Database Users

Galaxy Tab 2 Car Install & Audio Upgrade 2006 Tacoma

I'm attempting to follow loosely in Kuchar09's footsteps with my stereo upgrade. His thread can be found here.
This is going to be a two-stage install. I'm upgrading the stock sound system's components and then replacing the stock head-unit with a Galaxy Tab 2. I've already started the fabrication necessary but there is a lot more to come. If you'd like to look though my pictures the album can be found here, however I will be linking to the appropriate pictures during my work log.
Components:
Stage 1
Subs: Alpine SWS-10D4[$149.99] x2 (Fiberglass work has started on the rear doors to get these to fit.)
Amp: JBL GTO-5EZ[ $399.99]
Replacement Speakers: Polk Audio db6501[$174.99] & db5251[$189.99]
Stage 2
Front end: Galaxy Tab 2[$329.00]
USB DAC: FiiO E10 USB DAC[$75.99]
USB Mass Storage: HGST Touro Mobile 1TB[$79.99]
Dock: Samsung Universal [$31.81]
Steering Wheel Controls: Joycon EX[$38.01]
USB Hub: D-Link DUB-H7 [$25.60]
Equalizer: Clarion EQS746 [$63.35]
USB OTG: CE Compass[$6.90] (This might be switch out for a couple of these.[$9.99])
Proposed Setup:
Its not easy to draw schematics in forum posts (I might do one by hand and upload) so I'll have to paint a picture "verbally". I want to access music and movies from an external HDD (which is sync'd wirelessly with my NAS (dropbox/dropsync apps)) with my Tab 2. I want the audio from these files to play over my car stereo. There are several methods at my disposal to accomplish this task. The one I'd like to use is having the HDD and DAC connected to the tablet via a powered USB hub. Audio information will flow (hopefully) along this path: HDD > hub > Tab 2 > hub > DAC > EQ > Amp > Speakers/Subs. If I can't achieve USB audio I'll attempt to utilize the line out on my dock or, failing that, bluetooth.
Notes:
I hope to get the majority of the system working out of the car before I start the install. I'll need to purchase a power supply for the EQ and Amp. My tacoma has a built in inverter which I'll be taking advantage of for the AC components. I have a lot of work to do still on the sub woofer enclosures and plenty of fiberglass cure time to test my set up.

Day 01
I've been working with fiberglass all weekend and expect to be at it the rest of the week. The "bottom" of my sub enclosures are pretty ugly and they'll probably stay that way. I'll be using pipe insulation to help form an appealing curve around the edges. It was a cheap and I'm fairly confident I could dissolve it with gasoline if it got stuck inside the enclosure. I've been monitoring my volume and I'm on track to hit the cubic foot requirements of the subwoofers (0.54-0.89 cu. ft). I'm glad that I prefer sealed boxes because the ported enclosure requirement is nearly double and I couldn't find that much room inside the door if I wanted. I'm sure the Crutchfield guys could though judging by how neatly they packed my stereo components.
Stage 1 Components:
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Stage 2 Components:
(external HDD not pictured, too busy formatting for a closeup)
I'm fixing to leave for work but when I return I will be attempting to get the HDD, Tab 2, and DAC to play nice together. Wish me luck.
Back from work and working on configuring the tablet to work with a USB DAC. This has been a learning experience. I've tried flashing to a more USB friend kernel but to no avail. I'm seriously considering switching to a Nexus 7 at this point.

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DUDE you WAY OVERPAID buying all the stuff from Crutchfield, Hell I have those same db6501 components and I got them off amazon for like 107, and I just checked a few prices and I could get those subs for like 85 a piece (with shipping) and the other polks (the 5xxx) ones are right about a 100 bucks.
Your "stage 1" from Crutchfield adds up to $1,064.95 if you bought off Amazon it would of been $644.69 thats $420.26 difference in price man, Hell even if you don't buy car audio from Amazon you could could have bought the amp from Crutchfield gone to OnlineCarStereo.com (a place I used to go before I found the better prices of Amazon) to get the speakers and even with overpaying for the amp you would still only be like $826 for your "stage 1" costs.
But more importantly, WHY are you putting your subs in your rear doors and not like under the rear seats or just saying screw the rear seats and doing a proper ported enclosure?

If the dac don't work go with the line in, keep it up!
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

It seems very hard process though .. Keep up
Sent from my GT-P5100 using Tapatalk HD

He's completely integrating it which is a great idea.
Where as I'm making it easily dockable and removable so I can use my tab 2 10.1 still.
I just have to order the brodit holder now, possibly get a small good quality dac, and/or I'll get a good quality 3.5 Jack to 3.5 Jack line
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

DarkKrypt said:
He's completely integrating it which is a great idea.
Where as I'm making it easily dockable and removable so I can use my tab 2 10.1 still.
I just have to order the brodit holder now, possibly get a small good quality dac, and/or I'll get a good quality 3.5 Jack to 3.5 Jack line
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have yet to come up with how I want to mount mine, but i'll be like your planning. It will "dock" into the car and can be removed easily, for now my tab sits in the passenger seat and is connected by a 3.5mm male to male cable to the aux in on my head unit, a much easier install for sure.

Another thing you could do if you have the money is go to a custom audio/video Car Store and ask them if they know anyone who can do custom front shells.
And make sure to mention that you want it dockable.
A custom shell (where the head unit, controls for air con etc etc are)
Will cost between $200 to *%+ depending on the car you have
But they look amazing.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

In to see how you do this. Personally, like DarkKrypt, I'd want mine to be dockable. @DarkKrypt, do you have a thread with your install?

Actually no, ill be getting a basic holder and I'll start a thread.
Money and time are my dilemmas currently to not do a custom shell
Maybe in the future.
But I'll post pics and vids anyway of my simple secure setup.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 2

nealjr said:
I'm attempting to follow loosely in Kuchar09's footsteps with my stereo upgrade. His thread can be found here.
This is going to be a two-stage install. I'm upgrading the stock sound system's components and then replacing the stock head-unit with a Galaxy Tab 2. I've already started the fabrication necessary but there is a lot more to come. If you'd like to look though my pictures the album can be found here, however I will be linking to the appropriate pictures during my work log.
Components:
Stage 1
Subs: Alpine SWS-10D4[$149.99] x2 (Fiberglass work has started on the rear doors to get these to fit.)
Amp: JBL GTO-5EZ[ $399.99]
Replacement Speakers: Polk Audio db6501[$174.99] & db5251[$189.99]
Stage 2
Front end: Galaxy Tab 2[$329.00]
USB DAC: FiiO E10 USB DAC[$75.99]
USB Mass Storage: HGST Touro Mobile 1TB[$79.99]
Dock: Samsung Universal [$31.81]
Steering Wheel Controls: Joycon EX[$38.01]
USB Hub: D-Link DUB-H7 [$25.60]
Equalizer: Clarion EQS746 [$63.35]
USB OTG: CE Compass[$6.90] (This might be switch out for a couple of these.[$9.99])
Proposed Setup:
Its not easy to draw schematics in forum posts (I might do one by hand and upload) so I'll have to paint a picture "verbally". I want to access music and movies from an external HDD (which is sync'd wirelessly with my NAS (dropbox/dropsync apps)) with my Tab 2. I want the audio from these files to play over my car stereo. There are several methods at my disposal to accomplish this task. The one I'd like to use is having the HDD and DAC connected to the tablet via a powered USB hub. Audio information will flow (hopefully) along this path: HDD > hub > Tab 2 > hub > DAC > EQ > Amp > Speakers/Subs. If I can't achieve USB audio I'll attempt to utilize the line out on my dock or, failing that, bluetooth.
Notes:
I hope to get the majority of the system working out of the car before I start the install. I'll need to purchase a power supply for the EQ and Amp. My tacoma has a built in inverter which I'll be taking advantage of for the AC components. I have a lot of work to do still on the sub woofer enclosures and plenty of fiberglass cure time to test my set up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm want to do the same with my Galaxy Tab 2, but I can't find a OTG cable to charge the tablet simultaneous!
Can you help me?
Thanks

HD2 in car project - need your ideas guys..

So, as the title says, i´m thinking in giving a new life to one of my HD2's, I have 3 of them and they are almost stored in a shelf.
The idea is to get this phone as a carputer, we know HD2 is still running strong thanks to the wonderfull devs here, so I think it will be a great to have it having a new life.
The basic needs will be gps, music, fm radio, obd tool ( with torque ) and phone, and if you have more ideas i will appreciate the input.
The car is vw passat 1.8T, so i´m looking for a solution that doesn´t involve using a windshield mount as it is a little far from reach for my taste, also would like to protect it from heat in summer days, so probably i will go for a vent type mounting.
These are the things I need to decide:
What rom to use - needs to work well with navigation, bluetooth calls being able to recieve calls while with navigation on without closing it due to ram starvation;
What mount to use - this one the more important, use one mount or design and build a something to dock it when in car;
what connections to put - use the 3.5 mm jack for audio or use bluetooth ( in the last case I have to buy a bluetooth reciever cause my stereo doesn´t have bluetooth )
usb otg with powered hub - yes or no
To design something specificly for HD2 or something that in the future can be used for other phones/tablets
I will add some pictures later and more stuff coming as the project develops,
Thanks
Hugo

Hi yugoport, I think if you use obd, you will need usb otg with powered hub. Therefore you will need DFT wm6.5 from here unless you can use a ubuntu distro. The android usb otg kernel does not charge.
I am no expert on any of what you are trying to do, but will subscribe and follow with interest. Good luck.
Edit; found http://www.autologicco.com/p_obd.html

this would be really cool

Robbie P said:
Hi yugoport, I think if you use obd, you will need usb otg with powered hub. Therefore you will need DFT wm6.5 from here unless you can use a ubuntu distro. The android usb otg kernel does not charge.
I am no expert on any of what you are trying to do, but will subscribe and follow with interest. Good luck.
Edit; found http://www.autologicco.com/p_obd.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Robbie, actually I didn't know that the android USB otg didn't charge, thank you to point it out.
For OBD I have vagcom for windows PC, so the use in android will be light so I was planning to use a cheap Bluetooth adapter with torque app.
Thank you mate
Sent from my PIXELDROID HD2 using xda premium

Recently I also thought about using my HD2 for car. I am not very experienced in ROM-software, but have some ideas of hardware, esp. car handling. After surfing an Internet I have found out that original car kit price is still space shuttle level. But regular universal holders look not eough safely for me. I guess it is reasonable to buy regular battery lid for HD2( pretty cheap in the Amazon f.e.), than fix it to any PDA-Navigator holder instead of universal clamps by hidden-head screws. If you are good skilful hand maker, you can install in this lid 3 additional contacts for battery charger. But you will need proper manual for cirquit and schematics or charger specs, because this contacts connected bypass of biult in battery controller.

I agree about possibly using those 3 contacts under the battery lid for charging, and therefore using the usb port for communications only, it would be worth researching. But i never did like the idea of the original (space shuttle) car dock replacing the back cover. It did not seem secure enough and the phone could possibly be knocked off. You could strengthen a cheap universal one by putting screws into the ball joint after getting it in the right position.

Now, I am thinking about another idea. If you already used H\2 as a car GPS you definitely got the situation with overheated battery (indicates by blinking red-green LED). This case a battery controller interrupts charging and generally it's not good for the device. Especially because this season is coming. I will try to use regular cheap portable case with charger (see pic.)
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. I am going to remove battery and parts form there and place thin small cooler (from a video card or laptop) to provide good cooling. Also this case is more capable for mounting in the regular holder and can be used for the charging of the phone. It is much better than connect USB cable directly to the device. I will report my progress here.

Nice ideas flowing guys..using the contacts to charging the battery seems a great idea, I can research on this, I have some experience in electronics, also I have here a hd2 for spares that I can use to test, I will do it this week.
Regarding the place I still haven't decided if I should use a car mount or no, I only use vent mounts because I can cool it in summer, also it's closer compared to the windshield mounts.
I can try to build a special cradle for it, but I will think in it later.
I'm using clingo vent mount and its decent ,but for this I think It would be better something like the brodit mount which is a tight solution, but not integrated as I wish, so I think I will have to build a built in cradle with charging + usb otg, the direct charging of battery might be a good solution.
For the phone calls, I searched for an app that would allow to forward the call from my S3 to the HD2 via Bluetooth when I'm in the car,but there isn't such a thing, I don't have Bluetooth in my car stereo,I could buy a Bluetooth reciever and connect it to the aux, but the idea was to be able to use only the HD2 that I will leave in the car sometimes to control everything, the solution for this so far is gmate, I use it in the S3 and it works well with the HD2 also, I could set a tasker profile to disconnect the gmate from S3 and connect it to HD2 using the Bluetooth near function, then HD2 would control the phone calls.. lets see how it goes..

Hiking GPS Tablet

So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
EDIT:
So I did it last weekend and it works great. Downloaded some Topos from Rmaps after rooting and turning on mock locations via SQLite on the NST. Installed GPS Tether on phone and NST. Turned on phone hotspot, then tethered the NST to the phone and blamo! GPS. I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Meet Earl was my inspiration.

I have not tried that, but I did just order an Earl for the same purpose. Maybe you could use whatever they use for maps.
I cant post links, but google meetearl.

One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a GPS module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this: http://www.adafruit.com/products/790
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.

ace7196 said:
So I'm thinking I'm going to tether via wifi my phone's GPS with the NST. Has anyone done this? Is there a good offline map pack for eink devices?
Let me know your thoughts...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Feeding GPS data from one device to another - there is no much need for such an app, shouldn't be a problem to write one using Mock Locations provider.
I was wondering, what uses more power: external USB GPS or WiFi tethering?
iGo Primo claims it works with 1.6 and up
Sygic: GPS Navigation & Maps - 2.0.1
TomTom: 2.2 and up

Update
See OP.

ace7196 said:
I already have a solar panel I wired up and will attach to the backpack to charge both the NST and the external battery for the phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds really cool!
Could you post a picture of you setup, please?
BTW: If you are Eco Friendly person, check this out Bicycle Generator Kit with 5 LED headlight and 3 LED red flashing taillight and Charger Port for MP3 and Mobile Devices
Or if you prefer DIY (like RenateNST) - this is for you USB-Bike-Generator
BTW2: Did you try Google Maps too?

Look at tophatsoaring.wikispaces.com/Top+Hat+on+Nook+Simple+Touch
It's using external gps on NST

Renate NST said:
One of the problems with USB is that it is a bit power intensive.
Also, running things off USB you need to convert 3.3 V to 5 V to 3.3 V
If I were trying to turn the Nook into a hiking map I would...
Get a USB module that runs off 3.3V, maybe this:
Connect it directly into the internal 3.3 V serial port on the Nook.
I don't know what you'd have to do for the antenna.
You'd probably need an external antenna, but external to the case or not is the question.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey Renate NST, do you have any more detail about how you'd go about this? I bought a Nook ST last week for exactly this purpose (though I also want to install a solar panel on the back of it and weatherproof the whole system), and actually have one of those GPS chips you listed (on a breakout board though) from an old project with an RPi.
So in terms of the next steps... (apologies for the dumb questions, this is the first time I've properly played with something not intended to be played with)
- How do I find the serial port? I've spent about ten minutes looking at the board and haven't found it.
- How do I then get a maps program (I'm using rmaps at present) to take the serial input as GPS input? Will I need to parse the NMEA?
Thanks in advance,
Jake

The UART for /dev/ttyS1 is detailed here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1702734
I haven't looked too closely into serial NMEA-0183 working on the Android.
I have gotten the USB version to ouput via a cat.
It seems that most folks who do that just read and parse it themselves then use the Android "mock location" interface.
The "mock location" is so that you can playback a trip from Boston to San Francisco without driving anywhere.
It seems that it would be cleaner to not go through the "mock location" interface.

Now you've used this for a while how long does the WiFi last on your phone and how long on the Nook?
Even if not saving battery at least we can read the screen this way

GPS on USB
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.

ProtD said:
I'm using the following:
- NST glow
- OTG cable (micro USB male, regular USB female)
- reduction (regular USB male, mini USB male (and an extra USB for external power, but haven't tried that so far))
- GPS unit (QStarz BT-Q1000XT)
- USB mode utility app
- UsbGps4Droid app
Works perfectly. I haven't noticed any substantial power drain, but I switch the GPS off after a few minutes every time...
I use it mostly with Osmand, but it seems to work with any other app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tested almost that exact setup (QStarz 818X) but the extra cables were a ***** so I hacked apart my nook and got this:
(currently being refined further)
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I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?

Renate NST said:
I can't tell at all what you are doing.
Is that small thing a Bluetooth serial module? What model?
Is it going directly into a Nook hardware serial port or the USB?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its a really small GPS module (SparkFun) going directly into the Nook UART. Currently looking to drop the battery voltage to 3.3 for V_BAT of the GPS Here is the current state:
Black - GND
Orange - VCC 3.3 (goes off with screen saver)
Blue - RX
Green - TX
The switch is for putting GPS to sleep mode.

Yup, direct to the UART is the way to go.
I guess the ceramic antenna is too big to fit inside the Nook between the aluminum plate and the top case?
I think that I'd cut a rectangle out of the Nook top case at the top for clearance,
run the wires inside the Nook and glue a tiny box on top.
I haven't checked that connector to see if there were any UART control lines or GPIO on it.
That would be the nice way to control the power mode of the GPS.

Just a quick one to say watch out on Sygic. It's a great and slick program and downloading new maps is easy. But it's made plenty of my phones run hot; it's CPU intensive probably and a battery drainer. Q: What's a battery efficient mapping app?
RMaps: Very probably light. I don't think it's very slick.
There's an app for OS maps in the UK offline: You can then preload the >8gb of maps to get full UK, very nice maps. Probably the best option. I think you have to pay for the Android app though... don't know how that would work... don't know if it's supported on Nook
iGO, TomTom: Also sounding CPU intensive. It seems vector and nav capabilities are what make these things battery draining. Stick to raster maps? (images rather than route calculable vectors)

It's been a long while but no news on this for ages.
The earl is still not out. It's also expensive.
This hack is pretty cool. The USB option is the easiest... but we can't have a USB cable hanging out the bottom, ready to rip off the mainboard rendering the whole thing useless.
So I prefer the option of soldering directly onto that UART with the GPS module.
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.

jago25_98 said:
yegoshin, what did you use to get the voltage right?
There's lots of info in the comments here:
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11571
But while I understand a lot of this I'm not used to this level of project. If someone has already figured it out though with that voltage adapter, I can give that a go.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So you can use the direct battery voltage from the nook for the VCC, you can also use pin 1 off U2713 (however I have recently run into what seems a lack of current through that - GPS doesn't lock until I plug in a USB power really weird, no problems off the Battery though pink wire is the VCC)
Now for the V_BAT I was able to wire up this board to the nook battery https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10995 and pull 1.8Volts off that. However that board has ALOT of excess parts (its meant to be used with this GPS, which I think may work even better for the nook since the on-off can be done via that breakout board) I may look into getting a custom board stuffed.
If you happen to be near Bay Area CA, I can help you out.

Woah, I didn't know about this tiny 1.8V logic GP-2106: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10890
You don't need any level conversion, ttyS0 (UART1) is all 1.8V logic.
(You'd need to make sure that you aren't using ttyS0 for the console.)
You can grab one of the JTAG signals (also 1.8V) for the on/off control.
See the pinout here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=49931617#post49931617
You could 3D print a tiny housing and mount it on top of the bezel right over the "nook" at the top.
Something to look out for is that 5 second, 50 mA anomaly that we haven't chased down yet.
The power consumption will kill you.

Latest news?
Hi guys,
Just come back off a hiking holiday, and have been looking into using the NST as a low power, eink gps for UK OS maps etc.
Your prototype here looks spot on!
How far did you get with this - any guides etc?
Also, if someone felt like making these, 3d printing a new, deeper back case for all the extra electronics - i'm sure you'd have a nice lot of customers !
(NB looked at your pics of soldering direct onto the serial connectors internally... Woah! Bit beyond my soldering skills there!)
Good luck, would love to hear updates...

Nexus 7 (2013) install in dash of Lexus GS400

Nexus 7 (2013) tablet install in the dash
I've pondered this install for over 2 years and finally decided to go ahead with the install.
I had originally upgraded the sound system in car by pulling out the stock Nakamichi Head Unit (a couple of years ago) and replaced all the wiring, speakers etc with decent components - Mid and tweeter (separates)- Focal speakers in the front door and a 13 inch Focal sub in the trunk. I focused this upgrade for an SQ setup and did not install any speakers in the rear on purpose. For amps, I used two Zapco's (one for the fronts and one for the subwoofer)
I installed a Pioneer AVIC-D1 navigation/Head Unit and also installed tons of sound deadening all over the doors, trunk etc.
Fast forward to today and here is my new setup - since I had upgraded the wiring and speakers already, I focused this build on the Tablet install and a new HU that connected to my upgraded wiring. I then connected the tablet via the USB DAC (the Microstreamer unit) to the Head Unit aux input for audio out to the car speakers/amps. This simplified my install as I only needed to focus on the tablet install and the new Head Unit Install. Needless to say I ripped out the Pioneer unit for this install.
I flashed Timur's kernel ( https://timur.mobi/timurs-kernel-n7-2013/ ) for a fixed install as its perfect for these types of installs - the tablet goes into a deep sleep mode when accessory power is shut off and it loses very little charge overnight (roughly about 1 - 2 % per 10 hours). As soon as you turn on the car, the tablet senses power has been applied and the screen comes on immediately. So even though my install allows me to remove the tablet from the car, I don't really have to remove it. It comes on immediately when the car is turned on and goes off (deep sleep) when the car is turned off. You don't need to setup any complicated (for me anyway) tasker routines to take care of this. I then connect my tablet to my Note 3's hot spot for Internet access.
I had the install done professionally - the custom fabrication of the tablet and Head Unit mount. That was really the main part of this install by Ultra Auto Sound in Mississauga, Ontario ( http://ultraautosound.com/tag/nexus/ ) . They did an excellent job as you can see from the pics on their website and below. Thanks Joe!
I haven't been able to get the backup camera to work yet with the tablet as my understanding of how it works with the tablet was not thorough enough and I need to do some more reading to figure it out properly.
Here are the parts I bought:
Nexus 7 (2013) tablet ofcourse
Head Unit - Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X998 CD Receiver with built in BT and HD radio - its one of the better Head Units on the market right now ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I8S6B86?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00 )
USB Hub - DLink 7 port USB hub ( http://www.amazon.ca/D-Link-DUB-H7B...d=1439314404&sr=8-1&keywords=DLink+7+port+USB )
USB DAC - HRT microStreamer ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B4YE5BG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 )
Backup Camera - TaoTronics TT-CC17 Waterproof Color CMOS Car Licence plate backup camera ( http://www.amazon.ca/TaoTronics-TT-CC17-Waterproof-License-Distance/dp/B0092YMZJY )
USB Video capture card - VGB100 USB 2.0 Video Capture Device card ( http://www.amazon.com/August-VGB100...ords=VGB100+USB+2.0+Video+Capture+Device+card )
Bluetooth remote for audio controls - Satechi® Bluetooth Button ( http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00RM75NL0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 )
USB Flash drive - SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive ( http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00KT7DOSE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00 )
Micro USB OTG cable and charger - (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00S67XK7Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00)
USB 2.0 A-Male to A-Female extension cables for charging my Note 3 and my wifes Note 2 while in the car ( http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00NH11R3I?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 )
OBD2 BT dongle. This allows me to display a bunch of information on the Dash Command app (shown in a couple of pics below with the LFA "skin"). You can also read any error codes without paying an arm and a leg to the dealer.
Here is the before pic:
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
And the current pics:
USB Hub with the USB Digital Audio Controller (HT Microstreamer), USB Flash Drive and Video Grabber for the backup camera
DashCommand for car diagnostics and other info via OBD2 BT dongle. This is the LFA "skin'
Waze maps and close up of the Kenwood KDC-X998 Head unit
Close up of the tablet mount
Close up of the Satechi BT audio controller
Some more pics
Some random pics of the car:

The install looks great. Good job. I've got a 2011 GMC Sierra that I've installed my Nexus 7 (2013) in the dash. Turns out that the double din after market head unit adapter plates opening is just a hair bigger than the actual LCD. ( not the whole tablet but just the LCD). So I was able to use it with the Nexus mounted to the back of the adapter plate so that it fits tight against it covering the edges of the tablet and only leaving the LCD exposed. I'll take some pics and upload them soon. Good job on yours. Love seeing how others went about their install.

nice built but may I ask, is it really needed to add an usb dac to the instalation process if I am runing audio from the tablet with 3.5mm audio jack cable to the car's player aux ?

mattwheat said:
The install looks great. Good job. I've got a 2011 GMC Sierra that I've installed my Nexus 7 (2013) in the dash. Turns out that the double din after market head unit adapter plates opening is just a hair bigger than the actual LCD. ( not the whole tablet but just the LCD). So I was able to use it with the Nexus mounted to the back of the adapter plate so that it fits tight against it covering the edges of the tablet and only leaving the LCD exposed. I'll take some pics and upload them soon. Good job on yours. Love seeing how others went about their install.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I love the setup as is and the audio shop that installed it recommended mine be setup (the mount) like this because of my requirement of wanting to be able to unplug it or get to the buttons for whatever reason. I personally prefer the look that you went for where the tablet is behind a plate as that looks more OEM than mine.
Mine looks so obviously like a tablet on the dash even though the quality of the audio shop's custom mount is good, it still doesn't look like an OEM screen (when its behind a plate).
My installer said it would be more expensive to mount it behind a custom opening and also make it removable at the same time, hence the end result you see here.
Looking forward to seeing pics of your setup!
lilutosh said:
nice built but may I ask, is it really needed to add an usb dac to the instalation process if I am runing audio from the tablet with 3.5mm audio jack cable to the car's player aux ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you don't have to do what I did especially if you are not pulling out your stock stereo.

great ! thanks !

This is awesome and has inspired me to create my own Nexus 7 setup. Great stuff!

how did you make the august vgb100 work with the nexus , I bought it and the tablet couldn't recognize it.

Hi, could you share related .dxls file. I searched for LFA skin, bu it dosent look exactly like yours ?
Thanks.
EDIT: Sorry, I found lots of LFA skins, its ok!

What app are you using as the "dash" app for nav and such. Looks very android auto'y
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

eregev said:
What app are you using as the "dash" app for nav and such. Looks very android auto'y
Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Automate
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Deeco7 said:
Automate
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Beautiful, thanks!

how is the install holding up... Im getting ready to do a similar set up with a 99 gs300

warnel33008 said:
how is the install holding up... Im getting ready to do a similar set up with a 99 gs300
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Its holding up fine.
I could never get the backup camera working and that bugs me.
I'm having second thoughts about the whole system now and want to get an Android Auto HU such as this one - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Xvsy2Zazrje/p_1304200NEX/Pioneer-AVH-4200NEX.html
What is your budget and requirement for the install of a tablet in your car? The obvious ones in terms of requirements are Phone calling/receiving, Navigation and listening to your music collection. Any others you have?
If your budget can swing for the unit above - it has very good reviews, I would just do that instead.

CayenneGTS said:
Its holding up fine.
I could never get the backup camera working and that bugs me.
I'm having second thoughts about the whole system now and want to get an Android Auto HU such as this one - http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Xvsy2Zazrje/p_1304200NEX/Pioneer-AVH-4200NEX.html
What is your budget and requirement for the install of a tablet in your car? The obvious ones in terms of requirements are Phone calling/receiving, Navigation and listening to your music collection. Any others you have?
If your budget can swing for the unit above - it has very good reviews, I would just do that instead.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my main reason for the tablet diy is to play my music folders... I make them every other week... with new content... then of course navigation (google)... web browser right in the car if im parked in a parking lot waiting for her to come back....and the other obvious extras n perks.... I think this is more for me than the pioneer... I was looking into that first.... and decided i wanted more hands on experience with a tablet and able to customize as well.... did you use a custom dash kit bezel... how about the wire harness what did you use.... Im thinking of just doing a simple aux wire from the top of the nexus to the aux input in an aftermarket radio

warnel33008 said:
my main reason for the tablet diy is to play my music folders... I make them every other week... with new content...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check. Android Auto lets you play the music from your phone.
then of course navigation (google)...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Check. Android Auto does that from your phone
web browser right in the car if im parked in a parking lot waiting for her to come back
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When you're parked, just do this from the phone. You don't need a tablet for this.
....and the other obvious extras n perks....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What obvious extras and perks are you referring to specifically?
I think this is more for me than the pioneer... I was looking into that first.... and decided i wanted more hands on experience with a tablet and able to customize as well....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hand ons experience using a tablet? I don't follow what you mean by this statement. I had the same expectations when I didn't have the tablet in the car. Android Auto looked so limiting. However I've had a change of heart after using a tablet in the car for about a year now and then trying out Android Auto for a week in a rental while I was on vacation two weeks ago. Hands down, the tablet route in the dash is not worth it. Its so much simpler and cleaner (both in looks and functions of the Android Auto unit) to install the Pioneer Android Auto unit I linked above. I'm going to go that route next summer.
I got used to the Backup Camera on the Android Auto HU and and I can't replicate that on the Tablet in the dash. You don't have to worry about the tablet being charged all the time so that you can actually use it in the car without having to take it out and charge it if you haven't driven your vehicle for a few days (perhaps this does not apply to you if your GS is a DD. Mine isn't and the battery drain on the tablet is a major PITA).
did you use a custom dash kit bezel... how about the wire harness what did you use.... Im thinking of just doing a simple aux wire from the top of the nexus to the aux input in an aftermarket radio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the audio shop custom fabricated the bezel kit and the wiring harness goes in the Kenwood HU that I already specified in my first post on this thread. I then connect the tablet via the OTG cable to a Digital Audio Converter to get better sound and then connect that to the HU AUX port - you can also see that in the pics I posted.

CayenneGTS said:
Check. Android Auto lets you play the music from your phone.
Check. Android Auto does that from your phone
When you're parked, just do this from the phone. You don't need a tablet for this.
What obvious extras and perks are you referring to specifically?
Hand ons experience using a tablet? I don't follow what you mean by this statement. I had the same expectations when I didn't have the tablet in the car. Android Auto looked so limiting. However I've had a change of heart after using a tablet in the car for about a year now and then trying out Android Auto for a week in a rental while I was on vacation two weeks ago. Hands down, the tablet route in the dash is not worth it. Its so much simpler and cleaner (both in looks and functions of the Android Auto unit) to install the Pioneer Android Auto unit I linked above. I'm going to go that route next summer.
I got used to the Backup Camera on the Android Auto HU and and I can't replicate that on the Tablet in the dash. You don't have to worry about the tablet being charged all the time so that you can actually use it in the car without having to take it out and charge it if you haven't driven your vehicle for a few days (perhaps this does not apply to you if your GS is a DD. Mine isn't and the battery drain on the tablet is a major PITA).
Yes, the audio shop custom fabricated the bezel kit and the wiring harness goes in the Kenwood HU that I already specified in my first post on this thread. I then connect the tablet via the OTG cable to a Digital Audio Converter to get better sound and then connect that to the HU AUX port - you can also see that in the pics I posted.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i checked it out.... and its great... I would just go with the nexus for now and see how my budget changes next year... for now I'm trying to stay under 200... do I have to get a dac/ microstreamer or can i just plug it from the 3.5mm headphone jack straight into my aftermarket radio aux input... what do you think?

So, did you switch, or are you now happy that you can run android auto straight from your tablet?
I am trying to find if Android Auto has any problems running from an Android headunit such as the Joying units. Otherwise, I would love to see if a nexus 9 could work in my Ram.

Having used tablets, android auto (pioneer and kenwood HU), and joying HU I think I can offer a lot of insight here.
For starters the tablet is still hands down the best carPC you can get. It simply does everything you want it to do without any sacrifices, and tends to look the most clean as well. The reflexive matte screens on android auto HU's are just dull and boring overall, but beyond that their performance is abysmal and android has been completely crippled on these devices in the name of safety. You cant reliably browse for music, the UI/search/scroll functions in the supported music apps block you from doing too much to keep your eyes on the road, and they all require you to plug your phone in which is just a PITA every time you get in your car.
I dont know about you but I dont like having a phone in my cup holder, glovebox, center console, or on some chintzy grip mounted to the dash. It's just ugly, the wires are ugly, and having an additional screen + wires dangling about just breaks the symmetry of a nice clean A/V setup. Using a tablet with hotspot is so much more elegant. The Nexus 7 will charge faster than it drains on any car accessory charging port (cigarette charger) so it should be nearly 100% all the time while you drive. If this car isnt your daily driver then why are you putting a tablet install in it? lol. Ultimately the Android Auto head units are manufactured by companies that just have no experience in this area and are prone to bugs and other anomalies. The entire experience just felt gimped.
As for Joying HU, while the concept is admirable the execution is flawed. Their biggest issue is just poor hardware. You just cannot squeeze an entire Android equipped OS with proper hardware and all the other stuff required to make a functional HU for the prices they are asking. If a tablet alone costs as much as their entire HU then imagine what kind of processor theyre sticking inside these things. While it worked overall, the dang thing has to BOOT UP every time you start your car. This might be tolerable on cold winter mornings where you might sit in your driveway for 5 minutes anyway, but for most other occasions it's just annoying not being able to get your music/waze configured until you've drive a couple of miles, or to just sit there aimlessly tapping your fingers waiting for it to start.
Also due to such poor hardware in the Joying units multi-tasking becomes a chore. CPU/GPU intensive apps like waze are laggy, multi-tasking between your music app is frustrating, and you forget doing things like split screen viewing. The only advantage these have is the ability to integrate with a backup camera, of which I have no need for since I know how to reverse my car without running over a fire hydrant.
A pioneer/kenwood HU might have superior audio internals, but you have to remember the source audio is usually coming from a streaming app which is going to be 128kbps or less anyway so youll never properly exploit all that great audio technology anyway. A simple 3.5mm to aux-in adapter works beautifully and produces good sound on any HU. I never bothered with DAC's or other ways to convert audio, just get a solid single-DIN HU and the aux-in will be fine for all but the purist audiophiles. Even among those types there is still no desire to use Android Auto since it feels like you're using a 1st gen smart phone from 2000.

Is it possible to have both reverse cam AND a dash cam hooked up at same time?

I'm planning on buying a Joying Android unit. I currently have a front-facing dash cam that has an AV port out that supports RCA in. I also have a reverse cam with RCA jacks. The Joying head unit only has 1x RCA Video-IN port ...is there anyway I can make it work so that both the reverse cam and front-facing dash cam will work with the unit?
For reference, here is the back of the Joying unit...
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"lightbox_next": "Next",
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"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
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"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
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}
Best

Dash cam on an Android unit needs to be usb I think
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Dashcam does need to be USB indeed. What you can try is to use an "RCA to USB" converter cable. They are not that expensive. Search on Amazon, Aliexpress, eBay, etc.
Note though that AV/RCA outputs are low-res up to max 720x480 or 720x576. Any modern USB Dash cam has minimally 1280X720 or 1920x1080.
Also: You need to have a dash cam that does the recording/storage itself. USB saturarion on USB-2 happens quite often, although these low resolutions of 720x480/576 might have a way lower bandwidth usage.
Next to that: USB-2 is "half-duplex". Only one signal can travel the line, be it back or forth (like a walky-talky: "blahblahblah, over"). These units have only one USB-hub. PCs often have 2 or 3 usb hubs. In that case, if you evenly distribute your devices, the half-duplex occurs per hub, or only one hub has the saturation. Any other device using USB will break your video signal and thereby a correct video recording if you want to do that on the unit instead of on the dashcam itself.
It's a bit of a pity that the old carjoying forum no longer exists. There was a user who had 4(!) cams connected and who had nicely explained how he did that. (but of course: who needs 4 cams?).
Next to that it contained a wealth of info about dash cams and other solutions, like using a raspberry-pi 3 or pi-zero with Pi cams in combination with an apk on the unit. I have used that also for quite some time and that certainly allows for multiple high-res, high-bandwidth dash cams (pi cams) connected.

surfer63 said:
Dashcam does need to be USB indeed. What you can try is to use an "RCA to USB" converter cable. They are not that expensive. Search on Amazon, Aliexpress, eBay, etc.
Note though that AV/RCA outputs are low-res up to max 720x480 or 720x576. Any modern USB Dash cam has minimally 1280X720 or 1920x1080.
Also: You need to have a dash cam that does the recording/storage itself. USB saturarion on USB-2 happens quite often, although these low resolutions of 720x480/576 might have a way lower bandwidth usage.
Next to that: USB-2 is "half-duplex". Only one signal can travel the line, be it back or forth (like a walky-talky: "blahblahblah, over"). These units have only one USB-hub. PCs often have 2 or 3 usb hubs. In that case, if you evenly distribute your devices, the half-duplex occurs per hub, or only one hub has the saturation. Any other device using USB will break your video signal and thereby a correct video recording if you want to do that on the unit instead of on the dashcam itself.
It's a bit of a pity that the old carjoying forum no longer exists. There was a user who had 4(!) cams connected and who had nicely explained how he did that. (but of course: who needs 4 cams?).
Next to that it contained a wealth of info about dash cams and other solutions, like using a raspberry-pi 3 or pi-zero with Pi cams in combination with an apk on the unit. I have used that also for quite some time and that certainly allows for multiple high-res, high-bandwidth dash cams (pi cams) connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What are the chances you know what the carjoying forum site was called? It might have been archived. I would LOVE to know how that guy used PI's for dashcams with an APK.

kouklo said:
What are the chances you know what the carjoying forum site was called? It might have been archived. I would LOVE to know how that guy used PI's for dashcams with an APK.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have already searched via the wayback machine, but it is really limited. You can find a few "broken" topics but not one complete thread.
the site was forum.carjoying.com.
This a a broken topic about dashcams from the wayback archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20170719201932/http://forum.carjoying.com/thread-1085-lastpost.html

surfer63 said:
Dashcam does need to be USB indeed. What you can try is to use an "RCA to USB" converter cable. They are not that expensive. Search on Amazon, Aliexpress, eBay, etc.
Note though that AV/RCA outputs are low-res up to max 720x480 or 720x576. Any modern USB Dash cam has minimally 1280X720 or 1920x1080.
Also: You need to have a dash cam that does the recording/storage itself. USB saturarion on USB-2 happens quite often, although these low resolutions of 720x480/576 might have a way lower bandwidth usage.
Next to that: USB-2 is "half-duplex". Only one signal can travel the line, be it back or forth (like a walky-talky: "blahblahblah, over"). These units have only one USB-hub. PCs often have 2 or 3 usb hubs. In that case, if you evenly distribute your devices, the half-duplex occurs per hub, or only one hub has the saturation. Any other device using USB will break your video signal and thereby a correct video recording if you want to do that on the unit instead of on the dashcam itself.
It's a bit of a pity that the old carjoying forum no longer exists. There was a user who had 4(!) cams connected and who had nicely explained how he did that. (but of course: who needs 4 cams?).
Next to that it contained a wealth of info about dash cams and other solutions, like using a raspberry-pi 3 or pi-zero with Pi cams in combination with an apk on the unit. I have used that also for quite some time and that certainly allows for multiple high-res, high-bandwidth dash cams (pi cams) connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Excellent info, thanks so much!
Quick question regarding the USB-hub comment. If I use an external USB-hub to enable two USB-inputs (the dash cam via usb-RCA and the TPMS System) from a single USB plug, will they both work without interference or will I have problems too?

aerobahn said:
Excellent info, thanks so much!
Quick question regarding the USB-hub comment. If I use an external USB-hub to enable two USB-inputs (the dash cam via usb-RCA and the TPMS System) from a single USB plug, will they both work without interference or will I have problems too?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will have the same half-duplex problem, even if you connect 10 hubs. All hubs need to go through the single hub in the unit.
We need to wait for USB-3. It is full-duplex and so much faster. But in that case the CPU might become the bottle-neck in encoding the video.

You weren't joking about broken. LOL
I have been doing some research and found a few projects that use the PI for a dashcam or even some kind of Black Box. The issue is viewing the feed on an Android device/HU.
I'll do more research and see what I can find.