Reply With Quotehere's another link with pics from clubrsx.com... was on the site before the mass deletion...
http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread...light=carputer
edit: oh snap, this may be the some info! haha
***I have not tried this DIY nor did I write this***, but I have heard that it works well. But I am sure someone else here is more versed in this and can add some input
************* Mac Mini Carputer****************
Feel free to do your own research and select your own parts. There are way better parts, better computers out there, but if you want you can copy everything that I have done and I guarantee that it will work.
This DIY is for the lazy people out there (like me) who wished something out there like this was available instead of having to search through hundreds of threads to make decent sense of building a car computer. Use this as a rough guide. I'll try to include as much of the install as much as I can. I'm also using the stock amps so for all you audio gurus out there, feel free to add amps. here's the breakdown of the parts that I used and rough prices. Remember these are my opinions!
I will be updating this everyday until I finish the write-up. there's a lot of info...
The prices here are what i ended up spending +/- $100.00
Wiring diagram is belooowwwww
Mac Mini - You can probably get a decent Intel core duo/solo one for about $350-$500. Get the Intel chip so you can run both windows and OS X. I also upgraded my RAM to 2gigs instead of 512MB. Add another $100.00
7" monitor - Xenarc 700TSV - touchscreen monitor. 379.00 + 20 shipping
American Interntional bezel from ebay - dont pay more than $20.00 shipping included on ebay search! you gotta look at the bezel. If it's an americal international, youll see a frame around the double din. You can probably use another double din, but the AI looks better with the frame IMHO.
glue sticks, glue gun, epoxy - $20.00 at lowes or Ace Hardware.
Carnetix P1900 (CNX-P1900 Ver. 2.2 Dual Output 140 Watt 12V DC-DC Regulator) (you need this to power up your Mac and to shut it down instead of pressing the button. In other words, you let the car turn on/turn off instead of you having to press the button. more info later)- $99.95 shipped from mp3car.com. Another alternative (possibly better but more expensive) is the P2140 power supply. This power supply allows you visually see what the power supply is "pulling" from the car and "putting out" to your screen and Mac mini.
Carnetix Macpac cable harness (connects your power supply to your car to your car's power supply) This thing is awesome. Allows you to not have to cut you power supply which came with your mac mini. So if you want to remove the computer from your car, you can because you'll still have your original in your house. - $24.99 shipped
Ground loop isolator- (to eliminate engine noise quickly when you think you grounded everything correctly. worked for me!) - $8.00 shipped through ebay. When I thought i had grounded everything correctly, I still had alternator whine and computer hard drvie noises. Now installing this got rid of all that.
Metra wire harness - $21.00 - use it so you don't have to cut into your factory harness to hook up your stock amp and stock speakers. It's also a good idea to have because if you dont use it, soldering in that little double din hole becomes annoying.- Clubrsx.com
RCA cables - 4 bucks shipped through ebay. You should probably get some gold ones though, i used cheapo ones..
zip ties - $10.00 at walmart.
Edirol/Roland UA-1EX sound card interface box (gets sound out of your mac) - $79.99 + plus shipping - google it.
Software -
Parallels software - $75.00 - Use it to run Wondows and OS X at the same time. You can also get an alternative which is called VMware. Some people have tried using it but can't get Iguidance to work because of some deal they have with Parallels software. :dontknow:
iGuidance 4 GPS Navigation Software + GlobalSat BU-353(SiRF III)- GPS Navigation System for Laptop $130.00 shipped BuyGPsnow.com - Bundled GPS receiver and Iguidance software. This (iguidance) to me was the best bang for the buck. Has the best car interface because it was designed to be put in a car computer.
AMP software - free - mac front end software. A front end is a user interface which lets you access whatever you want from a convenient screen instead of using the small layout of a regular computer. The buttons are oversized and fonts are oversized to accomodate the in-car experience.
Road Runner software - free - Windows front end software. This free front end has hundreds of free skins and hundreds of people working together for free making it one of the best front ends out there.
Ok here's what you'll be working off of. Learn it.
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Last edited by talonXracer; 05-03-2008 at 02:00 PM.
ALL advice issued with this "Disclaimer"
Tim "the Toolman" Taylor is my HERO ! ! !
"Labor Unions are Domestic Terrorist orgainizations"
here's another link with pics from clubrsx.com... was on the site before the mass deletion...
http://forums.clubrsx.com/showthread...light=carputer
edit: oh snap, this may be the some info! haha
mp3car is a gREAt internet resource for frontends, tech, and diy stuff :)
Formerly known as Plainol2k2si
Pics copyright of Anorexorcist @ CRSX
Originally Posted by Anorexorcist
Once you make the screen, you can start installing everything.
up front you can see where i zip tied the Edirol soundcard. behind that is where the P1900 powersupply is zip tied.
If you look closely behind and to the right of the power supply, you can see where I grounded the P1900 along with the other wires.
You can also see where the gournd loop isolator sits next to the external soundcard. it goes from external soundcar>>>>groundloop isolator>>>metra wire harness.
When I bought the ground loop isolator, the RCA outputs and inputs were reversed so i had to dyke them off and resolder them...
ok, so the metra harness should be labeled. (RT front +, RT front -, LT front +, LT front -, etc....) i combined the lefts and the rights together to turn them into 2 RCA outputs. So at this point you can either feed your output from your soundcard (actualy the ground loop isolator) to your amps if you have them or directly into this metra harness if you're running the stock amps like me. i plan on upgrading to amps somtime in the future....
Here is where i soldered the RCA cables.
Here's where you'll be splicing into the 12v ACC wire.
How to properly use Apostrophes
The rev limiter is not meant to be used as a shift light
Man, I wish I had the nuts to do this. Could a stereo shop possible de able to do something like this or is it up to me?
nice i did it 3 weeks ago lol nice rite up man
just a question, what is it that gives you the tach and car info up on the screen in the last pic? is it something that you download to the mac, or an actual piece of hardware?
Hondata Kpro.
This looks like a nice carputer. I've been tempted to get a eeepc and build that into the car since it's all sold state and fairly cheap.
that looks slick.. very nice dash install as well. I love the Kpro screen...
how come I saw a Greddy thing in the glove box butyou got Kpro...?
It looked like a turbo timer to me, although I can't imagine that it works too well shoved into the dash like that
Do you have pics of it in your ep3?
wouldn't the vibration from the car mess w/ the hard drive disc?
dude.. your console is SO customized!
that's freaking sick man.. how do you get internet access?.. wifi?
Looks like a easy install....... Subscribed, I may have to talk Mary into this.....
I like this a lot, I love the Mac Mini, but I would be too afraid of theft to leave a computer in my car.
Why would you want to run Windows on your Mac? Mac OS X FTW. Only reason I can think of to run Windows is because Hondata only works on Windows and that way you can use your Mac Mini to control your Hondata.
Did I miss this detail somewhere. Is this setup touch screen or do you have to use a mouse? And where do you put the mouse and the keyboard?
Thumbs up on the DIY.
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