Car PC setup, install and some fabrication

revvedup · 8th March 2007, 14:13

Wonderful install especially the audi like red lighting for the dials and the mmi controller.
1.How have you been able to integerate the mmi controller to the pc as an input device.
2.Is the hard disk stable when the woofer is turned to the max since the hard disk is quite suspectible to vibrations ;i.e; do you have damping where you have installed the pc.

moralfibre · 8th March 2007, 14:22

Congratulations on a wonderful install Ankur.

How did you change the boot skin in XP? Looks cool!

ankur · 8th March 2007, 16:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Congratulations on a wonderful install Ankur.

How did you change the boot skin in XP? Looks cool!

I use a free utility called bootskin do do this. Look for it in Google.
cheers.

ankur · 8th March 2007, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by revvedup

Wonderful install especially the audi like red lighting for the dials and the mmi controller.
1.How have you been able to integerate the mmi controller to the pc as an input device.

Thanks. Its all in the details according to me. There is a guy in Germany that makes an encoder based on a mouse wheel. He converts the MMI controler to a USB mouse interface. He also has a program that manages the different inputs on the MMI controller.

Quote:

Originally Posted by revvedup

2.Is the hard disk stable when the woofer is turned to the max since the hard disk is quite suspectible to vibrations ;i.e; do you have damping where you have installed the pc.

Notebook harddisks are very robust and the bass from speakers is really not going to give it trouble. It quite the same as mounting an ipod in your car. There are infact head units with hard disks now. Another example is in night clubs, its pretty loud and a lot of the DJ equipment now is computer driven.

Besides my car is not setup for the 'can hear it a mile away' bass. Its understated and only for a fuller sound, not in your face bass.

cheers.

ankur · 15th March 2007, 00:44

Just an update since i was discussing the internet access earlier. I am using the Tata Indicom vData USB device now and so far its been pretty good

.

cheers.

sys_whiz · 15th March 2007, 01:11

Even the reliance one is very good too. I use it for my VoIP phone in my laptop while driving(I use blue tooth audio from laptop) and gives very good BW.

ST7677 · 6th November 2007, 17:40

Ankur,
Congrats on a wonderful install. Would you like to share a mid term Car PC owning experience.

How is the stability and reliability of the car PC. I have heard that it is not a fit it and forget it stuff, it keeps asking for attention.
Also did you face any issues with the Delhi heat, or was the initial design good enough to withstand the summers?

I guess you are the only one with OBD installed in car pc in India. Can you share how do you use it, along with some pictures...

ankur · 7th November 2007, 09:26

Wow someone is still reading this thread

.

Having used the system for a while now i have to say it is actually a usable system and not just eye candy. It is quite stable (NO CRASHES YET) and thats not surprising as the PC is being used for a very simple task and not too many software apps on it. No issues with heat whatsoever and i never got any overheating warnings.

I do have OBD installed but it doesnt really work, it seems that Toyota has a locked implementation on the Innova and i havent really gotten into the details yet. So its installed and connects but doesnt really get any info.

The stuff that does work and works well is obviously the Audio/Video, GPS , Phone connectivity and Internet Access.

The GPS is the killer app, the way it always shows correct mapping and the display is great. The road names etc need some work but thats the mapping company's job, i am using the NCR map from SatNav (in fact i should ask them about upgrades). The routing though is not that accurate, the addresses are not easy to find as it looks for street addresses ala USA but in India we mostly dont have street addresses.

All in all i love it

. There are a number of upgrades planned both with the PC and other stuff in the car and i will put updates here once i do them.

cheers.

vebmetal · 7th November 2007, 14:07

Do you have to pay some kind of monthly subscription for GPS or is it included in the initial cost of your receiver?

ankur · 7th November 2007, 14:23

The service for GPS is free all over the world. You need to pay for a receiver and a map if you want routing. Even without the map you can get lat/lon co-ordinates with just a receiver.
cheers.

spadival · 7th November 2007, 14:34

How is the Reliance internet access - in terms of coverage and speed?

I need internet access mainly for Google Earth. It works quite well with Airtel GPRS/EDGE. I am thinking of getting BSNL, mainly because of the coverage area. They seem to have a tower in even the remotest villages of India.

iraghava · 7th November 2007, 14:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by spadival

I need internet access mainly for Google Earth. It works quite well with Airtel GPRS/EDGE. I am thinking of getting BSNL, mainly because of the coverage area. They seem to have a tower in even the remotest villages of India.

If you take BSNL that means you'll use your cellphone for net access right?? Why not get a USB modem from TATA, that way your phone remains free & the speeds are better.

spadival · 7th November 2007, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by iraghava

If you take BSNL that means you'll use your cellphone for net access right?? Why not get a USB modem from TATA, that way your phone remains free & the speeds are better.

Problem with TATA Indicom is coverage.. If I were to use TATA Indicom, I would probably get very limited coverage even within Pune city itself. Where as city coverage is poor for BSNL, but they have good coverage in the rural areas - specifically those places where you go for weekend getaways.

iraghava · 7th November 2007, 15:17

Well my experience with TATA has been good but then I haven't used it in Pune. BSNL coverage is good but speeds are going to be a problem since their network is always overloaded.

ST7677 · 7th November 2007, 15:38

I agree in (and around) Bangalore, connectivity wise BSNL is the best followed by Airtel. TataIndicom is worst.

I have been thinking about Car PC for some time now. However 2 things which I must be able to perform (in addition to what all is already doable) with it are:
1. Advanced Audio processing and tuning
2. Manage engine and Turbo charger stuff - I intend to turbo charge my car and I would hate to add those additional physical gauges sticking out in your face...I would want my carputer to handle them too...

So I am still researching on these two in what ever time I can spare. Will plunge only after there is more clarity.
Meanwhile any inputs / links on above these concerns are welcome...

8th March 2007, 14:13	#166
revvedup BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 269 Thanked: 24 Times	Wonderful install especially the audi like red lighting for the dials and the mmi controller. 1.How have you been able to integerate the mmi controller to the pc as an input device. 2.Is the hard disk stable when the woofer is turned to the max since the hard disk is quite suspectible to vibrations ;i.e; do you have damping where you have installed the pc.
	() Thanks

8th March 2007, 14:22	#167
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,451 Thanked: 13,973 Times	Congratulations on a wonderful install Ankur. How did you change the boot skin in XP? Looks cool!
	() Thanks

15th March 2007, 00:44	#170
ankur BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 171 Thanked: 2 Times	Just an update since i was discussing the internet access earlier. I am using the Tata Indicom vData USB device now and so far its been pretty good . cheers.
	() Thanks

15th March 2007, 01:11	#171
sys_whiz BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, USA Posts: 112 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Even the reliance one is very good too. I use it for my VoIP phone in my laptop while driving(I use blue tooth audio from laptop) and gives very good BW.
	() Thanks

6th November 2007, 17:40	#172
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	Ankur, Congrats on a wonderful install. Would you like to share a mid term Car PC owning experience. How is the stability and reliability of the car PC. I have heard that it is not a fit it and forget it stuff, it keeps asking for attention. Also did you face any issues with the Delhi heat, or was the initial design good enough to withstand the summers? I guess you are the only one with OBD installed in car pc in India. Can you share how do you use it, along with some pictures...
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 09:26	#173
ankur BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 171 Thanked: 2 Times	Wow someone is still reading this thread . Having used the system for a while now i have to say it is actually a usable system and not just eye candy. It is quite stable (NO CRASHES YET) and thats not surprising as the PC is being used for a very simple task and not too many software apps on it. No issues with heat whatsoever and i never got any overheating warnings. I do have OBD installed but it doesnt really work, it seems that Toyota has a locked implementation on the Innova and i havent really gotten into the details yet. So its installed and connects but doesnt really get any info. The stuff that does work and works well is obviously the Audio/Video, GPS , Phone connectivity and Internet Access. The GPS is the killer app, the way it always shows correct mapping and the display is great. The road names etc need some work but thats the mapping company's job, i am using the NCR map from SatNav (in fact i should ask them about upgrades). The routing though is not that accurate, the addresses are not easy to find as it looks for street addresses ala USA but in India we mostly dont have street addresses. All in all i love it . There are a number of upgrades planned both with the PC and other stuff in the car and i will put updates here once i do them. cheers.
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 14:07	#174
vebmetal BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 798 Thanked: 21 Times	Do you have to pay some kind of monthly subscription for GPS or is it included in the initial cost of your receiver?
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 14:23	#175
ankur BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 171 Thanked: 2 Times	The service for GPS is free all over the world. You need to pay for a receiver and a map if you want routing. Even without the map you can get lat/lon co-ordinates with just a receiver. cheers.
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 14:34	#176
spadival Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Melbourne, AU Posts: 1,773 Thanked: 26 Times View My Garage	How is the Reliance internet access - in terms of coverage and speed? I need internet access mainly for Google Earth. It works quite well with Airtel GPRS/EDGE. I am thinking of getting BSNL, mainly because of the coverage area. They seem to have a tower in even the remotest villages of India.
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 15:17	#179
iraghava Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 8,033 Thanked: 265 Times View My Garage	Well my experience with TATA has been good but then I haven't used it in Pune. BSNL coverage is good but speeds are going to be a problem since their network is always overloaded.
	() Thanks

7th November 2007, 15:38	#180
ST7677 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,054 Thanked: 73 Times	I agree in (and around) Bangalore, connectivity wise BSNL is the best followed by Airtel. TataIndicom is worst. I have been thinking about Car PC for some time now. However 2 things which I must be able to perform (in addition to what all is already doable) with it are: 1. Advanced Audio processing and tuning 2. Manage engine and Turbo charger stuff - I intend to turbo charge my car and I would hate to add those additional physical gauges sticking out in your face...I would want my carputer to handle them too... So I am still researching on these two in what ever time I can spare. Will plunge only after there is more clarity. Meanwhile any inputs / links on above these concerns are welcome... Last edited by ST7677 : 7th November 2007 at 15:44.
	() Thanks