Mini / Car related gadgets

[Neil - TXJ]

Ok a bit of a random topic.

Interested what mini / car related gadgets people have, and love, that make ownership just that little bit better or easier. Can be for any purpose other than making the car look better (other than cleaning gadgets) or go / stop / handle better - these topics are covered elsewhere.

I will start with a few, many which are cleaning related:-

1) No holes mount for holding my I phone
2) Electric garage doors - being one of those odd people that puts his car in the garage these are brilliant. Have an integral garage so when the weather is bad don't even need to step outside
3) Extended hose on my jet washer - means can wash 2 cars without having to move the machine
4) extension cable with ratchet - just makes washing car easier
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/31/1e34c02a4069c8d93e09395208367d7c.jpg
5) Dyson cordless handheld vacuum. Makes cleaning the inside less of a chore
6) Don't know what called but very useful
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/12/31/104e47af3991b5cead12be44fbbb2cff.jpg
7) Trolley jack - makes changing to winter wheels and back a lot easier.

Sure more will come to mind.

Neil.

[Mon the fish]

Proper wheel brace
Dehumidifier in the garage
Funnels for ease of pouring oil, screenwash etc

[Eddie_JCW]

Oh great topic Neil. The best gadgets I have would have to be

1. My iPhone- it allows me to listen to Spotify and use MINI Connected.
2. The ever popular Snowfoam Lance makes cleaning the car a little easier and less time consuming and a hell of a lot more fun.
3. My GoPro with external Suckr mount- I've not used it much but I'm going to change that in 2015.
4. I have equipment to do basic coding, I learned how to use it on my BMW but haven't played with it on the MINI it's handy for enabling secret features or features not available in the UK.

[badwolf340]

Proper wheel brace
Dehumidifier in the garage
Funnels for ease of pouring oil, screenwash etc
Gordon which make of dehumidifier do you use,something I keep thinking of

[Mon the fish]

Gordon which make of dehumidifier do you use,something I keep thinking of
I'll check in the morning. I leave it on all the time, fills up in a couple of days or so. Really helps if you've had the car out in the rain

[Mon the fish]

Another one - OBDII reader and Torque, essential for all car owners IMO

[EcosseGP]

Eddie which GoPro have you got ?

[Eddie_JCW]

Eddie which GoPro have you got ?

Hero 3 Black edition

[EcosseGP]

Had looked at that but not sure I'll use it enough to justify its price tag ... I'll await your review once you start using it Eddie :)

[Eddie_JCW]

Had looked at that but not sure I'll use it enough to justify its price tag ... I'll await your review once you start using it Eddie :)

I got a great deal on Groupon a wee while back but I'll get a decent review done on it soon, just for you Davy :)

[EcosseGP]

Cheers Eddie was looking at getting the Mio 568 as I figured it wasn't such a waste of money if I didn't use it.
Could be tempted though with the GoPro though ... I'll check out the deals in the sales !

[Neil - TXJ]

Oh great topic Neil. The best gadgets I have would have to be

1. My iPhone- it allows me to listen to Spotify and use MINI Connected.
2. The ever popular Snowfoam Lance makes cleaning the car a little easier and less time consuming and a hell of a lot more fun.
3. My GoPro with external Suckr mount- I've not used it much but I'm going to change that in 2015.
4. I have equipment to do basic coding, I learned how to use it on my BMW but haven't played with it on the MINI it's handy for enabling secret features or features not available in the UK.

Eddie - what sort of things will the coding allow you to enable?

[Eddie_JCW]

I'm not sure on the MINI but I could enable things like an audio warning for lock/unlock, auto key eject, actual speed on the speedo instead of slightly lower as well as much more. I must have a play about with it in the MINI

[Eddie_JCW]

I could also enable closure of the windows with the remote

[Neil - TXJ]

I could also enable closure of the windows with the remote

That would be handy

[Eddie_JCW]

That would be handy

I'll see what I can do with it next week and post up ;)

[Mon the fish]

Have a look at getting an external microphone for the GoPro - I've got one and it makes a huge difference to the sound quality

[EcosseGP]

Which GoPro have you got Gordon ?

[Eddie_JCW]

Cheers for the advice Gordon, any recommendations on which one?

[CiderFex]

I've been looking at these this morning but not sure I can warrant the expense. The 4 Black looks good but the 4 Silver is not too far off and a lot less coinage.
I'm still looking at other options but I'd ultimately like GPS tracking, wi-fi with a smart phone app and time lapse as well for those long U.S. trips I love doing so much.


...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Pete I've been looking at them too and comparing them all the 3+ looks actually better value for money over the 4 ... I was considering going down the dash cam route rather than the action cam route given the fact of cost but I'm now being swayed down the GoPro route :)

[CiderFex]

I'm still looking for sommat that I can at least connect to with mi phone so I can delete/transfer vids over wi-fi. GPS and time lapse would be nice though.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

The problem with Go-Pro is that there are that many accessories you'll be modding the little bugger within a day of getting it.
:p

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[Eddie_JCW]

Spot on Pete, that's why I've not been using it, to stop myself buying tons of stuff for it :lol: I do need an external mic though.

[Mon the fish]

Right, had a look:

Dehumidifier is an EcoAir Eco DD322FW. I usually have an irrational hatred of anything that features the evil word 'eco', but this seems to do the job well. £160ish I think, you can connect a tube up to it to drain, or let it fill its tank. I leave it running in the garage all the time.

GoPro is a Hero3 silver edition, nearly a year old I think. I glued a mount bracket thing to the back of the rear view mirror, so the camera hangs just below the mirror. Gives a good angle, tried it once :p I control it through wi-fi from an app on my phone, works a treat

External mic is an EM-288, bought I think from Maplin. Plan was to have this stuck above the exhaust, with the cable running to the camera in the front, but I've never actually tried it in anger to speak. I really should get my finger out...

[CiderFex]

Spot on Pete, that's why I've not been using it, to stop myself buying tons of stuff for it :lol: I do need an external mic though.
lol

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[Eddie]

Sent from my iPhone using Ta

[Eddie]

Ha ha no really car related apart from my pics 😂


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[Eddie]

Atleast am slowly managing to work tap talk again


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[CiderFex]

Ha, ha,.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[MINI William]

No pics attached eddie

[CiderFex]

There were William.
:eek:

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[badwolf340]

Right, had a look:

Dehumidifier is an EcoAir Eco DD322FW. I usually have an irrational hatred of anything that features the evil word 'eco', but this seems to do the job well. £160ish I think, you can connect a tube up to it to drain, or let it fill its tank. I leave it running in the garage all the time.

GoPro is a Hero3 silver edition, nearly a year old I think. I glued a mount bracket thing to the back of the rear view mirror, so the camera hangs just below the mirror. Gives a good angle, tried it once :p I control it through wi-fi from an app on my phone, works a treat

External mic is an EM-288, bought I think from Maplin. Plan was to have this stuck above the exhaust, with the cable running to the camera in the front, but I've never actually tried it in anger to speak. I really should get my finger out...
Thanks Gordon ,really need to get one :thumbs up:

[CiderFex]

This one has caught my eye somewhat:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/garmin-virb-elite-review

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Interesting read on that Garmin Pete ... :)

[CiderFex]

The mounts seem to hold up very well on the Virb Elite and the add on graphics are a cool option:

http://youtu.be/l5E5qjyPBpU

[EcosseGP]

Now I like that ... If it stays on a plane wing that'll stay on the MINI :)

[CiderFex]

Maybe not a MINI driven by you though......
;)

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

As always, this may get very expensive.
:eek:

I've just found out that you can buy a watch to control the Virb and it looks cool as.....

https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/watches-wearable-technology/wearables/fenix-2/prod159116.html

I can get the watch for £60 less elsewhere though.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[weefossy]

Love our Go Pro, picture quality is great.

[badwolf340]

This one has caught my eye somewhat:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/garmin-virb-elite-review

...to Infinity and beyond !!!
Let us know Pete ,looks very nice

[CiderFex]

Will do Brian.
I've just got to summon up the nerve to hit the "buy it now" button.
:eek:

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

This video has just sold the Virb Elite to me:

http://youtu.be/kGrd9HeACp8

[EcosseGP]

I think it's just it to me too Pete ... Think we could get a group discount for two ? :):)

[CiderFex]

I'll try.
:p

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

I've just ordered one from eBay as the seller on Amazon had too many dodgy reviews for my liking.
£180 inc delivery, roll on Tuesday.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Which one did you buy from on eBay Pete ? Did you get the grey / white one ? I'll order one as soon as I get a chance

[CiderFex]

Here's the eBay number Davy:

251770535899

I've gone for the white one because I don't like the dark grey one. I can always get a black silicon shell for it for about tenner if I go off the white colour, but I think it looks cool in white.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

'cos you're a mod on here just moderate my post and copy the number and then paste in into eBay, it's the easiest way.

I do it all the time on GPUKOC.
:)

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

Try this one instead, it's a tenner cheaper:

221633108392

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Cheers for info Pete cant believe I'm going back to an action cam after telling myself get a dash one lol ...
See I'm easily led ! Like the reviews though and it seems to tick most of the boxes ...

[CiderFex]

lol
I've just put an order in for 10 chocolate tool kits to cover me for the blame I'll get on that score.
:p

I very nearly went for the Go-Pro 4 Black, but after finding the reviews for the Virb Elite, the contest was over.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[badwolf340]

Got my self a Christmas gift for the Clubvan ,picked up a JCW shift light indicator (which are a bit rare nowadays)

[CiderFex]

Very nice.
:cool:

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

New toy has arrived.
I just need to get it home to have a play with it.
:)
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/06/4a09bb4f9092bbdc82eb1c019ed5c2f2.jpg

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[DigitalLemming]

Looking forward to seeing what you think Pete, was having a look at this the other night and it looks really good.

[CiderFex]

I'm awaiting the other bits and bobs so I can install it with a suction mount as opposed to using the sticky mount that it's supplied with.
I'll post up a vid or two when I've got all the bits I need.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[badwolf340]

Can't wait

[CiderFex]

:)

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Does it not come with a suction mount ?

[CiderFex]

Afraid not Davy, sticky pad mounts only.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

The Virb Elite is up and running.
I just stuck it to the windscreen with my phone mount, pointed it forward and hit record.
The reviews say it ain't that good at night but I'm happy enough with it.
I need to get mi head around the settings but I have worked out how to add overlays to it make the vids look a bit more pleasing.

This is my first attempt and I'll update you all as and when I have very learned some more about what it can really do.

Virb test 1: http://youtu.be/cXuLDteGnAg

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[Eddie_JCW]

That's a great video Pete, I'd say it's done pretty well in the dark, seems like a great bit of kit :thumbs up: all that's missing is some turbo noise :stirpot: lol

[Eddie_JCW]

Ha, ha, you pair of cheeky sods.
Eddie, the black wheels cancel out the noise from the turbo, it's a common problem.
;)


Must be the red bits my turbo noise is just fine with my black wheels :lol:

[Eddie_JCW]

Or maybe I have dodgy wheels lol

[CiderFex]

I tried my hand at a timelapse on the way home last night.
I set it at 0.5 frames per second, with no clue about how the vid would look, bit here is the result.
I added the track, distance and altitude gauges to the vid, just for the hell of it, but I can't remember what gauge I added to the top right the vid. All of these can be changed as and when because all of the info required to make them work is embedded in the actual video.

Timelapse test 1: http://youtu.be/8XBdQzhMdCM

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[Craig]

That looks great. Pete and would be great on a long convoy run 😃


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[CiderFex]

I've literally just turned it on, pointed it forward and pressed record Ali.
The GPS is inbuilt and I now control all of the settings via the VIRB app on my phone.
The gauges, graphs and overlays are added in the VIRB Edit software on the PC which is free.
Plug the VIRB into the PC, download your videos into it, edit them however you like and then post them directly to YouTube, FB or send them to someone directly from the VIRB edit software.
It's that easy to use I've had no need to read the instructions.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[MINI William]

Great video Pete. Looks a great camera

[DigitalLemming]

Liking the look of it Pete, could be tempted myself, had been looking at GoPros but I think the GPS might just swing it for me, whats the battery life been like so far?

[CiderFex]

Thanks chaps.
:)
The battery life is quoted as 3 hours but I've bought the in car charger as well so battery life won't be an issue for me.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

I was gonna buy the Go-Pro 4 Black but the Virb Elite was a lot more useful for me and less than half the price of the Go-Pro.

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

This guy holds no punches in his reviews and it's what helped me to make my mind up that the Virb Elite was the one for me.....

http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/12/garmin-depth-review.html

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

What is the car connector like for it Pete ?
Is it just a standard micro connector or is it a special Garmin fit one ?
Any photos for me ?

[CiderFex]

I've bought the official Garmin one Davy, it was £18.
I'll take a few pics of it now and post them up in a couple of minutes.


...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[CiderFex]

It's a mini USB type but the main selling point for me was the 90 degree fitment so that there is not too much stress on it when it's charging up the camera when it's stuck to the windscreen.
It's roughly 1700mm long so will easily reach the camera wherever you fit it to the windscreen.
http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/dd36f37ec9b3149dece628f1cbd8eb21.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/fdd4bc5fa9404c287d417707b64fa47e.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/ec4fdacb56e26731b01511a452a531b2.jpghttp://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/15/01/10/06d225b38c27d1fe8c6124a200521f48.jpg

...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[EcosseGP]

Gotcha Pete cheers ... Was thinking that if I bought a charging cable I'd just hard wire to say any hassle ...
I'll check out the possibilities :)

[CiderFex]

I'm not clever enough to hardwire one plus I need to be able to remove it easily when I want to use it in another car.
:)
...to Infinity and beyond !!!

[norbu]

I'm liking the look of that a lot as SWMBO had an "incident" the other day. Parked on her own side at a temporary set of lights when some clown drives into the side of the Mini. Not helped when clowns partner rushes up a starts shouting & cursing. Left over Neanderthal methinks.:stamp:

So something like the Virb would be great as my knowledge of electrics just about stretches to wiring a plug. :blush:

Can I be cheeky though & ask where you got the additional fixings & the Garmin connector.

P.S. Pretty good price at: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/garmin-virb-action-camera/rp-prod110669?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom&gs=1&ds_e_ad_type=pla&gclid=CNzeq-qIjMMCFQvItAodZ1kAjQ&gclsrc=aw.ds