where in nz are you dean ?

Brettus, Kapiti Coast, you?

Question....has anyone come across a way to automatically switch av sources on the lilliput 629 when the car is put into reverse? I picked up a reverse camera and a spare boot stop lamp that I am fitting the camera into to replace the factory stop light....camera works fine, can manually (with the remote) change AV source...but it would be awesome to have the Lilliput switch sources when I chuck the car in reverse...

Boot Tail Light + Reverse Camera Custom Install
 

Ok, all assembled & tested.

All that is needed is a quick matt black spray of the transparent red bracket, then its ready to go.

Camera hooked up and works fine with the Lilliput, nice wide angle. Not auto switching AV sources yet...thinking of ways to tackle that, driven via the reverse lights...relay/microswitch maybe. At the moment, the AV source is switched by a push button mounted on the dash. (soldered some wires to the Lilliput's physical buttons, ran them out and down to a switch, works a treat, saves using the remote).

Cheers

Dean

www.deanknowsley.com

http://www.deanknowsley.com/tail1.png

http://www.deanknowsley.com/tail2.png

http://www.deanknowsley.com/tail3.png

Equipment fitted into the 8..photos..only small problems...Alternator Whine
 

Ok, all the hardware is mounted in the car.

All went off without a hitch, apart from a tiny scratch on the HU faceplate....dammit. Out comes the fine grit!

Reversing camera is working way better than expected. To reduce reflected glare, I have relayed the rear high light, so when in reverse, the high light doesnt work. Turns out as a bit of a bonus, the camera is a day/night one (I got it with a spare boot lid).

Getting the Nav hood in was a doddle. No dramas.

Only one small issue, getting some alternator whine (a lot actually) when the screen is on. Going to go around in the morning and check all the grounds, see if that fixes it.

Heres some pics taken today after the install:

Now you see it...

http://www.deanknowsley.com/install1.jpg

Now you dont!

http://www.deanknowsley.com/install2.jpg

Wide shot of the reverse camera/tail light mod.

http://www.deanknowsley.com/install3.jpg

Close up...

http://www.deanknowsley.com/install4.jpg

Dash, with reversing camera image, automatically reversed.

http://www.deanknowsley.com/install5.jpg

Any help on the alternator whine would be appreciated. It's only when the lilliput is ON.

Cheers

Deano

Completed ScreenSavers....with youtube
 

Stills and a youtube link as the embed doesnt appear to be working...

The Green technical looks awesome at night, I feel like Michael Knight.

http://www.deanknowsley.com/1screen.png

http://www.deanknowsley.com/2screen.png

http://www.deanknowsley.com/3screen.png

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQwoqikLJk

when are you coming through Hamilton Dean ? I want to see this :)

Nice install...love the way the mac fits perfectly on the console...btw...wehre did you get the technical screen? I want that too!

I made the technical screen in Quartz Composer. Work as screensavers or iTunes visualisers on a Mac, not sure if PC's can run them. File extension is .qtz Once all is said and done, I will post them for download.

Leet Interweb is teh win
 

Ok, all tested.

Annoying alternator whine is caused by ground loop. I checked, and rechecked all grounds and wiring. It's all good. Bit more reading on the interweb revealed that the most likely cause of the problem is my AUXMOD. So I need to get myself a Ground Loop Isolator.

This neck of the woods is quite hard to get things, but Repco happened to have one in stock further up the coast, so they are sending it down to the local store this week.

Raptor GL1...

http://www.raptor-online.com/i/products/full/GL1.jpg

Fingers crossed, that should (***should***) solve the whining noises coming from the stereo when the carputer is connected to the Bose.

Failing that, I will try an FM modulator...

Failing that, a USB FM Transmitter.

Should be able to update later this week with how it all worked...

Good job! The mini is perfect in that location. I had cut out the rear and tucked it in even further. Mounted a small fan fore and aft for some circulation.

How do you find the heat in there?

I was going to duct some pipe into the compartment from the boot, and a 12V extractor fan to take out the warm air and dump it in the boot. Fans fore and aft sufficient?

Ground Loop Isolator arrived today. Should be able to get some time to test it this week..

Dean

Funnily enough, sooner than I expected. Might be heading through to Auckland. Normally bypass Hamilton :-), but I'm sure I could make a pitstop.

I want to know more about your louder Tacho Buzzer.

Males over 30 have problems hearing certain frequency ranges. Starts from about 18 years old in guys, our hearing goes downhill, especially in the mid-ranges. Ironically, the two things that are important are in the mid ranges....women's voices, and the RX-8 Tacho Buzzer. (SOME would argue that NOT hearing a female voice is good news).

Upshot is, I am profoundly deaf in one ear, and the other ear is rooted, so I am forever having the engine cut-out.

I want a louder buzzer, without too much hassle. How did ya do it?

Cheers

Dean

I hope it will be. This was a recent addition (winter project), so it hasn't been fully stress-tested in the heat of summer (here in the US). It will definitely be an improvement over doing nothing. I have a fan pulling air in from the cabin to the compartment. It's located in front of the compartment, between the cup holder and compartment. It's semi-automatic climate controlled by flipping up the cup holder lid :lol:. I have another mounted in the rear and duct to the trunk/boot. I'm hoping this will create enough circulation when I have the A/C on. The only thing I'm afraid of is the heat soak from the trunk/boot when the car is just sitting parked in the lot.

Cool. I was going to mount a solenoid in the cup holder, controlled by a temp switch. When it gets too warm, the cup lid pops up automatically, the fans kick in. We'll see.
As soon as I get the Ground Loop issue solved, I will start the permanent install stuff. Keep me posted on what you experience.

Dean

Photos of Cooling Systems and Centre Console Fit.
 

Ok, the ground loop isolator worked a treat. All alternator whine gone.

So...I started with the console build/fit.

The way I decided to go is this:

The pass-through box (the big 'pocket' on the back of the pass-through) was closed at the top, and a 12V High Flow Fan Mounted, to create a 'Vacuum Box.' I then used some 4cm Diameter Hose, running out the bottom of the box. (I am praying my wife doesn't notice that for some reason the Vacuum cleaner hose doesn't reach as far as it used to :-) )
The hose then runs to the back wall of the rear centre console compartment. Cool air is drawn in from the front latch, and in from the sides of the lid, and sucked out the back, into the boot.

My original plan was to use the extractor hose as a conduit for the cabling at the same time, but the odd shape of the mini's ports, the power on the far corner, and the low placement of the DVI port, meant more holes had to be drilled.

In the end, the cabling looked a bit ugly, especially with the airtight putty, so I made a textured black plastic cover for looks.... bonus is, this cover seems to improve cooling!

A small rocker switch was mounted in the cupholder compartment for the 'valet' feature of the Power Supply.

Next step is to finalise the pass-through box, by fabricating a 4th side of the vacuum box (i.e. so the air is only sucked in through the pipe and not the massive hole in the top! The last photo is a mock up of how the Power Supply will sit on top of the vacuum box.


http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans1.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans2.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans3.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans4.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans5.jpg

http://www.deanknowsley.com/fans6.jpg

Finished.
 

Did a test drive tonight. Works so well, I must have done something wrong.

Will take pics of the completed install and some video.

Cheers

Dean

OK, now fly to Washington State and do mine. :)

Nice job and well done.

Ha! I was just thinking that myself.. I'd love to put in a Nav/MP3/Camera setup (the engine diagnostics are nice too but I know nothing about that kind of stuff)

I've always been afraid to even go to any of the local stereo shops for something like this, they couldn't even provide me with an Aux input years ago , ended up doing it myself.

Maybe we can convince Dean to write up a full part list, detailed instructions and pics of every step :) Hell I'd be willing to pay for instructions if they were detailed enough for a somewhat-techie to be able come complete/

When I am next in LA, I will drive up and help...of course I will take your leather handbrake handle at the same time.

Now...

The setup has been in and running for 3 weeks now (not including the week when I flooded the 8, and pulled out my hair trying to get it started. WILL NEVER short start AGAIN..EVER).
Funnily enough, without external cooling the Mac in the rear centre console seems to be running at normal temperatures. Its drawing enough air in under the lid, and expelling enough out the back of the tray (and the hole I made) to be normal...will keep an eye on it, and post further.

Some issues I am having...

I am mainly using front row (which is not touch screen compatible at the stage) using the remote...(well my wife is using the remote while I drive). Problem is the IR beam cant get to the mac when it is tucked away. I am going to extend the remote IR LED with a wire back to the mac...temporary, but it will work whilst on the look out for a front row touch screen mod.
I also need to check my jumper settings on my Carnetix, because the battery got drained after three days....(I'm sure I had the dead mans switch set, but perhaps not).

Apart from that, it looks awesome cruising down the motorway with the tech screen running (I've re-done it in red to match the red in-car displays).

I'm sure when I get a few moments (busy working on something at this moment) I can put together some instructions/diy type thingy.

Will post some video and pics of the unit and its operation shortly.

Cheers

Dean

Problem solved with controlling for the time being.

Generally, I don't go anywhere without my wife in the passenger seat, as the 8 is my weekend cruiser. By creating a wireless network on the Mac Mini, her iPhone can connect, and using the Apple Remote app, control the tunes.

I'm going to work on a usb hat switch for the steering wheel...which would be much better...

Man this is what i always wanted for my 8....cant wait for the DIY guide hope u can find some free time to do the DIY for this

man thats a great build! looks awesome ... did you get rid of the whine?

I have an Audio question...

How did you hook the Audio up to your stock HU.?? Does it have AUX jacks? Im kinda confused about how im going to set mine up.

Thanks,
Mark

You can take the opportunity to upgrade the Bose amp to something aftermarket.. an amp that would allow you to fully take advantage of all the channels the PC outputs.

That or you can go the simple route and use something like a grom audio unit that plugs into the back of the stock HU and gives you an aux line that you can use to just run to the PC.. that's what I did. I forgot the exact model, but you can check my thread/