Garmin Wireless PowerSwitch

[OFC Ranger]

Considering this for the new truck. Kind of pricey. Previously it required a smart phone or garmin touch screen device to operate, but it has been updated so it works with your vehicles Apple Carplay or Android Auto so it becomes a menu option. This means your aux items can now be controlled from your factory head unit. (how awesome is that?)

I don't see any other products offering this cability.

Half of me thinks this is awesome, no wires to run/hide and makes everything look factory installed, but other half of me always considers redundancy of having physical switches.

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[Jason B]

I assume you'll need to load an APP on SYNC3 for it to work? Sounds neat, but Ford limits what APPs will run on the infotainment screen. Maybe SYNC4 will be more APP friendly.

 

[BryanJay]

That is pretty sweet, a smart switch for your car. The only drawback might be having to swipe around to flip lights on and off, but probably not that much of an inconvenience especially if it’ll also work via voice assistant.

 

[Dgc333]

I assume you'll need to load an APP on SYNC3 for it to work? Sounds neat, but Ford limits what APPs will run on the infotainment screen. Maybe SYNC4 will be more APP friendly.

No, it works via Android Auto or CarPlay.

 

[mtbikernate]

the advantages of not having to run wires in the cabin and pull apart the dash to do it are not to be understated, even if you use Android Auto or Carplay for navigation and would be switching between your favorite mapping app and the powerswitch occasionally.

I've been aware of the Powerswitch for awhile and it wasn't really compelling until now.

 

[OFC Ranger]

the advantages of not having to run wires in the cabin and pull apart the dash to do it are not to be understated, even if you use Android Auto or Carplay for navigation and would be switching between your favorite mapping app and the powerswitch occasionally.

I've been aware of the Powerswitch for awhile and it wasn't really compelling until now.

Ditto. Prior to them updating it with the capability of using a factory head unit, I thought it was a overpriced wireless controller to bluetooth app which could be found a dime a dozen on Amazon for far less.

It is still a lot of money, but this feature does move it into the realm of possibilities for me.

 

[12Bravo20]

Well I don't see this working with Apple Car Play without connecting it to the inside with a USB cable.

Unless there is something I am missing with SYNC3 because I have to hook my iPhone to the vehicle by a USB cable to get Car Play to work.

 

[Frenchy]

In general I like the idea of the Power Switch. It really depends on how the vehicle is configured I guess. My old Pathfinder I feel it's best to stay with the switches since it feels right for the era and the fact how I can install quite a few switches without having to drill holes. For the Ranger and other vehicles of this era if you can integrate the Power Switch with the Factory equipment I feel it's the better way to go.

 

[Dgc333]

Well I don't see this working with Apple Car Play without connecting it to the inside with a USB cable.

Unless there is something I am missing with SYNC3 because I have to hook my iPhone to the vehicle by a USB cable to get Car Play to work.

You can always buy a wireless CarPlay adapter. My wife's Jeep didn't have factory nav but did support CarPlay but she didn't like having to plug the phone in all the time. I got the Carlin wireless car play adapter. It is not perfect but overall works very well.

The adapter is plugged into the USB port in her Jeep console and everytime she gets into the Jeep it automatically connects to her phone via WiFi and she is on CarPlay. The only issue every once in awhile it doesn't connect requiring that the adapter be unplugged and plugged back in to reboot it.

 

[Joeiconic]

Deep down, I still have trouble trusting wireless for something I really need to work all the time.

 

[Frenchy]

Deep down, I still have trouble trusting wireless for something I really need to work all the time.

That is why you make sure it's something that doesn't have to work all the time in order for it to get you home safely

 

[mtbikernate]

Well I don't see this working with Apple Car Play without connecting it to the inside with a USB cable.

Unless there is something I am missing with SYNC3 because I have to hook my iPhone to the vehicle by a USB cable to get Car Play to work.

There's something you're missing.

Garmin PowerSwitch™ | Compact Digital Switch Box

The PowerSwitch uses Bluetooth to receive control signals from whatever you're using to control it. That could be straight from your phone, a compatible Garmin head unit, or through your phone via AA/CarPlay to the head unit of your vehicle, however you connect your phone to your vehicle.

I don't find any mention of the function of the 6 buttons for each output, but I suspect that those can be used to manually control things, also. Not very convenient to use those, but there's your wired backup.

 

[Lcr3000]

Sticking with the USB option to connect my phone is best IMHO. Especially on long road trips, I like to keep my phone charging. I also have a protector on my phone, so the wireless charging doesn't work for me reliably. With that said, the Garmin power switch still has a potential use in my vehicle if or when I add more devices or upgrades.

 

[OFC Ranger]

I don't find any mention of the function of the 6 buttons for each output, but I suspect that those can be used to manually control things, also. Not very convenient to use those, but there's your wired backup.

Checking around internet / YouTube, while yes those buttons can manually turn the channel on, almost everyone uses it as a "Test Button" when wiring things - they don't actually wire that thing somewhere in the interior.

 

[mtbikernate]

Sticking with the USB option to connect my phone is best IMHO. Especially on long road trips, I like to keep my phone charging. I also have a protector on my phone, so the wireless charging doesn't work for me reliably. With that said, the Garmin power switch still has a potential use in my vehicle if or when I add more devices or upgrades.

I don't know about you, but my phone doesn't actually charge from the truck's built-in USB ports when I'm using Android Auto. The power drain from using AA basically means that my phone sustains its battery level while using AA. Not really a problem if I'm starting out with a fresh charge. But it's a problem if I've been out for awhile and my battery is low, but now I need to use AA for nav to get somewhere AND charge up.

I wired in a USB 3.0 port. Originally it was for a charging pad (to go along with a AAWireless dongle), but again my phone didn't charge fast enough off of it, and worse, it overheated and would shut down (losing AA access). So now I just physically plug in to that port when I need to charge, and then unplug when I don't. This seems to keep the phone happier than the other ways I've tried.

Checking around internet / YouTube, while yes those buttons can manually turn the channel on, almost everyone uses it as a "Test Button" when wiring things - they don't actually wire that thing somewhere in the interior.

Right, I wasn't suggesting wiring it in the interior for ease of access to the buttons. Rather, I was saying that if your head unit/Android Auto/Carplay access was compromised in some way, you still have the ability to turn things on or off, even if it might be incredibly inconvenient to pop the hood to push the buttons.

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