Develop Bugs

Car System with NOTE

I want to make the beast (aka note) the centre of entertainment/info in my car.
The problem: My car has no aux input.
Solution: FM Transmitter.
Now I tried a few cheapo fm transmitters, and they all had horrible sound connection. The transmission was fine but something was wrong. I pretty much gave up on this idea until I tried my brother's fm transmitter. It was crystal, however it had long cables which dangled over the driver -not ideal. Also, his one was from a good company and cost $120 -yikes.
Anyways, just the other day I saw my friends set-up. All he had was this:
{
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Which can be bought off ebay for ~$15, or even cheaper from other sources.
It is the perfect companion, since the rigid arm holds the phone just firm enough. It cleanly connects to fm. And charges it simultaneously.
Here's one for example: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/FM-Trans...Accessories&hash=item20c69cb619#ht_3654wt_905
After looking for it for many hours, I can't find a suitable one for androids.
For once, I am jelly over Apple's monopoly of its proprietary connector.
Any good solutions you guys know of?

Why would you bother, just buy radio with aux and a stand.

dawids2k8 said:
Why would you bother, just buy radio with aux and a stand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, this was your first post on xda, I'm honored.
The thing is, I'm not planning on keeping this car for too many years... so a new head-unit will be a little pointless and expensive. Another thing, there is a separate display unit which pairs with the headunit...so removing it will stuff that up (which is handy for quick time and temperature).
It plays CD's but I don't have any cd's...they're all digital media.
I know I'm not the only one with an Android phone who has this problem, so a solution is out there.
Anyways, I found these solutions on ebay:
1) Bought, tested, its useless. Cables float everywhere. Costs ~$5.
Picture: http://i875.photobucket.com/albums/ab314/youkeshu/youkeshu-7/AA404_5-ALL.jpg
2)Then I found this one, costs ~$11, also suffers from the same noise distortion. Again cables galore!
Picture: http://cdn1.sellerimage.com/cdn2/120802/9e/78/f4/fmt-uni023_1_cc.jpg
3) I found this. Its just like the first crappy one. This one I haven't bought and tested, it may actually work well. But again cables galore!
Picture: http://i867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/ebay510/home and garden/CBA00031-1.jpg
4) Okay I found this a working solution. The seller contacted me said it doesn't have the noise problem like the other options and backs it up with a full refund. Sad part is it costs ~$45...and what makes it worse is that the cables are still hanging about but at least not as much as the solutions prior to this.
Picture: http://gomadic.us/imgs-prod/fmt/samsung-galaxy-2-car-auto-charger-fm-transmitter.jpg

I finally found a (2yo?) thread in Google where they were discussing the same thing for the original Droid.
Anyways, I found a link to it on Amazon but it was discontinued.
Luckily enough, it was "related" to another product which led me to find this:
http://www.amazon.com/GOgroove-Flex...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339419456&sr=1-39
Same as the iPhone dock, only costs double the price. Instead of Apple connector, its a microUSB.
edit:
Hold on, found this. Same product (moreless) but $18
http://www.amazon.com/Accessory-Pow...?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1339419702&sr=1-19
edit:
Okay now its pouring in, found an even cheaper one ($13) lol.
http://www.amazon.com/GSI-Dock-Moun...-Smartphones/dp/B004006L7W/ref=pd_sim_sbs_e_2

Okay, so there was more to this story than I thought. Wondering how I couldn't find any in the sea of thousands of other (mostly iphone) fm transmitters.
Anyways, back on ebay and finally found this:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/17083475...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_3398wt_1270
Same as the other ones (~$20) but ships Internationally so anyone can get a hold of it.
It looks to be too small to fit the beast, and the seller hasn't responded back to my message.
But another seller has.
And no, the clamps maximum width is 80mm. We need at least 83mm, or ~90mm (comfortably) to clamp the note. But I have good news from the seller:
"But we will list another item which will fit for your Samsung NOTE,
Please come back to our shop 10 days later,or I can notice you when we list the item."
"Ok,I will let you know when we get new model.
Please don't worry,we have professional Technician?"
I'll keep this thread updated once I get my hands on it.
(ps I broke my windshield mount the other day, so hopefully 2-angry-birds-1-stone)

just to let u know, transmitters/holders that plugs into the cigarette lighter last a week max.
once the rubber that that goes into the cigarette light wears out, its all over, it wont stay up.

werks said:
just to let u know, transmitters/holders that plugs into the cigarette lighter last a week max.
once the rubber that that goes into the cigarette light wears out, its all over, it wont stay up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input.
I'm going to try anyway and give a review. It shouldn't cost much $15-$30 so the burden wouldn't be great.
And if it does fall apart, I'm planning on modifying it so it becomes a windshield mount.
That way I can have eyes on the road, and glanceable navigation... while having music from car speakers and hands-free phone function. The Ultimate Road Warrior! xD

this is what i would do if i werent to invest in a head unit.
www.firesport.com.au, buy a 2nd hand amp for cheap.
connect the amp to speakers.
connect the note directly to amp via cheapo 3.5mm to aux cable.
sound quality will be 10x better than transmitter lol.
migrate amp to next car

werks said:
this is what i would do if i werent to invest in a head unit.
www.firesport.com.au, buy a 2nd hand amp for cheap.
connect the amp to speakers.
connect the note directly to amp via cheapo 3.5mm to aux cable.
sound quality will be 10x better than transmitter lol.
migrate amp to next car
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks.
Of course the advantage of the ebay item is that its too easy to setup and can work in literally all cars. And the unit is still purposeful even if the fm isn't transmitting (ie phone holder + charger).
And you will definitely get x10 better sound via a wired solution.
I'm tempted to try both methods, not much to lose.
For now I just have to wait and see the item description when its up and report back.

The problem is the head unit in some cars, such as mine, are built in and cannot actually be changed our it's a big job. I was still using my Nokia N8 for music duties untill last week as it has a transmitter built in, but I've just gotten a Belkin from Amazon and it's superb. Still has to be plugged into the cigarette lighter but I don't mind that.

FlamingGoat said:
The problem is the head unit in some cars, such as mine, are built in and cannot actually be changed our it's a big job. I was still using my Nokia N8 for music duties untill last week as it has a transmitter built in, but I've just gotten a Belkin from Amazon and it's superb. Still has to be plugged into the cigarette lighter but I don't mind that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're into a bit of soldering, I have successfully added aux into older cassette deck stereos and my DAB stereo clock radio.
Basically, you open up the head unit/radio, google the chip numbers, find a datasheet. Only one of them will be some kind of mixer/preamp/processing chip. Find the pins that are the input L/R and ground. Then solder a 3.5mm stereo lead in. Close it up, plug in your phone, hey presto, AUX in! And better than any FM transmitter.
On the cassette radio, I just wired in to the cassette audio input and disconnected the tape motors. On my clock radio, I added a 2 pole 2 way switch to toggle between the tuner input and my phone. Later I'll add a bluetooth input to get rid of the slight noise hum when my phone is charging.

I bought one,but broken one.

china2834 said:
I bought one,but broken one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which one?
Can you link it for us.
I got a response from another seller, and one from local. They won't be getting it.
Its been 6 days since I received the email from one seller who said they will get NOTE compatible models (hopefully 90mm wide, so NOTE with case can also fit).
So there's another 4 days until he will respond back to me with the link, and then probably a week or two until I can test it.
Getting excited!

I know you said you wouldnt be keeping this car long but imho you would be much better served changing your head unit to one with bluetooth. You can find used ones in great condition shipped on ebay for$100. Installation time is under an hour. Trust me its worth it. My head (eclipse cd5030) automatically connects to my phone as soon as i start the car. No wires, just press play. And also, it has a usb plug for charging it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

That's a good idea.
My options seem to be:
-FM transmitter/dock
-Change head unit for Bluetooth (break the overhead display and car cpu though)
-Change head unit for AUX in (break the overhead display and car cpu though)
-Install a low-powered/cheap amplifier with an AUX in.
Here's the inside of my car (though not so new, heh):
The head unit (ie CD slot and music controls) is located in the middle of the centre-console.
The actual display for it is displayed higher up on the centre-console.
The display is also wired into the car, if the engine runs out of power for a second, it locks and needs the password. Same thing if I jump start someone.
If I can install a new head-unit without stuffing up the relay going between the display and car cpu, I'd be all set... I wished I was more experienced in this field
Anyways, I've already decided on my next car, so I better start saving now:

I may be wrong buddy but i believe that your stock equipment is set up for an optional CD changer from the factory so there will be an option for an auxiliary input..
What you need to do is call an aftermarket car audio supplier and ask about a 3rd party wiring loom, more than likely they will have a plug in solution for it..

bazrippa said:
I may be wrong buddy but i believe that your stock equipment is set up for an optional CD changer from the factory so there will be an option for an auxiliary input..
What you need to do is call an aftermarket car audio supplier and ask about a 3rd party wiring loom, more than likely they will have a plug in solution for it..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with that,
Kangal,
Most of the car stereos have port to get AUX out behind. An audio shop can use this to get a 3.5 mm female port

A new quality brand like pioneer car stereo with aux on the front is about $45 NZ these days. Problem solved. And you never know your stereo may have line in in the back you could use.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

I have the same problem as you.
My solution requires the following equipment :
1. Jabra SB600 car hands free
2. Original Samsung car dock for Note.
You basically pair your Note with Jabra via bluetooth and the Jabra transmits the audio via FM to your car radio. Simple, clean, no wire solution. Music and calls play via your car speakers and the Jabra's DSP does a fantastic job to cut out ambient noise in a moving car.
The sound quality is decent. Probably not the very best, but bearable. And more importantly, it gets the task done without any extra wires and stuff. Consider it a trade-off between ripping out / modding your car stereo and making no changes at all.
Though the Jabra's price may be a bit steep, it is a better bet if you consider it against replacing your stereo or spending the time (and taking the risk) on modding it.
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda app-developers app

I'm assuming that not a whole lot of people here are really into cars. I am really into modding my car and one aspect of that is audio. I love car audio and have a moderately nice system in my car. I can say that if you're looking for a good way to integrate your phone as your main source of media, then perhaps a new head unit would be a great upgrade for both your media and for your car.
Some people may be on a tight budget, and if so then the previously mentioned solutions may be the only options viable to you, but if you are willing to branch out and see what you can do with your ICE (in car entertainment), then you may find something that you might want to invest in.
So what are the options? You can use a wired fm transmitter, and as people have mentioned, you're dealing with wires and such. You also have wireless fm transmitters, which eliminates your wiring, and your results don't stray far from the wired transmitters in terms of sound quality. If you're willing to upgrade your headunit, then you have two options, single dins which is the base tier headunit. It has most, if not all, of the features your stock headunit has, and a few extras. If it is equipped with bluetooth, you can send/make calls from the headunit, but most single dins don't solve your audio needs in this way. What you want to look for is if it equipped with USB, so you can connect your phone via USB and play your music that way. Yes it does involve wiring, but there have been many ways to tie in a nice docking station for your phone to really make it appealing to many users. Double dins are almost always touchscreen type headunits and are a great way to upgrade your system. They have many more features that single dins will not have, such as GPS, movie viewing, etc. These types of headunits will follow single dins in that you will be wiring your phone via USB to source your music. I think there may be some double dins that are capable of bluetooth audio but I am not totally sure as mine does not have that feature as a 2011 model from Alpine.
W W W[dot]thebizzy[dot]com/technical_pages/thebizzy/audio/ipod2.jpg
Here is an example of how many users like to mount their phones/ipods/etc.
I will say that the benefit of a wired connection over a fm transmitted connection is that the sound quality is so much better. Music is much more crisp and clean with none of that distortion. Granted your overall sound quality will be determined by the quality of your speakers, but the differences from a USB connection and an fm transmitted connection are really noticeable.
So think about what your budget is and what you really want in your car audio system/integration. I went with a double din because the features are just spectacular. I do want to note though, that a headunit does not make your car system sound better, you need to upgrade your speakers, amps, subwoofers, etc. The main purpose for a new headunit is features. For me, I went with the double din because of benefits such as GPS, bluetooth (syncs my entire phonebook so I can just search for people whom I need to contact, shows recent call logs, auto answering for incoming calls), better interface when selecting music (it can utilize the entire interface of the ipod giving me access to movies, artists, playlists, genres, etc.), and overall ease of use.
So to conclude I'd recommend you find out what you want, and what your budget is, and start a project because my daily commute is worlds better than what it used to be because I made my upgrade happen. If you have any questions about ICE then feel free to ask.

[Q] Hack Nexus 7 Battery

I would like to buy a nexus 7 to hack it into my wifes car permanently. I am worried about the stock battery in the extreme temp changes. Is there a way I could remove the battery and just have the car battery be it's battery? I can't imagine it draining the battery too much over a day or so.

stupid idea i must say...........
leaving all voltage/current/temperature issues aside, if u somehow do make it work, ur tab's gonna turn off every time when u switch off the ignition (at traffic lights, jams etc).
why not just buy a dashboard dock for ur tab, and a car charger(which is connected via the cigarette lighter outlet), u can leave tht charger connected if u wish.

aritro88 said:
stupid idea i must say...........
leaving all voltage/current/temperature issues aside, if u somehow do make it work, ur tab's gonna turn off every time when u switch off the ignition (at traffic lights, jams etc).
why not just buy a dashboard dock for ur tab, and a car charger(which is connected via the cigarette lighter outlet), u can leave tht charger connected if u wish.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clearly you have no idea what you are talking about, so please refrain from shedding your "brilliance" moving forward. This is nothing new, and people are doing this all over the place.
There are applications to allow the tablet to remain charged while in ignition->off mode, while not draining the vehicle's power (read: trickle charging, essentially). Who the hell turns off their car at traffic lights/jams? I don't know a single person that does this.
There are TONS of advantages to installing a N7 into your vehicle as your primary audio/nav/etc. source. Internet radio, hands free call/SMS over stereo, navigation, etc. all in one for a mere couple hundred dollars.
Do some research before you just slam someone's idea.
OP: Check out an app called Tasker. It allows you to configure the tablet to see vehicle ignition and at that condition, brighten the screen, turn on WiFi/Bluetooth/GPS/etc., and then turn all that stuff off, and go into a low voltage mode. This will take care of your battery concerns.

tasker
Yes I know about tasker and I am sure I can get that to work for ignition on and off. Maybe I need to rephrase my question and shed some more light.What I am wondering is if there is a good way to run it with no battery and use the car completely for power or if it is even possible. I know that tasker will get its info from it if there is power on the charge port but what if I don't use that? What if I give it power directly from the car where the battery should be. Is it possible for me to do that? The only reason I was thinking of doing that is because it would be permanent and I do not want the battery to explode in the summer heat. Could I run the tab with just power over USB and no battery? So that ignition sends power to the Tab and it has no tablet battery ? I have not purchased the tablet yet and was hoping to figure this all out before I start hacking it to pieces. I am not scared to solder or do any of that but I do not know how the tablet will work with no battery so I was hoping someone else would. Thanks

aritro88 said:
stupid idea i must say...........
leaving all voltage/current/temperature issues aside, if u somehow do make it work, ur tab's gonna turn off every time when u switch off the ignition (at traffic lights, jams etc).
why not just buy a dashboard dock for ur tab, and a car charger(which is connected via the cigarette lighter outlet), u can leave tht charger connected if u wish.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do not shut off my car as I do not live in a big city with traffic jams or any of that. I am not worried about voltage/current as I am sure I can figure that out or modify a current 12v to usb charger. Temperature I am also not worried about as I can add heatsinks to everything and fans if needed. I am a little worried about the battery sitting in the car in the heat and that is why I am asking these questions.

StopHammertime said:
Who the hell turns off their car at traffic lights/jams? I don't know a single person that does this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
either u (and the people you know) r very rich, or u hav got a SUPER eco friendly fuel saving car that i dont know about. everyone turns off their ignition when they are stuck at jams n lights.
my guess, u own a normal run off the mill car. so switch off ur engine when required, it'll save u abt 800-1000$ worth of fuel in a year
There are TONS of advantages to installing a N7 into your vehicle as your primary audio/nav/etc. source. Internet radio, hands free call/SMS over stereo, navigation, etc. all in one for a mere couple hundred dollars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not to mention the laborious process of rewiring ur car's electrical systems, dashboard trims etc...........
my process will cost a maximum of abt 10-15$, and at max 2mins of install time. (use a "line-in" cable to route ur tab's audio via the cars existing stereo system)
JohnnyTightlips said:
What I am wondering is if there is a good way to run it with no battery and use the car completely for power or if it is even possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try it with ur cell phone. connect and charger and pull out the battery, see what happens....

JohnnyTightlips said:
I am a little worried about the battery sitting in the car in the heat and that is why I am asking these questions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
??? Heat on the battery will do what ??? I have had a GPS on the dash of my car solid, parked outdoors, for 2 years. Still works fine when plugged in to the 12v adapter, and even holds a charge. Heat may shorten "life" of battery, but if it is also connected to a power cource of the car, should be FINE.:good:

Well from the looks of it no one has a real answer so I am just going to mess around with one when I get it and see what works best for me. I do not mind rewiring the entire car as I planned to do that with new speakers and an amp etc. I have done many car audio installs and I actually enjoy doing it. I think what I will probably end up doing is keeping the battery in it and if it does go bad I can just replace it. The way I see it is it is a pretty cheap tablet to mess around with compared to the thousand plus I would spend on a double din to do the same thing. Plus if I don't like how it works on my test bench then I will just use it as a tablet and not put it in the car. Thanks for the help. Also I don't know a single person who shuts their cars off at stop lights. I am sure it is great on the car to start and stop the motor every 2 minutes. You do realize you use very little gas when at idle. Anyways, thanks for the ideas.

Is this a serious post? Obviously if I am looking to hack a 200$ tablet I am not worried about cost too much. Also your idea is easy but I want it to be integrated and clean. I want it to look nice and not just have wires and mount sitting there.
aritro88 said:
either u (and the people you know) r very rich, or u hav got a SUPER eco friendly fuel saving car that i dont know about. everyone turns off their ignition when they are stuck at jams n lights.
my guess, u own a normal run off the mill car. so switch off ur engine when required, it'll save u abt 800-1000$ worth of fuel in a year
not to mention the laborious process of rewiring ur car's electrical systems, dashboard trims etc...........
my process will cost a maximum of abt 10-15$, and at max 2mins of install time. (use a "line-in" cable to route ur tab's audio via the cars existing stereo system)
try it with ur cell phone. connect and charger and pull out the battery, see what happens....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

aritro88 said:
either u (and the people you know) r very rich, or u hav got a SUPER eco friendly fuel saving car that i dont know about. everyone turns off their ignition when they are stuck at jams n lights.
my guess, u own a normal run off the mill car. so switch off ur engine when required, it'll save u abt 800-1000$ worth of fuel in a year
not to mention the laborious process of rewiring ur car's electrical systems, dashboard trims etc...........
my process will cost a maximum of abt 10-15$, and at max 2mins of install time. (use a "line-in" cable to route ur tab's audio via the cars existing stereo system)
try it with ur cell phone. connect and charger and pull out the battery, see what happens....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this real life? are you serious right now? You have got to either be trolling, or just a complete idiot.
You should have to pass at least a 4rd grade grammar test to post on this forum, because posts like these are just embarrassing to the forum.

aritro88 said:
either u (and the people you know) r very rich, or u hav got a SUPER eco friendly fuel saving car that i dont know about. everyone turns off their ignition when they are stuck at jams n lights.
my guess, u own a normal run off the mill car. so switch off ur engine when required, it'll save u abt 800-1000$ worth of fuel in a year
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
2001 Corvette, I'm not rich, I'm a DIY'er. Isn't that what this forum is for? People that like to do projects and things themselves? Are you not from the US? Literally, no one does that but you. It doesn't take much fuel for a vehicle to sit at idle. In fact, it generally consumes MORE fuel to start a vehicle rather than let it idle for a few minutes rather than turn it off, wait a minute, turn it on, drive a bit, repeat, etc. Care to argue with me about this? I'm an ASE certified technician and will teach you a thing or two.
aritro88 said:
not to mention the laborious process of rewiring ur car's electrical systems, dashboard trims etc...........
my process will cost a maximum of abt 10-15$, and at max 2mins of install time. (use a "line-in" cable to route ur tab's audio via the cars existing stereo system)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Rewiring my car? Haha. No. There's no rewiring involved other than adding an adapter. I think even a 4 year old could handle that task. Dashboard trims should not need modification on most newer vehicles, as most newer vehicles come with a double din or larger console that will either allow for direct fitment, or fitment with a simple install kit. My car requires modification, but it's easy work. It's not for the average Joe when it comes to modifying plastics, no, but you can hire people to do that. Also, again, this is a PROJECT. If you don't like it, shut up about it and don't post. The OP wants to do this, let him do it. Congrats on your cool 2 minute idea, but guess what, it's going to look stupid compared to an in-dash installation. Don't believe me?
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versus
---------- Post added at 10:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 AM ----------
e30andrew said:
Is this real life? are you serious right now? You have got to either be trolling, or just a complete idiot.
You should have to pass at least a 4rd grade grammar test to post on this forum, because posts like these are just embarrassing to the forum.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:good:
lol'd @ 4rd grade

Awesome post.. I see you went the whole nexus dash route, did you end up going with a permanent solution or is the tablet just hiding in there? I wanted to do this for my wife and make it as friendly as possible. I was looking at using the ElementalX kernel so that I could add usb storage while charging, is that what you did? I would also be using co-pilot for gps since I can just download the maps. Did you add a usb-dac to yours? I figured if I am going to spend some money on nice speakers and an amp or two I might as well get the best audio quality. My biggest concern is that this project will be wife proof and it will work well for her on a daily use. I would love to get her steering controls working too but that may be a stretch. I actually love to tinker with this stuff so if it takes a couple weeks to get it working with ignition on off etc and music, gps, etc etc I am totally cool with that. I have done 4 carputer intalls before this but this will be my first tablet job. I figure if it goes well and I really like it then I will do the same to my car.
StopHammertime said:
2001 Corvette, I'm not rich, I'm a DIY'er. Isn't that what this forum is for? People that like to do projects and things themselves? Are you not from the US? Literally, no one does that but you. It doesn't take much fuel for a vehicle to sit at idle. In fact, it generally consumes MORE fuel to start a vehicle rather than let it idle for a few minutes rather than turn it off, wait a minute, turn it on, drive a bit, repeat, etc. Care to argue with me about this? I'm an ASE certified technician and will teach you a thing or two.
Rewiring my car? Haha. No. There's no rewiring involved other than adding an adapter. I think even a 4 year old could handle that task. Dashboard trims should not need modification on most newer vehicles, as most newer vehicles come with a double din or larger console that will either allow for direct fitment, or fitment with a simple install kit. My car requires modification, but it's easy work. It's not for the average Joe when it comes to modifying plastics, no, but you can hire people to do that. Also, again, this is a PROJECT. If you don't like it, shut up about it and don't post. The OP wants to do this, let him do it. Congrats on your cool 2 minute idea, but guess what, it's going to look stupid compared to an in-dash installation. Don't believe me?
versus
---------- Post added at 10:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 AM ----------
:good:
lol'd @ 4rd grade
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

JohnnyTightlips said:
Awesome post.. I see you went the whole nexus dash route, did you end up going with a permanent solution or is the tablet just hiding in there? I wanted to do this for my wife and make it as friendly as possible. I was looking at using the ElementalX kernel so that I could add usb storage while charging, is that what you did? I would also be using co-pilot for gps since I can just download the maps. Did you add a usb-dac to yours? I figured if I am going to spend some money on nice speakers and an amp or two I might as well get the best audio quality. My biggest concern is that this project will be wife proof and it will work well for her on a daily use. I would love to get her steering controls working too but that may be a stretch. I actually love to tinker with this stuff so if it takes a couple weeks to get it working with ignition on off etc and music, gps, etc etc I am totally cool with that. I have done 4 carputer intalls before this but this will be my first tablet job. I figure if it goes well and I really like it then I will do the same to my car.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, that's the build I'm basing mine off of. Mine is going to be very similar, though I did have to do a bit of dash modification to make it fit (I should be done this week and will be posting pics/build thread). The one in the photo is "permanent" (though he simply hot glued brackets to it and it could easily be removed), and mine will be permanent. For $200, I have no issue keeping the thing installed permanently. My current 2013 has CM11 on it, but I haven't tested it with USB OTG (waiting on another cable to arrive), though if it doesn't work, I'll just use the ElementalX kernel with a stock ROM, since I'm sure that will work. Timur is working on a 2013 ROM as well. However, that's exactly what the plan is. 1TB external HDD with the accessory wire switching on a relay to engage the charging/screen on profile for the tablet, then upon key off, kill relay, and switching profile to off profile. I'm using a ByByte QUAD 7850 mini-amp to power everything. (LINK)
Regarding steering wheel controls, though I hear it's possible, I'm told it is a MAJOR project. I'm not going to bother with that, myself.

Sounds awesome, I will be excited to read your write up. I am curious to know how good that little amp will be. I was thinking of doing a 5 channel amp but I really didn't want to tear up the interior to run all the wires. Will you be using stock speakers? Are you using the 3.5mm jack or going to move toward a usb-dac? I will probably just go with a 64gb usb pen drive since my wife will only be doing music and very few movies if ever. I will also be adding fm to mine. Seems like all of this can be easily tested before it is in a car so I might have to take the plunge and start tinkering. Hook me up with a link when you get your write up going. Thanks
StopHammertime said:
Actually, that's the build I'm basing mine off of. Mine is going to be very similar, though I did have to do a bit of dash modification to make it fit (I should be done this week and will be posting pics/build thread). The one in the photo is "permanent" (though he simply hot glued brackets to it and it could easily be removed), and mine will be permanent. For $200, I have no issue keeping the thing installed permanently. My current 2013 has CM11 on it, but I haven't tested it with USB OTG (waiting on another cable to arrive), though if it doesn't work, I'll just use the ElementalX kernel with a stock ROM, since I'm sure that will work. Timur is working on a 2013 ROM as well. However, that's exactly what the plan is. 1TB external HDD with the accessory wire switching on a relay to engage the charging/screen on profile for the tablet, then upon key off, *****. I'm using a ByByte QUAD 7850 mini-amp to power everything. (LINK)
Regarding steering wheel controls, though I hear it's possible, I'm told it is a MAJOR project. I'm not going to bother with that, myself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

JohnnyTightlips said:
Sounds awesome, I will be excited to read your write up. I am curious to know how good that little amp will be. I was thinking of doing a 5 channel amp but I really didn't want to tear up the interior to run all the wires. Will you be using stock speakers? Are you using the 3.5mm jack or going to move toward a usb-dac? I will probably just go with a 64gb usb pen drive since my wife will only be doing music and very few movies if ever. I will also be adding fm to mine. Seems like all of this can be easily tested before it is in a car so I might have to take the plunge and start tinkering. Hook me up with a link when you get your write up going. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The guy who's build I'm replicating used the mini amp, said it was just fine. It's basically the same as the built-in amps on a regular head unit. I may switch to aftermarket speakers/amp/sub in the future, though, so stock speakers for now. Since it has a factory Bose setup, I had to buy a PAC ROEM-VET1 adapter to lower the frequency, which allows me to use the factory speakers.
Yup, definitely can mostly be bench tested first. I haven't done much research on FM. Have you? Any thoughts on how to accomplish that? I really don't care if I never have FM in my car again, but I'm curious to know how people are accomplishing that.
Will do on the link. :good:

StopHammertime said:
The guy who's build I'm replicating used the mini amp, said it was just fine. It's basically the same as the built-in amps on a regular head unit. I may switch to aftermarket speakers/amp/sub in the future, though, so stock speakers for now. Since it has a factory Bose setup, I had to buy a PAC ROEM-VET1 adapter to lower the frequency, which allows me to use the factory speakers.
Yup, definitely can mostly be bench tested first. I haven't done much research on FM. Have you? Any thoughts on how to accomplish that? I really don't care if I never have FM in my car again, but I'm curious to know how people are accomplishing that.
Will do on the link. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I looked into it and people have used something like this DVB-T Realtek RTL2832U Elonics R820T 50MHz-2200MHz HD TV DAB SDR RTL-SDR Project and used it for radio with SDR TOUCH I ordered one already and will see how well it works on a PC before I get the tablet. You would need to get a usb hub working in order to plug it in and your hdd. I learned a lot from Nexus 7 clean car install with backup cam. He is using the older nexus but I am sure a lot of the same stuff applies as long as you have a kernel that supports it which there is now. My wife could not live without NPR so she has to have radio. It is also nice to have radio and not need data, then you know if there are any weather events or crazy things going on.

aritro88 said:
stupid idea i must say...........
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Search YouTube. Some really cool in dash tablet setups out there. They even have modules avail now where you can use your steering wheel controls with the tablet. For a 200$ tablet, N7 not a bad deal for an in dash car setup. There is a great market out there for supplies and Installers on this exact topic!! Some make them removable, some pop into sight when you turn the key.!! I would love to have the time to take on an in dash Android setup, fun project to say the least.
I suppose it would only be a stupid idea for the non Android lovers and boring dudes lacking the love for technology. Negative kids these day

JohnnyTightlips said:
Is this a serious post? Obviously if I am looking to hack a 200$ tablet I am not worried about cost too much. Also your idea is easy but I want it to be integrated and clean. I want it to look nice and not just have wires and mount sitting there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He is trolling.
Sent from my Nexus 7 (2013) using Tapatalk 4

Yes, it's possible, but has some side-effects
Edit: Sorry, didn't see this whole forum section is about the 2013 Nexus 7. But it still might be relevant if anyone dares to do the same hack on a new Nexus 7...
To answer the original question: Yes, it's possible to power the Nexus 7 (old) without battery, but it involves sending power directly to the battery connection inside the Nexus 7, and it seems to have some side-effects.
The battery is a one-cell lithium polymer, which has a max charge of 4.23 V. I hoped the Nexus wouldn't fry when connecting 5 V, and it has worked fine the few minutes I've tested it. No smell of burnt electronics
Here is what I did:
Tear off the tape around the battery cable. You'll see it's soldered to a pcb-board, and the two black and two red wires are soldered together. The two wires in the middle is probably some kind of data-connection to the battery. Will investigate this further later.
Then I soldered loose the cables, so I could use the battery-connector, and soldered both red and black wires to red and black wires in a USB-cable. Drilled a hole in the back-cover right below the NFC-antenna. The back-cover is filled with all sorts of antennas, so scratch carefully with a knife before drilling. Attached some pictures of the process.
Side-effects I've noticed so far:
- It thinks the battery is at 0% and not charging.
- The clock is reset when you turn off the power. But if you have internet it will update from NTP within a minute or so.
- My computer (OS X) can't detect it anymore. So I suspect it doesn't work in USB device-mode anymore, but I'm able to connect a USB-keyboard with an OTG-cable, so it seems to work in host-mode.
Does anyone else have any experience with this, or any ideas why it doesn't work in device-mode? I'm considering adding a small connector so I can use the two extra wires from the battery to the data-wires of the USB-cable (and disconnect when not in use), and then solder a USB female cable to the original battery. That way I can (hopefully) connect the Nexus 7 to my computer when needed, and possibly analyze what the two extra wires is actually used for.
I have CM for Android 4.2, and Timur's USB-rom, but it's probably not needed for this hack, and I will probably install a stock rom if I get this working properly.
Be careful, and don't blame me if you fry your Nexus (or anything else). Be sure to turn off any fast-charge hacks when the battery is disconnected.

You've done some more testing?
I am also trying to connect directly to the car my nexus.
Thanks for the reply
gregersrygg said:
Edit: Sorry, didn't see this whole forum section is about the 2013 Nexus 7. But it still might be relevant if anyone dares to do the same hack on a new Nexus 7...
To answer the original question: Yes, it's possible to power the Nexus 7 (old) without battery, but it involves sending power directly to the battery connection inside the Nexus 7, and it seems to have some side-effects.
The battery is a one-cell lithium polymer, which has a max charge of 4.23 V. I hoped the Nexus wouldn't fry when connecting 5 V, and it has worked fine the few minutes I've tested it. No smell of burnt electronics
Here is what I did:
Tear off the tape around the battery cable. You'll see it's soldered to a pcb-board, and the two black and two red wires are soldered together. The two wires in the middle is probably some kind of data-connection to the battery. Will investigate this further later.
Then I soldered loose the cables, so I could use the battery-connector, and soldered both red and black wires to red and black wires in a USB-cable. Drilled a hole in the back-cover right below the NFC-antenna. The back-cover is filled with all sorts of antennas, so scratch carefully with a knife before drilling. Attached some pictures of the process.
Side-effects I've noticed so far:
- It thinks the battery is at 0% and not charging.
- The clock is reset when you turn off the power. But if you have internet it will update from NTP within a minute or so.
- My computer (OS X) can't detect it anymore. So I suspect it doesn't work in USB device-mode anymore, but I'm able to connect a USB-keyboard with an OTG-cable, so it seems to work in host-mode.
Does anyone else have any experience with this, or any ideas why it doesn't work in device-mode? I'm considering adding a small connector so I can use the two extra wires from the battery to the data-wires of the USB-cable (and disconnect when not in use), and then solder a USB female cable to the original battery. That way I can (hopefully) connect the Nexus 7 to my computer when needed, and possibly analyze what the two extra wires is actually used for.
I have CM for Android 4.2, and Timur's USB-rom, but it's probably not needed for this hack, and I will probably install a stock rom if I get this working properly.
Be careful, and don't blame me if you fry your Nexus (or anything else). Be sure to turn off any fast-charge hacks when the battery is disconnected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Does anyone own this: Pumpkin Quad Core 32GB Inand and 2GB DDR3 memory?

HI, does anyone own this unit?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182051526612
If so, what is your impression of it so far?
I am going to place an order for it to replace my broken Toghai unit.
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Specs:
Unit Size: Double Din in-Dash
CPU: RK3188 Cortex A9 Quad Core
NAND FLASH：: 32GB
Model: 12-RQ0253-US1-A
Screen Size: 7-inch 1024*600 Touchscreen
RAM: DDR3 2GB
Operate System: Android 4.4
If any of you do own it, are there any modifications available for it?

I have it.
big mistake.
the CPU is 3188T that actually run at 1.2ghz.
unknown rom version that not support nothing.
bad launcher. and no 5.1.1 update.
i will replace it with joying.

Damn. Ordered it on Thursday. Should artive next week :/

you can send it back..
i post here several questions about this system with no ensures.

I thought Pumpkin were just rebranded Joyings? If so I would think joying would have a higher horsepower unit under their name first. I wonder who actually produced this and why isn't joying using 2gb of RAM already then?

This product is not from joying. It's an unknown Chinese company.fineyea.
http://www.fineyea.com/
I guess that pumpkin wanted to build a new brand.

cmeyal said:
This product is not from joying. It's an unknown Chinese company.fineyea.
http://www.fineyea.com/
I guess that pumpkin wanted to build a new brand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pumpkin is just a reseller... http://forum.xda-developers.com/wiki/Hui_Fei_Type#Manufacturers

Well, I ordered it on a Thursday afternoon and it arrived on Monday.
Four days is not bad at all, when you figure it is coming from China and having to clear customs.
It came in a box, delivered by DHL. It was packed very nicely.
(See the first attached pic.)
Take out the box that is inside the box and you have the exterior of the Android box (2nd pic)
Opening the lid, everything looked packed very secure.
We can see a few things on top of the stereo (3rd pic)
The stuff on top (4th pic) consists of a front plate, a thank you car with contact info, a warranty card and a user manual!
Wow, I didn't get any of that with my previous Android radio.
Taking the radio out of the box, it is packed nice for shipping in its foam and plastic protection
There were a few cables under the radio in a plastic bag . Here's another view
At first I was really happy because this head unit uses the same plug as my previous head unit, which would save me the time of resoldering a bunch of new connections, but as I compared the pin outs, other than the power and ground, the pin configuration is different.
This isn't a problem of the radio or the manufacturer, this is just something that would have been nice (consistency). Then again, I remember Alpine and Kenwood having consistency issues backs in the 80s.
The black plug (ISO?) is already connected to the other end, unfortunately my 2002 Camaro plug is different and I will have to cut off the ISO and solder mine on. Once again, not a problem and something I was already planning on doing.
Once thing that I did like, is how the wires are covered or coated for the wires not in the ISO plug.
The manual is pretty decent and I do like how the SWC wires are labeled "KEY1 -5V" and "KEY2-5V".
My other Android never mentioned what the maximum voltage was, so I didn't know if I needed a voltage divider for my SWC.
I do know that I will need one now, as my SWC puts out .1-11VDC:
2002 Camaro Steering Wheel Schematic
The other nice thing so far is Pumpkin Cool has responded to all four of my emails within 24 hours.
I'm going to try and install the stereo tomorrow, and take plenty of pics and provide feedback on its operation.
More pics here

interested to see how that turns out, if I'm not mistaken, only in-dash and ownice have 2GB of RAM before this

CadillacMike said:
interested to see how that turns out, if I'm not mistaken, only in-dash and ownice have 2GB of RAM before this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
were you able to see my pics?
I couldn't (they appeared as broken links), so I changed them to links

I could not see the pics. As links the first one works, but the other 2 do not. But that could be due to me being on mobile.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers mobile app

Well, I did a semi quick install over the weekend as I had no time this weekend.
I will try to finish it up this coming weekend, but here are some pics of the initial install.
I forgot to post a pic of the top of the radio (wiring diagram) on the first thread
My Camaro stereo harness is all soldered and ready to install
I love how they gave the audio jacks their own connector
It bothers me when the manufacturer doesn't provide a plug for them and they take up space behind the unit (if they're not being used).
Here's the initial boot up screen
And the main screen (launcher?)
Wifi is included (internally) and is not a separate dongle, like my previous unit.
The radio / tuner screen is also much better than my previous radio, but I wish they would also give more real estate to station and/or song title rather than the little space it is given. I really also wish we could hide the genre that shows up like "Educate". KROQ is not an educational station :silly:
I do love how you can rename the station to your liking. I also love the fact that you can tune by punching in the station numbers (such as 1-0-6-.-7). I never understood why my previous Android or my Alpine couldn't do that.
The last three pics are the three "desktop" screens/pages:
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
I didn't take a pic of the OS or software, I'll try to remember to do that tonight.
I did install Waze and RocketPlayer and they work great.
The previous stereo I had would "scratch" a song every now and then, but I never experienced that sound on my laptop or Galaxy phone. I haven't heard the sound yet on this player, so I guess that extra core or memory is doing something
Another positive thing that I've noticed so far is if playing Rocket Player and I shut off my car, rocket player will start back up when I restart my car.
You don't know how bad I wanted that option on my last unit.
I still have to hook up my rear camera, SWC and fix my bezel. I'll give more updates and pics as I get them in the next day or two.

That looks just like the joying JY-UL124 in front and a bit like the S160 with the individual plugs in the back.
UL124
Dave

ROCNDAV said:
Well, I ordered it on a Thursday afternoon and it arrived on Monday.
Four days is not bad at all, when you figure it is coming from China and having to clear customs.
It came in a box, delivered by DHL. It was packed very nicely.
(See the first attached pic.)
Take out the box that is inside the box and you have the exterior of the Android box (2nd pic)
Opening the lid, everything looked packed very secure.
We can see a few things on top of the stereo (3rd pic)
The stuff on top (4th pic) consists of a front plate, a thank you car with contact info, a warranty card and a user manual!
Wow, I didn't get any of that with my previous Android radio.
Taking the radio out of the box, it is packed nice for shipping in its foam and plastic protection
There were a few cables under the radio in a plastic bag . Here's another view
At first I was really happy because this head unit uses the same plug as my previous head unit, which would save me the time of resoldering a bunch of new connections, but as I compared the pin outs, other than the power and ground, the pin configuration is different.
This isn't a problem of the radio or the manufacturer, this is just something that would have been nice (consistency). Then again, I remember Alpine and Kenwood having consistency issues backs in the 80s.
The black plug (ISO?) is already connected to the other end, unfortunately my 2002 Camaro plug is different and I will have to cut off the ISO and solder mine on. Once again, not a problem and something I was already planning on doing.
Once thing that I did like, is how the wires are covered or coated for the wires not in the ISO plug.
The manual is pretty decent and I do like how the SWC wires are labeled "KEY1 -5V" and "KEY2-5V".
My other Android never mentioned what the maximum voltage was, so I didn't know if I needed a voltage divider for my SWC.
I do know that I will need one now, as my SWC puts out .1-11VDC:
2002 Camaro Steering Wheel Schematic
The other nice thing so far is Pumpkin Cool has responded to all four of my emails within 24 hours.
I'm going to try and install the stereo tomorrow, and take plenty of pics and provide feedback on its operation.
More pics here
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that was comprehensive.Finally know how it exactly works.:good:

That is pretty cool looking. I may have to reconsider this one.
Sent from my SM-G935V using XDA-Developers mobile app

is there a way to look in the settings and confirm it has 2GB of ram? and 32 gig of memory? Also let us know any issues you find and your overall impression. How are you connecting your SWC? Why did you order from eBay vs the regular Pumpkin site?
I might order one this weekend

any updates on how this unit is doing?

CadillacMike said:
is there a way to look in the settings and confirm it has 2GB of ram? and 32 gig of memory? Also let us know any issues you find and your overall impression. How are you connecting your SWC? Why did you order from eBay vs the regular Pumpkin site?
I might order one this weekend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would also like to know this.
And does the CPU actually only run at 1.2GHz as the first reply claimed?

Any updates on this? I'm considering getting the 2gb ram model, but with the different butting configuration up front (revealed SD/navi slots and front USB port)
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
---------- Post added at 10:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 PM ----------
And @ROCNDAV, it seems you didn't end up buying the one you linked in the first post, but rather went with a different model (different fascia, different connections on rear, different depth of unit). Did you try out the model you originally linked to? Interested to know if it's any good.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

CadillacMike said:
is there a way to look in the settings and confirm it has 2GB of ram? and 32 gig of memory? Also let us know any issues you find and your overall impression. How are you connecting your SWC? Why did you order from eBay vs the regular Pumpkin site?
I might order one this weekend
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry. I didn't get any emails informing me of replies.
I took some more pics, but i guess they're too big to upload, so I'll have to resize on my laptop.
I still havent done more to the install, so swc isnt hooked up.
I timed the boot up and it takes 26 seconds to boot up, but the reverse camera is pretty instant, even during boot.
I did order the radio on the link on the first post. I just clicked it and it took me to ebays page where it showed i bought it already. I just realized that it does look different from the one on the first page.
I like mine better, as it is nice to click the physoval Navi button to switch to Waze.
I wish there was a physical music button and or radio button too.

The story of an Android Tablet Stereo install and all of its fails(Updated)

Long time XDA user, never contributed, Figured as I am in the process of doing a tablet dash install I'd document the attempt on here in hopes it helps someone with similar ambitions.
I like to waffle and wall of texts, sorry about that, Skip to pictures if you don't like Wall o Texts, feel free to ask for any details I missed, point out any spelling/grammar mistakes as its 1:30 am while I'm typing this.
Warning, anything in this post that you attempt at home is your responsibility if anything goes wrong, Do not attempt, Fire hazard
The Story(Skip this part down to the Second picture if just interested in the build):
A little while ago my better half decided she needed a new car as the old Subaru B4 was rusting, and used more gas than a 4L V6 Holden Commodore, and settled on a Suzuki Swift, some quick searching later and I had found the one I thought was the best for the cash we had at the time
meet the Chocolate Chip(not my name for it...lol):
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When we got it, we found it had no badges, a different grill from the other swifts of its age, and features only found on 2010 and later models(its a 2007 model).
Turns out it might be a Suzuki Swift "Style" but it also doesn't have the grill of a Style.
On the way home we found not only was it not slow as we thought it would be, being a small engined car, it was way faster than the old 2L subaru, turns out, its a 1.2L K12B VVT dual injector engine with a CVT transmission, long story short, it goes when you hit the go pedal, and daaaamn does it stop when you hit the stop pedal.
after finding many remains of previously installed gadgets, we figured it had been a tech nerds car much like myself, they sold it cheap...we wondered why
next morning it wouldn't start.
after a fair amount of feeling ripped off, and a bout of words not suitable for this forum, I did some investigating, found out the mini relays for the Fuel injection and fuel pump were coming on only intermittently, a quick trip to the local parts store and away she went.
that just left one problem..fixing that problem entails below.
First off, the Plan:
To install something(ANYTHING) to replace this monstrosity:
My first thought was Android tablet, as I had seen a tablet install in a friends subaru and had liked the effect.
then I thought, what about installing a radio, as I had an RTL SDR dongle installed in a raspberry pi at home for a few years already, I spend a good few days working out if I could make a Raspberry Pi Dash
I discovered I could, but it would cost an arm a leg and the left family jewel, even tho I already had an amp, RaspPi, Various cables and an RTLSDR dongle.
Mainly because I wanted something that I could add ALL THE THINGS! Music, radio, GPS, voice control, steering wheel controls etc.
After this disapointing result I went back to researching the tablet install, Found infact a Samsung tab 3 lite 7" tablet would be a perfect fit into a 2DIN Standard slot, then discovered the RTLSDR world had moved along a fair bit since I got mine, and that android had an app and drivers for it .
So after a quick squiz over to ebay for a swift 2Din Facia for $16NZDish with a couple weeks shipping time the hunt was on for a tablet.
Hours and hours of hunting around later I had settled on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite after researching the nexus and some no name brand android tablets and finding them to expensive, or to unreliable.
It was best in reliablility, price($100NZD or less), features, ability to use one of those OTG cables with a resistor between pin 4 and 5 to get charging and OTG at the same time and the ability to fit perfectly INSIDE a 2DIN socket and after some research(using my phone) powerful enough to run SDR touch for FM/AM/other Radio.
it was perfect and we were all set to buy it.
and thats when I ran into the first roadblock
The Better half
She owns and loves a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5 16gb WIFI edition (SM-T800), its been a fantastic tablet, Unlocked bootloader, no non-removable bloatware, and for some reason its specs beat the current Tab E and Tab A and Tab S2 by a mile in most places and at worst is even, and she decided she liked it so much when she was helping me search our local equiv of ebay(trademe) she spotted one for really really cheap($140NZD), and decided it was the one to have, after pointing out it will have to be outside the 2DIN socket and the cables would show and it would look like a tablet glued to a dashboard, and her saying "I don't care about that, BIG SCREEN!" I decided fair enough and we bid on it and won.
Suddenly the plan had to change.
A few days later it arrived...
Second Roadblock:
And the plan had to change again.
What was advertised was a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 16GB - WIFI, what we got was a Samsung Galaxy Tab S 16gb Wifi + LTE SM-T807A AT&T Carrier locked, bootloader locked, bloatware loaded turd.
The two tablets are night and day.
Needless to say I was not happy, and spent many hours trying to find a way to root it, no one has bothered working on it since 5.0, there is no root for 6.0.1
After some choice words to the seller, and him offering a partial refund, and me accepting it, I decided to try push on regardless.
Much to my surprise Most of the software I wanted to use required no root, all was looking good
Then I tried an Charging OTG Cable, no good.
Did a little research on XDA (THANKS GUYS I LOVE YOUR WORK), and found the USB on samsung devices could be put into the charging OTG mode via various resistors for various devices, after hours of trying different resistors, a potentiometer and several destroyed OTG cables later, I discovered this AT&T turd didn't support any of the modes required, it also wouldn't charge on anything that didn't have the data lines shorted for fast charge.
(This is where Root and a custom rom would have been handy, many custom roms are set up to control the USB chip via resistors to allow incoming charge during OTG use)
(to those guys who go on about tablets charging having nothing to do with the charger/cable and only to do with how much current it can supply, thats bollox, if the data lines aren't shorted the tablet won't go into fast charge mode, and this tablet only charges in fast charge mode, the phones can charge either slow or fast but they need the data lines shorted to charge in the fast charge mode).
So, we have the 2DIN facia, the Tablet, and some cables to hack up, let the cable making and problem sorting begin!
Step one:
Test the tablet for functioning OTG mode
Thank god it at least had this, I left it plugged in, with an unpowered USB hub, with the radio off and it in sleep all night to see how much current the plugged in hub and inactive radio would use while sleeping.
the results: 93% to 49% in 7 hours, not good.
First problem Identified and Step Two: Radio and unpowered hub use to much from the battery, as I don't want the tablet charging while the car is off as it will drain the battery fairly hard.
First step in solving this problem was to try powering the hub, it worked!, but it also headed up the OTG cable as the battery was still trying to output power.
Solution: from my days messing with a bus pirate on a serial line on a wifi security camera, I remembered I didn't have to connect the V+ line, just GND, TX, RX.
So I slipped a piece of paper between the USB plug and socket where the hub plugged into the OTG cable, over the V+ line, so no power could come from the battery
And lo and behold it worked and was using the hubs power:
I removed the Radio Dongles MCX tiny connector, and soldiered in a standard car antenna socket lead, then covered the Dongle in aluminium tape for RF shielding, I soldered a spring onto the old MCX connector shielding Ground point on PCB, and the Tape starts on the inside above it, for a solid ground for the RF shield you can see in the picture above.
Step Three:
How do we power the hub with the radio on it only when the cars on?
Easy, a quick Suzuki to ISO hardness, a pair of side cutters, a 2.1A USB car charger, and a Smokers socket with leads later, and we have ourselves a power source.
As you can see I have it wired to the Ignition switch(Red on standard stereo harness) and ground, with the other wires split out for speakers later.
you may also see I cut off the Orange and blue wire...the blue wire was a mistake, more on that later.
so, we have the Radio and usb hub working and power to them...but now theres no USB port to charge the tablet...how dowe solve this problem....
Step Four:
CHARGING
After the many hours and so much concentration on the research of various paths I took to attempt to find a way to charge the tablet (OTG+Charge, Root to edit resistors value file, unlocking bootloaders, Jtag, Custom roms, flashing roms from other tabs like the SM-T805/T807V/T807T) I almost threw up.
Then I found a video while on one of these paths to a guy fixing a Tab S with a low battery state, fixing it by using a TP4056 1A single cell li-ion microusb charge circuit to directly charge the cells in the Tab S.
This gave me the idea, while not the best, it would work.
Charge the batteries directly! I got onto trademe and ordered me up one of the modern versions of this lil TP4056 circuit and got to work doing the most firehazardy thing I've ever done:
Do not try this at home.
It has two batteries, both Li-Ion 3.8v Batteries which appear to be wired in parallel strangely, in the center of the battery pack is a small PCB with 4 large contacts on it labeled B1+ B1- B2+ B2-, and using a multimeter they seem to be parallel, so I got out my trusty soldering Iron(which is a 25w woefully sad thing) and soldered a flat 28 AWG IDE cable to the B2 terminals, (3 wires per terminal for current handling), as It needed to be a really flat cable to fit under the back plate.
The picture above shows a cable coming from a removed Book cover style case Clamp which turns out only has one screw holding it in, then its a free hole to have a cable coming out of, this cable has a counterpart cable that is wired into the TP4056 protection charge PCB, which is in turn plugged into the USB car charger you will see in pictures later.
as the charge protection circuit exists there is little risk, right up untill the battery dies from age or a flaw, then its extremely dangerous as it has no Temp sensor.
My safety feature is it only charges while the car is running, so if it ever puffs up and/or smokes, I've kept everything with plugs and modular so it can be removed in a hurry and thrown out a window.
In the picture above you can see the Facia(plastic surround), with a usb Extension lead Glued into it(bottom mid), a usb hub(Silver/blue on the right), the RTL dongle(wearing the tinfoil hat top mid), the accessory socket and usb car charger(Orange and black thing), and USB to USB power plug plugged in(Usb plug in the Orange and black thing), and OTG cable(with paper inside plug to the big end, sticking out in front) .
Additionally, to keep everything as tidy as possible, the shell of a 2Din Radio you can see, is actually a 2Din Stock Subaru radio long ago removed and replaced, now gutted(and long forgotten CD and Mini disc Removed) and the empty shell used to cable tie everything down as it is filled with holes.
Car harness bottom left/mid, Car antenna plug bottom right.
Meow Meow motors Chief safety inspector, inspecting the car before Installation.
The final product..wait Problem with some software running.
So with some automotive double sided 1mm thick black foam tape I attached it...and all was well...
then it fell off....damnit
So after some debate, and pointing out it was her fault we have the AT&T turdblet the better half sacrificed her cat chewed worn out old case, to the stereo gods, so that the Android stereo/nav system could live
two self tappers from an old dryer later, and the tablet was secured and the job was done!
(Photo Incoming
Or so I thought, While installing, I got the amp in, the wiring in(I used the 5 Core trailer wire for the speaker wires and the REM amp wire), got the old radio out, pluged everything in, and it worked a treat, better sound quality than the stock radio and I didn't even have to use a Ground loop Isolator on it!
then I hit the radio button...and it was worse than when I had no antenna plugged in. I was pissed and couldnt work it out, a few hours later I found out Suzukis have an electrically amplified antenna, once I figured out which wire was for running the antenna amplifier(turns out its the same one that powers Electrical automatic pop-up amps in most radios(White with green stripe for me) and blue wire on the ISO standard harness(Which I had cut off) it worked like a treat, including listening in on AM, FM, and the local cop radio, which is apparently dealing with alot of drunks today lol.
Will update with some pictures of Amp wiring, and final install
If anyone knows a better voice recognition software than "OK Google" when you have no internet connection please let me know, or how to carrier unlock an AT&Turd tab, I'd be grateful, Cheers
Warning, anything in this post that you attempt at home is your responsibility if anything goes wrong, Do not attempt, Fire hazard
More to come (Gathering images and sorting out bits and pieces)

Great work.......?

Holy cow I had no idea I wanted to do this with my tab s. I wanted to do the same with a double din sized tab, but this is amazing.

And where is the final result??

Nice story....

Almost ready to buy, few final questions. Octocore PX5, 4GB, Oreo

A quick bit of background, I have recently sold my car that had a factory fit wince media centre fitted, and although locked down I miss the navigation and ease of use in my new car. The new car is actually a 10 year old Mazda MX5 NC (MK3) and currently has the stock radio which I'm thinking of upgrading.
I have figured I had 2 choices, either an all singing android unit, or a regular manufactures unit which supports Apple AirPlay. I figured that would still give me the basics of what I need, and probably with no potential for things to go wrong Anyway I like a challenge and the though of having more possible functionality I think is winning the argument for getting an android unit, but I have a few final questions from people in the know!
I have bene looking at a couple of units that look pretty similar spec wise (cornet me if I'm wrong) :-
Pumpkin AE0273B, XTRONS TE706PL. I was posting links to them but I'm not allowed yet So you will have to google for the exact details if needed.
So onto the questions :
1. I see a lot of the connectivity is via USB, and If I were to add several of the extras (E.g DAB+, 3/4G, DashCam, Phone) I would ned more USB ports than supplied (The XTRONS has 3, but the Pumpkin only 2). Can I just use a USB hub to get more ports like on a computer? If yes I'm assuming a powered one would be better as those accessories all need power.
2. I currently have a simple dash cam that just records video and audio in a loop onto an SD card all the time the ignition is on. Each file is about 2 mins long and I get about 4 hours recording before it starts to overwrite older files. This works great as I can forget about it and in 3 years, have never had to even look at the footage, and hopefully never will. But it gives peace of mind. I see you can get a USB one that I'm sure will have much better user interface if I want to play back footage. My existing camera has a phono out which I could connect to an AUX input to use the screen, but would still have the fiddly buttons to press on the camera behind my mirror.
Does the DVR app on the unit with the USB camera just crack on and record stuff in a similar I can forget about it way, and its just all there if I need it in the future. Or do I need to do something every time I turn the ignition on? Where does it record the footage, do I need to provide an additional SD card?
3. I see there are often 2 SD card slots, one marked for maps, the other presumably for music. Is there actually any difference, or are these just 2 mount points in the system that get used for anything? This question just came to me when thinking about the camera above. It wasn't actually on my list!
4. I'm worried that with a convertible car I'm not going to be able to see the screen due to the huge amount of ambient or even direct sun light. I have heard that there are anti-glare filters which could help a bit, but is this going to be a problem for me when it comes to navigating etc? Are the screens on the standard manufacture units (e.g. Pioneer etc) any better. In other words would I be better off sacrificing the cool stuff and getting a straight CarPlay unit that would be bright enough to see?
5. Lots os talk about rooting the device. What are the actual advantages of doing this? Are there some killer apps that make this a worth while exercise?
I appreciate its a long post and there are lots of questions, so a big thank you in advance for any of the questions you might be able to answer.
Regards
Ben

EDIT: forgot to mention — almost all units are identical to one another. They all have almost identical MTCD/MTCE MCU boards with the same audio/radio/wifi/Bluetooth chips (there are exceptions). And the main SoC is gonna be a PX5 with 4 GB of ram. So outside of that you want build quality (buttons, screen, plastic) and if it’s made to fit your car already.
First off, check out Joying units which have Carplay built in as well (and they have Octa core 4gb android 8.0 double din universal ones).
Next, yes you’d be able to use a USB hub and yes a powered one is best. Get one that works off of 12v and wire it in for a clean solution (so you always have a powered hub in your glove box for instance)
There are dash cams that the head unit manufacturers will sell you that you can leave plugged into your unit and they will auto record as you say. You basically don’t have to touch them, and just open the necessary app if you wanna change settings, or lock/save a file.
The 2 SD card slots are identical but one of them is meant to be always-in for GPS maps (for the Navi that the seller pre-loads sometimes). Also for firmware updates the GPS slot is the only one it boots from.
Glare depends heavily on the angle that your dash positions the screen at, so it’s hard to say. But yeah sometimes the sun hits it just right and there’s pretty much nothing you can do. Happens on oem units too.
Rooting isn’t super necessary but depending on how much you want to tinker it adds nice features like apps staying open after sleep, and the ability to customize the way everything looks. That said, there’s a lot in the way of customization that’s already available. Check malaysk’s custom ROM though. It’s pretty stable and the inclusion of viper4android alone is worth the hassle (in my opinion)
Hope this helps!

So it looks to me like there are 3 generic systems that have been badged up, one with a knob at the top, one with a knob at the bottom, and one without a knob.
The ones with the knobs seem to have the slightly newer TDA7851 amp chip, and the one with out uses the older TDA7850, which is a shame as I prefer the look of just buttons.
The Xtrons unit has a 3rd USB, which saves having to get a USB hub.
The Joying has the benefit of the built in ZLink, but as its software it does mean you loose that benefit if you use a different rom.
And there are various options on the back of the units, some have small wifi antenna built in, some have connectors for an external one.
It all make for lots of extra decisions!!

After getting Whitehouse support from Pumpkin, I would only buy Dasaita now. I just ordered a Dasaita PX5 4GB Oreo to replace my Pumpkin PX3 2GB.