Back, when we bought our Toyota Hilux we basically got the cheapest variant we could get; meaning, that we would not have seat heating or SatNav system. Instead we got a built-in no-extras “entertainment system” with a CD player. I added some links, in case you are generation x-why-z-what-do-i-know and were obliged to pass on this pre-historic equipment.
But that now has changed! (And no, we did not upgrade to DVD.)
When sorting through some boxes, I discovered an old Android tablet (a Huawei MediaPad T3 7″, if I am not mistaken; with street prices around 70 CHF) that still seemed to work. When I checked, that it could still run Google Maps and connect to my Victron Chargers and LionTron batteries, I thought I give it try.
With some Velcro I quickly sticked the tablet on the screen of the “entertainment system” and the CD slot. And I must say, it looks exactly as it was built for being in that very place.
Finally, I could make use of the 3.5,mm TRS input and the USB charger on the front. However, the charger does not provide enough power to charge the device. It just prevents it from discharging. So maybe, I still have to use the charger at the 12V cigarette output.
On the other hand, my onboard monitoring capability greatly improved, as now all my apps are much better readable due to the larger screen.
And now the cables:
- I used a 3.5mm TRS male to 3.5mm TRS male cable (originally from my JBL BoomBox 2) that just fitted.
- An short MicroUSB to USB-A cable with cable ties.
But to all this good news there is one caveat: now, I do not have a CD player any more.
Our Journey to Scotland 