well, i got plans for a car computer in my car, 2005 maxima sl. some of the requirements i wish to fulfill are:

- be able to use one of the laptops i already have, they are both in good condition and good specifications. i would like to have some kind of docking station in my trunk, so i can come and dock it and remove it if i want to. this will be the car computer and will not be remove just because...but it would be nice to be able to do so just in case...

- wireless web surfing. yeah i know just plug a wireless card and/or and att or other company service car. can i run the antenna with an extension to the roof so i will get better reception ??

- wireless kerboar and mice. so the receiver would have to be in the cabin.

- which is the best display ?? touch screen would be really nice and would prefere it...but viewing quality shouldnt be extensively compromised...

- power up ?? how will i power it up if it is in the trunk ?? protection during car ignition ??

any ideas guys ?? please help me out on this one !!

by the way, which do you think would be the best location for the computer diplay ?? i am planning on having one specifically dedicated fo this, besides having headrest monitors, i want to be able to display the nfo inthere when i wish but not all the time...

thank you...

luigi

 

nobody ?? .

 

you can run a 12v line to the trunk, or possibly go off the Bose amp or something.

screen, not sure
reciever for wireless could be ok on the rear package tray
keyboard and mouse, just look for one that suits the needs good

honestly what are you wanting to do with this? if it's just surf the internet I wouldn't bother trying to build one in. Most people either do it for music or gps. Personally I was going to do it a few years ago but realized it really wasn't practical.

 

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/ is a pretty good forum for implementations/software/etc.

they have a store as well in which they sell LCDs/power supplies and such... http://www.mp3car.com

If you are using a laptop, you may have to use an inverter though, not sure what the input of the AC/DC laptop adapter is (My laptop is 18.5V).

I haven't really seen the interior of the 2005, but probably going to put a 7" LCD into my 2000 dash... that LCD plus a slot load cd-drive will probably barely fit into double-din... going with a small form factor type setup microATX mobo + AMD mobile CPU + RAM + HD + Slot load CD/DVD + DC-DC psu + WIFI + GPS + LCD + etc... Just need to get around to working on it as I have about half the hardware already, plus only windows software out there right now and I want something that boots fast (linux)

 

Or you can just get an dell or whatever and have them put a video card that has rca outs on it. Then you can play you computer on your tv or whatever you are doing for video.

 

composite video sucks...dont do it. You'll want VGA on the 7inch screens because everything will be fuzzy otherwise. a screen you want to look at is the Xenarc touchscreen. great quality..doesn't wash out as much in sunlight. a little expensive though but I swear you wont kick yourself in the a$$ later for buying a cheap little liliput.

Get a bluetooth phone if you don't already have one, get a bluetooth adapter for your computer and get a data plan from your cell phone provider. instant internet from your car while your phones even in your pocket.

You should look at an OPUS power supply. Don't do it by an inverter ... unless maybe you have a battery..but still, you don't have a power up or down feature.

 

I was looking in to this company to but when I call and ask would the monitors hook up to my apline 310 they said no thats why I did not go with them. They do have great monitors and they are worth the money and the long run. The set up I was doing would have worked great with their monitors for the xbox and the computer oh well

 

kewl...thank you for the feedback so far...but lets work this out. i know we can get it together....

ok, monitor in the dash...i already have one, my nav screen, it is possible to run rca input into it and switch back and forth between nav and computer but like it was mentioned before, video quality suck big time !! so i was planning on an independent screen, so far my i think to replace the sunglasses holder with a fold down screen that would be housed in the sunglasses holder space...just an idea. or maybe even in the glove box, i could fit a biger screen in there...mayor mod to do it though...worth it ?? ummm dunno just yet.

the keyboar and mice, i thought of having them wirelless and have the receiver in the cabin at a close range. i would just run an extnsion from the trunk to inside.

i have nextel so yeah i could get the cable and all for my phone to be used as a modem ..will be slow as hell but could be worth the try...no bluetooth option here, unless ...i havent seen bluetooth nextel ..will check on that but there are no chances of me leaving nextel..no way !! but i could get service for the computer alone from a different company...

as for the laptop. well i could just buy a carputer and go with it but since i have two laptops and i dont use them both, why not just use it and use the mney i saved on a better screen...if it becmes to complicated i might just go with a carputer and thats it...but i would try though.

power, my problem is not where to get power from but how to power it up frm the inside without me having to go to the trunk just to turn it on ?? i thought about having it "always on" so i could just move the mouse to wake it up...how long will it be for it before it drains my battery ?? i figure if i have the laptop battery on, it will probably not drain my car battery since while driving it will charge, and then when the car is off, the computer will be sleep and barely consuming any power from the battery . i planned of having the laptop conected to a converter from 12 to 110, will this make the power comsumption worse ?? well, i will probably check how long my laptop can go in sleep mode while on its own battery, if it is good result, then i wouldnt need have the converter powered all the time...

does it seem i am on the right direction ?? or am i lost ?? lol

luigi

 

i wouldnt go that power direction at all. Like I said earlier, go with a power supply that is made for the 12v car use. It monitors your ignition wires so that when you turn it on, it will turn on your laptop for you with protection, ect. It also will not allow your battery to drain because of the computer. Here is the OPUS 80W DC-DC:

OPUS Solutions, Inc. 80W DC-DC smart power supply is designed specifically for use in an automotive environment.

- 80 Watt output
- Built in auto shutdown
- Delayed shutdown timer
- Wide input voltage range
- On/Off power switch input
- High Efficiency DC-DC Power Supply (extended battery life)
- Remote trigger output

Full Description

OPUS Solutions 80W DC-DC smart power supply is designed specifically to be used in an automotive environment. This product brings a new dimension to your PC’s mobility. When you switch off the Power-ON lead the PC can go into shut down, standby or hibernate modes automatically.
The 80W DC-DC Power supply has a micro-controller that controls and monitors various functions of the power supply operation. It monitors automobile battery voltage to protect against deep discharge. The Power-ON lead is monitored to start the PC when the power is turned on and to implement a safe shutdown procedure. It controls and monitors motherboard signals to provide smooth power-up and power down sequences. In addition, it also responds to shut down, stand-by and hibernate modes.
The power supply can be programmed to shut down the PC after a delay of time. Its outputs are monitored to assure proper PC operation. A green LED indicator in the power supply continually indicates the power system status and health. It is also used for troubleshooting. There are features that are built-in for trouble-free and safe PC operation. The input power is protected against transients, load dumps and double battery during jumpstarts. The PC does not reboot during engine start or cranking. It also uses state-of-the-art technologies and the most advanced techniques to maximize efficiency, performance and reliability. Simply put, there is no other PC power supply like it.

http://www.opussolutions.com/modules...article&sid=25

 

also, to warn, you would have to open your laptop and solder a wire or two to make it work.

 

Luigi... sorry I didn't get back to you about that. I could have answered a lot of the questions, seeing how I have an 04 and a PC in the car already...

The thread that I created has problems because I moved the pictures on my webhost. I'll edit the posts if I can to make sure the pictures show and then I'll come back around and answer whatever questions are left.

 

Alright, I edited the other thread to fix the pictures, so now I'm gonna see what's up with your questions... this is a long-*** post, so I'll break it up or something to make it less daunting...

I'm using an IBM X31 with a port replicator, mounted in the trunk. Works for me so far, but the power on/off took some work. In the end I found a post on mp3car where somebody was using the exact same setup, and I got some ideas from it. I took the port replicator apart and soldered a momentary switch from Radio Shack onto it and ran the wiring to the front. Now I can turn the box on from the driver's seat, and to turn it off I use the interface.

Depending on what you want to do, you have some options. I purchased the onboard Intel-based wireless NIC for my laptop, but before that I was using a Linksys PCMCIA card. Browsing from... err... "borrowed" access points has been perfect so far, so it looks like having the laptop back there doesn't interfere too much with the 54g connection.

I also have a bluetooth dongle and I've configured a dial-up connection to use my bluetooth phone, but seeing how Cingular charges you out the anus for data access, that's a last resort type of thing.

I have a gyration keyboard/mouse USB setup and both work fine with the receiver in the trunk next to the laptop. The only issue with the mouse is that it's bulky (but it fits on the driver's door pocket) and that the batteries don't last all that long.

 

Huge point of contention there... I'm using a lilliput 7" touchscreen, which is good but not great. It's good for what it does, but it's not all that bright in daylight (which is only a problem if you're watching videos). YMMV depending on what you use it for... most of the interfaces for car PCs are built from the ground up for big buttons and easy to read fonts for when you're on the road... my screen works fine for me, while other people like Xenarcs instead.

See above. I ran power from the front of the car to the trunk, rather than try to piggyback off the ACC lines back there (if there are any). I'm using an inverter because I already had one, and I don't have to worry about it surviving the crank or what-not.

The info screen area is the best place IMO. The bottom pocket is just too hard to look at while driving because of the angle, and reaching it is hard with an auto, probably impossible with a stick. I didn't consider the sunglass holder because it's too obstrusive, but I suppose you can try there or the sunvisor if you don't mind it being there.

 

i am back !! thank you guys for your ideas and comments.

i wouldnt mine soldering one or two wires to my laptop. what i would do thoug is to solder and make a cnnector so it would still be pulg and play as i dont want it to be permanently attached to my car... now...what wires do you think i would need to solder to my laptop ??

Viguera...its all good. i am going to check your thread now, if i have anything else i will probably bother you a little

i dont have a infoscreen since i have the navigation system...so this spot is out of the equation...

 

Take a look at mine and feel free to ask any questions.

That is the BEST site to go to for what you want to accomplish.