Database Users

Active Brodit Car Kit - Custom Installation

After going through several lousy car mounts with dangling cigarette lighter wires and suction cups popping off the windshield and dashboard I had had enough of this *(&*^&*&^(*)(%$%$#. Time to put on a professional looking permanent installation!
After much research I came upon a solution for my AT&T Tilt. I have an older Taurus which does not have any external (even in the back of the radio) connectivity for audio inputs, so I decided against making changes to integrate the sound between the tilt and the car (but I did want the unit's batteries charged in the mount). Note all powered car mounts need a small transformer, which in many of the versions out there in the marketplace are oin the mount itself, which makes it very bulky. I preferrred one that comes with a separate transformer which can be hidden. I also wanted the PDA up near the windshield so I would not have to look far away from the road while driving, which I consider dangerous - but did not want to have some huge clunky thing sticking up in the middle of the dash - I wanted it as small and unobtrusive as possible. The only mount specifically designed for snapping into place on my model car my car (www.proclipusa.com) actually put the mount on the console down near the shifter between the seats so that was not very useful either. I had decided upon the active Brodit car mount as I wanted to be able to open the keyboard while the unit is in the mount, and wanted to be able to move the mount any which way without worrying if the mount would come loose. This car kit is minimal in size and has a separate transformer which can be hidden as well. With all the above caveats there was nothing else on the market that was handy, unobtrusive, and didn't end up with a lousy plug for the lighter to power the unit (yech). So, here was my solution (7 photos attached). All the parts shown can be purchased at www.proclipusa.com.
Photo #1: Dashboard showing my situation (this was actually part way through the installation, you can see the transformer hanging down under the steering wheel, I just stuffed it up out of view when I was finished with the work).
Photo #2: Fuse Box Connections (under the steering wheel by the firewall). Note all I did was pull the cover off the fuse box, pull the 20 amp fuse out, and wrap the red positive lead around one of the prongs of the fuse which I just stuck in place later. I will probably buy an in-line fuse and put it on the red wire later. (I used the 20 amp fuse for the ignition for the ignition which is only powered while the car is running - I wanted this for the mount's transformer so as not to wear down the battery when the car is not in use). The black lead only has to go to the ground in the car so you can see I was just starting to wrap it around the nut holding the fusebox in place, which is grounded.
Photo #3: Note - all powered car mounts need a small transformer, which in many of the versions out there in the marketplace are on the mount itself, which makes is very bulky. I preferrred one that comes with a separate transformer which can be hidden. So with everything wired up and installed, I hid the wire (and transformer below) andnothing is in view but the wire for the brodit mount going up to the dash. Also note the block attached to the dashboard - to the left of the steering wheel. Easily visibly by the driver, and not destroying the look of the dash in the middle of the car. This block was still too horizontal but it is very solidly connected to the dashboard on the left of the driver's seat, up near the windshield but neatly out of the way. No windshield obstruction whatsoever!
Photo #4: I mounted a second block on top of the first to improve the angle. Note the center two holes which were added for screws to connect the two block and still leave the surface of the second block flat for the brodit mount. It not only made the installation rock solid, but I decided to improve that even further by replacing the two screws on the bottom first block and putting longer screws on the bottom going through both blocks. (I did not want to glue the second block onto the first because that way I would have no way of removing the screws holding the first block in place later - and glue comes undone.) This thing is rock hard - not going anywhere. Most other car mounts get loose over time and with just a little wiggling end up coming off. Not this baby! Won't even wiggle!
Photo #5: Brodit mount screwed onto the top block. Beautiful! Swivels 360% around and tilts every which way. The screw in the center of the mount can be tightened slightly so that the mount only moves if you really try to move it using definite force. Nothing at all loose here - rock solid! (Also note, this mount can be swapped for another brodit mount fitting any PDA on the market, just by loosening that center screw!) Note the two circled areas. They are tiny plastic adhesive wire holders which can be purchased at any hardware store to keep the wires where you want them...
Photo #6: Vertical use with AT&T Tilt - (see white circle - being charged)!
Photo #7: Horizontal use with AT&T Tilt - note you can easily slide the keyboard open - (see white circle - still being charged)!

dude, looks sweet. What are you doing this coming weekend? Can you work on my car?

this is really awesome! the only thing is that i hope ur left handed

Left handedness
I don't think left or right-handedness is a factor - when driving on the highway you cannot really touch any of the tiny software buttons on the screen to use the thing anyway - too dangerous. However, the external hardware buttons - I don't think most people have to use their predominant hand to press a hardware button... If that was the case then most drivers in europe (with the right side steering wheel) wouldn't be able to use the radio unless they were left handed?

Don't you find it very difficult to put the Tytn2 into the Brodit holder? I have one too, but I find it very cumbersome. I have to fiddle with it a couple of times before I get it in properly (onto the USB connector). Previously I had the Brodit holder for my MDA Vario and that went in with my eyes closed.
My guess is that the bad fit is caused by the big empty space between the back of the device and the holder (for big batteries?). If Brodit was to make something to fit in there so that you have some kind of reference when you insert the device, it would be better. The way it is now, it is only irritating me in the morning...

Sliding it in
I find I do have to adjust it ever so slightly to get it seated correctly. However, I believe it is better to have the space so that:
1. The unit will fit with any size battery
2. The GPS signal is not weakened

KruseLudsMobile said:
I find I do have to adjust it ever so slightly to get it seated correctly. However, I believe it is better to have the space so that:
1. The unit will fit with any size battery
2. The GPS signal is not weakened
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt the GPS signal is weakened less by the plastic being an inch further away. And I don't know where the actual antenna is. If it's there where the connector is, it's no problem. That one is clear from the holder.
Also, it's a contradiction to have both the holder and a fat battery. I'm in my car for an hour or two every day (sometimes longer). Long enough to keep the battery loaded. The engineers of Brodit could have thought of an insert so that the space is filled. If you have a fat battery, remove the insert.
I'm not a clumsey person. My previous device slipped in the Brodit holder like it came of the same mould. This one is next to impossible to do without looking very careful, which is not easy in the dark. It's also part fault of the device manufacterers. My old Nokia phone had special idents at the bottom which gripped into the carkit. They don't do that anymore. They seem to think that because of BT you keep the device in your pocket. Such a shame...

Reception
There is one thing I do have to say about your last response - the reception woulod be affected if there were no space there. The GPS antenna is in the back and that part of the holder is completely metal.

KruseLudsMobile said:
There is one thing I do have to say about your last response - the reception woulod be affected if there were no space there. The GPS antenna is in the back and that part of the holder is completely metal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but the antenna is on the top part of the device (where the external GPS antenna plug is). And that is the part that is nog covered by the holder. ie: it sticks out. So I doubt if the reception would be hampered by the holder if there wasn't a space.

Reported experience after extensive use (as promised) - daily for 2 1/2 weeks
As promised here is my experience after extensive use. Promise to try to keep the rambling to a minimum.
Sections below -
A. Four warnings - all on safety
B. Stylus Access/Battery Usage
C. GPS/Battery Usage
D. Position of the Mount
E. Gap on the Mount
F. Sliding in and out of the holder
G. Mount closer or further away from the driver; more dangerous? More convenient? -
H. Mount Location legality?
--------------------------
A. Three warnings - all on safety:
1. The extra cabling and transformer that I had just stuffed up behind other wires near the fusebox near the foot pedals - fell out and was hanging down - not very safe - but fortunately it did not happen while I was driving. Good note to people installing anything in their car - be sure everything mounted anywhere near where your hands and feet go while driving - is very securely mounted!
2. DO NOT USE the screen for anything but GPS display - even if you are using voice recognition software (as you need to then look at the screen) unless using only to make phone calls.
3. Note "B." below. I advise AGAINST trying to use a stylus while you are driving. VERY EASY to get into an accident.
4. NEVER, EVER, EVER leave the unit in the cradle - or even anywhere in the car - when you are out of the car for any length of time at all. Some people say even having their cars broken into because a thief saw the mount and thought the unit may be in the glove compartment.
B. Stylus Access/Battery Usage - I have seen only one holder (not this one) that includes a separate slot for an extra stylus to use while the Kaiser is in the car mount. This one does not include that - BUT - you can STILL pull out the stylus easily even when the unit is in the mount - handy. BTW, GPS programs really do such the life out of these batteries, don't they? At least with this mount it is charging it with enough juice to overcome the GPS drain (I have seen older (non-Kaiser) PDAs that drain juice faster than they get charged when in a indoor powered cradle nonetheless!). I don't know if that ability to charge even when a lot of power is being consumed by the unit is due to the charger or the version of the PDA itself. Anyone want to run some tests with different mount/cradle/PDA/software combinations?
C. GPS/Battery Usage - I won't get into a heavy discussion about GPS software in this thread because I don't want it to go off on a tangent. Suffice it to say the unit is often off track by about 25-50 feet at the max (usually about 25 feet) when I have a signal - but the GPS sure does use alot of juice, doesn't it? It seems like if you get into the car with a unit that has a somewhat low battery charge and use the GPS in the holder (while charging if the ignition is on of course - that's the way you should wire it) the PDA battery still does get recharged - but much more slowly. Funny thing is, that is not even an issue because I usually would not use the GPS unless I am driving longer distances anyway. If the battery is really low and I don't need the GPS (most trips) I will just set the unit to sleep or even turn the unit off altogether (phone included) and put it into the mount when I get in the car - for even a very short drive the battery really charges very quickly with this mount (yeah ). How about a car mount with a slot in the back for an extra battery? That would be nice...
D. Position of the Mount -I could have possibly used another angled block. I find myself sometimes trying to tilt the mount ever so slightly more than it can go (so the screen is more vertical). However, that is a very minor isue and at this point not work making any modifications. (I may change my mind later, however - if so, I will supply more photos or update the original sticky post here.)
E. Gap on the Mount - Gap that people have been talking about behind the unit (between the back of the unit and the mount) - that does not bother me so much as the fat connector at the bottom of the unit - which is somewhat unsightly and larger than it needs to be. It does block my headlight switches - but I never need to look at those switches anyway.
F. Sliding in and out of the holder - this is an issue but a very minor one. I find that about 10-15% of the time when I slide it into place it is not mounted correctly and I have to pull it out and try to slide it in again. I suppose if there was no gap as specified in "E." above then it would slide into place 100% of the time with no problem. Although I believe it is meant to allow people with extended (larger) batteries to also use the unit - since it is always powered while I am driving the car - I rarely need to charge my batteries anyway. I was going to get an extended battery - but I really have no need to - most of the time I am at the office, at home, or in the car. In each of those three places I have a charger. I also keep a charger in my briefcase so when I go from office to office for meetings etc. I always have a charger nearby anyway...
G. Mount closer or further away from the driver; more dangerous? More convenient? - wouldn't drivers be more tempted to check email, etc. if it was really close to the driver?
H. Mount Location legality? - Isn't it a rule in the US that the windshield cannot be blocked at all (in my case it isn't) - even though the rule may be loosely or rarely enforced - isn't that what the suction cups on windshields do? Anybody get a ticket because of that? Or is the rule about partial blockage? Is this a state or nationwide regulation, what are the rules for that in Europe? ( I am in the US in NJ...)

Really good thread here. I figured I'd share the pics of my HTC Tilt mounted with the same car kit in my 1998 GMC Sierra K1500.
-Jay
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Looks nice...
Looks very nice, thanks for the post... but - how come you use a cigarette lighter plug instead of the kit with the wires you can hide? You may want to consider that...

KruseLudsMobile said:
Looks very nice, thanks for the post... but - how come you use a cigarette lighter plug instead of the kit with the wires you can hide? You may want to consider that...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Because I want to buy a second device clip for my car, and be able to switch between the two. I don't want to have to buy two $69 cradles, especially to buy a second cradle for a car that I only drive about 2,500 miles a year.
-Jay

Jay2TheRescue said:
Because I want to buy a second device clip for my car, and be able to switch between the two. I don't want to have to buy two $69 cradles, especially to buy a second cradle for a car that I only drive about 2,500 miles a year.
-Jay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to mention the hard wire kit is another $30 more than the cig lighter one.
I recently took the plunge and bought the active kit and a clip for my Impala. I'm planning on doing the same thing and getting a clip for the Tahoe eventually. Still not looking forward to another $30 for just the clip. I'm hoping the build quality and stability is worth the small fortune you have to pay.

joshuah82 said:
Not to mention the hard wire kit is another $30 more than the cig lighter one.
I recently took the plunge and bought the active kit and a clip for my Impala. I'm planning on doing the same thing and getting a clip for the Tahoe eventually. Still not looking forward to another $30 for just the clip. I'm hoping the build quality and stability is worth the small fortune you have to pay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$30 more? I didn't notice that. For that price I'd cut the lighter plug off and hard wire it if I really wanted a hard wired solution.
-Jay

Jay2TheRescue said:
$30 more? I didn't notice that. For that price I'd cut the lighter plug off and hard wire it if I really wanted a hard wired solution.
-Jay
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't do it that way. Many/all "car chargers" have circuitry inside the plug that protects your phone. A better solution is to buy a $5 cigarette lighter "socket" from radio shack, wire that in somewhere behind your dash, then plug your kit into that.

As promised - pic of my install in a 2004 Nissan Titan. Mounting brackets (for the phone and iPod) are both from Panavise.

40-Dan said:
As promised - pic of my install in a 2004 Nissan Titan. Mounting brackets (for the phone and iPod) are both from Panavise.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks sharp!
-Jay

Re
Also a picture from my setup in the car....
TytNII
brodit active kit with proclip
parrot MK6000
Pioneer headset!
All works like a charm.....

swiftgs said:
Also a picture from my setup in the car....
TytNII
brodit active kit with proclip
parrot MK6000
Pioneer headset!
All works like a charm.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hope you're not watching videos while driving!
-Jay

Contemplating using N7 as car head unit/nav system

As the title says I am very interested in using this tablet as a head unit replacement. I still have plenty of researching to do, but before I get too deep into it, I think there is one problem that should be addressed.
I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile, but I do like my music. So using the 3.5mm jack for audio simply will not do. I have seen a video of someone using a Turtle Beach audio adapter to get usb audio out of the N7, and then into the stereo/processing unit. This would be perfect for me, however I also need to be able to hook up an external drive for additional storage.
So my question is if it is possible to hook up the usb audio cable, and an external drive simultaneously to the N7. My idea right now is to hook up an OTG cable to the N7, then plug in a small non powered usb hub which would have both the external drive and usb audio cable hooked up to it. I am just not sure if this setup is possible, and before I purchase all the components I would like to have some confirmation that it will work like i think it will.( I will be using a rooted N7 with stickmount installed, I believe that is all I need to allow Host capabilities)
On a side note, I also plan to use the pogo pins to charge the device. I saw a video of someone using a hacked usb cable to charge the galaxy nexus with it, so i think that should work. (I just read a thread saying that the galaxy nexus can't charge through a pogo pin dock while having a OTG cable plugged...My dreams are being crushed.)
If you would like any more info about the specifics of the setup, I would be happy to share my ideas.
Sorry for the length of the post, I just want it to be clear what I am trying to do here.
Any information, or tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

I think my dreams are also crushed, I believe the pogo pins are a pin-out extension of the usb port, not a separate port, therefore using OTG would ****-block charging, which is disappointing.
You could however use one of these in your car http://www.slashgear.com/seagate-goflex-satellite-wi-fi-hard-drive-gets-android-app-01168797/ which would provide 500GB of storage accessible whilst your nexus 7 is charging, combine that and a pocketwifi device to act as a router and provide internet access it would be perfect
if you had an AC power inverter or appropriate power supply for DC to the unit (saves inverting then converting again), you could use this one http://www.ccpu.com.au/show_prod.php?class_id=disk-ext&prod_id=STAM1000200

would be very awesome, looking forward to updates.

Thanks for the info.
That is deeply saddening that you can not use both at the same time, although I guess it does make sense for the purposes of a dock. So it looks like now the only way I can still use a plugged in external hdd, usb audio, and be able to charge the device at the same time is if I can do all of that through the mini usb port in conjunction with a usb hub...but i think that is unlikely. does anyone know for sure?
And thank you for bringing up those wifi hard drives. I didn't want to use them, something about having it plugged into the device directly just makes me feel better...although now I will have to seriously consider them.
Also, if anyone has any info regarding tablet install you think may be useful, feel free to post the link. Even if it is not directly related to the N7, it could still be useful info, and maybe get some gears turning in our heads.
I just became a member so I am not allowed to post links yet :silly:
I will still keep my hopes up about using this device, though! It is my favorite 7 inch tablet by far.

What about usb powered hubs?

Wololo7 said:
What about usb powered hubs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can the Nexus output digital audio, charge, and read an external HDD, via powered usb hub from its one micro usb port? If it could then all my problems would be solved! Until I encounter my next problem, of course. :silly:

Sounds very interesting indeed. I look forward to seeing what can be done.

Wololo7 said:
What about usb powered hubs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. Did not work for me.
I thought about using the Nexus 7 as my car nav system as well. I stumbled across an issue where I want to mount external USB drive AND charge the tablet at the same time. I could not get the tablet to charge with a powered USB drive. I believe the tablet is going into host mode to read the USB drive, and thus disallowing any kind of power to charge itself.
Please someone prove me wrong.. I really like this tablet. It is the perfect size for the car.
Another issue I found... Using polarized sunglasses + nexus 7 (landscape mode) = completely black screen. This may or may not convince you to continue with this project. I am certainly looking at different options..

Im thinkin about this too. But not to completly replace my headunit but only to slap it on for long drives
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

voidshado said:
Another issue I found... Using polarized sunglasses + nexus 7 (landscape mode) = completely black screen. This may or may not convince you to continue with this project. I am certainly looking at different options..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I noticed this, too. Disappointing. My HTC EVO View works fine, though.

Very interested in this. I've actually been working on this very project. I'm near completion (sort of) actually, but I'm having a separate electrical issue currently so its been on hold for the last week or so. At this point I've run sound via the 3.5 mm jack, but if a USB solution is found, I'd be all over that. I guess I settled for the 3.5 mm jack as previously, I tended to stream Pandora and various music through the aux jack on my phone anyways. Probably more than 90% of the time actually. I may look into the Seagate GoFlex Satellite WiFi HDD for external storage since charging and USB OTG at the sime time at this point seems impossible/difficult. I have a pair of polarized oakleys that i usually wear, and havent noticed the screen blacking out yet, but I'll have to see when I get home tonight.

On charging & usb host mode at the same time..
Has anybody tried this:
1. Setup a powered USB hub plugged into the Micro OTG cable
2. hack the cable from right after the OTG cable to where it plugs into the hub, so that the voltage pins are exposed
3. solder in the voltage pins to a usb connector so you can plug in a normal charger [5V 2A]
4. check to see if you can use the USB hub and charge at the same time
I currently have a Asus transformer TF101 and the primary use is watching clips off a 500GB usb HDD. I really, really want to get a N7 and sell my TF101, but if charging & simultaneous host mode is not possible, I would be slightly hesitant to buy it, even though it is really a awesome tablet from what I hear.
so if anyone has any info on that, I would greatly appreciate it!

ahavens17 said:
At this point I've run sound via the 3.5 mm jack, but if a USB solution is found, I'd be all over that. I guess I settled for the 3.5 mm jack as previously, I tended to stream Pandora and various music through the aux jack on my phone anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know a lot of people that the 3.5 mm jack for audio. And It really does sound just fine. It is just that I am planing on investing a lot in amps/speakers, so I don't want my weakest link to be my inputs right out of the gate. Although, this tablet is making it pretty difficult to not use that jack.
I would be interested to see your project whenever you finish, or if you have information up of of the process now, that would be interesting to look at.
Thanks again everyone for all the info! I still have a shred of hope for using this tablet in my car!

pikachu2000 said:
I know a lot of people that the 3.5 mm jack for audio. And It really does sound just fine. It is just that I am planing on investing a lot in amps/speakers, so I don't want my weakest link to be my inputs right out of the gate. Although, this tablet is making it pretty difficult to not use that jack.
I would be interested to see your project whenever you finish, or if you have information up of of the process now, that would be interesting to look at.
Thanks again everyone for all the info! I still have a shred of hope for using this tablet in my car!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm running 4 Polk 6" speakers that replaced the stock ones in my car (just replaced them all last year when I blew one of the stock ones), and a cadence 4 channel amp to power the speakers. Nothing top of the line, and no subwoofer or anything as of yet. Picked up the cabling from monoprice, with all of it being their "premium" selection. It all seems pretty heavy duty and solid. Only ran me around 30 bucks. I just have an 02 Mitsubishi Lancer that I'm putting this in. The dash is originally a single din so it's taken quite a bit of modification to get it to fit. More than I originally anticipated. Just a hobby project I've wanted to do for sometime and when the nexus 7 came along I jumped on it. I'll post some pics when I have a chance but at this point it looks far from professional. lol.
Also, I pulled out the Nexus 7 last night and had my polarized glasses on, no screen blackening that was mentioned previously for me. Maybe a little distortion/filter over the screen at certain angles, but still viewable.
I think this thread is great. I'd love to see/hear what other people are doing or what ideas come about from this.

Thank you, I am really glad this thread has spiked some interest, and that other people have similar ideas. I will start up my research again and come back to post any new info when I can. Gotta keep this thread going strong!

pikachu2000 said:
I would be interested to see your project whenever you finish, or if you have information up of of the process now, that would be interesting to look at.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I created a thread with the few pictures I took along the way, as well as the semi-finished project. The only thing I believe I still need to do at this point is get a screen protector. (Tablet still has the plastic cover on it from when it was in the box!) Other things may come up in the future, (such as adding an OTG cable if someone figures out a way to charge simultaneously) but this is it finished for the time being.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=29824916#post29824916

Thanks for making a thread! That is very cool, I like your setup a lot. Is the tablet meant to stay in the car permanently, or do you plan on taking it out often?

Alright, I haven't had much time to find much new information. But I was just thinking if I can't have it charge from the usb port and run usb audio out at the same time, then maybe I could take off the rear cover of the N7 and cut a hole in it, where the camera was supposed to go, and route positive an negative wires directly to the battery...then I could use a hacked usb cable to charge it...? Just the thought of that is scary, but I don't plan on taking out the N7 ever, it will always stay in the car.
Just a thought, let me know what you think.
Additional info: I am going to be putting this in an 02 e46 BMW 325xi. And I will use a modified double din face plate. In my head the final setup looks beautiful, but we'll see how it turns out. As for the time frame, I have a list of parts I want to get for the car, and I want to do most everything at the same time. It will take a good 3 or 4 months before I can get everything and then installing it might take another month(assuming everything goes smoothly) I just want to get all of my preliminary research out of the way. Sorry if you guys were expecting pictures soon.
Thanks

pikachu2000 said:
Alright, I haven't had much time to find much new information. But I was just thinking if I can't have it charge from the usb port and run usb audio out at the same time, then maybe I could take off the rear cover of the N7 and cut a hole in it, where the camera was supposed to go, and route positive an negative wires directly to the battery...then I could use a hacked usb cable to charge it...? Just the thought of that is scary, but I don't plan on taking out the N7 ever, it will always stay in the car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What about the pogo pins? Aren't they for a [future] dock? I wonder if you can charge the tablet via the pogo pins and use USB OTG simultaneously? This would indeed be good news, because I will primarily use my N7 [when it arrives] for videos on a USB HDD, so it would wear out the battery to be constantly charging and discharging the battery every day.

mvmacd said:
What about the pogo pins?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Earlier in the thread we had thought of that, turns out you can only use one at a time, and it's a hardware limitation so no way around it.

[Q] Help! MK808 No Video

I just bought a MK808 from a guy on CraigsList. I went to his house and played with the device on his TV so I know the thing works. I messed around on it for a while and it seemed fine. Once I got home I hooked it up to my TV (Westinghouse 46" 1080p LED) and the MK808 gets a blue LED power light but nothing is showing up on my TV. I tried it on a few Computer LCDs at the house that are 1680x1050 res using an hdmi-dvi cable and I am still getting nothing. Did the unit somehow fry on my way home? Is there a way to do a factory reset without video to the MK808? Im kind of at a loss here. Im not sure what to do. The guy said I could come back to test it on his TV again but its a 45 minute drive from my place. Id like to save the gas if I can. I know this thing worked so I dont know whats going on.

change Hdmi cable.

But Ive gone from the HDMI on the TV to an HDMI-DVI for the computer monitors. So that is another cable.

spotopolis said:
But Ive gone from the HDMI on the TV to an HDMI-DVI for the computer monitors. So that is another cable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But DVI reduction tend to have problems with displaying on some TVs or monitors. Probably do not recognize the resolution settings. I deal with the same problem but with HDMI to HDMI displayed correctly.

spotopolis said:
I just bought a MK808 from a guy on CraigsList. I went to his house and played with the device on his TV so I know the thing works. I messed around on it for a while and it seemed fine. Once I got home I hooked it up to my TV (Westinghouse 46" 1080p LED) and the MK808 gets a blue LED power light but nothing is showing up on my TV. I tried it on a few Computer LCDs at the house that are 1680x1050 res using an hdmi-dvi cable and I am still getting nothing. Did the unit somehow fry on my way home? Is there a way to do a factory reset without video to the MK808? Im kind of at a loss here. Im not sure what to do. The guy said I could come back to test it on his TV again but its a 45 minute drive from my place. Id like to save the gas if I can. I know this thing worked so I dont know whats going on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the bad news: This is a known issue that the MK808 works on some TV's and not on a lot of others. See this forum for some suggestions on how to POSSIBLY solve the issue: http://www.armtvtech.com/armtvtechforum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=141
The unit also has big wifi connectivity issues due to what appears to be shoddy antennas. The unit needs to have the USB power adapter upgraded or it will be under powered and not function properly. There's also a resolution issue which can be fixed with an upgrade in ROM, but you still won't get true 1080p output. First, you would need to get the unit to output video though.
The good news is that if you can solve the video output problem, ensure the proper USB power supply, upgrade the firmware ROM, and possibly do a hardware mod for the antennas, the unit works well. I have mine up and running with little to no issues. Good luck.

Well I ordered another off Ebay and when it got here it worked on my TV and both of my computer LCDs. So somehow the unit must have fried between picking it up and getting to my place.

Ive been reading up on the firmware updates. Im wondering if this "fried" stick was rooted and had custom firmware on it. It does get power. So Im wondering if I can use the update tools and flash it back to a stock unrooted updated firmware? Maybe there is still hope?

how much power does it need
i got powersupply whit 1 amp
Its only wifi is little poor for me

this site says it needs a 2A powersupply
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/MK80...ip-RK3066-Cortex-A9-Mini-PC-stick-307415.html

It needs more power.
TV USB ports dont five it enough power to do much other than boot and run services.
Try plugging the USB in to a turned on laptop or xbox or even a phone charger plug (Phone plug not good enough for 100% running)
90% of blank screens or freeze ups of MK808 are due to inadequate power supply.
Sent from my MK808 using XDA Premium HD app

Just a little comment since this thread has turned into a thread about power consumption.
I have one of those light-up USB to Micro USB cables. It has a series of EL strips, that give the illusion of "seeing" the electricity move through the cable.
It is also current sensitive, the more current, the faster the EL strips appear to sequence.
As an experiment, I used it to power my Jesurun NX003 Android stick (looks the same as iMito MX1). You can really see the different levels of power consumption for different tasks.
Even just surfing the web, you can see the current jump for a few seconds when it renders the page.
Games, HD video, make it sequence even faster.
Of course, it would also be very easy to fashion a USB cable with a break in the (+5V) line, and a couple of banana jacks so that you could connect up a DVM in Current mode.

Linuxslate said:
Just a little comment since this thread has turned into a thread about power consumption.
I have one of those light-up USB to Micro USB cables. It has a series of EL strips, that give the illusion of "seeing" the electricity move through the cable.
It is also current sensitive, the more current, the faster the EL strips appear to sequence.
As an experiment, I used it to power my Jesurun NX003 Android stick (looks the same as iMito MX1). You can really see the different levels of power consumption for different tasks.
Even just surfing the web, you can see the current jump for a few seconds when it renders the page.
Games, HD video, make it sequence even faster.
Of course, it would also be very easy to fashion a USB cable with a break in the (+5V) line, and a couple of banana jacks so that you could connect up a DVM in Current mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds cool. Do you have a link?

That sounds cool. Do you have a link?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry; Should have included that:
Also, for those in the US, these are apparently on sale at BestBuy for $12.99 (Reg $15.99)
They are available in MicroUSB, MiniUSB, and Apple 30-pin. Black or white cable (off) color. All the ones I have seen light up blue, despite being marked green, purple, etc. (I think they mean "green" as in Tree-hugger).
http://www.dexim.net/us/products/V-Green/DWA065.html
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Just an update to everyone that has tried to help, I got the device working a while back by flashing a custom ROM to it. Its running like a champ and I am currently working on a custom case mod.
I took an old WD MyBook 500GB enclosure and put a laptop 160GB SATA drive in it (to make room).
Removed the MK808 from the case and replaced the heatsink with some vram heatsinks from a aftermarket videocard kit.
Removed the cheap antennas that were soldered to the MK808 and replaced them with the antennas from an old Zoom GamePoint 4420.
I dissembled a 7 port USB hub and removed the cover.
All this will fit in the HDD enclosure with plenty of breathing room. I have had to do some soldering to make it look nice and move the AC port and PowerSwitch from the USB hub to the back of the enclosure with all the other ports. Im still going to have 3 separate PSUs but at least it will be a lot less tangled of a unit. I will post pics once I am completed with my mod.

RoganTheTwat said:
It needs more power.
TV USB ports dont five it enough power to do much other than boot and run services.
Try plugging the USB in to a turned on laptop or xbox or even a phone charger plug (Phone plug not good enough for 100% running)
90% of blank screens or freeze ups of MK808 are due to inadequate power supply.
Sent from my MK808 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uhost2 offer 5V2A adapter. Support mobile hard disk drive easily.
RK3066 dual core,1.6Ghz,with BT and DLNA feature. If you don't want BT,could choose without BT for cost down.Default root for user,more friendly design in software,hardware and Industrial desgin. Private mold make Uhost special,unique and firm.
Original designed by smallart-odmDOTcom, [email protected]. Skype:rachel.chen11

Hi there,
How did you managed to flash firmware without video display?
Can you give me links and steps please?
Thanks
mkderb

mkderb said:
Hi there,
How did you managed to flash firmware without video display?
Can you give me links and steps please?
Thanks
mkderb
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the flash tools for these devices dont require an external display. usually you will have to connect the android stick to the computer via usb while running an update utility for your specific device holding down the recovery hardware button. sometimes if you have flashed a custom recovery img such as clockworkmod you will need to have display connectivity to navigate the recover options. but it all depends on the device you have.

haxin said:
the flash tool or these devices dont require an external display. usually you will have to connect the android stick to the computer via usb while running an update utility for your specific device holding down the recovery hardware button. sometimes if you have flashed a custom recovery img such as clockworkmod you will need to have display connectivity to navigate the recover options. but it all depends on the device you have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi haxin,
I realized that the device is mk808c not mk808 and I can't find any flashing tool for it
Thanks for thinking about helping me
MKDerb

New Edge Mustang Nexus 7 Install

Hello all, I am new to this forum. I brought my thread over here because on the forums I post on normally for my car they seem to have 0 interest in the subject. My goal is to receive help from you guys, as well as maybe help any of you out! So to start off with a little history of the car. The car is a 2004 Mustang with non-mach stereo. I Currently have a single din radio and 2 amps (1 for door speakers, other for 2 12" subs), and all upgraded speakers and wiring. I have always wanted a touch screen radio and navigation, so that i did not have to use my phone the whole time while driving. I was looking into pioneers and alpine double dins, but for the features i wanted i couldn't justify spending 1200 bucks. So that left me at the same place i started at. I started browsing tablet installs when i discovered one of the guys i follow on instagram put a Ipad Mini into his dash. This really got me thinking about what i could do, so after about 6 months of juggling the idea, and doing some heavy research about which tablet to use and which Roms were best for in-car installation i found the Nexus 7. And that Triggered this build, which i will regularly update as the build goes on.
So to start off this is the list of stuff that i will need or have acquired, acquired is marked with blue, and will also have the price and total at the end. Items that have unknown prices are ones that i have not decided what to get or cant find what i want.
Need/Have:
- Nexus 7 2013 (32gb) (115.00 - Staples)
- Timurs Rom (28.94 - Donation)
- Clarion EQS746 (54.49 - Amazon)
- Behringer UCA202 USB DAC (29.99 - Amazon)
- 2X DC-DC Converter Module 12V To 5V 3A 15W Double USB Output Power Adapter (11.99 Ebay)
- USB Hub - Powered (unknown)
- Back-Up Camera (16.87 - Ebay)
- Easy Cap (Unknown)
- FM transmitter (Unknown)
- PlexiGlass (21.99 - Lowes)
- RCA Cables (6.99 - Radioshack)
- Right Angle OTG Cable Adapter (4.99 - Amazon)
- OTG Cable with Power (3.99 - Amazon)
- Micro USB to USB (6.98 - Amazon) Need this to connect the right angle to the OTG cable
- Metra 95-5026 Double DIN Installation Kit (9.29 - Amazon) Need this for parts of the mounting method
- Metra 70-5520 Wiring Harness (4.49 - Amazon) This is to connect power
- Hard Snap on Case (4.29 - Amazon) Part of Mounting Method
Total Price: $320.20
This list is for stuff previous to nexus 7 install/as well as some apps for in dash installation:
Hifonics Hfi1000.1d (129.99 - Amazon)
Hifonics ZRX600.4 (93.00 - Amazon)
LI12D4 - Incriminator Audio 12" x 2 (508.00 - Amazon)
Beautiful Widgets Pro (3.63 - Play Store)
Tasker (2.99 - Play Store)
Nova Launcher Prime (4.00 - Play Store)
GMD Auto Hide Pro (2.49 - Play Store)
Total Price: $744.10 - Most of this is tied up up in speakers/amps.
I chose Timurs rom because of the dedicated support forums, and the amount of followers behind the build, This rom allows for fixed installation, which is most likely what ill be doing. It enables OTG so i can hook up a USB hub to it, and have access to back up camera, music storage, and also play audio through the DAC.
As far as mounting method for the tablet will be doing away with the radio completely and putting the tablet in its place like so (Imagine it behind the bezel lol)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
For mounting I stumbled upon different ways that people have accomplished and didnt like any of them, most of them stayed out of the bezel, and the ones that were in the bezel were fixed and was not easy to remove.... then i found this build, i loved the idea of having it fixed, but then again easily removable if need be!
Subaru In-Car Install - Mounting
So that is when i started to build this!
It is pretty messy looking right now, but i will be painting it black so that it will blend with the case, and look like it is meant to be their.
I have a bunch of parts coming in the mail this week, that is the only thing that is holding up the In-Car process of the build.
I had a bunch of free time yesterday so i decided to start working on the UI for the tablet. I found a build that someone had done in a BMW that i really liked, and they even posted their PSD file for it. I began Chopping it to meet my own personal needs and build, and came up with this!
On the Tablet side, i just used it as a background and created invisible widgets that were placed onto the "Icon" and directly linked to the corresponding app. After i got all of that worked out, and added some widgets to the screen and removed the navigation bad i decided to work with tasker a little bit. I wanted the device to stimulate when power is off to key, and when power is on to key. So i created two different profiles and added task to each, they are as follows.
Power ON:
Airplane Mode - Disabled
Display Timeout - 23hrs
Display Brightness - 158
Popup - Welcome Back
Media Volume - Level 14 of 15
Bluetooth - ON
GPS - On
Wifi - On
Auto Sync - On
Power OFF:
Popup - Booting into Low Power Mode
Display Timeout - 15s
Wait 10s
Bluetooth - Off
Auto-Sync - Off
Wifi - Off
Music - Stop
Airplane Mode - On
TaskKill - Chrome/Maps/Pandora/Spotify/PowerAmp
Go Home
Some Video Action
I will update this regularly, if you have any questions comments or anything else please post below in fact i encourage it!
Also i am looking for ideas to install a Female input AUX into my Center Console for a factory look into the EQ, anyone know how?

Looks good!
In regards to your female aux issue, has your main head unit got more than one aux input? If so there is your answer. If not I know turtle beach used to supply a female 3.5 to 2ph piggy back which would do it just make sure the tablet is muted first.

ratykat said:
Looks good!
In regards to your female aux issue, has your main head unit got more than one aux input? If so there is your answer. If not I know turtle beach used to supply a female 3.5 to 2ph piggy back which would do it just make sure the tablet is muted first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am getting rid of the Radio unit all together. Using the USB DAC to send audio to an EQ which has an input from the DAC, and the AUX input. The EQ has a physical push button to switch between Main IN and the AUX IN inputs. So i wanted to Run a Female connector to the center console so that i could just plug in an male cord to the Female Input and hook that up to anyone's phone if they wanted.

Sounds like you're already there then. What was it that you were uncertain of about it?

ratykat said:
Sounds like you're already there then. What was it that you were uncertain of about it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to mount the Aux... I cant find a RCA to Female Aux that allows it to be fixed installed.
EDIT:
LIKE THIS!!!! But Cheaper lol, i dont care for the aftermarket USB + Aux either..
http://www.ebay.com/itm/JL-Audio-XMC-3-5MM-PNL-3-5-mm-Panel-Mount-Jack-connects-aux-cable-/301084428008?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item461a07c6e8

BurningCanine said:
Also i am looking for ideas to install a Female input AUX into my Center Console for a factory look into the EQ, anyone know how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
why not use the factory installed aux. Simply solder the cable inline with the factory cables and then hook it up to the aux of the clarion. you don't have to cut the cables just simply splice into them but make sure your connections are good and there is no cold solder as your sound quality is going to depend on it. you can also do the same with the USB, if you car has one, most of the time there is an extension mid way in the center console.
I am in the process of doing mine and I ran into that same plexi 2din case attachment...I might be going that route too as it can all be removed as one unit. I am also adding LEDs for the powers of each device. I will be able to troubleshoot faster knowing what may be wrong, ex: led for step down, led for otg, led for each usb hub, but hopefully nothing goes wrong. Good luck on the project. I too will be using Timur 2013 lollipop, it only makes sense to you use it since I have no idea how to compile something like that.
btw, if you are going to have all that incased inside that plexi box, you should consider getting a 5v/0.21amp Usb powered cpu fan to keep things cool in there, just connect it to the hub.

butwhydoitalk2u said:
why not use the factory installed aux. Simply solder the cable inline with the factory cables and then hook it up to the aux of the clarion. you don't have to cut the cables just simply splice into them but make sure your connections are good and there is no cold solder as your sound quality is going to depend on it. you can also do the same with the USB, if you car has one, most of the time there is an extension mid way in the center console.
I am in the process of doing mine and I ran into that same plexi 2din case attachment...I might be going that route too as it can all be removed as one unit. I am also adding LEDs for the powers of each device. I will be able to troubleshoot faster knowing what may be wrong, ex: led for step down, led for otg, led for each usb hub, but hopefully nothing goes wrong. Good luck on the project. I too will be using Timur 2013 lollipop, it only makes sense to you use it since I have no idea how to compile something like that.
btw, if you are going to have all that incased inside that plexi box, you should consider getting a 5v/0.21amp Usb powered cpu fan to keep things cool in there, just connect it to the hub.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aux was not an option in my year mustang. The plexiglass just helps keep the components in one place, if i ever decide to rip it out when i sell the car. I am running into an issue on where to install the EQ however.

Is this any good to you?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Input-Flush-Mount-female-auxiliary/dp/B00C6AGSDU
I'm interested in how you guys are finding Timurs build considering it's the first build I've seen that's paid for.

ratykat said:
Is this any good to you?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Input-Flush-Mount-female-auxiliary/dp/B00C6AGSDU
I'm interested in how you guys are finding Timurs build considering it's the first build I've seen that's paid for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I havent bought into yet. I am still considering my options and to see if there is a way around it. I got most of ny pieces for the build in already, but i have yet to mess around with it. I am assuming a custom lolli rom, something like cleanrom with experimentalx, might be all I would need, but your needs may be different. I'll start my own thread once I have everything in order.
As far as the aux...just buy an extention aux male to female or for a more professional look and even more functional they sell receptacles that take the place of your cigarette lighter, unless you need one of those, that offer an aux and usb. You can run a usb powerd from the step down to charge phone or usb extension from usb hub for music.
Also, the fan is to dissipate the heat that is going to build up from your car sitting in the sun and the greenhouse effect the plexi is going to give your electronics. Just my opinion. The EQ can be mounted in any position from under the dash to inside the glove box. The one thing to consider is how often you are going to access the knobs on it. If you are going to do it frequently then it needs to be mounted somewhere in plain view. I am not too familiar with the car. Good luck on the build though.

ratykat said:
Is this any good to you?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Input-Flush-Mount-female-auxiliary/dp/B00C6AGSDU
I'm interested in how you guys are finding Timurs build considering it's the first build I've seen that's paid for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was mostly interested in Timurs due to the huge support behind him, and all of the drivers, and programs already built into his Rom/Kernal. It just made it so much more simple to me. Also for that Aux Cable, i want to retain a factory look, and i cant see that being very factory looking inside my center console. I think i will end up using the JBL one that i posted earlier, it looks more factory than the rest and i can ensure that the quality is the highest.
butwhydoitalk2u said:
I havent bought into yet. I am still considering my options and to see if there is a way around it. I got most of ny pieces for the build in already, but i have yet to mess around with it. I am assuming a custom lolli rom, something like cleanrom with experimentalx, might be all I would need, but your needs may be different. I'll start my own thread once I have everything in order.
As far as the aux...just buy an extention aux male to female or for a more professional look and even more functional they sell receptacles that take the place of your cigarette lighter, unless you need one of those, that offer an aux and usb. You can run a usb powerd from the step down to charge phone or usb extension from usb hub for music.
Also, the fan is to dissipate the heat that is going to build up from your car sitting in the sun and the greenhouse effect the plexi is going to give your electronics. Just my opinion. The EQ can be mounted in any position from under the dash to inside the glove box. The one thing to consider is how often you are going to access the knobs on it. If you are going to do it frequently then it needs to be mounted somewhere in plain view. I am not too familiar with the car. Good luck on the build though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Im going to run temp activated fan i think to control when it gets to hot. Seems the best for me since it can be on when the car is off to keep it a little cooler in the summer. That small of a fan wouldnt drain the battery too fast either. AS far as the EQ, i chose this EQ because of the physical Volume nob. Im thinking that i am going to end up moving the buttons for my Fogs, Defrost and Traction control down, and glass the EQ in their spots.

Well, i went to install the tablet today. Ended up breaking the OTG cable so i have another one on the way by saturday. Will update when it comes!

Sorry to hear that. You must have done something sever though, all my usb otg cables have been attacked with the Dremel to get it in the tight space I havevand they're fine :S
That aux I posted up is what you asked for, cheaper. If you have a fold down cigarette tray then it could easily hide in there and still look OEM. The jl audio one you posted looks like it takes over the 12v supply with that cap in it, so if have a quick measure.
Whilst we are on the subject of 12v, what have you done for power? I'm looking at running a usb charger off the back of my lighter/12v so you can't see it in the future. Just curious if you've taken power from elsewhere.
In regards to kernels I run glitch on a stock 5 build and that does usb otg audio and fast charge absolutely fine. The only issue I've seen so far is occasionally I have to reboot for the audio to switch back to the DAC. Let me know how you get on with Timurs and if it's worth buying

ratykat said:
Sorry to hear that. You must have done something sever though, all my usb otg cables have been attacked with the Dremel to get it in the tight space I havevand they're fine :S
That aux I posted up is what you asked for, cheaper. If you have a fold down cigarette tray then it could easily hide in there and still look OEM. The jl audio one you posted looks like it takes over the 12v supply with that cap in it, so if have a quick measure.
Whilst we are on the subject of 12v, what have you done for power? I'm looking at running a usb charger off the back of my lighter/12v so you can't see it in the future. Just curious if you've taken power from elsewhere.
In regards to kernels I run glitch on a stock 5 build and that does usb otg audio and fast charge absolutely fine. The only issue I've seen so far is occasionally I have to reboot for the audio to switch back to the DAC. Let me know how you get on with Timurs and if it's worth buying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The cable didnt break, but the tip of the OTG cable did. When i was installing i had to bend it a little to go into a notch i made in my console, well it bent to much and wouldnt work anymore. I may try and shave the supporting rubber around it and make a right angle from it.
Yeah looking more and more of it, i think im going to go with the JL one because i have a cigarette lighter outlet in the bezel on my dash that doesn't work that well, so i will just replace it with that. As far as power, i had bought 2 DC-DC 15w 3a usb chargers that you wire directly to a 12v supply, turns out that they didnt work so im contacting the seller to see if it is my fault they dont work or just faulty. If it turns out that it does not work regardless of what i did i am going to go to radio shack and pick up an accessories socket and glue it to the inside of the box i made so it wont be seen. Turns out that the harness i bought from metra has a power and a ground and it will shut off and turn on as the key is turned. So if it comes down to it i will hook it up to that. Also seeing as my remote on wire wont be connected to anything i hooked that up to the power to the radio as well and piggy backed the EQ remote on from it. I will let you know what happens with the power though, i have it currently hooked up to the cigarette lighter that doesn't work all the time, and it seems to be doing fine.
As far as timurs rom goes, it has everything i want in one rom. It has all the files for backup camera, it has power management, DAC doesnt have any issues, it is a seamless product with all the necessities i needed in one build. One of the reasons i went towards that rom is because of the amount of stuff in one place that i wouldnt have to hunt for!

Its all finished for the time being, i will start adding on the other things later on as i need them.

Im looking for a super super thing auxiliary cable. I litteralt have the space of two quaters. Tried removine all the rubber and folding but still the mettal part is too long

dude this is awesome!!
I wish I knew how to make stuff like this, I own a 04 Mustang and damn it now I wanna have my N7 there lol

BurningCanine said:
Hello all, I am new to this forum. I brought my thread over here because on the forums I post on normally for my car they seem to have 0 interest in the subject. My goal is to receive help from you guys, as well as maybe help any of you out! So to start off with a little history of the car. The car is a 2004 Mustang with non-mach stereo. I Currently have a single din radio and 2 amps (1 for door speakers, other for 2 12" subs), and all upgraded speakers and wiring. I have always wanted a touch screen radio and navigation, so that i did not have to use my phone the whole time while driving. I was looking into pioneers and alpine double dins, but for the features i wanted i couldn't justify spending 1200 bucks. So that left me at the same place i started at. I started browsing tablet installs when i discovered one of the guys i follow on instagram put a Ipad Mini into his dash. This really got me thinking about what i could do, so after about 6 months of juggling the idea, and doing some heavy research about which tablet to use and which Roms were best for in-car installation i found the Nexus 7. And that Triggered this build, which i will regularly update as the build goes on.
So to start off this is the list of stuff that i will need or have acquired, acquired is marked with blue, and will also have the price and total at the end. Items that have unknown prices are ones that i have not decided what to get or cant find what i want.
Need/Have:
- Nexus 7 2013 (32gb) (115.00 - Staples)
- Timurs Rom (28.94 - Donation)
- Clarion EQS746 (54.49 - Amazon)
- Behringer UCA202 USB DAC (29.99 - Amazon)
- 2X DC-DC Converter Module 12V To 5V 3A 15W Double USB Output Power Adapter (11.99 Ebay)
- USB Hub - Powered (unknown)
- Back-Up Camera (16.87 - Ebay)
- Easy Cap (Unknown)
- FM transmitter (Unknown)
- PlexiGlass (21.99 - Lowes)
- RCA Cables (6.99 - Radioshack)
- Right Angle OTG Cable Adapter (4.99 - Amazon)
- OTG Cable with Power (3.99 - Amazon)
- Micro USB to USB (6.98 - Amazon) Need this to connect the right angle to the OTG cable
- Metra 95-5026 Double DIN Installation Kit (9.29 - Amazon) Need this for parts of the mounting method
- Metra 70-5520 Wiring Harness (4.49 - Amazon) This is to connect power
- Hard Snap on Case (4.29 - Amazon) Part of Mounting Method
Total Price: $320.20
This list is for stuff previous to nexus 7 install/as well as some apps for in dash installation:
Hifonics Hfi1000.1d (129.99 - Amazon)
Hifonics ZRX600.4 (93.00 - Amazon)
LI12D4 - Incriminator Audio 12" x 2 (508.00 - Amazon)
Beautiful Widgets Pro (3.63 - Play Store)
Tasker (2.99 - Play Store)
Nova Launcher Prime (4.00 - Play Store)
GMD Auto Hide Pro (2.49 - Play Store)
Total Price: $744.10 - Most of this is tied up up in speakers/amps.
I chose Timurs rom because of the dedicated support forums, and the amount of followers behind the build, This rom allows for fixed installation, which is most likely what ill be doing. It enables OTG so i can hook up a USB hub to it, and have access to back up camera, music storage, and also play audio through the DAC.
As far as mounting method for the tablet will be doing away with the radio completely and putting the tablet in its place like so (Imagine it behind the bezel lol)
For mounting I stumbled upon different ways that people have accomplished and didnt like any of them, most of them stayed out of the bezel, and the ones that were in the bezel were fixed and was not easy to remove.... then i found this build, i loved the idea of having it fixed, but then again easily removable if need be!
Subaru In-Car Install - Mounting
So that is when i started to build this!
It is pretty messy looking right now, but i will be painting it black so that it will blend with the case, and look like it is meant to be their.
I have a bunch of parts coming in the mail this week, that is the only thing that is holding up the In-Car process of the build.
I had a bunch of free time yesterday so i decided to start working on the UI for the tablet. I found a build that someone had done in a BMW that i really liked, and they even posted their PSD file for it. I began Chopping it to meet my own personal needs and build, and came up with this!
On the Tablet side, i just used it as a background and created invisible widgets that were placed onto the "Icon" and directly linked to the corresponding app. After i got all of that worked out, and added some widgets to the screen and removed the navigation bad i decided to work with tasker a little bit. I wanted the device to stimulate when power is off to key, and when power is on to key. So i created two different profiles and added task to each, they are as follows.
Power ON:
Airplane Mode - Disabled
Display Timeout - 23hrs
Display Brightness - 158
Popup - Welcome Back
Media Volume - Level 14 of 15
Bluetooth - ON
GPS - On
Wifi - On
Auto Sync - On
Power OFF:
Popup - Booting into Low Power Mode
Display Timeout - 15s
Wait 10s
Bluetooth - Off
Auto-Sync - Off
Wifi - Off
Music - Stop
Airplane Mode - On
TaskKill - Chrome/Maps/Pandora/Spotify/PowerAmp
Go Home
Some Video Action
I will update this regularly, if you have any questions comments or anything else please post below in fact i encourage it!
Also i am looking for ideas to install a Female input AUX into my Center Console for a factory look into the EQ, anyone know how?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you get the nexus 32 gb for $115??

kbrn said:
dude this is awesome!!
I wish I knew how to make stuff like this, I own a 04 Mustang and damn it now I wanna have my N7 there lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, Wasnt that hard at all. If you want to do the build i can hook you up with all the information and resources to get u where u need to be.
lucky_strike33 said:
How did you get the nexus 32 gb for $115??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Local Staples had them on clearance, had trouble with register taking my card. Manager gave me 15% Discount for my troubles.
UPDATE: System works fine so far, only one little bug that i am working out. GPS and wifi connect and work properly, USB DAC works flawlessly, charger works well. The little bug is that when the tablet comes out of firm sleep the buttons dont seem to work except the back button. Dont know what it is but im looking into it.

Where do I buy Timur for my nexus 2013? I went onto his website but couldn't find the donation or download option?

so i have a somewhat similar install in my e39. I am doing 3.5mm to RCA right now, i want to make the switch over to USB OTG.
What specific parts do I need to make it work??
PS I have a pre-amp RCA input processor that it has to connect to.

Android tablet in your car instead of these head unit

I am really thinking about going this route.
With all the issues surrounding these headunits, why not get an android tablet which will cost about the same or a little more and install it as your head unit. You can then use an amp for the sound.
I mean what can these head unit do that an android tablet cannot do?
The tablet are much brighter, have more power (cpu) and memory.
I already have an android head unit that was made for my car, all I will have to do is remove the screen and attach the android tablet screen to it, et voila.
Your thoughts?
http://www.androidauthority.com/tablet-car-dash-install-631519/

Well,.....
1) power on and off with the ignition switch.
2) relay a bluetooth phone call
3) 4 speakers
4) If I cared enough, I could think of at least a dozen more.
Oh, you think you want to hack those into a tablet? So youre going to end up overwhelming your USB2 OTG port, add a bunch of flaky USB connections, a 16 port usb hub, and then all the software to run it all? Good luck with your "issue free" tablet.
Oh, as for your "brighter, have more power (cpu) and memory." --- uh..... nope.
The video is talking about a Nexus 7. The Nexus 7 2013 had... APQ8064 (a bit weaker than the Intel x3-c3230RK in new head units), 2 GB RAM (the SAME as the new head units), and sorry, but no, the screen brightness of a Nexus 7 is nothing special.
Another thing that will happen with that Nexus 7, is when you're running your GPS NAV program, it will actually DEPLETE the battery, and eventually SHUT DOWN. It will burn more power than the charger supplies.
If you're really interested in the chewing gum and duct tape solution (like the velcro and sticky tape the video site was talking about), then this is for you; http://www.redgreen.com/

doitright said:
*** Mindless *****ing deleted ***
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You are by far the biggest troll I've come across in quite some time. Congratulations :highfive:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

Lol, he sounds very discouraging and negative, doesn't he?
It can be done, but it is going to be challenging for a seemless integration. Every feature of these head unit can be accomplished with a tablet, all the tools are there, and lots of ressources available online.
Nexus 7 is old, I am talking about the newer tablets on the market.
I came across that page and it made me wonder why not. If I go this route, it will probably take me some time, but I am sure at the end I will have a great head unit. These head unit are nothing more than modified tablet made for your car.

I am thinking of the iWork 11 tablet on aliexpress, they will make a perfect candidate, dual boot android or win10, Intel atom 4x core, 4gb/64gb, usb OTG, seperate dc charger so you can use the usb for other things, mini hdmi, etc...
Aliexpress and search for iwork 11.
I am sure you can hack them to make a perfect head unit. I will keep researching on them

Actually, I am. I had the Joying double din and wasn't satisfied. This is the plan.
I bought a Kenwood Mechless Single Din. Fiberglassing a slider kit over the top. Using a Nexus 7 to handle all the content via Bluetooth or USB control.
The plus is I have 6 channels from the single din with a crossover built in, I retained my steering wheel controls and have some extra controls over sound.

with the newer Joying 2GB of RAM Intel units, I dont think a tablet is worth it at this point. with my old MTCD it was pretty laggy, and I was considering it, but at this point, the new Joying is pretty quick, supports microsd card, etc.

checksum123 said:
I am really thinking about going this route.
With all the issues surrounding these headunits, why not get an android tablet which will cost about the same or a little more and install it as your head unit. You can then use an amp for the sound.
I mean what can these head unit do that an android tablet cannot do?
The tablet are much brighter, have more power (cpu) and memory.
I already have an android head unit that was made for my car, all I will have to do is remove the screen and attach the android tablet screen to it, et voila.
Your thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it depends on what you want it to do. Some aspects of a car stereo/GPS unit are harder to duplicate on a tablet installed in a car than others. I really considered it. But, eventually decided against it and went with a Joying head unit. In particular, I couldn't think of a clean way to handle 4 speaker volume fading from the tablet interface. I ended up with a Joying JY-UL135. It's a 1 GB model based on an older processor, and can be a little laggy immediately after boot and if you run some arbitrary apps. The Swiftkey keyboard seemed to really make it lag. But, for the music apps and navigation, it works pretty well. The bulitin MP3 app doesn't seem to handle playlists. It is also Android 5.1.1. But, it was less that $270.
One thing about putting anything Android in the car that needs to be considered, is how you handle your Google account. If you don't have some way to secure the login, or don't want to log in every time you get in the car, a head unit will leave your Google account completely exposed if the unit is stolen or someone else uses your car. Of course, the same thing is possible with you phone or tablet, but for some reason, I'm more concerned with the ability to protect the head unit.
I considered making a new Google account for the head unit that wouldn't compromise my entire world if it were compromised. But, I decided that I just don't leave the head unit logged in to Google. I only log it in to update something from the play store.

if you use Android Device Manager, you should be able to wipe that device if someone steals the headunit. you would have to wait until they connect to wifi, but it is something

CadillacMike said:
if you use Android Device Manager, you should be able to wipe that device if someone steals the headunit. you would have to wait until they connect to wifi, but it is something
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I thought about that. I just decided that for me, leaving it logged out felt the best. I don't use it for email or social media. So, leaving it logged out only impacts play store updates for me so far.
People just need to be aware of it and decide how they want to handle security. Actually, the same goes for phones and tablets. Many people have no security lock on their phones. Phones and tablets don't get left in mall parking lots for hours though.

Well, for those that have followed my indecision around these units lately, I've decided to run the Tablet route for a little while. I hope to continue working on a more permanent install based around an SBC (Inforce 6540), but it's going to take a lot of my time to get up and running .. something I don't have a lot of these days.
I have a Nexus 9 that barely gets used, so I went and bought an inexpensive JVC media headunit that supports bluetooth. I needed something 'mechless' so that I could recess the unit in the dash a bit, and leave room for a nice tablet holder/slot/etc. While I'm gather the rest of the cables (Need some OTG & Charging stuff), I'll just velcro it to the dash. Hopefully within a week or so, I'll have something a little cleaner.
I'll try to take some photos/videos of what I come up with.
BTW. One of the things that was keeping me from going this route was my back up camera. Ended up buying a cheap USB AV-In dongle that I *hope* will work. I've seen some other posts of people doing this successfully.

mwrutherford said:
Yes. I thought about that. I just decided that for me, leaving it logged out felt the best. I don't use it for email or social media. So, leaving it logged out only impacts play store updates for me so far.
People just need to be aware of it and decide how they want to handle security. Actually, the same goes for phones and tablets. Many people have no security lock on their phones. Phones and tablets don't get left in mall parking lots for hours though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well for me I use Google Play Music, so my gmail is tied to that, so it stays logged in

Zaphod-Beeblebrox said:
BTW. One of the things that was keeping me from going this route was my back up camera. Ended up buying a cheap USB AV-In dongle that I *hope* will work. I've seen some other posts of people doing this successfully.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good luck with that. I've got two of those that look identical with EasyCAP printed on them.
One exposes the camera as a USB webcam the other requires a special Windows driver to work at all.
If you have any problems maybe one of those rear view mirrors with a built in camera screen might be another way to go.

leonkernan said:
Good luck with that. I've got two of those that look identical with EasyCAP printed on them.
One exposes the camera as a USB webcam the other requires a special Windows driver to work at all.
If you have any problems maybe one of those rear view mirrors with a built in camera screen might be another way to go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Supposedly this is based on a UVC chipset/driver. I popped the case apart and it seems to have the right chipset as indicated by a few apps I've seen in the store.
Wouldn't be the first time I threw chinese electronics in my trash can

Actually the best bet would be to seperate hardware into two parts. Monitor and CPU.
If you would find a good capacitive 4k monitor you could make a permant install and run windows or android mini pc or whatever os you want.
I bought Pipo X9 dual os tablet for some reason. If the hardware survive I think there wont be any problem when compared to head units/
to me headunits are expensive right now and their screens outdated(there are 4k retina tablets at 150 usd )

I second what you just said, these head unit are so outdated and far behind what is out there right now. Joying just came out with a 2gb/32gb head with an Intel cpu and running 5.1.1. Looks like they are moving in the right direction, but still far behind.
Now you can get an octacore tablet with 3gb/32gb with a high resolution amoled display for around $300 running the latest android. Full integration in your car will not be easy, but it can be done and will take some time to figure everything out, the options are endless if you go this route. Music, bluetooth, backup camera, steering wheel control, radio, etc... all can be integrated within a tablet, but you will have additional components added and you will need to figure out how to put all that together. I have seen many successful android tablet built over at mp3car.
I am really thinking going this route, I just need to figure out how to build a bezel that will fit nicely in my car. And the best part, you will have a lot of fun building everything from scratch and the joy when everything works, you will get a big kick out of it.

For those who are so worried about the security of the google account, I am pretty sure that the chance of your phone being stolen or lost is much higher than your car being stolen... I wouldn't worry too much about it, just enable safety features or even use Cerberus, and you'll be fine and you'll be able to wipe the device remotely. Another thing is that it's very easy to disable the login from a device in your account settings. Just use 2-step verification, and you're good.

checksum123 said:
I second what you just said, these head unit are so outdated and far behind what is out there right now. Joying just came out with a 2gb/32gb head with an Intel cpu and running 5.1.1. Looks like they are moving in the right direction, but still far behind.
Now you can get an octacore tablet with 3gb/32gb with a high resolution amoled display for around $300 running the latest android. Full integration in your car will not be easy, but it can be done and will take some time to figure everything out, the options are endless if you go this route. Music, bluetooth, backup camera, steering wheel control, radio, etc... all can be integrated within a tablet, but you will have additional components added and you will need to figure out how to put all that together. I have seen many successful android tablet built over at mp3car.
I am really thinking going this route, I just need to figure out how to build a bezel that will fit nicely in my car. And the best part, you will have a lot of fun building everything from scratch and the joy when everything works, you will get a big kick out of it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bezels are sold seperately. You may buy and modify it to your neeeds.
There is no bezel for my car and I am modelling my bezel in 3d max right now and i am planning to use friends 3d printer
The below lcd housing is what i did in the past. Its hand made from carbon fiber.
http://smg.photobucket.com/user/cucuman/media/technics/DSC_4171.jpg.html

Nice,
I will look into 3d printing, since I am not very good at fabrication. My radio opening is big enough to accommodate a 10 inch screen. I want to go either 8 inch or 10.5. Right now I have a 10.2 inch android head unit in there.

My experience so far
Hi guys,
I've made a permanant headunit install with a LG G pad 7.0 since a bit less than a year now so i wanted to share my experience with you. And so far it's quiet good!
I've managed to install the tablet in the place of my old 2DIN radio (with minimal cuttings) then wired it to an amplifier for the sound. I then installed a bunch off apps to have everything needed ( Headunit launcher, GPS apps, Music player, shortcuts ...). And finally, i had to automate a few things for when i jump in and out of the car like swithcing the music or the screen. For this i used the app called "AutoMate"
But i also experienced a few problems and limitations that you should consider :
The first thing is that in summer the tablet can overheat if you are parked in the sun (especially in my black car). So try to keep the tablet easily removable in this case.
The second issue may be related only to my tablet but i'm still seeking for solution. (maybe somone will have an idea here ???) When i'm playing sound throught the jack of the tablet to the amplifier, everything is fine. But if the sound stops (if i pause the music for exemple) after 5 seconds, the audio driver of the tablet goes into some kind of "standby mode". I suspect this standby mode to somhow disconect the audio line witch leads to a massive intrusion of interferences in the audio line. I found a little patch for this problem by having a script that plays a mp3 with no sound when i don't play music. but it creats more problems than it fixes....
The last problem (or more limitation) i'm having now is the single USB OTG port of the tablet. It is already used for charging so it's apparently not possible to plug a hub or something like that to expand it's capacities (USB keys or steering wheel controls for exemple).
But other than that it's all working fine and it's really great to have built this for a fraction of the cost of an normal head unit! ( less than 150€! )
I'll try to stay tuned on this thread if i can give you more infos!