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laptop modding into car pc

Z

zeca_pt

n00b
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
Messages
4
Hey there people. I got a question for you.
I got an old laptop at home and I want to mod into a car PC. It sounds simple but I want to keep using the original monitor (and if possible the keyboard): funding or lack of it obliges.
But I want to keep the "case" maybe under the car seat and mount the screen on the dashboard facing the passenger, meaning "streaching" the case -> monitor conection.
Any ideas?

Thanks.

Zéd(d)
 
i'm not sure about stretching the current cables running from the laptop's mobo and screen, but if you have the basic video outputs and a mouse/kb in, use those, find a cheap small lcd somewhere and just find a way of keeping airflow under that seat to keep it from over heating
 
Hi there.
I agree it would be easier to just get a cheap lcd and mount it on. But instead of having one single device on the 12v outlet (using the Laptop LCD would be powered along with the laptop) I would have 2 devices on the 12v outlet. also, the laptop LCD is thiner and outputs less heat than standart lcd's.

The 2º problem is that in POrtugal (where I am) there's no such thing as cheap LCD...

What kind of cable is used between laptop <-> LCD ?
 
It's normally a small ribbon cable. However, they are pretty much all proprietary so it would be hard to find an extension. If you are good at soldering, you could just cut the cable (probably at least two actually) and extend them in the middle.
 
A couple years ago I had a police interceptor version of a Dodge Diplomat and did the same thing... wanted it to look like copper's minus the lightbar. Even installed a CB radio with wicked long antannae on the trunk (boot, for my UK friends) lid.

Instead of running "wants" on the PC I used it for GPS and .mp3 (before there was cheap .mp3 players that would fit the car).

After one look at the ribbon cable to attach the laptop to the monitor I decided to mount it like the police do... just a bracket to keep the whole unit together. I saw an episode of "Pimp my ride" where they modded a laptop to slide in and out of the glove compartment. That might also be an option.

Otherwise you're going to have to hit Radio Shack, buy a length of the 20-pin ribbon cable, cut off how ever many wires you need and splice it into it. Remember though... if you have the computer under the seat, how will you control it? Mouse taped to the dashboard? The little IBM blue/red button thing mounted into the gear shift? Trackball int the armrest? The Jedi force?
 
There is no way in the world that the ribbon cable connecting the motherboard / display controller to the laptop screen would survive that distance. Ever heard of the term 'loss' in electronics? It's what you get when you run long cables and low signal strength.. You'll have to find somewhere closer to the dash to put the laptop
 
I would just buy one of those small laptops (like 9" screen or so) and possibly hook up a keyboard to it
 
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