Not Another Car PC :)

abhi182 · 30th May 2007, 12:16

^^ thanks, need to get the phone integration thing up & running, just being lazy abt the whole thing....
BTW any suggestions on what kind of microphone should i get for setting up the phone integration setup?

Ketan · 17th June 2007, 13:28

Hey Abhi,, nice project buddy!!
I really liked it. i was wondering if I can do similar stuff with my Palio!!
Do you know anyone in Bangalore who might have tried this or done this! I'll get in touch with him to find out more details...
Thanks.

santosh.s · 16th July 2007, 17:56

Fantastic project, and what a VFM! Wish you were in Bangalore, I would want to meet you and see it personally.

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi182

The only constraint is you can't do routing (i.e. mark your start and end-points and expect the software to chart the route for you and give you visual and voice directions)

If not getting direction, can you at least continuously see where you are located on the google map?

Absar · 16th July 2007, 19:37

Wow! Awesome Car PC! Excellent job! One thing. Does the pc have GPRS usage to use Google Maps or have you downloaded the Google Maps to the hdd? I did not know that downloading Google Maps is possible. I envy you on seeing this Car PC. Seeing the Opel logo, I thought it was done on a Vectra! I would love to have one for my car tho.

A

abhi182 · 16th July 2007, 21:09

Quote:

If not getting direction, can you at least continuously see where you are located on the google map?

yes, of course!
Actually I have been using Satnav's maps of late which handle routing too though I still prefer looking at my position on the map rather than relying on some silly synthesized voice guiding me through

Quote:

Does the pc have GPRS usage to use Google Maps or have you downloaded the Google Maps to the hdd? I did not know that downloading Google Maps is possible

I use Google earth, not maps

No GPRS usage, I simply cached the data (nearly 1 GB now) on to the HDD
there are third arty apps which allow you to automatically cache Google earth data for a given range of latitude/longitude

harjeev · 1st June 2008, 13:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by abhi182

Google earth + Goops + roadrunner: free

was reading your thread and saw that you have integrated google earth with road runner.

can you see the google earth maps in RR.
If yes please share with us
1. how did you download the google earth (street) maps?
2. what is the integration process with RR
3. now that you are using Satguide maps with RR, does RR give navigation directions using Satguide maps?
Thanks

abhi182 · 23rd March 2009, 12:27

Whoa, It's almopst been 2 years since the first install and the baby is still going strong.

Heere are some updates, esp. on the issues that irked me and how I solved them

- To save costs, I started with a DC-AC inverter. DO NOT repeat the same mistake if you are planning one. The restarts you face after each crank is enough to drive you nuts (not to mention making you prone to keep the engine running even on 5 min long traffic lights) Within a few months, I switched to a DC-DC SMPS and life is good ever since

- The Via processor , although a capable one two years ago just doesnt cut it anymore. An upgrade to the Intel Atom board has worked wonders with the performance

- As good as Roadrunner is, it doesn't beat the ease of use offered by Centrafuse..which is what I have been using for over a year now

- Satguide maps still leave a lot to be desired, although they do give you a decent idea of your co-ordinates, thus making it less than a perfect turn-by-turn direction GPS but better than say a Eicher paper map

- I was worried about the poor 2.5" HDD not being able to withstand the jerks and shocks of a moving car (not to mention the heat in a parked vehicle) but it's been running well for 2 yrs now so no reason to complain

- Covering the LCD with a cover when parking in the Sun is a MUST... I ignored it on a couple of ocasions to be straddled with a LCD with an erratic touchpanel (resistive touchpanels are stuck by adhesive and the heat from direct sunlight is enough to melt that adhesive) a bit of DIY helped me revive the panel and now am always careful about shielding the LCD from direct sunlight when parking (I just throw a magazine over it)

- Phone integration is a PITA. Although I was able to make it work, the calling party gets a lot of echo, since the calling party's voice is routed via the car audio system which the microphone picks up, and there is no easy way in Windows to handle Echo cancellation (at least I wasn;'t able to figure out a way).... So i took the easy way out and got a visor mounted BT speakerphone

Minor niggles apart, the whole car PC idea turned out to be a great decision.. Not to mention it's a chick-magnet

(Something that I can't take advantage of anymore though

)

30th May 2007, 12:16	#31
abhi182 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 370 Thanked: 531 Times View My Garage	^^ thanks, need to get the phone integration thing up & running, just being lazy abt the whole thing.... BTW any suggestions on what kind of microphone should i get for setting up the phone integration setup?
	() Thanks

17th June 2007, 13:28	#32
Ketan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,002 Thanked: 442 Times View My Garage	Hey Abhi,, nice project buddy!! I really liked it. i was wondering if I can do similar stuff with my Palio!! Do you know anyone in Bangalore who might have tried this or done this! I'll get in touch with him to find out more details... Thanks.
	() Thanks

16th July 2007, 19:37	#34
Absar BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Madras Posts: 560 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Wow! Awesome Car PC! Excellent job! One thing. Does the pc have GPRS usage to use Google Maps or have you downloaded the Google Maps to the hdd? I did not know that downloading Google Maps is possible. I envy you on seeing this Car PC. Seeing the Opel logo, I thought it was done on a Vectra! I would love to have one for my car tho. A
	() Thanks

23rd March 2009, 12:27	#37
abhi182 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 370 Thanked: 531 Times View My Garage	Whoa, It's almopst been 2 years since the first install and the baby is still going strong. Heere are some updates, esp. on the issues that irked me and how I solved them - To save costs, I started with a DC-AC inverter. DO NOT repeat the same mistake if you are planning one. The restarts you face after each crank is enough to drive you nuts (not to mention making you prone to keep the engine running even on 5 min long traffic lights) Within a few months, I switched to a DC-DC SMPS and life is good ever since - The Via processor , although a capable one two years ago just doesnt cut it anymore. An upgrade to the Intel Atom board has worked wonders with the performance - As good as Roadrunner is, it doesn't beat the ease of use offered by Centrafuse..which is what I have been using for over a year now - Satguide maps still leave a lot to be desired, although they do give you a decent idea of your co-ordinates, thus making it less than a perfect turn-by-turn direction GPS but better than say a Eicher paper map - I was worried about the poor 2.5" HDD not being able to withstand the jerks and shocks of a moving car (not to mention the heat in a parked vehicle) but it's been running well for 2 yrs now so no reason to complain - Covering the LCD with a cover when parking in the Sun is a MUST... I ignored it on a couple of ocasions to be straddled with a LCD with an erratic touchpanel (resistive touchpanels are stuck by adhesive and the heat from direct sunlight is enough to melt that adhesive) a bit of DIY helped me revive the panel and now am always careful about shielding the LCD from direct sunlight when parking (I just throw a magazine over it) - Phone integration is a PITA. Although I was able to make it work, the calling party gets a lot of echo, since the calling party's voice is routed via the car audio system which the microphone picks up, and there is no easy way in Windows to handle Echo cancellation (at least I wasn;'t able to figure out a way).... So i took the easy way out and got a visor mounted BT speakerphone Minor niggles apart, the whole car PC idea turned out to be a great decision.. Not to mention it's a chick-magnet (Something that I can't take advantage of anymore though ) Last edited by abhi182 : 23rd March 2009 at 12:30.
	() Thanks