2003 Saab 9-3: The SS Box (I know, name under construction) - Page 3

replicant · 11-08-2005, 01:07 PM

Viscouse,

I have to say, I've rather enjoyed reading your project worklog, typically I don't sit and read chitter chatter (even though I keep a couple blogs myself and can be known to ramble), however yours were insightful, and I even learned a few things I had been wondering about for my own system, in fact, one of which is the opus being used in the house; i had read some about it years ago when i first built my carpc, but never implemented anything and just put it on the back burner, until now

So thanks, and keep up the good work and the worklog writing; also if you have pictures of the opus/atx psu setup as well as the wiring ncessary, I'd be most appreciative.

thanks,

Viscouse · 11-08-2005, 01:43 PM

Thanks! I'm glad to know I'm not just rambling into the wind

I'll see what I can do this weekend.

Viscouse · 11-11-2005, 11:50 AM

Quote: Originally Posted by defsquad

...also if you have pictures of the opus/atx psu setup as well as the wiring necessary, I'd be most appreciative.

Here you go!

I had kind an odd setup. I wired the Opus & mobo into my case, but still wanted to power it via the ATX, like in the house. That way I could still work on it in the house while the OPUS was installed, and also in the car way before I had my power wires run. So I made a 4-pin molex connector coming out of the carpc, as described in Post #18.

The cable connected to the ATX power supply, and the 4-pin connector of my carpc.

replicant · 11-11-2005, 01:38 PM

Viscouse, you are a good man. Thanks for those awesome pics. I really want to do this so I can essentially do the same thing. I want to be sure I"m straight as to what this does. This allows you to use the OPUS inside, correct? You don't need any normal AC-DC ATX powersupply for in the house? Also, where did you purchase the connectors? Through an online parts vendor or like a radio shack?

THanks again!

Viscouse · 11-11-2005, 03:22 PM

Yep, you can use the opus inside, and outside if you plug the atx to an extension cord.

Quote: Originally Posted by defsquad

You don't need any normal AC-DC ATX powersupply for in the house?

I don't know what you mean by this. I used a 300W AC-DC ATX power supply from a friend of mine from an old computer. You can get em cheap on eBay as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by defsquad

Also, where did you purchase the connectors? Through an online parts vendor or like a radio shack?

I had access to a Mouser catalog, so I reveled in the variety of connectors they had there. It's pretty easy to shop from their online catalog: www.mouser.com If you think you'll be doing a lot of fancy wiring, I'd get a catalog. It's about 2" thick and has anything anyone could want from an electronics standpoint.

In other news, my monitor arrived today. I should have it installed later this week. I'm so geeked...I'd be done except my Onstar project took a dive & now I have to buy a GPS receiver. That should be here in about another week. But the monitor. Whew, I get chills just thinking about it. Another milestone. Wish me luck...

replicant · 11-11-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Viscouse

I don't know what you mean by this. I used a 300W AC-DC ATX power supply from a friend of mine from an old computer. You can get em cheap on eBay as well.

Viscouse,

What I was trying to ask is this:

Your carpc has the Opus DC-DC installed, so you hook it up in the car, no problems, but when you bring it inside and want to perform maintenance on it WITHOUT having to hook up a normal ATX power supply (one that you would hook up in the house), you just use your fancy, handy-dandy wiring harness to somehow connect it to a normal AC power house outlet?

Sorry if it still isn't making sense. I just want to be sure that this wiring harness you made is gonna do what I'm trying to do, and that is to not have to hook up another powersupply to the carpc other than the opus and have easily hook up in the house and in the car.

Thanks

And congrats on the new lcd! I need to get a new one as well, mine has 3-4 "pixel lines" i think that came from when I first hooked it up straight to the car battery instead of to the opus which is how i have it now.

Also, depending how your car looks, youm ay wanna look at getting one of those BMW style shark fins and install the USB gps receiver in that, a guy on the forum by the name of "Leemik" did that to his 350z and it looks awesome. I bought one on ebay for 13 bucks for my Maxima. I also wanna look at installing my rear view camera into that thing and just have it pointing down some, but i hear there isnt much room in those "shark fins".

ANyway, good luck!

replicant · 11-11-2005, 11:07 PM

Viscouse,

Could you also snap a close up of the other output plug, as well as that black (switch?)?

Oh and feel free to hopefully help me understand this setup better; from my newly worded question in the post above.

Thanks much!

Lapith · 11-15-2005, 12:47 AM

Viscouse,

I have been following your thread from the start, I must say I am very interested in how you are going to integrate the screen into your dash. I have a 2004 saab 9-3 and have been thinking about doing a carpc but don't have the money as of yet. I have spent some time trying to think about where I would put a screen and came up with an interesting idea. I don't have the onstar buttons that you have next to your flip-out cup holder (which I never use) so I was thinking it would be pretty cool to put a screen in there and make it so when I push against it the screen pops out and folds down (or up). What are you working on?

Viscouse · 11-15-2005, 03:25 PM

def, here's the picture closeups. I think you misunderstand my cable. This ONLY connects between the OPUS or Mobo, to the ATX power supply. If you're powering opus, you need 12V DC. If you're powering the mobo, you need 12V DC. You have to get those from either the car or the ATX.

Lapith, glad to see another Saaber here! Here's some info about my screen but I haven't gone into much detail, so I guess this is a good place for that. The idea was not to spend a lot of time modding a dash. I wanted a plug-n-play(tm) option. I knew I had a removable DIN-sized CD player, and I knew of DIN sized 7" monitors, so the 2 ideas just kind of came together. I'm putting a Xenarc 700IDT non-motorized flip up screen where the CD player is. I can chuck the CD player (cause I'll have XM & mp3s, so why need a CD player). A later project will be to put a CD/DVD drive IN the monitor (there's room believe it or not). But the tricky part is how to get your MOST system to live without the cd player. It needs it to complete the fibre optic loop. That's where Etadyne Industries came to help. They have a MOST Loopback Connector that shunts the system. You still need your dealer to remove the CD player from the option menu with Tech 2, but it is possible!

I'm still working on getting it in there. It's the last peice to my puzzle. There will be a little work getting it to fit since the monitor is a little to big to fit in there. One small drawback is that when the screen is flipped up it will block 90% of the climate control. But that's why I got a non-motorized, so I can just bend it down & make temp adjustments. Besides, I have automatic climate control, so I won't have to touch it most of the time.

But by crikey it'll work.

As for your idea, I love it. I think it would be great to put something in there. To be honest it's the perfect place (much higher than mine). Check out this page for different things you can put in that spot. The only drawback I see for yours is how to mount it in there. While my LCD will probably physically fit in there, it needs the cage for electronics & mechanism. Don't let me dissuade you though. I haven't looked all that much.
Good luck, and if you have any questions about the car, let me know!

Viscouse · 11-18-2005, 08:30 AM

Well, I'm 100% done buying all my parts & peices. In case anyone cares, I spent $1200 for the whole thing. Based on the direction I went, I saved $700 from a prefab system from MP3car.com, and had to wait 4 months (since July when I started) for a complete system. Was it worth it? Hells yeah. For me anyway.

One day, July 10th, I made the decision to roll my own instead of buying a system. It was a hard decision, time being the main factor, but after I saw the wealth of possibility, savings, and volume of information here, my mind was made. So for the 4 month tradeoff when I could have been enjoying my carpc, instead I did an immense amount of research, learned lots of new things, made some friends, and have a system that is EXACTLY the way I want it. What's more, since I did the research, I have a solid foundation for future builds, or expansions, or tweaks.

In other news, I'm waiting for my monitor to be fixed & returned, and I got my BR-355 yesterday. All the glowing reviews are true. Holy crap. Sitting in my living room it got 7 out of 8 sats. One thing I don't remember anyone mentioning is that while it has a very strong magnet (like, damn. I brushed it past the (old crt) monitor and it made designs I've never seen magnets make before.) there is a ring of rubber so that it won't scratch the paint if you put it on your car's exterior. Nice touch. And the packaging makes it look like it's something special. Like when you open a box, see it, and just smile. It's the crown jewel to the project, and what a gem it is.

So, once the monitor comes back i have to wedge it in there, and then hook it all up. That will be the second milestone. All I have to do then is optimize the software, whiich will take about 16 years, give or take.

replicant · 11-18-2005, 08:35 AM

Viscouse!

Glad to hear you have wrapped up the first phase (you know you'll upgrade in a couple months, or at least add new stuff) of your carpc -- well at least the purchasing part. I'm also happy to hear about the success of that BU-355 for you. If you don't mind my asking, where did you purchase it? I sold my BU-303 and need a replacement and that was the one I had my eye on.

I can't wait to see install pics, and they better be coming soon!

Thanks again for the good read from your worklog.

Viscouse · 11-18-2005, 09:03 AM

Thanks! Pics will be forthcoming once it's all in. Say...2 weeks.

Another excellent source to buy cheap cables is PCH Cables.

I got my BR-355 from BuyGPSNow for $86 including the cable I needed.

Viscouse · 12-07-2005, 08:54 AM

I had a couple of problems (fit and tilt), details here. My old serial number was in the 20's, and my new on is in the 80's.

I have better luck. It FITS!!! It's a tight fit, but it does. Before, it physically wouldn't go it since it was 1 sheetmetal thickness away from fitting. The new one I got fits in the cage. It needed some convincing, and it don't need to secure it since the fit is so tight, but it fits. So I don't know if it's possible, but you might want to ask if the serial number is high or low. I just bought mine from logicsupply.com, and it was a pretty low #. Got a new one direct from Xenarc, and it was high.

Here's how it boils down in terms of fitting in a 9-3. I can't get it to where I want it. The goal was for it to be completely hidden, and when I press a blank DIN panel (where the CD player used to be), it would pop out. But the construction of the monitor prohibits this. If I push it in far enough to be hidden, it cannot extend out far enough to flip completely upright (not feasible). If I pull it out far enough to flip upright (and tilt from side to side), it wills tick out about 15mm.

So at this point I have several options.
1. Just leave it's ugly *** sticking out. It's really not that ugly, but it grates on my nerves I can't complete it the way I wanted. The ugly part is the car showing around the edges since it's not a true DIN slot dash opening.
2. Pull it out so it works properly and live with it sticking out 15mm, and make a couple custom dash peices to trim out the sides so it's not that ugly.
3. Take the whole thing apart, determine how the extension mechanism orks, and make it extend an extra 15mm. That way I can complete my goal the way I want. The only potential roadblock to this is how far I can push it back, but I'm pretty sure I'm okay.

Other aspects I was scared of are fine. When extending, it doesn't hit the (automatic) gear lever. It is in an awesomely viewable location not blocked by my hand or arm.

My thought is, I really wanted this to be easy & get away from dash work. Also, this is the ONLY part of the ENTIRE computer that will be seen, so it make sense not to make it look ghetto. So, I think I'm gonna have to break out the screwdrivers.

I started a new thread to chronicle my misadventures...Making the 700IDT recessed.

Viscouse · 12-20-2005, 11:06 AM

I haven't been keeping up as much as have wanted, but that's mostly cause it's so FREAKIN COLD.

Sorry.

I have to say, it was a pretty good feeling when I stood there and said, "wow, I think I can have this running...in the car...tomorrow for my drive to work."

And I did.

And it worked. Again!

I'll post more details, but 90% of my goal is completed. Nav works, XM works, XP is stable, it powers on & off appropriately. The monitor is in, and I had to compromise to get it in, but is a usable agreement. I have to make a faceplate for it. Basically, the rig works, but needs lots of software tweaking.

So hardware is done. Now comes the software tweaking.
-Iguidance behaving properly & looking swank
-&^%!@ skin working

That's really about it.

One odd problem...my monitor has a TS, so I do have mouse control. But, the PS2 mouse & keyboard won't work at the same time. I can swap them & they work, but only one at a time. That's just some process of elimination testing though...

randomjohn · 12-20-2005, 11:32 AM

Congratulations! You've reached the holy land, as far as I'm concerned. I'm hoping to get there in time for Howard's debut on Sirius.