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.