This is going to be a long and somewhat technical post.

Has anyone tried connecting to/manipulating the Fuelpak FP3 through a computer running Android via an emulator?

I'm probably one of the only folks you'll ever meet who doesn't own a SmartPhone and has no intention of getting one. Nor do I own an iPod Touch or iPad that would be capable of running the FuelPak FP3 app. (Note: I do have a Samsung Galaxy 4 music player, but the version of Android on it is too old to run the FP3 app).

But I'm thinking about getting a Rushmore bike (probably a Road King) and want to put an FP3 onto it to "sweeten up the mixture" to where it should be.

I should say that I've been a Mac user since 1987, and don't do Windows.
Among my Macs I have a MacBook Pro running 10.8.5.

I see that Vance & Hines doesn't offer any specific software to access the FP3 from either the Mac OS or Windows. Officially, they offer and support iOS and Android only.

So... how to access the FP3, without an iOS or Android device?

Since I'm a Mac user it seemed like running the iOS in emulation on a Mac would be the "way to go". But stop right there.
Apple won't let you emulate iOS on the Mac. There -is- a way for iOS software developers to "simulate" running an iOS app in the Mac OS, but its functionality is very limited and one has to have the app's original source code to do this.
So, the iOS is out.

But -- as luck would have it, there -is- at least one free emulator that will permit you to run the Android OS on the Mac.

It's called "BlueStacks", available here:
http://www.bluestacks.com
More about it here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlueStacks

Apparently it's available for Windows, as well.

Installing BlueStacks was easy. Most involved part was registering a verification number (or something along that line) with google. A little tricky (requires use of my old cell "flip-phone", which I rarely use) but I got it done.

After that, BlueStacks launches and comes up like this:


NOTE: I've already installed the FP3 app above, but if you're running Bluestacks for the first time, it won't be there.

Next thing to do is click the "search" icon in upper-left-hand corner.
Then, type in "Vance & Hines", and the FP3 app should come up in the search results.
Just click the "install" button and it should download and install.

Now, the FP3 app icon will appear towards the top (as in screenshot above).

When you click the icon, FP3 app loads and looks like this:



You'll note that "internet connectivity" is shown as "available" (I guess that means "live"), but "bluetooth is off" -- because there's no FP3 hardware available for the software to connect to.

Since I don't actually have an FP3 or a Rushmore bike yet, all I can do is use the "demo mode":



I can then lookup a stock configuration map:


... and "go through the motions" of installing it.

Of course, right now all I can do is "run the demo".
Without an actual bike with the FP3 hardware installed, I don't know if it will "work in the real world" yet.

Since I have a detached garage, I took the MacBook out there, and with my home WiFi enabled, I could still get a connection, connect to V&H, run the demo mode, etc.

So... before I discovered BlueStacks, I had believed the FP3 might be unavailable to me as a tuning tool, since I didn't have either an iOS or Android device capable of running the app.

But by running Android under emulation, there's a new pathway to access it that I'll reckon not many have walked before.

Which leads me to this:
I was wondering if there's anyone out there with an FP3-equipped bike, and perhaps a MacBook running 10.8.5 or later (or maybe even a Windows laptop) who might be willing to install BlueStacks, then download the FP3 app, just to see if it will connect to an installed FP3 module?

Again, everything works in demo mode, but I have no way (yet) to see if it will connect and access an -installed- FP3.

If you got this far, thanks for reading.
Perhaps this post will prove useful to someone....

 

You will need a bluetooth adapter for Your computer.Good luck,You could buy a cheap refurbished smartphone from e-bay or go to freedompop for cheapest working phone and free service.

 

Or you could borrow a friends iPhone or Ipad. You really only need it twice, first to load the V&H tune and then to auto tune then to download the completed Auto_tune. The FP3 runs independently of other devices except for instructions on what to do next such as load Auto-Tune.

 

Just get a power vision and be done.

 

You might want to look at the power vision like Doobie mention or one of the tuners that you can use a puter to tune it. Do some research on tuners here. You will have to have Bluetooth connectivity for FP3 to work. So if you have to spend money on your puter you might as well see what your willing to spend to get this to work for you. The xieds are one way to go and a lot of people with rushmores have them. Plenty of options out there for you to consider.

 

I don't need a PowerVision because (under my ownership) I'm going to leave the engine "stock and unopened". The -only- change I might ever make will be to de-cat the exhaust header. For this, the PV is overkill and too much moola.

I consider the FP3 the better choice over XIEDs because there's next-to-nothing involved with connecting it: no extra cables, etc.
Also, because it's a "flash tuner", instead of modifying things "after the fact".

I would like to emphasize that I -do- have bluetooth "connectivity" on my MacBook (it's built in). The only reason there's no bluetooth connection (in the original post above) is because (as of yet) there's no FP3 to connect to.

The FP3 app starts up on my MacBook (running BlueStacks) as easily as it would (I assume) on an actual Android device (or iOS).
I'm guessing that if I needed to try another map "enroute" (i.e., away from my home wifi), I could pull into anyplace that has "free wifi" for customers, open up the laptop, and use it in the parking lot!

 

That's almost as standard as a WiFi adapter!

 

look for a cheap Ipod touch.

 

Have you considered buying an old android phone or tablet? You would not be able to send data back to V&H if you ever needed to but, you can use the Bluetooth to pair up and make adjusments, auto tune to the fp3. And use wifi to up date the app.....

 

you could pickup a $100 android tablet and be done with it

on a side note, I used Bluestacks in the past (on a PC mind you) and have dumped it in favor of AndyDroid. I run all my adndroid apps without issue, I don't however use bluetooth so can't verify if it works or not via bluetooth (I have several android tablets and phones - rest of the family is apple but I'll never convert from the dark side!)