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Aftermarket touch screen do-everything's?

dyeager535

dyeager535

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If someone has installed similar, I've missed it, apologies.

Don't have the money right now, but these units seem to be quite affordable. Since I don't run a dash pad, making some sort of mount for these would be easy I'm sure. I've read this one is a pretty good middle of the road unit...lot of features, good function, not that expensive. I'm sure its far from the only option though:
https://www.myatoto.com/ATOTO-A6G2A...tail?productId=1527478522721935364&country=US

Seems to be a lot to like. One that could be handy is the built in GPS. Meaning one could download a speedometer app and have a digitial speedometer? GPS tracking for theft? But backup camera compatible, radio, speed sensing volume, wireless android auto, etc. The 9" might be a better choice though.

Since I'll need a radio anyway, don't see why not to go this way. Then turn the radio slot into something to hold the phone or something.

Wonder how these hold up to humidity and vibration though. Those two would be big issues for me.
 
dyeager535 said:
If someone has installed similar, I've missed it, apologies.

Don't have the money right now, but these units seem to be quite affordable. Since I don't run a dash pad, making some sort of mount for these would be easy I'm sure. I've read this one is a pretty good middle of the road unit...lot of features, good function, not that expensive. I'm sure its far from the only option though:
https://www.myatoto.com/ATOTO-A6G2A...tail?productId=1527478522721935364&country=US

Seems to be a lot to like. One that could be handy is the built in GPS. Meaning one could download a speedometer app and have a digitial speedometer? GPS tracking for theft? But backup camera compatible, radio, speed sensing volume, wireless android auto, etc. The 9" might be a better choice though.

Since I'll need a radio anyway, don't see why not to go this way. Then turn the radio slot into something to hold the phone or something.

Wonder how these hold up to humidity and vibration though. Those two would be big issues for me.
Click to expand...
I know of one person here who did put one in a couple of years ago, can't remember who at this moment.
You might try search double din 7", it might pop up
 

Not an option for long-legged folk though. My knees are only a couple inches from the dash as is. I've been pondering just how hard it would be to relocate the air vent to the right of the driver's console area, move the controls down to where the stereo goes, and use the remainign upper area for stereo install. At present, I think i've just described a project that will take me longer than my life span to complete. Maybe a better fabricator with more time to dedicate to it would be able to pull it off though.
 
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Polymath said:

Not an option for long-legged folk though. My knees are only a couple inches from the dash as is. I've been pondering just how hard it would be to relocate the air vent to the right of the driver's console area, move teh controls down to where teh stereo goes, and use the remainign upper area for stereo install. At present, I think i've just described a project that will take me longer than my life span to complete. Maybe a better fabricator with more time to dedicate to it would be able to pull it off though.
Click to expand...
Thanks.
I was thinking it was H2O that had it but didn't know what keywords to use.
I tried a few and failed
 
Yep, agreed, it wouldn't work that low for me. I'd rather have the radio slot turned into a phone holder, and the head unit mounted up high.

I suppose you could remove that vent and make some sort of bracket that bolted to the dash frame that extended out through where the vent was, but for those that need AC, that's probably not ideal. And it would probably look funky from at least the drivers side, as you'd see the mounting method, since the dash lip would push the screen out from the bezel area. It might fit below the lip, but it looks to be close to the heater controls then.

Not a real easy project to fit into one of these trucks and look like it should almost be there. But the functionality seems far and away better than any other option out there I'm aware of.

Additionally, as much as mine sits, humidity would be a concern as much as withstanding the shock of a squarebody on rough roads lol.
 
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Some new head units without disc readers are much smaller with regards to depth, so there's that. Width and height are pretty well standardized to the DIN measurements though.

Honestly I just want something to utilize wireless carplay and i'll be happy. I don't give a hoot about AM/FM, CD's, USB, 3.5 jacks, etc... Camera screens can be plumbed into the rearview mirror or just done standalone and bolted to the dash any damned place you can see but perhaps don't need to easily reach while driving.

Much as I dislike the look of it with an otherwise normal interior, a DIY4x dash allows you all these options too.
 
Polymath said:
Width and height are pretty well standardized to the DIN measurements though.
Click to expand...
That's why I mentioned the UTV and marine alternate form factors. There are some with a small control panel and the rest of the unit is remote mounted, as well (like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/256145519141). I don't have measurements of the dash opening, but here's an example:

61kDKbY9GWL._AC_SL1500_.jpg



Of course if you're looking for touchscreen, NAV, engine diagnostics, you'd be better off with a tablet than one of these compact units.
 
Oddly, I'm not finding a bunch of pictures with the dash pad removed. That hole is pretty darn big however. Just don't know the dimensions.

Being able to Bluetooth GMRS to the audio system would be a big plus for me too.
 
dyeager535 said:
GPS tracking for theft?
Click to expand...
Maybe. It would have to have a cell signal and the unit would have to be powered on. Then you just need to enable the remote location. Most of these Android auto units tether to your phone for mobile access, so that only helps if they steal the car with your phone in it, but you could also have a hotspot installed somewhere. It's also worth noting that a lot of modern radios are never "off" - the display is just turned off. A smart thief would go to the android power-down menu instead of cranking the tunes during the get-away.
 
Hmm. Guess I was thinking GPS could be a two way street.

I guess a well-hidden airtag would be more practical.
 
dyeager535 said:
Hmm. Guess I was thinking GPS could be a two way street.

I guess a well-hidden airtag would be more practical.
Click to expand...
A GPS unit is only receiving time-stamp data from multiple satellites. No data goes back up to the satellites.

An airtag is basically a parasite based on there being apple devices that are on-network all over the place. So the airtag connects to random ipads and iphones and uses their resources to send position data to the mothership and those device owners don't even know it's happening. Of course it contains it's own GPS.
 
I was thinking that was actually a benefit that people now know there is a tracker. Make it as near impossible to access the tracker as you can, park your vehicle away from others, then there is no question which vehicle is tagged. If thieves are going to check for a tag, why not make it clear yours is?
 
Apple has ruined the possibility of using the airtag as a lojack.
It plays a noise when you use FindMy to track it and whoever is near it can cause it to chime.
It'll let the thieves know exactly where the tag is so they can remove it and toss it in the next pickup they see, or a dumpster which will get picked up and lead you to the county landfill.
 
Polymath said:
Apple has ruined the possibility of using the airtag as a lojack.
It plays a noise when you use FindMy to track it and whoever is near it can cause it to chime.
It'll let the thieves know exactly where the tag is so they can remove it and toss it in the next pickup they see, or a dumpster which will get picked up and lead you to the county landfill.
Click to expand...
That's assuming I haven't welded it into something, or put it inside a fender before bolting it to the truck, or put it inside the bed between my aluminum bed side, or inside the tailgate, or.... lol

I'd rather they know it's there, than not. It's a deterrent at that point. Just like my column guard. Hopefully they see it before they smash the window. Or the 465 shifter.
 
dyeager535 said:
… or put it inside a fender before bolting it to the truck, or put it inside the bed between my aluminum bed side, or inside the tailgate, or.... lol
Click to expand...

… or you do realize that being enclosed in basically a metal box (i.e. a Faraday cage) the transmitter will not work outside the enclosure. :whistle:
 
You mean like inside a vehicle? Compasses don't work well there either.

You've tested airtags in various locations to see what sort of distance you get out of them? There are no barriers to easy access that aren't solidly enclosed, like under the dashpad, in the bedsides, in the headliner, behind the grill, under any of the interior trim, etc.?
 
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Short and simple: Yes, you can use an airtag to track a stolen car, but it's not nearly as good at that task as other products that cost more.

Getting this thread back on track....
https://www.theonegauge.com/product/onegauge-kit-squarebody/

This might be a better candidate if you are already seeking out digital guages. Looks a bit better than a full metal dash replacement like DIY4x and the flat aluminum sheet woudl be far easier to work with when rearranging the components.

I personally would like the autometer invision guages but they use a proprietary molded dash bezel which would not be so easy to hack up and rearrange. Makes me wonder about installing the autometer electronics in a simple aluminum sheet like TheOneGuage uses.

Edit: Nevermind the one guage. it just screws into the face of the OEM guage bezel which looks pretty awful.

https://www.theonegauge.com/product/onegauge-kit-squarebody/
 
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Something like this would almost fit. Cut out the dash bezel to single-DIN size where the heater controls are, block off or otherwise ignore the fact that the display is in front of the AC vent. Hardest part might be getting it to not hit the dash pad. A somewhat smaller head unit may have that clearance. There is room to open up the dash bezel to DIN size but you're destroying the bezel. There's not turning back from that. Then you still have to move the heater controls down to the OEM stereo location. I am also uncertain if the bezel itself will hold the weight of the head unit or if you would still need to modify the metal dash backing to somehow hold the DIN adapter box that the aftermarket stereos use.


The cut would look a bit like this for single-DIN:
1695396325178.png

Even better physically, but it's a cheapo unit:
 
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