New Auxbeam switch panels; And... have you had your Jeep blessed?

[jscherb]

Auxbeam has introduced new switch panels in a slim in-line format. My contact at Auxbeam emailed me the other day to tell me that they've shipped one of each model to me to test, review and post about so stay tuned for reviews of these new panels. I'm looking forward to getting them, the new slim format should be mountable in more locations than the older rectangular style switch panels, for example on the A-pillar.

I'll test them and post a writeup on them when they arrive.

On a completely different subject... Have you had your Jeep blessed?

I was in India last week and I took this photo at a Hindu temple:

It's a new Mahindra Thar. Notice the broken shell of a coconut on the ground under the Thar, the inscription on the hood and the flowers on the hood and the dash. Someone must have just bought this Mahindra and brought it to the temple to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings. Lord Ganesh, the diety with the head of an elephant, is responsible for removing obstacles in life, among other things, and if the vehicle receives blessings from Ganesh, the vehicle will be protected from accidents. It is common for people to bring their new cars (even a used one they just bought) to a temple for a puja (prayer ceremony) to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings.

In two weeks I'll be taking possession of a new Ineos Grenadier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ineos_Grenadier), which will become my primary expedition vehicle, retiring my LJ for that purpose. My wife says we need to take the Grenadier to the temple nearby Wilmington for a puja. We may do that, but I don't plan to make a place on the dash for a Ganesh idol.

I'm in India mostly for personal reasons, but I did stop by the Overland Outfitters production facility to help them with a few things. One of the things I'm helping them with is coming up with a way to connect with local Mahindra enthusiasts. They're getting ready to launch their products in India and while I did a number of designs for them for the Mahindra Thar a year or two ago, Mahindra has introduced the 4dr version which they're calling the Thar Roxx. The interior is a bit different, which may require some design adjustments to the OO products for that vehicle and hopefully OO can find some local enthusiasts willing to offer their Roxx for measuring and testing.

I did stop at a Mahindra showroom so I could check out the new Roxx. They had a couple on the showroom floor...

Check the Easter Eggs in the rear quarter windows:

I took a quick flight from Delhi to Jodhpur last Tuesday. Landed at the combined commercial airport/air force base in Jodhpur, this is the commercial terminal:

Notice the Mahindra jeep just to the left of center in the photo above. Here's a closer photo... it's a Thar belonging to the CISF - Central Industrial Security Force and it looks like he's got his finger on the trigger.

CISF or Police jeeps with machine guns are not uncommon at medium-sized airports in India.

I would have posted this from India last week but apparently this forum does not allow access from India. I can access other forums from India so it must be a security setting specific to this forum. I'd probably be the only person opening the forum up to India would help so I won't ask for it; in all my years and time over here I've never seen a TJ here. I saw a JL there the other day but I don't believe there are any TJ's in country.

 

[MikekiM]

I love this design. I DIY'd a series of illuminated DPDT button rockers on the A'pillar trim in one of my JKs. It's a great location.. but it was a lot of work.

Sadly, I have a 2000 so no a-pillar trim. Waiting on your review and some dimensions. Maybe surface mount it on the a-pillar or windshield header?

 

[macleanflood]

If you're in a position to suggest products to Auxbeam...MSD/Holley makes 4 solid state relays with circuit protection in a nice neat package...

https://www.holley.com/products/electrical/wiring_and_relays/parts/7564

Auxbeam should make their own version in 4 and 8...

I'd love to get rid of my 8" x 6" x 4" fuse and relay block for my old school Carling switches...but I prefer the old school switch to the panel.

That all the drag and drive crowd use the MSD blocks with triggers off Holley and other aftermarket ECUs to rubbing fuel pumps and other goodies.

-Mac

 

[AndyG]

Auxbeam has introduced new switch panels in a slim in-line format. My contact at Auxbeam emailed me the other day to tell me that they've shipped one of each model to me to test, review and post about so stay tuned for reviews of these new panels. I'm looking forward to getting them, the new slim format should be mountable in more locations than the older rectangular style switch panels, for example on the A-pillar.

View attachment 574691

I'll test them and post a writeup on them when they arrive.

View attachment 574690


On a completely different subject... Have you had your Jeep blessed?

I was in India last week and I took this photo at a Hindu temple:

View attachment 574681

It's a new Mahindra Thar. Notice the broken shell of a coconut on the ground under the Thar, the inscription on the hood and the flowers on the hood and the dash. Someone must have just bought this Mahindra and brought it to the temple to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings. Lord Ganesh, the diety with the head of an elephant, is responsible for removing obstacles in life, among other things, and if the vehicle receives blessings from Ganesh, the vehicle will be protected from accidents. It is common for people to bring their new cars (even a used one they just bought) to a temple for a puja (prayer ceremony) to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings.

In two weeks I'll be taking possession of a new Ineos Grenadier (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ineos_Grenadier), which will become my primary expedition vehicle, retiring my LJ for that purpose. My wife says we need to take the Grenadier to the temple nearby Wilmington for a puja. We may do that, but I don't plan to make a place on the dash for a Ganesh idol.

I'm in India mostly for personal reasons, but I did stop by the Overland Outfitters production facility to help them with a few things. One of the things I'm helping them with is coming up with a way to connect with local Mahindra enthusiasts. They're getting ready to launch their products in India and while I did a number of designs for them for the Mahindra Thar a year or two ago, Mahindra has introduced the 4dr version which they're calling the Thar Roxx. The interior is a bit different, which may require some design adjustments to the OO products for that vehicle and hopefully OO can find some local enthusiasts willing to offer their Roxx for measuring and testing.

I did stop at a Mahindra showroom so I could check out the new Roxx. They had a couple on the showroom floor...

View attachment 574684

Check the Easter Eggs in the rear quarter windows:

View attachment 574685

I took a quick flight from Delhi to Jodhpur last Tuesday. Landed at the combined commercial airport/air force base in Jodhpur, this is the commercial terminal:

View attachment 574683

Notice the Mahindra jeep just to the left of center in the photo above. Here's a closer photo... it's a Thar belonging to the CISF - Central Industrial Security Force and it looks like he's got his finger on the trigger.

View attachment 574682

CISF or Police jeeps with machine guns are not uncommon at medium-sized airports in India.

I would have posted this from India last week but apparently this forum does not allow access from India. I can access other forums from India so it must be a security setting specific to this forum. I'd probably be the only person opening the forum up to India would help so I won't ask for it; in all my years and time over here I've never seen a TJ here. I saw a JL there the other day but I don't believe there are any TJ's in country.

Not making light of anyone’s beliefs….I have not had mine blessed, but they have blessed me more than once.

You fascinate me. I was telling somebody about you a while back.- I’m in the construction business, and I was telling them if this guy was in construction locally, we would be so embarrassed to be caught trying to use tools.

I’d love to know your design mindset and quality philosophy. What makes you tick. Do you “see” the end result before you start or work it out as you go or both. I think I’d ask 100 questions over coffee with you. Probably the first question would be “how’d you make a cup that automatically adjust the caffeine level based on how awake you are ?”

 

[jscherb]

I love this design... Sadly, I have a 2000 so no a-pillar trim. Waiting on your review and some dimensions. Maybe surface mount it on the a-pillar or windshield header?

I got home from India yesterday and hadn't dealt with the mail or many other things but when I looked at the packages that arrived while I was away I discovered the package from Auxbeam had arrrived. I opened the 4-switch panel box, here's a photo of the panel in my hand. It's fairly compact; I imagine it will fit in lots of places in the crowded TJ cockpit. When I get the time to do a complete review I'll take photos of places in a TJ where one might mount these panels.

If you're in a position to suggest products to Auxbeam...MSD/Holley makes 4 solid state relays with circuit protection in a nice neat package...

https://www.holley.com/products/electrical/wiring_and_relays/parts/7564

Auxbeam should make their own version in 4 and 8...

I suspect they would say that isn't in their target market space - they don't really do component-level products, most of what they do are more-or-less complete solutions. If you buy any of their light sets, a wiring harness with switch, fuse, etc. is generally included and their switch panels in many cases can be used without extra parts or components. They would say their market isn't the custom vehicle builder, they mostly market to end consumers looking for an easy to implement solution. But I'll bring it up the next time I talk to them.

Not making light of anyone’s beliefs….I have not had mine blessed, but they have blessed me more than once.

You fascinate me. I was telling somebody about you a while back.- I’m in the construction business, and I was telling them if this guy was in construction locally, we would be so embarrassed to be caught trying to use tools.

I’d love to know your design mindset and quality philosophy. What makes you tick. Do you “see” the end result before you start or work it out as you go or both. I think I’d ask 100 questions over coffee with you. Probably the first question would be “how’d you make a cup that automatically adjust the caffeine level based on how awake you are ?”

My design mindset is probably more than I could do in a short post, but a summary would be aesthetics, functionality and quality all being of equal importance. Whatever I design has to serve it's function properly, but equally important is that it looks good - I can't live with something that functions but looks like a hack nor can I live with something that looks great but doesn't work. Everything I build is completely designed before I lift a tool, I don't start cutting with the idea that I'll figure out the details later - it's all figured out in the design phase. And yes I do "see" the end results before I start, both because I have a good 3-d design imagination and because I do lots of drawings and mockups.

A perfect example of my design philosphy is my Wrangler pickup. My design goal was that it had to look as if the Wrangler design team at Jeep got an assignment to design a pickup that paid tribute to the classic Willys pickups of the 50's and 60's. It had to look like a modern version of the Willys, look like a factory design, and work as well as a production pickup would.

I spend hundreds of hours doing concept drawings comparing my design to the original Willys trucks to achieve the aesthetics I that were my goal.

Once I had things looking right on paper, I built scale models of both the Willys and my design so I could compare them in 3-d.

And after I was happy with the overall concept design, I designed all the components - nothing was left to the construction phase, all was designed ahead of time. An example - converting a factory TJ bumper to a proper step bumper that a pickup should have:

I also did detailed drawings of the frame stretch, the bed details and more. And then I used the detailed component drawings to build all the parts, essentially creating a kit.

The design and component building process took about a year, and once all the components were completed, I drove the LJ into my garage, cut it in half, reassembled it with the kit parts, and drove it out of the garage as a completed pickup (less final paint) 17 days later. Everything fit as designed.

And as for quality, I'm still driving the truck almost every day 16 years later.

That's pretty much how I approach everything I build.

You mentioned construction, so I'll give you another example of my design philosophy... earlier this year we bought a 200-year old home in a National Historic District. It didn't have a usable garage (usable for tall Jeeps, that is), and I could have done what most people in the district have done which is build a garage with present day styling and components, but that's doesn't appeal to my design ethic, so I designed a garage with antique carriage house styling that would look like it could have been part of the property since the 19th century. The project is in the final details stage now, here's a photo:

I did the concept and design drawings and turned them over to architects to do the construction drawings and then I engaged a contractor who could do the work to the quality I required. But I didn't turn over all the details to the contractor, for example if you look closely (you might have to zoom in the photo), there's decorative trim along the underside of the porch roof on the house, it's an original early 1800s detail. I duplicated that on the breezeway roof that connects the house to the garage - to get the design just right and the quality the way I wanted it, I build that trim myself. I designed other 19th-century carriage house details into the structure as well, such as a cupola with copper roof and a weathervane, and notice the extended ridge beam at the peak of the roof - there's a restored antique pulley hanging on it, as would have been used in the 1800's to haul things up to the second floor.

BTW I also built a model of the garage design so I could make sure it looked right in 3 dimensions. I made it in HO scale (1:87) so that I could easily get vehicles to pose with it, and one of the vehicles I got at a hobby shop was a Land Rover Defender in green with a tan roof.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago - the Ineos Grenadier I bought and will be taking delivery of tomorrow coincidentally turned out to be green with a white roof. I didn't pick it because of the color, I picked it off the lot because of the options it had but it's strange how my model of the garage with a vehicle turned out to be so similar to how things ended up .

 

[AndyG]

I got home from India yesterday and hadn't dealt with the mail or many other things but when I looked at the packages that arrived while I was away I discovered the package from Auxbeam had arrrived. I opened the 4-switch panel box, here's a photo of the panel in my hand. It's fairly compact; I imagine it will fit in lots of places in the crowded TJ cockpit. When I get the time to do a complete review I'll take photos of places in a TJ where one might mount these panels.

View attachment 574889



I suspect they would say that isn't in their target market space - they don't really do component-level products, most of what they do are more-or-less complete solutions. If you buy any of their light sets, a wiring harness with switch, fuse, etc. is generally included and their switch panels in many cases can be used without extra parts or components. They would say their market isn't the custom vehicle builder, they mostly market to end consumers looking for an easy to implement solution. But I'll bring it up the next time I talk to them.


My design mindset is probably more than I could do in a short post, but a summary would be aesthetics, functionality and quality all being of equal importance. Whatever I design has to serve it's function properly, but equally important is that it looks good - I can't live with something that functions but looks like a hack nor can I live with something that looks great but doesn't work. Everything I build is completely designed before I lift a tool, I don't start cutting with the idea that I'll figure out the details later - it's all figured out in the design phase. And yes I do "see" the end results before I start, both because I have a good 3-d design imagination and because I do lots of drawings and mockups.

A perfect example of my design philosphy is my Wrangler pickup. My design goal was that it had to look as if the Wrangler design team at Jeep got an assignment to design a pickup that paid tribute to the classic Willys pickups of the 50's and 60's. It had to look like a modern version of the Willys, look like a factory design, and work as well as a production pickup would.

I spend hundreds of hours doing concept drawings comparing my design to the original Willys trucks to achieve the aesthetics I that were my goal.

View attachment 574890

Once I had things looking right on paper, I built scale models of both the Willys and my design so I could compare them in 3-d.

View attachment 574891

And after I was happy with the overall concept design, I designed all the components - nothing was left to the construction phase, all was designed ahead of time. An example - converting a factory TJ bumper to a proper step bumper that a pickup should have:

View attachment 574893

I also did detailed drawings of the frame stretch, the bed details and more. And then I used the detailed component drawings to build all the parts, essentially creating a kit.

The design and component building process took about a year, and once all the components were completed, I drove the LJ into my garage, cut it in half, reassembled it with the kit parts, and drove it out of the garage as a completed pickup (less final paint) 17 days later. Everything fit as designed.

View attachment 574899
View attachment 574898

And as for quality, I'm still driving the truck almost every day 16 years later.

That's pretty much how I approach everything I build.

You mentioned construction, so I'll give you another example of my design philosophy... earlier this year we bought a 200-year old home in a National Historic District. It didn't have a usable garage (usable for tall Jeeps, that is), and I could have done what most people in the district have done which is build a garage with present day styling and components, but that's doesn't appeal to my design ethic, so I designed a garage with antique carriage house styling that would look like it could have been part of the property since the 19th century. The project is in the final details stage now, here's a photo:

View attachment 574900

I did the concept and design drawings and turned them over to architects to do the construction drawings and then I engaged a contractor who could do the work to the quality I required. But I didn't turn over all the details to the contractor, for example if you look closely (you might have to zoom in the photo), there's decorative trim along the underside of the porch roof on the house, it's an original early 1800s detail. I duplicated that on the breezeway roof that connects the house to the garage - to get the design just right and the quality the way I wanted it, I build that trim myself. I designed other 19th-century carriage house details into the structure as well, such as a cupola with copper roof and a weathervane, and notice the extended ridge beam at the peak of the roof - there's a restored antique pulley hanging on it, as would have been used in the 1800's to haul things up to the second floor.

BTW I also built a model of the garage design so I could make sure it looked right in 3 dimensions. I made it in HO scale (1:87) so that I could easily get vehicles to pose with it, and one of the vehicles I got at a hobby shop was a Land Rover Defender in green with a tan roof.

View attachment 574901

Fast forward to a few weeks ago - the Ineos Grenadier I bought and will be taking delivery of tomorrow coincidentally turned out to be green with a white roof. I didn't pick it because of the color, I picked it off the lot because of the options it had but it's strange how my model of the garage with a vehicle turned out to be so similar to how things ended up .

Thanks, I’m headed to burn all my tools now.

Seriously, you inspire man. I love it.

 

[macleanflood]

I suspect they would say that isn't in their target market space - they don't really do component-level products, most of what they do are more-or-less complete solutions.

Good points...I'd counter that MSD has no competition on their solid state relay block...the market for these products is exploding...and that Auxbeam already has expertise and a supply chain that could support this product.

Essentially it's the same solid state relays they're already using, a simple PCB, some potting and a case.

And MSD's version costs $200... that's highway robbery.

-Mac

 

[Apparition]

Good points...I'd counter that MSD has no competition on their solid state relay block...the market for these products is exploding...and that Auxbeam already has expertise and a supply chain that could support this product.

Essentially it's the same solid state relays they're already using, a simple PCB, some potting and a case.

And MSD's version costs $200... that's highway robbery.

-Mac

I’ve had that MSD in my cart for a few months. Plan to use it once I get to that point.

 

[macleanflood]

I’ve had that MSD in my cart for a few months. Plan to use it once I get to that point.

Same...except I need six relays and $400 for two sets is nucking futs.

-Mac

 

[Apparition]

Same...except I need six relays and $400 for two sets is nucking futs.

-Mac

Gotta pay to play

 

[Mike_H]

Same...except I need six relays and $400 for two sets is nucking futs.

-Mac

Well, if its 200 for a high quality, Heavy duty fan relay to protect a 10,000 dollar engine, I think 200 is not so bad. If you're spending 200 bucks to power some 50 dollar rock lights? Yeah, thats probably not the right application.

 

[macleanflood]

Well, if its 200 for a high quality, Heavy duty fan relay to protect a 10,000 dollar engine, I think 200 is not so bad. If you're spending 200 bucks to power some 50 dollar rock lights? Yeah, thats probably not the right application.

Or fuel pumps. Those big 6 second drag cars can use a lot of fuel and you can stage fuel pumps using modern PCMs with lots of triggers...fuel pressure, RPM, speed,,,to turn on the next pump. Or you chain two relays together to run one.

I've got front and rear E-Lockers, reverse light, rock lights, front spotties, duel air compressors, rear defrost.

-Mac

 

[psrivats]

I was in India last week and I took this photo at a Hindu temple:

View attachment 574681

It's a new Mahindra Thar. Notice the broken shell of a coconut on the ground under the Thar, the inscription on the hood and the flowers on the hood and the dash. Someone must have just bought this Mahindra and brought it to the temple to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings. Lord Ganesh, the diety with the head of an elephant, is responsible for removing obstacles in life, among other things, and if the vehicle receives blessings from Ganesh, the vehicle will be protected from accidents. It is common for people to bring their new cars (even a used one they just bought) to a temple for a puja (prayer ceremony) to receive Lord Ganesh's blessings.

You know that I grew up with these Mahindra jeeps all around me and I have a fondness for the brand from that nostalgia. But it bothers me more and more that they simply just rip off the looks of the Wrangler, esp the front fascia. I know why they do it and I wish they wouldn't.

1st gen (2010 release) - this atleast made some sense since it was replacing the line of variants descended from the CJ-3Bs. I am guessing part of this tooling went towards the Roxor as this generation was coming to a close.

2nd gen (2020) - front is clearly inspired by the JK, down to the shape of the headlight openings.

I am guessing the new one in your photo is a mid-cycle refresh or something, since it is looking more and more like the JL, even to the bumper shape/ paint scheme and the hooks. Come on Mahindra, you can do better than just rip off the wrangler. Embrace the inner weird and do something like you did before with the 3Bs and make it your own.

 

[Apparition]

Or fuel pumps. Those big 6 second drag cars can use a lot of fuel and you can stage fuel pumps using modern PCMs with lots of triggers...fuel pressure, RPM, speed,,,to turn on the next pump. Or you chain two relays together to run one.

I've got front and rear E-Lockers, reverse light, rock lights, front spotties, duel air compressors, rear defrost.

-Mac

Been contemplating two rows of Ford Superduty Upfitter switches which makes 12 nice in dash switches so I’d need 3 MSD relays.

~$80 per switch row
$162 per relay

I think it could be a nice setup.

 

[macleanflood]

Been contemplating two rows of Ford Superduty Upfitter switches

That might be the cheapest Superduty swap on record...

-Mac

 

[Apparition]

That might be the cheapest Superduty swap on record...

-Mac

Could use bronco switches too

 

[LJDC]

Looks pretty good. Is there a way to connect two independent switch panels—for instance, one in front and one in the rear, where each can be disconnected?

 

[jscherb]

Looks pretty good. Is there a way to connect two independent switch panels—for instance, one in front and one in the rear, where each can be disconnected?

Setting up dual switch panels doesn't appear to be possible with these slimline panels, but when I get time to do the full review I'll research that.

Auxbeam does offer a dual panel product, it's called the RA80 X2:

In the spring of 2023 Auxbeam sent me a dual panel system to test and review and I did a very through (5-part) review of the product and writeup on how it might best be used in an overland/camping vehicle. I posted it on another forum that's dedicated to that type of expedition, but I didn't post it here because there doesn't seem to be that much interest in overlanding/camping in this forum and I don't want post things people might not be interested in.

In that series, one panel was installed within reach of the driver and the other was installed in the back on the roll bar.

The series also explained how to set up these panels in vehicle with dual batteries (both my LJ and JKU have dual battery systems) so that you can control campsite electrical accessories without draining the main starting battery.

I didn't think there would be enough interest in those topics on this forum to warrant posting the full review here, but if there is interest I will post it here (I don't want to refer people to another forum, that's probably bad form).

Back to the subject of the slimline panels, it'll probably be a week or so before I have time to test those and write about them, I'm very busy with the work on the house and I'm scheduled for minor elective surgery this Friday which will limit my activities for maybe a week.

 

[MikekiM]

Setting up dual switch panels doesn't appear to be possible with these slimline panels, but when I get time to do the full review I'll research that.

Auxbeam does offer a dual panel product, it's called the RA80 X2:

View attachment 575178

In the spring of 2023 Auxbeam sent me a dual panel system to test and review and I did a very through (5-part) review of the product and writeup on how it might best be used in an overland/camping vehicle. I posted it on another forum that's dedicated to that type of expedition, but I didn't post it here because there doesn't seem to be that much interest in overlanding/camping in this forum and I don't want post things people might not be interested in.

In that series, one panel was installed within reach of the driver and the other was installed in the back on the roll bar.

View attachment 575179

The series also explained how to set up these panels in vehicle with dual batteries (both my LJ and JKU have dual battery systems) so that you can control campsite electrical accessories without draining the main starting battery.

I didn't think there would be enough interest in those topics on this forum to warrant posting the full review here, but if there is interest I will post it here (I don't want to refer people to another forum, that's probably bad form).

Back to the subject of the slimline panels, it'll probably be a week or so before I have time to test those and write about them, I'm very busy with the work on the house and I'm scheduled for minor elective surgery this Friday which will limit my activities for maybe a week.

I'd be interested in reading that review. I've been thinking of a dual battery setup and controlling pertinent accessories from the tailgate area would be necessary. This new, smaller switch panel would be ideal.

 

[Bud125]

Could you post a link of the review, I would be interested in reading it.
Thanks