Hawt Thoughts on carputer

dbzeag

Wants to kiss you where it stinks
Jun 9, 2006
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So I had one in my last car and it worked brilliantly. I kinda miss it and the hobby aspect of it and want to start it up again. This time, however, I have some new design requirements.

For reference here is my old carputer thread.

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/worklogs/68360-2001-mazda-protege.html

The new requirements are as follows:

- to automatically sync when I get near our wifi at the apartment
- not take up any more space in my car than I currently am, meaning no sub box
- withstand even greater amount of heat build up
- be a double DIN format for easy reusability
- retractable screen for security
- exposed CD/DVD slot for use
- less emphasis on audio and more on functionality
- recycle ODB-II reader from old carputer

Thoughts? Suggestions? Drool, can I do work at your place? I don't think I can open my car up at the apartment complex. I promise to clean up after I am done (and swallow).
 
Once we move into our place, youre more than welcome to use my garage/driveway to work in.
The only concern Id have for the project is heat. Not sure how well the thing will survive when its 200° inside the car.
 
Once we move into our place, youre more than welcome to use my garage/driveway to work in.
The only concern Id have for the project is heat. Not sure how well the thing will survive when its 200° inside the car.

I can design a delay for it to start. Or a kill switch to the power until I see the temp reasonable enough to start it. The amp if I use one (if I upgrade the car speakers) would be the issue. The board I am looking at supports operating in 60C, but "storage" can be higher. That should be good enough.

Ugh I am so excited!!! It's like I am kiki and I just bought a new purse!
 
Honestly that sounds pretty expensive. What happens when someone steals it? Houston is full of Colombians.
 
Honestly that sounds pretty expensive. What happens when someone steals it? Houston is full of Colombians.

My last one, including all of the wires and speakers and custom sub box and installation was $1750 total. That included the price of the PC bits, too. That's not that much all things considered when you think how much it did.
 
I couldn't imagine spending almost $2k on something that doesn't at least shoot bullets or put the kid through college.
 
I couldn't imagine spending almost $2k on something that doesn't at least shoot bullets or put the kid through college.

Your car? Your TV?

You have guns, I have a carputer. Just hobbies although mine is more useful more of the time.
 
My t.v. was $50. My car was $21k, but it also transports me. And it's harder to kill a mugger with a laptop.

I know you like it though, and that's cool. I just hope someone doesn't steal it. Can you get it insured?
 
My t.v. was $50. My car was $21k, but it also transports me. And it's harder to kill a mugger with a laptop.

I know you like it though, and that's cool. I just hope someone doesn't steal it. Can you get it insured?

Technically because it's part of my car as a stereo system, it is covered. I have had it stolen once already and my insurance covered everything. My new design you can't tell there is anything there, and you would have to rip out the double DIN casing to get to it.
 
Once we move into our place, youre more than welcome to use my garage/driveway to work in.
The only concern Id have for the project is heat. Not sure how well the thing will survive when its 200° inside the car.

I have a friend with a computer in the back of his car and to keep it cool in Summer a air hose was routed to the case. Air conditioner on and hey presto, cooler case Funny thing is, the rig was wireless, running BOINC and was controlled via a program called Dameware. You could also have a wireless system and just have a shared folder and add\remove what files\music you would want on there. Easy really
Location: Australia

http://www.blazingpc.com/forum/showthread.php/intel_carputer-8526/index2.html
 
Technically because it's part of my car as a stereo system, it is covered. I have had it stolen once already and my insurance covered everything. My new design you can't tell there is anything there, and you would have to rip out the double DIN casing to get to it.

Huh. I think you posted pics of your last one years ago. You have a strange but admittedly pretty cool hobby.
 
I've wanted to do a carputer for a long time. My friend custom built one into his Jeep, aka Jeeputer. It's great. He watches porn on it all the time. Cops seem to love it as well as he claims to have gotten out of a few tickets.
 
First thing that pops into my mind is why? To play music? To play videos for passengers?

What exactly are you trying to achieve with this project, other than just having a PC in your car?
 
First thing that pops into my mind is why? To play music? To play videos for passengers?

What exactly are you trying to achieve with this project, other than just having a PC in your car?

You didn't read the thread I linked in the OP, did you?

Play music, watch videos, GPS, wardriving (eventually), sheer awe-factor, ODB-II sensor reading and/or car diagnostics, maybe if I can figure it out, phone synchronization, voice activation.

After reading yesterday, I think I might add a new challenge; to mount solar panels and see if I can get the system down on power so much as to run on solar panels exclusively. Now that I live in a place that actually has sun, it might be worth while, and less strain on my otherwise shitty car battery.