2001 tacoma quad cab big screen 10.4

jbell · 04-12-2008, 11:05 PM

Well since this forum seems to be short on tacoma big screens, I thought I'd post my progress. As soon as bezel is done, and touchpad is embedded in armrest, then all the big work will be done.

Here's what's there:

JL10W1V2 in .45 sealed behind the rear seat. (that's right, a 10 in a 01-04 quad cab.... and everything still looks factory... Who says a 10 can't fit in a quad taco?)

Boston acoustic 6.5pro with the tweeters in the 'triangle' cover for the side view mirrors -- not in the doors. HUGE improvement over stock location.

SoundStream 60x4 amp, channels 3-4 bridges to JL sub.
EQL 15band eq.

T5720 thin client running xp embedded
Shark 10.4 screen from gooddeals18, with touchscreen removed.
linksys usb wireless (to sync media folder)
8gig usb thumb drive for music
omnibook600 9v-24vin, 12volt out switching supply
(future) adstech instant FM
(future) touchpad embedded in center front of armrest
(future) ps3 wireless thumbpad.
(future) front end software?? currently just using MP11.

What's really cool, is there is no hard drive in this. There is no fan in this, there are no funky inverters or power supply problems. I don't have to worry about a dead battery. When you are ready to shut down, just key off... with flash boot and EWF, who cares? It boots from power on to playing music in about 15seconds. I removed the touchscreen, as I found out just playing around with a touchpad, I could control everything I needed that way, and the improvement in sunlight readability without a touchscreen is AMAZING.

It's all legal... Since the T5720 comes with a license and software images for either ubuntu, or xpe, I'm 100% legit, and I didn't have to build a thing...

Relocating an 01-04 taco hvac controls is EASY. it's all wire, and if you 'unloop' it from the a-pillar to a-pillar rollbar, it's long enough. Just some creative dremel, and then screwed it to where the ashtray/lighter area was.

I make a rigid mount for the screen that bolts into the original factory stereo steel mount, so everything is good and tight, no vibrations.

Everything is auto-on. The screen is auto-on when source is present, and the T5720 bios power option allows it to boot whenever power is supplied.

Only concern I have is night driving, I may add a power disconnect switch to the monitor, so on nights that it's just too much, I can just turn it off, while the music plays...

fun project. didn't even lose my mind doing it.

Now, for the finishing touches on that bezel......

jbell · 04-13-2008, 07:24 PM

Nermin · 04-13-2008, 07:44 PM

dude I have same touchscreen from gooddeals18 and I know just how amazing that thing is - and CHEAP too

jbell · 04-13-2008, 09:45 PM

yea, great screen, and wait till you actually remove the touchscreen!! It's razor crisp. The fuzz/just not quite sharp is completely gone. For me, it's worth it. (I know I'm probably in a group of about 5% who are willing to voluntarily give up touch.)

Pictures were about 3:00 afternoon, bright sun. This is my commuting rig, bright sun both ways...

I hope the www.ergonomictouchpad.com touchpad embedded in the front (vertical surface) of my center armrest will be sufficient control, where I don't even have to move my arm to make adjustments. It'll be invisible at least.

hailrazer · 04-13-2008, 09:57 PM

Interesting you mention the touchscreen on the 10.4". I just posted this in the 10.4" thread:

Quote:

My 2 cents on the 10.4"

The touchscreen had to go. It had so much glare all I could focus on was the passenger and/or seat to the right.

So I took off the touchscreen and it made a HUGE difference. Much better in direct sunlight now also. And the screen is nice and bright and looks great at 800x600. With HD movies it looks awesome.

Cons : Spent $220 and didn't need the touchscreen.

Guess I could sell it

Without the touchscreen this screen really shines doesn't it?

I like your progress so far. Lookin good.

jbell · 04-13-2008, 10:08 PM

whadda' you know... another believer in removing the touchscreen....

what'd you end up with for controls?

hailrazer · 04-13-2008, 10:12 PM

I'm using a touchpad :
http://www.ergonomictouchpad.com/ergonomic_touchpad.php

$34.99 shipped. Wasn't to bad a deal and it works beautifully. Haven't decided on a permanent mounting spot yet though.

jbell · 04-14-2008, 12:31 PM

funny you mention that pad, and mention removing touchscreen as well -- we must be thinking along similiar lines. Glad to hear you like it. I'm placing mine on the vertical surface of my center console/armrest, so that as my hand hangs over the front edge, I can run the touch from there. (probably next weekends project)

jbell · 04-17-2008, 04:11 PM

WOW... just got my touchpad. Who even wants a touchscreen with this? the ability to scroll, right click, wow!!

I can't say it lLOUD ENOUGH. I love this thing. www.ergonomictouchpad.com

I was going to mount it vertically, but actually it works out better flat, between my shifter and dr.pepper location...

HiJackZX1 · 04-22-2008, 06:16 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by Nermin

dude I have same touchscreen from gooddeals18 and I know just how amazing that thing is - and CHEAP too

I know im kind of late, I wish I had good dealings with gooddeals18. I bought my item off Ebay, and when I thought they fixed the problem and left positive feedback they would not help me after that. So basically I lost $220.00. This was for a VGA 15" flip down.

Anyways I love your truck install. I wish I had a dash big enough to fit something like that. I can barely fit the 7" inch screen.

jbell · 04-22-2008, 10:36 PM

Thanks for the kind words on the install. I knew at the time I ordered, that it was an iffy proposition ordering from gooddeals18. The fact that I needed to resolder the lamp wires shows that quality is marginal. It is a very obvious hack of a hack of a hack. (even the lamp driver board has wires soldered on, because they didn't have a cord with the correct plug...) However, it is a samsung screen, and without the touchscreen, it looks fantastic. Bright daylight, no worries, ever. It's never faded. I really mean never. Part is the screen, part is the install location and the shadow bezel.

Relocating the hvac was the key to a big screen. I'm convinced that the screen makes/breaks this type of project.

I do feel for you on just trying to cram in a 7" screen. I have a friend with an 04 taurus that wants as much as he can get... Any thoughts are appreciated. All I can see is a metra single din dash kit with a flip out screen. Ford just made it impossible to do anything cool in a taurus. (got to keep up their image, now don't they)

jbell · 04-26-2008, 07:19 PM

made a change on FM. Decided against the adstech. Just couldn't pass up going HDradio even though it's slightly more expensive.

I got a $50 HDZ300 from ebay and a cable from mitch on order.

also playing with digitalfx3.0 skin...

HiJackZX1 · 04-26-2008, 07:54 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by jbell

made a change on FM. Decided against the adstech. Just couldn't pass up going HDradio even though it's slightly more expensive.

I got a $50 HDZ300 from ebay and a cable from mitch on order.

also playing with digitalfx3.0 skin...

Good idea, HD radio is much more reliabe, its also the best FM solution even if you do not have HD radio in your area.

jbell · 05-05-2008, 08:04 PM

Got my hdradio today, so I thought I'd snap a couple pictures while it was all torn apart. The moving of the HVAC controls was what made this possible, so here's what it looks like from the back side... Also you can see how the lcd 'frame' allows plenty of room to mount things like the tuner, etc...

chaotic · 07-10-2008, 10:19 AM

jbell, curious how were you able to hack the default XPE image provided by HP. I attempted to use nlite on my 5720 with no luck. I've also tried to modify the T5720 image provided by HP and its so locked down that i can't do a darn thing.