Rumbles SLC Build

[Will Campbell]

The next step in configuring a tablet based info-tainment system is selecting the apps. Each operating system has its own online library of applications available for download to your tablet. The good news is that Apple iTunes, Google PlayStore & Microsoft WindowsApps have thousands of apps to choose from. The bad news is that they have thousands of apps to choose from.

After spending many hours downloading and trying apps, here are the apps that I think are good choices for an info-tainment system. Your preferences may differ.

Music Apps

• TuneIn plays local FM radio stations and Podcasts
• Spotify and Mog will let you download and save music for offline use
• Pandora finds music based upon your past selections
• GooglePlay & iTunes lets you download music for local playback
• Podcatcher or DoggCatcher is good for downloading podcasts for offline playback
• Equalizer improves sound quality with a bass booster, a 5 frequency band slider control panel, as well as presets by music genre.
• Car Tunes and PowerAmp plays stored MP3s with nice car-like interface

Maps, Navigation, Traffic Apps

• Google Maps is the gold standard for navigation and traffic congestion. Its mainly used online, but it can save a small amount of map data for offline use.
• NavFree USA and CoPilot GPS let you download offline maps for the entire USA. Then you can search for destinations and navigate without an Internet connection. They have maps for most other geographies as well.

Travel Information Apps

• GasBuddy shows local gas stations and their gas prices
• Yelp helps you locate local gas stations, restaurants, theaters, hotels, etc. It also provides phone numbers and ratings.

Other Apps

• Weatherbug shows local weather conditions, radar map and forecast
• Torque can be a secondary instrument cluster to monitoring your car's performance. It can display engine OBDII trouble codes, cornering G-forces, acceleration, 0-60, and quarter-mile times. Torque requires a wireless Bluetooth OBDII transmitter like the PLX Kiwi Bluetooth ($20).

It is possible to use a tablet offline, but function will be limited

As you mention above, TomTom, Sygic and others allow you to download maps to your tablet so you can navigate offline. This has the advantage of not losing navigation when you are out of cellular range. However, it also consumes some amount of storage on the tablet, and the maps need to be updated periodically (usually automatically, when you have a wifi connection). Overall, I prefer this solution, even with a tablet that has a data connection, as using maps in the cloud can eat up whatever data plan you may have relatively quickly.

I am also using a tablet, and think it is a great solution in the SLC in terms of available real estate (there is no way to fit a 2DIN radio in a stock dash), functionality and low cost.

Key apps for me include Tasker, and Car Home Ultra. Tasker (Android only) allows you to program the tablet to do things like turn on the radios and the screen when the car is turned on, and turn everything off when it is off. This is a great battery management approach. Car Home Ultra is a pretty good car UI for managing all your apps in a car-friendly way.

 

[Bill]

Will,

Yes, Tasker and Car Home are great choices as well. I'll talk a little more about those as well as Frontend Car, Desktop Visualizer, Icon Changer, Screen Onnn, Simple Text, etc when I get into building a car-like home screen launcher and automating key tasks.

I would very interested to hear what you are automating with Tasker. Automatically turning the tablet on/off is something I'm still trying to work thru.

 

[Bill]

Even though I've been posting a bunch of info on using a tablet for an info-tainment system lately, I've actually been spending my time working on a tilt mechanism for the front clam and fabricating a trunk space. The front clam tilt system came together fairly quickly, but the trunk took much longer than expected.

Front clam tilt
After looking at a number of different approaches, I decided simplest and strongest way was to tilt the clam and splitter together as a single unit.

The structure for the pivot point starts by bolting on a 2" x 2" aluminum angle on the front of each of the existing vertical aluminum plates. Then I fabricated a steel bracket with a hinge and a pivoting portion that attaches to the splitter. The Grade 8 7/16" bolt is cut and welded in place so that the pivoting portion rides on the shoulder (vs the threads). The pivot mechanism is stronger than the original setup and its all hidden inside the clam's fangs. The splitter still clears the ground when tilted up.

The splitter and clam are bolted together around the perimeter like most SLCs. To stiffen the outboard wheel wells, The turn buckle support was used along with a bolt at the rear corner of the clam's internal vertical rib thru to the splitter. That triangles-out that section and the result is quite strong.

Trunk
I simply enclosed the existing space in sheet metal. That sounds simple but took quite a while to fabricate the 9 separate panels and contour them to fit the underside of the clam.

The resulting trunk is quite deep and large for a sports car. I know you guys who live in the NYC vicinity measure trunk capacity by body count. The trunk is nearly large enough to close the lid with me in it, so I guess that makes it a Size #1.

 

[Will Campbell]

Wow. You are really doing some radical stuff!

It's very interesting that you pivot the entire hood instead of using a separate "door" like a trunk lid.

Keep up the good work!

 

[Bill]

Home Screen for Launching Apps

The next step in using a tablet for a info-tainment head unit is to setup the home screen. When you turn on a tablet, it automatically goes to a preconfigured home screen. The Home Screen is the hub from which you access all other functions such as Settings, Apps, etc. The problem with the factory installed home screen is that the small icons make it difficult to launch Apps in a moving vehicle.

The following shows 3 methods for setting up a more car-like launch screen with larger apps:

1. Easy: Preconfigured Launch screen
2. Moderate: Customize your Existing Launch Screen
3. Advanced: Build a Custom Launch screen​

Preconfigured Launch Screen
Preconfigured launch screens are an easy way to give your info-tainment system a car-like user interface. They feature larger App icons, volume controls, outside temperature, etc. These configurable launch screens can be downloaded from Google PlayStore, Apple iTunes, etc. Once installed, you simply assign the Apps you want to each of the preconfigured buttons, set the background image, and set other minor preferences.

A preconfigured launch screen competes with the tablet’s factory installed launch screen, so you must select the new one as the default. You will be prompted for the default launch screen when you press the Home button, or when the tablet is rebooted.

The downside of a preconfigured launch screen is that you cannot customize the screen layout, and you must use the default icon image that comes with each App. That image may not be what you prefer and it may be fuzzy when enlarged, due to its low resolution image.

Some good choices for preconfigured launch screens are:

CarHome Ultra can be setup to launch 5 apps of your choice. It also displays 3 always-on widgets to display info like time, compass, temp, etc.

Frontend Car can be setup to launch 5 apps per screen. However, it also includes speedometer volume and mute controls. Its documentation says it will sense when the charger power is turned on/off and automatically turn the screen on/off.

​

Customize your Existing Launch Screen
If you are not satisfied with the preconfigured launch screens, there are tools available to customize your existing launch screen. Customizing your existing launch screen takes a bit more time and a moderate degree of knowledge about the Operating System (Apple IOS, Google Android, etc). For example, resetting the screen background Image, working with widgets, etc.

Change the Background Image
The Background Image can be easily changed. Simply save the background image file on your tablet, right click on the image, and select it as the home screen background.

Enlarge App Icons
Giganticon is a great widget for enlarging the default icon for your Apps. Like the preconfigured screen launchers, you must use the default icon image for each App. The enlarged icon image may not be what you prefer and look be fuzzy due to the pixilated low resolution image.
​

Here is an example of a launch screen that was customized with the techniques above. Note the larger icons, but that they are the default icons for each App. This Android tablet launch screen has the following high-end info-tainment head unit functions:

• FM Radio
• MP3 player
• Volume control
• Audio equalizer control
• Navigation and traffic congestion
• Rearview camera
• Guide to local fuel stations
• Travel guide to local hotels, restaurants, etc
• Weather reports and radar​

Build a Custom Launch Screen
If you are not satisfied with customizing your existing launch screen, there are many highly configurable custom launch screens that can be downloaded as a starting point. Building a custom launch screen takes considerably more time and a some knowledge about the tablet’s Operating System (Apple IOS, Google Android, etc), file system, image manipulation, etc.

Create custom icons for your apps
The icon images are usually a .PNG or .JPG file type. You can create the icon images with just about any image manipulation tool, such as Lightroom Elements, Paint, etc. I find it easier to use my PC to create the images and then transfer them to my tablet.

If you don’t want to spend time creating images, there are many “Icon Packs” that you can buy and download from Apple iTunes, Google PlayStore, etc. A good choice is BIG icons HD for launchers, with over 350 high resolution images that are sharper when enlarged. Note: The downloaded icon images may be saved in a different directory than your default picture Gallery, so your launcher may not be able to find them. If so, use the File Manager App to find them and copy them into the Gallery directory on your tablet.

Customize the launch screen

Install a configurable launch screen: Launcher 8 Pro is the easiest and most configurable custom launch screen I’ve found. By default, it makes your screen look like a Windows 8 tablet, but it is very customizable. There is a free version to play with, but the Pro version is well worth $2.50 with more customization options and a larger selection of themes.
Select a Theme: Launcher 8 Pro includes a large number of themes. Themes are preset screen layouts that allow you to quickly change to your liking. Browse the selection of available themes and choose the one that is closest to your needs
Customize the icons: Launcher 8 Pro allows you to change the default tiles to any icon size, any icon image, etc. In this step, think about how you want to arrange the icons on the screen.
Change the background image: See above.​

Here is an example launch screen using the techniques above. Note the custom icons, and that they are displayed up to 6 icons wide. This custom launch screen has the same functions as the previous example.

 

[Bill]

Once you have a home screen setup in Launcher 8, it's very easy to change. For example, I created this screen in about 10 minutes

 

[Larry L.]

Front clam tilt

After looking at a number of different approaches, I decided simplest and strongest way was to tilt the clam and splitter together as a single unit.

Trunk

I simply enclosed the existing space in sheet metal...

The resulting trunk is quite deep and large for a sports car.

Outstanding!

Fran might want to consider collaborating with you in order to offer your brainchild as at least an option for all future SL-Cs!

I cannot imagine anyone NOT opting for it. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Bill Musarra]

Some of the smart phones have dual cameras with pic in pic. do the tablets do this as well? What about recording? any function for that?? Would there be a way to hook up two web cams?? I guess you figured out I know nothing about tablets!!

Bill

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Bill, Your front clip tilt idea is great, solves the problem of fastening down the front of the clip to the splitter when the clip is down. Nice work.

 

[Bill]

I'm using the USB Camera app to display video captured by a Logitech C270 webcam. The USB Camera app has built-in functions to mirror the image, as well as to capture PICs and video. It supports only 1 camera.

I weatherized the Logitech C270 webcam by disassembling it and encapsulating the electronics in RTV. The Logitech C270 outputs 720 lines of resolution with a 60 degree view angle. It has good image quality for a rear view of traffic while driving, and it fills in the center blind spot that the mirrors can't see when backing.

Here is an actual screen shot of the webcam video image running on my tablet. Currently I'm using a trial version of the USB Camera App on a 10" tablet for mock up.

Some of the smart phones have dual cameras with pic in pic. do the tablets do this as well? What about recording? any function for that?? Would there be a way to hook up two web cams?? I guess you figured out I know nothing about tablets!!

Bill

 

[Tim]

Bill,

Are you able to charge the tablet and use the USB camera at the same time? I have a bunch of used Android tablets lying around (Galaxy 7 & 8 models), so this is intriguing.

How do you plan to weatherproof the cables, if at all? If you search for WPUSB on Amazon there are actually a few options.

Lastly, any thoughts on where to mount the camera? Through one of the two larger openings in the rear or through a new hole in the center?

Thanks for all this research!

Tim

 

[Bill]

Tim,

The 10" Xoom pad I'm using to mock-up the info-tainment system has a separate power plug from the USB, but some some 7" tablets combine them. I'm thinking that a USB hub should be able to take care of that.

I haven't really found any water-proof USB cable connectors. There are waterproof bulkhead connectors that keep water from entering beyond a bulkhead. I also checked your Amazon WPUSB ref below. I plan to build a protective waterproof covering over the USB connector in the engine compartment to keep things dry. Please let me know if you find an other option.

I plan to mount my camera in one of the rear openings where the exhaust exits, or drill a small inconspicuous peep hole in rear clam for it.

Bill,

Are you able to charge the tablet and use the USB camera at the same time? I have a bunch of used Android tablets lying around (Galaxy 7 & 8 models), so this is intriguing.

How do you plan to weatherproof the cables, if at all? If you search for WPUSB on Amazon there are actually a few options.

Lastly, any thoughts on where to mount the camera? Through one of the two larger openings in the rear or through a new hole in the center?

Thanks for all this research!

Tim

 

[Bill]

Way back when I mounted the driver's seat, I fabricated undercarriage brackets with 3/4" holes drilled in them, and then epoxied the seat to the brackets. The idea was that epoxy would flow into the holes to form a plug and give it something to grab on to. It did a great job of adhering to the bracket.
However, the epoxy itself split at 2 of the 3 plugs on the front bracket. The fix was easy, as simply I thru bolted the seat to the brackets.

I bring this up, because having the front of the seat come loose during hard acceleration could be hazardous. If anyone else used my epoxy method, you should thru bolt the seat as well.

Sorry for the bum advise...take care.

 

[Jack]

Why not simply fiberglass the bracket to the seat???

 

[Bill]

Yup, I suppose you could do that as well.

 

[Bill]

One of the little things I think many of us have been trying to solve, is opening the rear clam (or front clam) without the opposite side binding. The 2 culprits seem to be:

1. The alignment pin
2. The threaded latch pin

Culprit 1: The alignment pin is first to bind. Slightly mis-aligning the clam allows the alignment pin to set on top of the receiver when you unlatch and pull up each side. See PIC

Culprit 2: The threaded latch pin is the next place to bind. The threads on the latch pin tends to grab the inboard side of the fiberglass hole. So make the hole a bit larger on the inboard side, and cover the threads with 3/8" Polyethylene tubing. The tubing provides a smoother surface for the latch pin to slide along the fiberglass.

 

[Jack]

Great idea Bill, thanks!

 

[Michael Fling]

Bill,

I love your idea for fixing the front clam to the splitter. Your support struts go from the splitter to an inboard panel. Is that panel a custom made piece or is that part of the inner wheel well kit?

 

[Alex]

Bill,

I love your idea for fixing the front clam to the splitter. Your support struts go from the splitter to an inboard panel. Is that panel a custom made piece or is that part of the inner wheel well kit?

That's a piece bonded into the front clip - every front clip has those stantions (I think that's what they're called)

 

[Michael Fling]

I thought maybe I saw an aluminum piece mated to it?