Galaxy Tab Navigation

I wanted to add Navigation to my NSX and wasn't sure what the best way would be. The three most important things for me were:

1.) Updated maps. Navigation systems aren't worth much if they are unable find your destination.

2.) Reversible. The goal was to try to preserve as much of the NSX styling as possible. I wanted to be able to undo it if my tastes ever change.

3.) Cost. I've got better things to spend my money on between kids / wife / more toys for the car (brake upgrade then it's time for a Turbo).

I have had a few of the 3-4" portable nav systems in there and I could never find a location I liked for them. I tried them to the left of the gage pod and it felt unnatural to look that way with the passenger / stereo to the right. Putting it to the right felt better but blocked some of your vision out the front.

My next thought was a double din system, but the angle they are at makes them almost unreadable here in Arizona. Add to that horrible user interfaces (on most) and the few if any map updates and I decided against them.

Finally I decided that a nav pod GPS would be the best. It is in the center, but just low enough that it doesn't interfere with your vision out the front windshield.

I really wanted an iPad mounted in the dash, but I could not find a way to accomplish my 3 goals.

The iPad lacked turn by turn navigation (you would need a 3rd party app). There was no easy bolt on solution due to it's size which means I would either need to cut a lot of parts, or spend a decent amount of money for some custom fiberglass / hVAC work.

During a trip to Basch Acura Service, Jon showed me the navigation on his DROID phone and I was speechless. Free turn by turn nav with up to date maps. We got to talking some more and he offered me his fabrication services if/when I came up with an idea.

Well my hamster got on his wheel, and for those of you that know me that always means trouble. I'll leave out some of the thought processes that ensued but the end result was...

A Samsung Galaxy Tab does in fact fit inside the Honda Nav Pod without any modification. However, after playing with a Galaxy Tab I would probably vote against such an install. There is no way to get to the power/volume/SD Card slot while it is installed in a Nav Pod making it difficult to update/add music/reboot etc. Not to mention it is essentially a smaller iPad and when you are not in your car it would be wasted.

After many hours playing with the Galaxy Tab and getting the software how I would like it (rooted with a custom ROM) it was ready.



$550 Galaxy Tab (I got mine for $200 off craigslist, check there first)
$55 Galaxy Tab Car Kit
$10 12v Socket
$140 USA Spec iPod adapter (I am working on a better way to interface with the factory stereo)
$TBD Mounting Bracket

$755 total


I had the USA Spec adapter and got the Tab for $200 so it cost me $265 + a favor for Jon.



I also took this time to wrap my center console in some Di-Noc as the bronze tin foil paint was starting to bubble and the plastic was actually broken in a few places.

If there is any interest, Jon said he would be willing to fabricate brackets for anyone who wants one. Although the cost would still need to be set by him. Mine is a rough prototype and gets the job done but the end result will be a much stiffer bracket.

If anyone would like more information (like the blow by blow walkthrough) just let me know and I'll post the pictures of the whole thing.

Here are some night shots in use:
The Car Home Screen with location/temp/speed/elevation.


GPS at night.


Galaxy Tab home screen.


One surprising feature is the rear video camera remained usable, although it is not perfect still decent for some road course work. The remaining vibration should be eliminated using the stiffer bracket.

Very interested to see how this comes out. I have actually been researching using the galaxy tab this past week for my cars. I would mainly use it for Google maps and Pandora while teathering WiFi from my Evo.

I've been using a carputer for about three years in my G35, but am ready to scrap it for the tab now, since I mainly only use Pandora in the car now and the carputer is just slow now . Hopefully yours turns out well so Im able to swap in the tab when I get my nsx.

The project is "finished" in that everything is working. I am not happy with needing to connect a headphone wire to the Galaxy Tab (as I think it makes it look tacky), I am looking into using a parrot bluetooth handsfree wired into the factory harness and tying into the audio that way. I have a rough idea on what I want to do, just waiting on the parts.

does the galaxy support a2dp stereo bluetooth? I have been able to stream music and google nav cleanly with a2dp bluetooth in my car.

It supports the profile, the question is how are you getting the bluetooth interface to the factory head unit. The only solution I have found so far is using a parrot MKI9100 (and other models from them).

How about connecting a bt receiver like this to the aux in on the radio. http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&productId=11035425

I like the home screen a lot. What's the largest flash card it'll take? Any way for it to work as a bluetooth handsfree for a phone using software only?

Nice work.

I've got a 32 GB card in there, plus the 16 GB of built in storage.

Yes the galaxy tab physically works as a handsfree, however the mic is not up for the task. With the engine on it is really bad. A little know fact is the galaxy tab is a full blown cell phone. Once you root and flash a custom rom it can make calls on it's own. I've been considering adding another line to my account just for that.

The winner if you already have an aux in is the Belkin Aircast Auto. It's cheap has a positionable mic (which sounds pretty good) and will let me link both the galaxy tab and my iphone.

I picked one up yesterday and I can now say the project is complete, once I figure out where I want the mic.

Wow, this is a great solution. Thanks for sharing.

I have a few questions I hope you can answer:

-Do you need a seperate data contract for the GPS and other app (or are you just using wifi for the updates)?

- I noticed you have the torque app, did you use an OBD2 wireless connector or just the gyroscope built into the galaxy tab?

- Do you know if there is a way to tether this to a smartphone (i have a droid 2)

thx!
Bill

Bill_C said:

Wow, this is a great solution. Thanks for sharing.

I have a few questions I hope you can answer:

-Do you need a seperate data contract for the GPS and other app (or are you just using wifi for the updates)?

- I noticed you have the torque app, did you use an OBD2 wireless connector or just the gyroscope built into the galaxy tab?

- Do you know if there is a way to tether this to a smartphone (i have a droid 2)

thx!
Bill

Click to expand...

Yes you can tether with your Droid, if not, you will need a data plan.

Bill_C:

The Verizon and AT&T ones do not require a "contract" you can pay for the months that you want to use the built in data. I am currently Sharing my Data plan between my iPhone using MyWi and the Galaxy Tab (after rooting the Tablet so it could see ad-hoc networks). While it is not technically "allowed" by AT&T it works fine. There is no reason you can't do the same using your Droid.

I do have an OBD2 adapter and Torque works great in my Odyssey, however my car is a 92 so I am not able to use that feature in my NSX. At least not until I do my turbo upgrade in a year or so at that point I will integrate it with the computer upgrade. It may not be a plug and play setup, but I will make it work.

Ok project is finished (again, for now)



Decided to go with the Belkin Aircast bluetooth adapter to solve the audio in + Handsfree. I have done testing and the mic seems to be pretty decent in that location (just above the wipers). I am able to be understood going 50 with the windows down or 75 with the windows up with no issue. I have not been on the freeway with the windows down yet but I'll post if it still sounds good.

Wanted to throw up a few more pics of the dash since I have received a few PM's. It's done using 3m Di-noc Black from metrorestyling.com

http://www.metrorestyling.com/3M-DI-NOC-CARBON-FIBER-VINYL-CA-421-p/dinoc421.htm

The 12 x 48 inch piece was more then enough to do the center console for $30.









Overall I am very happy, for less then $400 I have added handsfree and Nav to my car and wrapped the dash in CF vinyl.

Were you able to hardwire the Belkin power wire into the car instead of using the cigarette lighter? Also is the Belkin able to handle simultaneous connections to both your phone and tab?

I added another 12 volt outlet in the dash behind the cigarette lighter. The power for the tab connects to the belkin and the belkin into the outlet.

If I have the galaxy tab connected bluetooth, the belkin will still flash when I get a call and I can press to answer it.

The only "issue" is that I have to choose between voice dialing on the iphone or voice searching on the tablet.

I have figured out the backup camera situation and will be installing front/engine/rear cameras in the next 2-3 weeks.

this is awesome! I was just thinking about doing something like this. One of my concerns would be how well the unit would handle more extreme temperatures? I've seen cellphones literally melt when left on the dashboard of a car on a hot day. The fact that this unit isn't automotive grade is slightly concerning for me.

Did you hack the tablet at all to have it power on/off with ignition, or does it require you to manually turn it on/off?

I've been toying with the idea of getting a navpod, carputer and a touch screen and then just building up an android system using one of the x86 ports available, but if this is flexible enough it seems like it may save a lot of trouble.

How does the holder get bolted to the dashboard? How do you get the holder to stay steady? Are you taking the OEM clock out?

I am going to just use the commercial available GPS unit, but having a tough time finding a suitable location on the dashboard for it.

Thanks

i wonder if this galaxy tab can be mounted inside the JDM honda navigation cowl form science of speed they are both 7"

By default the Tab Turns on when it detects AC power. Likewise it turns off 2 min after you turn the car off. The timing is adjustable and there are various apps available to tweak the settings further when it is in "Car Mode" (wiFi toggle, Bluetooth Toggle, Brightness, Volume etc...)

As far as leaving the Galaxy Tab in the Sun, I would probably vote against it. We have had a few days out here in the 90's so far this year and on one of them the galaxy tab informed me that it was not able to charge the batteries due to the temperature. Mind you this was after leaving the car in direct sunlight for 4-5 hours at 90°. The rest of the car wasn't very pleasant either so possibly a sun shade or just removing the tab (takes about 5 sec) and putting it in the enter console / glove box.


* The Cable in this picture is no longer used. All audio is now done over bluetooth.

Physical install was really simple:
-Remove Clock
-Remove 2 screws behind clock
-Place bracket in clock location
-Put the screws back in

The tab does fit in the Nav Pod (I live a few miles from SoS and took it there to show them), however I am not sure if it would provide anything to the overall install as it would require some modification to allow access to the power / volume buttons, and make it harder to update / add content to the tab.



In it's current state it is very simple to move the galaxy tab between vehicles or remove it all together and browse the web from the Couch / Doctors Office / Tire Shop.

you should wrap the bracket/holder and tab in CF to make it match :smile:

I too had wanted to add navigation capabilities to my new ride and thought of a double-din or bolting my Garmin on, or....but I didn't want to bugger up this nice interior.

Then I ran across this thread and it got me thinking too. I just got a Motorola Atrix and the phone is amazing. I spotted a docking station that has but one lead to the docking station but the cord splits to a power cord to the cigarette lighter and the other cord plugs into your radio. By doing so the turn-by-turn navigation, incoming phone calls and all your media play through the car speakers.

So if I can build a bracket, pull apart the center console and then figure out the two wires and where they attach, I should have solved all my problems with one docking station, a bracket and some wire connectors.

I'll post pictures as I go through this and I'm hoping it turns out as well as the OP. Does anyone know where I would be connecting these wires though? Thanks in advance.

Valhalla said:

I'll post pictures as I go through this and I'm hoping it turns out as well as the OP. Does anyone know where I would be connecting these wires though? Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

You could connect the power wires to the cigarette lighter circuit.

For the audio you'll need a line-in adapter for the head unit.

Thanks Russ, the cigarette lighter connection was the no-brainer of the two wires. The audio in connection was going to be the tricky one. I'm having a security system installed so I'll have them make that hookup while they are in there. Should look very clean when finished.

Questions for Fenix;

• How stable is your bracket? Does it vibrate at all?
• What is your bracket made of? It looks like sheet metal and if so, how thick?
• Is there a template for your bracket? Just trying to save some time on the design and build.

Thanks.

I'm sorry but how does the Galaxy Tab connect to the speakers, amp etc etc?

The current bracket is sheet metal, it vibrates a little but it's really only noticeable if you are video recording.

I'll have to check how thick it is, Jon @ Basch Acura Service made the bracket for me. He has plans to make it out of something thicker if anyone want one.

For power I just T'd off the existing Cig Lighter and added an outlet under the dash.

For audio I connected a USA spec iPod adapter to the factory CD changer connection. The iPod adapter has a set of RCA inputs on it.