OEM+ alternative to the standard satnav (pics inside)

[DS197]

After coming across a video on youtube of a company that incorporates ipads/tablets into dashes, I thought why not try and implement something similar for the Clio. Once I had purchased the satnav housing I began my research. After looking at the dimensions of tablets, I came to the conclusion that to make them fit, far too many modifications would need to be done to the housing and it was beyond my skill level.

So I started looking at Android phones and came across the LG G3. Now i'm pretty sure this phone was made solely for this project! It was a perfect fit width wise when placed horizontally and also has a feature to lock/unlock the phone by double tapping on the screen, eliminating the need for access to the buttons (which are on the back of the phone anyway). So I had a tray for the phone designed by a member off ClioSport (Louis) which was near on perfect despite the fact he didn't have physical access to the phone for measurements. It was then 3D printed in Nylon.

So after a few weeks of work (mostly an hour here and there on the occasional weekend) I finally finished it this morning. Now it's not a looker, but DIY is not one of my best skills, so I'm happy with what i've managed to make. I can make a how-to if members are interested as i've taken many photos along the way.

Comments and criticisms are welcome as always (and apologies for the wonky pics!)

 

[sevenfourate]

Looks great. Good work indeed ! Why arent you happy with the fitment ?

I presume the only downside to this is needing a phone contract etc - dedicated to 'just' keeping this phone alive ?

And WHAT is that app with the performance / engine stats on ? Looks Epic !!

 

[DS197]

Looks great. Good work indeed ! Why arent you happy with the fitment ?

I presume the only downside to this is needing a phone contract etc - dedicated to 'just' keeping this phone alive ?

And WHAT is that app with the performance / engine stats on ? Looks Epic !!

Cheers It's mostly the look of velcro that i'm having second thoughts about but the more I think about it, I realise it was the best choice as the phone will never stay in the car overnight etc.

The LG will be tethered to my iPhone for mobile data. I've got 4GB tethering allowance and unlimited data for the iPhone itself so it should be ok, but that's a valid point. I may just get a cheap pay as you go sim for the LG in the future so it doesn't have to rely on the iPhone.

The app in the pictures is DashCommand. I had a look at another OBD app called torque, but I wasn't a fan of the GUI/graphs/dials. It's only a couple of quid but easily worth many times that as there's so much information available.

 

[Tutuur]

Looks great! Lovely idea! What did you do with the oe display? Just disconnect and leave it out?

You won't have a display for the radio now do you?

 

[DS197]

Looks great! Lovely idea! What did you do with the oe display? Just disconnect and leave it out?

You won't have a display for the radio now do you?

Thank you mate I kept the OE display (clock), it's in the first picture. So when the phone isn't in the housing, I can still see the time/temperature.

 

[Big Ben]

That looks cool. Might have to look into that app...

 

[Tutuur]

Ah, i see now. Had to zoom on my phone to have a proper look

 

[DS197]

That looks cool. Might have to look into that app...

You can also get trial versions of both apps, so you can try before you buy so to speak. You'll need a bluetooth obd reader adapter which is a couple of quid too

 

[sevenfourate]

You can also get trial versions of both apps, so you can try before you buy so to speak. You'll need a bluetooth obd reader adapter which is a couple of quid too

One of these @DS197 ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TORQUE-An...941661?hash=item43ebbe899d:g:igEAAOSwOtdYUmDC

Who needs to spend £40k on a Skyline - when you can do this for £6 !!!

 

[DS197]

One of these @DS197 ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TORQUE-An...941661?hash=item43ebbe899d:g:igEAAOSwOtdYUmDC

Who needs to spend £40k on a Skyline - when you can do this for £6 !!!

Yeap, that's the one! But that will only work with Android phones. You'll need a wifi one for iPhones like this one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/For-iPhon...155650?hash=item3d27e26d82:g:ziAAAOSwXeJYHF93

 

[R27_Frank]

Nice build! Very intrested in the diy, or could you send me a pm about how I can get a hold of the tray for the LG ?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONE A2003 met Tapatalk

 

[DS197]

Nice build! Very intrested in the diy, or could you send me a pm about how I can get a hold of the tray for the LG ?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONE A2003 met Tapatalk

Cheers mate The tray was 3D printed and I can send you the STL file if you wish? The corners of the tray needed sanding down a little but if you're also using velcro, I don't think it will matter. I will be writing up a how-to very soon too

 

[Chris]

Top notch effort with that davinder looks awesome! Velcro definitely best option...

Could you not have just got a Velcro case for your iPhone and used that instead or is it too big/small?

 

[R27_Frank]

Cheers mate [emoji2] The tray was 3D printed and I can send you the STL file if you wish? The corners of the tray needed sanding down a little but if you're also using velcro, I don't think it will matter. I will be writing up a how-to very soon too

Yeah if you could send that it would help al lot!
Also thinking of using velcro so it's not important.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn ONE A2003 met Tapatalk

 

[DS197]

Top notch effort with that davinder looks awesome! Velcro definitely best option...

Could you not have just got a Velcro case for your iPhone and used that instead or is it too big/small?

Thanks for the kind words Chris I could have used my iPhone but I felt that the screen was a little small to be used as a OBD/Satnav display. The G3s can be picked up for a fair price and the size of the screen is fairly similar to that of the original satnav. I reckon it's as big a phone you can use without having to cut and enlarge the front opening of the housing. But in the event that I can't use the LG, the iPhone can be used as i've bought a spare case on which i've stuck some velcro.

 

[Pav]

Great work..gotta say that people's passion for these cars is endless..
How do you charge it?

 

[DS197]

Great work..gotta say that people's passion for these cars is endless..
How do you charge it?

I don't think i'll ever finishing modifying the car, there's always something to improve on! There's a hole on the left side in the first 2 pics which i'm going to route a charging cable through when I replace the centre console and hardwire my dashcam. For now it should be ok as i've got a USB port on my headunit and long distance driving isn't a regular occurrence.

 

[VolumeX]

Shit this is an epic upgrade... Love how you've bought the tech up to speed. I need to play along these lines. I was looking into a mini iPad...mmmm,.

 

[DS197]

Shit this is an epic upgrade... Love how you've bought the tech up to speed. I need to play along these lines. I was looking into a mini iPad...mmmm,.

Glad you like it It helps modernise the interior a little. This thread may be of some use to you if you plan on using an iPad: http://clio197.net/threads/stereo-nav-bluetooth.50968/#post-566636

 

[Jimmy]

This is great, Davinder, and kudos to you for doing it all DIY! The 'How To' should be very popular I imagine, judging by the feedback on this thread! Great stuff!