Tried My Hand at Dash Command
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Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
Tried My Hand at Dash Command
Dash Command is an engine-monitoring App available on Androids, iPhones, and recent App radios... like the Pioneer. While it didn't make me exclaim "Holy crap!", it also didn't make me mutter "Wholly crap." Here are my issues with the product, in no particular order of importance to me in my situation:
PIDs - no IPR or FIPW. If you post a no-start thread and the members want to know the basic readings from your engine, this alone kills the "wahoo" factor. Scantool may change this with time.
No way to add or alter PIDs, other than what the vendor supplies - I guess I'm stuck with the EBP absolute value, instead of using the gauge value.
Cost - Other products like this are in the $5 to $10 range, Dash Command is 10 bucks to get the core App, then you have to pay another 10 bucks for the enhanced features for each year of vehicle. Maybe the 2000 package I have can read a 2002 7.3L... maybe not. I don't know.
Limited vehicles - I have a 2000 Superduty and a 2009 Prius (quite the dichotomy, eh?). Dash Command will talk to the beast, but won't let the P'us in the house... yet.
Stock background - Dash command is proud of their name and logo... looking like a tie that Grandpa would get for Christmas.
To be fair, there's good stuff in there too.
Gauges - the variety is wide, and there are a lot of controls for their appearance and behavior built into the App. Other products require plug-ins, downloads, and paid-for enhancements - and can be cumbersome to integrate. Each gauge has the opportunity for a digital window in the middle, that can be programmed for the same PID... or a supporting PID. Example: The gauge can read the transmission slip, and the window inside can read which gear you're in.
Polished look - It looks like PC software written by engineers. Some OBDII Apps look (and act) like a hacker on too much Jolt wrote it on a midnight burn.
A few dazzling built-in screens for those with a heavy or light right foot.
Support from Scantool, that does OBDII software as their core business... not a college student tinkering with his new-found skills. That being said, there are other OBDII Apps that are open source, and have a huge support structure in place by way of forums and enthusiasts - much the way we have support here on FTE.
I was let down by the lack of key PIDs, so I didn't bother with screen shots to share... and I didn't dig deep to customize my gauges. I chalk this up to a $20 project that's on hold until Dash Command gets more Ford Enhanced PIDs and supports the P'us.
PIDs - no IPR or FIPW. If you post a no-start thread and the members want to know the basic readings from your engine, this alone kills the "wahoo" factor. Scantool may change this with time.
No way to add or alter PIDs, other than what the vendor supplies - I guess I'm stuck with the EBP absolute value, instead of using the gauge value.
Cost - Other products like this are in the $5 to $10 range, Dash Command is 10 bucks to get the core App, then you have to pay another 10 bucks for the enhanced features for each year of vehicle. Maybe the 2000 package I have can read a 2002 7.3L... maybe not. I don't know.
Limited vehicles - I have a 2000 Superduty and a 2009 Prius (quite the dichotomy, eh?). Dash Command will talk to the beast, but won't let the P'us in the house... yet.
Stock background - Dash command is proud of their name and logo... looking like a tie that Grandpa would get for Christmas.
To be fair, there's good stuff in there too.
Gauges - the variety is wide, and there are a lot of controls for their appearance and behavior built into the App. Other products require plug-ins, downloads, and paid-for enhancements - and can be cumbersome to integrate. Each gauge has the opportunity for a digital window in the middle, that can be programmed for the same PID... or a supporting PID. Example: The gauge can read the transmission slip, and the window inside can read which gear you're in.
Polished look - It looks like PC software written by engineers. Some OBDII Apps look (and act) like a hacker on too much Jolt wrote it on a midnight burn.
A few dazzling built-in screens for those with a heavy or light right foot.
Support from Scantool, that does OBDII software as their core business... not a college student tinkering with his new-found skills. That being said, there are other OBDII Apps that are open source, and have a huge support structure in place by way of forums and enthusiasts - much the way we have support here on FTE.
I was let down by the lack of key PIDs, so I didn't bother with screen shots to share... and I didn't dig deep to customize my gauges. I chalk this up to a $20 project that's on hold until Dash Command gets more Ford Enhanced PIDs and supports the P'us.
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Joined: Dec 2013
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From: new caney, tx
he had the odblink mx from scantool.net
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Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Puget Sound
Jr3892 got the BT device right.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 655
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From: Randolph County NC
Watch out - most of the early App radios need a USB connection to another device (usually an iPhone), then the other device needs Dash Command and a BT link to the OBDII BT device. It's messy, but early App radios were made by Pioneer and other "stereo folk"... not portable device makers. Android is now jumping into this face-first, and some dazzling App radios will be in the market very soon.
Jr3892 got the BT device right.
Jr3892 got the BT device right.
Just adding that Apple has a very short list of OBD2 Bluetooth dongle MFGs that meet there standard and they are not cheap. I am going with a Wifi OBD2 dongle to my Ipod touch to Pioneer 4500bt stereo.
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Joined: Dec 2013
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From: new caney, tx
After what was supossed to be a 20min wait with pioneer (more like 45-55min) i received the unpleasant truth......my pioneer avic x850bt is not compatible with app radio features with the android phones.....so i cant run dashcomander from my s3 and view the gauges on the radio display ......total waiste of $800 
Only had the radio 2 or 3 weeks....gonna try to upgrade it at the store i bought it from ......i had bought the display model....so maybe they will be willing to put it back in the display cabnet....who knows
Only had the radio 2 or 3 weeks....gonna try to upgrade it at the store i bought it from ......i had bought the display model....so maybe they will be willing to put it back in the display cabnet....who knows
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 655
Likes: 18
From: Randolph County NC
I was also mislead when I bought my stereo last year. App radio = Apple radio. It works great with Ipod touch and Iphone. I loaded Dash Command to the Ipod and will just leave it in the truck. I also loaded dash Command to my Iphone and will use that to troubleshoot and clear codes on my other vehicles. I already had the Ipod and cable so for me this made sense.
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Thread Starter
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Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2011
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Likes: 179
From: Puget Sound
After what was supossed to be a 20min wait with pioneer (more like 45-55min) i received the unpleasant truth......my pioneer avic x850bt is not compatible with app radio features with the android phones.....so i cant run dashcomander from my s3 and view the gauges on the radio display ......total waiste of $800
Only had the radio 2 or 3 weeks....gonna try to upgrade it at the store i bought it from ......i had bought the display model....so maybe they will be willing to put it back in the display cabnet....who knows
Only had the radio 2 or 3 weeks....gonna try to upgrade it at the store i bought it from ......i had bought the display model....so maybe they will be willing to put it back in the display cabnet....who knows
Example (I'll yell because this is important):
OBDLink MX not compatible with Apple products.
Many current App radios not compatible with Android products.
Many current App radios will not link to vehicle without an iPhone.
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From Palmer Performance forum... Yes, you can make a custom PID script using the free version of ScanXL, and then import it into DashCommand through Settings. In ScanXL you would go to the Tools menu > Script Editor.
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I wrote a script for EGP but having problems getting it to dashcommand. Apparently, you must first upload it to the dashxl forum, and from there you can import it into dashcommand. Not sure why my forum upload won't take; I'll post back here when I figure it out.
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