MyRoute-app & BarButtons - control our app using a bluetooth keyboard

[Baltus]

Hi to All,
BT keyboards zijn te koop, maar passen geen van allen goed op mijn BMW R1200RT 2008. Ik heb er een poosje tegenaan lopen hikken, maar er zat niets anders op om zelf een aanpassing te maken.
Ik heb inwendig het hele ontwerp van Joost Bijl gebruikt. Alleen het kastje aangepast. Ik zou het hele setje tekeningen en printgegevens etc. beschikbaar willen stellen aan aan eventuele liefhebbers. Het simpelste zou zijn om dat op de Barbuttons site te doen. Maar aangezien aan die kant geen reactie komt is mijn vraag of iemand een ander idee heeft.

[Jörgen]

@Baltus Hi, I am sure that you can use the forum here to share information and for files you can use file upload services.

[Mork 0]

Hi there,

I similarly made some slight changes to Joost's BarButtons and have tried reaching out to him over the last couple months.

My biggest challenge/invented problem was moving to using a switched 12v feed, and finding a way to mount the thing that would prevent it rotating. I probably over-engineered the solution, but it was fun re-learning OnShape CAD :).

I've uploaded my modified BarButtons to Printables.

Essentially I made two mods:

1. A deeper case to hold a voltage dropper
2. Two cable tie channels to hold the bar, and a third to hold it to my mirror stalk

I do really love this controller. It's made MRA so much more viable for every day usage, and anything that lets me get some value from my printer is always welcome!

Joost if you ever read this and would like any input I'm glad to help, be that PCB design, coding, or the fun case design :).

[Jörgen]

@Mork-0 Just for interest, what changes do you made at the barbuttons?

I ask Joost some question, but no reply at all.

[Con Hennekens]

@Jörgen, Yes, it seems that Joost Bijl is abroad for a longer period of time. He is not replying to me either. Via via I got confirmation that he is doing just fine. However his hobby project got a bit out of hand. I think it is uncertain that he will pick it up again.

I really like @Baltus his version!
Myself I made an iteration to the mount and the spacer to make it easily detachable.

It simply slides out to the top
Simpel, but works a treat!

[richtea999]

@Con-Hennekens said in MyRoute-app & BarButtons - control our app using a bluetooth keyboard:

Via via I got confirmation that he is doing just fine. However his hobby project got a bit out of hand. I think it is uncertain that he will pick it up again.
le.

I get the feeling that it's been more successful than expected, but not enough to make a living (or maybe just a decent profit) out of it. If so, that's a shame because Joost has done a cracking job in it.

That's always the problem with hardware compared to pure software, too many extra things can go wrong - bad soldering, mis-reading instructions, zapping components with static, etc.

One solution is to put the price up to cover the support overheads, but then the attractiveness of the product decreases.

Maybe he could sell just the design rather than the physical parts, and then the emphasis is on each maker to build it correctly. Or outsource the supply of the parts to a third party, but the attractiveness to Joost probably dips then.

[Con Hennekens]

@richtea999, I think that such a project, how nice it may be, will never be buying your sandwiches if it is the only thing you do. It is still a niche and cannot be anything else then temporary. It could make a nice hobby though, but hobbies decay if it starts to look like work

[CD130]

A few days ago I contacted Joost for the first time via email. Haven't heard from him so far. Hope he can pick up the project again soon.

There is also a notice on his website:

Due to time contraints, I will temporarily not process requests as of July 30. You can leave your details below to get notified when this changes.

https://jaxeadv.com/barbuttons/request-form-barbuttons-kit/

[Mork 0]

@Jörgen said in MyRoute-app & BarButtons - control our app using a bluetooth keyboard:

@Mork-0 Just for interest, what changes do you made at the barbuttons?

I ask Joost some question, but no reply at all.

Hey @Jörgen , apologies for the delayed response!

I only made the changes I mentioned, namely making the whole thing slightly deeper, and the cable tie channels to make removing it easier.

I also re-used my old TomTom power connector thing so it's easy to unplug it too, should I ever need to. I initially thought I'd make use of one on my second bike, a little CRF, however I've found riding off road requires more concentration at the moment :P.

@Con-Hennekens I do like your solution for mounting it! Is there a 'latch' or equivalent to keep it in place, or just friction and gravity does the job?

@richtea999 I agree. It's quite cheap to print the PCB etc, but I could see the mild entertainment/annoyance of soldering everything would become quite vexatious after the first half a dozen. And the markup for just bundling parts can/will never be that great I expect. Passion projects :).

[Con Hennekens]

@Mork-0 said in MyRoute-app & BarButtons - control our app using a bluetooth keyboard:

@Con-Hennekens I do like your solution for mounting it! Is there a 'latch' or equivalent to keep it in place, or just friction and gravity does the job?

No latching . Friction and gravity are doing it just fine, but indeed the friction is declining. I'd probably rather print a new mount and spacer than fiddle with a latch