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Hello !! I recently purchased the $1,600 4th Gen Centrafuse Complete Car PC from Mobile Computing Solutions (mo-co-so.com). I will be using this thread to post every step for this product. Purchasing, shipping, opening, installation, systemization/configuration, customization, operation, and yes even reviews on their customer support !!!! I WILL BE DOCUMENTING EVERYTHING AND TAKING AS MANY PICS AS POSSIBLE !! I've never done this before so bear with me.
My background is a Bachelors of Science in Electronics and Computer Technology. I currently work as a Controls Systems Engineer. I work with PLC's (Programmable Logic Controllers), I am in the business of neutalizing/destroying the Chemical Weapon "VX' (the worst thing known to man) if you have ever seen the movie "The Rock" with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage..(Its the little green balls) Anyways i feel I have the experience to tackle this. Although time can present issues. I work 7 days on then 7 days off. My work days on are 7pm to 7am so bear with me !!
I will be installing this in a 2003 Nissan Murano SL AWD w/66k miles. Black Exterior Black Leather Interior. It also Has 22'' Dvinci Ragno Rims w/ Black inserts wrapped in 265/40/22 Falcons.
I haven't recieved the product yet ! So...
I will start my first post off with the purchasing...
I purchased the 4th Gen Centrafuse Complete Car PC fro Mobile Computing Solutions (mo-co-so.com) on 05/09/2008. I also upgraded a few small thigs.. (DVD Combo drive to a DVD R/RW Drive and 7'' Monitor to a 8"" Monitor)
HERE IS MY INVOICE !!
Credit Card Payment
Ship
5/9/2008 Via UPS
Phone #
215-667-8664
E-mail
chris@mo-co-so.com
Web Site
www.mo-co-so.com Total

MCS-CBS-TK1 Complete 4th Generation Carputer Including Black Aluminum
Mini ITX Chassis, 2.0GHz C7 CPU, 1G DDR2 RAM, 160W
Smart DC to DC power supply, PCMCIA Daughterboard,
120G SATA Hard Drive, Internal Bluetooth, Internal WIFI
with External Antenna, Slot Loading DVD Combo Drive, GPS
Receiver, Remote Control, Power Brick, Cable Package,
Antenna Adapter, and Lilliput 629 7" Touch Screen Monitor
= $1,599.99
1 Upgrade To 8" Touch Screen Monitor Model 809
= $15.00
Upgrade DVD R/RW Drive
= $15.00
Shipping Via UPS Ground
= $20.00
TOTAL
= $1,649.99
I've recieved the Tracking info. It was shipped from Pennsylvania
I will be back to let you know how many days it took to get here (Indiana). And to take pics of it in the box and opening the box to let us all see whats inside !!!!!
If ya have any questions let em' rip !!!HnomadH@aol.com
waiting and typing until then !

MP3Car.com

 

rdholtz

VX gas, huh? That is nasty stuff. They used to store VX at Rocky Mountain Arsenal, on the plains a dozen miles outside Denver, when I was stationed there. At that time, the base was nearly 30 square miles in size. The entire base -- except for one little group of buildings -- is gone, now. The production area was pretty badly contaminated and was still being cleaned up the last time I visited, but there was a lot of wildlife living in the buffer zone around it, including bald eagles, so part of the base was turned into a wildlife refuge.

To start us off, how about some pix of the car and the places you plan to put the carPC parts?

Welcome aboard.

__________________
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If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.

2006 Scion xB with in-dash Atom & Lilliput 889GL -- Worklog at http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/work...res-links.html
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1000101

I will place a stock internet pic of the vehicle and stock pick of the rims to start. I just moved a few days ago and cannot find my camera.. I have about 10 more boxes to go through. (also its been pouring down raining all week) But I do have a garage YAY !! Anyways.. as soon as i find the camera..(should be tomorrow) I will add real pics !!

At the moment I've made a cut out pattern of my stock dash and a pattern of the 8'' monitor.. (the monitor specs are from the mo-co-so.com site) its a rough draft. But until i recieve the items and phsically see the sizes, i will probably have to wait to let you know.

But for starters, if the dash (once I pull it apart) permits, I will be placing it where the original radio is now. and may have to relocate the heat/ac controls.. but we will see. I also thought about removing the radio and placing the heater/ac/(Navigation which I don't have that option) screen where the radio was. Then i would place the screen up where the nav screen was. It would be ideal, because the screen for the ac/heater would be right by its controls and the monitor would be nice and very viewable up where the nav screen came from (plus it would create less dash work i think). The only problem that i noticed was that to use the touch screen you would have to lean up and it would be quite a reach ! ANY THOUGHTS?

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P.S. I like the second option so far.. it looks more OEM ... hopefully i can fit it there and hopefully I can find a place for those buttons !! let me know what you think !!

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P.S.S. The actual Case and comp will most likely be under the rear seats. There is a sneaky slightly larger than a shoe-box compartment on both sides.. (EXTREMELY CONVENIENT). The DVD R/RW drive is a USB SLOT LOADING drive... so with it being slot loading and very thin I can place it just about anywhere !! ...Fm tuner connects to the factory antenna and the GPS is supposedly really powerful .. they told me I can just mount it in the compartment with my case or i could still place it in the window or.. I thought I might purchase one of thse shark fin gps antennas to go ontop of the car.. well anyways we will see !!

rdholtz

If you use the upper location, I wonder if, instead of recessing it into the dash, you could bring it out even with the dash and build up the surround so it forms a shroud to block sun.

A second idea might be to put it in the lower location, but lower the entire a/c system -- buttons and knobs -- a little so the buttons will fit.

Looks like you have some good space to work in.

__________________
.
If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.

2006 Scion xB with in-dash Atom & Lilliput 889GL -- Worklog at http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/work...res-links.html
.

1000101

I haven't thought of building a shroud.. i'm def looking into it.

Oh and here is the URL of the Product I purchased !

http://store.mo-co-so.com/4th-genera...arpc-p-92.html

Seems to be the best on the market... The other I was thinking about was Azentek.. it is really nice and all in one double din dash unit.. but doesn't come out until end of year... and also isn't as much fun !!

rdholtz

The shroud might be an interesting way to go. I look at those pictures, and wonder about scale. If that's a 7" double-DIN unit that's standard, the screen version you put in may not be to scale, and may be too small to represent an 8" unit. If that's the case, then the screen would encroach on the a/c ducts, much like mine did. Using a shroud might give you the option to extend the a/c ducts out around the shroud, maintaining the OEM appearance. I haven't gotten to building the bezel for my installation yet, although I've started, then postponed it to build other parts.

I looked at the Azentek, but single-DIN motorized units have a rough history on MP3Car; they seem pretty short-lived mechanically.

Here's a product that I think is the slickest carPC form I've seen: the ARTiGO Pico-ITX builder kit. It's 5.9"(L) x 4.3"(D) x 1.8"(H). List is about $400; add a GB of memory (about $30) and a 2.5" hard drive ($ depends on size), and away we go. I've read only one review, and that said it performed fine. But it's a kit, and all the other stuff gets purchased separately from a variety of vendors. Your system has the advantage of single-vendor responsibility, and, if anything goes wrong, that can be a huge advantage.

__________________
.
If just enough is really good, then too much ought to be perfect.

2006 Scion xB with in-dash Atom & Lilliput 889GL -- Worklog at http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/work...res-links.html
.

MP3Car.com

 

1000101

Product is in town and en route.... I get off of work at 7 AM and will be stopping by UPS to pick-up hopefully beore it leaves. I couldn't find my camera.. it was either lost or stolen during the move. (or still packed and just overlooked) But fortunatly my neighbor is nice enough to let me borrow his for the time being. i will be taking pictures of the package today !!!

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The product arrived on time !! (May 13, 2008!!) Wow !! I told you guys that I would show detailed pics of as many steps possible. I have attached pics of the packaged box and the materials inside. I know this is not too informative, but it will give you a step by step of what you may decide to do yourself one day....

Oh. P.S. Look at the pick of the Car PC Case.. there is a warranty sticker on the corner where the screw is... Nice but not nice as I wanted too look inside to confirm proper hardware was installed... I also donot have the Centrafuse packaging.. but I will find out if it is pre loaded onto the system here soo !!

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This next post is very interesting... I started out as most do... I ripped my dashboard out . Ripped is slightly the wrong word.. but more like properly took it out. Anyways... i took pictures of the process, but I do know everyones dash is different. So I saved myself some time by adding the link here to some other guy that did his Murano dash removal. He did a better job than I would describing most of the process. It is quite easy.. although one of his pics says to grab and yank with all you have... he isn't kidding, it doesn't break anything but you do haveto yank considerably.

Here's the link...

http://www.murano04.org/

(He is adding a Sat/Gps or something.. ignore that for now !!)

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and I like calling it a problem, because.. . Problems can always be FiXeD.. !!!

I removed my dash with the idea of going with my first Option of placing the 8'' monitor where the radio is and relocating the buttons. buzzzz aaaaa WRONG !! The OEM radio is a BOSE that is completely integrated as one circuitboard. You cannot separate the radio from any buttons for heating/ac .. etc. I can redesign the circuitboard and cut it to shreds, (I have the schooling to do this). It will cost way too much !!!...I checked everywhere online, there are plenty of custom Nissan Muranos out there..NOT A ONE HAS THE FACTORY STEREO REMOVED.... IT IS SAID TO BE IMPOSSIBLE AND NO ONE HAS DONE IT !!.. Oh and like I said I checked into everything .. I agree it has to stay. Whaaaa whaaaa whaaaa !! Am I crying because I cannot place a Carputer into my vehicle??? HECK NO !! I didn't say i was going to leave the factory radio in and and USE it. I have sat down for days, with a professor (handy idea man that is my neighbor) <---Very nice Guy, th local car audio store (Audio+) and with several other genuiouses.. lol WHALA we cameup with the perfect fix !!!! Relocate the top ac/heater MONITOR to below the whole dash, place the 8" monitor in its place and leave the rest stock !! Now you are asking yourself.... HOW IS THIS GOING TOLOOK OEM WITH A DEAD RADIO SITTING IN THE DASH... Well I've decided to place a black or silver.. plate over the radio controls so that it looks as if it weren't there.I will then place an illuminated factory emblem there to look pretty cool.

I will add the photos of the Radio Problem, and the New Plan Here ........




















THE FIX... .. / NEW PLAN !!!........

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Next Step ::::::: Make A Fiber Glass Housing/Dash/ Bezel/Mount/Shroud.. whatever you like to call it...

I will either be doing this myself (For the First time) or I will be Having my local Audio store Fabricator do this (Audio+). I was given an estimate for the fiberglass work, it is a pretty penny to have someone do this. I may look into doing this myself. I will be purchasing most of my monitors/amplifiers/speaker through them unless otherwise stated. But for now I believe I will do some research.

pir8radio

You might wanna remove that picture that shows what you ordered.... Your XP serial number might not work once you get it installed. ;-)

1000101

Thanx.. I didn't even realize it was on there !!

MP3Car.com