iPad In-Dash DIY/Build Thread

Somehow I feel I have missed something. When you remove your audio system to mount the iPad, where then do you get the amplification needed to use the iPad with the existing speaker system of the truck? Does the audio system have a separate amp and our stereo systems are really just a source for that amp? Sorry if this has been covered before and I missed it.

 

You need to connect it to an amp. Generally you can do a 3.5 mm to RCA jack, but there is a product that connects the 30 pin output to the amp so you can charge at the same time.

 

I saw this one on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgN12jl_5o4

 

Looks good!
So, is your mod complete now? Any update pics?

 

Damn wish this guy was my friend ha ha ha

 

this looks awesome. where are the finished pics?

 

I've been thinking of doing something like that. I wouldn't touch iCrap with a 10 foot pole, but the idea would be the same.

I've been looking into something that isn't as... large. Maybe a 7" that could be attached behind a 2-din face. The big issues I see with a tablet is regarding speaker hookups. Tablets do have audio outputs, but they require some kind of external amplifier to drive car speakers. They are also somewhat limited in terms of control -- requiring that you are able to access the physical buttons on the device itself, and not being trivial to have turn on and off with the vehicle ignition. Also the inability to hook up with an AM/FM receiver, chipset receivers are weak and FM only. I use primarily AM radio. Finally, of course, bluetooth. Though many tablets have bluetooth chips, the software is generally configured so that you would attach a bluetooth headset to it, rather than have it "be" the bluetooth headset. I would obviously like to have the tablet operate as a bluetooth interface for a cell phone. Capacitive touchscreens are also less than idea for being poked. They require an electrical curcuit, so operate best when you are holding them in the same hands that are poking at them. Resistive or preferably infrared, are much better for this application.

In the end, I'm finding that tablets are just too limited for this application. So I'm looking instead to do a more thoroughly custom job with an HDMI screen and a moderate-to-high performance multi-core ARM chip that will happily run the latest Android.

So I'm thinking of going with something like this;
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HDMI-Samsun...Cams_Kits&hash=item1c2a0da47c#ht_15997wt_1163
(although a screen with a higher resolution than 800x480 would be nice... a 9" 1080p would be awesome.)

Along with something similar to this;
http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/uhost-u1a/uhost-u1a-specs-images-2539.html

 

You ever finish this up?

 

I've posted this in a few other threads but some people on this one were saying it looks like crap when the iPad isn't in there. My brother and a employee built a piece where iPad slides in and out of. The front piece started out as a 1.5 inch piece of plexiglass, they cut it and rounded it to sit flush with the dash. Its backed a black piece of plexiglass, so the iPad looks like its in there even when its not. It fits nice and snug in there so it doesn't rattle. Right now they are working a motorized thing that will push the piece that the iPad sits in in and out, so we don't have to manually pull the piece out.

I took this picture a while ago and now that I look at it I don't even think the iPad is in there hahah. I didn't check when I took picture, so it might be in there or it might not, I don't remember.

Heres one with the iPad on

 

I like how your's is concaved in like that, I might do something like that if my set up ever starts to crack.