MP3Car.com - Worklogs http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:03:14 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/images/misc/rss.jpg MP3Car.com - Worklogs http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ 2006 Toyota Rav4 - In-dash Carputer http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137282-2006-toyota-rav4-dash-carputer.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:50:27 GMT This is my first attepmt on a car pc. Not everything is planned yet, but overall plan to switch the factory head unit to a computer and install a new headunit in the glove compartment. Summary of wanted features: Music / Video Navigation (GPS) Logging of GPS coordinates (possibly also a... This is my first attepmt on a car pc. Not everything is planned yet, but overall plan to switch the factory head unit to a computer and install a new headunit in the glove compartment.

Summary of wanted features:
Music / Video
Navigation (GPS)
Logging of GPS coordinates (possibly also a server based backend to store the information and plot onto a map).
Weather information
Trafic information
OBD2 (realtime + logging)
Internet connectivity
and more...

Some details on the planned equipment:
Intel Atom 330
2GB RAM
120 GB HDD
OBD-DIAG AGV4000 MultiNorm-Interface
GlobalSat BU-353 GPS

Software
Windows 7 Ultimate
RideRunner + Digital FX 4.0
the rest is undecided yet

Additional Equipment
Decided for a Pioneer DVH-P4100UB as the new head unit, and a CA-R-PI.201 unit to maintain the steering wheel controls.

My Car:


Dash installation kit & 7" touch screen


Mounting apart the screen


Modifying the dash installation kit with some fiberglass


The original stereo - to be replaced


Unmounting the original stereo


Test mounting in the car (painting not finished yet)


Building something to mount the motherboard on and circuit boards for the screen


Screen in place and Windows 7 installed
]]> Worklogs zadrau http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137282-2006-toyota-rav4-dash-carputer.html 1993 Toyota Calica... First Car PC http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137258-1993-toyota-calica-first-car-pc.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:52:01 GMT Well, its about that time. I am beginning my very first Car PC. I ordered my parts yesterday and all of them except the monitor and PSU are out for delivery as of earlier this morning. So I decided to begin some fabrication before it gets here. I will be installing this Car PC into my first car.... Well, its about that time. I am beginning my very first Car PC. I ordered my parts yesterday and all of them except the monitor and PSU are out for delivery as of earlier this morning. So I decided to begin some fabrication before it gets here.

I will be installing this Car PC into my first car. A 1993 Toyota Celica.

My Car:





This is where I'm currently thinking that the whole thing is going to reside:





Fabrication of my "Case":















Next step is going to be mounting the motherboard to the base and connecting all the components with a temporary PSU and monitor then load up some software.

I am going to fabricate a fiberglass cover for the whole unit and make the screen recessed a bit so there wont be that much sun getting to it. I am most likely going to attach the whole thing to the vent/clock assembly so it will be removable. My dash is covered in vinyl and is all one piece and I don't feel like cutting it up and recovering it (I have no confidence in my fabrication skills) so this will let me be able to keep my dash as is. When I go to sell the car, I can just buy another vent assembly off ebay for like 30 bucks and it will look stock again.


Update Nov 13, 2009 10:00 PM:
Newegg is losing my trust of them with this last order. I received it extremely fast (~1 day with std. ground shipping), but that has come to be expected of them by me. I bought a slot load DVD drive and when I went to hook it up, I noticed that its a different power cord (slimline) than normal SATA. I had no idea of this and it was not mentioned anywhere in the description. Now I have to wait for shipping AGAIN (most likely going to be a minimum of 3 days this time because its the week end now and that's if it ships from their CA warehouse) so the project is on hold for the most part until I get that adapter. I tried hooking up my 2nd DVD drive out of my desktop, but it wont go past bios because of a disc read error. I'm thinking my IDE adapter isn't going to work. That one is my fault, but I still blame Newegg for this being on hold lol. I will probably continue working on the housing of this whole thing, but thats going to be the hardest part for me (never worked with fiberglass before).

My system specs as of now are:
ZOTAC GF8200-C-E AM2+ GF8200 Motherboard
running a:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual Core CPU
cooled by a:
Stock AMD Phenom X4 CPU Heatsink and Fan
1 GB DDR2 667 Super Talent Memory
LITE-ON DL-8ATS Slot-Load DVD Burner
200 GB Maxtor IDE Hard Drive
M2-ATX PSU
Lilliput EBY701 7" Touchscreen Monitor

Accessories:
Cirago BTA-3210 Bluetooth Adapter
Cyber Acoustics ACM-1B Microphone
Syba CL-KBD20006 Numeric Keypad (For passwords so I don't need a whole keyboard)
NMedia ZE-C98 Card Reader (Mostly for its USB ports)
Rosewill RCW-618 IDE/SATA - USB Adapter (May be useless now)
GlobalSat BU-353 SiRF III USB GPS Receiver

As of now I am in the hole: $568.80
By days end, I am going to need a new IDE adapter (I hope they make PCI-E IDE adapters) so lets just call it $585

Edit: Well the PCI-E IDE card proved to be more expensive than expected, so the current tally is $588.55


Update Nov 13, 2009 11:40 PM:
After some more fiddling, I got my IDE USB adapter to work. So Take the tally back down to $568.80
Now I need to get a 1394 PCI-E card.


Update Nov 16, 2009 5:00 PM:
Took some new pictures. Have some things to say. Here it goes:

My tiny USB Bluetooth adapter.


USB number pad (Was going to be for entering passwords and addresses and such, but I couldnt get it to work. Hopefully newegg will take it back)


Card Reader (I still need to figure out how to get some extra pins like what are on a motherboard for USB and 1394 to get full functionality out of this thing)


This is the Wifi adapter that came with my mobo (I think it might be external antenna capable, but what do I know)


Cheapo microphone for bluetooth and voice control (Has a hell of a lot of delay...)


Slot load DVD Burner (currently not in use)

This is why I'm not using this thing at the moment (Newegg never told me that I'd need a special adapter to get power to the darn thing!)


USB IDE adapter (probly not gonna use this cause it wont work for what I hoped it would)


M2-ATX PSU!



GPS Reciever!



Update Nov 17, 2009 11:50 AM:
Uploading a few more pictures of the whole setup.
I'm having quite a few issues with the software, but overall it's coming along nicely.

Whole setup



My workbench (Dinner Table)


My background (It was a Hyundai background inside one of the Centrafuse skins. I redid it for my car :D)
]]> Worklogs cjrokke http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137258-1993-toyota-calica-first-car-pc.html 2gen 4runner aspire one in dash + dual screen http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137166-2gen-4runner-aspire-one-dash-dual-screen.html Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:07:34 GMT Hi everybody ive been reading stuff here for a while and finally started my build ive been looking at soo many options an decided to go with a double din enclosure with everything on it soo i can move it to another car in a future or whatever and also that way it can be easy recreated im gonna use... Hi everybody ive been reading stuff here for a while and finally started my build ive been looking at soo many options an decided to go with a double din enclosure with everything on it soo i can move it to another car in a future or whatever and also that way it can be easy recreated im gonna use an acer aspire one d250 as the base i took it apart and im gonna make a double din enclosure for it the screen is gonna be a lilliput eby 701 i already got that too and im getting hopefully before the weekend a slot load slim sata dvd burner and a Sound Blaster X-Fi Surround 5.1 External Sound Card that im gonna put in the box also anybody has experience with this sound card ??
Plus im planning on using the screen from the aspire one as a secondary screen to put in the roof i dont know if extending the wires around 6 feet is going to work but ill try in thinking they will work using telephone wires any thoughts about that ??
Also the front of the enclosure where the lilliput is going to go is gonna be pretty tight because i dont have space to put the slim dvd slot drive unles i put it in the side of the screen sideways and relocate the buttons of the screen itself soo i can keep a box thats gonna be 7*4
what you guys think of the sidemounted dvd drive a slot load one ???

Well the power i was thing about a dc dc regulator before everything soo i can power the screen and the laptop with a constant straight power and use a regular car charger for the aspire one from ebay only like 15 bucks.
Well i think thats all for now il also put you know gps bluetooth rearview camera and who knows what else ill uplaod pictures and ill have more for you guys of my runner project in a couple days this is just the beggining of a nice one hopefully :peace: ]]> Worklogs jeyventura http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137166-2gen-4runner-aspire-one-dash-dual-screen.html The Connected Car http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137079-connected-car.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:12:37 GMT A lot of people have been talking about the "connected car". Well, this is my plan on how I'm going to create my own connected car. I'll be discussing hardware and software that I'll use to accomplish my goal. I want it to sync up with my media automatically when I park at home. I don't ever want to have to worry about it properly shutting down.

Purpose

I want to automate my car. I want my car to know who I am and set things accordingly. I want it to detect me walking up to it from a distance and turn on, warm up the seats, etc. When I reach my work parking lot, or my apartment parking lot, I want my volume to turn down. I want to be able to get gps and obd logs from my desktop at work/home, or via my cellphone. I want to set a shopping list of destinations when I'm planning places to shop on the weekend and have it automatically route me to the places I want to go. I want to do this from my desktop or phone so it's ready to go by the time I get in the car.

Can all this be done? Yes, and here's how:

Hardware

This is what I have to work with:

- Sheeva plug
- Atom330 mitx mobo
- GPS BU353
- Wifi Dongle
- Bluetooth Dongle
- Fusion Brain

Diagram:
Attachment 57037

Software:
- LinuxICE2
- OBDGPSLogger
- Proximity
- Go
- Drive

How it will work

SheevaPlug
I've never had very good luck with smart power supplies. My m1atx has failed to shutdown my pc or hardkill it too many times which causes me grief. For a little more money, I can get a Sheevaplug ($99) and do so much more with it. The sheevaplug will be connected up via USB to the fusionbrain and communicate with it via some c# script and FBd (fusionbrain daemon). I'll intercept the ignition on/off and send a shutdown/hibernate/sleep command to my pc over ethernet. If it doesn't turn off in X minutes, I'll hard kill it. The sheeva, which draws much less power, will remain on to monitor battery voltage, if voltage goes too low, the sheeva will shutdown everything including itself. Hopefully this will never happen, but just in case.

So that seems a little overkill for a smart controller eh? But that's not all the sheevaplug will do. It'll be connected to wifi and bluetooth and will be running an apache webserver with a php type interface (bugbyte is creating this kind of setup with his sheeva). I may even add a 3G modem later on and connect it up to the internets. Because it'll be connected, and be exposing a web interface, I'll be able to do a number of things remotely. i'll be able to download my gps and obd2 logs onto my desktop, initiate a sync, or even start my car and control it's functions remotely. The sheeva will also act as a router for the carpc. The PC will connect to the network via the sheeva and the sheeva will also be able to get information from the PC and control it.

Proximity

Proximity (currently called wifiproximity), is a generic event based scripting utility that allows you to do stuff based upon how far you are away from objects. It comes preinstalled on LinuxICE2. This object could be a GPS coordinate, a WIFI AP, or a bluetooth phone. Proximity will run on the sheeva and do some cool things. I'll have it send nGhost commands on the PC to turn down the volume when I'm in the parking lot of my apt or work. I'll have it initiate a sync up with my media server when it detects that my home AP is in close enough range. When the car is in my work parking lot and it detects my cell phone's bluetooth radio in range, I want it to power up the car and the PC. When I get even closer, I script it to unlock my doors. When I get to some place and walk far enough away from the car, i'll have it lock the doors.

OBDGPSLogger

gps and obd will be done on the PC. obdgpslogger is an awesome tool for logging gps and obd related stuff. It can even produce pretty graphs that you can view in google earth displaying your mpg, speed, rpms, etc. I'd like to figure out which route to work takes the least amount of time and saves me in gas. This may mean that I take different routes in the morning and different routes in the afternoon. Having this information at your finger tips is priceless. I can access these logs from the web interface running on the sheeva, download it to my desktop, and take a look at the raw data in excel or in google earth.

Drive
Nextabyte will be releasing a cool OBD-II guage application for their upcoming LinuxICE2-based Drivn mobile operating system. It works with obdgpslogger. I'll be using it in my setup for sure.

Go
Also from Nextabyte is a pretty cool connected application and web services that will allow superior GPS navigation. With the web services, I can set my destinations and bookmarks as I'm planning it on my desktop or via my phone. When I get in the car, it knows exactly where to "go". I'll be using this in my system as well.


I'm sure there is something I overlooked. if you can think of something I left out, let me know. Otherwise, I'm pretty excited to make this all work before the AFK2-fest in January. I'll keep this thread posted with updates as time goes on.
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]]> Worklogs kev000 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137079-connected-car.html 1988 C4 Corvette http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137063-1988-c4-corvette.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:33:46 GMT I thought it was about time I started putting something in a work log since I've made so much progress. Here's one of my first posts for a little background information:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/newb...time-work.html

So where do I start? I have most of the hardware and have configured the software. Here's what I have so far:

Motherboard Intel D945GCLF2D mini-ITX
power supply M4-ATX
radio Directed dmhd1000
radio cable
amplifier (AMP9 Basic from 41hz.com)
reusing existing speakers initially (Bose)
memory 2 GB DDR2 Crucial CT25664AA667
hard drive 320gb seagate
SD reader tribeca
wireless 802.11b/g PCI
blue tooth
gps DeLorme BT-20
panel mount USB port/cables
OBDI cable
(No head unit)

I have a lilliput 7" EBY701 touch screen on order and It should arrive tomorrow or Friday

For the front end I'm using RideRunner and I've got to tell you it's a very steep learning curve initially but the results are worth it. I've setup the music, HD radio, GPS, traffic cams, gas prices, OBDI software & cable, bluetooth phone, and internet.

I'm running XP, street atlas 2010, Blue soleil bluetooth software, Windows Media player, and TTS Datamaster (for OBDI)

This project is testing all my skills and making me learn new ones.

One of the first things I did was buy the motherboard, hard drive, cheap power supply for setup and testing, and yanked the DVD drive out of my home PC to load the software. I already had a spare monitor, keyboard and mouse so after that I was in business. I've intentionally kept the software as light as possible so the boot time is pretty fast. It takes about 30 seconds flat from power on to music playing from hibernation.

One of the hardest things for me to find was a small enough amplifier. I ended up buying the AMP9 Basic kit from 41hz.com. This was my first time soldering electonic components so I definitely learned a new skill (and bought some new tools!). It was a fun project in itself.

The HD radio initially gave me some real problems. When I played my mp3 player through the AMP it sounded great, but when I ran the HD radio through it, it was extremely loud. I had to turn the PC volume all the way down and it was still loud and sounded like there was a ton of interference or distortion. There was also a lot of noise from the PC going through the AMP. I eventually learned that there is a volume command for the HD radios in Ride Runner. As soon as I turned that down the HD radio sounded great but I still had a lot of PC noise. It kind of sounded like R2D2 humming to himself. I put a ground loop isolator in between the PC and the amp and voila life is good!

So then it was on to building the case. I decided to make my own case to ensure it would fit in the 1.5 din opening in the dash. The best thing I did was to mock it up in cardboard first. Getting all the parts to fit in such a small space takes some thought. The PC and power supply take up most of the space behind the radio so I'm going to have to figure out something for the amplifier and radio. I'll add some pictures in my next post.

So that's where I am currently. My next big challenge should be the fab work on the dash. I'm looking forward to playing with my plastic welder. ]]> Worklogs RonsRed88 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137063-1988-c4-corvette.html Aspire One carputer - 83 Mitsi Sigma http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137038-aspire-one-carputer-83-mitsi-sigma.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:38:52 GMT This is my worklog for my Acer Aspire One carputer which I will be installing in my 1983 Mitsubishi Sigma.

The reason I am using a netbook is that I already have it and use it frequently for my university work, so I'm going to dock it in my car rather than installing a permanent carPC.

It seems a problem with laptops is powering them, but I'm just going to use a cigarette lighter power adaptor, and turn it on/off manually.

The audio amps will also be switched manually.

I already have the following hardware:
Aspire One netbook
Sony car audio amps/speakers
Old gamepad for steering wheel buttons
Old lego webcam for reversing camera
Inverter
12v minifridge/cooler
Portable CD-ROM/DVD
Bluetooth dongle
Battery voltage meter
USB DVB tuner
Vodafone Vodem mobile broadband

Coming soon:
Garmin GPS 18 USB
The car...

I will most probably use Centrafuse as frontend, and nRoute for GPS.

I'll leave the old HU in place for short trips or when I want FM.

Installation of hardware hasn't started yet as the car needs rust repaired first.
The first thing to do will be installing the audio gear.

Pictures coming when I eventually get started... ]]> Worklogs s00pa http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137038-aspire-one-carputer-83-mitsi-sigma.html <![CDATA[2005 Dodge Ram 3500 Truckputer Install w/ 15" Touchscreen]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137021-2005-dodge-ram-3500-truckputer-install-w-15-touchscreen.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:21:27 GMT So yes I am a little bit nuts but I have multiple needs for a computer in my truck and to be honest got tired of hassling with a laptop etc. I had the factory navigation system that was outdated and did not have the desire to spend the money to buy upgrades for old equipment. I decided that... So yes I am a little bit nuts :jaw: but I have multiple needs for a computer in my truck and to be honest got tired of hassling with a laptop etc. I had the factory navigation system that was outdated and did not have the desire to spend the money to buy upgrades for old equipment. I decided that installing a computer into my truck would be the best thing to do so thats what I have done. Please understand this is still in the install mode, no wires have been hidden yet, panels to be made etc.

The computer is a old shuttle pc that is an AMD 1.67ghz machine with 2gb ram. Its not the fastest thing but works fine for the proof of concept. I have added a Bluetooth dongle for my cell phone (which still does not work), a Wireless card; as this will be a WiFi Hotspot for some of my HAM work, and also an additional removable drive for music and movies etc. The monitor is a Elos 15" Touch Screen and is surprisingly bright even in daylight with some anti-reflective coating so its no where near as bad as my laptop was. I still need to change out the heat pipe for a regular CPU cooler as well as add a fan to pull air out of the compartment of the PC (Today's project actually).

Sound is driven through a Metra interface (Thanks Mp3car users for the advice) and runs over the factory on-board 7 speaker infinity sound system, I am still having some issues with driving the center channel but sounds pretty good over the stock HU.

For now everything is powered by my already on board 800 Watt inverter again I have no budget for a DC supply as of right now this will change at some point, it works fine and I have 3 batteries on the truck so short term engine off power is not a problem. I also have a on-board 40 amp battery charger for doing work in the driveway or when running for extended times out and about I can run my Honda EU1000 generator to keep everything going.

I will eventually buy the same platform and upgrade when finances become a non issue. I am currently working on the drive mount as well as the cover plate for the monitor mount as I have not decided where I want the USB hub to be integrated; so again these are work in process I know they do not look the greatest right now.

Here are a few pictures to start out with in it you can see the monitor as well as my HAM Radio etc. I am open to suggestions and criticism but please remember I built this on a $0 budget so I have just made do with what I have laying around and what I can fabricate in our CNC hobby shop.
Attached Images
   
]]> Worklogs IssaquahWA1979 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137021-2005-dodge-ram-3500-truckputer-install-w-15-touchscreen.html <![CDATA[02 VW Golf TDI 7" Eee PC Budget Build]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137000-02-vw-golf-tdi-7-eee-pc-budget-build.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:09:09 GMT Hi guys,

This is my first build and I originally posted some forethought into the build in the NewB section here: My First Build - VW Golf MkIV Asus Eee PC

Well, I now have about 99% of the parts that I will use, and I've done several dry runs and bench tests of the various components, so it is time for the official build to begin!!!

First, the car in question:

2002 Volkswagen Golf GL TDI

Here are the parts that I've assembled so far:

Asus Eee PC 701: 1GB RAM, 4GB SSD, Celeron 630MHz (can be overclocked to 900MHz) ~ $150 (eBay)
7" USB Plug-n-Play Touch Screen Digitizer for Asus Eee PC 701 ~ $33.50 (Deal Extreme)
Super Mini Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter Dongle ~ $2.50 (Deal Extreme)
G.Mouse Mini USB SiRF Star-III 20-Channel GPS Receiver ~ $38.50 (Deal Extreme)
Car Charger Cigarette Adapter for Asus 7" Eee PC 701 ~ $4.50 (Deal Extreme)
Clarion CD/MP3/WMA Receiver Model DB179MP ~$60 (NewEgg)
PAC IR-X Infrared Repeater ~$25 (eBay)
4GB SDHC Card ~$12 (Big Lots - Local)
VW Wiring Harness ~$20 (Local car audio shop)
Ground Loop Isolator & RCA to 1/8" Adapter ~$24 (local Radio Shack)
1/8" Stereo Right Angle Adapter ~$4 (local Radio Shack)
Parrot CK3100 Bluetooth Hands Free Car Kit ~ $48 (eBay)
Rosewill 4 Port USB 2.0 Hub ~$5 (Craigslist)
Momentary SPST N.O. Push-button Switch ~$3 (local Radio Shack)
------------------------------------------------------
Grand total: ~$430
(Getting up there, but still not as much as the cheapest off the shelf unit. So, not too bad IMO considering all that it should be able to do compared to an off the shelf unit)

My original plan was to extend the LVDS cable of the Eee and mount the motherboard underneath the glovebox in an old external DVD-ROM case that I had. But after doing a little research on the effort required for such a task, I whipped out my old trigonometry skills from high school and figured out that if I tilt the bottom edge of the screen out about 10 degrees and angle the Eee's mobo diagonally up to the rear of the dash, then I should have just enough room (and just enough play in the LVDS cable) to squeeze the 9" long mobo in the dash perpendicular to and behind the screen. However, after taking a second look at the dash opening without the radio cage, it looks like it may be easier to mount it sideways. This would also give the face a cleaner flush-mount look that is more factory.

Then, the original plan for the head unit was to install it in the glovebox, and remotely mount the faceplate in the center console by the e-brake. While this was a good idea for accessibility, I really won't need too many features on the head unit that the included IR remote won't be able to do. So, instead of a complicated and tedious remote mount faceplate, I am just going to use the PAC IR-X to repeat the IR signal into the glove box, and install the IR eye where the Eee's webcam would go normally.

Well, that's all I've got for now.... Next steps:

1. (Completed) Mount Head Unit in Glove Box and set up PAC-IR-X (see post 35)
2. (Completed) Test Fit Eee in Dash to decide on mounting position (see post 35)
3. (Completed) Take apart dash for radio cage hacking. (see post 35)
4. Mount Eee in Radio Cage.
4.5. Install and mount Parrot Hands Free Bluetooth Car Kit
5. Reinstall Dash with Eee in radio cage.
6. Troubleshoot
7. Enjoy! :D ]]> Worklogs firstorbit84 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/137000-02-vw-golf-tdi-7-eee-pc-budget-build.html (UK) Renault Clio Mk2 (2000) In Car PC install! http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136976-uk-renault-clio-mk2-2000-car-pc-install.html Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:56:48 GMT Hi there! After owning my first car for a couple of years now, I decided to give the whole In-Car PC a go!

I have no worries about the PC part, as it is one of my hobbies and I am quite knowlwdgeable.
The only thing I'm struggling over is going to be building the LCD surround.

I have attatched pictures of the very start of the install!

I have ordered a 10.2" LCD Touchscreen from LinITX which you can see here
http://linitx.com/viewproduct.php?prodid=11604

Hopefully it will be delivered tomorrow and i can get some mouldings from it!

Regards,
John G (UK)
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]]> Worklogs jgildert http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136976-uk-renault-clio-mk2-2000-car-pc-install.html 87 Mustang http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136951-87-mustang.html Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:44:11 GMT Hey all I have decided to start working on my first project. I have 1987 mustang and i am currently creating a custom center console with a car pc in the middle of it. Once i get some pics as it is coming along i will post them. i was wondering what would be the best front end software for the... Hey all

I have decided to start working on my first project. I have 1987 mustang and i am currently creating a custom center console with a car pc in the middle of it. Once i get some pics as it is coming along i will post them. i was wondering what would be the best front end software for the computer would be? ]]> Worklogs stormwisler http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136951-87-mustang.html <![CDATA[Mazaspeeed6: Dynaudio 362 3way componets 2-Alumapro 12"->FG Box AUDISON +other mods]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136906-mazaspeeed6-dynaudio-362-3way-componets-2-alumapro-12-fg-box-audison-other-mods.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:10:55 GMT I think I posted this in the wrong section, as I assume this should have been in the Show off your project section or something. Mods move as you see fit. woops.

I will organize when I can see pics in the future so long as I can still edit.

I installed:
Dynaudio Esotec 362 8" 3-way component powered by an Audison VRX 4.300 EX CS passive
2- Alumapro RX SQ 12" powered by Audison LRX 1.1K in custom FG\MDF boxes
Lots of cascade VBmax and VB1 liquid sound deadener (the best)
Vertex products (out of business :( )

Here are the 3" 142 mids:



I had to cut (with belt sander) the flange off these to make them basically a cylinder shape that would fit. I used a tool to press them in. Of course there were problems with modifying them and most who buy speakers like this would cringe at the though of doing what I did. But the end product came out good as I like the dome. The woofer or more dust cap of the speaker is also a dome shape. The SS bezel rings I got from a boat shop to mimic the silver trim on the ac vents.
This is what I started with.


The 8" are installed in the doors:
(need pics)

And the 1.1" tweets in the sail panels (but need to be redone)
(need pics)

2 custom sub enclosures mounted on opposite sides of the trunk allowing maximum useful space left.
(need pics)

MDF board that is mounted and bolted to the top of the inside of the rear deck in the trunk where the sub once lived and then carpeted then Amps mounted to it. Keeps them out of the way, but not good for tuning or heat...
(pics)

Knuconcpetz wires throughout
Karma SS 12 Gauge Speaker Wire twisted pair running to each speaker. Yes two 12-gauge twisted pair thru molex connectors into each door) How? Wire relocation in molex connectors to make room.


(pics)

Kolossus Fleks Kable 1/0 power wire.
This stuff is the best and super flexy.
(pics)

DieHard Automotive Battery, Platinum P-1 (rebadged Odysseys)
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA at 0 deg.F): 930
Reserve Capacity (RC): 135 min.
Amp Hours at 20 Hour Rate: 75




I have more pics but I can’t sort them now as I can’t see them at work.



































]]> Worklogs aviator79 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136906-mazaspeeed6-dynaudio-362-3way-componets-2-alumapro-12-fg-box-audison-other-mods.html BMW e36 328i Sport Coupe http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136895-bmw-e36-328i-sport-coupe.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:18:48 GMT Status:
Just in the process of ordering kit and planning the wiring. I have the next week and a half off work and will be doing the wiring over the weekend and the beginning of the week.

I will be taking photo's as I go along to show you what is going on.

The Car


Hardware:

Up front
PC
Extras
While yes I understand that the spec is overkill for what is required at the moment... The Atom processors are quite energy efficient and will draw less wattage from the engine/battery, also the ION chipset will give me playback of HD video smoothly (most of my videos are 720p/1080p mkv's due to the setup of my living room frontend) even if I cant play them at HD resolution at the moment.... but the HD projector out of the boot wont be far behind!

There are some more custom bits that I will be doing to finish off the install (rotory control system, front & rear cameras with recording, internal camera....)

Day 1

Okay so day 1 has gone quite well... much better than I thought it would have...

I have removed the front passenger seat and the back bench..



Removed the centre console and the shift surround..


Found my cable run....


Down this run I have ran
  • 2 x USB
    2 x 3.5mm audio Jack
    1 x VGA Cable
    10 x wires for the headunit
My only snagging point at the moment and am awaiting a reply from en4cer about is.... how do I EASILY remove the Stereo and CC holder as pictured below...


There seem to be 4 screws holding in, but they are on the reverse side and I dont seem to be able to get a screwdriver and and my fat fingers in there at the same time!!! lol ]]> Worklogs lucanuk http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136895-bmw-e36-328i-sport-coupe.html <![CDATA[Corsa C Van + Atom + Gentoo Linux + 9" Capacitive touchscreen]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136883-corsa-c-van-atom-gentoo-linux-9-capacitive-touchscreen.html Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:31:35 GMT Car: Bought an 2001 Opel Corsa C Van 1.2 for cheap, now upgrading. Working on the engine, exterior, interior and on the audio system parallel with the pc. Mechanical mods -plans to put in a Z18XE (125 bhp) or Z20LET (197 bhp) paired with new brakes and suspension. Interior Car:
Bought an 2001 Opel Corsa C Van 1.2 for cheap, now upgrading.

Working on the engine, exterior, interior and on the audio system parallel with the pc.

Mechanical mods

-plans to put in a Z18XE (125 bhp) or Z20LET (197 bhp) paired with new brakes and suspension.

Interior

-redesigning in a black/red/silver theme
-modifications are needed for the 3-way speakers and for the 10.4" touchscreen

Audio

-planning: 3-way composite speakers, sub, amp depends on sound card / dac

Hardware

-9" custom built sunlight readable screen with 3M capacitive touchscreen
-Intel D945GCLF2D & Intel Atom 330 1.6Ghz - working on custom cooling fan
-2GB RAM
-16 GB SSD, but using a 40GB SATA HDD until final assembly
-Looking for a decent sound card / DAC
-Currently running on my desk with a 420W power supply

Software

-Gentoo Linux, fully optimized, will be cleaned up before the final assembly
-Custom written frontend/window manager integration
-Igo8 with wine ]]> Worklogs simplex http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136883-corsa-c-van-atom-gentoo-linux-9-capacitive-touchscreen.html <![CDATA[Ford Ranger Truck rebuild UK based & sound system install]]> http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136841-ford-ranger-truck-rebuild-uk-based-sound-system-install.html Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:14:58 GMT Welcome to my truck rebuild and computer install For those that know me on the RideRunner forum , you will notice that my skin is of the same name , it was the truck that prompted me to build this skin. Lucky for me I am a panel beater and sprayer , so all the work so far has been done by...
Welcome to my truck rebuild and computer install


For those that know me on the RideRunner forum , you will notice that my skin is of the same name , it was the truck that prompted me to build this skin.

Lucky for me I am a panel beater and sprayer , so all the work so far has been done by myself , no external help, also lucky is that i have a sound off stereo shop in my town , who was a 3 times class3 UK winner, so I have had alot off advice to the equipment I'm useing for the system.

The truck is a 2000 Ford Ranger UK spec, was a total right off when I brought Her, the front end was totally smashed in , so far i have now finished the exterior of the truck images below , this week as i'm off for holiday will be the computer and sound system install. I will be posting images and updating through out this week .

Body repairs

New front panel , Wings , Bonnet , complete front bumper , Tailgate , dents and scratches repaired down the sides,

Added chrome (bling)

Bull Bar , rear bumper , side steps , 2 x bars on sports lid

Images

Before




New front panel


After




Alarm system

]]> Worklogs carputer1 http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136841-ford-ranger-truck-rebuild-uk-based-sound-system-install.html 99 Grand caravan http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136699-99-grand-caravan.html Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:20 GMT I been into this for a while now and decided to go for it. I have a 99 grand caravan that I am doing my install in. I am only 19 with a very very low budget, as a matter of fact I don't think i even have a budget:focus: but anyway I am using parts i had laying around and a few things off of ebay (thank god for ebay) to do this.

Computer:

Dinosaur asus desktop
256mb ram (upgrading to 512mb but DIMM ram is expensive)
Nvidia video card (I think its about 128mb kinda old I know but gets the job done)
60 gig HD for windows and other programs
200 gig HD for music and movies (Slave drive)
5.1 Sound card but only using stereo thoe it just sounds cleaner then on bored audio
DVD rom
CD burner


Audio:
Pioneer head unit deh-p6300(the best in my opinion) witch was relocated to the cup holder/ash tray
ip bus for my aux port
All oem speakers (had infinity premium sound system stock so speakers were pretty decent)
Sony xplod 1200 watt amp
15 inch inch inerfire sub (dvc 1000w peak amp is bridge) in slot style ported box


The real challenges are the the screen and the computer location.
I wanted to go with a 7 inch screen and i got one but broke it:censored::censored::mad:
so i seen someone go with a 15 inch flat panel monitor. so thats what i was going to go with. so i ordered another screen and it ended up being a 17 inch...WAY to big, but i already got so its gon have to work. seance it is so big, it covers the radio, ac controls, ac vents just everything in that center area, so I am working on a hange that would allow me to flip up when I need to accesses something under it

Oh yea I am also using a 200 watt 400 watt peak inverter

Pics coming soon......:peace: ]]> Worklogs ryan518w http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/136699-99-grand-caravan.html