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Needing some guidance - calling all Android users (Tugly too)
Ok needing some help, I am now going to be getting my beloved truck back and am starting to look into monitoring it, as I have the convince of doing the same in my Stang and absolutly LOVE knowing what is going on with the Engine and all associated sensors as I drive (which can alert me to issues if any ever come up) and I want the same for the truck, so I have begun the process of gathering the needed tools, however I am needing some of the more experienced people with Androids to assist here as I am primary a Fruit user and PC user/Linux and and the closest device to Androids that I have is my mum's decommissioned phone which I am pretty sure is pre Kit Kat, and its well way too small to be a functional in truck gauge system.
So below are the list of questions that I hope to get answered!! So I am asking the Droids in our family (Android users) the following: Please be mindful that I will be leaving it in the truck pretty much 24x7 and plugged in 24x7 and it WILL be hooking up to wifi when its in the driveway as needed
-what type of tablet should I look at?
-Any that are preferred brands over others?
-what is the minimum OS I should have on it
-What version of Torque Pro should I use/get (should I find a free alternative that is better??) -What PIDs (sensors, ect) should I specifically set this to be monitoring? - I believe I was able to locate the info after a few more hours of searching here
-is there any more useful tips and tricks I should be aware of that might make this whole integration of computer based monitoring for the truck simpler?? -where (can?) I get a hold of a GOOD ELM-327 (ithink that is the number??) OBD unit??? this is where I am mainly concerned as I would rather avoid the Chinese junk....the quality control of Chinese products is mostly hit and miss and usually its a big miss with the poor quality so yea 'nuff said there I hope... - Ok I believe I been able to narrow this down based on what I have been reading so far and what I was able to uncover from a few Tugly posts
-what is a good (the minimum) processor speed required/recommended?
-This unit is planned to be near or as close to the drivers seat as possible, possibly in visual of anyone near/in the truck at all times so I do plan for having a theft deterrent set up (locking case that a key will be needed for removal) but it will more then likely be in the sun light quite a bit especially during the summer months!
Please don't be afraid to get technical, I can understand it all, I am an IT guy so I can work with the lingo too....
ok so I think I have blabed enough, lets get this discussion rolling and sorry for the long winded thread post...just trying to cover every aspect that I can here!!
I bought the cheapest 7" Nextbook tablet I could find, (79.00) w/blutooth & wifi. Android 5.0,( Torque works with 4.0 also) and I use a BAFX OBD wifi adaptor, 23.00 from amazon. It works flawlessly. A lot of the other guys like the OBDlink MX adaptor. Quite abit more expensive, but it also works well. I have to use a tablet cause a phone screen is too damn tiny, and I'm getting half blind. And I use Torque Pro cause FTE got me trained up on it first, They've got Most? of the bugs worked thru, but people are Liking Forscan lately (same price as TP} Take your pick....
First of all... you had a link above that is a bit dated, and I wanted to share the latest. Ian at Torque Pro started this, but other OBDII apps are following his lead - many apps have programmable PIDs with the same info. With that... this [LINK] is useful for many apps.
Torque is free, as is the PC Version of FORScan (it's a beta), but Torque Pro and FORScan for Android and Apple cost a few bucks. FORScan absolutely sucks as a daily monitor while driving... it's purpose it to provide an alternative to AutoEnginuity for Ford/Mazda - and it does it very well. Since FORScan isn't trapped by the ProLine OBDII adapter like AE is, the data stream can be much faster (higher resolution) with FORScan and a good OBDII adapter. Here is a [LINK] to provide more insight on OBDII apps.
The OBDII adapter is a hot topic. Here is a [LINK] regarding those ELM327 units from across the left pond. I have the OBDLink MX because I never know what the future brings, and the MX version of OBDLink will talk to certain chebbies, where the LX (half the price) will not. The WiFi adapter (for iOS) comes in MX flavor exclusively. Many like the BAFX, but I don't know if it has the same speed - and it doesn't have the power-down feature one would want when leaving it plugged into the truck 24/7 like I do. I have left my OBDLink unit plugged in for several months over the winter without starting the truck - the batteries fired the truck right up without the need for a charge. When shopping for the OBDII adapter... consider your planned usage, look at the power/security factors, look at the throughput speed, and make certain you can easily find support for the device. Email support is nice, but a phone number usually means they're serious about it.
As for the tablet... 7 inch seems to hit the sweet spot. Many have adapted 7" tablets over the double-din hole in the dash where once there was a stereo. I have a 7", and I doubt I would go much larger than an 8". I have another device that's a 10", but that's just too much.
I saved the "ickiest" for last - which 7-inch tablet to get? I have the Nexus 7 (2013), and it is still a great device - but I want to up my game and I can't. Nexus is a Google device, and they wanted it to be a safe device for all users - so they crippled it in a way that prevents the adventurous and the high-techies from going far out of the sphere of Google Support. Put another way, I can't do fancy-schmancy things like add wired peripherals. Some recent camera purchases brought this into a rather glaring focus.
Had I to do it over... I would look for "Bluetooth" (many cheap units don't have Bluetooth radios), "WiFi", and "OTG capable". I may yet sell my Nexus 7 at a discount (with my Torque Pro settings), and up my game to an OTG-capable unit. In my homework, I have found these brands have models that generally do what I want:
Gee, too bad you not in Canada. Just open a Royal Bank savings account and they give you a brand new tablet for free, and you only need to keep the account open for 3 months. Good deal. Opened one just for the tablet, and now its closed and I have a free tablet. lol
Gee, too bad you not in Canada. Just open a Royal Bank savings account and they give you a brand new tablet for free, and you only need to keep the account open for 3 months. Good deal. Opened one just for the tablet, and now its closed and I have a free tablet. lol
Hmmm might have to talk to a friend I know up there lol!
As for the Nexus 7 would you suggest it if I just mainly want to use torque pro (I am not planning to use it for everything just monitoring the truck) or should I go with HTC, Samsung or something like that?
My Nexus 7 (2013) has been a fantastic platform and reasonably priced (for the power it has). I have several of the cheap 7" units for small tasks, but they are total sloths in a world of cheetahs: I can arrive at work before those things open the software, activate the Bluetooth, and finish hooking up. By going with the Nexus 7, you may very well commit to never needing to attach anything by wire, other than a PC to transfer your Torque logs and pictures. I still have hope that I can make my thermal camera work with my Nexus 7 - but it's a faint hope. I think I can make a keyboard and mouse work... or a joystick.
With all that... my Nexus 7 was in the $200 neighborhood a couple of years ago - they run $169 now. Looking at the 2016 tablet reviews, there is a clear move to "bigger is better", but we don't have an aircraft carrier deck to mount an Imax screen. We have a little room on the dash or by our knee that fits a 7" quite nicely.
Oh come now Tugly, I thought the top of our dash was big like the aircraft carrier...I can mount an Imax screen there...:P I am looking at a pretty low cost 9"er its an off brand, but for the $56.00 its very tempting, especially if it has the BT, wifi and USB on the go thing that it states it has...its a Fleabay special too...I figure its really more then I need now, but hey it can at least sync to my network at home...on wifi N, I may just pull the trigger and grab one as it seems more then reasonable and its a good price to me, what do you think?
I know its not Samsung or HTC or LG but ehh if I can get away with the same function I want this one to serve (and if it gets broken its only $56 or so verses $200+) which is to just quietly sit in the truck, monitor the PIDs of Torque and that is really it for now...also 8GB to me seems over kill for just a single function....hehe
That's the track I took....I now have 2 $50-80 Tablets, different brands, both WIfi/BT capable, as many Bells and whistles as I could get, and I can't say that I've found any defects yet. I can store a crapload of Music and Play it to my Dinosaur Stereo,( I'm gonna switch it to a Double Din New one soon. I hope the Android units start getting more available) Plus you can Link it with your phone or a MIfi Card on long Trips and get the whole Geek experience going.
Interesting, how well do they perform? do you use them for torq? I just found one for $26 so I am really tempted to get it!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381567305770?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT or this one for $27 http://www.ebay.com/itm/182040463324?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT and finally this one for $59 http://www.ebay.com/itm/301624027473?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
What do you guys think of either one?
The RCA is used (defect reman?) with no returns... and it's pink. No worries about theft there.
The Direkt Tek unit says this:
Condition: Used
Seller Notes: “This item shows signs of heavy use such as scratches, scuffs, blemishes or dings, but remains functional. The box and/or packaging has been opened.”
Years ago, I was in the appliance section of Lowes, picking out a microwave. The last time I bought a microwave before that, Lowes was Eagle Hardware or the brand before that - I don't remember, but microwaves were expensive then. I was fussing over the choice of a microwave, looking at warranty and durability... driving the pimple-faced sales clerk batty. He finally blurted out "It's 50 bucks!". I stood there stunned that I was lamenting over something that isn't breaking the bank. I saw that as a life lesson in trying to keep my "mind time" managed. I sometimes fail, but I get it right for the most part.
It's tech. I found one on the shelf at Fred Meyer (PNW regional store) for 40 bucks on sale and I grabbed it quicker than the time it took me to read the price - it didn't need Bluetooth for my purposes, just WiFi. I broke all the buttons off pretty quick, but it's a unit in peril at all times and it does as advertised... so it was a good choice for that purpose. I don't think you need the whole forum to screen "It's 50 bucks!" item ads for caveats, but your idea to make one thread that brings all the Torque Pro stuff under one roof is a great idea.
Remember... this is a gauge set for your dash - there is a degree of reliability you would hope for. If you bought a $20 EGT gauge for the dash and it sometimes acted up, is that good enough? You can buy the scratched used unit for $26 and a blue ELM327 that works with J1850 PWM for 5 bucks. You're in there for 50 bucks (tax and shipping) - giving you the ability to read all your sensors, or do a buzz test with the right app. All you have to do now is scour the internet for that right ELM327, and your dash will have absolutely the cheapest gauge set you could possibly find.
My tablet gets very heavy use when I travel (emails, forum, pictures, mapping, etc...), so I opted for a decent tablet. I cover it with my elbow pillow when the rig is parked.
The RCA is used (defect reman?) with no returns... and it's pink. No worries about theft there.
The Direkt Tek unit says this:
Years ago, I was in the appliance section of Lowes, picking out a microwave. The last time I bought a microwave before that, Lowes was Eagle Hardware or the brand before that - I don't remember, but microwaves were expensive then. I was fussing over the choice of a microwave, looking at warranty and durability... driving the pimple-faced sales clerk batty. He finally blurted out "It's 50 bucks!". I stood there stunned that I was lamenting over something that isn't breaking the bank. I saw that as a life lesson in trying to keep my "mind time" managed. I sometimes fail, but I get it right for the most part.
It's tech. I found one on the shelf at Fred Meyer (PNW regional store) for 40 bucks on sale and I grabbed it quicker than the time it took me to read the price - it didn't need Bluetooth for my purposes, just WiFi. I broke all the buttons off pretty quick, but it's a unit in peril at all times and it does as advertised... so it was a good choice for that purpose. I don't think you need the whole forum to screen "It's 50 bucks!" item ads for caveats, but your idea to make one thread that brings all the Torque Pro stuff under one roof is a great idea.
Remember... this is a gauge set for your dash - there is a degree of reliability you would hope for. If you bought a $20 EGT gauge for the dash and it sometimes acted up, is that good enough? You can buy the scratched used unit for $26 and a blue ELM327 that works with J1850 PWM for 5 bucks. You're in there for 50 bucks (tax and shipping) - giving you the ability to read all your sensors, or do a buzz test with the right app. All you have to do now is scour the internet for that right ELM327, and your dash will have absolutely the cheapest gauge set you could possibly find.
My tablet gets very heavy use when I travel (emails, forum, pictures, mapping, etc...), so I opted for a decent tablet. I cover it with my elbow pillow when the rig is parked.
True, I also got the Bluetooth adapter, it should arrive today,it is the same one you use I forget the name, as for tablets I figured I would at least ask as I was going to see what other people thought, granted I will ultimately be making the decision my self.
Plus I don't plan to use it for more than aux gauge set for torque pro, email and all that I keep on the fruit phone the I pad has only 1 app for its aux gauge set also
ok after a bit of researching I went a head and pulled the trigger on the RCA padd for $27.99 with $7 some change shipping bringing it all to total of about $35 for a quad core tablet with Android 5.0 and 16 GB storage (more then I needed or was looking for here), so I feel while I could have gone to wally world and possibly gotten one for $44 plus 6% tax I still will have made out better with this one, and yea it may be pink, but I don't care, it will be living its life in the truck mostly in a cradle any ways...the avrage price for this unit seems to be about $45 - $50 for the 8GB one, more the the 16gb (built in storage), so for the most part again I came a head on this one here...
Funny u said Wally World,... That's where I bought BOTH tablets! On clearance. Hey I'm a Heretic, I do all kinds of Crazy S%^t in the name of Technology....
03-10-2016, 04:04 PM
) which is to just quietly sit in the truck, monitor the PIDs of Torque and that is really it for now...also 8GB to me seems over kill for just a single function....hehe