First Switch Controller (1 Viewer)

[ATwoZ]

So the whole switch controller world is new to me, and honestly not even sure which questions to ask or what to look for.

Right now I've got OBA and some lights, I know not much, but they're wired with add a fuses into the engine fuse bay...it works, but realizing I'd like a little more control.

I can't justify spod etc, so been poking around Amazon, jeep forums (scary!), But don't know enough to know what to look for or scrutinize.

Trigger Controller looks interesting as it's fewer wires to run with wireless remotes etc.

Looks like there a ton of similar ones on Amazon like Auxbeam etc that all appear similar.

Right now it's just a set of lights and the OBA that need controlling, but could see some other lights in the future. Doubtful I'd end up with lockers, but never know.

What else should I be looking at or thinking about?

 

[jellis]

I'm sort of leaning towards a Neutrino product, made in USA:

Compare Products | Arborealsystems-test

www.neutrinoblackbox.com

No physical switches, but if you have a modern head unit you can just use the app on that or your phone to control everything. Fully programmable for temp/speed/time of day. Quite cheap for the capabilities really.

 

[Baja Designs]

So the whole switch controller world is new to me, and honestly not even sure which questions to ask or what to look for.

Right now I've got OBA and some lights, I know not much, but they're wired with add a fuses into the engine fuse bay...it works, but realizing I'd like a little more control.

I can't justify spod etc, so been poking around Amazon, jeep forums (scary!), But don't know enough to know what to look for or scrutinize.

Trigger Controller looks interesting as it's fewer wires to run with wireless remotes etc.

Looks like there a ton of similar ones on Amazon like Auxbeam etc that all appear similar.

Right now it's just a set of lights and the OBA that need controlling, but could see some other lights in the future. Doubtful I'd end up with lockers, but never know.

What else should I be looking at or thinking about?

Hey @ATwoZ, What is the limiting factor regarding the sPOD? If you have any questions on the unit I can help you out as they are an in-house sister company to Baja Designs.
Best,
Brandon

 

[ATwoZ]

Hey @ATwoZ, What is the limiting factor regarding the sPOD? If you have any questions on the unit I can help you out as they are an in-house sister company to Baja Designs.
Best,
Brandon

Thanks Brandon - I used sPOD a bit generically, but it appears to be a bit more 'premium' product, but I also really don't know what I don't know.

I know the 'buy once, cry once' aspect, but given the OBA is the most 'critical' component I'd be controlling...e.g. if marker lights don't work it's not the end of the world, I'm not trying to control e-lockers etc, so I don't know if the far less expensive options would still reasonably meet my needs, or if there's a fundamental inferiority to them that I should disregard?

The Trigger Controller is specifically interesting as it's wireless between the main unit and the remotes, in addition to providing BT support. The less I have to tear apart my dash the better at times

 

[Baja Designs]

Thanks Brandon - I used sPOD a bit generically, but it appears to be a bit more 'premium' product, but I also really don't know what I don't know.

I know the 'buy once, cry once' aspect, but given the OBA is the most 'critical' component I'd be controlling...e.g. if marker lights don't work it's not the end of the world, I'm not trying to control e-lockers etc, so I don't know if the far less expensive options would still reasonably meet my needs, or if there's a fundamental inferiority to them that I should disregard?

The Trigger Controller is specifically interesting as it's wireless between the main unit and the remotes, in addition to providing BT support. The less I have to tear apart my dash the better at times

I understand where your coming from as I was in your boat before sPOD joined alongside us. The only thing I will mention on the Bluetooth Trigger units is that they run at the same frequency that a garage door opener runs from. This can lead to complications in the unit and have things kick on when they are not supposed to. The sPOD unit has a couple of cool tricks that can be implemented with your vehicle, such as triggers and input switches that can be controlled by the vehicle and will not require you to turn something on every time you need it. Also, there is only one wire that runs from the unit into the dash of the vehicle and the controller comes with a Bluetooth app. Most people will say cry once buy once but it really depends on what you are after and your budget. If you are interested in checking out any sPOD-related units let me know and I can work on the pricing with you.
brandonk@bajadesigns.com
Best,
Brandon

 

[Douglas S]

Thanks Brandon - I used sPOD a bit generically, but it appears to be a bit more 'premium' product, but I also really don't know what I don't know.

I know the 'buy once, cry once' aspect, but given the OBA is the most 'critical' component I'd be controlling...e.g. if marker lights don't work it's not the end of the world, I'm not trying to control e-lockers etc, so I don't know if the far less expensive options would still reasonably meet my needs, or if there's a fundamental inferiority to them that I should disregard?

The Trigger Controller is specifically interesting as it's wireless between the main unit and the remotes, in addition to providing BT support. The less I have to tear apart my dash the better at times

I applied the same though process when I was making this decision. Is it really the end of the world if my switch unit breaks and I can't turn on the collapsed suns I have mounted to my vehicle? Or god forbid I have to manually hard-wire my compressor for a few minutes in the same situation. I'm not planning on a solo crossing of the Gobi Desert and nothing I am controlling with the switch panel is critical to keeping my vehicle working.

I went with a non-bluetooth solid-state Auxbeam. Quality is better than I expected.

 

[ATwoZ]

I applied the same though process when I was making this decision. Is it really the end of the world if my switch unit breaks and I can't turn on the collapsed suns I have mounted to my vehicle? Or god forbid I have to manually hard-wire my compressor for a few minutes in the same situation. I'm not planning on a solo crossing of the Gobi Desert and nothing I am controlling with the switch panel is critical to keeping my vehicle working.

I went with a non-bluetooth solid-state Auxbeam. Quality is better than I expected.

Awesome - anything you feel like you're missing with the Auxbeam? I feel pretty naive with a bit of this, I can see the sPODs/SwitchPros have higher amperage circuits...I'm guessing most of that doesn't matter if they're LEDs? What else did you look at when comparing units?

 

[Douglas S]

Awesome - anything you feel like you're missing with the Auxbeam? I feel pretty naive with a bit of this, I can see the sPODs/SwitchPros have higher amperage circuits...I'm guessing most of that doesn't matter if they're LEDs? What else did you look at when comparing units?

You have to plan out your circuits a little more perhaps. They are pre-wired to maximums (2x30A, 2x20a, 2x10a, and 2x5a) and those correspond to positions on the panel. So you might not be able to lay the panel out as perfectly as you'd like to in your mind as your high-load items will be neighours. In practice, I don't find this to be much of an issue. I did not have any issue fitting everything I was planning to operate within the 60A maximum - I am controlling two bumper mounted lights, two mirror mounted lights, a rear work light, a fuel pump, and a contactor for my compressor.

Also take a look at the switch panel labels that are provided and make sure that covers your needs, you can make your own but I doubt they would look as good as the provided ones. Another thing to consider is mounting, most likely there is a vendor offering pre-made mounting brackets for spod, switchpros, etc., but with the Auxbeam you will need to sort that out on your own.

 

[LandLocked93]

What is your ability with wiring - size and fusing?
Everything you want to do can be accomplished simply and easily with Amazon stuff. It's all about current and wire size.

The most critical thing is ensuring that all mods are powered by a wiring scheme that is fully independent of the factory harness, and isolated by a single point of controllable disconnect. This is a tremendous advantage from a functionality, troubleshooting, and safety standpoint.
Yes it involves alot of wiring, likely more than the other solutions. But as you (and I for that matter) attest, convenience costs. And some cost alot.

Second most critical thing is voltage and current monitoring. Create a baseline of electrical load in the beginning so that you can easily spot when something is out of whack. This will keep your rig from burning to the ground.

Is redundancy important to you? In my case there are two engine room batts. I've wired it so that I can choose either of those batts to power certain circuits in the event one of the two is drained. A great example would be the circuit that powers the relay to bind both batts in situations like, a long, heavy winch pull or starting the engine off the second batt. Had I only wired one batt to that circuit, and that batt died overnight, the relay will not work and I'd be doing a trailside revision to get the other batt to power that relay and crank the truck. As it is, a single switch is wired to both batts and the switch position determines which batt powers that circuit at any given time.

There is a good bit more to it all.
I'm in the Springs and willing to meet up so you can take a look at what I've done and to get an idea of what's possible and ask all the questions you like.