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HOW-TO: Replace your car stereo with a Computer

sysbuild.corsairmemory.com — This is a really cool guide, it's basically telling you how to replace your car stereo with a PC designed specifically for the car. It's got sleep mode, hibernate mode, a touch-screen LCD, Internet access, FM radio, 100GB of MP3 storage (upgradeable), and best of all there's no proprietary components so you could build it all yourself. Nice.

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  • ttyl, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2This is a great article!
    • Terc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+39A nice install, I have a similar setup in my car. The only thing that didn't agree with me was the way they chose to wire the door speakers... http://sysbuild.corsairmemory.com/images_reports/25-7-2006_RID_5/carpc017.jpg
      this is a good example of the WRONG way to do it. It's a shortcut I'm sure many people take. This will eventually leave you with a short in your speaker wire and most likely will ruin your amp. Do it the same way the factory does and take the time to run the wires though the rubber tube you'll find in your door hinge.
    • Terc, on 10/12/2007, -38/+3A nice install, I have a similar setup in my car. The only thing that didn't agree with me was the way they chose to wire the door speakers... http://sysbuild.corsairmemory.com/images_reports/25-7-2006_RID_5/carpc017.jpg
      this is a good example of the WRONG way to do it. It's a shortcut I'm sure many people take. This will eventually leave you with a short in your speaker wire and most likely will ruin your amp. Do it the same way the factory does and take the time to run the wires though the rubber tube you'll find in your door hinge.
    • i440, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17This article does have some great ideas. In fact, I'm using just such a device right now. It's very easy to use and accessible, and great for any driver on the *CRASH*
    • Experiment626, on 10/12/2007, -6/+15Finally! A car computer mod that does NOT involve a Mac Mini.
    • jofer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8@Terc
      To be fair, they do state why they didn't do it the right way:

      "Normally the speaker wire would be done through a small rubber boot that is in the doorjam. However, on this car the boot is very far forward and impossible to access without removing the door itself or a significant portion of the dashboard, so we decided against it and just ran them this way, making sure that they weren't cut or kinked severely when the door closes."

      Still, I agree that they're asking for problems further down the line...
      At any rate, it's a damned nifty how-to!
    • yaroze, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6This is a cool howto indeed, but you REALLY REALLY should run the ground directly to the battery, it provides better electrical flow to the battery without having to fight with the rest of the car electronics and electrical devices, and it is a means to reduce noise from said devices.
    • phort99, on 10/12/2007, -8/+9This runs Windows, doesn't it?

      Gee, I hope my car doesn't crash.
    • dexim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4@ yaroze

      That is incorrect, the ground should be as short as possible. If you don't want to take my word for it, Google it, here are just a few of the pages I found;

      http://www.caraudiohelp.com/how_to_install_a_car_amp/how_to_install_a_car_amp.htm
      http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/cat/-13095/edOid/105510/rpem/ccd/lookLearn.do
      http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/S-dc4s8ZMTDDr/learningcenter/car/amplifier_installation_guide.html?page=4
      http://www.justkenwood.co.uk/editorial/inst_amp.asp
    • Terc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@jofer
      There's a great way to overcome even the deepest grommets. It's a simple device called a coat hanger. I've used it many times, it's not easy, but more than worth it in the long run.
    • cry0m0nkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Look its not that hard to do nor is it expensive except for the touch screen of course go here check it out. http://www.accentsounds.com/projects.htm I have already started on a system after looking at there system not hard at all. Oh and seeing is how i just popped in don't expect me back to read it this was a onetime site for me, seeing is how I was not impressed at all and windows media works way better let me tell you. peace!!!!!!!!!!
  • JeanLaffite, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5Wow, that's pretty cool! Hope he doesn't kill himself checking his email at 80MPH though...
    • RubixCube, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17I always laughed at The Fast and The Furious when Paul Walker was checking his car diagnostics on his laptop going over 100 in the first race. This is cool none the less. For those of you that say, "Why not just get a laptop," are not true geeks.
  • drexor69, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3LOL! All that new gear but the sub looks like a leftover from the 70's!

    Still, I'll bet those MB Quarts sound sweet...

    And why a Passport of all things?
    • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5Probably because the guy who drives it couldn't afford an Isuzu Rodeo.

      Now THOSE things are sweet!
    • rizzo, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5I drive a rodeo..................and yes, it's pretty damned sweet
    • dexim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"And why a Passport of all things?"

      "Probably because the guy who drives it couldn't afford an Isuzu Rodeo.
      Now THOSE things are sweet!"

      That's funny. For those of you that don't know, the Isuzu Rodeo is a re branded Honda Passport. (Or the other way around, depending on the model year.)
  • Thanatos999, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Impressive walk through ... THANKS!

    PS - the next time you need a guinea pig to install hardware in ... I volunteer my car!
  • ideate, on 10/12/2007, -57/+4yo yo dawgs dis be phat yo i got a similar system in my escalade but imn moving it to my H2


    peace
    • UNL1M1T3D, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28Why don't you move yourself back to a high school english class.
    • dizzledaking, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13We joke now, but there may be a time when a comment of this caliber gets POSITIVE diggs! The horror!
    • techie4life, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9At that point Digg will have lost all hope and it'll be time to move on because the comments here are bad enough...
  • scottmoss, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18But I need a dual DVD system so I can Rip and Burn while driving...
  • friend18, on 10/12/2007, -1/+34Great, now I can get a computer stolen instead of a radio. ^__^
    • zorpscorp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+46If a typical stereo-thief broke into your car and found a computer instead, it would probably confuse the ***** out of him.
  • adamcarrington, on 10/12/2007, -24/+6They could've used a Mac Mini and saved a ton of space...
    • deadbaby, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18There's no Car PC software for the Mac I know of.
    • adamcarrington, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4And that being the case, they still could've run Windows 2k/XP on there... and it's about the size of a DIN opening!
    • hlheavyd, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2nope deadbaby, your right, but the mac minis run windows now.. so it should be a problem
    • mushoo, on 10/12/2007, -12/+18Here is an idea. How about you stick the mini up your DIN hole. If you're too constrained of space why don't skip all the hooplah and just use a shuffle.

      Seriously, we're on digg, do you think we don't know about apple products? You're only the umpteenth brand-whore to bring up apple.
    • grammarpolice, on 10/12/2007, -16/+9@ moshoo

      Who the hell made you boss of this thread?! He can post what ever the hell comment he wants. He was only stating the obvious, that a car would benefit from a Mac mini far more than a regular crap PC that would literally crash your car. Back the hell up man, seriously. We are on Digg, and if you haven't noticed people digg Apple products because they LIKE and are INTERESTED in them.
    • JakobMetzger, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Yes there IS a decent front end for mac that's called "AMP". It is in the development stage but its coming along very quickly and the main developer works very very fast. Plus ITS OPEN SOURCE!!! You can check it out here...
      http://mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=78868

      Support AMP!
    • akinder, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"It is in the development stage but its coming along very quickly and the main developer works very very fast. Plus ITS OPEN SOURCE!!!"

      Yeah, thats like what, 99% of all OSS projects. It will sit on Sourceforge for 4 years in beta, and it will never work right.
    • d2nd, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7@grammarpolice
      "He was only stating the obvious, that a car would benefit from a Mac mini far more than a regular crap PC that would literally crash your car. Back the hell up man, seriously."

      No dude, you back up. You obviously have no idea what you are talking about, how about learning something (read mp3car.com) before you post nonsense. "PC that would literally crash your car" wtf are you talking about?
      Before just mindlessly supporting Apple, how about you learn the power req's of the mac mini. Then tell me how a Mini is less likely to crash your car then a VIA board.

      fcking moron...
  • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -14/+4Yeah a Mac Mini would have been cool, but all the hardware seems to be geared towards PC. Not to mention the applications.

  • jordanfoord, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4awesome.. I'm doin it!
  • FBMGriever, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Wow I've been looking for a comprehensive tutorial on this ever since I saw DashPC's website about a year ago.

    This has totally motivated me to do it myself. Dugg.
  • dagr8tim, on 10/12/2007, -22/+4I'll get modded down, but this is lame. It's all about buying a stack of off the shelf parts and doing something that has been done many times before.
    • MrDizzystick, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Its a guide.
    • dSlifer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4If you knew you were getting modded down, then why'd you comment it?
  • RTPMatt, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Ahhh, reminds me of back when I was in highschool and i hooked a computer up in my car. of course i did it with the old headhpones to tape adapter, numeric keypad for input, and a little 12v inverter in the 'ol cigarette lighter...aah those were the days. This would be a fun project. You can get pretty classy with it for not too much these days!
  • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6No price/part list? I'd be interested if it didn't cost $3000 or whatever I'm guessing it ended up costing.
    • prthealien, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I was expecting a price list too, but good article nonetheless.
    • justin22290, on 10/12/2007, -3/+10Psu/Case - ~175.00
      Motherboard - ~200.00
      Screen - ~392.44
      DVD - ~89.50
      Hard drive - ~169.24

      thats just the computer parts, not to mention all the audio and extra costs will be over $1000.

      If u can blow that kind of money go for it. I need to get a car first haha.
    • P3ST4, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4a 200$ motherboard is unnecessary....a 160$ hard drive is also unnecessary

      unless youre looking to play doom 3 on your 7inch VGA screen, top notch gaming equipment is overkill

      im guessing for around 500$...maybe less you can build the PC....and another 400 or 500 for the speaker system..depending on what your standards are.....and im talking MAX at 1000$.....it can be done for less........you dont need a core duo and 10000rpm hard drive to run a few burned movies and some spice girls songs lol
    • kodek, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4@P3ST4: What the ***** are you smoking? He did not put a core duo; he did not put a 10k rpm drive. Why don't you read the article first? He chose those parts for a reason, too.
    • spazman5656, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2@justin22290
      obviously you didn't do any research into the sites the guide listed. The case is $299 and the screen is $251.
    • Santad, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@kodek: P3ST4 was talking about justin22290's post, not the article.

      @justin22290: im guessing you included the processor with the price you put for the motherboard (~$100 processor and ~$100 mobo would be ~$200). and i agree with P3ST4, $169.74 for a 100gb hd is steep, id say more like $100.

      the more precise price-list:
      psu/case~$300
      motherboard~$100
      processor~$100
      hard drive~$100
      cd/dvd~$50
      display~$250

      so total thats around $900 for the computer parts, and that doesnt include a legit copy of windows xp ($90 for home edition) or shipping.

    • 0x0000ff, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@kodek: what the ***** are you smoking? (S)he was replying to the comment made by justin22290, you know.... the one directly above?
    • RedGTiVR6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@P3

      Perhaps you need to better understand the demands that CarPCs place on equipment.

      Many of the boards that we in the hobby are using are small form factor boards (Mini-itx). These boards are chosen for a few reasons, namely power consumption and space requirements. You do have to pay more for these boards. Many times the VIA boards have processors built in as well.

      Also, please keep in mind that not everyone has the same space requirements as yourself when it comes to a project like this.
    • amdcursed, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Actual cost of my setup

      ~150 for mobo and processor
      ~40 for custom case
      ~50 for cheap DC-DC PSU ( should go better )
      ~50 for memory
      ~50 80g hdd
      ~300 lcd
      ~400 amps and wiring
      Countless man hours.

      and dont go centrafuse go with RoadRunner (open source is your friend)
    • justin22290, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1well im not a bargin hunter guys i just google searched them all and pulled the mean of what the listed prices were, but im sure you can make it cheaper.
  • Qtip42, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Buy Corsair Products.........lol lame.
    • PCDirect, on 10/12/2007, -14/+2Seriously lame Photochop license plate!!!

      The specs are lame too... who can stand an 800MHz CPU on XP? Who cares if you throw 1GB of RAM (Corsair no less) in the thing, they still run like poo! This has been done may time before and is not really all that useful.

      Where is the EVDO wireless card for email / web?

      Where is the Bluetooth GPS system that can be stored wirelessly in your glove box? (is wirelessly a word?)

      NO DIGG
    • IMustBeEmo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1When you die from checking your e-mail and browsing Digg while driving, I'm going to laugh. When you kill someone from checking your e-mail and browsing Digg while driving, I'm going to cry because that will mark the end of humanity as we know it.
  • zorpscorp, on 10/12/2007, -6/+6I've always wanted to do this, but running some full OS instead of a carOS. Not only would you get audio/video on it, but Google Earth working with a GPS in your car, an wardriving util that marked locations of hotspots, maybe even some speech-recognition software to enable vocal commands for your car-puter... hell, when cities eventually get covered in wifi, you could have your own car-cast, or communicate with friends that also had this, see their locations on the map, share music collections...
    • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9this isn't a car OS, it's just a program that runs as a GUI on top of Windows XP.
    • zorpscorp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Oops, haha... that's what I get for just skimming through the pictures (and I guess not seeing the one with XP on it ). I still stand by everything else :P
    • d2nd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The setup your describing is what alot of people are running. You can cache google earth maps so you dont even need to have a live connection. Also there are alot of apps that will track your live position in Google earth (with autozoom based on speed, color based track logging, and alot of other features not included in the pay version's gps functionality).
      A quality wifi antenna mounted properly works pretty well, but mostly when stationary. EVDO is really the best solution. I used to use skype for overseas calls during my semiweekly commute.
  • keef06, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2nice, would mounting the dvd-drive in the front via USB work?
    • dSlifer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe not USB, I think that would be slow, but I guess 2.0 might not be (I don't play much with 2.0)

      But I wondered the same you are, unless the whole case is somewhere up front, it would be annoying to stop and pull over just to put one cd in the back, not like a six-cd changer at all. I know the idea is to put mp3s on the hard drive, but for movies and such
    • whatsthatsmell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you even thought of having to pull over to change CDs and don't know how to store/play movies on a HDD, you are not ready for a computer installed in your car. Read the next article
  • wizawuza, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4www.mp3car.com for much much more information
  • bagelpirate, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4www.mp3car.com

    Great resource for carputers

    Including mac mini setup guides :P
    • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You'll notice that MP3CAR is mentioned TWICE on the last page.

  • Qtip42, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Ok let's be serious here. Who is going to use a screen that is mounted to the middle of the console? If only for music selection, that would be the proper placement. If you want a full on computing experience, you'd rip the passenger side airbag out of the car, custom build a flip-up screen that hides itself under the airbag-cover, mount the PC in the glove compartment, and have the USB/firewire/etc ports between the seats on the center console. You'd have to be a passenger to use it sure........you shouldn't be trying to use a computer while driving so this is idea :p
    • kodek, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Even if that computer had battlefield 2, i wouldn't sit in the passenger's seat knowing that you just ripped out the freaking airbag.
    • RedGTiVR6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@ Qtip

      I'm not quite sure I understand your comments. You say there's no need for a screen in the center console? What about the many cars that are made now a days with screens in the center console? What about the many aftermarket head units that are screens as well?

      The point of putting a PC in your car isn't necessarially to have a FULL computing experience. It's mostly for media. Much the same thought process as a HTPC, only implemented into the car. Makes perfect sense really.
  • Vouksh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I wonder if I could fit one of these things in my MX-6... If so, that'd be awesome. What I'd also include is a wireless network card, so I could transfer songs just by starting my car and copying songs across the network.
    • 0x0000ff, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1and then remove the 4 wheel steering and put a 13BT under the hood. :)
    • RedGTiVR6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Why don't you check out www.mp3car.com and look in the worklogs and completed installs section and see that people have done it in cars just like yours already.
  • noliberalbull, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Alrighty, but how do I mod my 89 Buick Reatta, which already has a touchscreen radio (stock) ( http://www.murrayco.com/Car_Collection/buick_reatta_89_lg4.jpg ) so that it is compatible with an iPod (or at least an auxilary input)? Help me figure that one out...
    • Qtip42, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1you dont.
    • PhantomZmoove, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Man, I loved those old Reattas. I just dumped my entire head unit and put the touch screen in its place. You'll need an FM tuner if you still want your old radio, but I went XM instead, much easier.
    • whatsthatsmell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1you could start by doing something like this to your Reatta http://i2.ebayimg.com/05/i/07/ea/df/49_12.JPG
      collect insurance,buy a nice car, build a car PC
  • H0tKarl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3What did he use for a radio tuner?
    • mushoo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are seveal pci ones for fm, I wish there was an am one.
    • RedGTiVR6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If you make your way over to www.mp3car.com you will find that there's a product called the HQCT. It's currently the best option for FM.
  • Brian48216, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6One thing that's always bugged me was the really long boot time required because it's a windows based system.

    If I turn the key to go for a quick run to buy groceries, I don't want my radio turning on by the time I pull into the parking lot of the grocery store.

    Has anybody worked on a stripped down version of linux with just the audio and display drivers running?
    • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1the boot time is probably non-existent if they hooked it up right. The Opus case has a startup/shutdown controller that can go into hibernate mode when it senses power off and wake up in seconds once it senses power is back. If they hooked that up right, that is. Otherwise you're right, it'd just be boot times every time you started the car.

  • NeoMatrixJR, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Wow these dudes make it look easy. I wish it WAS! I've BUILT one! Go ahead, follow these directions. You'll have a basic system that will be really buggy. Trust me. Haul over to www.mp3car.com and sit on the forums for about 3-6 months, plan the whole thing, ask questions, THEN build! Oh, and as for a radio, us xm, or go to www.mp3car.com and search for "hqct module" it's a high quality USB radio unit that's just being released. Most usb/pc based radio tuners are FM only and are not equipped to handle EM interference from your car or the doppler effect driving down the road has on the radio waves you pick up. I'm still waiting for more of these to come out so I can replace the POS I have on mine now. Oh, yeah...and if you want GPS...don't use Mappoint...is SUCKS at navigation...

    Oh, and the windows boot questions, look for nlite and EWF on the site too...

    But seriously... WWW.MP3CAR.COM!!
  • Zero82z, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I love the "Buy Corsair Products" photoshopped onto the front plate of the car...
    (Pic on first page)
  • LuckieGW, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9These guys 1/2assed this thing. After all, if you're going to take the time to do this, do it right. For the love of rand() they're using motherboard sound. Atleast put in a decent sound card with optical audio in/out.

    Oh, and WINDOWS? They make car versions of linux that work a million times better and even interface with ODB2.

    Idiots don't know how to put a real good sounding system in and should stand down and let people who know what they're doing get their hands on it.
    • MackPrime, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2the whole onboard soundcard thing bothered me aswell
    • pillfred, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1It's just a basic guide, i would assume most people who try this (i hope) would do it in a proper fashion. The way i think you may be referring too.
    • gaqua, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I'm curious about that too. The case has two PCI slots. I wonder what they're using them for, if anything? That being said, doing "optical" out to a car audio amplifier would be pretty pointless.

      I don't know about your "car versions of linux" thing, but your rage for Windows is pretty lame. If you'd bothered to read up on any of the software in the thing you'd notice that Centrafuse can be made to interface with ODB2, NAV, XM Radio, etc. What's the big deal with Windows?

      That motherboard is from VIA, so it might have an Envy 24HT chip on it, which is one of the best sound chips on the market for the price right now. Far better than anything Creative Labs puts out for the price. The system's supposed to be low power usage, I have to wonder if they did this for power requirements?

    • akinder, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5OH NOES they used WINDOWS!

      Heaven forbid, they should have used Linux! That way the guide would have been 48 pages of How to Get X Distro to work with the hardware, then 34 more pages of getting the USB GPS, etc to work with the distro, and then finally the part about hooking it up to the car.
    • LuckieGW, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1gaqua, you make a good point about power consumption. However, I take the point of view of an audiophile not an average joe. If theres a hiss or compression, I hear it. Not to mention, adding a good soundcard will slightly reduce cpu load.

      akinder, just go trade in your computer now and buy an abacus. Operating system makes no difference on how you wire it in a car. Ubuntu has support for everything you can throw at it and in most cases the software is completely free. Ontop of that, the last thing you want in a car is spyware. I use windows as my main OS and Linux on my portable (ubuntu with XGL/compiz). Not only is linux less CPU intensive (better performance on that Via chip and lower power consumption due to less CPU load) but it's also far more reliable. Take off your Microsoft hat and put down you pen because Bill Gates doesn't want your letters describing how much you want to have his babies.


  • gl00pp, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3DONT USE WINDOWS, IT WILL CRASH YOUR CAR!!
    g
  • RBasil, on 10/12/2007, -9/+2http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
    http://www.mp3car
  • RomeyRome, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Sloppy.
  • zanzaman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0RTPMatt was pointing to the old Empeg, which reminds me of another old geek BS: the Atari 2600 Mobile in a Scirocco LOL
    Check it out:
    http://www.classicgaming.com/atarimobile/const.htm
  • foxhoundadmin, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3what happens if... *ehem* excuse me, "when" you hit a pot hole on a street, a filling on a highway, a joint on a bridge whilst using the hard drive (like, oh say, when you're opening an mp3 and it's being swapped to the memory)? :
  • jejones, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1One question: how well will the hardware described work at the temperature extremes one finds in a car?
  • BrettE, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0What about temperature? Theses electrical components are probably only rated for the commercial temp range: 0C-70C. The automotive temp range is -40C to +125C. That's a whole lot of unsupported range!
  • LeeVal, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1even better computer in car mod http://www.tunertricks.com/blog/index.php?p=40
  • diggingthisone, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0Always disconnect the NEGATIVE battery cable FIRST!! I can't stress this enough. You will be working with metal hand tools which, of course, conduct electricity. The car's body (and most of the metal attached to it) is grounded to the battery. Working on the positive terminal with metal hand tools while the negative lead is still connected would have disastrous results should you accidentally make contact with the metal parts of the car while also touching the positive lead with your tools.
  • httpgeek, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0this is totally off the hook
  • whiskeymb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'd like to know how he got his own maps in Centrafuse since it's still in beta and the only maps I can get are german... maybe I'm missing something....
    • EpicSA, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I believe they noted or at least alluded to the fact that the Centrafuse guys hooked them up with a more final version.
    • carpcrocker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0re:
      FYI: operating temps, the range for a EPIA M10000 maxes at 123deg Fahrenheit. Pentium M boards run hotter and will actually overheat and shutdown in the south.
  • Jeebugorn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that's pretty ole slick rick. i mean, for the price of an in-dash navigation system, you can get a full computer that plays mp3s and divx files from a HD. i really like this. i may have to put one together next year after i get some bills paid off.
  • Mach1Chris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The temperature range is not a problem for me. I have had my CarPC installed for almost 2 years now. You can see my install here: http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=62063.

    I'm up in Canada, and last winter was the first winter I drove my mustang through. I was afraid of the temperature issue also, but it proved not to be a problem so far. The only problem I originally encountered is there was a "cold weather" bug with the opus power supply that prevented it from powering on in cold weather (it would go into protection mode). Opus found the bug and fixed my power supply promptly (this has also been fixed in all production units since). Since then, it has been perfect. On really cold mornings, the LCD was a little slow to respond so I just left my car running with the heat full blast while grabbing my morning coffee :)

    In regards to software, Centrafuse is good but it is a 'public beta' that will require a paid for license once final. RoadRunner is (in my opinion) my front end of choice. There are monthly releases and the functionality is endless. As a bonus, it is open source. You can check it out on the mp3car forums, download it at http://www.rrdownloads.net/ and view some info on it at http://guino.home.insightbb.com/roadrunner.html.

    For sound, I did not opt for the on board audio. I went with a SB Audigy NX external USB soundcard. Since my pc is in-dash and the audio equipment is in the trunk, this was a good solution. I have a usb hub in the glove box and one in the trunk so the sound card plugs into the hub in the trunk.

    Another bonus of the carpc is phone management. If you have a compliant gsm phone with an available connection to the computer (ie: usb cable, infrared, or the most popular choice: bluetooth), you can control it via the carpc. Personally, I don't control mine with the car pc, too dangerous while driving IMO. I simply use it to know when I have an incoming call. When the phone rings, it pauses/mutes the music and displays who's calling. I then just use my bluetooth earpiece to answer the call. The software you need for this (which is not free, but is a well deserved approx $30) is Phonecontrol .NET (from http://zoran-horvat.de/PhoCoWeb2/redirector.aspx). There is also a plugin being developed for RoadRunner that is free which seems to be making very good progress.

    For navigation, my software of choice is iGuidance. There are some nice 'hacks' for it to make it more carpc friendly (specifically the "igmon" plugin for RoadRunner) and the new version (3.0) comes with a carpc version. The voice guidance is great, I don't even have to look at the screen.

    Also, if you don't want to hack up your dash, there are now many 1-din solutions for the vga touchscreen. Check out the mp3car store or digitalww.com for motoroized in-dash lcd's, they've come a long way.

    There's probably a lot more, but that's it for now ;)

    Chris
    • wiegle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I guess you frequent mp3car.com too. I am a centrafuse user myself. RR is a pain to configure along with frodoplayer.
    • Mach1Chris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I sure do, but go by the name pyros on there.

      That is one of the things I forgot to mention. RR is much more complicated to configure, but once it is done IMO it is well worth it. I abandoned Frodoplayer a while ago for RoadRunner, until I see something new it is a dead project IMO....
  • DrunkenStumble, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have always wanted to perform a hack like this. I would really like to hear from someone who has done somethign similar as to how the PC and components (hard drive, disk drive) perform under conditions such as those found while driving a vehicle. Do the vibrations cause a lot of disk skipping, or errors with the hard drive? And are there special mesures that can be taken during installation to dampen the vibrations?
    • Mach1Chris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Mine has held up well to driving conditions. However, make sure your grounds are 100% secure along with your PC. When I was working out the bugs initially with my CarPC, I had a loose ground and a few times when I hit a hard bump, the computer froze or got a BSOD.

      For the harddrive, I do not recommend using a desktop drive. From what I understand (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), they are designed to be operated horizontally. Many people mount them vertically which I do not believe to be a good idea. Even horizontally, they are not meant to handle the stress of an automotive environment (shock from bumps, vibrations, etc).

      My solution was to use a laptop harddrive. It has better shock resistance and is made to be able to be operated on an angle other than just horizontally. I used a cheap used 10gb harddrive from a dead notebook I had and it has held up for two years and counting. You can get a notebook to ide converter (I think that's what it is called) so that you can use it with a standard IDE port.

      Of course, the ultimate solution would be a flash drive since there are no moving parts. I don't know much about how they would work other than some of the via motherboards support flash drives such as SD (I think) as a harddrive. I'll stop here because I really don't know anything on this topic. If anyone can fill us in, that'd be great.

      Chris
  • RedGTiVR6, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0There are ways around this. On a full XP install, from cold start, many people are down to under 30 second boots to playing music.

    You can also go with an embedded XP install on a CF card or the like and get it under 20 theoretically.

    There's also hibernation, which many times is under 10 seconds.
    • Mach1Chris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Mine takes exactly 30 seconds only because that is what the amp turn on delay is configured to. My system is actually booted up and ready to play in about 15-20 seconds which isn't too shabby. That's the time it takes for me to start the car, put on my seatbelt and roll down my driveway.
  • dephrye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Wow, with that centrafuse shell, and EVDO or Edge , you'd be all set.
  • PrplHaze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If I could digg twice I would

    I read the whole article, and who DOESN'T want to do this? Very detailed step by step, and from the tone of the author I'm sure they'd offer assistance if needed. I can imagine the possibilites of this, so maybe when I get ready to yank out the factory stuff I will consider something like this. More work, but oh so sweet! The only thing is the Maxima has the molded shell of a control-console, so I'd have to get something custom to accomodate an LCD. It'd be cool too if you could set this up with multiple touch-screens (which I'm sure you could) so that i.e. a backseat passenger could run the show as well.
  • TeKoverride, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It would be easier if you just installed a mac mini
  • carpcrocker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0i use Centrafuse in my carPC, they have a very stable beta trial, and will be releasing a commercial version very soon. I used Roadrunner and the other free ones, but nothing compares to this one. This software is smooth!!! Their site is http://www.centrafuse.com I think.
  • ibart, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.learntobuildcomputers.com
  • loxi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0http://www.design-sites.net/
  • pimpdad82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://duggmirror.com
  • pimpdad82, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://duggmirror.com
  •  

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