TechTV, was bought out by Comcast, merged with G4 and became G4TechTV. Now that all the good shows have been dumped (my opinion), the name has changed to G4TV. The G4 network also decided to remove the archived Screen Savers episodes and their associated web pages. Due to the popularity of this project, and many requests, I recreated the web page, as best as I could, on my site.
Modded Mercedes written by Rick Naujokat on Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Find out why this tweaked-out ride caught our eye. Editor's note: Fans pitch us ideas all the time, but rarely do we ask them on the show. That is, until we heard from Rich Naujokat. Rick tweaked out his 1987 300 D Mercedes with an ATX computer. Yoshi will take a look at the geeked-out car on tonight's episode of "The Screen Savers." We've included Rick's email to us and some pics below.
Last summer I took on the task of designing, building, and installing a custom, open-architecture ATX computer into my vehicle. After stripping out the interior of my Mercedes Benz, adding data and power cables, updating the vehicle's power system, and reassembling, I ended up with a mobile 12-volt DC full ATX computer system having greater than 90 percent power efficiency. (I had to build some of the power circuits to achieve plus and minus 9V from the 12VDC power source.) It also includes:
ATX motherboard
1.6-Ghz Pentium M processor
1GB RAM
Integrated AGP video
80GB 7200 RPM hard drive
FireWire and USB ports between the front seats and in the trunk. A 12.1-inch touchscreen (1024x768) ruggedized for harsh environments
Inputs: backlit USB keyboard, touch screen, and optional mouse
GPS navigation system.
Wireless Net access boosted by an external 15db gain antenna, fed by a full 3-watt linear amplifier (FCC legal limit)
The system doesn't tax the main battery or depend on running the car's engine for a charge. It runs for hours on an auxiliary battery with the same capacity as the main battery. The main battery stays protected behind a remote-controlled, pre-programmed solid state isolator. I also upgraded the alternator to accommodate the extra load, and installed gold-plated fuse blocks and other amenities.
I have come to depend on the system while driving, for everything from getting vehicle speed confirmation and GPS mapping to listening to Net radio and uploading photos from my digital camera. Plus, I can send and receive email, remotely manage my customers' servers, and access my office databases.
Needless to say, the system has become a smashing success.
