in car pc

Here you can post things about ICE (In Car Entertainment). Like how to install GPS navigation, a DVD-player and other yuppie-stuff. This category might be moved to "those other things" in the end...

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dragon
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Post by dragon » Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:01 pm

Wonder if you say the same about politicians?
Cheers! [img]http://www.dragons.org.uk/images/guin.gif[/img]

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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:17 am

nah, but then they prove on several occassions that practice doesnt always make perfect!
rgrds
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rpruen
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Post by rpruen » Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:58 pm

robkendall wrote:not sure, but i think this is being based around debian.
apparently its one of the best for finding new hardware, and not having issues running it....im not arguing, the guys been at it years, so i assume he knows best!
rgrds
rob
Fair enough.

Hardware isn't that much of a problem tho' Just compile your own kernel with the support in it? Modules are ok for distros, but if you want it small then get rid of the stuff you don't need.

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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Sun Aug 29, 2004 2:46 pm

yeah....will do.
small is best, although thats more for a load time point of view....have got a 5 disk scsi cage to go with the pc....5 x 120gb hot pluggable scsi drives! hence space (storage wise) isnt an issue.
am gonna build the whole thing in the wheel well, with the Hdds being pluggable from the top...can stick a hdd in my server, copy what i want on to it, then plug it into the car!
rgrds
rob
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rpruen
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Post by rpruen » Sun Aug 29, 2004 3:47 pm

robkendall wrote:yeah....will do.
small is best, although thats more for a load time point of view....have got a 5 disk scsi cage to go with the pc....5 x 120gb hot pluggable scsi drives! hence space (storage wise) isnt an issue.
am gonna build the whole thing in the wheel well, with the Hdds being pluggable from the top...can stick a hdd in my server, copy what i want on to it, then plug it into the car!
rgrds
rob
So you must be planning on taking your DVD collection with you as well?

Load time on Linux makes windows look daft anyway :) The box I have to do the network stuff is an old AMD K6-2 and it beats the XP 3200 Windows machine by about 20 seconds.

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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Sun Aug 29, 2004 4:09 pm

had a spare compaq proliant server 'kicking' around, so stripping that.
might as well take advantage of it all!
rgrds
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Sun Aug 29, 2004 6:38 pm

Will a normal desktop computer work on 12V?
Do you need special PSU or anything?

I am a software developer, but embarrisingly don't know too much about hardware :(

I would really love for somebody to point me in the direction of a guide to wiring in a computer, so as I know what bits I need to replace, and what bits I need etc.
And then I can worry about what software to put on!!!
Tom
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Post by martinholmesuk » Sun Aug 29, 2004 7:22 pm

I am a software developer, but embarrisingly don't know too much about hardware
It's OK we hardware chaps understand your problem :lol:
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LASEROWL
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Post by LASEROWL » Sun Aug 29, 2004 8:01 pm

Will a normal desktop computer work on 12V?
Do you need special PSU or anything?
Dommett
try looking at the following site m8 http://www.itx-warehouse.co.uk/productlist.aspx?Cid=36

A normal desktop does run from 12V but a stable 12V thats why you can either use the systems shown on the above site or make use of a power inverter. Look further back on this thread for further details, Murf is the expert in this matter.

As i agree with Murf it really seams pointless to convert 12v to 240v back to 12v :shock: hence using the special PSU available from this site.

Hope this helps :D
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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Mon Aug 30, 2004 7:29 am

or if you wave money at murf,he may make you one like he did for himself!
rgrds
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:07 am

Cheers for the link.

I'm not sure if I could afford Murf's time ;)

I was planning on buying a laptop, but they tend to have small hard drives, some don't have USB (the ones in my price bracket!) and would be expensive to repair, whereas a tower secured in the spare wheel well may be the ticket.
I don't have the R&D budget you guys have, in fact, I don't have a budget at all!!

Okay, so I need a computer
I need a 12V PSU / Regulator
Do I need to buy a shockproof Hard Drive Caddy?
I need to mount it somehow in the hole the spare wheel is in.

Is that it? After that I would need a USB Touchscreen monitor and hook the power button up to a button on the dash.

Anything else?
Tom
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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:21 am

shock proof hdd caddy - no...mount the hdd vertically, and wrap in bubble wrap
mounting in the spare wheel hole - i did this, cause my hardware is so large ( :wink: )- a normal desktop unit would fit under the seats.
what ive done is make a plate that fits the top of the wheel hole with mdf, and hung all the hardware under this...its secured in the hole by weight,and some padding tape.
keyboard - not sorted this...murf has a numeric keypad by his seat,and has mapped the keys to different functions, hence doing away with touchscreen...one would pretty much cancel out the other.
if you get one of the power regulators off the link above, you just hook up to ignition power, that then powers up and down your unit (i think)
i was hoping someone wouldbe able to produce a 'do this,then that' guide, but it really is a suck it and see project im afraid.
rgrds
rob
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:32 am

That sounds like a blue-peter job ;)

The numeric pad sounds like a cracking idea. I was thinking of either a touchscreen, or seeing if I could mount either a trackpad from a laptop, or one of a ball from a mouse (they did those up-side-down ones), as I don't really need a keyboard to type with.

ideas ideas....

Maybe I have different seats, but I have around 2 inches under my seat max, and that has loads of wires for the heated seat etc mangled up. I can barely fit a laptop.
Tom
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:35 am

By the way, is it the first link on that link - the Morex 60W PSU Kit that I would require?

One thing somebody mentioned was beware of the wattage, I assume 60W does nothing bad to the battery? is it normal/high/low etc?
Tom
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robkendall
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Post by robkendall » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:41 am

60w.120w. etc is output from that unit...it wont hurt your car battery as the input is 12v.
you need to see how much power your original unit used(the psu that came with it will have output on it) and match it that way.
rgrds
rob
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Murf
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Post by Murf » Mon Aug 30, 2004 1:14 pm

Maybe I have different seats, but I have around 2 inches under my seat max, and that has loads of wires for the heated seat etc mangled up. I can barely fit a laptop
same as mine,i built my own case around the motherboard using half height pci,graphics cards etc so it wouldnt be too tall. see pics.

http://photobucket.com/albums/0603/paul_murphy/CarPC/

:lol: my time is pretty cheap at the moment, just got back from holiday today and have no work lined up, PM me!
i also have a P3 650 laptop that just needs a new hard drive and a couple of keys on the keyboard replaced (as far as i know,POST is fine but i dont have a spare laptop HDD so cant test it fully!)
interested?
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Mon Aug 30, 2004 2:00 pm

Murf, if you're charging - it's too expensive for me :lol:
Tom
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Saab 9-3 SE Turbo Convertible (~230bhp)
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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Thu Sep 02, 2004 9:04 pm

Okay - bringing the thread back to the top.

I'm part of the way there. I have just purchased a TFT screen.

Next, I have to find a PC (gonna get a normal PC) and then I need a PSU I guess, and hopefully, voila :D

Have I missed anything. I am hoping to do this all for £100. Screen was £50, so that leaves me £50 to get a low-spec machine (P233 or something) and everything else.

Sound OK? I am going to need some real help in doing this, I haven't a clue what I am doing!
Tom
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Saab 9-3 SE Turbo Convertible (~230bhp)
[/color][/size]

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Post by JohnTurbo » Thu Sep 02, 2004 9:47 pm

what screen have you bought? £50 is getting into my kinda price bracket. I did pretty much the blue peter job, but still cost me a bit in the end. I have my touchpad in the car now, its very good, 4 programmable hotkeys, "gestures" to perform actions based on the pda 'graffiti' kinda idea. (if your draw an x it closes the window for example) Also it has the sides of the pad operating scroll up down left and right.

http://www.printcartridge.net/acatalog/ ... on_10.html

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Dommett
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Post by Dommett » Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:21 am

It's a second-hand one off eBay. I hoping it will turn out to be a good buy! I'm afraid I resorted to bidding with 10 seconds to go.

I have lost out on 17 items in the last week (trying to get a cheap laptop/small pc) by people bidding in the last few seconds, so got fed up.

If you can't beat them, join them and all that.

Photo's weren't good, so don't know about manufacturer, but it's a 7.5" screen, bigger than I wanted ideally, I was after a 6" (fit nicer I think), but we'll see. only TV input, not VGA, but I don't have £300 kicking around to get one of those right now!

Dixons have a DVD player & TV and 2x 7" widescreen screens, ready for the headrests, all for £250, which I was tempted with.

John - what have you got to power your PC? Searching the net has thrown up an Opus PSU, but can't find sellers. the link earlier in the thread shows some PSU's, is it simply a case of replacing the existing PSU with one of these and hey presto, it's all hunky-dory?
Tom
[size=84][color=#567ACC]
Volvo S40 T4 CD (~200bhp)
Saab 9-3 SE Turbo Convertible (~230bhp)
[/color][/size]

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