What gear to use?

[Patrolling Paddy]

Gooday all
I'm currently running a Garmin Etrex. So far it does everything I need, but I would like to run my Oziexplorer program while in the car. My question is what gear do I need.
Obviously GPS, software cables etc... but the bit I'm not too sure on is the computer/monitor side of things. I would like to get a remote screen so I don't have my laptop taking up dash unless I need to operate it, also is it possible to run the program through say a PDA or something? The next hurdle is power supply, I have been told that I can't run the laptop from the car without the risk of power surges killing the computer.
I have yet to find someone who can tell me 100% as the computer store 'think' and the electronics stores 'think' , car audio/visual guys 'think' and I can't afford to pay for thoughts as I want to get it right.
I would like to keep the system as portable as possible so it can be changed between vehicles and taken out for security.
I'm sure someone has done this before so please share your knowledge as I'm sure I'm not the only one looking to do this.

Cheers

[Strahan]

I have been running my laptop thru an invertor with no problems for a whil now. True its an oldie and if it blows up then its no big deal. Xenarc, Lilliput are the two main monitors that ppl seem to using.
Carnetix make proper power supplies which do start-ups and shutdowns for you. Have a look at MP3Car lots of info there about this sort of thing.

[T90 USSR]

I run an actual Full sized PC in my patrol and built custom shock absorbers out of rubber for the Hard drive, Customised case, with a Customised box around it, with a shit load of fans in it. It works fantastic and can even have it on when i go 4WD with the car jumping all over the place. (set up custom switch to ignition so when car turns off, computer shuts down) and also power up switchers on the middle console where the hand brake is.

I was looking at getting map software (download it :D ) but cant find any online and dont want to spend $1000+ for software. (best one I found was the Sensis one)

I set it all up so i use a 8" touch screen monitor on my dash, i can do everything on it, Type and navigate the PC (only with monitor), along with watching movies, MP3's, games and now im looking at getting a wireless modem from the new telstra network, so i have the net with me all over Australia (well 98% of Australia)

This is what i needed to build

PC - (p4 chip, 500g HD, 512ram, 128mb Video card, MB, HDTV tuner card, Sound card, Case, Power supply)
- windows XP media centre (different version of windows designed to run of a media centre)
-6m USB cable
-7m Power cable
-10m data cable
-2x led's (one red one green)
-1 Relay
-2 switcher
-2 fuses 10a and 2a
-8" touch screen monitor
Antenna, (mounted under passenger seat)
- Kenwood car amp 200w
- speakers
- 500w power inverter

For box (this box can hold a shit load of weight on top of it, the most i have had on top was about 200kg in gym weights )
-3m of Timber (the one they build house walls out of)
-Floor boards (the one they use in houses before they put tiles on)
-Carpet (marine carpet is best of a 4wd)
-screws
-small nails for carpet
-thin draw wood (the one they use at the bottom of draws)
-Big jumbo sized Car was Sponge (this is the secret to absorb most of the shock in the car)

I Also designed the box so when you fold the back seats down its all level, like a tray. Only half of the box is used with computer stuff the other half is like a draw set-up that I keep all my recovery gear neatly tucked away at all times.

all up this cost me about $2500 to put together no labour as I did it all. (buying the computer parts cost the most and i already had most of the matirial like amp inverter and so on, Not incl. in price)

I can also write custom software and rewire up all of the cars components to work off the PC, like lights, heater, A/C, fans and so on... But you have to draw the line somewhere as people already think im a nut for putting a PC in the car in the first place.

Things im looking at doing to it soon is adding GPS (as soon as I find free Software)
Night vision Cameras to see under/Behind/in-front the car when I go 4WD
And internet

[T90 USSR]

pic of the touch screen

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p79/antgrafix/steeringwheel2.jpg

[OGJON]

got ne pix of the computer & the storage

[T90 USSR]

ill take the next pic when i go home, im at work at the moment. I just had that one uploaded to photobucket.

[OGJON]

kewl no probs

[Patrolling Paddy]

'T90 USSR' so with a touch screen and XP media on my laptop I should be able to tuck the laptop away and control it from the touch screen? Will the touch screen operate with normal XP? How is the screen attatched in your rig? I need to be able to transfer between two vehicles.
In terms of power supplies I was looking at an inverter anyway and as far as I know, between the battery in the car leveling the power and the battery in the laptop leveling the power as well it would be ok (I was told otherwise though), I think with a pure sine inverter it should be pretty safe.

[ed.]

Make sure your laptop is not so old that it doesn't have USB.
Most touch screens need a USB port to report to the PC where you touched the screen.

[T90 USSR]

'T90 USSR' so with a touch screen and XP media on my laptop I should be able to tuck the laptop away and control it from the touch screen? Will the touch screen operate with normal XP? How is the screen attatched in your rig? I need to be able to transfer between two vehicles.
In terms of power supplies I was looking at an inverter anyway and as far as I know, between the battery in the car leveling the power and the battery in the laptop leveling the power as well it would be ok (I was told otherwise though), I think with a pure sine inverter it should be pretty safe.

The touch screen is mounted to the Console with a bracket and screws that come with it, i would say its not something that you can just pick up and move,. you can run the touch screen with normal windows XP you dont need media centre.

But the problem you will have is that icons might be a bit to small and will also be hard to change songs as you drive. media centre has large buttons ands itss designed to run on a smaller screen and really really quick and easy navigation trough you media library.

when you buy a touch screen look out for screen resolution. dont get anything that cat do 1024x768 natively and also make sure you get one with good viewing angles as this is the most important thing when your in the car. ( you know when you look at your laptop on a 180 degree angle and you cant really see it, well some cheap and nasty LCD screens have a view angle of like 60 degrees so if your not looking directly at it your screwed. My one has 160 degree which works well.

[T90 USSR]

as promised the rest of the pictures of the setup.
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p79/antgrafix/IMG_6225.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p79/antgrafix/IMG_6223.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p79/antgrafix/IMG_6222.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p79/antgrafix/IMG_6220.jpg

[Earle]

Have a look at

www.vmscarpc.com.au (http://www.vmscarpc.com.au)

Much easier to setup and has everything connected and takes up less room in the vehicle.

[Patrolling Paddy]

I need to keep the system portable as I have two off road vehicles, so depending on where I'm going and who I'm going with will depend on which 4B I take. I think I might look at an addition to my current laptop setup instead of a stand alone vehicle dedicated install, but cheers for the info.

[Davo1]

U R a nut T90! Great setup with some innovative ideas. Good luck with the software hunt. R U looking for turn by turn nav s/ware for the PC or for PDA? Plenty PDA stuff around but must say I havent come across PC one yet.

[Courts InSession]

There is quite a bit of free gps software available. Here is a link to a site with a list of most of them: http://www.maps-gps-info.com/fgpfw.html

Ive played with a few of them, Kashmir 3d appears to be the best of the bunch, give it a go see what you think.

[T90 USSR]

U R a nut T90! Great setup with some innovative ideas. Good luck with the software hunt. R U looking for turn by turn nav s/ware for the PC or for PDA? Plenty PDA stuff around but must say I havent come across PC one yet.

yeh it would have to be PC, iv seen heaps of PDA stuff as well, I think my last bet would be to get a PDA emulator or a windows CE emulatror to run the PDA stuff of that....

[Patrolling Paddy]

Talked to some guys yesterday and it looks like that if I want to run OziExplorer I will need to run a laptop as apparently a PDA won't run it. One of the suggestions was to run a tablet (almost a laptop but the screen turns and folds back on itself so it lays flat and allows touch screen operation) or a small screen laptop of about 12"screen to save space and just run power from an invertor. Sounds ok but now I just have to come up with the funds.

[Davo1]

Talked to some guys yesterday and it looks like that if I want to run OziExplorer I will need to run a laptop as apparently a PDA won't run it. One of the suggestions was to run a tablet (almost a laptop but the screen turns and folds back on itself so it lays flat and allows touch screen operation) or a small screen laptop of about 12"screen to save space and just run power from an invertor. Sounds ok but now I just have to come up with the funds.

Oziexplorer has a version for pocket pc PDA's. It's called oziexplorer CE. Here is the link and the trial version of it.

http://www.oziexplorer3.com/ozice/oziexplorerce1.html

Ian

[Rabs]

Hey Paddy, I run my lappy using the 12 volt power supply that comes with the laptop. I ran some 12v power from the second battery into the glovebox which i hard wired to a double cigarette socket, one socket runs the lappy and the other runs the GPS..ran the wires under carpet to power the lappy which sits velcroed to a stable table under passenger seat..then just a matter of using a 7" tft screen mounted to dash....can also sit lappy on drawers at back of vehicle where i have additional sockets for playing DVD's for the kids when campin..The 12v power from the adaptor has always worked a treat and draws bugger all current as after all the power for lappies and desktop PC's run on 12 volt , the power supplies drop the voltage to 12 anyway

cheers

Rabs

[Patrolling Paddy]

The 12v power from the adaptor has always worked a treat and draws bugger all current as after all the power for lappies and desktop PC's run on 12 volt , the power supplies drop the voltage to 12 anyway

cheers

Rabs[/quote]

That would have been my first power option but mine is like 15 or 16v just to be a pain. but cheers. I'll keep ya's posted as to how I get along

[Patrolling Paddy]

Oziexplorer has a version for pocket pc PDA's. It's called oziexplorer CE. Here is the link and the trial version of it.

http://www.oziexplorer3.com/ozice/oziexplorerce1.html

Ian

I'll have to look into this aswell as it could work and will keep space down. do you use this system? how similar is it to the normal version?

[Davo1]

Unfortunately I don't use it as I have a T3 palm pilot PDA which runs a different operating system. I am waiting for the palm version but have heard that this won't happen.

From what I understand though it is very similar to the PC version. Just remember that you will need a fairly large capacity memory card to put the maps on!

[-AJ-]

Got my PDA mounted on the dashboard with TomTom and OzieExplorer connected to a Bluetooth Sirf-III GPS. Works fine, but the screen is a bit small.

I also take a laptop with bluetooth (so it can use the GPS) and wireless broadband but the kids use that for movies and games. We can put the laptop in the boot of the car and then the sound with an FM transmitter to the car radio, to the 2 speakers in the barn doors! Awning on the roof rack at the back and we've got our own cinema. BTW, got also a tv-card for the laptop.

Next project is mounting the laptop in the car (it fits precisely in the door pocket) and then a 7" touchscreen on the dashboard. Not sure yet if it's going to be an Xenarc or Liliput screen......