:::RHMT::: Real Home Made Turbo

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Doug on July 06, 2009, 09:04:32 PM

Title: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 06, 2009, 09:04:32 PM
Well with my mucked up climate bezel on my 99 Civic I either have to get a "new" one OR for the price of a replacement + a few bucks I can buy a 7" screen to mold in there. I have doing some research on some carputers and some of the parts are priced retarded high. I.E. 200 watt DC PC power supply for $150+.

Any of you nogs ever made one? Figured it would take the place of my head unit with a lot more functionality.


1) What kind of power options did you use? I see you can either use a DC PC power supply, or buy a DC to AC inverter and just use a conventional PC power supply which would be a bit cheaper. Only issue I see with this is that it wouldn't be ignition controlled. You would have to have a manual switch to cut on power to inverter and PC rather than a DC PSU will just come on with the ignition.


2) Next question is how would the audio work? I have a 4ch amp I can run the audio signal through then to the speakers, so I know that much. My question is say if I'm running a 5.1 ch sound car how would I hook this up to the car audio? I know they have the headphone style adapter that will plug in to the port on the PC then splits to two RCA ports. Now with my "5.1ch" card two of the ports are for mic and line in. So I don't understand how this is considered a 5.1ch system. What does it do convert the signal for front and rear into two separate signals for R and L? Sounds like a simulated surround sound to me, unless I just don't understand how it works.

3) So in this hookup scheme if you ran each sound card port via a 3.5mm to rca cable to a channel on the amp I would have a surround sound type setup and have full control of each speaker independently via the OS? or just control over the front and rear not individual?


Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: j.h.christ on July 06, 2009, 09:12:13 PM
save some money and boost something already for fucks sake
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 06, 2009, 09:21:52 PM
Well I have to fix this shit. The tabs on top are broken causing the vents to not jet the ac right (just shoots out the side), the bezel is hacked up and won't hold a head unit, and the radio harness was cut. It's hot as hell here so AC is a must and driving without a radio is super shitty. I figured if I could sell my head unit + the $165 I sold the head unit it came with for and build a carputer in that budget then why not? Either way the shit will be fixed and the cost would be the same.

Whenever I get the little shit straight on the car then we will see about engine work. I have already been planning a little something. One of my main concerns is tuning since I have yet to find a tuner around here worth a shit. The only one EVERYONE goes to scammed me on a LS block so I refuse to go back to them.

Anyways back on subject, my positive pressure failure is the subject of another thread.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: jagojon3 on July 06, 2009, 09:24:00 PM
I'd get the little shit straight first, then boost it, then build a carputer after researching more. The best option is a DC-DC power supply
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: ryan89crx on July 06, 2009, 09:43:22 PM
page 3 gets interesting
http://d-series.org/forums/audio-electronics/18052-completed-4-27-05-project-my-fingertips.html (http://d-series.org/forums/audio-electronics/18052-completed-4-27-05-project-my-fingertips.html)

btw, bizzar is a member on here and was an OG HMT'er
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 06, 2009, 10:10:26 PM
I'd get the little shit straight first, then boost it, then build a carputer after researching more. The best option is a DC-DC power supply

Well part of the little shit that needs to be fixed will be completely different with a pc. I can keep the climate bezel as it will need molding anyway.

Fix:

Climate bezel $130 (old one is cut up where someone tried molding a tv in previously)
Radio harness $15
Dash kit for radio $20

Total: $165

PC:
Monitor $150
PSU $80 (found what I was looking for after posting)
Motherboard $free
HDD $free
Video card $free
Sell head unit -$100
Cables ??? Shoot high say $25
Epoxy for molding ???

Either way will roughly be around the same price with greater expandability down the line. This is by no means going to be a expensive setup. This will fall in RHMT guidelines. The ONLY reason I am even contemplating this is I have a old PC that I have no use for that is wanting to be molested.

Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: glustic on July 06, 2009, 10:59:34 PM
Doug...


You have it figured out already man. Do the 3rd question on your list. Best option is the ignition controlled power supply. Fuck switching two switches to turn your shit off, that will get annoying the first time you do it...

Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: glustic on July 06, 2009, 11:48:41 PM
No headunit required. Best bet is to go with a touchscreen LCD. Or you can bust out the wireless mouse.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: rawr on July 07, 2009, 01:53:53 AM

Oh ya. You must be doin a 3.5mm to rca adapter then runnin it to an amp.


yesssssssss. 
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 07, 2009, 06:27:44 AM
all you need is here.

www.mp3car.com (http://www.mp3car.com)

They have HD radio adapters, PSU's Screens' GPS anennea, etc.

My boys got one in a kia sorento that looks factory.  Its sick, ill see if i cant get pics.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: salesmonkey on July 07, 2009, 07:28:30 AM
how many people here have ac currently? i havent had ac in my cars for seveal years. use to be every car had it, you kinda learn to live without it.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 07, 2009, 07:40:18 AM
I have an Innovatek LM-878 7" touchscreen, make offer.

Whatever you do to power any LCD you get, do it right... if the power feeding it varies, it's intensity varies, can be problematic.  Also, most of these screens are a native 800X480; does your video card support this?  If not then a diff card is cheap, but your budget just went up.  Etc.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 07, 2009, 09:13:25 AM
I have an Innovatek LM-878 7" touchscreen, make offer.

Whatever you do to power any LCD you get, do it right... if the power feeding it varies, it's intensity varies, can be problematic.  Also, most of these screens are a native 800X480; does your video card support this?  If not then a diff card is cheap, but your budget just went up.  Etc.

mp3car.com has sweet psus that get the ingition signal  patiently wait for the car to start and THEN cuts your shit on.  no popping, no feedback and no surge in power.  Nice and steady.  If im not mistaken it even allows teh PC to shut down properly after you kill it too so you're not just shutting it off Hard each time.

might be overpriced on that site but obviously they have everything you need so you can find the part and then of course search other places for said part at a better deal.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 07, 2009, 09:24:15 AM
The price on that shit doesn't vary much.  Also, LCDs are typically powered seperately from the computer, sam as with a desktop.  So proper power regulation for the LCD isn't controlled by anything but the installer.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 07, 2009, 10:40:59 AM
how many people here have ac currently? i havent had ac in my cars for seveal years. use to be every car had it, you kinda learn to live without it.

What state are you in?  I admit it'd be nice to have on some days, but I haven't had a decently running AC in...years.  Current AC is broke and I'm usually fine just rolling down the windows but it sucks when it's 90-100F, raining, and the vent is blowing hot air into your leaky car.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 07, 2009, 11:19:07 AM
Yeah in VA we get literaly like 80-90 and 80% humity on a regualr during summer.  so windows down dont work when its that hot ass wet air hittin you in the face.  Feels like you're being steamed like in a cooker.  Now a heater?  fuck it, i got heated leather seats so im good there.

Hell i might fix teh damn thing if it didnt require pulling half the damn interior out.  Fuck a bunch of removing brittle ass german plastic.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 07, 2009, 12:32:41 PM
Yeah in VA we get literaly like 80-90 and 80% humity on a regualr during summer.  so windows down dont work when its that hot ass wet air hittin you in the face.  Feels like you're being steamed like in a cooker.  Now a heater?  fuck it, i got heated leather seats so im good there.

Hell i might fix teh damn thing if it didnt require pulling half the damn interior out.  Fuck a bunch of removing brittle ass german plastic.

We know all about humidity O0  It's been low lately at 40-60%, which is odd for this time of year.  90-100+ and 90+ humidity, sucks, no AC, sucks, raining too? really sucks.  Car leaks? in a sweltering rainforest going down the interstate with foggy windshield.

Sucks.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: dvst8r on July 07, 2009, 12:51:05 PM
Our hottest day to this point has been 78... And I still use my AC on a regular basis.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 07, 2009, 05:14:59 PM
all you need is here.

www.mp3car.com (http://www.mp3car.com)

They have HD radio adapters, PSU's Screens' GPS anennea, etc.

My boys got one in a kia sorento that looks factory.  Its sick, ill see if i cant get pics.

Yeah good site. There screens a way overpriced. I screwed around and missed a kick ass deal on a new screen on eBay that went for $$114. Just going to keep looking till I find a good deal, I guess no big rush, but no radio sucks ass.

I have an Innovatek LM-878 7" touchscreen, make offer.

Whatever you do to power any LCD you get, do it right... if the power feeding it varies, it's intensity varies, can be problematic.  Also, most of these screens are a native 800X480; does your video card support this?  If not then a diff card is cheap, but your budget just went up.  Etc.

Is it a VGA monitor? From what I have read the composite video connections suck balls with a PC and make a GPS almost unreadable.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 07, 2009, 05:19:23 PM
Composite sucks to begin with.  VGA is 640x480.  800x480 I assume would be WVGA.

It shouldn't be so terrible you can't read it, but an LCD with a VGA/DVI/component/hdmi would be best.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 07, 2009, 05:22:40 PM
Yup, it's a VGA interface.  Cheap video cards raster the screen, decent cards you have no problem with.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 07, 2009, 06:06:21 PM
^Pm'd
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: BigGameHit on July 07, 2009, 09:47:31 PM
You should just get a mini laptop and a mount sorta like that of an police cruiser computer...
 i just picked up an refurbished Acer for 241 dollars and a car mount. ill be using it to data log. You can do all the same stuff as you outlined.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 07, 2009, 09:57:34 PM
Sounds bulky and annoying.

I'm picking up a Thinkpad X61, I guess I could glue it to the center console and use it as a carputer.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: BigGameHit on July 07, 2009, 10:02:17 PM
hell yea lol....

 or visit home depot and buy some of those big ass L brackets and do some magic with them
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 07, 2009, 10:45:07 PM
Yeah, I wouldn't bother with a laptop.  Carputer is nerdy enough but can be cool when done properly.  Rigging a laptop is just trashy and will not pull many cool points :P

If I had a nice enough car I'd go through the trouble.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: BigGameHit on July 07, 2009, 10:51:32 PM
my setup will just be the laptop and a power converter lol im a simple man.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 08, 2009, 02:14:04 AM
You should just get a mini laptop and a mount sorta like that of an police cruiser computer...
 i just picked up an refurbished Acer for 241 dollars and a car mount. ill be using it to data log. You can do all the same stuff as you outlined.

I am on a Asus EEE PC now and they are slow and wouldn't play the audio in the quality a PC with good sound card could, much less stream the GPS (down the line) cleanly. Sure you could use a more expensive laptop, but then why not just go the simple, cheaper, and cleaner method at that point. Not to mention I have a Civic not a big ass truck. A laptop would be annoying and in the way for passengers.

I'm not sure of the wattage needs of the old PC I have laying round. I will have to find out for sure as the PSU I plan on getting is only 120W. I just want something to work decent for now. Updating the computer part later will be easy, the main thing is the monitor.

Any of you nogs that have any mobo, sound card, video card, etc etc laying around you want to donate let me know  :mexi:
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 08, 2009, 03:04:16 AM
120w won't do much.  You better look for a weak single or dual core.  By weak, I don't mean old and weak.  My processor sucks over 300w down alone, but it's an overclocked quad.  Old processors may be slower but they're less efficient too... 120w doesn't sound like much at all.

What processor is it?

You need to find a mini-itx motherboard with on-board video.  Too bad the nvidia ion boards aren't out yet (I think).  They were made for HTPCs and netbooks.  Low power but can handle 1080p media and run decently.

For a carputer, you really don't need much processing power.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 08, 2009, 05:45:18 AM
Yeah I know 120w isn't much. I found another for 160w I might get. They usually use the mini itx boards, but I just wanted to go cheap and workable for now. The old PC is a single core AMD. I'll have to take it apart to find out more.

I figured it really won't need much computing power. It will only be running Ride Runner which plays music through winamp and gps down the line. Will just run a super stripped Win XP.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Jorsher on July 08, 2009, 09:36:08 AM
Yeah, you won't need much computing power, but older slow procs still use a bit of power.  Just search "[proc name] power consumption" and it'll let you know.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 08, 2009, 09:49:58 AM
Well pl;an for a tad mroe than youd want cause once you get WiFi up and running along with a radio, mp3 CD DVD type shit you will want to do hot shit with it cause you can.

My buddies is set to just war drive as he goes along.  So he can pull up Google maps and it tracks him and show it on the maps.  While thats going on hes ripping you tube video and thats how he jams out.  Plays the Music vids from youtube.  I mean sure half of that is the "Why would i do that in my car or while driving" type shit but lets face it you do a carputer cause its cool.  I think it'd be sorta cool to be able to watch yoursefl fly down the road on goole maps, jam videos from the Net and then let your passenger check their mail or IM all at the same time.

Not sure how much the devices pull but I dont think my boy needed that big of a PSU and hes got like all of it, HD radio jammer with teh GPS and all that horseshit.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 08, 2009, 12:14:04 PM
I also have a mini-ITX board with a VIA 600Mhz/133FSB fanless processor. 
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 08, 2009, 06:48:31 PM
Yeah, you won't need much computing power, but older slow procs still use a bit of power.  Just search "[proc name] power consumption" and it'll let you know.

Proc is old school haha.

Typical power 56.3W
Maximum 62.8W

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AMD-Athlon%20XP%201600+%20-%20AX1600DMT3C.html (http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/K7/AMD-Athlon%20XP%201600+%20-%20AX1600DMT3C.html)


I tried looking for the requirements for the mobo itself, but didn't find any. It's a K7SEM Rev 1.0


Well pl;an for a tad mroe than youd want cause once you get WiFi up and running along with a radio, mp3 CD DVD type shit you will want to do hot shit with it cause you can.

My buddies is set to just war drive as he goes along.  So he can pull up Google maps and it tracks him and show it on the maps.  While thats going on hes ripping you tube video and thats how he jams out.  Plays the Music vids from youtube.  I mean sure half of that is the "Why would i do that in my car or while driving" type shit but lets face it you do a carputer cause its cool.  I think it'd be sorta cool to be able to watch yoursefl fly down the road on goole maps, jam videos from the Net and then let your passenger check their mail or IM all at the same time.

Not sure how much the devices pull but I dont think my boy needed that big of a PSU and hes got like all of it, HD radio jammer with teh GPS and all that horseshit.


Yeah, but that isn't me for sure. I had a indash I could have watched DVD's on that came with the car I sold right away. Back when I had my EF I had a screen with DVD player I bought off a friend for cheap. Kept it about two days and sold it.

I have no desire to watch videos in my car. The only thing it would be used for right now is the audio. Later I will build a smaller PC to handle other options. Probably just GPS and MAYBE WiFi. As far as using a tuner card for radio I'm unsure on this. I have one on my PC that is the TV/Cable/Radio tuner so if I do decide to do it I will use that if I don't sell it first. If all else fails I will buy a cheap $20 used radio to play FM, I rarely listen to radio though.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: jagojon3 on July 08, 2009, 06:52:21 PM
Sounds like you'd be better off getting a head unit and a separate GPS.

Why build a carputer if you just want to listen to music and have gps? They make head units with built in hard drives so you can store a ton of music on it.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 08, 2009, 06:58:56 PM
I also have a mini-ITX board with a VIA 600Mhz/133FSB fanless processor. 

Tell me more about it when you PM me about the monitor.


Sounds like you'd be better off getting a head unit and a separate GPS.

Why build a carputer if you just want to listen to music and have gps? They make head units with built in hard drives so you can store a ton of music on it.


Price. If I can have a carputer for the same price why not? Then would have the expandability for later on.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: hatchboy on July 09, 2009, 12:06:16 AM
What is War Driving?
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 09, 2009, 01:15:03 AM
What is War Driving?

http://www.wardriving.com/ (http://www.wardriving.com/)
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 09, 2009, 04:45:46 AM
What is War Driving?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving)


I guess it's for broke nigs who don't have interweb. There are only a few places here that even offer wifi. 
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 09, 2009, 08:51:03 AM
That sucks.  Theres a pizza shop literaly like less than 2 miles from my house and i find 84 hotspots between my house ther the shop with 48 of them being wide slam open.  Like i call they say 10 minutes, so i wait for a commercial break and leave and only drop instawebs like twice throgh the entire journey.

No i have absolutley no use for it and do not surf the instawebs while driving lol.  but it is amusing watching people look over in your car and see a laptop with Air Snort running wild.  Id bet most of them have no idea what it is or what im doing but they give me dirty looks and get all concerned anyway.  I just slowly reach over and shut the lid and begin whistling.


FYI if you are ever worried about being too conspicuous just start whistling as it instantly makes you inconspicuous.  No one suspects the whistler.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: rawr on July 09, 2009, 08:56:13 AM
Oh yeah because war driving is so sinister and criminal...







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OMG iphone h4xz0ring
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 09, 2009, 08:56:46 AM
Henry, that's sissy.  Roll down the wondow and ask them what their fucking problem is?  It's the perfect solution.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Doug on July 09, 2009, 05:44:32 PM
Henry, that's sissy.  Roll down the wondow and ask them what their fucking problem is?  It's the perfect solution.

or start streaming two girls one cup for their viewing pleasure.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 10, 2009, 08:45:00 AM
Henry, that's sissy.  Roll down the wondow and ask them what their fucking problem is?  It's the perfect solution.

Thats one way to look at it but it does sorta make me giggle when people think theyve caught you doing Uber l33t hax0ring.  "Oh god Honey hes going to steal our Social Security Numbers from our license plates!! Oh Noes!!!"

Since you are callign me henery Ive decided to call you Raul. (pronouced Rah-ule) because he sounds like a suave name that would have long luscious flowing Golden locks.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: Joseph Davis on July 10, 2009, 10:08:32 AM
Raul is a spanish sort of name; no blonde locks there.  You sure are stupid, Henry.
Title: Re: Who has done a carputer?
Post by: 97Econobox on July 10, 2009, 10:16:48 AM
Raul is a spanish sort of name; no blonde locks there.  You sure are stupid, Henry.

Know what?  Fuck You Raul Youve got Spanish Flowing Locks goddamnit cause i said so.