Bugbyte's 2001 New Beetle -Mac Mini Install

**Der_Kafer** · 06-10-2007, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Bugbyte

I don't think so. I just took a picture of it. There are a couple of tiny scratches at the back end but since I carry the thing around like a lunch pail, I can't say for sure that the scratches came from the dock. See attached. But even if it does, I wouldn't care. It sits in the dash for its main use.

Ghetto?! Ghetto!!?? That is *inspired* design! That's an elegant solution to a sticky problem! No extra connections to make or plugs to line up. Just put it in the dock and go. The only thing better would be some kind of magnetic induction circuit or something like that.

Umm...

...okay maybe I'm a little enthralled with my own engineering skills. The way it works is that the Mac Pac wires are soldered to the brass springs. The solder bubbles on the back of the Mini have the other half of the Mac Pac soldered to them. It's as if you hooked up the Mac Pac and then cut the wires halfway and connected one set to the solder bubbles and the other set to the springs.

When you push the Mini into the dock, the springs contact the bubbles and you have a complete circuit from the P1900 to the power switch on the Mini. That's it. It won't power on until you start the car and the P1900 sends the signal down the wires, through the springs and to the power switch.

Hey man how can I run a power cord from the battery to the dock to connect an amp to my Volkswagen Beetle 2001??? PLease help me

**hondamac** · 08-16-2007, 11:29 PM

Wow...I just read all 10 pages myself. I have a honda civic and am trying to research where to put everything.

Bugbyte: Quick question, with the flip up screen, have you had any problems, motor breaking, the screen being wabbly. I'm thinking of a flip screen for mine that would come out of the dash, but i've heard of issues regarding wabbling and motor's breaking.

**Bugbyte** · 08-19-2007, 04:53 PM

This is a home-made screen mechanism. I've heard that the ones you can buy aren't super reliable and can be wobbly. Mine isn't especially wobbly, but I also don't press the screen very hard because I know it could break.

As for busting, it hasn't. It still works really well even after two years.

**dmxl** · 08-27-2007, 03:35 PM

hey bugbyte i don't know if you got this worked out or not but wouldn't it be easier to run a crossover cable btween the two pc's and assign them ip's in the same range. Which would then eliminate lag over a wireless connection and it would still work at you house for every other app's you would need, or am I not understanding this right?

**Bugbyte** · 08-27-2007, 04:01 PM

The problem was that when I created the dock, I didn't create an ethernet plug on the back of it! I should have, but figured that wireless would take care of all my needs or else I could undock the Mini and plug it up to a network. I hadn't really counted on talking between TWO computers in the same car.

Anyhow, this worked itself out. The caps on my Epia M10000 fried so that PC is out of the car now.

Bj · 04-09-2008, 08:59 AM

Very nice BugByte! It's good to see some mac action making in into the car

Well done

I just realized I haven't posted for 3 years! gee!

**katwalk** · 05-13-2008, 11:53 PM

Don't suppose you'd be willing to sell some copies of those fancy Bug docks?
You've done EXACTLY what I want to do to mine, only it took me until now to think "HEY macminis would probably fit where the radio is!"