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How can I do this?

C

CoRPS

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 19, 2004
Messages
1,389
Alright guys, recently I've aquired my first car.
full.JPG


Now, I want to make a carputer, but to be honest, I don't know how I should be doing this. How can I get/make a converter for the power? Are there any touch screen monitors (5"-10") that I can use? Can/Should I use a PS1 screen? What specs should I be using for a carputer? Should I hook it up with wireless internet to download music while in the driveway, or should I have a portable HDD?

Thanks ahead of time!

Here is a pic of the interior, if you have any ideas where I should/could put the screen, let me know.

interior.JPG


Regards,
Brett 'CoRPS' Levine
 
Here is a link http://www.mp3car.com/ Just be warned its expensive because you have to buy a seperate psu and the xenarc touchscreen is expensive. You will save money if you go with the lilliput but you might encounter more problems with it. There seems to be more faulty screens manufactured by lilliput than xenarc. I would spend the extra money on the xenarc for piece of mind. I`ve done research on this and their forums were alot of help but i never went through it because of the $.
 
you ought to be able to get a DC-> DC power supply, but i don't know how well it'd be able to handle varying voltage (anywhere from 11-15V probably)
 
Get a DC to AC power inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Most major auto stores and marine stores also will carry them. They will range in price from about $30 to $300 depending on what options you want. A friend of mine spent about $40 for his and he uses it for his laptop, and brewing coffee when we go hunting.
 
Hah, my dad uses one for his coffee too, lol.
Anyway, I geuss I'll do that, only problem is the computer will be mounted in the trunk. Is there one that will reach? or do I just get like an extension chord. Also I don't want it to be visible (a chord from the ciggarrette lighter all the way to the trunk would be VERY ugly, to say the least).
Anyway, thanks for the help guys.
In regards to the screen, I think I'll just get a PS1 screen, I have one somewhere. doesn't have to be touch screen.
 
I agree with using an inverter - you can put it in the trunk and run the power wires back there for the inverter but you don't have to have an ugly plug showing in the cigarette lighter or have the extension wires visible in the car for the inverter

to run power to the trunk you would splice into the cigarette lighter power wires (do this under the dash so you can hide the wiring - install an inline fuse on the positive wire - then run the wires (a pair of wires +12V and a common/return) back to the inverter in the trunk - to hide those wires run them under the dash, through/under the door moulding that holds the carpet down, under the carpet and past the back seat and into the trunk

make sure you have the correct polarity on the voltage going into the inverter so you don't smoke it
 
Pagan Wizard said:
Get a DC to AC power inverter that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Most major auto stores and marine stores also will carry them. They will range in price from about $30 to $300 depending on what options you want. A friend of mine spent about $40 for his and he uses it for his laptop, and brewing coffee when we go hunting.
Click to expand...

I would advise against doing this. Read up on their forums and you`ll find out why. Its not as simple as that.
 
II'll ask my dad about it tomorrow, he's a mechanic/electrician.
Anyway, thanks a lot guys.
 
Word of advice : stay away from such a mod if you're not experienced in car electricity/electronics ( especially if you don't have a clue about how to power the computer )

Or get serious help :)

Otherwise, I'd advice to get a VIA C3 system, I've heard there are some boards that can run on 12V only ... but you might need a 12V>5V adapter to power devices like HDs, CD/DVD drives ...

Finally, try to get low power stuff, unless you wish to kill your battery every day :D
 
i've been debating on doing something like this too only my next car is looking to be more like a truck and i'm concerned about vibration. i think by the time i spend the money to build one i may as well just invest in an ipod and hook it through the aux inputs on the stereo.

to run a dc - > ac in the trunk just get an amplifier wiring kit and run the lead to the trunk. that's the easiest way to ensure you won't blow any of your circuits.

aside from that, there's not much room in those cars to build in extra stuff. that and make sure your trunk doesn't leak.

BTW, cool first car.
 
Goat said:
isn't that what the alternator is for :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Do you have any automotive electricity background ?

Most ot the alternator's power go to the engine to power the spark plugs, and there like a few ( 2-3 usually, already used for ignition and stuff ) 30Amps max lines to power the car's internal electronics & stuff ...

adding even a 150W eating machine in the car -> increase of 10-12 Amps in the circuit, and I don't know if there's enough margin for that

if not -> might crack fuses like popcorn or even burn the lines ...


Otherwise he can still drain power directly from the battery, but that's not the smartest move ( power surges when starting the car -> PSU killer )

'nuff said
 
The specs of the PC were going to be something like.. AMD Duron, Cheap ass mobo, and PC133 Ram. Nothing expensive, and all old shit, so I'm assuming the power needed would be much lower.
 
The specs of the PC were going to be something like.. AMD Duron, Cheap ass mobo, and PC133 Ram. Nothing expensive, and all old shit, so I'm assuming the power needed would be much lower.

I don't think there willbe much of a problem.. seeing how many poeple have Carputers.
 
How hard would it be to get another car battery and mod that to run a little Carputer? Or is that just a really bad idea?
 
adding 10-20 amps to a car's electrical system shouldn't cause any problems at all... most people that add amps to their cars do not upgrade their alternators unless they are using amps that pull over 60 amps.. some don't even do it then.. run an 8 gague car amp kit to an ac/dc inverter.. get a cheap one, brand doesn't matter as long as the power wire is flexible and has thick insulation.. if the ac/dc inverter doesn't turn off automatically with the car, get a relay (they are a dollar) and learn how to hook it up so all of your new electronics turn off when the car turns off... it would help if you got a decent background in car audio wiring..

aside from that, there are tons of ways to make a carputer.. touchscreens, touchpads, trackballs, all can be used to control it... you can use removable hard drives, or make it access your wireless network, you could probably even use a card reader and large memory cards...

take a look at how other people have made their carputers. and brainstorm andshit, and go from there,
 
The only other person on these forums I've seen to make a caruter ios PS-RaGe, and his posthas since been.. deleted from the update.. Does anyone else know of anyone on here? Thanks!
 
That car's pretty sweet. Nice job!
What I would do if I were you is grab a an old car battery, or a few sealed gell-cell batteries of the type used for model airplanes (hobbypeople.net has these), and wire it in paralell through the cigarette lighter. I'm no wizard with electronics, but the 12v coming out through this should happily keep your batteries charged, while keeping the load down when your computer's on. Plus, you could use it when the car's off.
Go with a WiFi card. D-link makes nice stuff, and you can get a 54G card for 20$ AR nowadays. An external antenna with a long cord (30$) is also a good idea, but they're rarely on sale.
 
for what your wanting to do id ither run a hard line from the battery to an amp, or run a seperate battery so you wont short the other whenever you power everything up.
 
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