Thread: Connecting PC to Car ISO

How are we supposed to know what type of "port" you have on your computer? How about a pic of it?

Originally Posted by ploogle

"some sort of connector" doesn't help me a bit. I believe I know what a ring terminal looks like, but how exactly do I hook it up to my 12V port?

in this case, pics would help greatly...

please try to remember that every install is different, and that it is very rare that anyone on these boards is going to the exact same parts/car/install as you, so it is nearly impossible to tell you the correct connector/parts that you would need when we are not even sure of what parts you have...

i can promise you that even if you were installing in the same car as me, with the same carpc specs, that 50% of the problems i ran into wouldn't even be a issue for you... and because of that, it is hard to give you a exact listing of parts you need sight unseen...

sad to say, but that is one of the negative aspects from getting advice from a online forum...

Yeah, sorry for being somewhat thick about all this. I'll seek professional help and read the FAQs.

Thanks for your help!

Actually, one last question. This computer only consumes 8W with a full CPU load. Is 8W too much for a cigarette lighter adapter?

Originally Posted by ploogle

Actually, one last question. This computer only consumes 8W with a full CPU load. Is 8W too much for a cigarette lighter adapter?

8W by itself is not too much for the cig lighter. But if you are also power a monitor, and/or a HU then perhaps. Then if you ever plug in a car charger for anything then again you are pushing it. The point of a cig lighter is for temporary items. Something being installed needs its own power wire. Yes you need to go through the battery. Go to a car audio shop with a glass install window. Car Toys in my area has a huge glass window. You can go and creep them out by staring, who knows they might be able to answer your questions.

And any of the installers will be able to install it for you. If they cant do it during work hours, I am sure some of them will pocket cash to do it after hours or on the weekend or something.

Glad my picture is still living on! lol

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

8W by itself is not too much for the cig lighter. But if you are also power a monitor, and/or a HU then perhaps. Then if you ever plug in a car charger for anything then again you are pushing it. The point of a cig lighter is for temporary items. Something being installed needs its own power wire. Yes you need to go through the battery. Go to a car audio shop with a glass install window. Car Toys in my area has a huge glass window. You can go and creep them out by staring, who knows they might be able to answer your questions.

And any of the installers will be able to install it for you. If they cant do it during work hours, I am sure some of them will pocket cash to do it after hours or on the weekend or something.

Glad my picture is still living on! lol

I don't even own a car charger for anything; the only items I have that need a charge are charged at home.

I was planning on using a USB monitor, which would draw power from the computer itself and would be included in that 8W.

Are 12V chargers universal in that I could order a "12V DC converter" on amazon and get the right item?

I'm still considering just paying someone to hook it up to the battery for me. Any clue how much this would be?

8W is CPU load. Doesnt count peripherals. And your monitor will need both a data connection for the touchscreen, a video connection for the video, and a power connection.

And you may not have any car chargers, but there will inevitably be a day where someone somewhere plugs one in. Give a friend a ride and they need to charge their cell, or you get one of those cig lighter flash lights, anything. You dont want to be scared to plug anything in ever because you are on the cusp of blowing your fuse/car...

When I had Circuit City install my audio amplifier (which by the way will need its own power direct from the battery) I was a n00b like you. I stood outside my car and watched them take the panels apart. I watched them fish the lines through the car, and how they did things. It was really easy and I found out later that they cut corners, but by then I had already installed 2 more thicker power cables and ran all my data/video cables by myself just repeating what they did. Cost me $80 I think for installation only as I supplied all my own cables and equiptment.

I think when CarToys did my sister's car she paid almost $150 for "installation".

Originally Posted by 2k1Toaster

8W is CPU load. Doesnt count peripherals. And your monitor will need both a data connection for the touchscreen, a video connection for the video, and a power connection.

And you may not have any car chargers, but there will inevitably be a day where someone somewhere plugs one in. Give a friend a ride and they need to charge their cell, or you get one of those cig lighter flash lights, anything. You dont want to be scared to plug anything in ever because you are on the cusp of blowing your fuse/car...

When I had Circuit City install my audio amplifier (which by the way will need its own power direct from the battery) I was a n00b like you. I stood outside my car and watched them take the panels apart. I watched them fish the lines through the car, and how they did things. It was really easy and I found out later that they cut corners, but by then I had already installed 2 more thicker power cables and ran all my data/video cables by myself just repeating what they did. Cost me $80 I think for installation only as I supplied all my own cables and equiptment.

I think when CarToys did my sister's car she paid almost $150 for "installation".

Actually, there are monitors (like this one) that run only off of a single USB connection. Video and power go through the input. The one I linked to isn't a touchscreen, but there are a few that are.

I give friends a ride on a fairly regular basis and have never had the need to plug anything more than an iPod in. I appreciate thinking of that possibility but a cigarette lighter port is something I'm willing to sacrifice for the PC.

So $80-150 for installation? Not bad. I'll definitely keep that an open option.

No one answered my other question: are 12V ports fairly universal? As in, can I order a 12V to DC adapter off of Amazon and get what I need?

Originally Posted by ploogle

So $80-150 for installation? Not bad. I'll definitely keep that an open option.

No one answered my other question: are 12V ports fairly universal? As in, can I order a 12V to DC adapter off of Amazon and get what I need?

installation depends on the shop, and the materials used to-- so some shops might be more/less then that.

for the cig. adapter-- there are some that might work, but all of them are not universal in the sense that you just pick a random one up and it will work. you need to match the power requirements, output voltage of the adapter, and input voltage of the device.

also, i am not sure how sensitive the fit2pc is, but most computer devices want tightly regulated power(ie: they don't want to see 12v fluctuate more than 0.1-0.3 volts..) that most cig. adapters usually don't do