New Project - Carputer

[Dan-O]

Originally Posted by Feral

:)
built in Bluetooth adapter that links/tethers to my HTC Dream (Android OS, known as G1 in the US) where it uses the data-plan on the phone (unlimited) to link to the net

Do you pay the extra $15/month for the data plan or did you find a 'work-around'?
With my phone, I have the $$$ data plan and then would have to pay more to use it as a modem.

[AL1222]

I want one!!!!!!! Lol!!

Originally Posted by hacohatesu

so some of you may know me from my many "help my car is dying" threads. Well, luckily, i have been able to resolve all of those issues and i am now running forward with a fun fix, instead of a required fix.

I am currently planning/building a carpc. The original plan was to just have something that played mp3s and video files. This quickly gave way to more ambitious plans. I will be posting pictures as updates come along and plan on documenting the build here.

As it stands now i have a pc built, its not a heavy hitter but for a carpc its what i need.

The next 2 posts will be the specs, and initial update. Specs list will be updated as anything changes, so if youre following, check there often.

Here goes.

[CopperMach]

I too have plans on going the carpc route as soon as I finish several other projects on the focus (such as the turbo kit that has been sitting in my garage for going on 6months.) For those people interested in carpcs or carputers the book Car PC Hacks by Damien Stolarz has a lot of information that can give you ideas of what is possible and what components can be used.

Have you given any thought as to using the dome lamp circuit as the wake up signal to the carputer. That way when you unlock the car (key fob) the computer is already booting thus decreasing the wait time?

[smellyrubber]

I think I'm retarded. I kept coming across your thread in the active topics menu and I was always thinking "What is this guy doing with his carpet? And why is it spelled like that?" I never really thought about, and now that I see the thread I feel genuinely stupid. But I can deal with that. I saw advertising for the MacMini and thought immediately that it would be great for mobile entertainment systems.

[Feral]

Originally Posted by Dan-O

Do you pay the extra $15/month for the data plan or did you find a 'work-around'?
With my phone, I have the $$$ data plan and then would have to pay more to use it as a modem.

I have a set fee for unlimited due to the design of my phone my phone requires the dataplan to work its a HTC Dream with linux android OS ( basically dubbed "The Google Phone")

i can interface my PC's to that phone which the computers can access and utilize the built in features including the GPS and dataplan.. I have what they call a Rooted (Jailbroken Phone) i have root access and with that i can install and use apps made by people that don;t have to go through google's PITA's quality control... theres an app that was made by a company called PDANET that will allow the computers to link via USB/Bluetooth to the phone and the software uses the phone to transfer data ( basically it sends the data like you were searching from the phone..) right now I don't have access to my new system thats setup but I did record a demo with the old laptop that was a carputer (its now my OBDII car diagnostic system/reader/writer... I left the software on it in case i need to go to a FF.com or FC.net members house to help fix there car and need net access

uhh oops Xd my camera didn't like how close i got the phone and the cell interfered with the camera and it wouldn't focus/buzzed it at the end XD

[02ZX5cominalive]

Originally Posted by Feral

I have a set fee for unlimited due to the design of my phone my phone requires the dataplan to work its a HTC Dream with linux android OS ( basically dubbed "The Google Phone")

i can interface my PC's to that phone which the computers can access and utilize the built in features including the GPS and dataplan.. I have what they call a Rooted (Jailbroken Phone) i have root access and with that i can install and use apps made by people that don;t have to go through google's PITA's quality control... theres an app that was made by a company called PDANET that will allow the computers to link via USB/Bluetooth to the phone and the software uses the phone to transfer data ( basically it sends the data like you were searching from the phone..) right now I don't have access to my new system thats setup but I did record a demo with the old laptop that was a carputer (its now my OBDII car diagnostic system/reader/writer... I left the software on it in case i need to go to a FF.com or FC.net members house to help fix there car and need net access

uhh oops Xd my camera didn't like how close i got the phone and the cell interfered with the camera and it wouldn't focus/buzzed it at the end XD

Feral, I didn't realize that you have built a Carputer. Its Kevin from Focus Canada, aka Focus Man, Focus. I am starting to collect the bits and pieces to assemble one for myself. Where did you find the DC to DC inverter to use as a power supply? I was downtown at Active Surplus and they told me that I would have to go to EBay to find one. As for the Motherboard and CPU I am still undecided as to which way to go. Mini or Micro. Also what to do for a monitor. I want at least 2, one for the dash and at least 1 in the rear seat area for the kids to watch movies on long trips to my parents. You should shoot me a PM over on FC.net and we can talk.

[Feral]

Originally Posted by 02ZX5cominalive

Feral, I didn't realize that you have built a Carputer. Its Kevin from Focus Canada, aka Focus Man, Focus. I am starting to collect the bits and pieces to assemble one for myself. Where did you find the DC to DC inverter to use as a power supply? I was downtown at Active Surplus and they told me that I would have to go to EBay to find one. As for the Motherboard and CPU I am still undecided as to which way to go. Mini or Micro. Also what to do for a monitor. I want at least 2, one for the dash and at least 1 in the rear seat area for the kids to watch movies on long trips to my parents. You should shoot me a PM over on FC.net and we can talk.

hehe PM's away.. if you want pm me first and ask away :)

as for converting i didn't wanna mess around with possibly stranding me in the middle of nowhere I have a 1000watt DC to AC inverter just for the system that if it senses the car battery go around 10-11 volts it will auto-shut itself down and save the battery plus its nice having the option of being able to plug something 110volt in hehehe

the car will have a second alternator installed with a second battery both located in the rear of the wagon (im relocating the one in the front)

as for a screen I borrowed one from a friend and he wanted it back so he took it and I disassembled it again I couldn't afford my own touchscreen at that moment... the system wasn't actually fully hidden and wired for showing off it was basically run as a tester to see how everything fit etc... x.x I never realized how expensive those touchscreens actually are x.x

my new project car will most likely have it but I have to wait to see if I want to have my tan seats redone in leather before I hack away at the headrests

right now Im at the stage of the project car that the interior will be ripped out and trashed now its the time to plan the wiring and correct feeds to run where which will be taped pretty much to the factory loom.. I probably won't be doin the carputer till next summer as I have designated all winter to prep the body for paint (lead the dings and dents, buy the wagon spoiler cut the holes, mock the new facia, replace the doors and hatch , clean the interior install the gauge pod etc x.x I have a TON of work to remove all the busted glass and talc powder from the airbags on the interior of the other car

[Dan-O]

Originally Posted by Feral

I have what they call a Rooted (Jailbroken Phone) i have root access and with that i can install and use apps made by people that don;t have to go through google's PITA's quality control...

Down here in the Mexican touching, Shatner Stealing US (Simpsons joke) cracking a phone and illegally tethering it to a PC without paying the extra loot is a no-no. Not that I haven't looked into ways to do it.
I've been eye-balling the new HTC running Droid.
So far people rave about the HTC gear.

[Pkmgarf]

Originally Posted by Dan-O

So far people rave about the HTC gear.

I love my HTC Diamond. It was kinda "ehhh" out of the box (thanks mainly to an old Windows Mobile build), but I've since flashed a few custom ROMs (and built one of my own), and it's gone from "ehh" to great.