Re-purposing an old iPad

[KrisZ]

Recently I found my wife's old iPad, I think it's iPad 2. Other than being old and a bit slow for normal usage, it's in perfect working condition, so I decided to make some use of it.

I decided to mount it on the wall so that I can use it as a feed of my security cameras, but it can be used for playing music, even as an inside camera. The mount I bought can accommodate newer iPads, so if this one stops working I can always get something a bit newer.
The most challenging part was getting the power outlet install inside the wall, as I wanted to keep the opening as small as possible.

Here are some pics of the install and final outcome.

 

[OVERKILL]

Pretty sweet! Great work.

 

[Hombre909]

Great idea! +1

 

[Trav]

Really nice!

 

[dishdude]

That's a great idea! Nice clean installation too.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Well done!

 

[doitmyself]

Looks great, but I wonder if having a receptacle box enclosed in a wall meets code.

 

[Superflan]

Didn't know this type of mounts were readily available. Link? Thanks

 

[KrisZ]

Good to hear you guys like this idea.

This is the mount I used. It looked the cleanest to me and is a fully metal enclosure meant for trades show kiosks and such, so my kids will not get into it lol!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075254548/ref=twister_B072J2DPP3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Uphill_Both_Ways]

Different model, but just in case:
https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/355939/ipad-being-using-in-wall-mount-battery-swollen

 

[53' Stude]

Nice work

 

[alarmguy]

Thank you, great job!
I have the same iPad in excellent condition just sitting around unused.
Whether I get motivated to do it is one story but, wow, what a great idea.

 

[Pew]

That's a great idea for a spare iPad. I've got a couple tablets sitting at work that I don't know what to do with so this is a good thought. We had the normal mount-it! wall-flat mount used for "time-keeping" so we can tell who's was in the office in case of an emergency but I took it down since nobody ever used it. Great, simple, cheap hardware.

 

[BearZDefect]

Very nice KrisZ!
I hope the battery holds up.
My experience with repurposing old phones reflects what Uphill_Both_Ways pointed out:
That these devices overcharge their batteries at 100% so left plugged in for months and years the batteries swell to self destruction.
If only the phones and pads had an option to stop charging at 80% (for example) like some laptops have.

 

[JustinH]

the batteries are dirt cheap for these things, you can probably get a new battery with a self install kit for ten bucks or so.

I've done a bunch of them, if you can put this mount together, you can put a battery in it.

Not sure about putting an ipad directly into a wall cavity though, safety wise.

 

[John_Conrad]

install an electrical timer on that outlet and have it only provide power every 3 hours or at the interval that you know your batter draws down to say 20%

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted by John_Conrad
install an electrical timer on that outlet and have it only provide power every 3 hours or at the interval that you know your batter draws down to say 20%


That's not a bad idea. I will probably get one of those smart plugs so that I can adjust the schedule without removing the ipad from the mount.

I was looking for a software based charge limit, as something like this is available for some Android devices, but I could not find anything for iOS devices.

 

[FADEC]

Nice job!

 

[KrisZ]

I just remembered this thread and wanted to give an update on the battery. There are no issues with the battery. I notice that sometimes the battery percentage goes to 98%-99%, but for the most part it stays at 100%. The screen doesn't get hot or anything like that. So it looks like the software is managing the battery charging perfectly fine.

 

[earlyre]

if anyone else is looking for a use for an old Ipad... here's an ANCIENT (2012) Mighty Car Mods Video..