Convertible install

**Big Zack** · 10-11-2004, 12:35 AM

OK, it's been a long time in the making but it's done. Over 3 minutes of planning, a minute or two of digging for the duct tape and another 5 minutes of installation and it's FINALLY all done!

The system...

Panasonic Toughbook CF-18 convertible notebook
1.10GHz / 768MB SDRAM / 40GB HDD
MIL-STD-810F Durability
Full magnesium alloy case
Moisture- and dust-resistant LCD, keyboard and touchpad
Sealed port and connector covers
Shock-mounted removable HDD in stainless steel case
Vibration and drop-shock resistant
Built in Wide Area Wireless 802.11b+g
Built in Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver
Convertible 10.4'' LCD Touchscreen

3Com HomeConnect PC Digital Camera
Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-USB2 TV & FM Tuner

Windows XP
iGuidance 2
FrodoPlayer 1.08
NetStumbler 0.4.0
WinTV 2000

Total Cost: ~$5,000

The ride...

1988 Sears Craftsman lawn tractor
Stock racing stripes
11 HP with electric start
Custom exhaust (muffler rusted off)
Height adjustable 36" mower deck
4 speed transmission with reverse
East Coast rims (biggies in the back - minis up front)
Run-flat (aka: just-flat) all terrain tires

Total Cost: $250 (used)

The pics…

Pimp Mobile!

FrodoPlayer thump'n out the tunes! (Frodo - you da man!)

Check out that rearview cam!

Heavy duty wiring job... lot's of duct tape.

-----

OK, so here’s the story. I took these pictures a while back one Sunday. I had to get the grass cut, but there was this race on the tube I was really wanting to watch so…

I had just pulled my power inverter, WinTV box, camera, etc out of a Blazer I had sold the day before. It was just sitting there in the garage. I figured I could hook the entire thing up on the mower and watch the race while I was cutting the grass. Didn’t work though. Seems that the DC power inverter needs a little more input than the tractor could produce so the WinTV box kept dropping out. No big deal, I was able to finish the yard off with FrodoPlayer jamming the MP3s!

- Z

**gospeed.racer** · 10-11-2004, 12:38 AM

Oh dude....that is freakin awesome!
send the pics to Frodo for his website

**darkhalo** · 10-11-2004, 01:19 AM

really cool.. i would have left the tv tuner on another machine and streamed the race to your laptop/tablet thingy through wifi.. i do it all the time to watch stargate on my laptop while im working...

**anaxagoras** · 10-11-2004, 01:26 AM

this is quite possibly one of the coolest things i have ever seen. Kudos!

**xBrady** · 10-11-2004, 01:36 AM

Oh My that is sweet! Good work BigZack. Now all your mower needs is a paint job

**frodobaggins** · 10-11-2004, 03:51 AM

Now this is awesome. !

FrodoPlayer on a lawnmower !

**Enforcer** · 10-11-2004, 04:59 AM

nice!

A little more work needed to make it look OEM though.

www.mp3lawnmower.com anyone

**carpcnoobie** · 10-11-2004, 05:31 AM

What most of us just use a cheap Walkman or Discman for, you come up with a $5000 system.

When using the GPS, does it say **OFF-ROAD**.

Although I see some interesting potential for this. Think about. On this forum, there have been people automating components in cars with relays and actuators from a carPC. Why not the PC steer the lawn mower and cut the grass? It's got the GPS. Give it way points, get actuators for the steering and throttle and let her rip. I just hope you don't have anything precious in the yard like the wifes flowers.

Very good...

**Big Zack** · 10-11-2004, 06:20 AM

Originally Posted by darkhalo

really cool.. i would have left the tv tuner on another machine and streamed the race to your laptop/tablet thingy through wifi

Good idea... didn't think of that at the time. Although it would have nearly doubled the install time to 10 minutes if I had setup the software on the home PC.

I could access the internet via the home wifi when I was near the house (my yard is over 3 acres, so I didn't always have the best of signals) I checked the weather, read some e-mail, and checked on the progress of the race now and then.

Originally Posted by brady

... Now all your mower needs is a paint job

No way, to paint it I would have to wash it, and I'm pretty sure dirt is the only thing holding it together!

Originally Posted by carpcnoobie

What most of us just use a cheap Walkman or Discman for, you come up with a $5000 system.

Some employers issue hair nets and spatulas. Some issue bad-*** laptops. What can I say?!

Originally Posted by carpcnoobie

When using the GPS, does it say **OFF-ROAD**...Why not the PC steer the lawn mower and cut the grass?

Yeh, it showed **OFF-ROAD** the entire time, but then again, it shows **OFF-ROAD** at the beginning of my driveway. I live back in BFE on a road that doesn't seem to exist on most maps. Every trip I take begins with "Proceed to the nearest road."

hmm... sounds like a bad episode of Monster Garage.

- Z

**mindscream** · 10-11-2004, 08:27 AM

Great Googly Moogly boy!

You can't have technology that close to farm type equipment, that just aint right! We gonna hafta get the local laww dawgs out here-ah...

In all seriousness, that some tricked out mower man... I'd say put some hydraulics on the wheels so you can start hoppin the front end...that would be pretty pimp <g>

Originally Posted by Big Zack

Yeh, it showed **OFF-ROAD** the entire time, but then again, it shows **OFF-ROAD** at the beginning of my driveway. I live back in BFE on a road that doesn't seem to exist on most maps.

Don't feel so bad, I work for Brother International. They've got a street named just for them (Brother Boulevard) that only half of it shows up on GPS here in Memphis!