swap in the daylight readable 3500. Four hours squinting at a dim screen in bright daylight (thank God I didn't have the top down) made me appreciate the 4121 and wonder how did I put up with this for three years.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Removable might not be the best solution for you. Off-road vibrations, jolts, etc., would tear the 4121 dock to pieces. The casing is all thin plastic; it has good tight hinges, but no metal substructure attached to them. I destroyed one dock already trying to see what was the smallest footprint I could use nad it wasn't pretty. Unfortunately, the locking mechanism for the tablet to dock was no longer useable so I abandoned that effort. I could have eliminated the hinge section and hard mounted the front of the dock, but that meant cutting up my dashboard which I really didn't want. Check out my pics of my 3500 mount for the Mustang - now that one could stand up to being dropped off a cliff.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Dock without computer is just a plastic shelf and the back is sealed, plus I was talking about a parked car with no occupants - to the casual observer they would think its an oversized cupholder :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
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GizmoQ,
Understand totally about the cold weather... makes me not want to do much either, that said if you get a chance to take some quick shots from various angles it would be appreciated greatly.
To give you some perspective on how I understand working in the cold... First of the year I was working OUTSIDE, exposed to the weather doing about 20 hours worth of work to a vehicle I recently got.... Not allot of fun when you used to have a shop to work in, and now you have a house with NO garage.:mad:
(That is one of the major reasons I'm looking for land--- I want a big shop... tired of having no storage, no place to get in out of the weather. In the winter it's freezing cold, the summer it's hot, when it rains I get wet- not to mention when the sun it at the wrong angle you can't see a thing.)
On the removable aspect (rough roads)... My thoughts are on rough roads is to just un-dock from the docking station as I was thinking the "dock" is designed for sitting on a DESK, and is not designed for use in a environment that bounces around allot.:target: ... that plus reinforcing the hinge, or doing away with it altogether. Most of the time I will be on paved roads- that said if I see something "interesting" I may stray off-road.
On the various units, While I am planning for trying to get a more current unit,, a 4, or 5xxx series... I have to ask due to cost constraints... Is a 3500S with the outdoor screen worth messing with? I would think it might be usable running Win2000 with the ram maxed out- and the maybe XP with the OS tweaked (stripped down) at least as a GPS solution running "standard" GPS mapping software. That said I don't know the requirements of GPS software, nor much about the 3500 series on what is possible.
(If you know what GPS software "runs" on a 3500(s), please do tell!)
3500(s) is the one with the outdoor screen, right?
Another thing that complicates things is that I may be doing some kind of emulation to run software originally designed for a dedicated GPS unit, or ?????, trying to run them on a PC... More than likely running such is going to be a no-go... on any tablet type pc... so more than likely I will be running a app designed for a PC...
BTW, I like how you used the joystick in your pics...
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I actually have a fujitsu st4121 that I bought off ebay a few years back on the cheap. However, the screen is pretty scratched up. Anything I can do to help it out?
I actually had the same idea as tacfire11 for his install since I also have the dock. Made me giggle alittle cause I was going to do that to my honda...but selling it in a few weeks to get a 2008 Nissian Altima v6 either 2dr or 4dr. Forgot all about it until cleaning out this weekend my computer parts. They want $1500 for a nav...hoping the 10" will fit so I can do a crapload more :-)
Any ideas?
Your best bet is to find one being sold for parts like I did and swap the screens.Quote:
Originally Posted by kandyman676
TurboCad6 has done this in his Infinity FX, but I can only assume getting a 10 inch screen to fit in anyone's center console is going to require some major mods. I caught hell fabricating an 8 inch screen in a Ford SUV.Quote:
Originally Posted by kandyman676
I'll get around to it soon hopefully.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Probably not appropriate for your application. 3500R is Daylight ONLY.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Its worthless in low ambient light - thats why I have both 3500R and 3500S. When traveling in sons car, I swap the HD from one to the other at sunrise and sunset. The 3500S is usable during the day, but you'll need a high contrast (i.e. black letters on white background) skin and even then its washed out completely when the sun hits it directly unless you recess or put a hood around it.Code:3500X: 10.4" XGA TFT (1024x768), 256K colors, Transmissive (indoor viewable)
3500S: 10.4" SVGA TFT (800x600), 256K colors; Transmissive (indoor/outdoor viewable)
3500R: 10.4" SVGA TFT (800x600), 256K colors; Reflective (outdoor viewable)
The 3500 is a capable WinXP CarPC solution (I used it for over 4 years all over the world). It will run any PC nav software out there (I have Iguidance, Destinator, and Street Atlas all running on mine.) It multitasks well as long as your software isn't video intensive (most nav stuff isn't). My only problem with it was tweaking it so I could multitask with a movie playing in the foreground or more than three programs running at once. Don't get me wrong, it is usable, but there are trade-offs with any tablet install.
Issues I've discussed with Fujitsu-America:
a) All of the Fujitsu tablets since the 2300 require mic-in direct to the tablet and have no line-in. The 2300 had both incorporated in the dock.(unresolved: 5xxx supposedly has stereo mic-in, but not available on any dock )
b) Built-in wifi and bluetooth (fixed in 5xxx series)
c) Volume and contrast/brightness controls on the case. (Engineering suggested using programmable button on 4xxx and 5xxx, unfortunately undoable for contrast/brightness and poor responsiveness for volume)
d) Video memory, 3d and hardware acceleration (upgraded in 5xxx series)
e) Make a passive touchscreen option like the 3500 and previous (unresolved: considering it for dual touch capable systems still in development)
What type dedicated system are you talking about here? There are PC solutions for every GPS app that I currently know of, and most are better than their dedicated counterparts.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Thanks, I think its better than touchscreens or remotes.Quote:
Originally Posted by WeAreNotAlone
Glad to see this forum is still alive and kicking. I just picked up a 4121 for around 400 on ebay and was wondering if any of you....especially you turbocad, had and idea how to use the screen from the 4121 with another PC....i've already built my dream pc and really just want to replace the screen. Any suggestions on how to make this work?
I also just picked up a ST4121 on ebay for cheap. I was wondering about adding a touchscreen because I don't want or care about the digitizer. I hope turbocad6 is still reading this thread. He said that he added a touchscreen on top of the digitizer. Would it be possible to remove the digitizer altogether and just have the ts. Haven't taken it apart yet, but it appears that the digitizer may be part of the case, so don't know how the ts could be held on if that wasn't there. I won't be molding this into any other structure that could act as a bezel for the ts. I'm concerned about low-light viewing and having two layers of ts + digitizer to view through.