f1anatic
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Posts posted by f1anatic
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Get a controller like the Space Navigator
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nice and tidy but the lack of a full size spare is a no-no for me. I have mine mounted on the side, in the trunk; as I have a full size spare.
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Sorry, I meant a "netbook"
These types of laptops:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
It will work just as well. My only advice: study how you can mod the power button before purchasing a new laptop.
BTW this is almost too pretty to become a carpc.
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F1: I was at bestbuy today looking at some of the mini laptops they have out there. They are a bit more pricey than an e-box but they seem more practical when you think about having to make adjustments to the system with ease.
What do you think about these compared to the eeebox?
Linkie Pleazkie. Are we talking about which brands ? Incidentally I was at Best Buy just the other day looking for something different but I did look at PCs. there is the HP and the Acer - the same size and price range as the EeEPC. What laptops you have in mind though ?
My current 15.4inch Toshiba Tecra laptop sits in a hacked aluminium suitcase in the trunk. As I stated earlier, if I were to do it now, I would get an EEEPC - likely with a solid state memory (for XP, Centrafuse and iGuidance and the 1-2 programs that I need such as engine monitoring) and 1-2 USB sticks with music. I would custom make a case for it for heavy duty thick plexiglass: simple stuff though - a few holes here and there for cooling where it needs cooling - maybe even add my own fan - then some padding and then sandwich the EEEPC between the plexiglass plates and run 4 screws with spacers of adequate length.
Now you can get all ingenious and find an old drawer or raid ikea for some "storage" solution which you can canibalize for parts - such as creating a bracket that is attached to the back side of the passenger seat and you can pull it out and this way you pull out the car pC. Or you hack an aluminium suitcase or some other heavy duty enclosure.
As I stated: I am a fan of laptop PCs - with the special mention that you have the hardship of powering it up and down to overcome - for the simple reason that it is a tiny package already tried and tested and built to perform. And you will get it at a cheaper price than a custom built carpc. It doesn't matter what laptop you ultimately buy - but i do think laptops are the way to go especially for our cars where space is limited.
Back to the party.
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Personally I would go for a laptop just because I have so many older ones that its just easier. Plus one of them uses a docking station so I could even use that and have everything permanently in the car minus the actual laptop if I needed to bring it inside to do some work on it.
Then, like me, you are set. Now just get fancy with the trunk mount and share. Take pictures; create the story and I will add your install on the front page.
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It would fit under the driver's seat because that one can be adjusted height wise. But you see, you never know when you valet your car or you take it back to service it...or you let your friend drive it...and he needs to readjust the seat by pushing it lower to the floor. For instance I find the most comfortable position with it lowered all the way and I tell you that the clearance is at most 2 inches. You also need ventilation and air flow - espec when you think that the HVAC vents are there as well. Not to mention that the rear passengers would be hitting it all the time with their feet.
To me, mounting under the seat is not an option with the typical cases that you can buy at MP3CAR.com. An EEEPC that I can mount in a hacked...radar detector box (you should see the jewelry case that my STI driver RD came in) - and mounted close to the front end of the passenger seat is the only way to go. But what do I know...
This CarPC business is just as much about cutting edge technology (we were years ahead of OEM who just now start putting hardrive based Navi systems) as is about creativity and personal choices that fit your own application at that particular time.
I would like to know how you mounted it under the seat though.
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I would really not use a laptop unless you are planning on installing/removing it constantly. It's much easier and faster to just install a CarPC case that has all the wiring and everything setup to install the system.
I gotta disagree with this one. There is not a single CarPC case that fits under the seats - unless you go with the tiniest of micro-ATX boards. all the manistream cases like VOOM do not fit under the seat hence it means trunk installation - hence routing a lot of wires.
In my opinion, it is far easier and cheaper to go with EEEPC route and mount that under a seat, having less wires to route and taking advantage of the proximity of the center console and of the seat.
We both speak from experience. Having a laptop - a package already assembled, tested and tried is invaluable. First off - it if it malfunctions - you have the warranty - assuming you do not maim the laptop in the process. Second, it also makes financial sense: an EEEPC comes already with a windows license. You are just not able to put together a CarPC with an XP license for the price of an EEEPC. And it will work just as well - with one consideration: the ON/OFF button.
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NSFW you are wasting your CarPC then.
My cost breakdown:
Xenarc 700 TSV touchscreen monitor $400
Toshiba Staellite 3005 (with bad monitor) 1 GHz, 512 Mb RAM; 60 Gb hard drive $0
BU-353 GPS receiver $80
Front end Software: Centrafuse build 4.5 © 2006 $120
Navigation: iGuidance v.3 North America © 2006 $0
plenty of USB cables; one long VGA cable $50
Serial to USB adapter (for OBD-2)
Hauppauge USB TV tuner $0
Carnetix smart startup-shutdown controller $100
Tactrix Open Port for engine monitoring $120
Jazzy MT aux input to the OEM headunit $80
Adesso USB touchpad with programmable buttons $50
If the cost is $0 it means I already had the unit or the software purchased prior to starting the CarPC project.
At a minimum, you need to budget about 1300 dollars.
- Screen $400
- Computer $500
- Power Inverter $100
- GPS $100
- Software (front end & navigation - together or separately) $200
The prices are just to form an idea. At the time of print (29 December 2008) you can buy a BU-353 GPS from MP3CAR.com for $55
dollars. The screen that most of us have: Xenarc 700TSV is nowadays $365 and the Carnetix Power Inverter precisely $100. Most of us have an older laptop somewhere around or can get either a new one like this EEEPC can be had for as little as 220 dollars on Newegg but you surely can go overboard and spend a lot more. Navigation and front end software is another choice: there is the free Road Runner or the elegant, OEM-like Centrafuse which can be had from 125-250 dollars.
As you can see there is a lot of room for savings or spending when building a CarPC. You can easily overspend but you can certainly do it for 600 dollars. Listed above is just the price of the parts - tools and or custom labor performed by others is a different matter.
I wish you Great Success !
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You know, I updated the first post. You may wanna start there.
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hey before you buy anything, list your setup here...we can look into it ourselves and tell you what or if you are overpaying.
Yeah Centrafuse is downloadable upon paying (actually you donwload the version that works 30 days and then input the licence. Road Runner is freeware. I advise you to get all your stuff running on the PC outside of the car then put everything in.
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done
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Using a laptop is cheaper. Way cheaper. Even if you have to buy a used laptop or one of these EEEPCs - it still offsets you 400 bucks or so...OR LESS. If you have an old laptop (or like I had - one with a bad screen but good internals); the project is already off to a good start.
By far, if I am to tell you which 2 operations will be the hardest: wiring up a power button (which involves fine soldering and some ingenious re-routing of wires) - LOOK UP MY INSTALL FOR DETAILS - and the fitting of the screen.
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EEEPC with solid state 8 Gb memory - 350 dollars. CANNOT go wrong and it is almost the size of a DVD case from blockbuster. That is what i would buy. You can have the music on a USB drive of many Gb but the solid drive will make boot times a breeze and 8 Gb is more than enough for the Windows; front end and Navi software.
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Osrams but you may not have H7. What type of bulbs you have ?
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Ha ha ha .... good thing you ordered those Osrams.
Yesterday morning I was writing on another forum on the subject of backing up the computer and how I still do all my backups to DVDs because even those i mirror my hard drives (C for program files and H for documents on D (500Gb) while maintaining an E (multimedia) drive) because i do not trust my hard drives... !DUH my BACK UP hard drive failed. How fun was that !
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Awwwww I love you Darkfox1 (outside of the politics forum)
Errr, dude, I suggested you look at the first 20 pages of this thread. When you see pictures, you click. You will get several ideas in terms of dealing with the screen install. And the summary is here:
I think by and large, my second post over there should cover your questions. No worries, you only have to click the link, the pictures are stored on LGT forums - but I do suggest you open an account over there regardless because that forum is the Bible for all CarPC nerds.
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I am from Chicago and I approve this Car PC thread.
(Toronto; Nashville - why not drive thru Chicago one day and we talk)
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Read up from the beginning. You will see pictures from my install as well as that of a few other members. First 20 pages or so. Look for the relevant pictures.
Or else look up SALVI and send him a private message.
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Any of you with Osram Rallys having them 2 years+
Did you notice the light turning yellower ? not that the light output is bad, but compared to my brand new 65W Narvas in the Forester, my 2 y old Osram light output is yellow
By the way, the Narvas do not have that grey painted dome just clear glass
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Dark blue / black LGT wagon, Enkei RPM2 wheels, taillights were modded in a way, beat by wagon rear plate frame, front plate frame with spikes on the Kennedy today at 12.30 pm.
Meier Motor Sports
dark blue LGT wagon with the plate frames indicated.
Lives by UIC
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Well Paul the design is different. Now my Osram Rallys (2 y old) are a tad yellower than the Narva bulbs. You cannot get Narva bulbs in H7 for our cars...but damn they light up and they are white. The devil might get a shade of white if he crosses my headlights. They are that white.
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In the last month I had 2 orders with Candle Power. Very good, courteous, efficient, I got the order in 3-4 days.
1) Narva 65W for my Forester
2) Narva 55W for my Legacy GT
3) Osram Rally 65W backup for my Legacy (got them for 20 bucks each - so now they're out of stock ? ha ha )
I have had the Osram Rallys on my Legacy for 2 years now and while the light seems to have become a little more yellow, their output is just as great. But oh boy, the Narva that I put on the Forester have a sick white light which kind of makes me jealous and tempts me to install the new Osrams.
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i have -0.5 knock correction when cruising on cold nights but getting positive when i step on it.
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Are there HIR's in H7 or H9 bulbs ? (as in not hi-beams but rather low beams ?)
I am of course tempted to buy HIR hi-beams, but then again, what do 50 bucks get me ? I use my hi beams about 5 times a year so I cannot justify the expense. Nope, I am not living on the last 50 bucks but I would rather spend 50 bucks on the low beam HIR bulbs if there is such a thing.
Car PC
in Interior/Audio
Posted
Bro.
1) You buy 1 or 2 large capacity USB drives...you can have them in 4, 8, 16 and even 32 Gb.
2) or you buy an external laptop (2.5 inch) hardrive.
Your SSD drive - should have only the WinXP (use a software called nLITE to trim it out. It worked for me on my 3rd trial - the frist two times I had no sound...but the 3rd time I got it completely right - been using it like this for 8 month now and I am not lacking anything). Also on the SSD, you should have the front end software and the navigation engine. Plenty of space.
Music/Videos wise...just use USB drives - much easier to update, remove, etc and it will speed up the boot compared to the USB hardrive.