Ford Galaxy Ghia - CarPC project - Page 2

proTONEd · 07-25-2004, 11:25 AM

So you know how the car looks like.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 01:43 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by kalito

show some pictures or something better than explination and ideas... is "finished projects only" i'm in the US and i don't even know how a ford galaxy looks like...i read the entire thead hoping to see some pictures but nothing...

Pics are coming up. I had a very busy weekend so I couldn't post them. I wanted to do it from work today, but forgot my CF card with the pics on it. This evening I have some time to post pics. Hey, not everybody has all the time in the world just to keep posting here like a uh... frodo.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 01:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by proTONEd

So you know how the car looks like.

Yeah, but that's not the Ghia-version...

The door-handles are in same color as the body. And windows are tinted. Also that nice antenna isn't on the picture. My avatar shows a piece of the back of my car.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 02:10 AM

Oh, forgot... I can already tell that using Cat 5e UTP cable for sound is very good. My setup has a little bit of engine whine in very silent passages. (And very low-level volume encoded movies) but I remember using one of those normal audio cables in a test setup that sounded a lot worse. (much more engine whining)
Otherwise I do not encounter interfercence or annoying sounds or anything unnusual.

I'm gonna check out some posts on the ground loop thing. Because that will probably solve this issue.

Smukkasen · 07-26-2004, 04:08 AM

Hi, Needstorage!

See that you used the Galaxy picture from one of my posts

I am very much looking forward to your pictures of the install. As you already know I have the same type of car and have started purchasing bits&pieces for the car PC (currently 7" Xenarc on it's way, 40 Gig hd arriving today, waiting for avaialability of Epia SP board, but still confused if this is the way to go...).

I hope you have some pictures for us soon!?

proTONEd · 07-26-2004, 09:39 AM

Sorry Needstorage, about it not being a Ghia, but I think the guy gets the idea now.

Smukkasen, hope you don't mind me having used one of the pics, the picture isn't copyrighted, is it?

How are you using the CAT5 cable? Normally CAT5 uses wires in pairs to reduce noice produced by other conductors.
You have the cable on the correct side of the car?
Are you using an aftermarket amp?

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 09:45 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by proTONEd

How are you using the CAT5 cable? Normally CAT5 uses wires in pairs to reduce noice produced by other conductors.
You have the cable on the correct side of the car?
Are you using an aftermarket amp?

1. Just stripped 3 colors of wires in the UTP-cable and used it for ground, left and right
2. You have the cable on the correct side of the car? (huh? Don't understand this one, what do you mean?)
3. I'm using the AUX-in of my built-in system: http://www.erta.ru/base/ford/ford_rns.shtml

about 4 hours left before I post the pics...

proTONEd · 07-26-2004, 10:42 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Needstorage

1. Just stripped 3 colors of wires in the UTP-cable and used it for ground, left and right

Best thing is to have the pairs matched. You will see that every colored wire will have a striped variant. The purpose of this (with datacommunication) is to eleminate noise. The colored wire will take the negative signal, where the striped will take the positive. This way cross-talk is eliminated as much as possible. Maybe you could try the same principal for your speaker setup.

Quote: Originally Posted by Needstorage

2. You have the cable on the correct side of the car? (huh? Don't understand this one, what do you mean?)

In each car the powerwires are laid on one side of the car, speakerwires get the other side. Best thing is not put signal or speakerwires on the same side as the powerwires. And certainly not CAT5 cable because it is unshielded.

Both could be a cause for noise or slight engine whine.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 02:48 PM

As promised, installation pictures...

I removed the existing GPS/Cellullar antenna and drilled an additional hole for the extra GPS receiver mouse. I had to remove the internal roof like you can see on one of these pictures.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 02:51 PM

I removed the chairs on row 2 and 3 for a smooth installation. Installing the USB cable for the GPS receiver...

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 02:57 PM

This is the final install. Like I said before, it's a company car, so I could not do a lot of modification to the dash. I also could not use the trunc for the carPC because it is an open trunc and the spaces above the back wheels are already used for an extra heating installation and the CD changer on the other side.

I have built a case that 'surrounds' the hand brake. It's a place that is of no use, and the carPC is located so I don't loose any space in the back of my car. I also used a removable HD-case so I can easily build a new XP embedded image and put some new media on it. (Still working on the software)

The case contains a red button on the front of it. You can guess it... it's the power button. I'm working on the start/shutdown system.

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 03:06 PM

As you can see, I'm not very well with mechanical things. I made that case myself, but it is certainly not top of the bill...

The last picture is the OBD-2 interface I built for testing and development. I'm still gonna use it while working on the software.

proTONEd · 07-26-2004, 04:04 PM

Nicely done! Clever handbreak-console-case-mod-thingy

What kind of bracket do you use for your Xenarc and where did you get it from? I'm still looking for one, which i'll be able to mount on a DIN-faceplate (since i have no HU anymore).

Needstorage · 07-26-2004, 04:38 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by proTONEd

What kind of bracket do you use for your Xenarc and where did you get it from? I'm still looking for one, which i'll be able to mount on a DIN-faceplate (since i have no HU anymore).

Made it myself. Used the same alu stuff that's on the case. It's based on an existing system that you can order in specialized carshops in Belgium. (ex. Autovak)

I ordered one, but even their supplier didnt't have it in stock, after two weeks I looked at the installation guide of these brackets (can't find the link anymore

) and I figured out I could build it myself...

So I did, I spared 60+ euro's and you know what? It fits and sits perfect!

I'll post a picture of the home-brew bracket tomorrow.

Kamo · 07-26-2004, 09:55 PM

Good on ya buddy

All reports on the waterproofness of the BU-303 GPS mouse seem to be good, the only bad report comes from stevieg who took it through a car wash once, and it stopped working for 24 hours. Others have used it in the rain, snow, dunked it in buckets of water, seems like it soldiers on with no problems ;o)

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