Report for today. It was a good weekend.
One thing plauging me was getting my XM connected. I went to try it last week hoping for the whole magical instant success thing. Right. Didn't happen. I tried some odd concoction of cables involving telephone connectors. I didn't realize how hard it was to use non-telephone wire with telephone equipment. Like jacks. It sucked. So I went with different connectors (molex from the Shack). They suck too, but are more reliable. I consider it a temporary marriage at best. Eventually I will make a nicer, multi-connection docking-type concoction.
Anyway, I learned how to test a serial port. Through the marvel that is
I learned that you can short pins 2 & 3 (send & receive), and fire up hyperterminal. Make a new connection for COM2 (I'm using the header on the Epia board) and use all default settings except for Flow control = None (default is "Hardware"). More
here.
I have yet to test it, but I am pretty confident it'll work.
On other fronts, I got iGuidance installed. It's the bom-diggity-omb!
Ooooo, I can't wait to get a GPS receiver going. As it is now, I could use it, just follow the directions & route it gives.
But that's no fun, besides, it's not itegrated into RR. So the next steps are to optimize it by going through the 28 page iGuidance thread.
I've been putting off doing the skin, but I think it sounds like I need to start. I have MP3s up & running, IG going, and possibly XM.
Also, I mounted the switches & LEDs inside the box & made a notch for the power harness. The switches I mounted ghetto-style by double-taping them to the wall of the case. Temporary at best, but it works. Eventually I'll make something a little nicer, maybe molded foam to seat them all in.
It's weird the way I work. It may not be the most effiecient, but it's how I do best. I jury-rig it so it works. Then, once it starts to annoy me how crappy it looks, I improve it. So the whole theory is that I want to get a working install, and then improve upon it. So nothing is really the way I want it (except how I mounted the mobo & HDD).
All in all, a good day.