Can you hardwire a smart phone into a truck to use as a touch screen switch panel? Ive searched but haven't turned up much.
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Old smart phone converted to switch panel (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter White Stripe
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How do you envisage using it and connecting it to control things?
I smart phone would be the last thing I'd want to integrate into a vehicle that I expected to deal with dust/heat/cold/vibration and expected to work at the worst of times.
cheers,
george.
I smart phone would be the last thing I'd want to integrate into a vehicle that I expected to deal with dust/heat/cold/vibration and expected to work at the worst of times.
cheers,
george.
- Thread starter
- #3
I would like to use it as a switch pros panel for lighting. Fog lights, spot lights, interior lights, rock lights, camp lights, etc. It would have a lot of benefits. Not only could it be a switch panel, but it could have various GPS apps and show obd2 live data. I'm not sure how well it would hold up. The phone I would use is water proof. My 80 series is not an open cab, so it's not as harsh of an environment as a open cab truck.
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- #5
That helps a lot! Thanks
the impression I have is that bluetooth-operated relays are surprisingly inexpensive, as low as something like $20 for 8 channels. However, those inexpensive ones would likely be bare IC boards and you'd want some enclosure(s) to protect them, but that's not rocket science. Inside the cab would not be too taxing and weatherproof enclosures might be enough; however, under the hood you'd want waterproof so that's a bit harder. Then again the wiring will be easier under the hood than in the cab, probably. So a toss-up maybe? Buying self-contained waterproof units may be quite a bit more $$ I suspect. Of course, there are also remote-operated relays, you could have 5 or 6 fobs hanging from the ceiling, that would be quite a conversation starter... 
- Thread starter
- #7
An enclosure as you mention I agree is no big deal to make. It looks like the relays are soldered onto the boards which is a bummer for replacing a relay. Would be nice if it was a socket. I suppose I could buy a generic relay box, remove the soldered relays, and solder wires from the board to the relay sockets. Or break out the soldering iron when a relay goes bad.the impression I have is that bluetooth-operated relays are surprisingly inexpensive, as low as something like $20 for 8 channels. However, those inexpensive ones would likely be bare IC boards and you'd want some enclosure(s) to protect them, but that's not rocket science. Inside the cab would not be too taxing and weatherproof enclosures might be enough; however, under the hood you'd want waterproof so that's a bit harder. Then again the wiring will be easier under the hood than in the cab, probably. So a toss-up maybe? Buying self-contained waterproof units may be quite a bit more $$ I suspect. Of course, there are also remote-operated relays, you could have 5 or 6 fobs hanging from the ceiling, that would be quite a conversation starter...
personally, if the relay boards are very inexpensive, I would not worry too much about possibly having to replace one every few years if you don't want to desolder a bad relay. Not that that would be very difficult, probably. Or use another relay out of the many on the board.
