Hi ppl,
I'm looking for a viable car dock solution. Ideally, it should pack both aux connectivity and charging.
Actually I found this Samsung Galaxy S II I9100 Desktop Dock
which effectively charges the phone AND gives aux connectivity trough the USB port.
Of course it's not designed for a car, yet I think I could find a way to fix the dock to the dashboard.
Question is...
Will it hold the phone tightly enough to use it in a car in portrait/landscape mode ?
you mean the one that stands the phone portrait right?
it should hold just fine but you cant put it on landscape.. why would you use a desktop dock as a car dock anyway? i mean, its not meant for it..
car dock works better.. you could set it on both portrait or landscape..
aux output? buy a 3.5 to 3.5 jack and plug in to your head unit (if it has 3.5 aux input)
power? if your car have usb socket (for ipods, usb drive, etc) you can plug in your phones data cable to charge the phone..
use either:
blu-tack or
velcro + superglue
zeitgeb3r said:
use either:
blu-tack or
velcro + superglue
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or a mixture of all three?
The official Samsung Car Dock has AUX out and USB Charging...
I bought yesterday this car dock from Samsung: Samsung Galaxy S2 ECS-V1A2
(sry cant post external link, cause im to new on this board ^^ )
Its perfect, strong hold on the window, but u can easy remove it. It charges the phone and has a aux out. It also let ur S2 turn into Car Mode when u dock it in.
The front from the car dock can be removed with the phone inside.
The desktop dock from ur first post is also for landscape mode, so u can lay the pohne on the side.
Hope i could help u.
Thank you all !
I didn't notice the official car holder has such a feature. I'll go for it !!
Im using the official car holder too. You really need two hands to get the s2 out of it. If you try it with one hand, it might also work, but no matter how much you have fastened the screw it will move.
The integrated aux input is not working properly. The audio signal is about 30% of the quality the headphone jack gives you. I recommend using Bluetooth or the headphone jack. Though, having such a port w'that is not useable is really annoying...
Why don't you use a car mount holder as a desk dock
Can the Samsung car dock accommodate phones with cases? Will the fit with say a TPU rubber case?
I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this-it seemed like the best option for me. I know that it pertains to a GSIII accessory, but the problem I'm detailing could pertain to other car docks as well.
Up until recently, I've been using a tape deck adapter to connect my Android phone to my car stereo to listen to music, make calls, etc. I recently received an iBolt car dock for my phone for Christmas. It uses a microUSB connection to charge the phone and stream audio to the stereo. Normally, the audio would stream to an auxiliary plug in the stereo, but my car doesn't have such a plug.
My thinking was that I would get a 3.5mm stereo coupler to connect my tape deck adapter to the dock, and then to my phone through the microUSB connection. However, this doesn't seem to be working. With this setup, any music I play comes out of my phone's speaker, rather than the car stereo. What's odd is that when I connect my phone to the dock, I can hear the car stereo speakers pop a bit, indicating an audio connection.
I have confirmed that the coupler works properly with a different setup. (I connected my earbuds to my phone using an auxiliary cable as a bridge) Am I doing something wrong, or is this type of connection simply impossible for some reason? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll provide some hardware information below, if that helps.
I'm also aware that I could just keep using the tape deck adapter for sound directly, but it would be nice to eliminate that extra step in hooking my phone up.
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S III (Cyanogenmod 10, Poweramp for music)
Car Dock: http://www.amazon.com/iBOLT-Hands-free-Vehicle-Charging-Samsung/dp/B008TYXABU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357237098&sr=1-1&keywords=ibolt+galaxy+s3
Coupler: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3G7PS/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_2
Car: The car is a 2000 Ford Focus, I don't really know much about the stereo. It has no auxiliary plug, just a 3.5mm adapter connected to the tape deck.
Rixanu said:
I apologize if this is the wrong forum for this-it seemed like the best option for me. I know that it pertains to a GSIII accessory, but the problem I'm detailing could pertain to other car docks as well.
Up until recently, I've been using a tape deck adapter to connect my Android phone to my car stereo to listen to music, make calls, etc. I recently received an iBolt car dock for my phone for Christmas. It uses a microUSB connection to charge the phone and stream audio to the stereo. Normally, the audio would stream to an auxiliary plug in the stereo, but my car doesn't have such a plug.
My thinking was that I would get a 3.5mm stereo coupler to connect my tape deck adapter to the dock, and then to my phone through the microUSB connection. However, this doesn't seem to be working. With this setup, any music I play comes out of my phone's speaker, rather than the car stereo. What's odd is that when I connect my phone to the dock, I can hear the car stereo speakers pop a bit, indicating an audio connection.
I have confirmed that the coupler works properly with a different setup. (I connected my earbuds to my phone using an auxiliary cable as a bridge) Am I doing something wrong, or is this type of connection simply impossible for some reason? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll provide some hardware information below, if that helps.
I'm also aware that I could just keep using the tape deck adapter for sound directly, but it would be nice to eliminate that extra step in hooking my phone up.
Phone: Samsung Galaxy S III (Cyanogenmod 10, Poweramp for music)
Car Dock: http://www.amazon.com/iBOLT-Hands-free-Vehicle-Charging-Samsung/dp/B008TYXABU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1357237098&sr=1-1&keywords=ibolt+galaxy+s3
Coupler: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003N3G7PS/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_2
Car: The car is a 2000 Ford Focus, I don't really know much about the stereo. It has no auxiliary plug, just a 3.5mm adapter connected to the tape deck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi there, first of all you must make sure under "Settings - Accessory - Audio output" that this is selected when having the iBOLT Dock connected to your car 3.5 mm "cassette in" solution. It should work fine for playing music but Samsung does not transfer phone calls to an external speaker, only sounds from applications. Hope this helps?
MikaelPe said:
Hi there, first of all you must make sure under "Settings - Accessory - Audio output" that this is selected when having the iBOLT Dock connected to your car 3.5 mm "cassette in" solution. It should work fine for playing music but Samsung does not transfer phone calls to an external speaker, only sounds from applications. Hope this helps?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I couldn't find the setting that you were talking about, though I found a different one that has solved the issue...sort of. I couldn't find any "accessory" menu under settings, but I did find a setting: "Settings - Advanced - Sound - Use USB Dock Audio" This lets the phone stream audio to the stereo with my convoluted little setup.
The new issue is that the sound coming out of the stereo is of terrible quality compared to simply plugging the tape deck adapter directly into the phone. I also hear a static-y, squeaky noise coming out of the speakers when nothing is playing. Is this simply due to the odd nature of the connection, or is there something I can do about it?
Not long ago I got the Galaxy Note 2 and I love it. Even to the point of building a car dock from parts made for a Samsung Stratosphere. The dock works great, charging the phone and playing my music directly through the car stereo. However, I found that phone calls, while correctly set to speakerphone on the dock, are still coming through the phone speaker, rather than the car speakers, and since the dock covers the speaker, I can barely hear the person I'm talking to.
Is it normal for the phone to go only through the speaker/headset and ignore the dock, or is perhaps the Stratosphere's dock design the flaw?
In technical design, the Stratophere dock appears to function by taking the 5 pins of MicroUSB and seperating them into two charging pins and the left, right, and ground for stereo audio, connected to a standard 3.5mm jack. Knowing that the Galaxy Note 2 uses an 11 pin MicroUSB port, could that be the compatibility issue? As I mentioned, music and other phone audio plays properly through my dock, so why wouldn't the phone?
If there's an override possible, my phone does have full root access, but is otherwise still on full stock software.
Don't know about that dock idea - not familiar with it. Don't want to be dismissive if that's your only option, but best way is just get a Bluetooth Car Stereo. Then you can connect via BT and music and calls will come out the speakers. Some also have usb input as well.
I do know I tried using 5pin cables with the Note 2 and they don't work for various applications. You can verify this if you look up threads on video adapters for example. BTW, when you get a phone call, you do know about the output select screen right? Choices for Speaker, Headset (usually BT) - you can try deselecting Speaker... But I guess you've tried that.
I'm wondering if anyone has tried using the smart dock with the Note 8.0
Note II is really similar, so I would hope that the Note 8.0 will work
The Samsung site says Note II and Galaxy IV so now I'm a little iffy.
The MHL and OTG adapters are pretty universal, but I can only use one at a time
2 usb ports plus the HDMI would be great for me at the office since I can plug in the tab and have it running on my 2nd monitor (along with KB and mouse)
Has anyone tried yet?
kisaten said:
I'm wondering if anyone has tried using the smart dock with the Note 8.0
Note II is really similar, so I would hope that the Note 8.0 will work
The Samsung site says Note II and Galaxy IV so now I'm a little iffy.
The MHL and OTG adapters are pretty universal, but I can only use one at a time
2 usb ports plus the HDMI would be great for me at the office since I can plug in the tab and have it running on my 2nd monitor (along with KB and mouse)
Has anyone tried yet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It works great. I tried it with mine, and I have seen reports of other users using theirs.
robyr said:
It works great. I tried it with mine, and I have seen reports of other users using theirs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you able to put the Note 8.0 into landscape when using the Smart Dock? Also, is the device stable enough to be written upon with S-pen while docked?
BTW, is there any other way to get USB- OTG and HDMI functionality simultaneously? (sans the Smart Dock)
I have the Smart Dock for my Note II and it works well. I haven't received my Int'l 3G Note 8.0 yet to test it, but it's good to hear that others have it working.
Since the Smart Dock holds both devices in Portrait orientation, it will not automatically put the display in Landscape mode unless you are playing a video. You would have to use a 3rd party app such as "Orientation Control".
I doubt you could write on the Note 8.0's screen successfully while in the dock. The dock is roughly 3" square and is not heavy enough to stabilize the tab for anything but very light screen taps or swipes. The device is not secured in the dock other than the by microUSB connector. The device just rests in the dock under its own weight, vertically.
The Smart Dock is not made to hold the device physically in a Landscape orientation. I'm not sure if a microUSB-to-microUSB extension cable would work to retain the functions and allow a separate landscape "holder" or case/cover to be used without the actual Smart Dock attached? Hmmm...
Oh, AFAIK, and I've researched fairly thoroughly, I couldn't find any other way to achieve HDMI, Audio, and USB OTG simultaneously. You might be able to use the Allcast Media Hub for wireless HDMI & Audio, and then connect a USB OTG adapter to the Note 8.0's microUSB/MHL port, but I haven't tested that.
Hope this helps.
bbfoto said:
I have the Smart Dock for my Note II and it works well. I haven't received my Int'l 3G Note 8.0 yet to test it, but it's good to hear that others have it working.
Since the Smart Dock holds both devices in Portrait orientation, it will not automatically put the display in Landscape mode unless you are playing a video. You would have to use a 3rd party app such as "Orientation Control".
I doubt you could write on the Note 8.0's screen successfully while in the dock. The dock is roughly 3" square and is not heavy enough to stabilize the tab for anything but very light screen taps or swipes. The device is not secured in the dock other than the by microUSB connector. The device just rests in the dock under its own weight, vertically.
The Smart Dock is not made to hold the device physically in a Landscape orientation. I'm not sure if a microUSB-to-microUSB extension cable would work to retain the functions and allow a separate landscape "holder" or case/cover to be used without the actual Smart Dock attached? Hmmm...
Oh, AFAIK, and I've researched fairly thoroughly, I couldn't find any other way to achieve HDMI, Audio, and USB OTG simultaneously. You might be able to use the Allcast Media Hub for wireless HDMI & Audio, and then connect a USB OTG adapter to the Note 8.0's microUSB/MHL port, but I haven't tested that.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, it was very helpful. I was thinking of getting the Smart Dock in lieu of the HDMI adapter. USB-OTG + HDMI at same time isn't much of a necessity for me. HDMI is still primary for me. Audio, when required could be used from the 3.5 mm jack.
Guess, it would be better to go for the HDMI adapter.
BTW, do you have any experience on HDMI to VGA converters?Do they work well? Actually I need to hook up the Note 8.0 to a VGA projector?
^No worries.
I don't have a ton of experience with HDMI-to-VGA adapters, but I would trust the people at the following link to steer you in the right direction...
http://www.comprehensivecable.com/
Click on the "Adapters" tab, have a look, then shoot them an email. They're very helpful and knowledgeable.
You might also try http://www.monoprice.com
VGA doesn't carry Audio signals, so you would most likely need a unit that would extract the audio from the HDMI as well as the Video signal, and then route the Audio to a separate connector/cable. I have seen some VGA cables that also have a 3.5mm Stereo audio plug at each end, so you can hook up the audio output from your PC's sound card and plug it into the 3.5mm audio Jack on most video projectors. You can find these at http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=180-285
Good luck.
bbfoto said:
^No worries.
I don't have a ton of experience with HDMI-to-VGA adapters, but I would trust the people at the following link to steer you in the right direction...
http://www.comprehensivecable.com/
Click on the "Adapters" tab, have a look, then shoot them an email. They're very helpful and knowledgeable.
You might also try http://www.monoprice.com
VGA doesn't carry Audio signals, so you would most likely need a unit that would extract the audio from the HDMI as well as the Video signal, and then route the Audio to a separate connector/cable. I have seen some VGA cables that also have a 3.5mm Stereo audio plug at each end, so you can hook up the audio output from your PC's sound card and plug it into the 3.5mm audio Jack on most video projectors. You can find these at http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=180-285
Good luck.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I have seen some which can extract audio from the HDMI feed.
There are a number of listings on eBay in my country. I would love to get it from a reliable website, but most of them are overseas and the customs department in India makes it a lot of hassle.
I ordered a display adapter from dx.com once. No problems with website or the product, but it was held up for a month at the customs office and finally I had to pay a 50% duty as well.
Sent from my Spice Mi-310 using XDA
I picked up a smart dock today and I am playing with it right now.
Some issues, having to repower up the dock for usb to work after tablet is inserted.
And I am not having any sound come out of the 3.5 jack on the back of the dock.
Also it I am using a HDMI to DVI adaptor for my moniter and I am using an orentation control app with it.
Wish it worked with my Galaxy s3.
Ravanous said:
I picked up a smart dock today and I am playing with it right now.
Some issues, having to repower up the dock for usb to work after tablet is inserted.
And I am not having any sound come out of the 3.5 jack on the back of the dock.
Also it I am using a HDMI to DVI adaptor for my moniter and I am using an orentation control app with it.
Wish it worked with my Galaxy s3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your Note 8.0 battery level above 80% when you put it in the dock? If not, the tablet will draw too much power from the power adapter just to CHARGE the tablet, and the USB ports do not have sufficient power. If your tablet or phone battery is over 80%, this isn't a problem and you shouldn't have to "re-Dock" it to get the USB ports to work. Samsung should have made the power adapter more powerful (3 or 4 amps).
To get audio output from the 3.5mm rear Jack, you need to go into SETTINGS > ACCESSORY > AUDIO OUTPUT MODE, and Check the box for "Use External Speakers when device is Docked".
Ravanous said:
I picked up a smart dock today and I am playing with it right now.
Some issues, having to repower up the dock for usb to work after tablet is inserted.
And I am not having any sound come out of the 3.5 jack on the back of the dock.
Also it I am using a HDMI to DVI adaptor for my moniter and I am using an orentation control app with it.
Wish it worked with my Galaxy s3.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just to be clear, are you able to Use the S-Pen when docked, any way to keep the tablet physically in a landscape position?
Sent from my Spice Mi-310 using XDA
agambhandari said:
Just to be clear, are you able to Use the S-Pen when docked, any way to keep the tablet physically in a landscape position?
Sent from my Spice Mi-310 using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought I had answered your Portrait/Landscape question in paragraphs 3 & 4 of Post #4? Read through it again. The smart dock does not hold the tablet in a Landscape (horizontal) orientation at all. You could possibly use a case or cover on the Note 8.0 that would hold it in landscape, or use Samsung's Note 8.0 Car Mount and then connect the tablet to the Smart Dock with a 11-pin Male-to-Female micro-USB extension cable.
Hope this helps.
bbfoto said:
I thought I had answered your Portrait/Landscape question in paragraphs 3 & 4 of Post #4? Read through it again. The smart dock does not hold the tablet in a Landscape (horizontal) orientation at all. You could possibly use a case or cover on the Note 8.0 that would hold it in landscape, or use Samsung's Note 8.0 Car Mount and then connect the tablet to the Smart Dock with a 11-pin Male-to-Female micro-USB extension cable.
Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I had already read your post.
But the other member claimed to have already used it with the Note8, whereas you told me that you were still expecting your note 8, so I was keen to know more about the actual experience of a user.
BTW, Do you know if 11 pin USB extension cables are available?
Sent from my Spice Mi-310 using XDA
Take a look at a picture of the smart dock, or look at nztechfreak's YouTube review of it. Just from its physical size and design there is no way that the Smart Dock can support or hold a tablet in a Landscape or horizontal position when on a desk/flat surface...or any surface.
For reference, I just tried my Note II in the Smart Dock with the phone and dock laying on its side. The dock will hold the Note II in landscape position, but the phone is at a perfect 90° angle to the table's surface, which makes it hard to use the touchscreen, and it will easily become undocked, as there is no pressure or weight to secure the device. And there is nothing directly behind the phone to keep it from moving or sliding back when you press the screen. Also, at least one USB port will be inaccessible because it or they will be against the table's surface when the dock is laying on its side. This dock was simply made to only hold a PHONE (either the Note II, SGS3, or SGS4) in a vertical Portrait position. It's obvious from the design that it was not made for landscape use whatsoever. It just happens to hold the Note II on its side because the dock is the same width as the phone.
I don't believe that Samsung will ever make a LANDSCAPE Desk dock for the Note 8.0. It is clear from its general design that Samsung intended this tablet to be used as a "Notepad" in a Portrait (vertical) orientation. The only odd exception is the position of the IR Blaster on the side (the SGS4 IR Blaster is on the top). I would definitely like a landscape desk dock as well, but I'm not convinced that it would be practical for this particular tablet. However, there is a car/windshield mount listed on Samsung's web site that looks like it will hold the tablet in landscape mode.
I'm searching for the extension cables now and will post here if & when I find them.
Thanks.
I never tried the S-Pen while in the dock. Also I tried the settings mentioned above to get the 3.5 sound to work, but no luck.
I took it back, I'll wait for a proper one to come out, or try with the wifi all share hub and build somthing that way.
Got one of these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/23108138465...769&_trkparms=ga1m=T1&ga2m=T0&ga3m=T1&ga4m=T2
If I hook up USB+charger and THEN the HDMI, it works. For some reason (lack of power???) it won't accept a flash drive if I plug a hub in and the flash drive into that. (I use a Bluetooth keyboard and a USB mouse.)
Haven't bit the bullet on the official smart dock yet though :'(.