Project Vogue

MICK UK · 12-10-2005, 05:18 AM

So far the car has a bucket load of kit installed (came like this from new and done by a pro install company in London)
I am now going to change the old kit and upgrade to a full CarPuter with onboard ODB2 diags, pc, mp3, wifi and modem.

Currently installed kit:

2 x Alpine Headrest 7" Widescreens w/brain box TME-M750
1 x Alpine TV Tuner TUE-T012
1 x Vdo Dayton MS5000 GPS/SAT NAV
1 x Unknown front Screen
1 x Alpine DVD Player DVA5205P
3 x Sony remote Headsets
1 x Kenwood RF Modulator
1 x Alpine Composite unit KCE100V
1 x Alpine Multi nav/dvd/tv/hu remote
1 x Alpine TV remote
1 x VDO sat nav remote
all aerials concealed (thats the good bit) you cant see anything

plus just bought a new VDO Dayton TMC5011 traffic master box (new version) from ebay. to connect up for traffic as am moving back to the UK in January....

plus a bucket load of cables and relays....

Here is the current setup

Name: dash2.jpg
Views: 4227
Size: 159.8 KB

Name: dash2.jpg
Views: 4227
Size: 159.8 KB

Name: dash1.jpg
Views: 4208
Size: 182.1 KB

Name: dvd1.jpg
Views: 4146
Size: 196.5 KB

Name: hr1.jpg
Views: 4120
Size: 144.9 KB

The front screen is causing me problems as the surround was cracked in the bottom right hand corner when I got the car and since I reied to repair it I cracked it twice more...bloody irony!!!
I have no idea what the screen is?? It has NO make or marks on it and have looked everywhere to find it. Weird that it fits the RR so perfectly!!!
I want to replace it with a bigger screen that will accomodate the pc desktop and skin but it needs a socket for the VDO sat nav??? I am lost on this one which means I am now stripping down the car and doing a reverse install to see how the installer did it.

Here is a picture of his hiding place

Name: kitpic.jpg
Views: 4084
Size: 194.0 KB

Name: kitpic.jpg
Views: 4084
Size: 194.0 KB

New Kit and changes required:

Remove rear Alpine oem CD changer.
Install micro pc in place with:

Intel P4 Micro Board
M1 ATX psu
Maplin invertor
Travla Box not decided yet but in black
P4 3.0Ghz HT
512mb DDR
Slim CD rom laptop unit
2.5" 40gb fuji
PCI Soundblaster Audigy
Linksys Wifi pci cardw/ext SRX triple ext antenna for max signal of hotspots
7" or 8"touchscreen (undecided) plus some kind of fabrication
56k modem on Nokia 3230 bl/t w/ext aerial.
ODB2 with sofware diags
Windows XP Pro
Rovacom lite diags perm. connected on board
Alpine CD head unit with pre out and 2 x aux IN.

The idea:

To connect the DVD player direct to the new HU from the current FM Mod unit.
Connect Alpine HU to Land Rover DSP in boot for direct pre amp signal.
Connect PC soundblaster to aux in on HU.

Other changes to be decided and posted.
I have most of the parts in the garage from other units etc so cost will not be a major issue.

Any comments especially from RR owners are welcomed.

Cris · 12-10-2005, 06:55 AM

Very very nice! A wider picture please!

MICK UK · 12-10-2005, 10:48 AM

Thanks for comment Cris. Just looked at your idrive...like the look of that.
I need to learn how to fabricate. Have no idea about how it's all done.
I will go out and take a few more shots of the interior.

jthiani · 12-10-2005, 01:18 PM

Hi Mick

Well this answers many questions for me. I like the setup...in fact your the second rr ive seen with the dvd player installed inplace of the rear ac vents. Im thinking of doing the same thing. I do however think you can fit a much larger monitor in your dash. I think you had said you need some help in this area..... just hit me up and we can discuss options.

MICK UK · 12-11-2005, 12:27 PM

Thanks J.
Thats exactly my thinking. I have thought over the 10 or 11 inch screen and lose the Alpine but for reselling the car I think that this will put people off.
So I thought I would keep the HU and put in the biggest screen I can get into that hole. A 7" I think. So i'ts down to the connection as well. I need a VGA connector on the screen but also I know to be an Alpine/vdo "monitor connector" A black mobile phone type. I am in the process of going through the whole system to see how to wire in the PC and change the way it connects. This will probably involve some sort of change of cable or adaptor as I do NOT want to go RCA for the PC.
The fabrication is a worry as I need the surround done in the "wood style"??? and not black. Any thoughts

Freelander · 12-12-2005, 01:05 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by MICK UK

Thanks J.
Thats exactly my thinking. I have thought over the 10 or 11 inch screen and lose the Alpine but for reselling the car I think that this will put people off.
So I thought I would keep the HU and put in the biggest screen I can get into that hole. A 7" I think.

getting a 7" screen is like living in a big house and watching a tabletop 13" quasar tv/vcr combo in the living room because you dont want to mount a 60" plasma on the wall and leave holes when you move out.

you own a freakin range rover. grow some onions and buy a range rover-sized screen.

jthiani · 12-12-2005, 11:44 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by MICK UK

Thanks J.
Thats exactly my thinking. I have thought over the 10 or 11 inch screen and lose the Alpine but for reselling the car I think that this will put people off.
So I thought I would keep the HU and put in the biggest screen I can get into that hole. A 7" I think. So i'ts down to the connection as well. I need a VGA connector on the screen but also I know to be an Alpine/vdo "monitor connector" A black mobile phone type. I am in the process of going through the whole system to see how to wire in the PC and change the way it connects. This will probably involve some sort of change of cable or adaptor as I do NOT want to go RCA for the PC.

The biggest screen you can put there if you want the hu to remain in that location is probably a 5.6". I just finished fabrication for another forum member (see picture) using a 7" monitor and there would be no room to install the hu in the stock location.

Quote: Originally Posted by MICK UK

The fabrication is a worry as I need the surround done in the "wood style"??? and not black. Any thoughts.

I have a local guy who does the wood finish on car parts. So replicating the wood finish with a factory look will not be an issue. And its not just stick on panels, its the actual woodgrain finish that the factory uses.

jthiani · 12-12-2005, 11:56 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Freelander

getting a 7" screen is like living in a big house and watching a tabletop 13" quasar tv/vcr combo in the living room because you dont want to mount a 60" plasma on the wall and leave holes when you move out.

you own a freakin range rover. grow some onions and buy a range rover-sized screen.

Be nice man.....

BIzFlawless · 12-13-2005, 02:24 AM

Nice!

where did you get the woodgrain covering for the headrests?

MICK UK · 12-13-2005, 04:04 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by BIzFlawless

Nice!

where did you get the woodgrain covering for the headrests?

No Idea, the car came like this...
I have the details of the fitting company in London and am going to try again to get some info on the install... poss. a wiring diagram and fabrication info.
I will post here when I get info.

MICK UK · 12-13-2005, 04:12 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by jthiani

The biggest screen you can put there if you want the hu to remain in that location is probably a 5.6". I just finished fabrication for another forum member (see picture) using a 7" monitor and there would be no room to install the hu in the stock location.

I have a local guy who does the wood finish on car parts. So replicating the wood finish with a factory look will not be an issue. And its not just stick on panels, its the actual woodgrain finish that the factory uses.

Thanks J. You are exactly right. I have been out measuring and looking at screen sizes and nothing fits at all. I am now thinking that the only way forward is to rip out the HU and take "Freelander's" advice and stick in a big screen. My only problem is that because the car has already got £5000 worth of kit pre installed it makes it so much more difficult to interact with the PC.
The problem being the dedicated NAVI connector from the VDO unit.
I am trying to work out how to get the VDO to send it's signal to the Alpine Monitor box and then onto the new screen, which will have to have a VGA and RCA connectors (VGA from PC & RCA from Alpine (dvd, tv & Nav).
The problem then is the buttons for the VDO. Currently its all done with a remote to an eye on the screen????
Can't dump the VDO, have just upgraded it with new S/W and a TMC unit which is winging its way from Germany by DHL today...
Also have input problems of the DSP unit...

A lot of thinking and planning to be done...

Thanks for the good news about the wood fabrication. This really helps.

The fab pics look great.

MICK UK · 12-14-2005, 03:33 AM

Update: 14.12.05

Have been thinking hard about the project and I think I am going to go with the fabrication and a 7" t/s.
J. I love that job you did with the panel and I have an idea of what to do with the little blank space under the temp sensor.
The problem is I don't know what to do with the space under the screen. I will not have a slim drive etc so this is a lot of wasted space. Need ideas of what to stick there...
Any idea of cost of fabbing the surround and wood grain? PM me about it.

jsp · 12-14-2005, 09:00 PM

COOL!

I have just fabbed up for a 7inch TS as well

jthiani · 12-14-2005, 11:04 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by jsp

COOL!

I have just fabbed up for a 7inch TS as well

Hey jsp, whats the model of the ts you used??? it seams to solve the problem of having a 7" screen and hu remain in stock location.

Quote: Originally Posted by MICK UK

Have been thinking hard about the project and I think I am going to go with the fabrication and a 7" t/s.
J. I love that job you did with the panel and I have an idea of what to do with the little blank space under the temp sensor.
The problem is I don't know what to do with the space under the screen. I will not have a slim drive etc so this is a lot of wasted space. Need ideas of what to stick there...
Any idea of cost of fabbing the surround and wood grain? PM me about it.

you could use it for switches, usb ports, anything really...just get really creative with it.....

jsp · 12-15-2005, 12:25 AM

I bought a SUPER screen

it was cheap and cost about $280 AU delivered.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/7-Super-TOUCH...QQcmdZViewItem

Same as this one.

can take some pics of it in my dash if you like - havent pulled my old dash out yetI am fabricating just two buttons into the surround, a power, and input, to select my laptop (solely for GPS) and my HU, a JVC deck with DVD playback.

I have issues with the TS - but I think its a driver issue and have to look into it more - it dosnt seem to remember the screen calibration and you have to do it everytime you reboot the pc. Pc is just a compaq P3-850 laptop with XP and mapmonkey.

User Name		Remember Me?
Password