Droid X dedicated car touch screen - Droid X General

Im looking to fully set up my old Droid X phone as a dedicated car interface, for the usual, music, gps, car cam.
I do not plan to use the dock, as i dont plan to spend any additional money on this project, I just want to re-purpose my old droid. I used the base of an old Eye toy (ps3 cam) and put some holes in the battery cover of my droid, then used small screws to mount to base (has swivel and can adjust up and down). Works great (can screw to dash when I need to or glue). I can easy of course unscrew it and use it with normal dock if I get one, but it works good so far.
Im currently using an older version of liquidsmooth, which i removed many of the apps I dont need, and added some I wanted (offline maps, car dock app). I also set it up to wake on power, and to keep screen on while charging. When it stops charging (i turn vehicle off) the screen turns off and after 5 secs it enters sleep mode.
I was wondering which rom you would choose to use for such a project and what you would do to save on power.
Also any suggestions for apps (offline only) would be good. Ill post some pics soon.

Related

OKAY, What's the BEST HORIZONTAL SURFACE INSTALLABLE HANDS-OFF CAR KIT on the market?

First, for those people responding - only please post replies having to do with the below four requirements, it would make it a much easier read for everyone involved, thanks. I am going nuts looking and cannot find a unit meeting the 4 below requirements. I have been looking for a long, long time. I am willing to do some extra installation work to get this done properly. If I cannot get an answer here there is probably no hope so I may then defenestrate! Requirements:
1. SMALL holder that can attach to a HORIZONTAL surface (not a huge geeky looking contraption with huge arms or snaking bendable supports, no huge sand-filled weights - minimal size - also power supply not on the holder which makes it bulky)
2. Allows the Kaiser to be switched between landscape/portrait position
3. Allows the Kaiser to be held with the keyboard open if preferred
4. Full functionality for auto-charging, interrupting radio speakers when turn by turn directions are spoken by GPS on the unit (extra wires and transformer kit to be hidden for installation - AND NO USE OF CIGARETTE LIGHTER!). Power supply for charging the unit must be OFF when car is not in use, so as not to wear out car battery (I would assume that is just an installation preference).
Anybody have any ideas?
KruseLudsMobile said:
First, for those people responding - only please post replies having to do with the below four requirements, it would make it a much easier read for everyone involved, thanks. I am going nuts looking and cannot find a unit meeting the 4 below requirements. I have been looking for a long, long time. I am willing to do some extra installation work to get this done properly. If I cannot get an answer here there is probably no hope so I may then defenestrate! Requirements:
1. SMALL holder that can attach to a HORIZONTAL surface (not a huge geeky looking contraption with huge arms or snaking bendable supports, no huge sand-filled weights - minimal size - also power supply not on the holder which makes it bulky)
2. Allows the Kaiser to be switched between landscape/portrait position
3. Allows the Kaiser to be held with the keyboard open if preferred
4. Full functionality for auto-charging, interrupting radio speakers when turn by turn directions are spoken by GPS on the unit (extra wires and transformer kit to be hidden for installation - AND NO USE OF CIGARETTE LIGHTER!). Power supply for charging the unit must be OFF when car is not in use, so as not to wear out car battery (I would assume that is just an installation preference).
Anybody have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is there something about the Proclip holder that doesn't meet those criteria? The only thing I can find is connectivity to the stereo. For me, I redirect the GPS audio to my Bluetooth headset where I can hear it better anyway.
Yeah, Proclips is your best bet. There's nothing that does all that out-of-box on the market right now. If you want to hook it up directly into your stereo system, then of course you're going to have to do that yourself. Or use bluetooth.
I guess there is nothing on the market
The solutions from Proclip that you suggest have no way of mounting the unit on a flat horizontal surface without damaging the car - I guess I would have to use one or two of these:
http://www.proclipusa.com/?sectionp...egoryid=&p_year=&p_countryid=0&p_leftorright=
from proclips to mount the holder (have to drill holes on the mounting surface).
Since the Tilt will work with the soon to be released higher capacity Micro SD cards (now only 8GB available but the tilt would be able to handle up to 32GB - when available) it would be nice to add the audio (music) as an automatically overriding input for the car's audio as well, for that I will have to use the hack mentioned here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=339263
for replacing the plug on the unit with one that includes the audio out...
I will post pics once I figure out what direction I want to go with this...

DEV Request

I have a request if someone could make such a program (or point me to one that already exists)
I "think" what I want is pretty simple (I hope)
all I want is a black on white or white on black (toggleable day/night automatically) landscape
so daytime would be MAX screen brightness white with black letters. night time would be minimum screen brightness black with white letters (all on its own use approximate night/day times or use light sensor if available)
I would like live lat and long coords and my speed and direction of travel. (from gps not compass)
large letters fill the screen.
No internet (phone won't even be active) and one last thing.
when external power applied turn on and stay on (auto load on boot if phone off) it should run as service and keep itself running restarting if its not running.
when external power is removed put phone to deepest sleep state.
So you have context here is why I wish for this.
I run a "dash cam" its fun I like camera's and I get some "neat stuff" every now and then.
I really like the new ones that embed lat long and speed right in the video with the time and date.
alas the prices goes from $74 to $125 for a nice high def unit to over $300 if you want that last feature ouch.
so I got to thinking. what if I placed a droid phone on my dash so the camera could "SEE" it (its 720p and the new one will be 1080p so it will be readable)
the trick is making it transparent in use. IE automatic.
turn on when I start the car turn off when I stop the car (engine off ie no power) to preserve battery. most droids screen off with no radio's active can go several days between charges)
any chance this is something that could be made pretty easily? or maybe already exists?

[Q] Car Dock - losing call functionality

I recently got the courage to unlock and root, but I feel like a bull in a china closet. I just breaking things and fixing them! I really feel like a dumb animal, but I keep reading and learning. So far, I've been able to fix or reflash until this post.
My issue is my when placing phone into car dock, I can't hear a call afterwards. It doesn't matter if I leave the phone in or take it out, I can call out, but the person I"m calling can't hear me. The only cure is a reboot, in which calling can resume until I enter the car dock.
A little background, I have flashed several ROM's over the past several days and I'm not sure where it started. PacMan, DeadCalm, etc. Now I'm using 4.2 RootBox. During my flashing spree, I did have almost the same issue, but minus the car dock. I think it was with PacMan, after every call I would lose the ability to hear or talk on the next call until a reboot. Again, now is good, except for when I use the car dock.
I also flashed Arrghs, 19 kernel with DeadCalm to fix the known screen proximity issue and borked my phone. I got a bootloop I couldn't get out of and had to use recovery.
Does this make any sense? Before every flash, I'm wiping numerous times. Any help would be appreciated!
I use no-op dock.
As to custom rom that WORK a 100% I can't find any.
My daily driver is a mildly moded Telstra stock rom.
See link below. Go to the OPs Russian site & they have a poll of popular roms. I linked to their site in same thread.
You aren't doing anything wrong as far as the "audio loss" part is concerned when using the car dock. You're using the official Motorola car dock, and the ROM developers for this phone either don't own the dock or have no interest in fixing it (nothing against them, it's extremely proprietary). The audio is just redirected and doesn't come back without a reboot.
The reason the audio is redirected is that Motorola designed it to work with their also proprietary audio/charging cable, which splits a usb charging port and audio jack out so you don't have to plug an aux cable directly into your phone when you want to hear it on your car stereo. Catch is, this never caught on, because they didn't include this splitter cable with most of the docks they sold.
The dock has a chip in it (and a crap ton of small circuitry) that tells the phone not only what dock it's on, but integrates tightly with the smart actions included by default on the phone. The custom roms are made for standard docks, or custom solutions using the resistor value tricks that Samsung is famous for. It's unlikely that we'll see more support for this type of dock system unless the new Moto X uses the EXACT same system.
To bypass this issue for me, I disassembled the car mount and removed the offending circuit board, then soldered on this breakout board (http://www.jayconsystems.com/usb-mini-breakout-board-556.html) and finagled it in there (carefully) using some of that epoxy steel stuff you see in auto parts stores. This simply made the car mount what it already appears to be: a pure pass-through. You cannot get around this issue without either disconnecting the internal circuit, removing the usb jack portion from the mount altogether, or reprogramming the offending part of the ROM you want to use (because I don't think anyone's working on it yet).
Btw, if you spend $10 or more you get free shipping, so why not throw in the OTG cable (among other random things) if you don't have one: http://www.jayconsystems.com/usb-otg-cable-female-a-to-micro-a-5.html
Donowolf said:
You aren't doing anything wrong as far as the "audio loss" part is concerned when using the car dock. You're using the official Motorola car dock, and the ROM developers for this phone either don't own the dock or have no interest in fixing it (nothing against them, it's extremely proprietary). The audio is just redirected and doesn't come back without a reboot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, good reply. I didn't know about the chip inside of the dock, but it makes sense since when I enter the phone into the dock it automatically goes into Car Mode.
I tried the No-Op app from the Play Store that Avi mentioned (thank you too), but car mode still started when I used the dock and of course I lost audio.
Stinks, I really like the OEM car dock. I'm in sales and rely on the GPS a lot for work. I always put the phone right into the dock as soon as I get into the car which is numerous times throughout a normal day. So no ROM's have working audio with Motorola dock? I guess I get rid of the dock or go back to stock.
perkinscl said:
Wow, good reply. I didn't know about the chip inside of the dock, but it makes sense since when I enter the phone into the dock it automatically goes into Car Mode.
I tried the No-Op app from the Play Store that Avi mentioned (thank you too), but car mode still started when I used the dock and of course I lost audio.
Stinks, I really like the OEM car dock. I'm in sales and rely on the GPS a lot for work. I always put the phone right into the dock as soon as I get into the car which is numerous times throughout a normal day. So no ROM's have working audio with Motorola dock? I guess I get rid of the dock or go back to stock.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem (obviously). I have not done this yet but was thinking I would set up a Tasker task to reboot the phone as soon as it is disconnected from the dock. This phone reboots so quickly (on PAC at least) that I don't think it should interfere with much. I have just been too lazy to set it up
styndall said:
I have the same problem (obviously). I have not done this yet but was thinking I would set up a Tasker task to reboot the phone as soon as it is disconnected from the dock. This phone reboots so quickly (on PAC at least) that I don't think it should interfere with much. I have just been too lazy to set it up
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I ended up going back to stock (almost - Deodexed 98.16.3 Base) All good so far. I had one hiccup and couldn't hear during a call, but that was only once and everything has been peachy since. Just no cool custom ROM goodies...:victory:

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.

Atoto A6, my thoughts / review

Mirrored from my Amazon review on this unit:
Here are all of the pieces we purchased with the A62721PB 2G/32G, in order to install in our 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 truck. Install is still not complete, but I'll get to that in a bit.
(associate links removed for spam filter)
As you can see, its an ordeal to install this unit. Even the manufacturer doesn't seem to understand the vehicles it will be installed in, in our case, a 06 Ram 1500. Standard Chrysler wiring (would be the same for almost any 06 Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep... etc) telling me to tap into the -5v canbus wiring as the accessory switch. To properly install this in those vehicles, you need a CanBus adapter, which will give you the ability to turn to ACC and run the unit, and allow it to dim with the interior lighting. Neither of those are done in a 12v switched wire in these vehicles. Oh, and you will need an antenna adapter too... both of these I have yet to buy . If you have more than basic radio functions in your vehicle, you need a better install kit. Basic wiring wont cut it to do the job right.
As it is, I used a tap to the ignition switch (+12v) to turn the unit on until I have a few bucks to pick up a proper install. So think of all of that when buying. To get all the functions, you need more parts, so a $300 radio turns into a $500 radio quick.
OK.. Use. Most of my use is with Google Maps, Amazon Music (offline) or the backup cam. Getting those or any software setup with large downloads was a pain, as this unit shuts off the wifi with the key, so no updates while you sleep, and no way to turn that functionality on. Unless you leave your keys in the vehicle (not the best choice). And with the sub-par performance of the wifi in this unit, its going to take a while. I can see my home wifi all over my property with our phones. The truck only seems to see my neighbor's connection. The antenna is mounted under the black part of the windshield trim, just out of view. In fact, the only good reception I've gotten is with a portable hotspot in the truck. The A6 also cannot seem to see our 5gHz channels. These seem to be built to the same standards as generic 2010 tablets.
The built in pairing is useless. It just shares the screen image with the head unit. No controls, no passthrough... just video. If I wanted to use my phone I would have stuck to the ram mount. PDA-Net is the only way I've been able to connect, as my phone plan doesn't include wifi hotspot.
Speaking of phone hookup and this unity, you can share data (like PDA. net) or use fast charge. not both? And those USB leads really should come with some sort of bracket and template for in-dash installation. We plan on making these, but really, it would be a lot nicer to have it come with. Right now, they just fall out of the bottom of the dash like an afterthought.
Additionally, we negated to install the microphone. Most times people can hear you fine. If not, you have to re-boot the system. You also have to reboot when it wont pause music when a call comes in, or lower sound when the rear camera activates.
-Side note about that pause... most sub $30 bluetooth adapters resume your media when you start the vehicle back up. not this one.. you got to hush the FM software, navigate back to your music (Amazon music in our case) and then hit play. Since there is no play button on the factory remote, its a real pain in the backside. Not well thought out Atoto. -
Reverse cam is basic, we bought the matching ATOTO one and the quality is garbage. Looking for a better unit now. Nice that it just lowers the music while backing up, and doesn't cut out though.
I haven't tried to install a better home screen or layout in this unit. It would help to have a bit more open framework. The colors and designs are bland and garish at the same time (congrats on that hot mess Atoto) with no support for changing them.
The best looking interface and use so far has been Torque, which we have the pro version of, and has been useful to see a few tuning parameters as well as info for towing. We bought a generic ODB2 dongle and it works fine. The downside is the built in browser for looking up a trouble code that came from blowing out our dash lighting during install (dumb grounding mistake, should have known better and pulled the battery leads. ) No support for acceleration sensors though, seems the A6 does not have them. So if you want this for your autocross car, maybe skip it and just use a used Samsung Tab or something.
Im going to look into re-flashing the headunit after we button up the install with a better ROM, better apps, and hope I can find a good dashcam utility that works for this. CarWebGuru works at first, but then on re-boot will disable all sound, cameras, and the remote if left as the launcher. If not, it still works, but is kindof redundant.
overall, its a project. Take a full day to get it all installed, maybe longer to dial it in right.
Overall, so far, we spent a total of $368.17, and will be spending at least another $80 on this unit. I guess that is the name of the game when you want to do things right, and not spend $800+ on a turnkey system.
I also discovered that Prey security will install, but not open on this unit. Thought it would be nice to have a bit of additional theft protection int eh truck and the ability to track it if it did get stolen.
. I recently bought the a6 and had to learn the hard way also. I'm installing in a 13 Dodge Durango.
Majority of the extra cost would come with any new aftermarket unit since newer vehicles need to communicate with the can us system. I went in also thinking I could buy the cheap harness and be good to go. Majority of the Chinese headunits are made for international vehicles. . Most are plug and play.
I got on lightning deal for $200 and so far about $100 in parts. But I expect this with any aftermarket radio I install. Days of cheap harness and dash kit are over.
But anything is worth the cost vs my stock radio.
Just like any Chinese product(coming from Android TV boxes) they take a lot of tinkering but that comes with the cheap price. I plan on 8nstalling one of the car launchers and replacing every non essetnial app.
Power amp or gmmp for music. So with my limited testing, I've had a good experience. I'm within 20ft of my router at home so speeds been great. Bluetooth has been Rock solid also with media.
Will post more on Sunday when I complete the install.
Right on. I didnt have the cash to buy one from some place thats worked out more bugs. I have industry friends that sell a unit that retails at $800, adn I could get it wholesale, but thats still a chunk more cash than I had.
Got my wifi a bit better sorted this afternoon by putting a repeater out in my little tool shed, and finally have 75% of the tomtomgo USA map downloaded. This unit nor that app are good at downloading. I also noticed something about Car Web Guru on startup... if the factory launcher does not have default access, not only will certain things stop working (cameras, sound, USB), but it screws with the clock, which then throws off other apps that use the clock as part of any sort of key. Amazon does this with offline music, which I have a lot of on here.
TeamADW said:
Right on. I didnt have the cash to buy one from some place thats worked out more bugs. I have industry friends that sell a unit that retails at $800, adn I could get it wholesale, but thats still a chunk more cash than I had.
Got my wifi a bit better sorted this afternoon by putting a repeater out in my little tool shed, and finally have 75% of the tomtomgo USA map downloaded. This unit nor that app are good at downloading. I also noticed something about Car Web Guru on startup... if the factory launcher does not have default access, not only will certain things stop working (cameras, sound, USB), but it screws with the clock, which then throws off other apps that use the clock as part of any sort of key. Amazon does this with offline music, which I have a lot of on here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't believe these stereos are any different from one another. I've read about changing launchers breaking things. Luckily I believe there is a fix out there.
Probably try emailing them for possible fix..
I still need the steering wheel module but thats something I'll do in future upgrade
intruda119 said:
I don't believe these stereos are any different from one another. I've read about changing launchers breaking things. Luckily I believe there is a fix out there.
Probably try emailing them for possible fix..
I still need the steering wheel module but thats something I'll do in future upgrade
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have emailed them, but the language barrier is strong here. Talked about changing the launcher, and they told me it is not possible, but I am willing to try more now that I have a few more tools at hand.
Just curious, if your vehicle doesn't have a 12v acc, is there a 12v power outlet /cig lighter (or anything else) that is controlled by the key. You could use any 12v that is controlled by the key and tie it the unit acc.
stabone00 said:
Just curious, if your vehicle doesn't have a 12v acc, is there a 12v power outlet /cig lighter (or anything else) that is controlled by the key. You could use any 12v that is controlled by the key and tie it the unit acc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What vehicle do you have?
If nothing is there under the radio dash, you can tap into the fuse box.
Wont work. 12v+ ACC is controlled by the bus. With the key off, the cigar lighter ports are still charged with 8-10v, which the unit sees as an on trigger.
In order to get around this, you need a canbus controller, which is available from a few companies.
intruda119 said:
What vehicle do you have?
If nothing is there under the radio dash, you can tap into the fuse box.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree, fuse box would be your best bet. Aside from just the key switch, you could probably find a delayed off or open door off. If not, you just need to find a circuit activated by the key, could be any voltage made or ground made. Relays are cheap.
stabone00 said:
I agree, fuse box would be your best bet. Aside from just the key switch, you could probably find a delayed off or open door off. If not, you just need to find a circuit activated by the key, could be any voltage made or ground made. Relays are cheap.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah need to know what type of vehicle it is.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Any body get Waze working?
Unit can't find position/gps
Why would I do that in this truck with a relay and aux fuse panel, when I can control th dimming and ACC on via the canbus and an appropriate interface? Ive dealt with a lot of vehicle electronics (its part of my job) and going around a proven modern system with a bunch of jankey wiring just looks bad, especially in this case where it isnt needed.
In our Jeep Cherokee, maybe, but that also has things liek additional trailer wiring and radio equipment going in, as well as separate harnesses for the lighting to overcome stock deficiencies, but the Ram is pretty solid. Atoto says they have a built in canbus interface coming, just not there yet.
TeamADW said:
Why would I do that in this truck with a relay and aux fuse panel, when I can control th dimming and ACC on via the canbus and an appropriate interface? Ive dealt with a lot of vehicle electronics (its part of my job) and going around a proven modern system with a bunch of jankey wiring just looks bad, especially in this case where it isnt needed.
In our Jeep Cherokee, maybe, but that also has things liek additional trailer wiring and radio equipment going in, as well as separate harnesses for the lighting to overcome stock deficiencies, but the Ram is pretty solid. Atoto says they have a built in canbus interface coming, just not there yet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah why would you do that?
Our last few post was towards the guy asking about it. We can only assume he has an older vehicle.
intruda119 said:
Yeah why would you do that?
Our last few post was towards the guy asking about it. We can only assume he has an older vehicle.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, my bad. Yeah, if you have an older vehicle, you could do a relay setup for ACC, but normally thats just a stop on the key, at least back to the 70s.
My thoughts.
Built in amp is 10x better than the stock one.
Very little lag when operating the unit. Lags a bit when streaming and downloading at same time.
Plays all types of media.
Screen is great. Easily used with sunlight shining through(sun roof)
Dims at night time correctly.
2sec boot is amazing.
Presistent app permissions notification drives me nuts.
App installs take forever(download is fast as the connection)
3ven thought 99% of time I'm listening to Google play or off HDD would be nice to limit volume when turning on car when fm radio auto starts.
Everything outside of my noobnesw and lots of user error has been plug and play. What's taking me 2 weeks so far would probably take experienced person 1hr or less.
I took apart the unit and can't understand why these units are bigger than name brand headunits. There is nothing in them but space.
Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
The screen is very nice. Boot time is more like time to pop the screen on, like when you hit the power button on your phone after its been in your pocket on standy. The real boot time takes forever (why is this microwave so slow!!!!1)
Mine keeps having issues with SD cards. have had it randomly say its corrupted, pull it out, reinsert, and all good. Just odd I think . And I finally found a good GPS app for this one, since it has enough space, the TomTom app is perfect. At least for my uses, even with having to pay for a month when using it for longer distances.
My biggest issue other than the few mentioned already in this thread, is the lack of speaker settings. There isn't enough options for speaker fine tuning, and as a result I can't get my speakers to sound good at all without massive distortion and clipping. Anyone know if there's a solution for this?
XDApurp said:
My biggest issue other than the few mentioned already in this thread, is the lack of speaker settings. There isn't enough options for speaker fine tuning, and as a result I can't get my speakers to sound good at all without massive distortion and clipping. Anyone know if there's a solution for this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best I can think of would be through a different amplifier than the built in one. Best luck I have had is with the "natural" setting. Its all software based, I found that it stops working and needs rebooted to get the profile back. Im betting thats a driver issue, and one we wont see updated in the A6.
You guys do know the trick about hitting BACK when the FM tuner comes up, then selecting the Atoto AUX and hitting HOME (leaving it in memory) to prevent the auto-start of FM and getting blasted out of the cab, right?
With the AUX trick, CarWebGuru (or other launchers) will autostart just fine. Every now and then (especially after a long power-off, like a day or two) you might have to repeat the trick, and more often, you'll need to manually start AUX if things like steering wheel controls or the Atoto equalizer isn't working after a restart (Aux or FM will force a restart of the MCU hardware).

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