Car PC and retracting antenna

Skywalker52 · 09-27-2009, 01:28 AM

Hi Guys

I have just started putting together my list of objectives for my first car pc. Most of it I know how I am going to do (with some technicaly exceptions) but the one thing I have no idea about is the antenna.

On my car it is a motorised retractable one, so when I turn on the radio it goes up and when I switch to CD player it goes down. I know already that I can wire my FM reciever into it, but is there anyway I can control the retraction?

GizmoQ · 09-27-2009, 11:35 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Skywalker52

Hi Guys

I have just started putting together my list of objectives for my first car pc. Most of it I know how I am going to do (with some technicaly exceptions) but the one thing I have no idea about is the antenna.

On my car it is a motorised retractable one, so when I turn on the radio it goes up and when I switch to CD player it goes down. I know already that I can wire my FM reciever into it, but is there anyway I can control the retraction?

This was the initial reason I bought the Fusion Brain, just to keep the antenna down until I switch Ride Runner to radio. Then when I switch to any other audio/video source it retracts again.

Skywalker52 · 09-28-2009, 03:50 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by GizmoQ

This was the initial reason I bought the Fusion Brain, just to keep the antenna down until I switch Ride Runner to radio. Then when I switch to any other audio/video source it retracts again.

Interesting. So let me get this right. The Fusion Brain is able to send the signal to the antenna motor via USB? In theory I should be able to have my frontend send a command to the Fusion on activating/de-activation the radio?

I havent looked into Ride Runner yet, I was planning on using Centrafuse. I still dont fully understand the Fusion Brain setup, but do you think the same thing can be achieved with Centrafuse?

soundman98 · 09-28-2009, 09:34 AM

the fusion brain is a control board-- it has a bunch of 12volt outputs, something like a switchboard or a bunch of relays-- but is controlled by usb, and can do numerous things. in this case, you would program it to only put out 12 volts on output #1(or whatever output your antena was connected to), only when the radio option is selected as a source...

Note: i do not have a fusion brain, so i have no idea how to program it, i only know that it has the capability to do a lot of things.

GizmoQ · 09-28-2009, 12:12 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Skywalker52

Interesting. So let me get this right. The Fusion Brain is able to send the signal to the antenna motor via USB? In theory I should be able to have my frontend send a command to the Fusion on activating/de-activation the radio?

I havent looked into Ride Runner yet, I was planning on using Centrafuse. I still dont fully understand the Fusion Brain setup, but do you think the same thing can be achieved with Centrafuse?

Yes there is a partially completed Fusion Brain plugin for Centrafuse. I'm not sure how closely integrated it is, but with mine I just added a command in the front-end to energize a relay on the power line to the antenna motor whenever I hit my radio button on the computer and whenever I switch sources from radio those buttons have the added command to shut off the relay.

You can probably find a thread on the CF plugin in the CF plugin section of the forum.

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