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PostPosted: March 30, 2017, 10:16 pm 
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Location: Gainesville, Mo.
Just wondering if anyone has played around with the idea of using an I-Pad, or Android tablet in place of a dash full of gauges? Not really in keeping with the 'Traditional British Sportscar' look, but could possibly solve some of the dash layout issues of a small car with a tiny cockpit. Just thought I'd put this out there! :?

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Last edited by ngpmike on April 1, 2017, 10:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 1:04 am 
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Ahhh, not me! :ack:
I don't even like white face gauges, tradition rules. :mrgreen:

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 2:20 am 
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Had a LED read out on my boat. Couldn't read it with Polaroid sun glasses unless I turned my head sideways. In direct sun it was impossible. Take your tablet outside and see if you can read it. The sun shining on your speedo and not being able to see how fast you were going is a pretty lame excuse for the ticketing officer.

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 4:49 pm 
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cheap Android tablet (<$200) with the $5 Torque ap is a great way to do it if you have OBD2. That was always my plan but I never installed the ODB2 and as an autocross car you never look at the gauges anyway. I can plug my PC laptop in to the ECU and see all the engine data for tuning etc.

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 6:58 pm 
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RichardSIA wrote:
don't even like white face gauges, tradition rules

Know what you mean. I prefer the traditional stuff, too. Just thought it might alleviate some build issues.

benny_toe wrote:
In direct sun it was impossible.

Hadn't thought about that problem. Now that I think of it, all the cars that I've seen with this setup were coupes or sedans. A lot more shade than you're likely to find in a Locost. Thnx!

wrightcomputing wrote:
cheap Android tablet (<$200) with the $5 Torque ap is a great way to do it if you have OBD2... I can plug my PC laptop in to the ECU and see all the engine data for tuning etc.

I may just go that route. Does a '99 Miata have OBD2? OK, New question for the group!

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 7:10 pm 
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I use Solostorm on my phone (Nexus 6p), it is mounted in front of me with no shade. It automatically sets the screen to full brightness and I can see it in the Florida sun. Definitely something to check though, not sure if the tablets tell you the screen lumens. Glare would also be an issue, I would make a little cover over it to provide shade and a little water protection.

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PostPosted: March 31, 2017, 9:39 pm 
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ngpmike wrote:
I may just go that route. Does a '99 Miata have OBD2? OK, New question for the group!
I think all cars sold in the USA starting from 1996. So yes. But only the basics. Mfgrs are allowed some codes to be specific. You may need to find the miata request code or whatever it is called for some more than basic info.

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PostPosted: April 1, 2017, 12:26 am 
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Yes a 99 will have OBDII. A reader and the Torque app will get you most of the readings you are looking for but beware the refresh rate might not be what you're hoping, especially on things rapidly changing like the tach.


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PostPosted: April 1, 2017, 4:25 pm 
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I ve used a used Android tablet with the torque paid version, a elm Bluetooth obdii reader clone in place of a dash board on a regular car . Fee . It did have good shrouding and auto brightness. The GPS built in and Bluetooth audio stuff with the tablet is nice with the options to choose the gauges you want and the otherwise hidden readouts.

Don't buy Google Nexus tablets (1st two models) btw, they have unresolved hardward failure issues and brick for no reason.


Last edited by jere on April 1, 2017, 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: April 1, 2017, 4:28 pm 
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Some really good feedback here. Thnx, Guys!

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PostPosted: April 1, 2017, 5:55 pm 
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I plan on it. Rad on here did it with his Megasquirt, said he wouldn't have bought gauges if he had known earlier.


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PostPosted: April 2, 2017, 8:24 am 
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I have a Volvo 240 with a megasquirted SR20DET and I run just a tablet for gauges. Overall OK for a fun, occasional car but here are a few considerations:

Windows tablet: Runs my primary tuning/gauge SW so I'd like to use it as my gauges as well. Problem is that I can't configure it to turn on and load the program when I key up. This means every time I start the car I have to push that little button on the side of the tablet and wait for it to fire up, enter password, etc. Then i have to select the the software and once it starts put it in full screen mode. So far nobody has figured out a windows based auto-start configuration.

Android tab: There's a new(er) megasquirt tuning/gauge SW that works on Android now which I like quite a bit. I have it on my phone and have been using it regularly for a few months. I ASSUME that since it's Android I'm going to be more likely to figure out a way to have the tablet fire up when it sees power and I know I can have the software auto start if I can find a few hours to work it out. IF all that works I'm sold on the whole idea.

For what it's worth, after two years of experience on tablet gauges as I guild by Stalker I'm still putting a GaugeHut combo Speedo, Tach, OilP and WaterT gauge so I can at least use the car if I don't feel like messing with the tablet and just want to hop in and drive away. Maybe I'll get more comfortable this summer with the Volvo Android system and change my mind but hasn't happened yet. To many instances of a bunch of friends jumping in their cars planning to follow each other to some restaurant and I'm sitting there for 3 minutes getting my tablet fired up.

Perfect solution: (that I haven't found) is a tablet that can be charging all the time from your battery so it stays in standby indefinitely but has another wire to tell it to wake up on ignition. Find that and I'd say you could commit to tablet only.

Alex


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PostPosted: April 2, 2017, 1:47 pm 
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Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada
I've got a Google Nexus 10 that lasts a long time in standby mode and it comes out of standby when power is applied to the charge port. It also has a really neat charge port on the bottom edge that uses a special cable that attaches with magnets, so you wouldn't have to worry about a tiny usb cable vibrating around. With torque pro you can set it up so it will disconnect from the elm adaptor when the tablet isn't charging and let the tablet go to standby, then once it sees power again, it reconnects. I haven't tried using it as my primary gauges in anything, but I'll fiddle with it a bit more and see how it quick it is when starting a vehicle.
Kristian

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PostPosted: April 3, 2017, 12:41 am 
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The torque app paid does have built in dash settings for a lot of this stuff, like power options. It's also useful to use always on and car on only power supplies depending on what you prefer.

Another thing that helps with a tablet dash is 2 or more Neodymium magnets on the dash mounting space and two corresponding flat washers on the tablet back. eBay sells a version with a larger ballbearing that's good for this. Just throw away the crap double sided tape and use some contact cement or some other quality adhesive
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/1822095611 ... noapp=true

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PostPosted: April 3, 2017, 10:19 am 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUHSOtlil7o&t=731s

Check out this video on how to get a table to fire up on port power. I haven't done this myself, but it's on my to do list.

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