Control a mover using smartphone

[otherclive]

Are motor movers that can be controlled by a smartphone enabled with Bluetooth? As most places I seem to pitch up I’m lucky to even get a phone signal let alone 4G. Guess you would still need a remote control as inevitably your smartphone will be down on power when required. Suspect the Mover App could be an answer looking for a question.

 

[Craigyoung]

Thats just one more app to add to everything else on my phone ! I'll just stick to using my mover handset , and its simple ! :lol:

 

[JTQ]

If the link is via the phones bluetooth why would you need either a phone or 4G connection?
I regularly download photos from my phone via bluetooth not involving any phone system connection.

I am content enough with the provided handset as its ergonomics has been tailored for that specific job.

 

[Hutch]

At least with the powertouch, if the controller battery goes flat you can plug in the umbilical cable and still, use the controller.

 

[otherclive]

If the link is via the phones bluetooth why would you need either a phone or 4G connection?
I regularly download photos from my phone via bluetooth not involving any phone system connection.

I am content enough with the provided handset as its ergonomics has been tailored for that specific job.

I haven’t got one of these App enabled movers. I was just asking the question. Some caravan apps must need a phone signal that can manage data. Ie turning on the vans heating as you are journeying back to the van. I am well aware of the fact that Bluetooth can work between devices without a phone signal. In fact in IOS 11 you turn it off in the Control Center but it still stays active in the background transmitting and receiving. Then if it detects another device it flashes up again. Today myself, wife and visitors wondered why our phones kept starting Bluetooth between phone-phone and phones-cars. Mind of its own.

 

[VicMallows]

The only possible benefit of controlling the mover from a smartphone that I can see if for the manufacturer ...... he can sell the reliable, dedicated handset as an 'optional extra'.

Could be fun for the mischievous or nefarious though, when they have managed to hack into your mover

 

[Craigyoung]

Yeah I agree I think I'll stick to my handset in case anyone hacks into mine I can just imagine the kids getting a hold of my phone and we'll be sitting there in the caravan will start to move ! hmy: no thanks !!

 

[Martin24]

I'd certainly be looking into how to hack into it and have some fun when people go out for the day.

Also looking forward to when terraces of houses have their electric cars on charge. I'll not be able to resist pootling alone unplugging them. Great fun for adults as well as children. :evil:

 

[Raywood]

Frankly when the mover supplier gives you a perfectly good working control unit I cannot see why you also need to use an app which relies on the far smaller and therefore more difficult to operate controls on the phone. It just seems a waste of money. We have had caravans with movers for something like twelve years and never had a problem although we do carry a spare set of batteries for the controller.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

I'd certainly be looking into how to hack into it and have some fun when people go out for the day.

Also looking forward to when terraces of houses have their electric cars on charge. I'll not be able to resist pootling alone unplugging them. Great fun for adults as well as children. :evil:

Don't forget you have an electric conveyance that people can play with also.

 

[Craigyoung]

I'd certainly be looking into how to hack into it and have some fun when people go out for the day.

Also looking forward to when terraces of houses have their electric cars on charge. I'll not be able to resist pootling alone unplugging them. Great fun for adults as well as children. :evil:

Don't forget you have an electric conveyance that people can play with also.

And there could be some "shocking" consequences if people start mucking about with the electricity !!
You could be charged !! :silly:

 

[jignc]

At least with the powertouch, if the controller battery goes flat you can plug in the umbilical cable and still, use the controller.

Only on the older units. The new digital remote does not have that feature.

 

[Craigyoung]

At least with the powertouch, if the controller battery goes flat you can plug in the umbilical cable and still, use the controller.

Only on the older units. The new digital remote does not have that feature.

Yep that's correct , the same as mine , mine is batteries only, no facility on my handset for a cord to directly plug into the battery or the handset

 

[otherclive]

At least with the powertouch, if the controller battery goes flat you can plug in the umbilical cable and still, use the controller.

Only on the older units. The new digital remote does not have that feature.

Yep that's correct , the same as mine , mine is batteries only, no facility on my handset for a cord to directly plug into the battery or the handset

When I fitted the Powertouch to mine earlier this year I looked all over the remote for the umbilical connector port. Didn't come with an umbilical so I thought it may be an optional extra. But when I failed to find any connector port on the handset I suspected that technology might have moved on. So it's spare battery to be carried or strip those in the smoke and carbon monoxide detector as back up.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Are motor movers that can be controlled by a smartphone enabled with Bluetooth? As most places I seem to pitch up I’m lucky to even get a phone signal let alone 4G. Guess you would still need a remote control as inevitably your smartphone will be down on power when required. Suspect the Mover App could be an answer looking for a question.

As you say an App looking for a problem

 

[GD485]

I can see the use of Bluetooth handsets might be an advantage to the manufacturer. No more separate handset to design, develops and manufacture. This could improve their profit margin. The only downside would be the choice of mobile phone platform to develop the software for. iPhone, Android, Nokia or Samsung.
It could mean the motor mover is cheaper but you will need to buy a £800 smart phone to run your £600 motor mover!

 

[Craigyoung]

That may be the case but what about all these (sorry in advance) :huh: but all the old people that don't have these smart phones and don't know how to use them, my dad for instance he's in his seventies and he still has an old Nokia simply for ringing and texting and that's it , no apps or nothing like that . So I still think the handset that you get with the mover is better than an app and is the easiest combination .

 

[Gabsgrandad]

There's nothing worse than trying to see a 'screen' in bright sunshine, not a problem with my Truma handset. I suppose you could wait while the sun goes in to move your van. (Second thoughts - shouldn't be a problem in this country!)

 

[GD485]

I agree that it’s not everyone that wants to spend nearly a £1k on a gadget just to make a few phone calls.
Nokia had one of the best user interfaces of its time and worked well. Is served us well.
The marketing dept is always looking for next big thing to give their products the edge. I fear the smart phone app that controls the heating, lights, alarm and motor mover is not too far away.
I’m not in favour of solutions looking for a problem and sometimes the marketers try to gain market share by trying to convince everyone there is a need for their latest gizmo

 

[GD485]

As for seeing the screen in sun light you needn’t worry. The hackers would have taken over way before you could remember your password

 

[RayS]

Yet another unnecessary gimmick of which there are far too many appearing, usually accompanied by a price increase and almost certainly by a decrease in reliability. As many threads will show there are plenty of things to go wrong on a caravan already without adding more. Its supposed to be a relaxing happy lifestle after all.

 

[xtrailman]

I'm very happy with my Reich, its just replaced one from 2004 that never failed for me, but the handset was playing up, for that model it was around £80 to replace, so being tight I continued with it, just needed a firm finger press.

So with that history, this year I bought another riech and paid extra for the add on board to enable smart phone operation.

My reasoning with buying the App (board) was should I lose the standard handset, or should it fail, then I have the App control on standby.

It requires pairing with the mover and that's it, no data is required. I have an excellent Moto G4 plus phone with a bright screen , which also enables my swift command to show me what going on with everything else.

I should mention my mover is a manual engage, so zero danger of anyone engaging the wheels when powered up, and none when its switch off.