Attention all NON iDrive owners!

[totti84]

Hey guys

Being a non-iDrive owner, I am sick of using my phone for JB4 gauges and google maps.

With the help of a fellow forum member, I am looking to install a tablet (Nexus 7) into my dash making it look as OEM as possible.

Using this housing kit on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151306108...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

To achieve this:


The only problem being the housing will cost close to $300AU using a freight forwarder from the UK.

If anyone is keen to purchase together, to save on freight costs and multiple housing kits, let me know.

I can assist with the install and wiring up the power supply.

Thanks
Steve

[PermanentCraving]

What ROM would you be running on the nexus 7? I remember seeing one awhile ago that was specifically for this sort of thing, but I can't remember what it's called.

How difficult will the install be and what other parts are required beside the tablet and housing?

Looks awesome by the way, I'm definitely interested.

[totti84]

Not sure about the ROM side of things yet as I'm a iphone user. But I am mainly using this with my JB4 BT connect kit to view gauges and hotspot to use google maps when needed.

Install is pretty simple. All I have bought otherwise is a 12v to 3a DC convertor like this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DC-Conver...item3cf0915f50

Connected to the cigarette lighter fuse with this http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/161653151...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[BMWhoarder]

The rom i'm using there is called autodroid, which is similar to timurs USBrom however runs on kitkat instead of Jellybean.

I'd suggest using autodroid though because you need a base of atleast android 4.3 to be able to use the patches to enable BLE which is required for the jb4connect kit.

If using a nexus, you also want to enable the tablet to boot when power is connected. This is useful should for some reason the battery go flat, it means you wont need to remove the tablet to turn it back on. You need to do this through adb and fastboot.

You can use any rom you want though as long as you have a kernel that supports fast charging. You'd just need to setup tasker profiles that put the tablet to sleep on power disconnection, and another to wake the screen when power is detected.

The install is straight forward, just gets a little fiddly running cables up into the tablet housing:
- pop the vents out,
- undo all the screws holding the original tray in - there are 4, 2 behind the vents, and 2 within the tray itself behind the rubber mat
- unclip the wiring for the tray lighting,
- remove the tray

then just mount the tablet in the housing; i used some thin double sided tape to help hold it, along with the bracket the housing comes with - you will need to modify the bracket, i cut the tabs that are supposed to hold the tablet off completely.

connect your power source to the tablet and install the housing into the dash. It will only use 2 of the 4 screws you removed from the original tray. This is fine.

[Blauweisser]

When I bought my car, I got the portable satnav option, with the 4.5" BMW Garmin unit mounted on the dash, in place of the utility box. The satnav got old, and the maps cost a bomb, so I have recently bought a Garmin 2797 LMT. It has a 7" screen, and lifetime maps. I had an auto electrician install it in the same place as the old unit. It is wired in through a concealed cigarette lighter adaptor. It is a really great unit. It cost $266 at Bing Lee. It has all the latest bells and whistles, and it fits the space perfectly. It looks like it was made for the car. I really am very pleased.

[Forced_downunder]

Is there an iPad mini housing available? I have a spare iPad mini and have JB4 BT running on iPhone already. A purpose built iPad mini housing would be ideal.

[totti84]

The problem seems to be the housing options... there is none! The one I linked is the only option from my research. Would love to use an iPad mini but it is a good 20mm wider than the Nexus 7

[Forced_downunder]

Damn :-( if anyone comes across an iPad version let me know.

[totti84]

If only the iPad had power settings to auto detect power on and shut down, I'd take the gamble and try to make an iPad mini fit into that housing.

[Spectral]

I've run a nexus 7 in my previous car. the problem is the things keep going flat. Regardless of the power you feed it, if you are running a few things on it like Google maps, spotify and tethered to a phone of Internet access, a nexus will only charge at an extremely slow rate, maybe 12-15 hours or more of driving to charge it. Sometimes it chews more than it charges! Then it will drop 7-10% overnight even if it's sleeping.

So unless you do heaps of driving, it's not really practical. My daily commute was around 25 mins each way and I would have to pull it out and charge it overnight inside once a week.

[blingers]

http://m.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Pl...1061751825.htm

http://www.audio-work.tw/en/products...etail&aid=1988

A china supplier. Could contact them for the price.

[totti84]

Thanks blingers! Will email them tomorrow

[BMWhoarder]

Originally Posted by Spectral

I've run a nexus 7 in my previous car. the problem is the things keep going flat. Regardless of the power you feed it, if you are running a few things on it like Google maps, spotify and tethered to a phone of Internet access, a nexus will only charge at an extremely slow rate, maybe 12-15 hours or more of driving to charge it. Sometimes it chews more than it charges! Then it will drop 7-10% overnight even if it's sleeping.

So unless you do heaps of driving, it's not really practical. My daily commute was around 25 mins each way and I would have to pull it out and charge it overnight inside once a week.

Sounds like you didn't have fast charge enabled in the kernel, or proper deep sleep.
Mines been sitting in my car on a constant 95-100% charge.

[Alpha Trion]

Count me in 100%. I've been wanting to do this for a while as well.

[Alpha Trion]

Just emailed the guy from ebay and offered EUR 100 (about $150 AUD).

I'll update when i get a response.

[totti84]

PM sent Alpha

[Alpha Trion]

copy that totti84.

dude replied and won't send to Aust

[Spectral]

Originally Posted by ba114

Sounds like you didn't have fast charge enabled in the kernel, or proper deep sleep.
Mines been sitting in my car on a constant 95-100% charge.

Interesting, how much do you drive per day? Maybe something else was wrong with mine, as half the time I'd be driving to work with GPS working on google maps, and spotify playing and it would barely get an extra percent or two during the drive.

Glad to hear it's going well for you though, it's an excellent unit and I loved it in the car besides the charging issues I had

[Forced_downunder]

Originally Posted by totti84

Hey guys

Being a non-iDrive owner, I am sick of using my phone for JB4 gauges and google maps.

With the help of a fellow forum member, I am looking to install a tablet (Nexus 7) into my dash making it look as OEM as possible.

Using this housing kit on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/151306108...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

To achieve this:


The only problem being the housing will cost close to $300AU using a freight forwarder from the UK.

If anyone is keen to purchase together, to save on freight costs and multiple housing kits, let me know.

I can assist with the install and wiring up the power supply.

Thanks
Steve

I would be happy ordering one with you to save on costs. Let me know, I would also like to see if this will house a race display like Motec C127 or AiM MXS.

[totti84]

Pm sent.

[Cheungs]

Did you guys end up buying the housing?

I originally went with the removable BMW Navigation tray, but iPad kept overheating from direct sun in the summer.

Maybe my nexus and a physical housing would work better?

[totti84]

Originally Posted by Cheungs

Did you guys end up buying the housing?

I originally went with the removable BMW Navigation tray, but iPad kept overheating from direct sun in the summer.

Maybe my nexus and a physical housing would work better?

Yes, I ordered 3 housings and they should arrive by the end of the week.