MP3 Boat

garyb31 · 12-18-2000, 03:26 PM

I am starting a project to put an MP3 player in a boat. I have MP3 players in both my Dodge Ram and Honda Civic so I am fairly experienced in this field. This is also going to double as a nav aid. I will have it hooked to a GPS system. It will probably also have the ability to play DVD's. I plan on using a fairly large LCD panel (10-12" range). It will be housed in a watertight casing with a nonglare front, probably with a hood on it. I have only one real concern. I am trying to come up with a method of control. I considered using a remote control but that would not give me enough control options. What I really need is a water proof keyboard. I have never heard of such a thing and was wondering if wnyone else has.

DJ · 12-19-2000, 08:40 AM

Mr. Cash Money

hehee,, good luck with the project, man.
sounds like a sweet idea. GPS in the water would be sooooooo helpful.

//dj

Aaron Cake · 12-19-2000, 08:56 AM

Ruggedized waterproof keyboards are available. Most are the membrane type. Check with an industrial computing supply place. They should have them.

------------------
Aaron Cake
London, Ontario, Canada

Player: Cyrix 200, 32MB RAM, 10.2Gig Quantum HD, Onboard EtherNet/Sound/Video, Custom Lexan Case, Arise DC-DC, Win95 Kernal w/Custom Player
Car: '86 Mazda RX-7 w/Basic Performance Upgrades

pcman · 12-19-2000, 09:12 PM

farnell has waterproof keyboards but there expensive

anyway good luck

pcman

pacochi · 12-20-2000, 12:25 PM

These sites sell waterproof keyboards, but the first one is currently temporarily out of stock.

http://www.inpace.com/flexi.html
http://www.man-machine.com/keybrd1.htm

I hope this helps you...

wizardPC · 12-20-2000, 05:45 PM

boat, noun: a hole in the water surrounded by fiberglass into which you throw money.

my dad bought a boat last year and my god is this definition correct.

garyb31 · 12-20-2000, 05:54 PM

They do cost a lot of money and I know a lot of people who have boats and use them maybe once or twice a year. Now that is a waste. I use mine almost any day in the warm season that I don't work. That is probably why I came up with the idea of an mp3boat. Now I get to throw even more money at it. Yikes - 139.00 for a keyboard.

grandamp3 · 12-20-2000, 10:56 PM

dont pay $139 for the keyboard. Ever seen those keyboard films that go over a normal keyboard and keep the dust out. Why not get one of those. Like $20 at most. Not sure where to get em but surely cant be that hard.

------------------
Grand aMP3

AussieGuy · 12-29-2000, 11:21 PM

Just wondering, you can get GPS to hook up to the computer, what about sonar? There must be something out thee, either scientific or industrial I am thinking...

wizardPC · 12-30-2000, 12:03 AM

Just to head off any comments about submarine hunting, the sonar that Aussie is referring to is commonly called "depth finding" or "fish finding" equipment.

DodgeCummins · 12-30-2000, 12:47 AM

For a sailboat, I am looking into a Ratheon fishfinder that has optional side scanning sonar, and GPS...looking, the unit costs about $600.

------------------
http://www.geocities.com/mr_bubba_zanetti/

nicksmurf · 01-01-2001, 05:19 PM

Go to digikey.com they have some keypads that are the plastic membrain type, can't cost that much. You could wire one up to a keyboard controler and put it in a watterproof case, lots of silicon would seal it up tight!

This would at least make a watterproof keypad. I'm not shure about a complete keyboard