Big Ass Homemade MP3 Player (with MM?)

titanik · Post by **titanik** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:18 pm

I would like to take a lot of songs with me. An mp3 player is basically a tiny hard drive run by a tiny "computer". As I'm not that computer savvy, how hard would it be to build something along these lines?

A high-capacity 3.5" external hard drive; Seagate FreeAgent, etc
Some sort of tiny computer (as found inside an ipod) to run it
Display
Output for car stereo/headphones
Power supply to cigarette lighter

Basically a portable brick full of music that can be played in a car while sitting on passengers lap.

I can assemble a computer. Do I have the ability to construct this? Any idea what it would cost? Any chance I could use MM to run it? If they can build tiny 160gb ipods, why cant we build huge 500gb players?

Post by **Lowlander** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 10:09 pm

You might want to search online for the various CarPC systems available.

Small PC's in iPod format aren't available (to my knowledge) but you can check out the mini-itx format from the likes of VIA.

Big_Berny · Post by **Big_Berny** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 11:06 pm

Just check this sie or example: http://www.mini-itx.com/

Here you find a pico-itx and some nano-itx mainboards. Also an intelligent powersupply for vehicles is available. Would be nice if you get it to work!

titanik · Post by **titanik** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 1:13 am

I'm not looking to build something to install in my car. I'm talking about a portable iBrick. Besides, I don't like to use my own car for road trips.

If an iPod can run off parts that are the size of a matchbook, why can't I find similar parts to build this? It doesn't have to fit in my pocket. It only has to be a minimal addition to a 3.5" external drive.

fizzjob · Post by **fizzjob** » Thu Sep 06, 2007 10:41 am

How about something like this:

http://www.stealthcomputer.com/littlepc.htm

They're not really cheap ($820 for a stock Pentium III system), but it seems to be pretty close to what you're looking for. Just add a small TFT monitor, and you'd be basically set.

smartmart · Post by **smartmart** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 8:55 pm

Simply put a good laptop on your knees. You now have 300gb, !7 inch monitor, output for ext speakers (or thru car system), a 12 volt charger ect..
Also connect a mobile phone and hey presto.....a sat nav too.

Really though, you could buy a small laptop with broken screen (cheap) connect a small ext tft screen and a small 150watt inverter. All this would fit in a shoe box.
the idea of an ipod size is good, though, these dedicated music players don't have the software or hardware to run other applications (yet). There will be ipods soon that can be connected to ext HDD via usb. Just to my knowledge not yet.
It kind of takes the portability away. Imagine a 500gb HDD with an arm band on each arm, small ipod in shirt pocket, tft screen attached to a bracket off your head band, wires all over you like Robocop and don't forget the battery pack!! where would that go??

Hooah · Post by **Hooah** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 3:01 pm

Um, a laptop with an external harddrive? Laptop drives go up to 250gb at the moment and only increase in size. I don't see why an ultraporatable laptop wouldn't serve the purpose.

titanik · Post by **titanik** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:47 am

Please note that I am not talking about 250gb. I have done this with an open laptop on someone's lap, an external on the floor, an inverter on the floor, and a number of cables connecting/powering it all. Yes, it works but its not easy and not fun.

A tablet would make it easier but that's still pricey. The UMPC route would be about $1300 plus drive & inverter. I admit ignorance here but was hoping there was an easier way to about this. iPods are limited to 160gb because of their mini drives. 3.5" drives have higher capacity. How can I take advantage of that?

Post by **Lowlander** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 12:23 pm

There are various harddrive sizes:
1"
1.8"
2.5"
3.5"

The maximum size for the 2.5" is 250GB the maximum for 3.5" is 1TB (1000GB). I don't know what the maximum size for the 1.8" and 1" are, but I believe the iPod uses one of these smaller ones. You should be able to find plenty of information on how to upgrade the iPod harddrive, but remember that it voids your warranty.

titanik · Post by **titanik** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 6:43 pm

I realize this. I need to go with 3.5" for now. How do I incorporate a 3.5"?

palmmann · Post by **palmmann** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:21 pm

get an old archos jukebox(or other mp3 player that uses laptop hard drives)

for 3.5s you'd have to home make a 5v to 12v upconverter to power the hard drive since laptop hard drives use 5v and 3.5s use both 5v and 12v, but there's a good chance it'd work. battery life would be complete cr_p though, i'd wire at least 2 sets of 4 batteries to compensate. size wise this would probably be about the size of a 3.5, so the whole thing would be about the size of 2 3.5s.

waaaait, you said you'd want it to run off a ciggarete lighter? i guess instead of batteries you could hack off any ciggarete 5v charger(cell phone, pda, etc) that supplies i'd guess at least 2amps.

fizzjob · Post by **fizzjob** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:18 am

There are also plenty of external cases that come with A/V hookups and have built-in playing capability:

http://www.amazon.com/Tvisto-MPEG4-Mult ... B000BX7KLI

For example.

MM3 monkey · Post by **MM3 monkey** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:29 pm

Good luck, mate. I like your style. Let us know how you get on.

forya · Post by **forya** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 11:36 pm

alpine makes in dash car stereos with USB ports now.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ao2A6PB1zx ... 500KCA620M

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ao2A6PB1zx ... 500IDAX001

Big Ass Homemade MP3 Player (with MM?)

Big Ass Homemade MP3 Player (with MM?)

Just to clarify

alpine