My Squeezebox Vehicle Setups

[iPhone]

A few people have asked about my mobile setups so I thought instead of going way off topic I would start a new thread and then in the future I can point them here so the original tread can stay on topic. This will also make it easier to answer possible questions without hijacking another thread.

Ford Expedition:

In our Expedition SUV, we use a Toughbook running SC with an SB3 (believe its an Ethernet crossover cable). RCAs to the Aux in on the radio head unit. I started using an inverter to plug the OEM PS into as well as the laptop just to prove the concept. Now I have two DC to DC converters driving the units directly so no need for AC anymore since both units are DC powered anyway. Controlling the SB3 is through the SC WebUI on the Touchbook which is on a mount between the seats that mounts to the front two passenger seat front bolts, basically an "L". This setup works well day to day. I have played with a Duet in the SUV and it hides very easily. The SBR under the dash or seat with the SBC and cradle inside the center armrest between the front seats.

Ford Thunderbird:

We installed a Mac Mini in the trunk of the Thunderbird running SC. Installed the SBR with DC/DC converter under the dash connected to the radio head unit's AUX In with an Ethernet cable from Mac Mini to SBR (standard Ethernet cable I believe). The SBR is setup in Adhoc Mode so that it talks to the SBC over their WiFi link. The cradle is installed in the little armrest between the seats. Ran a DC power cable under the center console to an under dash DC/DC supply. So the cradle is always powered to charge the SBC when its in the cradle. The Thunderbird is driven M-F so not an issue on the vehicle battery.

I have found that the WD MyBook USB drives operate on 12VDC so a simple DC lead off my DC block power point provides power. I have the 1TB MyBook USB drive that I have started to play around with in the SUV to expand the available library over what the Toughbook hard drive can hold.

[maggior]

This is really cool! Thanks for sharing the details. Do you have a special process to keep the music synched between your vehicles and your home server?

You wouldn't happen to have any pics of these setups?

I think I'll suggest to my wife that we put a SB in our minivan ;-). Somehow I don't think she'd go for it.

[iPhone]

This is really cool! Thanks for sharing the details. Do you have a special process to keep the music synched between your vehicles and your home server?

You wouldn't happen to have any pics of these setups?

I think I'll suggest to my wife that we put a SB in our minivan ;-). Somehow I don't think she'd go for it.

My home server has almost 6TB of stored music so I can't really sync them as the storage in the vehicles is around 500GB (that's why I'm playing with the MyBook). My main home system is isolated on its own Ethernet Network (no WiFi). But I do pull my vehicles into the garage and use my Beta setup that has about 1TB of my favorite music on a WiFI network and move songs onto the Touchbook and Mac Mini over the Home WiFi network. So for procedure, pull vehicle into garage, go downstairs, drag and drop files into FLAC folder, its just that easy.

I have had so much enjoyment using Squeezebox at home that I had to find a way to continue that into my vehicles. The better half thought I was nuts to put it in the Thunderbird, but after having it can be without it. I needed to write an iPhone App so I needed the Mac Mini (which was the only Mac we have) to do that. She said it had to be back in by morning so after 5 in and outs, I broke down and bought another Mac Mini when they went on sale.

So once you try it or take it on a vacation, you'll wonder why you didn't have one from the beginning. When we drive to the beach house its about a 5 hour drive and a big part is through an area with mostly Country and Christian Stations. We grew tired of changing CDs so the Squeezebox setup has been assume. Have some really good Road Trip Playlists built.

My old digital camera works on again off again. I will see what I can take using my iPhone.

[iPhone]

Car Head Unit with digital in

Anybody know of an In Dash Head Unit with either Toslink or SPDIF input? That might be interesting if the Head Units DAC is worth talking about.

[Kiwi]

My home server has almost 6TB of stored music.....

What format is the music stored in? That is a staggering amount of space for music. How long did it take to rip all those CDs or have you downloaded some of the hi-res tracks available e.g. HDtracks

Sorry for the off topic question.

[ajkidle]

As cool as this is, and as much as I love to tinker with technology, the pragmatist in me wonders why not just hook up an iPod to your car stereo? I don't get the need for a full blown Squeezebox setup in a car -- you're just playing local tunes, right? Have you found a way to pull in Rhapsody and other online services while on the road? Or am I missing something? (Not meant as a criticism, just wondering.)

I just hard wired my iPhone to my car stereo and am thrilled to have Pandora on the road, in addition to the "greatest hits" of my music collection loaded to the phone.

[trouty00]

I am assuming pure amount of music, Iphone only gives him 32gb max, ok so original ipod would give him 160gb but squeezebox could in theory give him his whole music collection, 500gb is a lot of music and would probably cover most people if just in mp3 format.

[jo-wie]

As cool as this is, and as much as I love to tinker with technology, the pragmatist in me wonders why not just hook up an iPod to your car stereo? I don't get the need for a full blown Squeezebox setup in a car -- you're just playing local tunes, right? Have you found a way to pull in Rhapsody and other online services while on the road? Or am I missing something? (Not meant as a criticism, just wondering.)

I just hard wired my iPhone to my car stereo and am thrilled to have Pandora on the road, in addition to the "greatest hits" of my music collection loaded to the phone.

Do the iPod handle FLAC files?

[maggior]

Do the iPod handle FLAC files?

I wish!!

The only way it will play FLAC files is if you load a 3rd party application like RockBox. But, RockBox only works on the older iPods (1G nano, 5.5G and older "classic", and I think the iPod mini).

[iPhone]

As cool as this is, and as much as I love to tinker with technology, the pragmatist in me wonders why not just hook up an iPod to your car stereo? I don't get the need for a full blown Squeezebox setup in a car -- you're just playing local tunes, right? Have you found a way to pull in Rhapsody and other online services while on the road? Or am I missing something? (Not meant as a criticism, just wondering.)

I just hard wired my iPhone to my car stereo and am thrilled to have Pandora on the road, in addition to the "greatest hits" of my music collection loaded to the phone.

I get way to many phone calls, emails, and text messages to have an iPhone connected to my car stereo and besides its only 8GB of music. I don't own an iPod other then what is built into my iPhone.

I am not a big fan of Internet Radio, Rhapsody or Pandora. I want to build a playlist and listen to what I want to for what I am doing or where I am going. So I don't think you are missing anything, just have a different need/application.

Also, I tried three different ways to hook up an iPhone to a car stereo and none of them was able to get around the digital bursting coming over the radio every time an email or message came in, or a tower switch happened. Kind of messes up the enjoyment of Miles Davis to hear barbarbarp barbarp bar barpbarp barrrrburrrrr barp in the middle of a trumpet solo! Only song I can think of that it might be expectable is Barbara Ann.