Android tablet install ('99 996)
12-10-2015, 01:28 AM
#1
Track Day
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Android tablet install ('99 996)
Long time lurker, very infrequent poster. Thought some might like to see the details of my Android tablet install. I realize that this might not be everyones cup of tea, but my car is my DD and I got tired of fumbling with my phone for navigation, podcasts, etc. Background: I’ve owned the car for about a year and half. A previous-previous owner had already done some hacking on the stereo surround for a double-din stereo. The guy I purchased from removed the double-din, installed a single-din Pioneer Bluetooth head unit and moved the CC back up top along with a jinky cubby box. But due to the prior hacking, the CC fit never was tight and the cubby flopped around. Needless to say, this was a constant source of annoyance. I had been lately thinking through solutions from all angles. Well, last week while shopping new cell phones at Costco, happened to catch the last day of an ATT promotion…with the purchase of additional MB’s on our monthly data plan (which we needed anyway), we got a free 7” Asus Android tablet (4G/LTE). Decsion made. As you will see, a 7” tablet is the perfect size for something like this.
- To make room, I had to move the CC unit back downstairs (no problem).
- Additional minor trimming of the center skeleton was required (sorry no pics of the construction).
- Power is supplied by a 3A usb charging port powered by an “add a fuse” pigtail to a switched circuit in the fusebox. (no wire hacking required…totally reversible)
- Audio to the head unit uses the headphone jack of the tablet to aux input on the front of the head unit. This is the only part of the install that didn’t turn out as “clean” as I would have hoped…you can see the little loop of aux cable on the head unit…if only there was an aux input on the BACK of the unit. Oh well.
- I got lucky with the location of the micro USB and headphone jacks on the tablet. As you can see in the pictures, the cords exit between the wire bundles on the horseshoe side panels.
- Installed the Tasker android app: When powered (car on), screen always on and mobile data, GPS, and WiFi on. When not powered (car off), screen turns off after 15sec and mobile data, GPS and WiFi turn off. Even though the tablet is not truly “off” when the car is turned off, it only loses between 1-2% overnight. When driving and using only Pandora, it will slowly recharge around 2%/hour. However, using both Pandora and Waze or Google maps, it appears to eat more battery than the charger can replenish…about 2% to the negative/hour. Since I use the mapping programs only sporadically, this has not been a problem.
- In a nutshell, I have my music/podcasts/navigation hard-wired at my fingertips…and hands-free phone functions handled by the Bluetooth of the head unit.
- The new bezel/surround was drawn up by my father on his CAD program and then cut on his CNC laser machine. This “prototype” bezel is a two-piece affair made from a ½’ acrylic base with a textured ABS veneer. It is an “interference” fit with no fasteners needed.
- For the minimal $$ outlay, I am very pleased.
- To make room, I had to move the CC unit back downstairs (no problem).
- Additional minor trimming of the center skeleton was required (sorry no pics of the construction).
- Power is supplied by a 3A usb charging port powered by an “add a fuse” pigtail to a switched circuit in the fusebox. (no wire hacking required…totally reversible)
- Audio to the head unit uses the headphone jack of the tablet to aux input on the front of the head unit. This is the only part of the install that didn’t turn out as “clean” as I would have hoped…you can see the little loop of aux cable on the head unit…if only there was an aux input on the BACK of the unit. Oh well.
- I got lucky with the location of the micro USB and headphone jacks on the tablet. As you can see in the pictures, the cords exit between the wire bundles on the horseshoe side panels.
- Installed the Tasker android app: When powered (car on), screen always on and mobile data, GPS, and WiFi on. When not powered (car off), screen turns off after 15sec and mobile data, GPS and WiFi turn off. Even though the tablet is not truly “off” when the car is turned off, it only loses between 1-2% overnight. When driving and using only Pandora, it will slowly recharge around 2%/hour. However, using both Pandora and Waze or Google maps, it appears to eat more battery than the charger can replenish…about 2% to the negative/hour. Since I use the mapping programs only sporadically, this has not been a problem.
- In a nutshell, I have my music/podcasts/navigation hard-wired at my fingertips…and hands-free phone functions handled by the Bluetooth of the head unit.
- The new bezel/surround was drawn up by my father on his CAD program and then cut on his CNC laser machine. This “prototype” bezel is a two-piece affair made from a ½’ acrylic base with a textured ABS veneer. It is an “interference” fit with no fasteners needed.
- For the minimal $$ outlay, I am very pleased.
12-10-2015, 08:10 PM
#5
Track Day
Thread Starter
Thanks for the positive words. Not sure there are enough early 996 guys that this would appeal to....but with enough interest, my father would be would willing to gin-up a production run of the bezels. Thoughts?
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