Opus DC - DC

souljetta · 03-14-2003, 02:11 PM

Hi, i came across this site about a year ago and finally decided it's time for me to get a PC in my car.

After some planning and a litle work i got a primative PC up and running in my car only to have the window smashed in and the system stolen

Anway, i've leaned from my mistakes and now id like to build a better system (and hide it when im parking in big lots)

Im thinking about getting an Xenarc VGA touch screen, using an old gateway pc, and sticking in an Opus DC - DC PSU

Im very new to this but i was told that some Opus models would be able to power my ATX mobo as well as shutdown the PC and Start up the PC with my car staring and shutting down

Is this true?

dx84crx · 03-14-2003, 02:14 PM

Yes it will be able to power your ATX mobo, and it does have a shutdown controller built in. I just received mine a couple of days ago, and am waiting to install it!!

souljetta · 03-14-2003, 02:38 PM

So that means it will be able to gracefully shutdown my PC when the car turns off?

What about when the car turns on? Will it be able to turn the PC on?

BlueVisor · 03-15-2003, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by souljetta
So that means it will be able to gracefully shutdown my PC when the car turns off?

What about when the car turns on? Will it be able to turn the PC on?

turn on the "power on after power failure" option in your bios settings, that should work...

bosstone74 · 03-15-2003, 12:56 AM

Bluevisor....that's not correct....

Opus will turn on when your car does...and shutdown the comp. 10 sec. 10 min or 20 min. by using different jumpers....

OPUS KICKS A$$

I have one...and I'd buy another if I was donig it again!

souljetta · 03-15-2003, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by bosstone74

Opus will turn on when your car does...and shutdown the comp. 10 sec. 10 min or 20 min. by using different jumpers....

So say i run over the market to get an apple, if i set the jumper to turn off after 10 mins, and im only inside for 8 mins, when i come back and turn the car on, the PC will still be on?

bosstone74 · 03-15-2003, 01:01 PM

YES, that is correct!!
What I did and a lot of other people, they keeped it on the 10 sec. shutdown and made a switch to keep it on in that kind of situation...

aoLhaTer · 03-20-2003, 02:16 AM

how does leaving the computer on for that 10 or 20 minutes effect the battery?

also, are there any cheaper alternatives to the opus, its rather expensive (i was quoted 189)

themurph1018 · 03-20-2003, 04:39 PM

There a bunch of cheaper solutions. But what opus did is it made a psu that was very easy to install and use. Another road you could take is get a psu and a seperate shutdown controller. If you want the cheapest solution than build one yourself or ask someone to build you one.

aoLhaTer · 03-20-2003, 04:50 PM

where would i inquire about having one built for me?

bosstone74 · 03-20-2003, 06:55 PM

If you don't need a lot of power (70 watts), do a search for Jeff mucha powersupply. (about 150.oo US)
If you need a good amount of power get an opus, save for a just little longer, do whatever you have to do....the money you spend will be much more worth it than the problems you have building one or having someone explain to you how the one they built you is supposed to work.

My advise...save for an OPUS
I'd buy another one, it was the best carputer purchase I have ever made,...and I'm on my third carputer!

aoLhaTer · 03-20-2003, 07:58 PM

opus it is

thanks

themurph1018 · 03-20-2003, 09:12 PM

Bosstone, Im thinking about getting an opus also.
1)The thing I'm concerned with is if the auto turn on/shutdown thing will work with my car. Im not to technically inclined otherwise I would already know if it would work. I want to put a carputer into a '78 monte carlo. You don't need a modern car for the ignition startup/shutdown to work, right? You just need to wire it to the ignition wire??
2)Also I have my head unit hooked up straight to my battery. Is there anyway to hook up the head unit to the opus so it startsup/shutsdown with the carputer? or is that just a dumb idea and a waste of wire?
3)Can I hook up my opus/carputer through a power distribution block? So it would go opus/distribution block/capacitor/ then wire to battery.

Thanks

bosstone74 · 03-20-2003, 09:39 PM

YES TO IT ALL, but if you are not really sure about it...I'd be carefull! fuse everything close to the power source!!

souljetta · 03-21-2003, 02:07 PM

themurph1018,

Why would you need to hook the PSU into the stereo if the Opus auto shuts down the PC with the car? (

Or are you just looking to get the power from a source other then a cigaretter lighter port?