[Alex]

In short im looking to make myself up an in Car PC.

The questions i have are as follows.

1. Does the standard head unit have any aux inputs?
2. How would i get power into the car?
3. Am i mad?

In ref to question 2 there are a few products available that should allow me to have power in the car but im a tad confused as to how they would provide power. Ideally i dont want a cig lighter power source.

Check here.

http://www.mini-itx.com/store/?c=10#p1814

Im not sure if i should be looking at the Morex 80W Vehicle PSU Kit or Morex 80W PSU and DC-DC Converter Kit

The case im looking at has a power module on it

http://www.mini-itx.com/reviews/3688/

The PC bits i am fine with as its all part of my job. Its the powering the thing thats an issue unless i run it off a cigarette slot which isnt preferable.
Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[andy bassett]

3 your MAD

 

[cactusbob]

The case you are looking at accepts 12v so that should be fine wherever you source the power in the car.

 

[Alex]

dont worry,

I had a long chat with adam tonight and it looks like i have a solutions without my having to buy another pc.

 

[shinyautos.com]

A big long cable running from your study eh mate! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Guest]

Laptops are quite good :wink: and yes your Bonkers

Jas

 

[Alex]

its all coming togeather.

Ive tested some software tonight that will act as a front end on the laptop though im thinking of installing winxp media centre version

 

[cactusbob]

What front end software were you looking at?

 

[Alex]

was looking at road runner.

There are several others though. Check the www.mp3car.com forums under software.

 

[shinyautos.com]

Road runner is a good one mate, easy to navigate, and workd well!

 

[Guest]

www.fluxmedia.net, thats what i use in my car pc and its the dog bull0cks, if u need any advice on your car pc please let me know, i specialise in custom pc installations such as this

 

[Guest]

I am working on one of these myself.

There are 2 ways to power your PC either by a power invertor (either cig lighter or hard wired) but this will be stepping up to 230V and then back down in the PC PSU to 12V and 5V so is quite ineffecient, the other way is to hack the PSU and run a direct 12v and 5v onto the motherboard of the PC this way will be much more efficent.

What software are you using on the PC? I am playing around with my own Linux distribution to run in mine well let know know how I get on.

 

[Guest]

I'm running Windows XP use an M1-atx or M2-ATX psu for your car, its designed for incar computers, hacking up power supplies sounds like a bad idea and they are also very bulky full size power supplies, I don't know anybody that has done this, every run a laptop on an inverter or use an in car pc power supply, do not hack an atx psu apart! and do not run it off the cigarette lighter as u will keep blowing the fuse and it will not give enough power it has to be run off a live feed, my psu has a live feed ignition feed and earth, it has a controller in it that detects when the ignition feed has gone live and powers the car up off the live feed then when the ignition feed is cut it waits 45 seconds and shuts the computer down, the way an in car computer is suppose to work, once again do not hack a normal psu apart!

 

[Guest]

I will not be specifically hacking the PSU apart. more just using the ATX port and supplying a fused live direct to the motherboard and removing the PSU completly, since the motherboard runs on 12v i dont see the sense in stepping up using an inverter and then stepping back down in the PSU.

 

[Alex]

incar laptop for the win. Using a incar laptop powersupply off a cig lighter we ran into the boot.

 

[Guest]

colosus, i seriously recommened using an in car ps psu as its designed to be in a car and an atx psu is designed to have a constant voltage going into which the voltage going in from ur car will constantly be changing and will probably be running at 13v whilst the engine is running