Smart Tech guys chime in on audio/ lighting question

Need some help on a audio/lighting idea. I have the Wink smart home system. I can turn on lights and outlets with my phone thru the hub. Is there any kind of 12V hub that could be mounted under the hood to run relays for lights and such. Then if you had a android or apple play Headunit you could control any number of lights or switches from the cab wirelessly thru a app on the head unit. Would love it if a stereo maker added some buttons on a touchscreen that controlled a switch box under the hood. Would eliminate a bunch of switches and wiring from the cab to the engine compartment to the item. Just not tech savvy enough to know if something like that is out there. We can control the entire stereo system from the steering wheel, why not the other way around.

 

First off, I'm a complete smart ass....

What your talking about is called a Tesla.

I'm a home automation guy, so I get why you want this. Unfortunately even if you could do this with the correct switches, plugs etc... I don't think the CarPlay interface nor the Android interface allows you to install third party apps at your discretion. Theres a limited list of apps that if you have on your device just show up on the screen.

 

I've read a couple of the build thread's about the horror stories of the Tesla radio. What if someone had a hub under the hood that could be controlled by a phone app. Would still replace a lot of physical switches in the cabin and centralize stuff under the hood.

 

Well first you have to have the switches or bulbs or lights that are controllable via another option than a switch. Remember, the switch turns on the power to the bulb. The hub controls that switch not the bulb itself in most instances. And then you have to have the communication medium to the switch, bluetooth, wifi, ziggbee etc.....

I just don't think its here quite yet. But it would be cool if all you had was a light bulb that got power only and the communication to it was wireless to turn it on or off. Until the RF communication protocol failed.......

 

Right, most all the lights have switches to send power to 40A relays. So if you had a bank of relays under the hood controlled by a hub that just powered one side of the relay. Main power would come from the battery or a distribution box. May end up just bitting the bullet and install a switch pro system and hard wire it.

 

Hmmmmmm thats interesting. I wonder if theres something in the HotRod world like this that you are talking about. They seem to like to shave handles and buttons.

 

This exists in the boating world. Cellular gateways that work with sensors and relay controllers to activate/deactivate devices on demand. Practical use for turning on heaters / AC in certain conditions and so on. There are quite a few sensors for the 12 volt power source, but e relay controllers I've worked with are intended for A/C power sources.

 

Boating as in Yachts? Can you point us to a brand/model of one of these?

 

TOSR181 - 8 Channel Smartphone Bluetooth Relay - (Password/Momentary/Latching)

TOSR181-8 Channel Smartphone Bluetooth Relay - (Password/Momentary/Latching)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EY8G0W0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_im8xAbTAF1G1Y


Something like this to control your relays.

 

I've done a whole bunch of looking into something like this, here is what I came up with.

A 12v low power relay to be used from a Raspberry pi

GERI® 12V 4-Channel Relay Module with Optocoupler H/L Level Triger for Arduino

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VND5ZP...c=1&coliid=I11JFBELNSH1LZ&colid=1M463FLOZN41A

You tie that into normal automotive 12v relays. Then you can program the GPIO logic to be accessed through some simplistic web interface. Connect to the raspberry pi via a browser, and you have a functional wireless remote setup.

Want to extend it? Load up a portable hard drive, and something like plex/kodi and now you have the ability to stream movies to any device in your car/wifi signal from a central place. Want to extend it more? You can get an LTE connection via usb and now you can access it through the internet (make sure you do it right).

 

MyBoatStatus.com is one. The controller relays are not listed on the website for they are not an out of the box 10 minute install, but are available.

 

D0zer that's cool. Same idea I looked I to before. I have 3 raspberry pi's laying around. I need something good to play videos in mine for my kids.

 

Wonder if the 8 channel could be controlled from a iPad mini. I have one in the truck mounted on a ram mount for my GPS and music. Would be easy to have a app running in the background for control of relays under the hood. You could even run a long usb cord to have it hard wired for control and power to the box. would have to Harden it some but could be a do able project. then I wouldn't have a bunch of switches to find homes for.

 

Great another toy to buy. Applications are limitless tho.

 

To be clear, it should work, i've just thought up all the things, and i've done this with other linux based devices. Should work. I've sketched out the relays and looked into maximum output of the raspberry pi GPIOs and you could probably get about 6-8 concurrent outputs before you start getting instability. The more sensitive the 1st relay, the better. I'd probably look to keep the smaller relays & raspberry in the cabin, and then the automotive relays in the engine bay. Of course fuse everything.

 

This is what I planned to do before.

 

I looked at this one too. But need more outputs.

http://www.xkglow.com/XK_TITAN_Bluetooth_App_500w_LED_Light_Controller_p/xk-titan-kit.htm

 

States you can run two at the same time. But how convent to run it off of the phone app or a mini iPad. Even if your light bars needed more power, you could just use this output to activate a relay. wouldn't really need some of the features, unless you wanted the deer and hogs to know what music you are playing.

 

Be nice to have it all touchscreen.

 

I looked at that 8 channel thing, and the app you have to load is not in any appstore. And the screen shots I saw were pretty gangster. Not a deal breaker, but something to think about.

 

Alpine KAC-001 Truck Accessory Controller.

Someone on here has added this to their HU. Crutchfield says it will control 8 different items from the touch screen. May just have to go with a Alpine HU for this reason only. May research if any other brands have something like it.

 

You talking about something like this? http://triggercontroller.com/
they have an iOS app and android app as well. I have an android head unit and can run the lights from that or my phone. But just as easy to grab the wireless switch and use it.

 

Yeah that's pretty cool!

 

you don't have to have a new head unit to use the trigger controller - you can use your phone or the wireless switches and mount them anywhere since there are no wires. The new 6 channel looks to have a power wire to charge the batteries or something and maybe provide power to the led indicator. I have the 4 channel one and mounted the switches with velcro in the business card holder on the roof. Folds up and out of sight

 

I like both ideas. Just need to determine if I am ready to replace my HU. if not will have to price out the trigger control. If I do replace the head unit I will probably go with the controller that I can control from the touch screen.

Decisions Decisions

 

This is what I was looking into for my F250 that had an iPad mini in the dash, just got rid of the truck before I ever got around to it.

http://www.ridecontroller.com

 

Dang it.... you just cost me $15 and a weekend of tinkering

 

Let me shorten the time-to-beer:

https://www.foobarflies.io/python-on-the-pi-how-to-run-a-flask-gpio-web-service/
web server for back end

https://thepi.io/how-to-set-up-a-raspberry-pi-plex-server/
media server

 

Dude, you're doing it all wrong.

Tinkering time is beer time, there is no "time-to-beer" for tinkering projects, t=0

Coil springs - different story - although maybe one or two for courage - but i don't like doing them buzzed.

 

The only problem i have found with apps on a phone to control stuff is the fact that my phone locks and goes to sleep and i have to find it while driving and unlock it open the app just to turn a light off or on. Its a great idea and works ok on the android head unit but the wireless switches are a much better option for me. I am only using it to control LED lights as my other items(Fridge, Air Compressor) are on physical switches.
Plus I can get a ticket for being on my phone while driving.