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Winter car stereo project (7" Android Tablet Install)


claine650
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Figured I'd post this up to see if anyone else has done an install like this or plans to, feel free to post up suggestions, comments, info...

Anyway, I just got my jeep wrangler about 3 months ago8223fd8a6d4dd2fe4c4d9f6348c9aff9.jpg, and I've been saving up some coins to replace the whole stereo system. Starting with the OEM cassette radio head unit I wanted to get rid of36a64dfde523e588804c0df1bebf490e.jpg, I scoured the interwebs in search of a new unit. Came to realize quickly that my jeep has not a single din bezel, nor a double din bezel as it looks, but what they call a 1.5 din bezel...so to buy a actual 1.5 size head unit they are pretty pricey to get with all the features I wanted, a regular double din touchscreen can be had for a third the price but then fitting that into my dash would require some modification which I am planning to avoid to keep things simple. I then stumbled Upon some super cheap android tablets on ebay that has some pretty killer hardware inside, like quad-core 1.4ghz processors, 1gb DDR3 memory, newest version of android 4.4.4, bluetooth 4.0, literally everything all the top dollar feature tablets are offering. All this for the price of $65 for the 7", and I don't recall if the company I bought from actually makes these in u.s., but they are based in groveport, ohio. The brand is iRulu, and I have to say I am thoroughly impressed with this tablet so far for the price I paid. It's extremely fast and does everything and more than what I need it to for being a car audio/media system.3564b310a8e5659c7417fee5aaa1ced0.jpg

There were now only a few things to figure out, how to allow the tablet to play through the car speakers, and how to mount it.

So I then decided on a small 800w 4 channel amplifier that was also around $65, actually a marine water resistant amp with everything needed to wire it up minus a new radio harness I also purchased for $10a31af70f7a3d655458bb736effa15337.jpg

It's really a perfect size for my purpose since it'll fit into the space of the old radio and makes the routing of the rca to headphones cable much easier. most of the reviews I read on this particular amp were really good and many of the people who reviewed have installed these on their all-terrain side by sides like Polaris razors and what not since you you can play music Straight Through The Amp From Any device, No Head Unit required. This thing has seriously impressed me as well with its simplicity and it's output. It produces very good sound, and definitely more than loud enough through my stock speakers which I'll be replacing soon also.

So that took care of the Wiring coversion to get sound out of the tab, next was the mounting system. Now since I wanted to be able to remove the tablet anytime to sync new Media, i needed to figure out a clean way of attaching it to the space of the old radio and still have convenient access to the side buttons, power cord, and output jack. (All of which are on one side which I find perfect for being a designated car tablet)

i was just thinking of options the other day trying to decide if i should buy a clamping tablet windshield mount to modify against a backing plate and fill the space that way, but i didn't really like the idea of fiddling with some plastic clamp. Then I'm thinking, you know, a magnet attachment system would be awesome, easy to implement and convenient to use. Then I just have to figure out where the hell I'm gonna get a good magnet to use that i can attach and have it hold the tablet in place without being to weak or too strong of course.

Well went to Walmart today and was poking around in the automotive sections and to my happy surprise, the brand Scosche is way ahead of me of that magnet mount idea. Apparently in their marketing department "magnetism" is "magic" thus why it's called the magic mount. But either way this thing is awesome, $12 and it's exactly want I had in mind, super easy to use. 97cd0666b55b2a74faba0eb3496b089a.jpg8b3e61bbc8b669a5477a5ccc29ce559d.jpg384101f613122767db6a7ef4a953b2f4.jpg

now all I need to do is make up a backing plate to bolt in and cover up the hole and allow the charging cord and media cord to pass through to the tablet, then I can stick my magnet to it and shazam, tablet car stereo for the win, all for around $150 which I like [emoji41]

this is an on going project, so I'll be posting up more pictures of the final install and updates as it continues.

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Tips:

Use a bluetooth receiver and wireless qi charging to go completely wireless for cleaner install.

Get a bluetooth obd2 doohickey and download the torque app to your tablet and it will double as a complete vehicle information center.

Find a gps app that you can download maps to (vs the device using Mobile data to provide map data) and boom, touch screen navigation.

Might as well get as much function as possible.... I bet you could find a way to use a usb camera as a backup cam too.

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Tips:

Use a bluetooth receiver and wireless qi charging to go completely wireless for cleaner install.

Get a bluetooth obd2 doohickey and download the torque app to your tablet and it will double as a complete vehicle information center.

Find a gps app that you can download maps to (vs the device using Mobile data to provide map data) and boom, touch screen navigation.

Might as well get as much function as possible.... I bet you could find a way to use a usb camera as a backup cam too.

Great tips, those are definitely things I'll be integrating later on aswell. The plan is to continuously refine the aesthetics of the system, I feel like tablets in cars is going to be very common place in the near future, I know this has been done many times already but it is a fun and easy project to take on. After I get the install roughly done and usable I'm replacing all the speakers then going back to make it all wireless.
This a great source for some nice tech. Thanks!
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Watch the Bluetooth receiver you use. Some will degrade the quality and sound level alot.

I use a Sony Ericsson mw600 receiver and the sound is great but it doesn't run while on a charger which is how you'd have to keep it, so if you do go wireless make sure it's a unit that will work while charging.

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I use a Sony Ericsson mw600 receiver and the sound is great but it doesn't run while on a charger which is how you'd have to keep it, so if you do go wireless make sure it's a unit that will work while charging.

I've always had good success with bluetooth tech. It's definitely an area where you get what you pay for, so i wouldn't cheap out on the receiver. I'm also not worried about having two barley visible wires connected to my device since it won't be removed all that often.

I'm in the process of doing the same, got most of the stuff ordered.

Hell yeah, post up some install results to see another example when you get there.

I've got the piece that fills the hole of the old head unit mocked up in place with my magnet stuck to it, so I've been test running the whole set up and I am very happy with it, the magnet holds the tablet perfectly and it doesn't budge when hitting bumps or potholes. Just waiting for my constant charging cord with step down module and new aux. Cable both with 90 degree ends to look more flush. Plan on more pics when I get it tidied up here soon.

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I've always had good success with bluetooth tech. It's definitely an area where you get what you pay for, so i wouldn't cheap out on the receiver. I'm also not worried about having two barley visible wires connected to my device since it won't be removed all that often.

Hell yeah, post up some install results to see another example when you get there.

I've got the piece that fills the hole of the old head unit mocked up in place with my magnet stuck to it, so I've been test running the whole set up and I am very happy with it, the magnet holds the tablet perfectly and it doesn't budge when hitting bumps or potholes. Just waiting for my constant charging cord with step down module and new aux. Cable both with 90 degree ends to look more flush. Plan on more pics when I get it tidied up here soon.

Mine will be in my Subi. I've been reading all kinds of stuff should be interesting. 

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Off topic. But looks like you got the better end if your vehicle trade. Nice setup.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Your absolutely right on that lol.

There is a reason the previous owner wanted to trade it off c0364a1fbe38a77c140292892bfa9d6a.jpg

Both sides of frame rotted out almost completely.... but nothing you can fix with mo' metal haha. d049dd2532fa34780c25965d000d78c0.jpg6c4dc1757c1e82575ef75b1945e60a7d.jpg

Still figure she's worth twice what my car was, and I love this thing, so win win [emoji4]

Chad - Have a link to where ya got the tablet / model number, etc?

I need something similar.

Thanks.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=291292572681&alt=web

IRULU X1s 8gb 7"

They make a 10" thats pretty much the same also

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IRULU X1s 8gb 7"

They make a 10" thats pretty much the same also

Thanks - just bought it.

 

I need one to mount on my tour bike for tunes on long highway drones. Don't wanna fuck up a high dollar iPad and this one I won't really give a shit about if it get wasted, lost, stolen, etc.

Should do the trick in the shop for internet radio as well.,

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tore my dash apart last night. Got to get me a amp. Was just going to plug it into my existing head unit, but when I do and it starts charging, I'm getting noise from the electrical system. So I'm going to go the amp route.

Got a AMP for free.

Nicee. How'd you manage that?

As for the noise while charging, that's something I'm looking to minimize also. Evidently they sell high quality AUX. Cords that reduce noise, and also there are apps in the market that help solve this too.

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