06 Civic Build - New Build List on page 60

[OrionStang]

Ideally, you would want the middle part 2cu ft if the sealed parts are .5 each. That is just a starting point though. Hopefully someone more experienced with 4th orders and those subs (where you at Ray?) will chime in.

[scooter99]

Ok. Well my final sound I'm after is an SQ type sound but at the same time I like a bassy system as well. I'm also trying to remember what the center cutout measurements are as well. Isn't that going to make a big difference in sound too? I wanna say it's 6" wide by 13" tall or something like that.

[scooter99]

I'll check it out tomorrow when I have more time. I'm about to go to bed now. Long long day! Thanks!

[scooter99]

Ok folks here's the package I've been waiting for! WOOHOO!!!

Cute little optical cable. Meh! It was included.

DUN....DUN....DUNNNNNNNNNNNNN

It's not bad in size. Pretty small really. I guess it's about the same size as the other converter I just used. Here it's next to my car key for size reference.

So there it is. I can't wait to get home and get it plugged in and see what happens. Problem is, I don't have my video monitors just yet, so I'm probably going to have to take it into my bedroom and use that monitor. That's gonna be a pain in the ass to deal with. Oh well, in the name of audio right! I do still need two more HDMI cables now. I'll have to order those when money comes in. Right now it's just not there so i can't just go ordering other gear. Maybe in a couple weeks. I may hook it up in the garage first, where it sits, and see if I can get some audio without having to hook the monitor up. Keep your fingers crossed! More later when I can!

[scooter99]

Ohhhhh boy do I have an update for you guys! We are golden and I mean golden with a capital G!!

I could not wait to get home and try out the new converter, so I did just that. I was able to get off work a little bit early due to having to go run work errands. So after all that I came home and changed and grabbed the tablet and the camera and a positive attitude. Got it all hooked up and it's a go baby!! WOOOOO. Ok so I have some pictures, but I also have a video that explains and shows everything working. I'm very very excited about this and I cannot wait to move forward to phase two!

New Converter

Speakers, and Bit One DRC

Wired up and ready to go.

"ignition" switch.

Rca inputs

Outputs

Into the amp

Tablet and dock

Battery hooked up

And the video! Apparently I could only get 10minutes, but I had another minute and 23 seconds or something like that. But here you go, it'll explain everything!

So there it is. All done, working, and ready for a couple HDMI ported head rest monitors. AS SOON AS SOMEONE BUYS THE OTHER ONES! COME ON!!!

Anyway, this was a huge leap forward and I'm ready for phase two which will be starting on the dash bezel and getting the tablet molded in!

Oh happy day!

[scooter99]

Ya buy I'd rather have 95% of fun with the work, than the 95% of the anxiety. These last few days waiting for this converter has been killer!

You going to San Jose on Saturday? I'm going for sure now!

[scooter99]

Ok I had a couple things I posted on my other forum, that was related to the tablet etc. It's too much to type and try to sort out, so I'm going to copy and past it and if you have any questions, please by all means, ask. I'll try to clear up as best as I can. Here you go.

I do have a question though...

Is there any reason why you went with the 1x2 HDMI converter instead of the 1x1?

1x1 HDMI Audio Converter. Extract audio from HDMI to Optical Toslink. Full 1080P resolution.

Yes there is. I don't know if I've given a final list of what's going on' date=' but I'll do it here and that will make way more sense and answer your question as well.

So in my application I needed rear head rest monitors. I need them specifically so that I can provide video entertainment for my daughters in the back seat. I actually did a test for them with just the tablet in place and while my 6 year old can see it fine from the passenger side, my 4 year old cannot cause my shoulder is in the way. She has to lean over pretty far to see it clearly and it's just not worth the risk of an accident while shes leaning over or even what long term neck issues she might have by doing that. So that being said, I couldn't just do away with the monitors, plus the fact that ever since I've taken them out a few months ago, that's the first question they ask me when they get in my car, which is daily, "daddy when are you going to put the tv's back in?" So it's pretty much a necessity now. I've spoiled my kids, I know.

So that being said, I had two options. I thought maybe I could get audio out of the back of the dock, 3.5mm jack, and then the video out of the HDMI port. Then I found out that wouldn't work, cause I can't use both. One shuts off the other. Not sure if that makes sense to you, but it's the way it is. SO I have to use the HDMI port simply for the fact that I need video out along with audio out.

I bought the last converter, thinking it would be a cheap fix to this, and it didn't work. We all saw that I think. So with that not working, not being able to get an RCA video out, I had to find monitors that would take an HDMI port input.

I originally looked at the Octava 1 x 1 converter you posted, and thought that was great. Then I got to thinking that I still need a splitter cause I'm going to two head rest monitors with the HDMI signal.

So I emailed Octava asking some other questions regarding that, I've been working together with them trying to solve this mystery and they've been more than helpful with the project. Big thumbs up to them. Anyway, so after a few emails back and forth, we decided for an extra 20.00 I could get the 1 x 2 that I got, which will do the same thing as the 1 x 1 but has a built in splitter on board. A splitter, one that's worth a crap any way, was going to cost $50.00 or more. So for $20.00 I got the best of both worlds in one converter. Also means I don't have to run another box back there either. Less pieces the better I think.

The next big hurdle was audio and video. The big question was, "can I retain audio function, when I turn off the video monitors?" Well as you can tell by the video, that is possible 100% with this application. This converter basically is the "handshake" between the tablet and the HDMI input here. Normally you have to have a video feed to "handshake" with the source and that's the only way you can get audio and video. When Octava emailed their response to me, they said basically, that they've experienced both issues and they thought maybe it was a source definition. So if the source has some certain codes, or whatever I'm not a computer guy so it's all spanish to me, then the monitor would have to be on for the "handshake" to retain audio. But they also said the if it doesn't work the way I need it to, call them and i can return it, and they'd start working on a module for my solution. Like I said they were very helpful. So in my case, like you saw, I had no HDMI output inserted, and it worked beautifully.

Why did I need to worry about this? Well for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I don't want to have to worry about buying new screens in a year or so cause these had to be on all the time. I wanted to have the ability to turn them off when my daughters, or anyone else for that matter, were not in the car. This will prolong the life of the screens and money in my pocket book as well. Second reason, was I didn't want to have them on for no reason so I'm not "that guy", you know the guy who has 10 screens in his 1993 Buick Regal with 30" wheels and speakers in his grill, painted sun yellow, and has all screens playing cause he can. I hate that guy! He irritates the hell out of me. I don't want to be that guy. So I want to turn them off! Now, I don't have to worry about it, cause I can turn them off and have audio working when they're off. Great!

So that's basically where I'm at. I do have another little glitch I have to figure out, I'll get to that in a bit in a little update. Hope that helps bring you up to speed, and everyone else, as well as answers your question.

I don't mind being the guinea pig. It's kind of fun. I enjoy a little challenge every now and then. I hope when this is all done, I can be of some help to others considering this.

[b']And then here's the update after that.[/b]

Ok so here's the update. Well not really an update, but more like thoughts and just getting things down on paper again.

I have some decisions to make and some more research to do on the tablet install. I've got, as you can see above in the response to screamatamonkey's queston, most of this figured out and I think I'm ready to go on the install. I know what to hook up, how it's going to work, what I need to do, etc.

I went to the MECA event in San Jose this weekend and took a look a Bing's installs, Vince's ride and some of his installs, and some other vehicles as well.

Ok, so being at the show this weekend did a couple of things for me. First, my brain almost exploded with information and build ideas and the like. I'm sure my head was smoking by the time I left there. I couldn't stay long enough to hear any cars, they were all prepping for judging etc. But to look at the installs and the details and stuff that goes into them, I did two things.

One, I felt as though my thoughts and ideas were right on track with what I've seen out there as far as competition. Second, I came to the realization that I have to figure out a way to incorporate a cd player in the car if I'm going to ever compete. I may not, and I've never said I would one way or another, but if I do decide to compete, I have no CD player in the system design right now.

So that brings me to my current decision making dilemma.

Do I put one in, for the "just in case" side of me if I do compete?

If I do, what do I put in?

Here are my options.

Option #1 - I'm trying not to have any head unit in my car at all. I don't want one, which is why I was going to the tablet install. So my first option is going to be to try and figure out if I can do an external cd rom drive outside of the tablet.

Can it be operated by the tablet?

Will I be able to operate a USB hub as well as power the tablet through the hub which will be somehow powered by the car charger?

Can I get around the car charger?

If I get a powered usb hub, will it have enough power to charge the tablet?

These are the major questions I have to answer in order for this to work with a cd rom.

Option #2 - This would be the option I don't want to go with, but if option 1 doesn't work, I'll be forced to go with. I'll have to go with a single din head unit for the cd playing. There are two things here that create some minor problems.

First - In competition you want the best cleanest sound possible. SO in this case I'd want the digital signal (optical) going here. So, I first would have to find a unit that is capable of carrying that signal.

Second - If I go with the optical signal here, I'd have the problem of having the optical signal from the converter and the tablet, as well as the optical signal from the head unit. The Bit One only has one optical input. So I could either find a way to split the optical, which I don't even know if that's possible to do which is where the research comes in, or I could simply have the cd player optical unplugged until I would be ready for competition. The tablet would be an everyday thing, and the cd player would be a once in a while thing. So, do I just simply unplug the cd player optical, and then have the tablet optical in all the time, or do I find another way?

So as you can plainly see, I have some more things to look into. The drives, head unit or cd drive, placement will most likely (95%) be in the glove box. I think it's the best place for it given the area and things on the dash. I've got lots going on there, and if it's only used once in a while, it doesn't need to be out and visible for everyone to see.

That's about all I've got for now. Back to research and design I guess. So the tablet went from 99% on the design, to about 75%. I'll know more in the next couple of days. Maybe even by the end of the day, but I doubt it. I'm curious to hear input on this stuff.

I'm going to work hard on the shrouds this week. Try and get 20 - 30 minutes a night done. Maybe by next weekend I can have those done and ready to do the headlights. Keep fingers crossed.

Thanks for checking in!

[scooter99]

Ok well according to Samsung, and that's the only place I've gone so far to look, I cannot put an external cd/dvd drive to the tablet. So that being said, and I'll keep looking, I guess I'm going to be forced into a head unit specifically for the competitions if that's the direction I want to go.

So now I need to research units to see what I'd go with if that moment arises.

[scooter99]

Ok so here's what I'm thinking. If I do decide to go with a head unit and I do decide to compete, this might be the best way to go about it. Aside of just doing analog, which may be my option and just go with that, I guess I can also have the option of utilizing the digital coax input on the bit one.

I could use the analog out on the head unit, split it, going to this, then to the bit one with the coax, and then the other analog into the Aux 1. I think that could work. Wouldn't cost a ton of money. I could probably actually use the Alpine CDA-9886 I bought for my truck. But that would eliminate some cost. The converter costs about 85.00. The rest is easy peasy!

We'll see how I feel about that!

[scooter99]

I've got updates, just waiting for pics to load!