47-55.1 Replace radio, gps and more with cell phone

[vintovka]

My 54 has been off line since Dec 2022 and traded in my 04 dodge for 2023 Tacoma. Have learned tons from using the latter with my cell phone for gps. music, speedometer and remote commands. Cell phone apps seem unlimited and more come out every day. That said think both standalone Radios and GPS are now essentially technologically obsolete Currently have what was a state of the art radio in the glove box and what was a brand new in dash Garmin GPS in the dash as shown. Even a nice headset in the dash spot but i fear they are also already obsolete. Now Thinking of replacing both with just my cell phone in a dash spot. Anyone else have similar thoughts or suggestions?

[nvrdone]

My head unit is a bit old but it does have the aux in. When I plug my cell phone in that gives me access to the 2200 tunes on my phone, internet radio, google maps and all kinds of other things I dont remember. Im not a fan of gps screens but I use Google Maps all the time because of the voice commands. I might suggest since your head unit has aux in, Get a patch cord, plug your cell phone in and see what you think.

[vintovka]

Will try that for fun but it seems that my existing stuff is just flat redundant all except for the wired speakers. Wonder if anyone has gone with just a cell phone and bluetooth speakers. I do think google earth and waze are way superior to the garmin. Bet soon all the fancy remote functions will be thru the cell phone. Also see reviews of the less expensive headunits are pretty bad.

[mr48chev]

The problem with cell phones is that with a number of apps you still have to have a connection with a cell tower for it to work.

I've got an Alpine head unit in my OT daily that does have the CD player but it also has blue tooth, Pandora, sirus, something else, a connector for a USB and a connector for a pin style auxillary unit. Plus it sounds great though the 10 or 12 speakers in the car. I can load every CD I have on one or more memory sticks and probably go a couple of years without hearing the same song except where it was on more than one album . That means no need to clog the memory in my phone with music.

Broomhilda the bossy GPS either died or is on the injured reserve list but she has directed my family all over the Pacific North west and down to Pismo Beach. Never a lack of function except in tunnels and the redwoods. Swapped between cars and trucks, left out on the dash in110 degree days, went off on a trip with my daughter, loaned to a buddy, that old 60 buck GPS has done it all. Meanwhile when I got away from internet connections in White Salmon Wa I had to drive around town until I finally got enough of a connection for my GPS on my phone to work so I could find the place that I had planned to go eat at. That has been my experience with phone gps more than once and I have a Samsung Galaxy S20 FE G5 that is finally paid for. That thing will do about everything except cook dinner if you have good phone and internet connection.

I watch a lot of the youtube off road rescue shows including Matt's off road recovery and Casey Ladelel out of Bend rely too much on their phone GPS and often loose connection.

When the 48 hits the road it will have a hidden headunit one way or the other. I've got a six volt radio in the dash I am using that I'll have to have a voltage reducer for but it it will probably get used more for show and tell than road use.

[vintovka]

Will try to mount my cell phone in the dash cutout in the next week or so to see how it works. Will keep the the radio in in the glovebox for a while as well. May try a bluetooth connector (or aux in cord) but i think the cell phones will replace dedicated GPS and radios very soon where usable. Technology advances are making me think twice about everything. Bet non intrusive heads up displays for ADs may be a reality soon as well.

[leegreen]

70 year old dash boards don't have easily lend themselves to large flat panel displays.
People are giving away the old sucker mount Garmins, I keep one in the glove box of every vehicle and they work fine for what I need.

I am also not a fan of all the controls on a vehicle converging into one touch screen interface, when I drive my Wife's jeep if she is not with me I pretty much need to pullover to figure out how to do stuff like change the channel.

Don't get me started on all the drivers around here clicking n swiping their way along the highway every day

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by leegreen

70 year old dash boards don't have easily lend themselves to large flat panel displays.

I had little choice in the the dash mod. My late cousin reportedly kicked the radio grill as a kid in circa 1968 just before i got the truck. I think garmin and other map projection gps have run out of time. Aerial photo based GPS like Google Earth seems much easier to use. BTW many new vehicles like Toyota charge like $3 k for inferior, built in GPS and expect you to use your phone for everything. You must plug your phone into the dash as well unless you use a "dongle".

With the good comes some serious bad. This from just using a cell phone or driving a new car. Some drawbacks to technology include tracking your every move, recording your driving habits and operating your vehicle remotely all while listening to what you say.

[_Ogre]

I don't want to hear anything but music in any vehicle. No commercials, no commentary and definitely no annoying disconnected voice telling me how to drive. 58 TRUK head unit has a thumb drive with 50Gb of music loaded, that is all I need.

The 09 GMC has Bluetooth for phone only, I have a $15 Bluetooth receiver plugged in the aux port for music. The GMC came with Sirius and turn by turn navigation, I used both one time and cancelled both. Satellite radio is mostly commercials and navigation without a screen is worthless when muted.

[dsraven]

my wife is the navigator and entertainment director. when I go somewhere she always wants to come along, probably out of boredom but I like to think it's because she likes to be seen with me and my chiselled features, haha. anyway, when we go somewhere she goes online with her tablet and finds the place on google maps. she doesn't close the tab on the tablet. then, when we get in the car to go, she opens that page again and the map page opens and shows our location via gps. it follows us as we go showing our current location. the tablet is not connected to the net since it has no "plan" and it still works through GPS in the tablet. for entertainment she is quick to find a song as soon as I start singing....haha

[vintovka]

Think the phone will work but still don't like the negatives. When i turned off the Toyota "net". They gave me some substantial resistance and pester me weekly to turn it back on. One of the lines they use is "for your safety". I think they can monitor EVERYTHING you do when driving including how many times you speed, brake, swerve or even set off the "lane departure" alarm. even with the net connection off the dash will prompt you with the "take a break" coffee cup warning. No doubt the phone does that already. Wonder if your insurance gets a report as well.

Will try the phone for a week and see how it works.

[dsraven]

Doubtful if it goes to insurance but would be downloaded after an accident by police. Still dunno if insurance would have the right to that personal info unless you were deceased and the only name on the title.

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by dsraven

Doubtful if it goes to insurance but would be downloaded after an accident by police. Still dunno if insurance would have the right to that personal info unless you were deceased and the only name on the title.

All the crashes I ever investigated, I never downloaded any of the car's "blackbox" info. Now, that said, I didn't investigate fatalities, but then I never heard of any of those guys doing it either. You'd most likely have to get a warrant in order to do that anyway. Now, insurance company, that's a different kettle of fish.

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

All the crashes I ever investigated, I never downloaded any of the car's "blackbox" info. Now, that said, I didn't investigate fatalities, but then I never heard of any of those guys doing it either. You'd most likely have to get a warrant in order to do that anyway. Now, insurance company, that's a different kettle of fish.

Some companies now offer a discount for a "black box" add on. Seems the one on the tacoma takes it a step further as its on till you shut it off. Even then your not sure. With the enormous amount of $ involved today companies have no choice to take ever advantage to protect their bottom lines. Before i shut mine off i would get constant messages including exactly where the truck was, whether doors were open or closed and a driving/mechanical report. Nice but no thanks. Even felt compelled to watch what i said while driving as microphone was always on. Think standard front, rear and inside dashcams are not far off.

[mr48chev]

I never go anywhere that I am not supposed to be so it doesn't really matter who knows where I went. Driving a bit fast on long open and fun to drive on roads? Guilty.

Funny thing about the tablets like Dsraven's wife has, My boat mentor and good Friendthe late Capt John Adelotte who owned Vessel Assist at Cornet Bay Wa was headed though Deception Pass behind another friend who is a female captain who was in one of his other tow boats, They hit a fog bank in the pass and all the electronics in both boats went out, She pulled out her tablet, brought up the charts app she hand and brought up the chart and gps and that was how they got though and out of the fog.

I've still got a USB gps for a laptop around here somewhere that I used to use with my laptop with charts on it before I got my GPS for my boat. That only works in the car or truck when you have internet access for maps (had the puget sound charts on the laptop) though. My wife and I did that In tacoma once when we were hunting for where our nieces wedding was.

[vintovka]

Am progressing on the cell phone idea but moving updates to the "projects and build" site below.

[daveshilling]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

The problem with cell phones is that with a number of apps you still have to have a connection with a cell tower for it to work.

You can download maps from Google to use offline and requires no cell service, and GPS is satellite based, so if you do a bit of planning, you can get navigation without cell towers.

That may be too complex for some, but it works.

[vintovka]

Just to finish this subject take a peek at the link below posts 340 thru 347. Really happy with results and may be the ultimate fix. Will say I'm pretty addicted to it and finding more apps everyday. Even with all the visibility of a lifted 3 window the back up cam is great.

[leegreen]

Share a link to the screen you bought?

[vintovka]

Here you go, but first a warning! This stuff is addictive and like a toy with infinite current and future attachments you may regret it. BTW after all was said and done total cost was like 23 bucks.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/32568...yAdapt=glo2usa

[vintovka]

This came up in another discussion with other "techtards" like me so wanted to add this final note. Just wanted to add that the auto android app allows direct wireless connection from your cell phone to screen without the use of a cable or a special BT "dongle". Even my new $45K Toyota needs the latter or you have to use a usb cable to access headset. Super dumb and they should be embarrassed as many wind up leaving their phones connected in the vehicle or rip cable or clothing when the try to exit.