Thread: 2005 Ford F150 MAGNUS Truckputer - project and pics

All I need to do is drive 2 miles from my apartment and pick up my camera. My schedule has just been insane... so It'll be Thursday before I can make it. I REALLY need to get it though, I've been promising pics for two weeks now.

I think one of the issues I'm having with using an external power, is that some of my devices seem to want their own 12v line. If I pluig my monitor and HD radio to the same 12v line, one of them will stop working. I used a 12v splitter for a bit, but I think that may have been part of the issue.

Honestly, I don't mind. Through all of this, I have learned a lot on some computer subjects I would have never thought about... but I just don't have a lot of wiring and electronic experience. These wiring diagrams just boggle my mind... so learning all of this is good for me. I need to SEE how some other people have these things connected... I think I just get confused when I see the wiring diagrams.

Originally Posted by Kalenth

All I need to do is drive 2 miles from my apartment and pick up my camera. My schedule has just been insane... so It'll be Thursday before I can make it. I REALLY need to get it though, I've been promising pics for two weeks now.

I think one of the issues I'm having with using an external power, is that some of my devices seem to want their own 12v line. If I pluig my monitor and HD radio to the same 12v line, one of them will stop working. I used a 12v splitter for a bit, but I think that may have been part of the issue.

Honestly, I don't mind. Through all of this, I have learned a lot on some computer subjects I would have never thought about... but I just don't have a lot of wiring and electronic experience. These wiring diagrams just boggle my mind... so learning all of this is good for me. I need to SEE how some other people have these things connected... I think I just get confused when I see the wiring diagrams.

HAHAHAHAHA, here is a picture of my wiring. Now thats mind boggling. Believe it or not though, I know what wire does what. I split my install in sections. The components are all in the front center console, things like XM, HD, AMPS for the front and middle row speakers, Two 7 port Hubs, Line selector, HDD and DVD rom. The bottom of the passenger seat gets all the fuses and electrical connections. The 2nd row center console gets the MoBo, power and reset buttons, 2 external usb ports, wifi card, PSU, 3rd row touch screen, Sprint Air Card. The nice thing about have trucks/SUVs, is that we have alot of room to play with.

hey, if it's hidden under a seat, who cares what it looks like? THe only thing I have done thus far is bundle the crap out of the cables in my dash. If some jackass wants to steal my screen, he's going to have to turn my truck inside out to do it..... I am thinking about putting a small fire extinguisher inside my dash, hooked up to the outer bezel... so if someone pulls out the bezel without disconnecting it, they get a nice spray in the face. (no, I am not seriously worries about theft)

are you're USB ports powered? I just ordered a powered one from woot... and I am very ready for it to be delivered. I am on a time crunch this month, as I will be traveling a lot, and then I'm gone for two months leaving the wife with the truck.... I REALLY need this up and running by then.

I figured out about the power switch.... some how I managed to hook into my main lighting system... so my master switch was basically acting as a second toggle to my main lights... once I figured this out, I just took the switch out entirely and now have everything wired to my main light toggle, so the stock selector works as both my power switch, and my light switch, and it gives a nice warning beep when the wife gets out and doesn't shut it off.

WIN!

Originally Posted by Kalenth

I just don't have a lot of wiring and electronic experience. These wiring diagrams just boggle my mind... so learning all of this is good for me. I need to SEE how some other people have these things connected... I think I just get confused when I see the wiring diagrams.

Same story here. But maybe I'll get some electronics education; I bought my granddaughter an big electronics experimentation kit for her 7th birthday, and she and her Dad have been having a ball with it. I'll be up there at Christmas, and I plan to dig into it with her and see what I can learn. That's going to be fun - having my granddaughter teach me about electronics.

Well, I got back from a biz trip over the weekend and finished everything with the truck. I'm at about 95%, since the last component that I need help with is my Visteon Radio and audio...


I am currently using a USB sound card... and it sounds terrible. Distorted like I am in a concert hall... I can't for the life of me figure out what I need to change, as the setup on this thing is pretty much set it and forget it.



THe second issue is my Visteon HD Radio
It gets power, I can control it, I'm just trying to figure out my audio... when I plug it directly into the amp, the sound is CRAZY loud and I can't find a way to control the volume. When I plug it into the mic jack on the laptop, it's CRAZY loud and coming from the PC speakers.... even though I have a USB sound card... I am unsure how I can get that audio to my truck speakers and have the volume control through RR.

So I'm trolling the HD Radio forums trying to find an answer.

I'll post more tonight after I get the chance to update everything with pics, etc...

Originally Posted by Kalenth

hey, if it's hidden under a seat, who cares what it looks like? THe only thing I have done thus far is bundle the crap out of the cables in my dash. If some jackass wants to steal my screen, he's going to have to turn my truck inside out to do it..... I am thinking about putting a small fire extinguisher inside my dash, hooked up to the outer bezel... so if someone pulls out the bezel without disconnecting it, they get a nice spray in the face. (no, I am not seriously worries about theft)

Trust me, dont do that. We had a thread on that and most people came up with the thought that if you booby trapped your car, they would destroy it out of anger.

are you're USB ports powered? I just ordered a powered one from woot... and I am very ready for it to be delivered. I am on a time crunch this month, as I will be traveling a lot, and then I'm gone for two months leaving the wife with the truck.... I REALLY need this up and running by then.

Yes both hubs are powered by one the inverters. The other inverter is to power my pocket pc and the stupid retarded VGA splitter that needs the wall plug or it wont work.

I figured out about the power switch.... some how I managed to hook into my main lighting system... so my master switch was basically acting as a second toggle to my main lights... once I figured this out, I just took the switch out entirely and now have everything wired to my main light toggle, so the stock selector works as both my power switch, and my light switch, and it gives a nice warning beep when the wife gets out and doesn't shut it off.

WIN!

So when your PC is on, the headlights are on?

PS: Sorry i answered so late, didnt realize you asked a question. MP3car doesnt email me sometimes.

Correct! well, lights or fogs, either one will do it. I'll eventually get off of the accessory electrical system, but this works, and more importantly, gives a chime when the lights/monitor is left on.

The laptop is actually powered from another accessory line. I found taht when it and the screen shared a line, I got wierd electrical issues, intermittant power, and strobe lines on my screen. It gets powered on when the truck is put in acc or run from it's own 12v line.

Originally Posted by Kalenth

Correct! well, lights or fogs, either one will do it. I'll eventually get off of the accessory electrical system, but this works, and more importantly, gives a chime when the lights/monitor is left on.

The laptop is actually powered from another accessory line. I found taht when it and the screen shared a line, I got wierd electrical issues, intermittant power, and strobe lines on my screen. It gets powered on when the truck is put in acc or run from it's own 12v line.

I hear you on that one.... Mine has a annoying green light, plus since i have a DC-DC it turns itself off.

About the Zalman, I was going to get one, but there was some review that I read that turned me off to it. Maybe you should try a SB Live 24 USB. That card was awsome when i had it. I have since sold it and went PCI with my soundcard. Even though my setup is complicated and uses 3 soundcards. Onboard for phone. PCI SB X-Fi XtremeGamer for movies, music and what not. Then a USB Virtual 7.1 for IR headphones.

As promised, here are other pics of the working system and the last few bits. I need to document the power switches... but here is the gist.






Here is the dash with the initial DVD casing installed. The DVD ROM simply slides into this compartment, but I had to take it out to ensure a clean fab on the faceplate.



Pic from driver perspective



here is the flashlight mount attached to the driver seat. This was a pain to install but came off very clean.