Possible to power lilliput this way?

ScorpionV · 07-16-2004, 02:30 AM

I'm currently thinking about building a carputer and i have most of it thought out. Im NOT going to have a head unit at all since my car has a stock amp (it sucks i know, but im low on funds to get a whole new amp + speakers). So im going to buy a wiring harness and use that to connect my computer to the cars speakers. This will leave the switched 12v wire that normally turns on the headunit unused. I was just wondering if i would be able to use this to power a lilliput, or if the screen would draw to much power for this method. My alternative involves the opus and a relay, but if the 12v headunit wire would work it would me some time.

sfay93 · 07-16-2004, 02:33 AM

You can do this. the only part that I am questioning is how you plan on turning the 1/8 output on your computer into something that you can hook into your factory amp. It doesn't have RCA connections on it you know.

aoLhaTer · 07-16-2004, 02:59 AM

i feel safer running my lilliput off the regulated 12v from my opus
hooking it up to the 12v accessory line is giving it unregulated fluctuating voltage, could damage the lcd

ScorpionV · 07-16-2004, 09:09 AM

To connect my computer to the wiring harness i was just going to buy some 1/8" pins from radioshack and do a little soldering. Although this may not work because the computer may put out too low of a voltage for the amp...but we'll see i guess. But doesn't the lilliput normally plug into the cigarette lighter? Thats not a regulated 12V is it? Ill do some splicing on the lilliput if i have to, that's no problem. I just don't want to be cut any factory wires to the car.

Oh yeah, i'm also planning on building a m1000 nehemia computer w/ slim dvd and slim hdd and use the opus 90W power supply for it because it's small. Would i even be able power both the screen AND the computer off of 90 Watts? This is why i was thinking about using the 12V power headunit power cable instead.

Ill1 · 07-16-2004, 09:45 AM

Splicing the 1/8" will work as long as there is enough power getting to the amp. I recommend getting a stereo 1/8" pin to dual RCA plugs though. Then split the RCA plugs. This way you would still have control over left and right.

As far as the lilliput power, I was thinking of doing the same thing. Just cut off the auto plug (leaving the egg) and splice in the radio power and ground it.

crosseye · 07-16-2004, 09:52 AM

The Lilliput will run fine on the 12V acc line as long as you still use the little "egg" voltage regulator that is on the cig adapter cable. Just chop off the cig adapter, solder the black line to the +12V signal, and the wire with the white line to the automobile's ground.

And the audio outputs of the motherboard you want to use work fine with amps. I have gone from 1/8 inch on the motherboard to the connecters on the amp.

muldrick · 07-17-2004, 08:51 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by crosseye

The Lilliput will run fine on the 12V acc line as long as you still use the little "egg" voltage regulator that is on the cig adapter cable. Just chop off the cig adapter, solder the black line to the +12V signal, and the wire with the white line to the automobile's ground.

And the audio outputs of the motherboard you want to use work fine with amps. I have gone from 1/8 inch on the motherboard to the connecters on the amp.

I seem to recall that when I opened the cig. element that black/white wire is +12V. But I've been wrong before.

aoLhaTer · 07-17-2004, 10:35 PM

black white is 12v
black is ground

again, i would personally recommend against the egg
many people had had theirs burn up and i actually tried it out and within minutes of having it plugged in the thing started smoking

asci01 · 07-18-2004, 11:25 AM

If you don't use the egg, use an OPUS or an ITPS to regulate the power and make sure it is fused !. The egg does not include a fuse !

Ill1 · 07-19-2004, 08:39 AM

I was under the impression that the reason that the egg fried was due to reverse polarity, not a spike in power. It does come with an auto plug, so it must be able to handle some sort of spike. Since the egg does not have a fuse, I would recommend adding an inline fuse on the 12v line before the egg. As far as which wire is ground and 12v, just use a voltmeter or test light. Find out if the tip is hot or ground and then wire accordingly. If you're really worried about power spikes, there is a thread running around here on how to build a voltage regulator for the lilliput.