[frankmehta]

Originally Posted by no1lives4ever

What are you doing about vibrations? Most desktop PCs are not designed to be operated in a vibrating environment. Connectors for power supply, ram modules & addon cards can over time become unreliable due to the vibrations.

-- no1lives4ever

I understand this. But I shall make sure the cabinet is mounted on a slightly softer pedestal and ensure tight connections everywhere. The hard drive will be padded too. I don't think it will be too much of an issue as most of the stuff is USB interface, which in itself is a pretty tight fitting solution.

Originally Posted by carfreak

Congrats frankmehta, i am going to follow this thread very closely as i am also almost finalising on a fiesta and this is something which i had always in my mind when it came to car-puters!!!your criteria fits mine too perfectly

Cool, brother. That's nice! Seeing another Fiesta owner having a car pc!

Originally Posted by monty9991

this sound car looks nice frank..
I'd suggest you to make an acrylic custom made box for carpc and place the soundacard horizontally ( PCI card raiser) so that its beauty is seen.

I also wanted to put my carpc in the trunk along with the Amp in a cutom made box and lit it with LEDs. but dropped due to lack of time and i wanted to get my ICE done in delhi and carpc in the trunk was to be a DIY.

may be next time when i change my trunk layout, surely my carPC is going in the trunk with nice lights and LED cooling fans.

This is a PCI EXPRESS card, so no riser available for it ATM. Also, I don't want to show off the stuff in the car, even if it is in the boot, but I will make it a point to make an acrylic enclosure, so I can drill holes (for fitment and ventilation) everywhere.

[abhipuru16]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

The DVD drive is to read/write/burn dvds. I have bought it so I can play all the discs I have presently. Will also use this drive for DVD Audio, just in case I don't feel like sitting and choosing songs from the hard drive


No idea about the cost, but just the 'puter should cost somewhere northwards of 70 k this time.

But, if you want to change discs, would you go back to the boot and change it? Or maybe I am missing something here? Maybe a portable dvd writer?

[frankmehta]

its going to be mounted in the glove box mate. :-)

[abhipuru16]

1. Oh OK! I saw some carPCs in the boot too, how do they go about it?
2. What about FM/AM?
3. How do you connect the reverse camera, if suppose you want to? Do the revers cameras we get have USB interface becayse that is what is compatible in centrafuse I suppose?
4. Can some components like RAM from a home PC be used in this setup? What other components of the home PC could be used?
5. Is this kind of source superior in sound quality to a head unit?
6. If we use a touchscreen then how is the interface loaded onto the windows? Do any special drivers do the trick here?
7. How do we type in case of a touchscreen? Is a keyboard and mouse the only way out?
8. If a phone is synced through bluetooth, does the phone's mic work here or a special mike is needed? If the phone's, then wouldn't we have to hold it anyway?

Damn, that's a hell lot of queries. Sorry.

[abhipuru16]

9. If I use a carPC, and even a 4channel amplifier as well. Would there be a need to get an extra battery or the stock would do fine?
Or simply, consider your audio+carPC, would you be fitting another battery or the stock battery would be OK?

[pranava999]

wOOHOO!! Frank'ice'stein at it again!!!

[ST7677]

Nice project. I am on similar path (though less exotic). We can share notes
Asus Xonar D2X is indeed a very good sound card, very popular lately. Excellent choice!

Link to my project: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...-carputer.html

[Bass&Trouble]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

And some more stuff ;-)

Again I see two DVD drives!! DJ karwanu chhe su?

[frankmehta]

Oh OK! I saw some carPCs in the boot too, how do they go about it?

Mate, my carputer is going to be in the boot, but this is an EXTERNAL drive so only the drive is going to be in the glove box.

2. What about FM/AM?

I don't listen to FM much, but there is SADLY no cheap way to still integrate FM into a carputer.

3. How do you connect the reverse camera, if suppose you want to? Do the revers cameras we get have USB interface becayse that is what is compatible in centrafuse I suppose?

The reverse camera connects via normal AV cables. RCA (yellow) goes into the screen directly. No connection with the PC or centrafuse for that matter. My screen senses a change of source, ie a signal from the other source (camera) and switches to the AV2 mode when the car is put into reverse gear.

4. Can some components like RAM from a home PC be used in this setup? What other components of the home PC could be used?

ALL components from a HOMEPC are going to be used in this setup, except for the home PC power supply and cabinet.

5. Is this kind of source superior in sound quality to a head unit?

The reason why I started the carputer project. Sound quality is definitely way better if good sources are used. Good tuning is a must, though.

6. If we use a touchscreen then how is the interface loaded onto the windows? Do any special drivers do the trick here?

Touchscreen has 2 interfaces. One is the normal VGA output, and the touch part of it is via USB, special drivers as you mentioned for XP but Vista and 7 do it inhouse, I suppose.

7. How do we type in case of a touchscreen? Is a keyboard and mouse the only way out?

On screen keyboard of Centrafuse is pretty awesome. But for longer durations and more typing, the lenovo I purchased is more suitable.

8. If a phone is synced through bluetooth, does the phone's mic work here or a special mike is needed? If the phone's, then wouldn't we have to hold it anyway?

Normal mic via the EP in from soundcard, alongwith clever switching from centrafuse, make the normal mic into a telephone mic. No gizmo/wizardry here.

Originally Posted by abhipuru16

9. If I use a carPC, and even a 4channel amplifier as well. Would there be a need to get an extra battery or the stock would do fine?
Or simply, consider your audio+carPC, would you be fitting another battery or the stock battery would be OK?

I won't be changing batteries, or alternator, YET. If I do need it, I will think about it. But don't want to, due to the warranty of the car.

Originally Posted by pranava999

wOOHOO!! Frank'ice'stein at it again!!!

This time it's not out of an urge to upgrade. It's satisfying my GEEK nature too, this carputer research

Originally Posted by ST7677

Nice project. I am on similar path (though less exotic). We can share notes
Asus Xonar D2X is indeed a very good sound card, very popular lately. Excellent choice!

Link to my project: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...-carputer.html

Thanks ST. I have been observing your thread often. It's good advice for budding carputer-ers like me ;-)
That BRAHMA makes me super jealous, though!!

Originally Posted by Bass&Trouble

Again I see two DVD drives!! DJ karwanu chhe su?

One for Cd, one for dvd no?

[abhipuru16]

But, using a Home PC hard drive or dvd drive would be a problem right?
So, cant we just use a bootable hard drive and keep filling it every now and then with our convenience. Wouldn't this save money as we wouldn't need a separate DVD drive as such. I am saying this keeping my priorities in mind not yours. What do you say?

[Gilead]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

But don't want to, due to the warranty of the car.

You mean to say the warranty of your car is still intact and would be intact after doing all this? And how easily can the setup be dismantled and reinstalled during service time?

[drpullockaran]

This guy has common sense. Read his logic.
Practical PC Online - Opinion: Valves on a Motherboard? No Way!

[Sprucegoose]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

This is a PCI EXPRESS card, so no riser available for it ATM. Also, I don't want to show off the stuff in the car, even if it is in the boot, but I will make it a point to make an acrylic enclosure, so I can drill holes (for fitment and ventilation) everywhere.

If you don't want to show off the Car PC, getting a Metal Enclosure would be better, as its a better conductor of heat. Keeping it cool will be slightly easier, besides metal cabinets are available in the market

Originally Posted by frankmehta

I don't listen to FM much, but there is SADLY no cheap way to still integrate FM into a carputer.

Not sure about this, but i think now days some TV Tuner cards come with AM/FM radio.

One more thing. Instead of getting a TV Tuner car to record the reverse camera footage, you get these DVR cards [Thats what I think they are called], can accept 4 - 16 [the models i saw atleast] camera inputs into 1 card. TV Tuner will accept only 1.

additionally i got an old comp lying around at home.
was planning to port it to the car.

AMD 2400 +
512 MB RAM
the main obsticles are
1> need a touch screen LCD + installation
2> need a PSU. Was thinking about the M4-ATX

Idea is to get this set up and then upgrade from there.

[Comrade]

Originally Posted by frankmehta

I don't listen to FM much, but there is SADLY no cheap way to still integrate FM into a carputer.

I think FM is super waste for such level of equipment but just for the kicks, have you considered this > > Welcome to Usb.brando.com

There is a support thread on mp3car.com too > > Will this USB Radio Work? - MP3Car.com

One for Cd, one for dvd no?

Does that mean DVD drive cant play CDs!!!! Never heard of that. Or did you mean simultaneous play like a dualzone audio system. :O

[ST7677]

Radio / TV is very much possible in car, however not worth it IMO.
FM quality is pretty bad here and this becomes more apparent if you have a high quality setup.
I stopped listening to FM almost 3 years back for this vary reason.

I moved to Worldspace at home, and was considering some jugad for car, but last year that company also went bust :(

Or did you mean simultaneous play like a dualzone audio system. :O

LOL, that's a nice one.... dual zone audio...lol