Thinking of pursuing this hobby few guestions

**marley1** · 01-24-2005, 12:50 PM

Okay i've been a long time looker, just started getting real interested in it.

I have a few guestions so let me get to the stuff i get.

Okay, from what i looking at, 1ghz of anything is more then enough to do DVD/mp3/gps....., either it being the c3 integrated or something standard.

Now i'm looking at some stuff online, on ebay the c3 deal is about 100-150 or so right? And all i would need with that is a case(what are some small cheap ones?), a usb dvd drive(so the length isn't a issue right?), and then memory and all the goodies but those are usb.

So from that you have the computer, then you just need power, and it looks like the best bet is the Opus(right?) that has the automatic timers and everything to save power.

So then all u need is the screen and it seems like most of hte manufactures have a indash pop up with touchscreen for like 400 or so.

So heres a few guestions --

1) Power, is the OPUS the best thing to get, instead of a inverter and everything. That should take car of powering a c3 integrated or maybe a amd system?? And this takes care of the shutdown timers and all?? So really need a clarification of the power system.

2) Computer itself. Whats the cheapest setup to do? I would like the size as small as possible. Now i have some AMD T-Birds at work, 1ghz. But i would think they would draw too much power and put out to much heat. 512ram would be what i would go for. Then for HDD, i would probably just use a normal 3.5 inch compared to laptop to save price or is that not good? For DVD i would want it somewehre up in teh dash, im guessing the slim cd/dvd drivesr are 1/2din. And you can just get a IDE to usb adapter right?

3) Goodies. Now i would really just want, Window XP os, just because its standard and probably best support. So what do with GPS, this is only about 100 bucks or so right? Plugs in via USB or serial port?? Now multimedia i see all those backends so thats nothing special.

4) Screens, now i see DigitalWW has a touch screen indash for about 400 or so, is their a cheaper option out their. I drive a 99 Grand Cherokee with 1.5 din, so i dont wanna mold a screen into it because i would need to get rid of the vents right? which i dont want to do.

So in general, i awnna do this as cheap as i can. Probably most of what i would buy will be used. I just need some rough clarifications on everything.

General idea, Computer u put somewhere in teh car(probably underseat for me) from that, bring a wire from the battery to power it with a 12v OPUS(right??) From that you get alot of vga extensions and run that from the computer to the screen along with a USB for touch screen and that wont degrad signal with the extensions?? Then u run a USB for the dvd, and run ur other goodies.

Now what do u do with hte OS to make quick startups. And what do u do with FM radio and what about with stand by and stuff.

Thanks,
Dan

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-24-2005, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by marley1

Okay i've been a long time looker, just started getting real interested in it.

Welcome!

Okay, from what i looking at, 1ghz of anything is more then enough to do DVD/mp3/gps....., either it being the c3 integrated or something standard.

unless you are looking to do some serious gaming, and I don't know why you would in yoru car on a tiny screen, you qare correct.

a usb dvd drive(so the length isn't a issue right?)

the length shouldn't need to be any longer than 16' honnestly, unless you have a suburban or an excursion or something along those lines.
The limit on 2.0 is 16' and the limit on 1.1 is 10' from what I understand.

So from that you have the computer, then you just need power, and it looks like the best bet is the Opus(right?) that has the automatic timers and everything to save power.

Some say the Opus, I say the M1-ATX. it has the variable timers, it has enough power to power a basic system, AND it has an amp turn on lead....aka, no turn on thump!!

So heres a few guestions --

1) Power, is the OPUS the best thing to get, instead of a inverter and everything. That should take car of powering a c3 integrated or maybe a amd system?? And this takes care of the shutdown timers and all??
So really need a clarification of the power system.

Again, I say M1-ATX, it's a lot cheaper and does more IMO.

So what do with GPS, this is only about 100 bucks or so right? Plugs in via USB or serial port??

there is an ENTIRE forum dedicated to GPS, go take a few minutes and look over there. You will find the answers to all these questions and more in a few minutes.

4) Screens, now i see DigitalWW has a touch screen indash for about 400 or so, is their a cheaper option out their. I drive a 99 Grand Cherokee with 1.5 din, so i dont wanna mold a screen into it because i would need to get rid of the vents right? which i dont want to do.

If you don't want to mold the flip out is your only option. Unless you don't mind the ghetto screwed into the dash screen. =]

So in general, i awnna do this as cheap as i can.

Welcome to the club, no one out there in their right mind says, I want to spend as MUCH as possible on this! lol

Now what do u do with hte OS to make quick startups. And what do u do with FM radio and what about with stand by and stuff.

again, all of this has been coverd numerous times in numerous places. Do a little searching before you post and you will be amazed what you will find. In fact, I bet that's why this thread hadn't been posted to to begin with....most people on here get short with people when it's apparent that they haven't searched at all to find the answers to their questions!

Good luck!

**marley1** · 01-25-2005, 12:18 PM

I've been searching.

I think what im gonna do is look for a used Via board off ebay, find one for like 50-60 and then just get pieces as i go along.

Whats the smallest case for them? I wanna put it in my center console.

Thanks,
Dan

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-25-2005, 12:21 PM

do you have to have a case?

why can't you just get creative and use the center console as the case?

**Prindle19** · 01-25-2005, 12:23 PM

1) Power, is the OPUS the best thing to get, instead of a inverter and everything. That should take car of powering a c3 integrated or maybe a amd system?? And this takes care of the shutdown timers and all?? So really need a clarification of the power system.

No, i prefer the Carnetix solution, which is available directly from mp3car.com

Heard much less complaints, and i have one myself and love it love it love it

**marley1** · 01-25-2005, 12:32 PM

well i rather not have to build into the console just incase i sell.

now that im lookin at ebay i see 800 and 900mhz c3 for cheap, is that enough power to do dvd decoding/gps/windows and stuff or should i just wait for the m1000?

i saw some sites the other day, for 400 bucks u can get teh m1000/case/ram/hdd and all seemed like a good deal.

what are some cheap deal sites?

**RedGTiVR6** · 01-25-2005, 12:33 PM

honnestly, this place has some of the best prices, then there is L O G I C S U P P L Y.com, also newegg.com

**marley1** · 01-25-2005, 12:42 PM

but what about the cpu speed, like ive seen some older like 300mhz pentiums with dvd playesr, so i guess u dont need alot.

would it be stupid to grab like a 800 or 900mhz c3 off ebay if their is a cheap deal?

and for sound i guess i would just use a external, but i would think the onboard sound would be good enough no?

**linden_arden** · 01-25-2005, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by marley1

Okay i've been a long time looker, just started getting real interested in it.

I have a few guestions so let me get to the stuff i get.

Technically I am still a newbie, but I am a few months ahead of you as far as planning and building goes. I'll tell you what I've done so far.

I found an EPIA 5000 (one of the earliest mini-itx) with a 533 mhz fan-less processor AND a nice case and 60w morex power supply for just over $100 plus shipping from ebay. The newer EPIAs are going to be twice as fast, but cost a little more, of course. Cases are pricey as well, near $100 retail it seems, and perhaps half that or less on ebay. Just search 'EPIA' on ebay and you will see what's for sale these days.

The great think about the morex 60w PSU is that I can go with a carnetix, which is pretty highly regarded around here. The pros are that its cheaper than an Opus, it can plug straight into the case (which means you can use it in your house easily my plugging the regular power chord into the case). The cons are that 60w is not a lot of juice. My setup only involves a hard drive, so I can get by with 60w.

For display and control I am going with something fairly unique (although several other folks here use a similar setup). I am using my Pocket PC to control my carputer via a wi-fi connection. This makes sense for me since I already have the handheld.

Again, I am still a newb, so recognize the source. One good suggestion I will make is to think really hard about what your budget is. Try and have the budget dictate the hardware you end up using. That is tough, but you really can get carried away if you aren't careful. This is a project I have been able to do fairly cheaply so far (waiting for deals and using things I already had), but it has taken a good deal of patience.

**linden_arden** · 01-25-2005, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by linden_arden

I found an EPIA 5000 (one of the earliest mini-itx) with a 533 mhz fan-less processor

I should add, since I am just using this computer basically just as a jukebox, 533 mhz is more than enough processor for me. In my home testing, I am running an nLite-d version of XP Pro and everything works great with 256 mb RAM. It boots in under 30 secs (from power switch to windows desktop) and I have yet to start to tweak the boot time whatsoever. Obviously, the more you want to do, the more processing power you will need.