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Joel61

[Tut] How to install a Android tablet as a head deck in your car

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Hey, so I thought I should share a video I made awhile back with you guys here.
If you have any questions just ask

(Installed in a 2001 e46)

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what are the rough costs involved to do this?

For me I did a bit of trial and error, so I cost me much more than it would cost you in total with all setups, but to do setup #3

(all prices are in NZD)

Nexus 7 (second hand) = $90-100~

Bezel = $30 (from ebay)

Secondary head deck = $70-150 (depending on what features you want, or if you already have one it's free)

USB car charger = $3

And I think that's everything

So compared to existing units it is much cheaper.

With my parts, it was about $200~ (prices may of changed since then)

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

Edited by Joel61

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I wish I could fit one in the dash of an E36 but it would require some modification of the dash since it's only 7.5 inches wide not 7.87 and the A/C controls would need to be relocated.

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I wish I could fit one in the dash of an E36 but it would require some modification of the dash since it's only 7.5 inches wide not 7.87 and the A/C controls would need to be relocated.

I had to relocate my Ac controls, but you could always get a bracket or Window mount and mount it on top of everything, it won't look the best, but it still means that it's fully modular if you want to take it in and out you can

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

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I like apart from the loc of the headunit. been looking at ideas for the e36 but cant think of much apart from an iphone or ipod touch.

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I like apart from the loc of the headunit. been looking at ideas for the e36 but cant think of much apart from an iphone or ipod touch.

Loc? And it would have to be an android phone instead of an iPhone or ipod as you can t use anything like tasker on that, but yeah an android phone would work for you, it just might be a bit to small. You can always install apps that change the DPI to make everything bigger so buttons are easier to hit and text is easier to read

Edit:

Oh just worked out you meant location...

Edited by Joel61

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Yea sorry i wrote while i was still watching the video. And i agree sadly haha will look at a Samsung note or something thats nice and big but not to big.

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Yea sorry i wrote while i was still watching the video. And i agree sadly haha will look at a Samsung note or something thats nice and big but not to big.

So a 5 inch tablet instead of a 7 inch like mine

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

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you get android head units now?

You can, but I made mine, the ones you buy are about 3x the price of mine though

Edited by Joel61

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Great idea! Something for the future for ours

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Great project. Like the way that it issues little room in the dash and the apps your using.

The issue you where having with the Dacs is the factory amp was expecting balanced audio so running a unbalanced output of 2 volts doesn't give enough drive. The BMW balanced amp input is expecting close to 8 volts . So basically you get 5 watts per channel peak.

Edited by Neal
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Great project. Like the way that it issues little room in the dash and the apps your using.

The issue you where having with the Dacs is the factory amp was expecting balanced audio so running a unbalanced output of 2 volts doesn't give enough drive. The BMW balanced amp input is expecting close to 8 volts . So basically you get 5 watts per channel peak.

Thanks for this information, it now makes much more sense.

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Just saw this great mod.

 

What is the sound quality like?

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1 minute ago, zero said:

Just saw this great mod.

 

What is the sound quality like?

As good as the stock speakers. So it pretty good. if you want to make it even better, you can just hook up a amp and sub etc.
(Also I need to make another update video as I have changed and upgraded a bunch of stuff)

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Yes an update vid would be good.

 

I'd love to one day have a tablet for my dash connected to torque showing speed, revs, temps etc.

And maybe with an external steering wheel button (like in your other diy) you could switch between screen views, so one would be stock with speed,revs and temps etc, then one with gps and speed, one with track data for track days etc, one with music and speeds.

It would proboably have to be a big tablet though

 

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Yeah it's awesome, I have it hooked up to torque as well, and since the other mod is fully custom, you could fully program it to do what you are suggesting. The 7" tablets fit perfectly in the E46, but I mean you could put an iPad pro in which is basically the same size as a tesla screen (Crazy big). People have done that with an iPad pro before, although not in an E46.

The app I use for track days is called RaceChrono Pro. It is an AMAZING APP and I would fully recommend it.

But if you are in the area or at any meet coming up I can show you it all in more detail.

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27 minutes ago, Joel61 said:

Yeah it's awesome, I have it hooked up to torque as well, and since the other mod is fully custom, you could fully program it to do what you are suggesting. The 7" tablets fit perfectly in the E46, but I mean you could put an iPad pro in which is basically the same size as a tesla screen (Crazy big). People have done that with an iPad pro before, although not in an E46.

The app I use for track days is called RaceChrono Pro. It is an AMAZING APP and I would fully recommend it.

But if you are in the area or at any meet coming up I can show you it all in more detail.

I mean put a big screen in the dash in place of the analogue cluster.

 

Come along to the next coffee and cars meet.

I'd love to see your setup.

 

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May be a little hard to do, but definitely possible! 

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IMAGE_130.jpg

 

Like, a good looking version of this

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Got any details or the link to that setup? Looks quite interesting, actually quite interested in the screen/tablet 

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Cool. Finally something to do with these N7s sitting here. (Woes of a computer geek...)

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@zero thats quite interesting, turns out it's just a tablet (like mine) but it's a app that his ECU made, so it's purpose built which is quite cool! 

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