Mp3 Mr2

telekineticfool · 10-20-2003, 06:21 AM

Finally got this finished...did a 21 hour install to get it ready for a BBQ, and everything just came together.
(no comments on song selection, btw

)
(click for hi-res)

(yes, by the way, that silver thing next to the key is the power button...as soon as I get a Powermate to hack the internals out of, it's going to be the volume knob, too...)

Hardware

Power Acoustik 5.6" TFT LCD from some site I froogled a long time ago
Opus 150watt DC-DC powersupply from Opus Solutions
VIA EPIA M10000 Mainboard from Fry's Electronics Outpost.com
512 Megs of PC2100 DDR Ram from Fry's Electronics Outpost.com
30gig Western Digital that I had laying around
JVC KD-LH2000 Head Unit, relocated into glovebox
JVC KSU57 Line in adapter from Another Site I Froogle'd

Not installed yet:

Creative Labs PC Multimedia Remote Control from a site linked off the mp3car.com forums
Belkin Nostromo Speed Pad
Sony DVD-ROM

Software

Windows 2000
Media Engine v1.7

telekineticfool · 10-20-2003, 06:21 AM

Pics
All pics are thumbnails, click for full sized.
Car, just to get it out of the way:

Location that I found behind the seat, made to house the optional factory subwoofer:

How the components fit in the box, all attached to a custom bent sheet metal half-case:

*UPDATE: Wiring Diagram*

The monitor is patched into one of the Opus PSU's Molex connectors, and all three RCA cables run up the center console, one to the monitor carrying TV-Out, and two to the Head unit.

telekineticfool · 10-20-2003, 06:22 AM

The screen mounted in a custom machined aluminum bezel (my friend being reflected), computer booting. Also, another friend (in the passenger seat) and me playing with the computer...note the keyboard sprayed completly black that I'm using until I install my speedpad.

Well...that's about all I can think of at the moment. I'd love to hear any comments or questions :-) Thanks, forum, for helping make this coolness possible

chut · 10-20-2003, 07:14 AM

Thats pretty cool! The PC , is it a desktop or laptop? Also, didn't you leave out the "L"?

telekineticfool · 10-20-2003, 07:17 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by chut

Thats pretty cool! The PC , is it a desktop or laptop? Also, didn't you leave out the "L"?

"L"??

The pc isn't a desktop or laptop, it's a mini-itx based mobil pc that i custom made specifically to go in my car...does that make it a cartop?

bgoodman · 10-20-2003, 08:39 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by telekineticfool

"L"??

i think he means in the song display...

Defiler · 10-20-2003, 08:45 AM

Oh, that's very nice...Like the brushed ALU. look.

telekineticfool · 10-20-2003, 06:08 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by bgoodman

i think he means in the song display...

lol...longest joke awareness delay ever. finally got it...It's not my fault my library is comprehensive. I didn't think that was going to be my screen shot, but right when I was in the middle of taking pictures at my car-club meet, these three cop cars rolled up and arrested one of our friends for display of speed...quickly switched from taking mp3 pics to taking Bad Boys pics :-)

LittleDragon · 10-28-2003, 04:01 PM

Here's a few pics of the system I stuck in my MR2 3 years ago back in 2000. Still going strong but I'm rebuilding the system over winter. 3 year old technology isn't doing it for me anymore, I want a touch screen, I want my DVD drive back in it, definately a GPS with a faster pickup time and I want a bigger hard drive, 40 gigs isn't enough. This new system is going to have the works, it's the perfect time to work on it right now because my car is off the road for a couple months having a TRD widebody kit installed.

More info at http://members.shaw.ca/baoli/
I did a quick one day reinstall and moved the PC from behind the driver's seat to the front trunk of the car for the big MR2 meet down in Las Vegas back in April. This time, a whole new system is going in.

telekineticfool · 10-28-2003, 06:28 PM

Nice...I've got a picture of your screen saved someplace...I remember the switches next to it. And I've definitely been to your website before...what with the red and green menu items that I *STILL CAN'T READ*

Looks good, got anymore pics of the front trunk install? Good luck with the fitament on your widebody!

noodles · 10-28-2003, 09:49 PM

On a scale of 1-10, how is the quality on that screen?

Spaghetti · 10-29-2003, 06:15 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by telekineticfool

(no comments on song selection, btw

)

Quite like Dido actually- I think she's pretty sexy....

LittleDragon · 10-30-2003, 03:57 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by noodles

On a scale of 1-10, how is the quality on that screen?

I would say it's an 8, it's pretty bright but the glare from the sun makes it hard to see during the day. That may be partly because the car has glass t-tops and I don't put the shades in. It also sux that it doesn't take a VGA signal so it makes it rather hard to read. A bigger screen will make it's way in there eventually.

LittleDragon · 10-30-2003, 04:02 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by telekineticfool

Nice...I've got a picture of your screen saved someplace...I remember the switches next to it. And I've definitely been to your website before...what with the red and green menu items that I *STILL CAN'T READ*

Looks good, got anymore pics of the front trunk install? Good luck with the fitament on your widebody!

lol... when I made the site three years ago, I was using a crappy 800x600 monitor and it looked fine... haven't had much time to redo the site so I never bothered to fix the buttons. There's a few more pics of the trunk install on the website. Looks cool at night with the blue neon. I don't know if you were there but when we were in Vegas, we had a little cruise down the strip with about 100 MR2's and ended up at the Bellagio. I had quite a crowd around the car looking over the PC, the HID projector headlights and I had the Valentine dancer running. I guess people are attracted to bright lights or something cuz there was barely a crowd around my car during the show and shine at the LV Speedway. People were wondering how they could've missed my car at the show and shine... lol

Kamo · 10-30-2003, 09:55 PM

Nice industrial looking power switch I reckon ... That thing needs to be struck with the heel of the hand, JC style ...

If you do end up turning it into a volume knob - suggestion: Leave it as a push button too - ATT(enuate) function, sweet ;o)