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Small LCD Screens?

Posted by Cliff on from the size-matters dept.

Matt asks: "Is there anyone who sells small LCD screens? I need a small LCD screen (smaller than 10 inches) to connect to a laptop. I use my laptop to aid in navigating my boat, but I want to be able to put my laptop out of harms way and simply refer to a LCD screen, the only problem being the small space I have available to mount it in. I have contacted many manufacturers and the smallest I have been able to find is 13 inches. I would be grateful for any suggestions."

31 comments

  1. PDA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Buy a PDA and navigate with that.

    Or use a sextant like a real sailor.

  2. What resolution? by jcwren · · Score: 5, Informative

    See EarthLCD.com for all your LCD needs (well, most, at any rate. I can't see to find an affordable 6.4" 640x480x256 touch screen LCD for my car...). They are not on the cheap side, but they have many models.

    You don't comment on what resolution you want. There are hundreds of 640x480 LCDs available, down to about 6", possibly smaller. There are some 800x600 displays in the 13" to 10" range, but you start approaching the limits of pixel sizes.

    1. Re:What resolution? by naomi385 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Buy a non-working Audrey from someone who fucked up the Flash IPL. It has exactly the screen you describe and can be had for less than $100.

      --
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    2. Re:What resolution? by Tet · · Score: 2
      There are some 800x600 displays in the 13" to 10" range, but you start approaching the limits of pixel sizes.

      No, not really. On a 10" screen, 800x600 is only 100dpi. IBM have been shipping 200dpi LCD screens since 2001, so 1600x1200 easily achievable on that size screen. The actual IBM models are 22", yielding some 3500x2600 of high resolution goodness. Which is not to say they're cheap, of course :-)

      --
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  3. 10 inches? Small? by bpb213 · · Score: 2

    The first thing i thought of when i read small LCD screens where those LCD buttons, and the LCD screens that you find in wearable computer displays.

    Oh well, guess thats too small for him...

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  4. Ebay. by bpb213 · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are always 9+ inch LCD screens going on ebay. Of course a little electronic knowhow might be required as few come with a controller.

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  5. Try looking at portable TVs or DVD players by Cecil · · Score: 5, Informative

    Depending on your price range, of course. This may not be suitable if you're not suited to ripping apart electronics, but seeing as you're installing a navigation system in your boat, I'm willing to bet you're handy enough to do a little bit of desoldering.

    Portable TVs and portable DVD players both contain smaller (and in the case of the DVDs, quite high resolution) LCD screens, with backlights, that you can tear out and install into your boat and rewire as neccesary.

    You may need to get a converter to switch between VGA and whatever input the LCD wants, but it can b e done. I'm not sure specifically what inputs an LCD requires, but you might check out this site for a story of a guy who's done it.

    Good luck.

    --
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  6. PartsExpress by admiral2001 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Check out http://www.partsexpress.com.
    Also http://www.earthlcd.com, as mentioned above.
    Keep looking the category 'Mobile Video'. You'll find many 4,5,6 inch screens.

    If you're building something out of it anyway, PartsExpress has good deals on 'LCD Modules' which basically are the screens without the finished edges. There's a special right now for a 5.6" screen for $100! (part no 205-017). I bought a small screen there for $90 a few months ago to put in my car. They come highly recommended.

    1. Re:PartsExpress by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Check out http://www.partsexpress.com
      I would, but my work blocked that address. Huh.
    2. Re:PartsExpress by unitron · · Score: 2
      "Check out http://www.partsexpress.com


      I would, but my work blocked that address. Huh."

      Probably because it reads it as partSEXpress.

      --

      I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.

  7. get a bigger boat by hswerdfe · · Score: 4, Funny

    See Subject.

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    --meh--
  8. old laptops by dJCL · · Score: 2, Informative

    I have a bunch of older laptops and some have screens as small as the one on my ipaq, and they run 640*480 fine(16 colors probably won't bother you much) you just need the knowhow to setup the controllers or better yet(my solution for in house monitoring terms...) just network the damned thing and use it as is(with some internal re-working/re-arranging) good luck! don't forget to take pictures so we can have a server to slashdot.

    --
    On Arrakis: early worm gets the bird. Magister mundi sum!
  9. pda too small by paradesign · · Score: 3, Insightful
    i assume you need more power than a pal pilot can provide, but what about using an iPaq, or even one of the sub notebooks like sony makes. see them on the japan site here, but i believe i saw one the last time i was in the sony store in chicago, if not you could import one. what about other sub notebooks, have you seen whats out there?

    a little googling found this based on the crusoe chop, and it gets 9hrs off teh battery, i think the site said the vaio works off of the crusoe as well.

    be sure to link pics of th finished project in your sig when your done, id like to see what you end up doing with it.

    --
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    1. Re:pda too small by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      checkout japanrush.com i just ordered a c1mzx there. neat!

  10. Switch (TM, Apple Corp.) by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 2, Offtopic

    Replace your current notebook with one of these. It won't need "protection" like your current unit, and while it may be bigger than what you want, it'll also be tons more versatile to have the full computer mounted where you need it.

    1. Re:Switch (TM, Apple Corp.) by adebater · · Score: 1

      As an owner of a Toughbook, I can tell you the real problem is the NITs. It simply isn't bright enough to see on a boat with the glare, etc.

      If anybody knows a laptop with a high NITs value, I would love to hear!

  11. xenarc makes one.... by monkeyserver.com · · Score: 3, Insightful

    remember a few months ago, this guy modded a shuttle and actually embedded the lcd in that tiny case...shuttle mod

    all his links are dead, but the xenarc site is up and healthy.

    read through that whole slashdot review though, I'm sure there is a ton of usefull info there.

    BTW, please post your luck w/ setting up the boat, I am looking to do the same thing with a 39'+ catamaran :)

    --
    http://monkeyserver.com --- weeeeee
    1. Re:xenarc makes one.... by TheAlmightyQ · · Score: 1

      I've been trying to get my hands on one of Xenarc's 7" 800x480 LCD screens for awhile now.

      It seems that Xenarc can't/won't produce them nearly fast enough to keep up with demand and so resellers are always out of stock.

      --
      I hope you're not pretending to be evil while secretly being good. That would be dishonest.
  12. Found some! by breon.halling · · Score: 3, Informative

    Although the site was mentioned earlier, here are two direct links:

    8.4" w/controller

    10.4" w/controller

    There are some more sizes in the RV section(!).

    --
    "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
    1. Re:Found some! by panker · · Score: 1

      I lists an NTSC controller which would imply that the LCD is setup like a television, not like a monitor. As long as your video card has S-Video/composite output you should be ok, otherwise be sure to get a VGA display.

      --
      move along, nothing to .sig here.
  13. Re:10 inches? Small? by Meowing · · Score: 2

    The LCD buttons are neat toys, NKK make some and even have little rubber covers and gaskets for use in wet areas.

    A good source for small video-style LCD panels are optics vendors, the sort who sell microscopes and related goodies. The markups can be ... severe.

  14. hm... by Jonny+290 · · Score: 2

    Steps to nautical navigation nirvana:

    1: Buy a 14" flat panel monitor.
    2: Shrinkwrap it with cables attached.
    3: Profit.

    Seriously, if it's encased in a waterproof and airtight plastic material, you'll be hard pressed to just fuck it up environmentally.

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    Hey Taco! Looks like you're using the "infinite monkeys and typewriters" scheme to generate Ask Slashdots again...
  15. Ho Hum. by shepd · · Score: 1

    Click. Probably available at Best Buy (for sure available at Future Shop, maybe even RadioShack/Tandy).

    You will want to check what type of connector these have, and wether or not it will accept a simple composite signal. This person may have some info for you.

    --
    If you could be told what you can see or read, then it follows that you could be told what to say or think - BoC
  16. Portable game console LCD by AtariDatacenter · · Score: 2

    There are some small LCD displays made to connect to game consoles. I think the Playstation is one. Allows you to have a light, small, low power display for your games when you are on the go. They're pretty cheap, too. Hook it up to your computer, and plug in a video card that does a decent svideo out. (My simple Radeon VE does the trick nicely, and automatically handles scaling all the graphics modes in the hardware so even the BIOS stuff comes across.)

    So, don't go for a computer LCD. Go for a small game LCD made for NTSC video.

    1. Re:Portable game console LCD by mindhaze · · Score: 1

      Yeah, the Sony 5" LCD kicks ass. I just got mine this weekend, and I can't stop playing my PSOne now! I mean, it fits on my desk, and takes up hardly any space!!! Watching movies with the mini-jack adapter is my next goal, even though the movies will be tiny, they should still be watchable.

      PSOne LCD: http://www.us.playstation.com/hardware/displays/SC PH-131.asp

      Does anybody know if the PSOne LCD connects to the PS2? Obviously I can get the PS2 display to show on the LCD, but are the screws compatible??

  17. Ob. Google Link by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    This is Ask Slashdot after all...

    http://www.google.com/search?q=vga+lcd+kit&btnI=I' m+Feeling+Lucky

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  18. Xenarc logo by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

    Wow, did they just totally appropriate the X logo?

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  19. Seetron by FunnyPolynomial · · Score: 1

    http://www.seetron.com/ Small text and graphic LCDs w/ serial interfaces. Pretty cheap too.

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  20. GBA Screen? by longbottle · · Score: 1

    Why not use a Gameboy Advance screen? The size isn't huge, but at $70, it's dirt cheap compared to most other options. The only problem is, I don't know what res it runs at... if it's not enough, you could use more than one, and it would still be very cost-effective.

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