Big Tuna Presents: Pegasus Rising

[stoney126]

In January of last year (2015) I began the MK.II Tablet setup, using a bolt-in mount and a Samsung Galaxy Tab|Pro 10.1".

This tablet is MUCH more efficient than it's predecessor, and even though it's now nearly three generations old, it's still a beast for 4x4 ops. It is very very power efficient, and uses a dual-quad-core CPU setup that allows one quad core to utilize basic functions while the other performs the more advanced. Because of this, and newer specs, GPS is very accurate, refreshes fast, and renders quickly. All of this with music being streamed to the Head Unit via bluetooth. It still is a beast of a tablet. And, thanks to a few of Samsung's (now improved) software changes, you can even dual-screen apps to fit more info on at once!

I like it! I have the same tablet and actually started a thread on how to set it up for my jeep. Hoping to get it going like yours

 

[BigTuna117]

I like it! I have the same tablet and actually started a thread on how to set it up for my jeep. Hoping to get it going like yours

It's a beastly little tab. I run Google play music and Torque most of the time, but for maps I use 2 apps: Copilot (on road) and Gaia GPS (Off Road) Both are solid GPS apps. Copilot uses a vectored GPS-esque map that only downloads once (and you can load it to your SD CARD!) and Gaia has plenty of easy to use options. I run Gaia GPS Free. Make an account with them, and any tracks you import, routes you make, and areas you cache get saved to your account. Makes things really easy if you ever have to erase the device for some reason.

 

[BigTuna117]

Nice WJ! Always good to see more WJ's being modified. Underrated platform imo.

I agree! I've owned an 88 XJ, and a 94 ZJ before this rig. This is my favorite because it is overall very rigid and durable, but also very comfortable without sacrificing capability.

 

[Lifestyle Overland]

Nice setup! I'm jealous of the tablet... I've still not found a nav method that I love.

 

[BigTuna117]

Nice setup! I'm jealous of the tablet... I've still not found a nav method that I love.

I feel ya. I'm not much of a fan of having 40 different devices which all do different things, so this seemed like a natural evolution from my phone, which I already used for music. I started with a 2012 Asus Nexus 7, which was...alright I suppose. Many people will tell you that the 1st gen Nexus 7 was a poor performer, and this is true. The first iteration of the N7 was plagued by a faulty memory controller, so as it aged it would get slower, and eventually quit altogether. Funny thing is, My Nexus 7 quit the day after I got my Galaxy Tab|Pro. The funny coincidence is that it lasted 1 year- 365 days, almost on the hour of its very first boot.
The Tab|Pro is a good performer for vehicle use because of it's build quality. It doesn't feel particularly cheap, and it can handle the constant vibration that off highway use brings to a vehicle. It can also handle running multiple apps (Such as Copilot and Play Music) with no issues. The GPS chip in the Tab|Pro is WAY better than the one the N7 had, not only being more accurate, but also refreshing around 3 or 4 times faster.

 

[murps]

I like it! I have the same tablet and actually started a thread on how to set it up for my jeep. Hoping to get it going like yours

can you link it? @BigTuna117 do you need to have service for it to work?

 

[BigTuna117]

can you link it? @BigTuna117 do you need to have service for it to work?

No. I have the Wi-Fi only model, so I cache everything to my MicroSD beforehand.
While I'm at it, I'll throw all the app links in. I know you were asking him to link his, but these are handy anywho.

CopilotUSA (they have different versions for different regions) It's worth the $35(?) bucks- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alk.copilot.namarket.premiumusa
GaiaGPS (I do NOT pay for the premium subscription, not that I'm against it or anything, I just wouldn't use those features.)- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailbehind.android.gaiagps.pro
Torque Pro (OBDII reader) -https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

 

[murps]

No. I have the Wi-Fi only model, so I cache everything to my MicroSD beforehand.
While I'm at it, I'll throw all the app links in. I know you were asking him to link his, but these are handy anywho.

CopilotUSA (they have different versions for different regions) It's worth the $35(?) bucks- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.alk.copilot.namarket.premiumusa
GaiaGPS (I do NOT pay for the premium subscription, not that I'm against it or anything, I just wouldn't use those features.)- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trailbehind.android.gaiagps.pro
Torque Pro (OBDII reader) -https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.prowl.torque

awesome, i'll check that out.

 

[BigTuna117]

So, today I popped the headlight assemblies off for the fifth time this year, to finish the LED swap. Everyone interested in swapping to LEDS, I reccomend checking out superbrightleds.com , their quality is excellent, and usually their prices (although they charge per bulb) are generally much cheaper than buying LEDs in pairs from big box stores. The only exterior bulbs that aren't LED yet are the original headlight illuminator bulbs, but they aren't really a functional asset anymore, so I'm not too worried about it. I mean, they will get replaced eventually, but all of the "functional" bulbs are now LED.



What functional purpose does it serve? Well, I'm hoping that they'll last longer than conventional bulbs, given the fact that the rattling of OHV use tends to diminish their overall life. We'll see!

 

[HangryMachinist]

nice mods. going to steal some of them from you. :)

 

[timberwolf_120]

Hey man welcome over to Overland bound! Love your jeep

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[BigTuna117]

nice mods. going to steal some of them from you. :)

Go right ahead!

 

[BigTuna117]

Hey man welcome over to Overland bound! Love your jeep

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Thanks!

 

[Overland-Indiana]

Don't know how I missed this thread.... Welcome to Overland Bound! I am a former owner of a WJ, not former by choice...found a light pole that did not agree with the front end.

RIP Red Riding Hood, you will be missed..

 

[WJ - Firefly]

Great WJ thread! I have those same headlight modules and love 'em!! would like to know more about the spare tire carrier... Searching the internet right now...

 

[BigTuna117]

Great WJ thread! I have those same headlight modules and love 'em!! would like to know more about the spare tire carrier... Searching the internet right now...

The tire carrier is a FABCORE tire carrier (they run through an Ebay store) paired with a JKS license plate relocation mount. I wired the license plate light into a 4-flat trailer harness so that it can be removed should the need arrive.

 

[BigTuna117]

Don't know how I missed this thread.... Welcome to Overland Bound! I am a former owner of a WJ, not former by choice...found a light pole that did not agree with the front end.

RIP Red Riding Hood, you will be missed..

*pulls hat off of head*
I feel ya, friend. This WJ is my 3rd Jeep. The first was an 88 XJ that was totaled after an F-150 made an illegal turn in front of me. The second was a 94 ZJ that was rear ended, I believe that actually totaled both vehicles (The mopar tire carrier did a real number on the Chevy that hit me). This Jeep is the third (and longest lasting!). I cross my fingers that I get to drive her for years to come.

 

[BigTuna117]

Well, I said I wasn't going to buy any more things for the Jeep until after my trip to Moab in early March, but I couldn't resist.

I bought this little bugger to better illuminate the trail on trips that end up becoming night runs.
It complements the other LEDs pretty well.

I bought a set of rocker switches from MICTUNING on Amazon. Excellent quality switches which come with a pre-made wiring piggyback so that you just have 3 wires to run. Nifty.

While I was at it, I went ahead and replaced the rock light "bomber" style switch so that these two match. They look good, they are very good quality switches with a satisfying *click* when you push them back and forth.

I also bought a "fridge" switch for the back. Although I don't have a 12v fridge, per se, I do have a 12v Igloo cooler wired into a relay back there. It's ancient, but apparently one of the few models made by anyone ever that actually hit refrigerating temperatures, and can actually cool itself down to operating temperature without help. It's nice to see the rear battery finally gettin' some love after this last year of mostly nothingness.

*Oh!*

And I completed the MK I Prototype of my camp shower setup. Should be really nice for those long hot dusty trips where all you want is a shower!

I already have a few ideas as to change it, but for now it's a work in progress.

 

[BigTuna117]

Not much been happening lately, since I am currently prepping for my trip to Moab next week. I did happen to get a few issues resolved and some experimenting with the 12v cooler.

After watching it for a few weeks, I noticed that the filter housing was having issues staying attached to the connector on the lower side. Since this connector will likely stay here, I epoxied the two together:

Hopefully this makes it watertight here. it certainly is stronger and should not come off without some serious force now.

Another thing I have been messing with is the 12 volt cooler I have dropped into the back of the Jeep. It uses the standard thermoelectric Peltier type cooling solution that most cheap coolers use, and has the same downfalls as they do. In particular, poor cooling. The cooler's ability to cool depends entirely on how efficiently you can remove the heat from the hot side, so I epoxied this 80mm fan in front of the exhaust heatsink to pull hot air away from the unit. This actually has increased the rate of cooling for the interior, where it could drop the temperature from 80F to 40F in about an hour and 15 minutes, It can drop from 80F to 40F in about 20 minutes flat. I tested the drop using a fridge thermometer, while the Jeep was shut off and sitting without any windows open in the midday sun. If I add a faster fan to the inside transfer, I may even make it more efficient, now that the Peltier thermoelectric transfer isn't hitting it's maximum temperature. Not too shabby for drinks and snacks on the trail!

(I know, I know. It's dirty on the outside. I need to take a damp paper towel and clean the outside off. Still, not bad for years in the garage!)

So that's it for now. I'll report in later!

 

[BigTuna117]

MOOOOOAAAABBB!
Went back to Moab last week!
Had another excellent time, and the Jeep performed much better this year. No major damage to report, but I still have a tendency to drop coils.

Gettin' flexxxy

Also, the LED array was super bright, and somewhat flexible since you can just turn off one of the bulb sets to change the brightness.

Also, towed for the first time, too!