Scratch Build – In Progress RX8-CarPooter - July 27th 2009 - Software: WIP. Hardware: Nearly done.

Ah alright, well that's fine then

Now I just need to get a good way of getting 2 RCA plugs + audi into the comp and some recording software.


Considering getting 2 more cameras if the first 2 turn out to be good. Have 2 in the front, one for each side, 1 for the rear, and 1 for the interior pointing at my dash from the rear seats.


Looking forward to getting those cams


Edit:

Turns out they make PCI DVR kits, awesome! Sadly they're full-size PCI cards, sigh. Might get a stand-alone DVR system thing then, but that would mean potential headaches for powering it, hm.

Other thing, the cameras wouldn't pull that much wattage right? The PSU is still fairly small, I don't see how it would be near capacity, but always good to double-check.

 

The camera should have some specs, such as 12v 100ma - in which case it would be .12w

Are the cameras for parking? For trackday videos? Both?

 

Ok that's what I thought about the draw, shouldn't be much then.

It's to record the road as I'm driving, in the event I hit someone, or someone hits me, or I come across something funny, scary, insane, etc. I want to be able to show video proof.

It's for safety purposes basically. And also because I've had a few problems with cops giving me bullsh*t tickets for stuff I didn't do but because I was alone and with no recording equipment, had no way of proving them false in court except for my word.


I've got my eyes on the following gear actually (I hadn't yet ordered the 2 bullet cams):

DVR:
http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Camera-Mobile...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:2|294:30

DVR might require some fun wiring there.. I wonder if I can just do it the same way I have the PSU, wire it to a fuse, and then have the negative go through the cig lighter so it turn on/off with the ignition like the comp.


IR Cam for front:
http://cgi.ebay.com/550-LINE-HQ1-Ex...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30

12v 400ma

Reg cam for rear:
http://cgi.ebay.com/550-RES-Sony-CC...id=p4634.c0.m14.l1262&_trkparms=|293:1|294:30

12v 120ma


If the IR cam works real well, I'll get 3 more and put the standard color cam elsewhere.

 

okay
now this should be good
ive just glanced at this build
but all ready ive go to say
I LOVE IT!!!!
i will be following suit with my own car-puter mod eventually
blasted warranties
making me wait like this

 

can someone re-do this link for me
its not working
hows the mod coming btw?

 

I can only work on it during the weekends unfortunately, too busy with work and the garage is always in-use (cept on weekends).

 

I have a mobile dvr system similar to what you see on cops for the dash cam. It supports four cameras, speed, and gps. All powered off 12v. Haven't installed it yet though.

 

Great work..

 

OMG my maths is so bad, i wasn't even drunk when i posted that crap before

12 @100ma is 1.2w and 12v @520ma is 6.24w. So if you get three more ir cams, thats (4 x 400ma) + 120ma = 1720ma @12v = 20.64w

This is still probably no problem for your psu, and some quality rca leads will handle that much current with next to no loss - even some cheap rca leads would perform at a very similar level.

Be carefull with trying to outsmart a cop that just wants to take someone down for something. If you can get out of one thing with the footage to back you up, they'll probably just try to get you for something else. A cop on a power trip does not want to be put in his place - i've got out of a few tickets just by biting my tongue and saying everything they want to hear, so they feel like the super supreme being they think they are. Stuff like "yeah, you're right, i'm wrong...." They love that crap, and i'll cough it up for a minute if it's gonna save me a couple of hundred dollars

 

Hmm, I'm not sure how much the current stuff draws, but I shouldn't be over 160W, I hope.


And it's not for the moment, it's for court evidence, once you go to court, they can't add anything more, so it would be just be irrefutable evidence I could use.

Anyways, I'll be ordering the DVR and the IR camera tomorrow and receive em sometime next week if all goes well.

Still going up against massive problems with CentraFuse, their support guys can't figure it out, and neither can I.

 

Hey, just to let you know, unless you can build a shroud between the camera lens and the ir led's, all you're going to see through the window is a big ass bright spot. I had to pull my camera's apart to unhook the led's. I've been testing them out my room window...

 

Yea, I'll have to figure out something after I get to test the camera in the car.


Anyways, DVR + IR Camera came in today! I'm rather pissed as one of the wall transformers is broken and the 160Gbs HD for the DVR is nowhere to be found.

Here are pics:

Hi-res:http://www.tech-burrow.com/bittech/DSC_0214.jpg


Hi-res:http://www.tech-burrow.com/bittech/DSC_0215.jpg


Hi-res:http://www.tech-burrow.com/bittech/DSC_0216.jpg


The camera is significantly bigger than I expected, I'll have to figure out some form of custom mount for it. The DVR seems decent, however I can't test it since I only have 1 working transformer and both DVR & camera need a 2A transformer. The camera is rated for 12V 750mA but won't run on anything lower than 2A.. I don't know why.


Anyways, the DVR surprisingly runs off 12V 2A as well, so I was thinking I should just get a 230W PSU to replace the puny 160W and just run everything from the PSU, DVR + cameras. Thoughts on this?

 

Based on the wattage of the camera and the DVR (12v @ 2a = 24w), I would think a 230w PSU would be plenty for running everything. I personally would run everything off of the PSU because it would be easier from a wiring standpoint, and from a view of powering everything down. Turn off the computer, everything else goes off with it.

 

Right, and the PSU has a fuse on it which means I don't need to bother with it. Alright so that's good, now just gotta wait for next paycheck..


Ninja-Edit:
The guy is sending me the HD and replacement wall-wart transformer thingy, hurrah

 

yay for the hd and replacement part lol. looking good.

 

-snipped-

Anyways, the HD and wall-wart came in, I've been testing the cam inside the house and outside, works really well, the DVR works well too. I'm very pleased with the purchase. I'm working on acquiring a 300ZX Z32, so most likely won't get to work on anything this weekend.

 

glad to see this build coming along. and yeah, the guys over at CF are complete tards and basically weren't reading what you were posting. idiots. I woulda come out and said hey, must be something with CF seeing as it all works outside of CF. lolz.

 

Pics!

 

Just read the forum you linked to, seems like the standard bs, everything except their product is wrong. Makes you laugh after the amount of hoops you jumped through and they still think its not their problem. I think I saw you used 3 different computers and 3 different OS's.

 

Soon

Yup, XP, Vista, 7, the carpc I tried with XP & Vista, my main XP/Vista/7 and the P4 Vista.

So I actually did have time to work today, was going to hook-up the DVR and camera to the PSU, I'd barely gotten the console off when the skies darkened and lightning started flashing across the sky and shortly after it started pissing rain. Garage's full unfortunately so no work today since I need to go to Miami later today, unless it stops a few hours from now.


Anyways, glad to see you guys are still interested


Ninja-Edit:

Well it seems I've lost the PSU somewhere along with my solder and tip-tinner thing.. Wanted to prepare the molex connectors I was going to need for the DVR and Camera but without solder, and I can't find my electrical tape either, nor my car PSU, well.. yea.. >.>


Well I spose the bright-side is the 250W PSU seems to have dropped in price a bit, though I won't be able to afford one for the next 2 weeks or so:

http://store.mp3car.com/M4_ATX_250W_Intelligent_DC_DC_PSU_p/pwr-031.htm


In the meantime, I shall keep looking