Jump to content

Digital Mapping


Troll Hunter

Recommended Posts

Hi, All,

I've transferred this from "Out and About", 'cos I know the forum members have the know how, but perhaps weren't following that forum.

Can I have the benefit of somebody's experience and advice, please? If I want to use, say, Memory Map, on a laptop, in my 110 CSW, for on and off road use, can someone who's already doing that sort of thing recommend where to mount the laptop, and should I use a second screen, say a 7", so that the windscreen is not too obscured? If so, what about a touch screen, which, where from? All guidance, help and advice will be very gratefully received, 'cos I'm lost!

Thanks a lot,

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A laptop would be relatively expensive and vulnerable to theft if you leave it in the vehicle, if you want to go for an external screen you might be better off building/buying a dedicated PC. If you feel you need to you can even do what I did and build it into a waterproof case.

For a touch screen the most important thing is the native resolution. Most apps require 800x600 as a minimum resolution and a lot of the cheap touchscreens are only 640x480 which are often completely unreadable at higher resolutions. That's why they are cheaper than the 800x600 ones.

The applications themselves are important, if the app you want to use isn't designed for touchscreen then it'll be much harder to use, small menus/toolbar icons on an 8 inch screen are very difficult to use, impossible if you want to use your fingers to control it rather than a stylus. I created my own user interface to work with OziExplorer that overlays the map with large finger friendly buttons to control the application, as far as I know there is nothing similar for memorymap.

There are a number of in car touchscreen apps that allow you to customise your screen and give you built in features such as music, mobile phone interfaces etc... It's well worth hooking the computer up to your ICE so you get the full benefit. You can also get road navigation software designed for touchscreen such as PCNavigator which is very good for guiding you "on road". For a free, simple and easily configurable interface app I'd recommend In Car Terminal (ICT) - http://www.cartft.com/community/ict

For in car computer components I'd recommend http://www.linitx.com/

I mounted mine into an IP67 box...

normal_110_1023.jpg

With an 8 inch touchscreen on the dash.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following a thread on here somewhere, I bought a HP TC1100 tablet + keyboard off gleebay for about £200. It runs PC Navigator for on-road (a bit like Tomtom) and Memory Map (1:25,000) off road with a bluetooth GPS.

It also holds the LR manual set from Rave, the Parts catalogue,my service records (thanks Reiny) etc etc .

For fitting it, I got a Mobile Storage Systems cubby box with a lockable front which takes the stereo and mounted the PC as a tablet (ie keyboard folded behind the screen) on a simple plate bolted onto the dash in front of where the stereo goes. This looks a bit scrappy at the moment and is due for an ugrade, maybe with a Mudstuff console.

This does everything I need, though the one bad point you have to use the pen on the tablet touchscreen, you cannot use your finger.

I recently looked at the latest finger operated screen from HP, and was not impressed.

The TC1100 is a great bit of kit, you can easily get spares off fbay and with ther maintenance manual it is surprisingly easy to take apart and upgrade/fix.

Regards

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, All, for the very practical advice - just what I was looking for.

RichardAllen, do you have any pics of your install, please.

Dave W, where did you mount your IP67 box, how did you connect to the screen, and what about a keyboard, or does your user interface do away with the keyboard altogether? Again, any pics available, please?

flatback90, how did you install your laptops, please?

Many thanks for any help.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've an ITX and 8" touchscreen.

The ITX sits in the bottom of the cubby box, and the touchscreen mounts in the centre of the dash, it's removable for security.

I use Memory Map and PC navigator on it, running at a reasonably high resolution. I also use it for MP3s etc, for which it's very good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use a Toughbook laptop I bought cheap off someone on this forum, running via GPS Gate to a Holux GPS receiver. I made up a bracket out of an old portable TV wall bracket which allows me to position the screen in many places for driver of co-driver use. Being in a Discovery dash mounting wasn't really an option and after much thinking I eventually made a demountable holder that fits on the rear cubby box top. It works well enough, if a little bulky but it runs all the GPS software i need and is simply removed. I also made a secure box behind the seat for the puter for when I need to park up. Will take some pics later

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use a CF18 Toughbook in a stainless steel bracket that sits/hangs from the ashtray hole in my Defender. The TB was S/H off ebay from a baloonist and had 50K and 25K of the whole of the UK already loaded!! I did consider an in-car PC but the TB was a bargain and I can use it in different vehicles.

I'll post up a some pics in a couple of days, just off to a show now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I build my PCs i'm familiar with the parts etc, but what do you do for power supply? both for the tablet/laptops and the built in jobbies?

I use both a free standing laptop, when I'm a temporary navigator, and a plumbed in laptop (under a seat) with a remote, dashboard mounted 10" (I think) touchscreen for the car I normally drive.

For both these I use the standard power supplies bought from Maplins, the type with 12V in and selectable voltage out.

Just select the right one for your required output voltage, as some require a step up, and some require a step down.

For the plumbed in PC I could have hard wired the power supply in, but I choose to mount a bank of auxiliary 'cigar lighter' sockets, and despite the clunky looks the performance has been OK, so haven't had to improve the installation.

If you use the standard cigar lighter beware of any High Resistance joints that drop the voltage to the power supply (although this isn't the end of the world). More significantly is that the wiring, socket, and plug overheat, causing plastic to melt and springs to lose their temper (springiness)!!

To a certain extent, laptops are protected by the inbuilt battery, so I've had no problems with surges caused by re-starting the car, or compressors switching in and out.

HTH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pics of my tablet install with a RAM mount here... http://green90.co.uk/wordpress/?p=77

I now run a Samsung netbook, with a bluetooth M1200 Holux GPS receiver. I get use of keyboard, good form factor 6 hours battery life when off power and on the laptop I find a wireless mouse better than touchscreen.

Cheers Steve

Those pictures (and words) were useful to demonstrate the RAM mount will hold a large screen securely, thanks.

A neat looking website too.

Re "wireless mouse"

At first I thought you must have two bluetooth connections running, but then recalled that wireless mice (and keyboards) tend to have their own Transmitter / Receiver working on the common 477MHz frequency band.

Assuming my second guess is correct, does your Samsung Netbook have built-in wireless hardware for the mouse, or do you have a separate Transmitter / Receiver plugged into a USB port?

Clearly my second assumption is that your terms 'Samsung Netbook' and 'laptop' refer to the same device.

If you are referring to two separate devices my question about a wireless mouse clearly misses the mark!!

Is your mouse a ball or infrared version, and if it's not too personal a question ... what surface do you run your wireless mouse over when in the driving seat? :-)

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've tried many devices and screens after my old tablet PC died [rainwater through the roof, arse]. Currently using a 4" touchscreen Pocket PC running Memory Map with built in GPS. I'm just waiting for the Asus EEEPC T91 series touchscreen tablet style, looks ideal. Or possibly an EEEBox, as they're pretty slim, touchscreen and low power too. Technically a desktop, but slim, and uses a lappy style PSU.

I mounted my old tablet PC with a TFT swing desk mount flipped sideways, and a velcro strap, about £12 all in. I used a 12-19V laptop air/car PSU, just cut the old cigar lighter connector off, and wired and switched via supplementary fusebox. The lappy used an excellent USB GPS [sIRF III] with a 5m flylead and waterproof external antenna [ebay 24.99].

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As I build my PCs i'm familiar with the parts etc, but what do you do for power supply? both for the tablet/laptops and the built in jobbies?

For the built PCs you can buy power supplies specifically designed for the job, they offer facilities such as auto shut down when the voltage drops, starter bridging that keeps the PC running while you're cranking and the voltage drops for a short period etc...

Take a look at the link I posted for car specific cases, power supplies etc...

http://www.linitx.com/

http://linitx.com/viewcategory.php?catid=52&pp=52

The PSU I use is rated at 10-30V input and mounts directly on the motherboard as a daughtercard plugged into the power socket.

Dave W, where did you mount your IP67 box, how did you connect to the screen, and what about a keyboard, or does your user interface do away with the keyboard altogether? Again, any pics available, please?

The PC box is mounted behind the seats. I ran extension cables from the connectors on the motherboard to the outside, sealing them as they exit the box. I have provided 2 USB ports, 2 serial ports, a VGA port and sound ports via these cables. The monitor has a USB port on the side of it so the touchscreen uses one of the USB ports from the PC but provides another one so you still end up with 2 available USB ports. I have a small USB keyboard that can be plugged in to the monitor if needed although the aim is to get software that's actually designed for use with a touchscreen.

Properly designed software removes the need for a mouse and keyboard, in normal use there are no operations required that can't be done with touch screen buttons with your fingers. Trying to use a touchscreen with software designed for a desktop PC with a mouse and keyboard is really frustrating when you're travelling across country and need to enter a waypoint !

The spare USB ports get used for bluetooth and WiFi dongles when I'm at home,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use a Walkabout tablet. The screen is just over 10" so not to hard to find space for it. The advantage of these squadie proof machines are that they are IP 67 rated - 100% dust proof and waterproof to a depth of 1m, (Yes I tried it)

They do make a vehicle mount but the cheapest second hand ones are over £200.. As for a mount I have mde one from perspex.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for all the great info and advice. Not being particularly into computers, I didn't even know most of those that are being used even existed! :( I'm now on the lookout on fleabay for any of the models mentioned, and will take it from there. Also good to see some actual mounts. More install pics would still be great! If I end up with something that looks half way decent - and works - it'll be thanks to the forum advice, and I'll post. :)

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many thanks for all the great info and advice. Not being particularly into computers, I didn't even know most of those that are being used even existed! :( I'm now on the lookout on fleabay for any of the models mentioned, and will take it from there. Also good to see some actual mounts. More install pics would still be great! If I end up with something that looks half way decent - and works - it'll be thanks to the forum advice, and I'll post. :)

Mike

try also http://www.cartft.com and http://www.cartft.com/catalog/il/884

I have a Via M10000 in a Voom case (rock solid) with 1Gb Ram and a 30Gb HDD from a laptop and a M1-ATX power supply

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's some pics of the mount I use which is stainless steel knocked up by a mate. It just fits snugly in the ashtray hole and rests against my Mud console, doesn't rattle or vibrate. I originally used an inverter to run the PS but I now have a 12V laptop supply.

post-2194-1241448374_thumb.jpg post-2194-1241448398_thumb.jpg post-2194-1241448441_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

101sean,

Absolutely brill. Thanks for sharing it.

Having bid on Fleabay, unsuccessfully, for a couple of HP TC1100 - they went for what seems a lot of money - I'm going for a Walkabout Hammermead XRT, from these guys, in the states:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DRS-HAMMERHEAD-XRT-W...p3286.m63.l1177

Although they say delivery to USA only, they're delivering to Canada for me ($15), and it's being hand carried from there.

When it's in :unsure: and working :) I'll post.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, All, for the very practical advice - just what I was looking for.

RichardAllen, do you have any pics of your install, please.

Dave W, where did you mount your IP67 box, how did you connect to the screen, and what about a keyboard, or does your user interface do away with the keyboard altogether? Again, any pics available, please?

flatback90, how did you install your laptops, please?

Many thanks for any help.

Mike

Mike,

Sorry not to reply earlier. I am doing a bent cylinder head just now, but will try and get some pic's alter in the week.

Regards

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

101sean,

Absolutely brill. Thanks for sharing it.

Having bid on Fleabay, unsuccessfully, for a couple of HP TC1100 - they went for what seems a lot of money - I'm going for a Walkabout Hammermead XRT, from these guys, in the states:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DRS-HAMMERHEAD-XRT-W...p3286.m63.l1177

Although they say delivery to USA only, they're delivering to Canada for me ($15), and it's being hand carried from there.

When it's in :unsure: and working :) I'll post.

Mike

Mike,

I hope the Hammerhead works for you, let us all know how you get on with it.

Some thoughts:

I assume you will use a GPS wired into a USB port rather than bluetooth. You have to provide power to a bluetooth GPS receiver anyway, so you might as well hardwire it.

I found on my 90 that I got poor GPS reception until I velcro'd the receiver to the sunroof.

I did try out the new HP TX2 multi-touch - underwhelmed.

I would also highly recommend GPSgate. I use it to pipe GPS to both PC Navigator and Memory Map at the same time, for instant switching between on-road and off-road when out and about.

My Mk 1 mount allows the tablet to mbe easily removed and put in the cubby box for security. The Mk2, if I ever get to build it will do so too.

Regards

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Richard,

Thanks for your points about USB connection versus Bluetooth, and GPSgate. That looks interesting. I've already got a Tom Tom 500, a few years old now, which I was planning on using for on-road, but I may rethink my plans. Do you know if an equivalent full map and database package is available from anyone, so that I could have the functionality of the Tom Tom, for route planning and finding addresses, without needing their hardware?

My GPS receiver is going to be a WSG-1000 from www.wintec.com. I don't know yet where that'll be mounted. I've been using one of their earlier models, both in car and within the aluminium body of a commercial helicopter, and it works well in both. I've just received this new one, and it's brill - at least, I think so :P . Wintec are also developing a CBB (Car Black Box) which is on their website, but isn't available for sale yet. This promises to be a great vehicle tracking device for security use. If it becomes available within the next few months I may just get it.

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. By using our website you agree to our Cookie Policy