carputer install: I dare you...

**IntellaWorks** · 11-21-2004, 07:06 PM

I've been doing this as a hobby for 3 years have had 3 different versions of carpc's.

I havent had one flawless system, but I'm a perfectionist and I consider this my hobby so I enjoy the problems... but I hear ya.. I do dread certian aspects of these projects...

I have however learned so much about electronics and because my field is computers software/hardware I can apply what I've learned to my job and I feel much more comfortable at work because 9/10 times I've done something harder at home...

**qaz** · 11-21-2004, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by muldrick

Come on

NOBODY just installed a system and then BAM, it worked flawlessly

mine did

**DaRacerz** · 11-21-2004, 08:46 PM

Me too. Preassembled, preinstalled windows and software, cabling everything, so once it was in the car, it worked and has worked almost flawlessly here for the past 6 months. The only, and I do mean only issue I get once in a while is that the display phase gets offset and i gotta reset the phase, but thats cause i've been too lazy to unpinch a cable i heavily pinched during the install.

**turbocad6** · 11-22-2004, 12:49 AM

I have had computers in my cars for years & yes, there have been times that I have spent hours& hours trying to acomplish something, with all of the frustration that goes with it, configuring adresses & irq's, tring to get a dvd to play with a processor that was to slow, playing around with decoder cards,etc... & of course buying this & that to try to acomplish that or this, but now adays with an operating system like xp, & the luxury of being able to buy a screen that can fit almost anywhere & works out of the box, touchscreen & all, usb this & that, & being able to buy someting like an opus this has actually become rather easy I think.

maybe none of my installs were ever perfect to the point that I couldn't think of something that I could add or change, but I would never want to have a vehicle WITHOUT a pc. sure in some vehicles I had to reach down behind a console to hit the power switch, & it took a while on one install to figure out that the touchscreen overlay would vibrate enough to hang a boot if the bass was too high, but these problems have all went to my experience & learning in an area that I could not have learned any other way.

I guess part of it can be considered mentally ill, I do admit to looking at things & considering if or how I could intergrate it into my system, & spending to much time thinking, planning, excecuting, changing & adding, but I guess there are worse things I could be doing, overall I would say the results are worth the effort for myself, & the truth is that the only way someone will have a pc at there fingertips that can do for them whatever they require of it, is for them to make the effort & have the determination & persevearance to pull it off, or pay someone a whole lot of money to do it for them..., or just settle for not having it. I guess all here who have a system all installed & buttoned up & funtioning to there satisfaction are the type of people that refuse to settle for not having it...regardless of cost, effort or time required, they were determined to have it....

The real question is how determined are YOU? Now adays youy can by a small form pc, with a 12v 7" touchscreen, & a power supply that is literaly MADE for installing it in a car, add a hub & a few periferals, basicaly it's almost as easy as putting a pc in your bedroom...how elaborate or erogonomicaly freindly you get is determined by your ambitions & skills & patience, but really now adays it's so easy that almost anyone can do it...

**darkhalo** · 11-22-2004, 12:57 AM

i've been livin the dream for about 6 months. check out my setup if you got some time..

**Hacksaw** · 11-22-2004, 10:28 AM

Yup, asides from a stupid mistake with wiring (on a previous system), my current system has been flawless for around 5-6 months straight out of the box.

Using a few items that some users rate as unreliable too, the OPUS guys hate the ITPS and Xenarc users don't rate Lilli's. No issues with mine

**carpcnoobie** · 11-22-2004, 10:51 AM

I just got into this hobby last summer and didn't have any HORROR stories. The minor burps of trying to figure out how things are going to work out. But nothing that I wanted to take kerosene and a match to.

As for your question about static. Not long before I got into the car PC, I built my first home PC. I was just as nervous as you probably are about static. There have been a few times that I've handled equipment and almost knew there would be a static problem. But to date, I haven't had a thing fry on me. Memory, mobos, vid cars, nothing... they've all been fine.

The only prob I had and wasn't my fault, it was lack of doing homework. The mobo I used apparently has a well-known about problem with the CMOS. After I started having problems with it, I did some

and found out that it was just my mobo and not something I did. Switched out mobos... and the world is good.

**strohj** · 11-23-2004, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by Cat Monkey

so far I have

OPUS 90W
via M10000 512MB RAM 80GB HDD in a really tight box!!
Hauppage USB2 WinTV/FM
IrMan
GamePort Based Steering wheel stalk conroller

gonna get...

USB WIFI
USB BT
USB GPS
4 Channel PowerAmp
...IN DASH Xenarc

cannot wait...

Meant to ask u chaps -I'm completely paranoid about frying my boards with static everytime I accidently touch a board i keep thinkin its gonna be f**ked. what are the chances ? is it like high risk or would you have to be pretty unluck?

ps. rock on da frodo player!!

do you have any overheating issues with this setup?

I have a very similar setup and mine overheats and shuts down after about 30-45 mins of use....

**turbocad6** · 11-23-2004, 04:49 PM

HA! kerosene and a match..., I've been there

**Cat Monkey** · 11-23-2004, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by strohj

do you have any overheating issues with this setup?

I have a very similar setup and mine overheats and shuts down after about 30-45 mins of use....

whoa...

I have only used the opus once as a test and just booted the machine up but never fully tested the whole thing. I got 90W 12V power supply today for testing. I am a lttle anxious to see how the opus handles things. that mofo haupage is rated at 10 watts and gets real hot. it won't be in the same box as all the other gear. does anyone know how much power the m10k pulls and what about 7200RPM HDD? In one box i's got the opus m10k and HDD but I ahve a good fan running.

I don't really understand 'overheats and shuts down' so does it work when you have the box open? Or when the units are apart? I didn't think overheating would be subjective to the units you where using (especially low heat m10k) but more to the ventalation design of your box??

WHen i give it a try I'll let you know.
TBH I am more worried about overloading the opus.