cockpit mods, computers, radios and more

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Joined
Feb 26, 2004
Threads
116
Messages
1,282
Location
Oregon
Website
www.brian894x4.com
I've made a few changes since I last posted any pictures of my interior mods. Thought some might be interested. Any comments are welcome and if you want to post your own interior mods to this thread, I have no problem with that at all.

The biggest change is the computer system. I always used a laptop computer, hooked up to a GPS for mapping, since I used USGS based maps for our historical research and site explorations. The USGS maps are the most accurate maps, show lots of sites and the GPS allows me to use it as a real time mapping system.

For years, I just used a laptop mounted on some sort of mount up front. Both in my old Toyota pick up and in the Land Cruiser. The last laptop I used was an IBM Thinkpad X31. Awesome bulletproof computer that has survived pure hell for years. In the latest iteration, I relocated the laptop to a locked container in the middle rear compartment and ran a touchscreen mini-monitor up front. This reduced having a huge laptop in my face all the time and somewhat reduced the ability for it to be stolen, when parked and exploring on foot, but was still a pain to have to remove and reinstall the laptop everytime I went anywhere, so I started to look at other options. Specifically for a permanantly installed computer. I was really surprised at how expensive the ready made car pcs were. Far more than I wanted to spend for a dedicated computer that didn't need that much computer power and would only be used in my Land Cruiser. Then I ran into something completely unexpected.

An Asus Eeebox B202. Basically a desktop version of one of those cheap Asus laptops you see all the time. Because it was a slightly older model, I got it for less than a couple of bills and it was still brand new. It was worth at least testing, but I thought, first of all, even if I get it to power off of DC somehow, it's not going to have any computing power, much less hold up to the harsh environment of my truck. How wrong I was. At least so far.

It's not quad-core PC with 6 gigs of ram, but the specs are actually slightly better than my IBM X31 and it will power what I need it to do no problem at all. And it's much smaller, uses far less energy and is generally an awesome alternative to a laptop. Here's some specs. Mine is the B202... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asus_Eee_Box


Photo 1

shows the overall view of the cockpit with the Xenarc 800TVS touchscreen monitor and a seperate mini keyboard up front. Both of these peripherals are easily removed and are just clamped down using Ram mounts.


Photo 2

shows a closer view of the monitor without the keyboard in place. The monitor is an 8" monitor with touchscreen capabilities. It works OK. If I were to do it over again, I would get the brightest monitor money can buy. It's sunlight readability is marginal. Hence the "custom" sunshade. In normal conditions, it works great. Brightness is 350 cd/m², which is not bad at all, but 500 or better really is needed for me when I need to monitor things on the go on a bright sunny summer day.


Photo 3

Here is the actual computer, and a coke for size comparision. It's extremely small, not much bigger than a full size external harddrive. It lives in the back in a cubby hole. It's powered using it's AC power supply plugged into an inverter. I have a DC power cord for it that I will eventually just hardwire into the truck.

So far the major advantages to this type of computer set verses a laptop are...it's cheap. If it gets stolen I won't lose sleep and I can replace it for a few hundred dollars. Same thing if it gets broken. Plus it's small enough that thieves will probably have a hard time finding it anyway and unfortunately will probably be too distracted with all the other tasty gizmos they'll be trying unbolt off my rig. And I don't have a huge laptop bouncing around the front of my interior with a screen constantly trying close on me on the rough roads. Just a simple touchscreen monitor up front and that's all, except for a RF mini-keyboard, if I need it.
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A quick tour of the rest of the cockpit goes like this.


Photo 1
On the upper dash from left to right is a Scangauge II (most awesome product ever!) A standard Garmin Nuvi GPS for city navigation and an iphone in an iphone Wilson phone booster (marginal product)


Photo 2
The center console is a custom hybrid unit that I bolted together using parts I had lying around the garage a few years ago and I've added to it since. From left to right...

The large radio panel is the head unit to a Motorola Spectra Railroad radio that was issued to me by a railroad that I volunteer for (Oregon Pacific Railroad) in my spare time. The gauge is a volt meter for my 2nd battery. Above the volt meter are two switches that are out of view. One is a master switch that disconnects power to all interior accessories and the other is my duel battery control switch. Below the volt meter are three covered toggle switches. Top one controls the auxiliary engine fan. The two bottom ones control the rear back up lights.

The switch panel just to the right of the volt meter is a light switch panel that powers the amber and emergency lights and alley lights and rock lights (which are not currently mounted) and additional interior console LEDs. To the right of that is the HAM radio, a Yeasu FT2900 and a standard uniden CB radio. And finally to the right of that is a standard inverter.


Photo 3 This is looking at the center console from the passenger seat. White mic is for the railroad radio. Black mic is for the CB radio. The Maglight in the custom mounted charger in the center console can also be seen here, as well as the ram-mount bases for the computer monitor and keyboard.
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Photo 1 This slightly wider angle shows a few more mods. The rearview mirror has a rear camera monitor in it. To the right of that is a digital outside temp gauge. On the far left lower A-pilar, is a transmission temp gauge. Below that on the left dash switch panel are switches for the the front HID lights and fog lights as well as a rheostat switch for the George LED map light. And then the factory locker switch wired to power the ARB pump and both lockers. A better view of that switch panel can be seen in the first photo.

I suppose I gotta have a couple of exterior shots or this thread wouldn't look right.

Photo 2 A little dirty during a week long trip on almost nothing but Eastern Oregon dirt roads.

Photo 3 A little cleaner on the Oregon coast.
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As long as I'm showing the interior, here's what I did with the rear seat area. I did this a while back. I removed one the rear seats.

In it's place I mounted a Engel MT 27. And added a custom rack with storage items and removable storage box, all easily accessible by simply opening the rear driver's side passenger door.

Photo 1 This photo shows the storage box in place which is removable. The refrigerator in the back ground. The rear passenger side seat is still in place. The GPS unit mounted in the far right powers the computer and has an external antenna on the roof, so it doesn't need to see out the window. The rack stores various items, including camping gear, paper towels, first aid kit and supplies and emergency climbing rope, among other things.

Photo 2 Same stuff from a different angle.

Photo 3 A different view with the storage box removed. Now you know my secret hiding spot for the computer..LOL! The temp gauge is left over from when I had the laptop in a locked storage container back here and I had that gauge to monitor temps inside when the laptop was powered up. Now I kind of use to it monitor temps on the Asus Eeebox, but it seems to run much cooler than any laptop even without any fan.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

F***** unbeliveable.

And i've been going nuts about finding the right place to mount my tablet pc with RAM mount.

Great man.
 
Sweet but I am not an electronic person and way to much for me. Hope you have it all down on your insurance!
 
Wow! I have been abusing a thinkpad x41 for several years and it has held up surprisingly well, but it is time to replace it. You have definitely given me some ideas. How do you power the asus box, through an inverter? Do you have to shut it down everytime you shut down the truck?
 
I thought I was fancy with a $60 Tom Tom.
 
Stock stereo!? :D
 
holy cow knight rider!! Is your truck's nickname kit?

That's a lot of stuff in there for sure. Have you upgraded your alternator to help push more power to feed all those accessories?

Also, anyone think that new ipad would help eliminate all the extra gadgets?
 
Also, anyone think that new ipad would help eliminate all the extra gadgets?

Begin chat "no the iPad is just a glorified iphone." :rolleyes:

end chat - Nice truck!
 
How do you power the asus box, through an inverter? Do you have to shut it down everytime you shut down the truck?

Right now the Asus is powered using its stock AC cord into an inverter which is powered via the interior accessories hub supply. That power source always has power until I turn a master switch off, whether the truck engine is running or not. So when I turn the truck off, the inverter still has power and the computer stays turned on, until I manually turn it off. I have a DC power supply for it that I will be hardwiring into the same circuit so I don’t need the inverter. But the inverter set up works perfectly fine since the Asus uses such minimal power.

Stock stereo!? :D

Bone stock and no plans change it. Ironically never got into fancy stereos and the stock stereo works just fine.

Have you upgraded your alternator to help push more power to feed all those accessories?

I have Photoman’s custom alternator bracket and a Sequoia 150 amp alternator mod, plus duel batteries, but all of that is mostly for the off road lights and winch. The interior mods would all run fine off of the stock system. The only things that draw any real power are the railroad radio and ham radio, both of which draw about as much power as a headlight, but only when broadcasting at full power. Everything else only draws a couple of amps or less, each. Even the refrigerator. Everything is powered off of the 2nd battery, which does at least reduce any stress on the main battery and only puts the auxiliary battery at risk of draining when the engine is turned off.
 
Sweet! Does it heat up pretty good in the cabin with all of the electronics on? My kids would have an absolute field day in your rig. "What's this button do?" x 1 million...as it is I have to make sure my lockers are off and so on before I drive off.
 
Wow!

Thats waayyyyy to much going on for my tastes. Heck my radar detector on the windshield drives me bananas.
 
The electronics don't generate any significant additional heat. Most of the stuff you see are all very low power items.

While driving around, not everything is turned on. I almost never use the back up camera. Thats mainly for trying to back up on tight trails and it frankly only works, so-so. The computer is only on when I'm navigating around from historical site to historical site, so usually just when out in the woods or mountains. The monitor and keyboard can be easily removed out of the way and stored elsewhere and often are.

The iphone/booster actually has since been relocated out of the way as it doesn't serve much of a purpose and I don't need to stare at my iphone all day long. The radios are only turned on when they are in use and rarely are all the radios in use at the same time. The CB radio is used so rarely, the quick disconnect antenna is usually stored inside the cab. The outside temp gauge has an on/off switch and is usually only used when I need to know if temps are below freezing or if I'm curious how many hundreds of degrees it is in the summer.

Pretty much the only thing I use on a regular basis is the scangauge. After that, the Nuvi GPS is often on when I'm driving around town to help me find my way. It's pretty worthless in the woods and mountains, so I switch over to the real navigation system on the PC.

So, it's actually not always lit up like a Christman tree. :D
 
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What's your thoughts on that cell phone booster? Which model do you have?

I've been considering one, but man, a couple hundred bucks is expensive.
 

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