What would your dream overlanding car computing setup include?

[Ubiety]

I'm starting here because the obvious use of a "car-puter" is navigation - but there could also be connectivity, tunes, rig-management (OBDII display), solar charge management, etc. Has anybody else considered putting all of these types of things into a "car-puter" for overlanding?

Things I would like in a carputer

• Large-ish touchscreen interface
  
• Small form factor (Raspberry Pi, etc.)
• Nav - have had luck with Navit in the past (open source Linux)
• GPS data server - connect one GPS to the computer and it could feed other devices such as APRS radio
• Tunes with nice large display
• Connectivity - potentially serve as internet gateway at camp (if you could conjure up internet)
• Rig/Engine health monitoring/display (OBDII data)
• Potential tie in to bluetooth phone for hands free (already have this in JKU)
• Solar charge controller control/display
• Comm control/display (e.g. interfacing with APRS, or other, radio)
• Audio output priority levels - each "service" gets its own audio priority

What am I missing?

 

[brien]

I've had a similar thought too. Radio hookup would be great, could use it to send/receive messages via Winlink or APRS as well. I think my biggest want/need would be for Google Earth. Almost every single time I'm out run into a situation where I'd love to just be able to pop up satellite images of the surrounding area to help with mapping/exploration. If I had a full computer I could download LOTS of offline google earth data and I'd also be able to more easily plan or reroute routes to export to Hema/Gaia for navigation. I typically plan my routes in Google Earth before I head out, but once i'm out, if there's a curious looking side trail that i didn't route, or a locked gate that i wasn't expecting, it can be kind of a bummer. I mean, I can still navigate around with USGS or CalTopo maps, but it's really really nice to just be able to peek at some satellite images to get a quick sense of the area.

 

[Ubiety]

Jolene is a beauty! Eagerly anticipating reading your build thread! I'm wondering if Rubi would be a good name for my '17 JKU :)

Can you cache maps in Google Earth in case you have no internet connectivity? I agree though, I love checking out the terrain before I go. I need to look more into Hema/Gaia - never used them but they seem to be liked by OB members.

I'm currently wondering if I can repurpose my old iPad 2 to make it a display/touchscreen device for something more powerful mounted out of the way.

Will check out Hema/Gaia. Thanks!

 

[brien]

Jolene is a beauty! Eagerly anticipating reading your build thread! I'm wondering if Rubi would be a good name for my '17 JKU :)

Thanks! Rubi would definitely be a good name for your JKU!

Can you cache maps in Google Earth in case you have no internet connectivity? I agree though, I love checking out the terrain before I go. I need to look more into Hema/Gaia - never used them but they seem to be liked by OB members.

I don't think you can cache G Earth in the mobile version, but the desktop version definitely lets you download and cache satellite data and any map overlays (which is use A LOT)

 

[Ubiety]

I see that Google Earth is supported on android but not other smaller platforms (raspberry pi, etc.). Hmmm, running an Android dev board as the carputer would allow downloads from the Google app store... Thanks!

>>I don't think you can cache G Earth in the mobile version
Hmmm, will have to watch out for that...

 

[txjeeper]

I am especially interested in the last two. I'm imagining in vehicle intercom, uhf/vhf radio, hf radio, cb radio, music, and phone. Then if there was a way to control all radio functions so you could tuck them away safe would be amazing. Also set up all accessory switches to run through the computer as well as battery and power monitoring.

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[Ubiety]

[QUOTE="txjeeper, post: 125928, member: 11979"Also set up all accessory switches to run through the computer as well as battery and power monitoring.[/QUOTE]
Thanks! I was thinking a BlueTooth accessible accessory switch setup could live in the engine compartment and require no in cab wiring. You could control it from your phone/tablet/carputer.

My thought with the audio priorities was to be able to connect up a bunch of audio sources and have the highest priority one switched to the output (speakers). I have a Baehr UltimaXL motorcycle intercom that operates like this - each input port is prioritized. So the radar detector would go in a higher pri port than the radio or the phone, and the phone higher than the radio. Whoever is active with the highest priority wins.

 

[txjeeper]

I've done a little bit of research and I think the raspberry pi might be the best since you can get a touch screen for it that plugs into a dedicated spot on the board, leaving all other I/O pins open.

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[montyPR]

I've had a similar thought too. Radio hookup would be great, could use it to send/receive messages via Winlink or APRS as well. I think my biggest want/need would be for Google Earth. Almost every single time I'm out run into a situation where I'd love to just be able to pop up satellite images of the surrounding area to help with mapping/exploration. If I had a full computer I could download LOTS of offline google earth data and I'd also be able to more easily plan or reroute routes to export to Hema/Gaia for navigation. I typically plan my routes in Google Earth before I head out, but once i'm out, if there's a curious looking side trail that i didn't route, or a locked gate that i wasn't expecting, it can be kind of a bummer. I mean, I can still navigate around with USGS or CalTopo maps, but it's really really nice to just be able to peek at some satellite images to get a quick sense of the area.

Have you tried maps.me, it's useful downloading specific areas for offline or online use. GPS is reliable.

 

[brien]

Have you tried maps.me, it's useful downloading specific areas for offline or online use. GPS is reliable.

I have not, but I think I may have briefly looked at it. I am able to download offline maps and satellite images and such via Gaia but storage space is the main limiting factor

 

[Ubiety]

I've done a little bit of research and I think the raspberry pi might be the best since you can get a touch screen for it that plugs into a dedicated spot on the board, leaving all other I/O pins open.

I have a tiny touchscreen from Adafruit on a RasPi but it uses pins off of the I/O block for the "monitor" connection - I'll have to take a look for the dedicated spot. The RasPi3 has the power to do it me thinks and is along the lines of what I am thinking about.

Had the iPad running on the way in to work this AM and thought of another thing - night driving mode :) Man that thing was bright.

 

[txjeeper]

https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-touch-display/
Here is the display. It uses a ribbon cable to attach to the boards DSI port and power from the GPIO, but if needed it could probably be powered some other way.

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[Tinker]

I've always wanted to integrate a Panasonic Toughbook to my rig & I've finally started working on integrating one that's just bungee'd for now to the passenger seat. You can get them cheap on Ebay if you watch carefully, found mine retired from a police dept for ~$150.

Plan is to get a "Ram Mount" for it that'll let me move it all around without taking up my only other seat. Works okay as a static navigation tool, but I really do need to get the GPS module installed. Links to my phone's hotspot for mobile net access & has been a great media device for entertainment & supporting my gopro. Hoping to eventually link it with the vehicle diagnostics & a proper communication setup too. I'll keep an eye on this thread, probably a bunch more uses I haven't thought of yet.

I have to admit it's a brick compared to consumer grade devices, a trade off for durability..... & I guess it could make a backup defensive weapon haha!

 

[brien]

I've always wanted to integrate a Panasonic Toughbook to my rig

Yes! This is more along the lines of what I'm wanting. An actual usable GPS enabled laptop on a ram mount or something. Really, since I'm in a manual transmission JKU, I think my mounting space is just too limited though - at least for having one mounted full-time. :(

I have two Raspberry Pis and a few Onion Omega+ and C.H.I.P. computers collecting dust around here, so perhaps watching the progress of this thread will motivate me to actually do something cool with them for the rig as well. I already have a couple of Bluetooth OBDII readers that I bought a while back when I was having similar thoughts about handy OBD display in/on the dash somewhere.

 

[txjeeper]

Yes! This is more along the lines of what I'm wanting. An actual usable GPS enabled laptop on a ram mount or something. Really, since I'm in a manual transmission JKU, I think my mounting space is just too limited though - at least for having one mounted full-time. :(

I have two Raspberry Pis and a few Onion Omega+ and C.H.I.P. computers collecting dust around here, so perhaps watching the progress of this thread will motivate me to actually do something cool with them for the rig as well. I already have a couple of Bluetooth OBDII readers that I bought a while back when I was having similar thoughts about handy OBD display in/on the dash somewhere.

That's what makes me really interested in this. With a manual there is little room, I even turn off lights just from shifting. Not having a keyboard and just the touchscreen could possibly make it work.

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[Ubiety]

Here is the display. It uses a ribbon cable to attach to the boards DSI port and power from the GPIO, but if needed it could probably be powered some other way.

That is fantastic! Thanks! If I had not just blown the budget farkle'ing my new JKU I'd order one :)

 

[Ubiety]

found mine retired from a police dept for ~$150.

One of the guys that I go overlanding with is a LEO and he carries (and swears by) a toughbook. Have been using RAM mounts for years and love them.
I have a Lenovo Yoga which is a full power laptop whose screen can be bent all the way around backwards and acts like a touch screen. That might be the optimal solution... But would be more bulky in the small--ish JKU...
Thanks!

Yes! This is more along the lines of what I'm wanting. An actual usable GPS enabled laptop on a ram mount or something.

Yeah maybe a touchscreen laptop would be great. This thread is helping me define what I want - so thanks all! I kind of like the idea of RasPi as that would allow others to get in on the build - if you tell them to start by going and buying an expensive laptop they may just walk away...

What is it about small dev boards? We get big ideas, must buy them, work on them, shelve them to collect dust, start over with new hardware ;) Hahaha

 

[Ubiety]

New question - what operating system do you prefer? If we are considering laptops then we have more choices...
Me - Mac, Linux, Windows.

 

[txjeeper]

New question - what operating system do you prefer? If we are considering laptops then we have more choices...
Me - Mac, Linux, Windows.

I think it would be best to first determine what programs you want and what os they use. I have never used Linux but have heard it's the easiest to develop for so that would probably be my first choice. Then Windows and Mac as absolute last resort.

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[Ubiety]

I think it would be best to first determine what programs you want and what os they use.

Absolutely! Part of my hope is for "group participation" - something easy/cheap that more folks than just I would enjoy. Trying to get a feel for folk's comfort level, etc. - and to learn what others are doing to embetter what I am thinking about.

Thanks for making me think about it :) I am leaning towards RasPi3 with some graphical software to wrap it all in that provides a unified look and feel. Will have to look and see what open source projects could be assimilated.