My COVID-19 Lockdown Project: 10” Android Car Stereo to Navionics Chart Plotter

stu9000 said:
I got mine working on a recent four night trip. Very VERY pleased. It needs a screen dimmer app to protect night vision. Plenty bright enough in the day. Picked up GPS no problem. Runs navionics without lagging. Thanks Andrew.
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Hi Stuart,
Glad it worked well for you.
Have you wired a switch to the back light wire. That dims it for me.
 
Andrew_Trayfoot said:
Hi Stuart,
Glad it worked well for you.
Have you wired a switch to the back light wire. That dims it for me.
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I wired a button to turn off the left side touch button illumination.
I didn't realise there was a dim function built in. Would it work with a variable switch?
On a night sail I like to get the brightness right down.
The screen dimming app worked quite well but didn't go far enough.
 
Great info so many thanks OP and I have built mine using a JOYX Android 10 unit. This has split screen capability. I bought a black enclosure and cut the bottom out and then mounted the unit so the rear is the "top" and screwed on for access to cabling. I can the use a pedestal mount to screw to the enclosure and fix to the console in my boat.
My problem is I cannot get the Bluetooth to connect via the BT Music logo to anything other then my phone. I have an Anker BT speaker which works fine with the phone using Spotify but it is seen by the Joyx but it will not pair. I did not want to rewire back to my speakers so BT speaker would avoid this but it will not work. Any ideas? Is the BT blocked to other devices?
 

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freddyuk said:
My problem is I cannot get the Bluetooth to connect via the BT Music logo to anything other then my phone. I have an Anker BT speaker which works fine with the phone using Spotify but it is seen by the Joyx but it will not pair.
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The car radio does not have BT transmit capability like what the phone has. It can only receive BT audio from another transmitter (the phone). BT speakers are the same. Two receivers wont talk to each other, it would make little sense.
If the car radio has line out, it should be possible to augment it with external BT transmitter.
 
Was just about to say the same as the above. So I agree bluetooth is in not out.
Bluetooth transmitters cost very little to easy to achieve.

The unit looks better than mine, but £30 more...

I tried to work out a way to do split screen on mine, but could not find an app to do it.

You are the 3rd one after mine so looks like we are starting a trend...?
 
Split screen is possible. Hold on, am just asking a teenager how. Instructions coming soon ...
 
Looong press on recent apps, pick the split screens you want. Drag the apps you want into the split screen bar at the top.
Send beers if this was helpful
 
Definitely started a trend, I have the makings of one of these on the go, out to the boat tomorrow to work out mounting options and start running cables etc..

Navionics, music, movies and the internet (using Wifi hotspot) in one 12v friendly device, brilliant idea!
 
More work to do! I did think a BT module could be added but I may as well run speaker cable rather than another bit of kit. The mounting is tricky as my boat has curvy dashboard and I want to reach it from helm plus use it when not under way.
RAM mounts have all the kit but in UK they are 3-4 times the price of the USA! I have a US postal service but they are not accepting the address I have, so in the end went for a Chinese option (RAM copy - or maybe original!).
 
I used my 10 inch display as my main nav tool from medway to Calais and back again recently. Fantastic. Worked flawlessly in very hot weather and was clearly visible in bright light. Next step is to wire it properly and create a better mount. Then Ais.
 

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Very impressed: if refitting a chart table setup I'd certainly consider it. Anyone tested it actually outdoors, ie on a wheel console location: looking at the touchscreen it looks as though if the back was sealed it would be fine. Do raindrops/spray mess up the touchscreen functions? The touchscreen "real" plotters seem to be OK these days, mine certainly is.

A package deal with prewired cables and a set of installation instructions etc could sell.....
 
I’m not sure what a “Car Launcher” does. Is it an OS or do these double din units come pre loaded with some? If you were only using the device as a chart plotter with Navionics would you still need the launcher?
 
Have done Solent and back from Poole with mine, plus a few short trips.
AIS works well, although the Navionics Green and Red little icons do merge into the background a little. I have logged this with Navionics and they say it's on their list....
 
fredrussell said:
I’m not sure what a “Car Launcher” does. Is it an OS or do these double din units come pre loaded with some? If you were only using the device as a chart plotter with Navionics would you still need the launcher?
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All implementations of Android have a Home Screen/Launcher to let you run your more frequently used apps from the main screen/s. Each manufacturer tends to do there own in order to differentiate the look and feel of the device from the competition.

If you don't like their Launcher you can download a different one from the App store. Some are free, some are paid.

In a car/boat you want a launcher with big buttons so you can stab them with your finger quickly....

If you only use it as a plotter then it does not make a lot of odds, but any Android device will do so much more than that:

Tides App.
Music App
Video App.
FM radio

Etc....
 
They come loaded with generic program but you can pick your own from the Playstore with more bells and whistles.
Here is the Chinese Ram mount just delivered. It is solid powder coated.
 

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