Car mp3 player, need your Suggestions!

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

Well, Im going to build a Mp3 player for my new car, ( 89 galant, Props to my mom and dad, I love you!) and I dont know If I want to go with a Single Board PC, unless you can give me some pros and cons of them, should I go with a Micro ATX MB? using a Cyrix Prcessor, cause if im correct, They run cooler then the Pentiums and AMD, Cause what I really want, Is something that has a Video out, so I can do all the cool Visualtions with Win AMP ( for the girlies!) something like 500Mhz, Ill probly use windows, because Its what I know, people like to use Linux because of its open source, but I dont know it!

[KFB]

For my car (93 Mercury Grand Marquis - BIIIIIG pimpin), I got a portable cd/mp3 player. Yeah it is kinda ghetto b/c it uses a tape adaptor, but hey it was only $80, not hundreds like the in-dash ones. But, if you want to somehow put an actual computer in your car, why would you need video/TV out? I mean you are gonna need a monitor anyway, so why not put the visualizations on that? Really, a 5" LCD would be phatness, but I guess you would need video out for it. You are right, the VIA/Cyrix C3 procs do run cool. Good luck with it; let us know how it turns out.

...you have got me thinking about hooking up a comp in the trunk now. Good idea man.

[Jeff Bolton]

assuming you run off of the battery you'll probably need a better alternator to manage the increased power usage.

jeff

[nil_esh]

I've thought about building a PC for my car and running a line out to my car stereo. One thing I would definitely put in is a wireless NIC card. Also get some GPS stuff in there somehow.

I don't think I'm doing this any time soon, though.. Gonna get a second amp and a dedicated battery before anything.

A nice little portable CD-based compressed audio player is all I need at the moment.

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

well yah, a Video out, a Decent sound card, and needs to be a small, like a single board PC. or a micro ATX motherboard. power is not a big deal, an inverter, with a line conditioner.

im planing on using a deep Gel cell Batery, Its ment for high powerd Sound systems, My brother can run his 3 JL 12's for 2 hours, not blasting, but loud with some bump, the RMS for the subs are 300 watts,I think, mids and highs, I have no idea. and then Crank his car up, and charges the battery in 20 mins to its full, and it cuts off before it become Totaly depleted, it leaves enough to Crank the motor.

so yah Power is not a big deal, and The hard drive, The shocks to it, I live in FL, Its FLAT. I also plan on suspending the hard drive with Rubber bands. in its own cage. so it will cut down on head slap ALOT.

That batt is the
Optima D950 Yellow Top
theres some on E-bay for sale, Big pimpin.

[KFB]

I would suggest a C3 at 500MHz or more. The hard drive would have to be enclosed in shock absorbing material. You know though, the 6GB mp3 player/portable hard drive is less than $200. And there's always the ipod. But the comp in the trunk could be used for more than just mp3's (hey, I' think I'll go type a paper in the car...) You could put a dvd player in there, too. A good laptop would be better than anything else though. Too bad they are so expensive.

[Crash893]

there are a couple of old threads about this if you look

ill try to find the links when i m less busy

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

yah, I plan on using one of those Flexible Keyboards, via USB, or remote, havent decided. yah with a comp, you can run all the stuff in the back, and just have the screen in the front, I can have GPS with Turn by Turn directions, and even voice comand it. SWEET pimp ****, To impress the ladies. Thus all this stuff is alot cheeper then the Clarion AUTO PC, the only thing I know that can suport anything CLOSE to Computer APPs

[AMD'er]

To answer all your music problems. I am a proud owner of a JVC-SH99 Digifine 2.1. This is a great piece of work. It plays all forms of CDRs, MP3's and the best part of all it plays your CDRW's. It has an ass of outputs on the back. includes an input on the front of the face for a portable mp3 player, and has all your connections for your DVD or VCR.

Heres a link to what it looks like: http://www.sounddomain.com/shop/view_large_image_frameset.pl?sku=JVCKDSH99

And Heres a link with the specs: http://www.mattomedia.com/jvc/ I love my JVC and so do the Ladies.:p

it was 399 this summer when I purchased it. I haven't seen anyone with it yet. Chek Cruchfield if you don't want to build.

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

wow, that JVC is BADDDDD to the Bone! I think I might get that head unit for my car, is that Face Detachabul? it is motorized, but Even though the face flips, The car Thieves can tell, And just jack it any way. The other ones,They can see, there is no face, and getting a Replacement face is damn near impossible, and probly cost just as much as the CD player, so they move on, heh.

[nuciles]

Originally posted by Kentucky Fried Bird
hard drive would have to be enclosed in shock absorbing material.

I agree that shocking is the main concern here. I think you will find out a way to overcome it. Computer doesn't like shaking!!!

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

well, If I get a Regular head unit, it wont have GPS, witch can be hooked up to the comp, pimp $hit, voice comand, turn by turn Directions, Would be perfect for long trips, or to places youve never been. Or even if you Deliver Pizza, efficently get to the place with no errors, or be a Car parts Driver, make it portabul, type in where you need to go, It would be a Great tool,

About the shocking, Im sure some Rubberbands, suspending the hard drive, would be enough, I sometimes kick my case on accident, havent had a error since. its a Maxtor, 40 Gig. 7200 RPM 100UDMA. I live in FL, so like I said before, ITs Flat.

[deez]

I think you will end up spending more on this project than buying an MP3 player would cost. In addition to the hardware and mounting issues you will also need a power converter to turn 12v DC into 115v AC power which is about another $100 or so from radio shack

Basically you need an old laptop OR

check out crutchfield they have nice prices and good service

[Crash893]

you could alwasys do a laptop and mount the docking station in your car

i know there are laptop mounts you can buy

as for the conversion it seems foolish to convert dc to ac back to dc for the comptuer

im sure if you got some of the more electronicly inclined folks on here they could find a way to run car power directly into the computer


if not i would suggest 12dc from car to a inverter to ac to a ups to the computer. that way the computer wont die the second you kill the car

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

Well my dad has a old Toshiba Satellite Pro 430CDT, the Screen still works, it is like 120Mhz, That would probly be better for the GPS stuff, I dont think it is fast enough for MP3 Decoding though,

Where can I get those Laptop mountS????

[ken257]

A while back when I was thinking about doing this I found a very cool Linux app that works with XMMS (Linux MP3 player) allowing you to remote control it with a Palm! This could be the ideal solution. Add wireless netorking to the box and you can remotely administor it and copy files. If you like I can take a look and see if I can find the site again. I know I did dl all the stuff to do it.

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

Well, If I had a Palm, It would be a good idea. but palms are expensive. trying to make it CHEEPLY but still get the same effect. cool thing about head units, they do play CD's and Mp3 filled CD's. but that means, lots of CD's Heh. just use one BIG hard to play all your songs, and agian, can use GPS, and what ever you can put on a comp, Heh.

laptops are a good idea, but then AGIAN there expensive, and the heat thing is a issue, and There bulky, If I where to use GPS i would mount the screen right above the dash, or right in the corner, a little 5" screen. and Im sure You can hook up a Digital Speedomiter to the comp from the Cars computer, Dude. tell me that isnt Pimp!

[Tbird man]

if you wanna do it right you need a solid state ram drive their expensive but they don't have any shock problems. i have also been wanting to do this but do not have the finances. where ever you put it you'll need air circulation to cool everything C3 processors run cool but not cool enough to not use good circulation.

[Crash893]

i think the whole point is he wants to keep it simple and cheap
a solid state ram drive is a biiiiiiiiiit to expensive

although it would help if he loaded the mobo up with like 1 gig of ram so the hdd didnt have to access as much ( preventing the head being out when there is a huge bump)


what about a laptop hdd there made to take a beating

also ill do a search for a book pc but they should do well in a car situation.

[Crash893]

http://www.dashpc.com/

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

that dash PC is awsome, thats kinda what I want to do. But i dont know linux. Though it would be a good time to learn it now, just need some money, to get a new 1.4 AMD athlon( Chiped it ).
700 Mhz durron.AMD(hottttttt), It is SOOOO possible, Im going to do it, Money ant no Factor! ooooo.

[Crash893]

well theres no need i think to make the car cpu blazeingly fast i think you could even get away with a via chip ( i hear some of them dont even need active cooling ( like fans and stuff))

do a search under book pc and there should be several premade baby at or atx machiens that would fit under a seat or in a glove box

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

ya, I was thinking of using a Via chip, but really, Im going to use fans, a sweet heat sink, and a nice fan, with huge 4 in fans for intake and Excaust would be fine, Im going to run a switch to turn the comp on or off, and a seprate switch for the fans, So I can Turn the fans on, and let it run for a little while, then turn on the comp. but Also, Im going to have like 3, 15's. pushin lots of bass. I dont know if the hard drive can handle that much Vibration. I might just use a USB hard drive. but those are expensive. but they wont go all to hell, from vibration.

[Crash893]

mabey something like a zipdisk

or a cd of mp3's

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

yah, Zip desk could work, but then thats more CRap, know what I mean? just load up the hard drive will all that shzzzzznit. I found a Perfect DC-DC power Supply.

DC-DC Power Supply (http://www.keypower.com/DC_power/DX-250H.htm)

[Crash893]

that looks awsome

i guess if you just loaded that thing down with ram it wouldnt have to acces the hdd so much so that should keep you in the clear

mabey rest it on some cotton balls or something like that

suspened it with rubber bands or theres this thing at wall mart for shipping breakables ( like wine glasses and stuff) its a pouch and you put stuff in there then blow it up with a straw and it makes like a bubble around the item and susspends it in the middle

im not sure if it would cause it to over heat but worth a look

let me know how it goes im thingking about doing this too

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

Im Defnently going to do it, Just need the Funds right now. Im selling some stuff on Ebay Right now. wooo.

[Crash893]

okay i dont know if i posted this and didnt hit the button or something but here we go again


here is what i found for you this thing is what i was looking at for my car computer


http://www.tech-report.com/reviews/2001q4/shuttle-sv24/index.x?pg=1

its small and has pretty much every thing on it you could ask for including firewire ( mabey for hdd)

it holds one hdd and one pci card

i was thinking just putting a good sound card in it or something

its small and could easly fit in a trunk


you could put a mobile hdd in the front bay if you wnated to move files

or if you were really sick you could run a cat-v to a hub up front of you car and use a laptop to network into it. ( the temptation to mulitplay would be to great for me)

im pretty sure you could mod it to take the psu you found

im not sure what os you should use but let me know what you think

[XPogiGTIVR6X]

Ive seen that before, Thats one of the first things I looked at, for a Small Computer. I like the Via C3 Cpus, Talk about Quite. no Fan! I think im going to use a C3, though it may not be power full enough, Im not worried about sound, cause well, ill be blareing my music, and wont be able to hear that Delta fan! heh, I was actualy even thinking of makin it water cooled in the trunk. and Suspending the hole thing, HEh. AGIAN, I live in FL witch is flat.