Over the last six months, I have travelled Australia in my four-wheel drive and learnt a lot along the way about gadgets and how to keep them running. I wish I had known what I know now when I left. Something like the Garmin PowerSwitch could have helped me a lot on my travels.
The Garmin PowerSwitch is a small digital switch box that allows centralised control of your vehicle’s 12-volt accessories from a compatible Garmin sat nav or via a smartphone app.
The basic principle is to directly wire your 12-volt gadgets, such as lights, fridges, compressors, mobile phone boosters, etc, to this power switch. Then, using a smartphone app in Bluetooth range, you can turn the power on and off to each device.
Unlike 240-volt electronics, which require a licensed electrician, you can wire 12-volt electronics yourself. If you are not confident, you can visit an auto electrician for help.
How does a Garmin PowerSwitch solve 12-volt issues?
Before I left on my big adventure to Western Australia, I installed a range of travel gadgets and communication tech. This included a spotlight, 12-volt fridge, 5G Wi-Fi Router, Cel-Fi phone booster, LED strip light, and Starlink inside the canopy of my dual-cab ute.
These connections were a mismatch of 12-volt cigarette sockets, USB, and a 240-volt plug (Starlink), all powered by my Bluetti portable power station.
I soon found that this setup created several issues:
Power usage: In a remote setup, power consumption is critical to ensure the fridge is kept running. All my gadgets were on all the time except for my lights and Starlink, and I had no simple way to turn them on and off.
Switches: To turn these devices on and off to save power, I could have run a complicated set of wires out of my canopy and into the car’s cab, which would require installing physical switches somewhere on my dashboard. I did not want this complexity.
Connections: 12-volt cigarette lighter plugs are not reliable. They work their way loose, cutting power to devices like the fridge and often blowing the fuse in the process. Luckily, I carried spares, but finding additional fuses in the outback is tough.
The Garmin PowerSwitch allowed me to directly take power from my Bluetti AC200Max power station via a special plug that screws into the Bluetti and hardwires to the Garmin. I then hardwired each of the gadgets to the PowerSwitch. My gadgets could then be controlled via my smartphone app, the Garmin Tread navigator on my dash, or the PowerSwitch itself. This meant my gadgets could be easily turned on and off as needed.
What does the Garmin PowerSwitch do?
A Garmin PowerSwitch allows you to control up to six 12-volt devices, and you may control up to four PowerSwitches from the same display, giving you control over 24 12-volt gadgets. A big benefit is minimising cable runs, and there is no need to cut into dashboards to install switches. The PowerSwitch is also removable, so it can be uninstalled and reinstalled in another car.
The six switched outputs can support up to 30 amps or around 400 watts each, which in the 12-volt world is a lot of power. A separate control circuit on the Garmin, if connected to your car’s power system, allows selected gadgets to be automatically turned on and off with your engine running.
Another thing I learned was that my car’s canopy was definitely not dustproof, but the PowerSwitch is IPX7, which means it is protected against water. The ‘X’ means that it’s not formally rated to protect against dust but I had no issues.
The PowerSwitch has six buttons corresponding to the device’s six power outputs, which allows you to manually power on or off devices. In addition to Garmin-compatible sat navs and the iOS and Android smartphone apps, you can also control the inputs from your Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This means you are not reliant on a specific device to control your gadgets and can even switch on a light from the comfort of a camp chair.
Garmin PowerSwitch specs and price
| Power | Six 30 Amp 12 volt circuits (max 100 Amps) |
| Connection | Bluetooth |
| Dimensions | 12.5 x 7.5 x 3 cm 283 grams |
| Price (RRP) | $649 |
| Official website | Garmin |
| Warranty | One year |
Using the PowerSwitch
The PowerSwitch is certainly not plug-and-play and requires a basic understanding of 12-volt wiring to make it work. In the box, you will find the basic cables to connect the unit to a battery, allowing the unit to be powered and provide power.
Beyond this, you need to connect each of the six circuits by separating the red positive cable from your gadget, which you will connect to the PowerSwitch. The Black negative cable or ground from your gadget is not connected to the PowerSwitch. Instead, it is earthed on your car chassis, or in my case, I installed an earth bus bar. Detailed instructions and diagrams are included with the PowerSwitch.
Once I connected my gadgets, I paired the app on my smartphone with the PowerSwitch and customised each button with an image and a name. Further customisation is available to create a custom layout that can combine multiple switches simultaneously.
A handy feature for any attached lights allows the light to be dimmed or flashed. The app can also monitor overall power consumption in amps and current voltage.
If you want to get really high-tech and you have a Garmin sat nav, you can program a routine that is enabled based on time, sunset, sunrise, and car speed.
I further customised my setup with a 12-volt-to-USB plug so I could also switch on and off USB-powered gadgets. I also converted my Starlink to a 12-volt supply and can use the Garmin to turn the Starlink on and off from my bed in the caravan.
Who is the Garmin PowerSwitch for?
The Garmin PowerSwitch is for four-wheel drivers or work vehicles where you add and want to control various 12-volt gadgets. Before I started my travels, I did not see a need for this product, but I quickly realised I needed a better solution to connect my devices and turn them off to save power.
The PowerSwitch means you do not have to turn your dashboard into an array of holes and switches, and cable runs can be contained to a dedicated area where your gadgets reside.
The post Garmin PowerSwitch review: Control your car gadgets with ease appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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