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thermalconductor · 09-13-2008, 02:44 PM

Greetings fellow Scion enthusiasts...

I recently completed a several-month long project on my 2008 Scion XB.

I installed a carputer along with a dash-mounted monitor on a swing-arm. Swing arm, you say? Yes, that's right. Check out the video links below to see not only the construction and installation, but the carputer in action.

NOTE: A word of warning: I like hard rock music, so I scored the videos to this type of music. If such music offends you, turn down the volume on your speakers.

Carputer Construction and Installation
Carputer In Action

Many hours of research and work time have been dedicated to this project, so I am quite thrilled with the end result. I am open to any comments, compliments or criticisms. Post them here and I will respond ASAP.

***phocis850*** · 09-13-2008, 04:10 PM

Very very cool. Have you thought about tucking the wireless adapter inside the trim panel?

I'm looking to mount a 15" screen in mine. I'm currently rocking a custom built laptop stand for my work Smile

Johnboy3779 · 09-13-2008, 10:10 PM

Very nice. Only thing I noticed is that arm really sticks out like a sore thumb. I would try to paint it or something.

thermalconductor · 09-14-2008, 05:11 PM

phocis850 Wrote:Very very cool. Have you thought about tucking the wireless adapter inside the trim panel?

I'm looking to mount a 15" screen in mine. I'm currently rocking a custom built laptop stand for my work

Thanks for the compliment. I have thought about hiding the wiring for the wireless, but for the moment I am trying to gauge what location inside the car gives the best radio reception/transmission. This was the first location that looked feasible.

Turns out that my mounting job pretty much sucked. It was being held by "industrial strength" VELCRO. So much for industrial strength -- all it took was an afternoon of extreme heat inside the car for the glue to fail. It appears that the heat made the glue so ineffective that the Wifi adapter just slid right off, leaving both pieces of velcro still attached to the pillar. Ultimately I would like to transform the stock [external] radio antenna into a WiFi reception antenna, but that's another project for another time.

Best of luck with your 15" monitor. Please, post some pics. I'd love to see how a larger screen looks. I admit that my 8.4" Xenarc can be a bit hard to read at times, but I manage.

thermalconductor · 09-14-2008, 05:17 PM

Johnboy3779 Wrote:Very nice. Only thing I noticed is that arm really sticks out like a sore thumb. I would try to paint it or something.

I totally agree -- it does stick out. I do plan on painting it in either a satin or flat black, that way it will blend in more. All in all, when you are sitting in the car looking at it, it really isn't that bad. But I do agree, it sort of removes a bit of that "stealth" appearance that we all want.

I seriously considered one of those in-dash PC's with a motorized screen that pops out with a push of a button, but in all the research I had done I found that many were dissatisfied with either the brightness of screen, or with the overall quality. With my setup, I have tons of flexibility, including having the ability to remove the computer at will. I planned it this way so I could upgrade or make changes to the computer with ease.