I have searched the site with a little bit of sucess but not a whole lot. I am getting ready to order a Garmin GPS 17N and I am going to be using a laptop to display the GPS information. I am looking for different solutions people have used to mount laptops in there rigs. Also I was wondering if anyone had any maps they created from trails here in Oklahoma. Any I get I will post to the web for anyone to use. Just shot me an email at sloth@r65.org

Originally posted by lsloth
I have searched the site with a little bit of sucess but not a whole lot. I am getting ready to order a Garmin GPS 17N and I am going to be using a laptop to display the GPS information. I am looking for different solutions people have used to mount laptops in there rigs. Also I was wondering if anyone had any maps they created from trails here in Oklahoma. Any I get I will post to the web for anyone to use. Just shot me an email at sloth@r65.org

Laptops in a truck are a bad idea. Too $$$ and too bulky.

Look at interfacing your GPS with a Palm o WinCE device. Also doubles as MP3 player and something to view pics out of your digicam with.

r@m

I have a Ipaq, but the display is just to small, I also need something more powerful to run some other apps I would like to have on the unit. I would like to use the laptop for ODBC-II, and I also like to wardrive.

RAM MOUNT makes what you need, but be prepared for sticker shock. Do a web search, it comes up.

Here is my setup.

http://jeepwrangler.info/Tech/interior/interiorwgpsandplotting.jpg

I live in Tulsa too, you new around here?


I fried the powersupply in that laptop so I have been checking into the mobile computing/high $$$ stereo boards to see about installing a perminent computer under the hood.

Whats wardrive?

Wardriving is using a GPS unit connected to a computer with a wireless ethernet card looking for access points to connect through to get online. As soon as your wireless ethernet card sees traffic it queres the GPS for a location, now you know where you documention for a free fast wireless internet. Check out this website for more info
http://www.wardriving.com/

Try the link below. These folks specialize in lap top mounts, radio mounts, etc.; for utilities, law enforcement, etc. Be warned, they are really pricey, but in searching their website perhaps you can get some ideas on something to fab up yourself....

http://www.gamberjohnson.com/

I have looked at several companies that make brackets and such I was hoping there would be cool home brew ideas. The out of the box solutions are way over priced.

I got my laptop mount from Zoom Cycle Accessories in Santa Clara CA. Super cool unit can be moved from car to car and is fully adjustable. $200+ as I recall.

Jason :)

http://www.gallsinc.com/ I dont know if its on there website but I have there catalog and they have them. Its a police supplies company they have all the stuff for cop cars.

I don't know what the garmin unit costs but check out www.cpubarn.com. They have Teletype GPS units that are WAAS capable. I use one with a Ipaq for mapping. Also check out www.maptech.com for software!!!

:beer: :beer: :beer:

A laptop in a moving vehicle is a real bad idea. The needle in the harddrive will hit the disk as you bounce. The hard drive takes a crap after a while, and when you least expect it. Trust me, it happened to my computer. I know cops have computers but I bet they go through hard drives often.

Originally posted by sfazr2
A laptop in a moving vehicle is a real bad idea. The needle in the harddrive will hit the disk as you bounce. The hard drive takes a crap after a while, and when you least expect it. Trust me, it happened to my computer. I know cops have computers but I bet they go through hard drives often. Not if you buy a sony

Originally posted by sfazr2
A laptop in a moving vehicle is a real bad idea. The needle in the harddrive will hit the disk as you bounce. The hard drive takes a crap after a while, and when you least expect it. Trust me, it happened to my computer. I know cops have computers but I bet they go through hard drives often.

Yeah your right mine just died, after 7 years. :flipoff2:



Okay, I knew about wardriving but didn't know the term. If you post some pics of your interior it's alot more likely to get help as I doubt my Oh shit bar PVC pipe mount is gunna work in a taco.

You might consider going the route I plan to and build a real computer that is dedicated to the tasks your looking for.

As micro mainboards get cheaper the option starts looking more appealing, Laptops have little to no upgrades whereas if you stick to an ATX mainboard with a couple of PCI slots and USB you can really upgrade quite a bit over time. My problems with a real system is power supply and Display both can be overcome but the options are sometimes expensive or have unwanted related issues.

JEEP_TJ_FREAK,
I am starting think that building a special computer will be the best way of doing it. I will post a pictures of the inside of my cab tonight. What I really would love to do is find a Touch senstive LCD screen that is some where around 5.5" to 8.5" and then have the PC in the back. I like this idea because with alittle work you could make it so you would not ever need to use a normal keyboard, which just takes up to much space. My other plans are the wardriving, as well as installing some waterproof cameras underneath the front and rear bumpers to watch out for rocks when I got out by myself with no spotter.

This is the display kit that I want, it has no touch but offers a large screen on the cheap.

http://www.earthlcd.com/jpg/nec121.jpg

http://www.earthlcd.com/jpg/bk121.jpg

After having a laptop in mine I don't think I can do with less then a 10" screen.

EarthLCD's 12.1" analog LCD kit (http://www.earthlcd.com/SK2005R.HTM)

that unit also uses standard cables so routing the display away from the PC shouldn't ba as big of a deal. Thats something to watch for when looking at these things.


Here is one with touch.

http://www.earthlcd.com/gif/sk1009t_gif300p.gif

EarthLCD with touch (http://www.earthlcd.com/SK-1009T.htm)


HTH


How do you plan on dealing with power?
Inverter >> UPS >> PC
or
build your own PS?

JEEP_TJ_FREAK
Well I was thinking of using an older dell laptop, I have a 333mhz one with a busted LCD that I was going to use. It elimiated the need for the UPS because it already has a battery. Then just use a DC to AC converter. The other option I am playing with is using linux instead of windows, there is alot of really cool software and I could tweak it more, but all the good map software is only out there for windows. In a perfect world I would like to have the finished product look pretty close to OEM. I know this really does not hep the truck get less stuck, but hey I am nerd and I think its a fun little project for the truck.

Originally posted by lsloth
JEEP_TJ_FREAK
Well I was thinking of using an older dell laptop, I have a 333mhz one with a busted LCD that I was going to use. It elimiated the need for the UPS because it already has a battery. Then just use a DC to AC converter. The other option I am playing with is using linux instead of windows, there is alot of really cool software and I could tweak it more, but all the good map software is only out there for windows. In a perfect world I would like to have the finished product look pretty close to OEM. I know this really does not hep the truck get less stuck, but hey I am nerd and I think its a fun little project for the truck.

That is plenty of processing power, so you shouldn't have too much trouble running anything. Go plug in the power for that laptop and put a meter on the plug for the laptop, you might be surprised and find a 12VDC input like my Compaq. If so you can just hard wire it in and get a radioshack connector. Also I use logictech wireless keybaord and mouse and have been very happy with them at home, I have never tried them in the Jeep though.

What do you mean it doesn't help the truck get less stuck?

You will never get lost
You will allways be able to find the closest hospital even in areas you are unfamiliar with.
You can get real time weather and tracking.
You can have real time OBDII to help see probelms before they become problems.

Do you have Ozi explorer for mapping?

JEEP_TJ_FREAK

I just looked up the Ozi Explorer, I did not know about this software. Looks kinda cool, do you use it? What are you thoughts?

ok.. here's an add-on. I would like to build an on-board PC. NOT a laptop. Talking a computer smaller than a shoe box. I would build my own computer case that is water proof, with a snorkle or something for cooling. (idea is, when I submerged it in water, it keeps going)

Mainly for GPS use, with a flip down 8" display mounted to the top of the roll cage under the CB.

I think it would be a trick setup. IF I could find a motherboard the right dimensions.

Originally posted by twaldher
ok.. here's an add-on. I would like to build an on-board PC. NOT a laptop. Talking a computer smaller than a shoe box. I would build my own computer case that is water proof, with a snorkle or something for cooling. (idea is, when I submerged it in water, it keeps going)

Mainly for GPS use, with a flip down 8" display mounted to the top of the roll cage under the CB.

I think it would be a trick setup. IF I could find a motherboard the right dimensions.

That is about what I am talking about but totally air/water tight.

I am eyeballing ammo cans and water cooling setups the overclockers run.


Ozi is good stuff :)

twaldher,
You can buy litte micro computers that have VGA/RS232/IDE controller all built onto the board. If you build the case right you would not have to worry about heat, just make the case water tight and make the case itself the heatsink. This can be done but you need some decent electrical knowledge and some patients to put all together. There are several small OS's you could use to and not have a hard drive but have it load from ROM, so you would have no moving parts. That is a cool idea.

Originally posted by lsloth
twaldher,
You can buy litte micro computers that have VGA/RS232/IDE controller all built onto the board. If you build the case right you would not have to worry about heat, just make the case water tight and make the case itself the heatsink. This can be done but you need some decent electrical knowledge and some patients to put all together. There are several small OS's you could use to and not have a hard drive but have it load from ROM, so you would have no moving parts. That is a cool idea.

Do you have a source? I have most the knowledge, and ability to build the case. (Water cooling is an idea too, and totally seal it) I would want:

RS232 (2 would be perfect), Keyboard/Mouse connecters of course, IDE, VGA, *maybe* one PCI slot for a modem - but thats probably asking a lot for off the shelf. I would use one 3.5" floppy, if it had a USB port, a USB CD-ROM when I needed toupload something. and a 40GB hard disk which I would shockmount inside the case.

Here is a link to some cheap refurbished laptops.

Betros (http://www.betros.com/laptops.htm)


A in car laptop holder thingy on the cheap.
http://www.mobileplanet.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=103&cat%5Fname=Notebooks&dept%5Fid=8380&pf%5Fid=MP321010&listing=1

http://www.mobileplanet.com/assets/product_images/MP321010.gif

Originally posted by JEEP_TJ_FREAK
Here is a link to some cheap refurbished laptops.

Betros (http://www.betros.com/laptops.htm)

Thanks... but I'm hoping for a custom made PC that can be permanently mounted in the Jeep so I don't have to take it out every time I leave the thing alone. If its in a a non-descript box bolted to the floor, no one ist going to pay much attention to it.

Originally posted by twaldher


Thanks... but I'm hoping for a custom made PC that can be permanently mounted in the Jeep so I don't have to take it out every time I leave the thing alone. If its in a a non-descript box bolted to the floor, no one ist going to pay much attention to it.

Well see the nicest laptop they have was $500 for everything, a decent micro mainboard is about $250 before you buy anything else like processor, RAM, HD, display or whatever you want.

You can put the laptop in a box bolted to the floor and just take the display with you when you leave, then you are only out about $600 instead of a grand. But there will be few upgrades :( .

Originally posted by JEEP_TJ_FREAK


Well see the nicest laptop they have was $500 for everything, a decent micro mainboard is about $250 before you buy anything else like processor, RAM, HD, display or whatever you want.

You can put the laptop in a box bolted to the floor and just take the display with you when you leave, then you are only out about $600 instead of a grand. But there will be few upgrades :( .

Do you know of someplace online though that has micro motherboards?

twaldher,
Here is a web site with a list of places to get x86 microboards.

http://www.pc104.com/

Hello fellow techno geeks !

Y'all probably know this one, but if you're talking GPS and moving map, you can spend a LOT of quality time here:

http://joe.mehaffey.com/

Originally posted by BillaVista
Hello fellow techno geeks !

Y'all probably know this one, but if you're talking GPS and moving map, you can spend a LOT of quality time here:

http://joe.mehaffey.com/

My winning combination I found was Topo! maps, the GPS integration software, a laptop, and a handheld Garmin 12XL.

also have a look at www.fugawi.com - Good software for ANY map (as you can it ina nd calibrate it yourself).

Has PC and Plam versions.

I am just suprised with all these people with GPS's that we do not have place on this site or any site that I have found that has GPS maps for the sites we goto, like Clayton and Disney. I think it would be great to have such a place, almost make it a challenge for people to build the best maps for the popular sites. We will never see such things come from the commerical market. Well at least not with the detail that we could do for ourselves.

I know there are ways to do it without an inverter, as comps run off of 12V DC (that's how nutballs like me put car neons in them). Check around at the hardware techy sites like anandtech.com and virtualhideout for more info.

If that was in regards to laptops (inverters) look for your comptuer accesories. I know IBM sells a 12V cig. adapter to run off of. I'm sure others do as well.

If your machine uses +12vdc to power it, you don't want to run that right off of the cig lighter (unless you get an adaptor such as the one from IBM). You'll want to build a voltage regulator and run it down to +12 because when the truck is running it will be over 12 volts if it's running correctly.

Squash

Originally posted by lsloth
I am just suprised with all these people with GPS's that we do not have place on this site or any site that I have found that has GPS maps for the sites we goto, like Clayton and Disney. I think it would be great to have such a place, almost make it a challenge for people to build the best maps for the popular sites. We will never see such things come from the commerical market. Well at least not with the detail that we could do for ourselves.
Making that information available is sometimes not the best idea. Some trails are not really "approved". The locals know where it is and they are otherwise not widley known about. We lost a couple trails in the southeast when they were used in events (without the event organizer getting any sort of permission mind you) and then the coverage was published in the magazines. Well it brought so much extra traffic to the locations that the people that lived in the area started raising hell. Those trails and now unusable.
Trails lost that I am aware of in the Southeast are the trails known as Allatoona. These trails were mostly on Corp property around the lake. Some crossed a little private property that was leased to hunting clubs. People were knocking down gates to get on the private property so it pissed of the hunting clubs and land owners. To access it you have to go down some residential streets and the extra traffic was pissing off those people. These were great trails very close to Atlanta. Those have been closed for 2 years. Big time fine if you get caught there if you try. Very well patorolled by the hunting clubs when it's season.
There were also some trails in Peidmont AL that were on private land. Those are also closed and have been for 5 years.

Am I the only one that's going to say "Is all of this goofy assed high tech crap necessary?" *Shaking head* There's just something so lame about all the techno gadgetry floating around nowadays :(. Like people can't function without their damned gizmos anymore. JMO :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Welby
Am I the only one that's going to say "Is all of this goofy assed high tech crap necessary?" *Shaking head* There's just something so lame about all the techno gadgetry floating around nowadays :(. Like people can't function without their damned gizmos anymore. JMO :flipoff2:

Well.. in my case.. I'll be in a off-road competition, I do occasional search and rescue stuff, and venture places I have never been. Having an on board computer with map display showing where I am, and the trail I am on would be very useful. Sam as search and rescue... they say go to this point, you drive until the two "x"'s on teh screen are in the same spot.

Grim Reaper,
Sounds like a place that you should not have been in. I see no such problem with public land, if anything its better to have the info out there, so you have a better idea of what is the trail and public and what land you should stay out of. What I am purposing is solution for people going where they should not, and sticking to the trails.

Originally posted by JEEP_TJ_FREAK
Here is a link to some cheap refurbished laptops.

Betros (http://www.betros.com/laptops.htm)


A in car laptop holder thingy on the cheap.
http://www.mobileplanet.com/product.asp?cat%5Fid=103&cat%5Fname=Notebooks&dept%5Fid=8380&pf%5Fid=MP321010&listing=1

http://www.mobileplanet.com/assets/product_images/MP321010.gif

Have you ever purchased anything through Betros? Are they good to deal with?

Originally posted by Welby
Am I the only one that's going to say "Is all of this goofy assed high tech crap necessary?" *Shaking head* There's just something so lame about all the techno gadgetry floating around nowadays :(. Like people can't function without their damned gizmos anymore. JMO :flipoff2:



next you'll be ranting about them new fangled shiznits called "iceboxes" eh, Welby the Barbarian?:flipoff2: :flipoff2: