Mini Tablet display in cockpit?

[Mark Brems]

Hey All,

Whomever here has installed or researched mini tablets permanently installed
for display of EV data, could you kindly make some recommendations?

I'm looking at the Nexus 7, but it seems like overkill when all I need for now is
to run the Torque app. There seems to be a plethora of 7" tabs out there that
are much less expensive that will run most Android apps. There's even one from
the Philippines called a "Torque!"

I was looking at something as simple as a Nook, rooted to run apps, but I
will also need bluetooth to get the data via a OBD2 to the tablet.

Any suggestions?

McB

[Louis Basel]

Hi Mark, 

No actual experience with this, but another thing to possibly consider is a low power computer. They can be around 5W power draw, but may be easier to interface with. 

Two I'm aware of are Raspberry Pi and Tiny Green PC. 

http://www.raspberrypi.org/about

http://www.tinygreenpc.com/

Good luck!

Louis

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[Michael Brown]

It all depends on how good your eyes are from the distance of where it
will be mounted. I'm using my Droid Bionic mounted to the dashboard
and it's just a little too far away and small, but I'm not going to
invest in a bigger device just for the car.

--

Mike Brown

"There has never been a war over electricity and there never will be."
-- Paul Scott, Founding member of Plug In America.

[Mark Brems]

Check all these out:

http://www.lightinthebox.com/narrow/android-4-0_v38445t0/7-inch_v38577t0/android-tablets_c4781/All-3?currency=USD&litb_from=paid_adwords_search&gclid=CLfGm9aizbMCFYl7QgodYBwAPQ

Some are pretty cheap. For under a hundred they might just be worth tinkering with.

McB

[J Bills]

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Tab - the 5" model.  it slots right about into the space formerly occupied by my AM radio in my Electravan.

I generally like it and have been pretty happy.  I think i paid about $150.  It has a dedicated GPS in it and plays well with google maps.

My BMS (elektromotus) has an android app that picks up it's bluetooth signal.  should be a pretty sweet little setup, but I'm still working on my lithium upgrade so you'll have to ask me in a couple of months how it all works.

You can pick up the old Dell streak 7" for under $100 these days, similar specs and actually I hear the GPS in it is quite good & sensitive.

http://dealnews.com/Refurb-Dell-Streak-7-16-GB-Android-Tablet-for-100-after-rebate-free-shipping/634404.html

The one thing I might try to get if I were doing it again is one with 3G access in addition to wifi, which would allow me web access without first having to tether it to my phone.  but also would cost another $10 a month or whatever.  meh.

McB

[Peter Thompson]

Something to keep in mind is that if you have a fancy display in the car that appears to be a phone, you are greatly increasing the possibility that someone will want to take it, usually through the now-broken window.  It could be that I live near a lousy neighborhood, but I'm just paranoid about this sorta thing.  :)

Cheers, Peter

[Mark Brems]

Here's my thinking so far:  It's a 7", so it looks too big to be a phone. Still stealable, though.
So I was going to mount it from behind the console panel, so it appears more built-in.
I'm also considering a front-mount holster so it's removable. Then I can always pop it in the
trunk if I'm away from home. Still pondering. Thanks for the advice.

Best, Mark

On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 8:41 AM, Peter Thompson <pthomp...@gmail.com> wrote:

Something to keep in mind is that if you have a fancy display in the car that appears to be a phone, you are greatly increasing the possibility that someone will want to take it, usually through the now-broken window.  It could be that I live near a lousy neighborhood, but I'm just paranoid about this sorta thing.  :)

Cheers, Peter

[J Bills]

I bought one of the tablet mounts.  It's a little arm that extends up and a flexible gooseneck mount that I positioned to be almost exactly in front of my old radio. it is hooked onto my ashtray (keep in mind this is in an Electravan, not in a 914).  but yes, I pop out the tablet when parked.  you could cannibalize the mount and permanently hot glue it (or something) to where the radio is, but still the tablet would remain removable, almost like a removable faceplate on a head unit.

this is where the 5" form factor has an advantage over the 7.  the 5 is like a large phone in your pocket.  The 7 gets to be a bit large.  But then again, if you have big pockets...