club.liberty.asn.au

So I decided I liked the idea of the Nexus 7 in dash, but I am not that keen to splurge the $500 on plastic parts from Japan in the form of the facia kit and info display relocation kit, so I came up with a bit of an alternative. For 2 reasons. One being the cost of the parts the other being the fact that I actually still like using my tablet and didn't want it dedicated to the car
Things that I have in my possession or have ordered
1 x Nexus 7 2013 (WiFi) Purchased Timur's Kernel for power management. I had a 2012 with 3G but the usb was cooked so I couldn't root it. NZ$122 (Second hand off Trademe)
1 x 12v DC to 5v DC converter 4 port USB power (5A total)http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/321530483883
1 x OTG Y Cable http://www.ebay.com/itm/251620434151 I like the 90 degree connector
1 x Hard case for the Tablet http://www.dx.com/p/protective-abs-back-case-for-google-nexus-7-ii-black-247238
1 x Video Grabber for reversing camera http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Factory-price-EasyCAP-USB2-0-Video-Adapter-with-Audio-1channel-and-2-chips-STK1160-GM7113-High/1760001577.html
1 x Reversing camera http://www.dx.com/p/wired-170-degrees-waterproof-car-rearview-camera-for-subaru-forester-outback-impreza-legacy-194056#.VblRB_lhKBp I will replace this at some point because the resolution is crap

Things already in the car
1 x Anycarlink that connects to my phone for bluetooth
1x Belkin Bluetooth receiver pluged into the aux port on the Anycarlink

The big question was how to mount the thing. I looked the magnetic holders and tablet window mounts and all sorts of stuff like that but didn't really like the look of those. I wanted something that looked a bit more integrated. So I have chosen...... A block of wood.
Here it is my high tech dash mount in it's raw state.

I cut this from a normal bit of bearer and it slots perfectly into the dash cubby with the lid open. Nice and snug


Next I attached the case to the wood using screws and then I put the tablet into the case and slid it into the slot. Hey presto.


It is still a work in progress. The case I am using at the moment is still from the 2012 Nexus tablet so it doesn't fit properly. I have painted the wood black too so it looks a bit better.
Once I am happy with the fit and the angles I may shrink wrap it in some black plastic to make it look more .... well ... plastic.

The next thing is going to be to use a router to mill out a path for the cables and get the power supply in there too. I'll update the post when I make some progress on this. For now it seems to work quite nicely.

Phone connected to Anycarlink for phone calls audio
Tablet connected to Belkin unit for Music
Tablet talk installed so I can answer calls from the tablet directly.

Just some daytime pics
The great thing with this is I can change the angle and height of the thing by cutting the wood and by moving the case up the block so that I can work out the perfect fit.
It's definitly nice having it angled towards me.


Yes it's crude, but this is just the test fit until the new case arrives.

lol, it's a little ghetto, but it surprisingly looks good and is well and truly a budget install. Gets my thumbs up!

HyRax wrote:lol, it's a little ghetto, but it surprisingly looks good and is well and truly a budget install. Gets my thumbs up!

Ghetto is about right. All measurements were taken with my fingers and cut with a hand saw. But yet it fits perfectly.
It will look better once the new case comes in and I get the height right. Once it's done it should look like it belongs in there.

Just needs something to hide that its wood and it would look alright. Maybe even just wrapped in the carpet type stuff you get on subwoofers.

andy_mac wrote:Just needs something to hide that its wood and it would look alright. Maybe even just wrapped in the carpet type stuff you get on subwoofers.

Once I'm happy with the block I will sand it smooth and spray it matte Black. It should look like Black plastic then.

So my install is nearing completion now.
I have a fitting case for the tablet so it looks a bit more like it fits
I have fitted a STK1160 based video grabber and hooked the reverse camera into that using a relay to activate the device (works well with Timur's kernel)
I have fitted a hub so I can attach more usb devices.
There is now a matte screen protector on the device so that it doesn't fingerprint so much. This also cuts out pretty much all glare.
and I have a OBD2 right angle ribbon cable on order with a switch on it so I can connect my Tactrix cable into the mix and run BTSSM to log and run live gauges.
I am using an app called Giganticon to make giant icons for the main apps. These work really well
I'll get some pics of the back end stuff when I get around to it. I did the install in the dark with a head torch, so pictures didn't really happen.

Here it is in it's off state

Boot splash screen

And just the home screen with the most used apps

Nice work on a budget!

Jiyujin wrote:Nice work on a budget!

Thanks
Did you ever get those Ohlins fitted to your car?

Good work!

HyRax wrote:Good work!

Thanks
Just to confirm that Easycap off Aliexpress works. I have it hooked up with a relay to turn it on when I put the car in reverse.
Now I just need a new camera because the one I have has terrible resolution. I never noticed it on the mirror screen because the screen was so small.

McDoof wrote:

Jiyujin wrote:Nice work on a budget!

Thanks
Did you ever get those Ohlins fitted to your car?

Yes Nick! They have been on the car for the last few months. I dropped them 25mm, they handle and sit nicely on the road however I do feel most of the little bumps now.
Looking to do a tablet install next but my facia is a little larger so may look at the Galaxy Tab 3.

wow, that's an interesting installation there Nikolai. Budget approved but effective and I guess that is all that matters.

shav wrote:wow, that's an interesting installation there Nikolai. Budget approved but effective and I guess that is all that matters.

Yea, the full install including the tablet itself cost me less than $200 and I get to keep the use of my tablet too.

I've just used the shopping list in the 1st post, and am waiting on delivery of said parts.
I left off the camera from my order. I may pony up the dough and buy a butterfly camera locally due to the apparent lack of quality as described by McDoof. I checked one out at Autobarn this arvo and am looking around the $70 mark for a Street Guardian branded unit. It's tiny.

I am planning on going even more ghetto on the install though.
I was going to use some strips of velcro and hard mount it to the front door of the cubby.
However, once I get the setup working the way I want it to, I will eventually invest in the sat nav facia and do the proper, neat, factory looking install...

Thanks again for the shopping list.