Preparing using old iPhones for use as throttles?

[Bill H]

Group;
Any best practices for clearing out old iPhones to be used on my guest wifi network as throttles? I use JMRI on a Digitrax system. I tried "erase all content and settings" on the phones but on reboot iOs wants to reset up all the Apple apps, email etc. I want to give operators a clean phone with WiThrottle only.

Suggestions?

Kind regards,
Bill

[peteski]

You might have trouble getting an older version of the WiThrottle app.  I tried to get it for an old iPhone4 and was not able to get it.  I even contacted the apps developer and the instructions he gave me did not work.

[C855B]

Suggestions?

Yeah. Don't bother. Apple's control of their ecosystem is absolute. You cannot remove the mandatory apps without "jailbreaking", and that's going to be more of a hassle than it's worth. My experiences and the time wasted with WiThrottle is what led me to buy TCS dedicated throttles, a UWT-100 and a UWT-50. Absolutely love the UWT-50.

I realize at $239 each that's an expensive proposition if you're wanting "extra" throttles for multi-operator settings. My solution there is to pickup cheap Android phones and tablets and use JMRI's web interface through the browser.

Is your layout WiFi isolated from the world? If it isn't, it should be.

EDIT - I have not attempted to use a "kiosk" app with iPhones. They're intended for iPads. That's basically what you're looking for.

[samusi01]

Considered a factor reset of the phone?

I don't recall how I got mine set up, I have a pair of them floating around the layout as throttles. The iPhone 4 stays attached - sort of - to the LNWI and all other devices go through the dedicated router and JMRI like civilized phones. Probably just went and deleted all the old apps... I don't like to collect many, so it's not that big of a deal; it's an unusual year when I download one app.

[ryan_wilkerson]

As an alternative, I like using cheap used Android phones with the EngineDriver app instead of WiThrottle. One benefit that I use all the time is being able to use the volume up/down rocker to adjust the locomotive speed. I don't believe WiThrottle allows that. No need to look at the phone, I can hold it behind my back at shows and no one knows who is running the train

I used a pair of Motorola XT-1528 for my sons to use on our Free-moN layout for the last 10 years. Amazing value for $20 and they can be found near that price used now.

I also have an old iPhone 5s I've used as a throttle. I've uninstalled as many of the apps as I can, remove the SIM and turn off bluetooth so just the Wifi is using battery. Works well.

[C855B]

... One benefit that I use all the time is being able to use the volume up/down rocker to adjust the locomotive speed. I don't believe WiThrottle allows that. ...

Developers have no access to the (internal) API attached to the volume control. It's one of them-thar absolutes in the Apple ecosystem.

[ryan_wilkerson]

Yes I should have clarified that Apple doesn’t allow it so WiThrottle can’t use it.

Developers have no access to the (internal) API attached to the volume control. It's one of them-thar absolutes in the Apple ecosystem.

[jdcolombo]

I also have an old iPhone 5s I've used as a throttle. I've uninstalled as many of the apps as I can, remove the SIM and turn off bluetooth so just the Wifi is using battery. Works well.

Same here.  I have an iPhone 5 and iPhone 6 that I occasionally press into throttle service, though I mostly use TCS 100's, which I and all my operators love.  Delete all applications that you can (some Apple stuff you cannot delete), remove SIM card, turn off bluetooth and set up WiFi on the phone for your layout network.  BTW, I strongly recommend you use a separate router and dedicated network NOT connected to the Internet for WiFi throttles via JMRI, even if you have a Guest network set up at home.  If you have an old router lying around, it will work just fine.  Plug it into your computer via Ethernet, configure the network name (I use the mystifying "Train Layout" name  ), fire up WiThrottle via JMRI and then connect your WiFi throttles to the router.  Once you've done the configuration once, you should never need to do it again and this isolates the layout from your real home network.  I use an old Macbook to run the layout via JMRI;  The computer is generally not connected to the internet.  if I NEED to connect to the internet for something like downloading the latest version of JMRI, I turn on the computer's WiFi and do that, then turn it back off.  Otherwise, the computer and layout network are completely isolated.

John C.

[C855B]

^^^^^ Absolutely.

The one recommendation I would add - for a larger layout or multi-operator settings you may want to use something a little fresher than a long-decommissioned personal router you might have sitting in a box gathering dust. I have a 802.11n commercial-grade access point and a corresponding 1GB switch to handle the greater amount of traffic the tablets I'm using for local control panels add to the network. Dump/recycle any iPhones that aren't 802.11n/5 GHz compatible, which would be iPhone 4 and earlier; the 2.4 GHz channel clogs in a heartbeat with JMRI's handshaking while doing basics like adjusting the throttle setting, and there can be many competing sources on that frequency band.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Apple has a few "reset" options: one of them just resets the phone to the first time you signed in with Apple ID. The other is a full factory reset that requires the "Find My" location to be turned off and the phone signed out of your account. That is the one you want.

Once the full factory reset is complete, you can sign in with your Apple ID and use the "Set up as a new phone". You can delete almost all Apple apps (Phone, Messages, Settings, App Store, Camera and Photos being the ONLY exceptions). I find it quite reasonable.

There are phone cases that include joy sticks for gaming and I really think this is the way to go for future phone-throttles.

I use a headset on my old iPhone as a white noise generator. Dedicated apps were OK - you could get about 20 hours of playback. IOS18 introduced built in white noise and it will last three days straight when in airplane mode and battery life extension is on.