Develop Bugs

Check out my ghetto dock!

Ever since I got my EVO I've been wanting to get a dock, as I'm just a dock sort of guy. Nothing like getting home and not having to fiddle with a cable, just slam the phone down and be done with it. That and being able to see my screen from my chair or across the room is sooo nice. However, I use a case (the innocase surface II,) and have since launch day. I do not like having to take my phone out of my case ever if I can get away with it. Unfortunately, I've only seen one premade dock that works with a case, the innodock jr, and frankly- that thing sucks. It's expensive, ugly, and not even made for this phone in particular. So I've waited, and waited... and finally decided to make my own.
So I built this "thing" on top of some weird folding cradle I got from Bed Bath and Beyond for 10 bucks. Don't buy this thing unless you plan on modding it, it looks cool as it has a built in USB Hub and comes with a micro/mini USB cable, but frankly it kind of sucks as a cradle. It's supposed to have a nonslip surface the phone sticks to, but it doesn't work at all for the EVO with a case, probably because it's so heavy. But since it's not useful otherwise, I used it for my base. Nice thing is it does fold up and have a couple different angles you can set the phone at, which is kind of useful now that the phone actually stays on it at any other than fully folded up.
I then made a shim to hold the charging cable at the right spot out of some aluminum from an old hard drive casing. Nothing pretty here, just hacksaw'd it up and did a bit of filing. Goopy glued the charging cable to it, and epoxied the shim to the cradle. I didn't want to epoxy the cable itself to the cradle in case I want to remove it later, that and I wanted it to have some small amount of flexibility. I used the dock like this for a few days, but the phone didn't like to stay aligned all perfect like, so I epoxied the spacer bit on the other side on earlier today. It's just another piece of aluminum I cut and filed up to kinda fit the contour of the bottom of the case. Phone fits beautifully now, or at least as beautifully as something held together with epoxy can look.
Figured I'd throw out how I made my monstrosity to help anyone else do the same thing if they wanted to.

Good job. Makes me want to build something.

Lol, it is ghetto as advertised.
I'm sure it works great though, and you should be glad you made it!

You pulled off a mcgyver there my friend...
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

apristel said:
Good job. Makes me want to build something.
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Yeah, its actually my second attempt at building a dock. My first time I tried to make it out of lego, but I had trouble getting the microusb connector at the right angle and getting it so the whole thing wouldn't just fall apart when I pulled the phone off.
If I had the equipment to make it, I though up a really sweet dock design made out of bent and folded 1/8" aluminum sheet, but alas I do not. You can find PCB mounted right angle microUSB connectors with a small amount of built in flex that are much better suited for docks than using an actual cable, but using one still requires something to build it into.

Idea for alternative charger connector (updated 3/7)

There have been a lot of complaints about the flimsy connector for the Xoom charger. I also think that it is a very poor design at most. The metal pin is too long, the plastic part is poking out too much etc.
I am no engineer and also bad at drawing but I attached something that I think might work. If anyone feels like they could produce a prototype that would be awesome!
The small magnet might or might not work. If you look at the area where all the connectors are you will see a small metal plate that could probably be used to anchor the connector magnetically.
Any feedback is appreciated (even just to say that I am full of sh!t!)
UPDATE: I added an alternative design using the two metal connectors for charging and a silicone plug to keep the connectors in place. A magnet will give additional stability.

funnycreature said:
There have been a lot of complaints about the flimsy connector for the Xoom charger. I also think that it is a very poor design at most. The metal pin is too long, the plastic part is poking out too much etc.
I am no engineer and also bad at drawing but I attached something that I think might work. If anyone feels like they could produce a prototype that would be awesome!
The small magnet might or might not work. If you look at the area where all the connectors are you will see a small metal plate that could probably be used to anchor the connector magnetically.
Any feedback is appreciated (even just to say that I am full of sh!t!)
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It charges my Xoom very fast. It is still working and has not caused me any issues. If it breaks, I will come back here to *****.

I was just referring to the connector but thanks for the warning

funnycreature said:
I was just referring to the connector but thanks for the warning
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So was I. The stock one works fine however, alternatives are great as well. I just do not see a need for one personally. Others may.

Yeah, the stock connecter scares me. I like your design though I'm not sure anyone here has the means to develop and sell it. I'm hoping maybe someone may find a softwear solution to charge via the USB micro port. What do you guys think, possible or no?

funnycreature said:
There have been a lot of complaints about the flimsy connector for the Xoom charger. I also think that it is a very poor design at most. The metal pin is too long, the plastic part is poking out too much etc.
I am no engineer and also bad at drawing but I attached something that I think might work. If anyone feels like they could produce a prototype that would be awesome!
The small magnet might or might not work. If you look at the area where all the connectors are you will see a small metal plate that could probably be used to anchor the connector magnetically.
Any feedback is appreciated (even just to say that I am full of sh!t!)
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Click to collapse
I like it! i think its a pretty good idea. Wish i knew someone who could create one. I would buy it. stock one scares me

how the F do magnets work?
anyhow, yeah really good design. I would buy that too.

i just turn it upside down while charging it.

I would buy one of those

I have to ask, why you would use that connector at all if you want to redesign a magnetic charger? Why not use the same priciple to connect it to the two plates on the bottom next to the hole for power?
As someone who repairs laptops for a living, this was the single most troubling design aspect of our new toy. It looks like it will be far to easy to damage the internals of this device with the default power cable.
It would make more sense to use a breakaway magnetic connection that makes contact with the two metal plates. I have not looked in to it too far but it would seem that the docs use this and the USB in them is strictly for audio out.

I was actually wondering if the metal plates would be used for dock charging. Since I don't own a dock I can't check. But if it is then yes, the charger should be attached magnetically! Thanks for the clarification. I'll try to design more options
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

keitht said:
So was I. The stock one works fine however, alternatives are great as well. I just do not see a need for one personally. Others may.
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My only complaint with the xoom, honestly is the charging system.
For starters, I don't see a reason to not allow charging over USB. Sure the voltage would only be 5v, and it would take considerably longer, but the option would be nice. This isn't to say I want to do away with the 12v charger, because the speed at which it charges is lovely, just the option for the other.
Secondly, the needle-like connector screams, "I want to be broken quickly!" Was there really a need to make the connector in that type and size?
Thirdly, the placement of the charger port is hideous and impractical. It's dead center at the bottom. I rarely use my xoom flat against a surface. I purchased the display portfolio that motorola made. The charger port is not only a hinderance to the utilization of my portfolio case, but is also covered at all times when using the case in any manner that motorola designed it. I'm sure this is simply a brain-fart on motorola's part, which happens to everyone and is understandable, but is there a reason the charger port couldn't have been placed on one of the sides of the device? I would say preferably the left hand side, as people are less likely to turn the device to sit on that side.
I'm not simply posting this to complain, just express my thoughts on the only true fault that I feel the xoom has. On that note, a 90 degree *honestly 180 degree by the design sketch* connector would be lovely, IMO. It still wouldn't be usable with the portfolio case, but it would allow someone to angle the xoom without fear of breaking the charger off inside it.

The two metal plates are indeed for charging on the dock. It takes away the need to use the stock charger on the needle tip. Just plug the charger into the dock and set the Xoom on it. I charge this way every time.

markbo2000 said:
The two metal plates are indeed for charging on the dock. It takes away the need to use the stock charger on the needle tip. Just plug the charger into the dock and set the Xoom on it. I charge this way every time.
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Only problem is that's a $70-$120 solution

Why even have the plug then and just use the metal plates?

xlGmanlx said:
Why even have the plug then and just use the metal plates?
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The plug would add additional stability so that it doesn't come off so easily. Not sure how strong you could make the magnets. As I said, I'm no engineer

Makes sense, maybe a smaler nub though haha, otherwise I like the idea
funnycreature said:
The plug would add additional stability so that it doesn't come off so easily. Not sure how strong you could make the magnets. As I said, I'm no engineer
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Apple has a patent on the magnetically attached charger. Perhaps this is why motorola went the direction that it did.
http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph...XT&s1=7311526.PN.&OS=PN/7311526&RS=PN/7311526

im gonna make this. I will let you guys know how it works. my first android by the way!

Sweet! I was also thinking about getting some latex and a second charger that I can strip and modify. This will be so cool!
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

[MOD] A couple DIY pogo docks - desk and car

I took a lot of inspiration for these projects from some of the stuff I saw posted around here. Like many others, I got tired of the lack of accessories available for the GN and built a few of my own. I was also too impatient to order and wait for the pogo pins that I should have been using for this project, so I used guitar string instead. :silly: Oh well....
The Wooden Desk Dock
This one was fun and It didn't take too long to build. Thanks to chopper the dog for his info in this thread which I used as I was building this. To put this together I used:
a couple pieces of scrap wood for the body,
a paint stirrer cut to size for the platform,
some 46 gauge guitar string for the contacts,
solder,
electrical tape,
a strip of 1/8 inch foam (on the left side. hard to see in the pic) to seat the phone snugly,
a few felt pads for feet,
and, an NFC tag to trigger landscape mode for the phone and it has been working nice.
Ideally, I need to get this thing sanded down a little more, get the tag hidden a little better, and maybe stain or paint it.
The Modified Verizon Car Dock
I'm pretty happy with the way this one turned out, but I'm not finished yet. For this one I used:
an old Verizon car charger,
some 46 gauge guitar string for the contacts,
solder,
electrical tape,
two 1/4 inch pieces of spray tube from a can of WD-40 (I used these as guides for the guitar string to slide through),
some CA glue to hold the tube guides in place (We'll see long this lasts...)
a small bolt, nut, and teflon washer,
a short piece of black wire (I used this to secure the power cord to the dock. It was the smallest, nicest looking way of doing it short of using a twist tie, blegh.)
an NFC tag to trigger landscape mode for the phone,
and a Razer sticker to hide my mistake of shaving too much of the back of that Samsung plate away too fast and melting the front (dammit!)
As you can see, up close it's not the prettiest looking job, but with the phone snapped in it looks just fine. I was a huge pain getting those contacts just right, but eventually using those tubes made it much easier. I carved out a section of the soft rubber inside, because it left a mess when I initially drilled through it. It made it really hard to line the contacts up.
I'm going to work on this one a little more today. I want to add a connector to make it possible to break the cord away from the dock and possibly make another cord with a USB connection on the end.
Adding the Connector to the Modified Verizon Car Dock
This was easier than I expected. I started searching around for supplies and found a couple of old cordless handset bases with just what I wanted, some kind of 90 degree connector. I pulled the receptacle from the board inside the base. Since we had multiple bases, I was able to grab two nearly identical plugs.
Then I removed the fixed car charger from my dock and found a suitable place for the receptacle. I soldered the wires in place and fixed the receptacle in place with a zip tie.
I think the zip tie was the best way to go. It's a little tight under the samsung cover.
I used the plugs and spliced them onto to the verizon car charger and a regular usb cable. For anyone who's interested, the wires inside the verizon charger are red (5v) and green (ground).
After a little testing, I decided the receptacle needed another zip tie and a round of CA glue to hold it in place. Here's the finished product. I'm very happy with how it turned out.
I also have another problem I need to work out. I use my 12v socket in the car for my bluetooth receiver. I need to figure out a way to power both in a small compact way. I've seen those 12v socket splitters and I will not put something like that in my car. What do you guys think about trying to fit both of these into one package?
I had a lot of fun working on these over the couple days. Let me know what you guys think

Well done, I like the look of the chunky wood dock. Although like you said sanding it down would make it look better.

Thanks jonny. I'm thinking a dark stain on it would look nice. I want to replace the platform with something a little more durable as well.

Yea I dont blame you. It doesnt quite fit with the look of the rest of it. Perhaps if you have any more of the wood you used you can use that and just cut a really thin piece to use as the platform.

BuQu Tech Wireless charger review

I ordered my BuQuTech Magnetyze in mid February. I didn't get an email confirming my order, so 2 days later sent one to the company and got a reply very quickly. I was told that one was sent, but must have been lost to the interwebz. They also explained they were backordered and the expected ship date was March 8. They credited my card for the charge until it was ready for shipment. They sent me another email towards the end of Feb. that it was shipped and I actually had it on my porch the next day. Now that's some sweet service!
It was well-packaged. The box it came in has a flap on the front you can open to view the contents. I didn't take a pic, since I wanted to get it set up. In the box there is the charging stand, a USB to micro-USB cable, a wall charging adapter with 2 USB out plugs, the proprietary phone battery cover and a second wire with a USB on one end and the magnet on the other for charging the phone. This allows for a semi-permanent placement of the dock and a mobile cable. Very well thought out, IMO.
The battery cover is a very nice cobalt blue and looks good on the phone. I think it looks better in person than on their website. It is a finger-print magnet (no pun intended), though. The build quality seems to be very nice. It isn't flimsy at all. It is slightly thicker than the stock cover but, much to my surprise, my TPU case fits on the phone fine. The holes in the case for buttons, headphones, etc. are pulled down so they may need to be cut a bit.
The system works very well. As you get the phone near the dock or the cable, the magnet attaches right where it is supposed to. The phone is held firmly, but it is easy enough to detach. Charge time seems equivalent to the standard cord.
NFC works. The range is diminished a bit. I have a car mount with a tag mounted to it. This places the tag about a 1/2 inch from the back of the phone. With the regular battery cover on, it activates the NFC chip without difficulty, but with the BuQu cover, I have to finagle an angle that gets the back closer to the NFC before I seat the phone in the mount. Any other tag that directly touches the battery cover activates the NFC chip without difficulty.
All in all, this is a well-built system that I am enjoying.
Pros:
Works well
Quality build with a nice shade of blue that goes well with the phone
Portable cable and dock options
Minimal added thickness that allows TPU cases to still work
Cons:
Not the Qi standard that seems more prevalent
Claims to be able to sync phone, but doesn't appear to do that
Uncertain support for future phone battery covers
Decreased range of NFC tag activation
Unable to charge with a case on
Feel free to ask any questions. Sorry for the less-than-stellar pictures.

good review.
---------- Post added at 02:56 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:54 AM ----------
Check what is coming out, I think this is going to be a winner.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2184815

i notice u had a cover from buqu... it looks like they sell a case now ..can u confirm its diffrent from your????
http://www.buqutech.com/ProductDetail/tabid/167/ProductID/25/Default.aspx
i really wanna get this with the car chager stand.
and i have the S4 just notice maybe u has the S3

Super glued a Super Magnet to the back of the Moto 360...and now it won't charge!

Hi I just have a general, well more specific question, about the Moto 360 smartwatch. See, I have always liked using the Moto 360 with the watchbands detached. It just sits more comfortably in my hand and I would rather have a cool, smaller, lighter, and easier to use option aside from my actual smartphone. It's great for driving too because you can change the music and do simple tasks with one hand while the other is on the steering wheel (only at certain times of course). The only issue with this is I don't have a way to quickly pull out my watch and put it back in my pocket without too much of a fuss. People usually say to this: "Taking out your watch and putting it back in your pocket to do things? Why not use your phone?" So what I did was super glue a super magnet to the back of the watch and another to a belt clip. This way it can always be at my side when I need it. I can use it without the bands, seated comfortably in my hand, and when I don't need it I can slap it back onto my belt clip. So. The only issue with this whole situation is that the magnet super glued on the back of the Moto 360 prevents the Moto 360 charger, which I believe is some sort of magnetic device, from actually charging the device which makes this whole set up seem pointless. So I was hoping someone here would know a way to still charge the device or even better yet show me a better set up other than the magnets that I can use for my desired effect. Okay thank you guys for reading all of this and I hope someone can help me here.

I don't think there is really a way to do what you want without a lot of work. Wireless charging at this point in time struggles to get through thick phone cases let alone a magnet. I can't think of a good solution to do what you want either.

Well someone had suggested I use Velcro straps, which I think might work but how annoying would the sound if constant ripping off Velcro straps be throughout the day? (Not rhetorical) I just duct taped the magnet to the back of the watch is that way when I need to charge it all I have to do it take it off. I'm hoping Velcro would be a little less tedious. Any opinions between those two options?

What you may be able to do is get a fast boot usb cable as described here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-360/accessories/cradles-moto360-usb-conection-sale-t2901110 so you can charge it, but it will take some modification to the watch itself.

xkn0s said:
What you may be able to do is get a fast boot usb cable as described here: http://forum.xda-developers.com/moto-360/accessories/cradles-moto360-usb-conection-sale-t2901110 so you can charge it, but it will take some modification to the watch itself.
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So the fast boot cables si charge the Moto 360? That might really work. See in all of the information I found about fast boot cables, none if them mentioned it the cable actually charges the watch. Would you happen to know how fast or slow the charging us compared to the standard charger? (The standard charger is pretty fast for me)

Kwilliams0937 said:
So the fast boot cables si charge the Moto 360? That might really work. See in all of the information I found about fast boot cables, none if them mentioned it the cable actually charges the watch. Would you happen to know how fast or slow the charging us compared to the standard charger? (The standard charger is pretty fast for me)
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As I don't actually own a cable (to scared and broke to try it if it damages the watch), I can't speak from experience, but according to Root Junky http://www.rootjunky.com/moto-360-adapter-usb-cable/it does. It also includes a video on how to create said cable. I did a lot of research before ultimately deciding it was not worth it. However it may be a good solution to your problem.

why not velcro the watch to the magnet , that way when you need to charge it all you gotta do is pull it apart, that way you can keep the magnet with your belt buckle or clip that the magnet attaches to, you could even cut a hole in the middle of the velcro on the watch to have the heartbeat sensor visible?

cyan pac said:
why not velcro the watch to the magnet , that way when you need to charge it all you gotta do is pull it apart, that way you can keep the magnet with your belt buckle or clip that the magnet attaches to, you could even cut a hole in the middle of the velcro on the watch to have the heartbeat sensor visible?
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That would be a good idea except the magnets I'm using are much stronger than the Velcro alone. It's that neodymium material or "super magnets" as they are called by the brand I buy.

Kwilliams0937 said:
That would be a good idea except the magnets I'm using are much stronger than the Velcro alone. It's that neodymium material or "super magnets" as they are called by the brand I buy.
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Yes but the watch would be detachable from the magnet you might have to down grade the magnet so it's not as strong

The wireless charging uses magnetism, so it is impossible to charge with one on the watch. There's a different type of Velcro that is way different and is silent. You could try to find that and then use it.

Use a very thin piece of metal glued to the back of the watch. I have a small round metal plate glued to the back of my note 5 and the wireless charger still works. I use the plate so i can stick it to a magnetic holder on the dash in my car. Look up WizGear on Amazon and you should see what I'm talking about.