Hi everybody,
Since a moment I wanted to have an easy way to mount my smartphone (a huge Galaxy Note 2) on a gamepad for playing comfortably some games (mainly emulators), or even, transform it in a nvidia shield look a like, with the help of the awesome Limelight app.
I didn't want to buy a bluetooth controller with a built-in mount because I'm afraid that their size would be to small for my big hands, and I already have some controllers at home.
I didn't want to buy a unique holder (like GameKlip) that fits only one type of gamepad and one type of smartphone.
So final I did one myself, for quite cheap.
I like it so much that I wanted to share how I did it with you guys, so if one day somebody here wants to do something similar, it can serve as a base, or give him some ideas.
What you need :
a small universal smartphone holder (I've used this one)
at least one plastic buckle (I've gathered some from a broken backpack, or you can buy some)
some rubber band
a small right-angle plastic thing (see photos bellow)
a drill
a cutter knife
hot glue and it's pistol (or something with the same usage)
recommended : sand-paper
1) The supportRemove the remaining straps from the buckle if there are any.
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For the "right-angle plastic thing", I took a remaining accessory of one of my Swedish furniture :
Cut it with the cutter knife in order to the part to fit on the angle on the top of your controller (near where the wire is if it's a wired one).
Don't forget to cut a U shape for the controller's wire.
Drill four holes, two on the top of the piece, and two on the bottom, at each side of the hole for the wire.
Pass the rubber band through the holes and make a knot to have two loops, one a each side of the support.
Finally, glue the female part of the buckle on the back of the support, the opening pointing upward.
I've sanded a bit the plastic piece and the buckle where I planned to glue them, to be sure that the glue will work well.
2) The holderThis part is easy, simply glue the male part of the buckle on the holder, the "spiky" part pointing downward.
Again, I sanded the two pieces a bit.
When mounting the stuff on my XBox360 controller, it gives me this :
3) Perma-mount and size adaptationBecause my phone is a bit heavy, or the rubber band to elastic, the holder doesn't stay totally fixed when the phone is in place. I will probably need to double the rubber bands or something like this.
But anyway, since I didn't managed to get the XBox360 controller to work at 100% with the phone, I decided to use one of my Ouya controllers. It's bluetooth, and works already quite well. It has also a nice flat surface between the triggers on the back.
Instead of using the rubber-band based mount, I decided to directly glue a male plastic buckle on the back (I had four same buckles).
It gave me a perfectly stable removable holder !
The phone mount I've used was intended to hold phones in portrait orientation, and I couldn't fix my phone in landscape.
I've found a small rubber bouncing ball and worked it a bit with the cutter knife to fill the gab between the holder and the phone (Anything similar, like a school eraser, should do the job). Since it's rubber, it fits and grips the phone very nicely.
The best of all, I don't need to remove the protecting case to use it !
I hope that you enjoyed reading all this, and that my little tests gave you some ideas if you also want to make a cheap phone holder.
Leave a comment if you have any questions or remarks !
Best regards,
ReMix
nice idea.. :good:
Related
Hey guys and gals,
Thought I would share my Otterbox belt clip hack with you. I wanted the otterbox case, but not the belt clip. And since the Verizon Galaxy Nexus doesn't have the 3-pin car mount yet I figured a way to make that stupid beltclip into something usefull.
Items needed:
1.) Galaxy Nexus
2.) Otterbox Galaxy Nexus case with Belt Clip
3.) Razorblade
4.) Propane torch or lighter
5.) File
6.) Old Spherical joint off cheep old car mount (I used one from an old Ipod mount)
7.) JB Weld or similar 2part epoxy
8.) 1/8" Headphone jack cable
9.) USB-to-microUSB cable with Right Angle End
10.) Time
Break or cut 1/2 of the clip off the back of the belt clip. Sand and use hot razor to smooth as necessary. Take an old spherical joint and JB weld to remaining half of belt clip (sand where bond will take place to promote adhesion). Use hot knife to open up bottom of belt clip to allow headphone jack and microUSB to be fully accessed for charging and audio out. File and sand as necessary. Mount to car, Run Cables, Enjoy. It is nice because the belt clip already had a detented rotation so you can rotate the phone to portrait or landscape easily.
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That is amazing.
in a quick suggestion though, run to wallgreens and buy a nail file. It should have like 4 areas of different grit on it. (remove, cant remember,smooth,shine) (could be numbered as well) i know its weird walking in the makeup and nail area but with that nail file you could really make that bottom cutout look non existent. that is literally the only problem i see with that setup. How is the removal? Quick snap or a double hander?
Snap in and out is great. I know what you mean about the file marks, but my car is worth less than the retail price of my phone so I kinda let it go. I might use the nail file idea, and then flat black paint the JB Weld so it looks cleaner. I am just happy it works so well.
Here is a video of the rotation: http://youtu.be/F4hitx81UVg
Is that a honda? Kinda looking like the interior of mine. and this is pretty sick, i have an otterbox case, and it came with the holster. Im definitely in the need of a cardock but im not spending $50 on the piece of plastic they are selling. This is genius. im really thinking about it. Maybe tomorrow ill examine the potential of this. Well see.
Yup, 1994 honda accord with 235k. Love the car, and still runs like a champ.
eclsnowman said:
Yup, 1994 honda accord with 235k. Love the car, and still runs like a champ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a 1996 civic with 195k. Havent quite passed up 200 yet, getting their. And i knew it was a honda becuase that looks like mine but switched around a little bit. buttons look the same though. At least mine has a computer for quick emissions testing. yours must be a fun one to take in.
Try Velcro Brand Removable Picture Hanger with the unidirectional hooks (search Amazon for exactly that term). Should also be available at Walmart or Lowes.
Loop on the back of the phone, hook upside down somewhere on your car dash or radio. I'll take pictures of my setup later. Works like a charm. Slide the phone upwards to disengage.
nevermind...
I thought of this same idea. I found this thread and I am glad to see that you also had to file the bottom and it still worked. I would like to use my audio jack as well
edit: I considered getting a bluetooth wireless receiver but why should I? Every single one on amazon around $20 says it disconnects after pausing or something like that. I'm just gonna use my dremel on that pesky extra plastic blocking the aux port.
I just finished and it turned out quite nicely. pics soon
Taken with my trusty old DROID INCREDIBLE! (Running ICS )
I shook it up a little bit, it is still really really sturdy and you have to lift up that tab if you want the phone to pop out.
I was uncomfortable fully destroying the belt clipon so I just super glued part of my mount to the back so I can easily use the belt buckle again if I want. I don't think the plastic I took off really changes the performance much. I probably will never use the belt buckle... lol -.-
I will have pics of it mounted tomorrow.
So, you have a shiny new Galaxy S3 and you know that you're prone to dropping it into caves, diving into oceans with it in your pocket, or running it over with your tank, so like any smart individual you opted to buy yourself a super protective case like Otterbox Defender or similar. Problem is now you've just taken out the possibility of placing it in a charging cradle, or some sort of desktop holding device, right? Not Anymore!
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With a few simple and cheap items, you can make yourself one that doesn't look like a 7 year old kid put it together during arts and crafts!
Here's a list of what you'll need, starting from most expensive to possibly free if your boss isn't looking
Logitech MX Revolution Mouse - you only need the charging cradle, but it'll be tough finding just the cradle without this fantastic Wiltron recommended mouse - eBay average pricing at time of posting was about $15-30 dollars for the mouse and cradle. We're going to be removing the guts of the cradle so the mouse wont be able to be charged any more after this.
USB Cable - The same one that came with your phone or an aftermarket one. Should have a good plastic head on it for stability, but the stock cable is fine too (that's what I'm using).
Tools - Drill, Screwdriver (+), Knife, Hot Glue or epoxy if you're fancy
(Optional) Expanding non-flammable foaming insulation - this is only for stability and additional weight, and is purely optional. I used it in one of the two cradles I made.
Once we've pilfered the office supply cabinet, it's time to get to work. Start by turning it over and peeling off the warning label and rubber feet. Save the little feet thingies as you'll need them later. There should be one or more screws to remove. My home cradle had 4 in a box shape, but the one I have at work only had one screw in the center. Once removed, hollow out the guts and kick them in a stylish fashion as you'll no longer need them. Seen in red below, push out that separator plate as that's what you'll be working with for drilling and gluing. Ignore the green part for now, that comes later.
You'll want to either stick the metal portion of the USB cable through a small drilled hole (or cut hole with the knife, depending on how badass you are), or if your case is substantially large, put a portion of the plastic housing around the USB head through a larger drilled (or cut) hole.
Once you've tested the seating of your phone with the position of the cable so that it will charge when seated, glue it in place in the red plate, and re-seat it into the cradle. Glue that plate in if it's loose. When the glue is dried, if you've opted to use the expanding foam, get foaming. Cut/file away excess foam, and then re-seal the bottom plate after 24 hours (so the foam is set and has stopped expanding).
Now, remember that green line in the image above? You can leave that as is, or file it down. I left it as is and it causes no ill effects. A little balancing game is required if I want to "dock" it in portrait mode, but landscape mode is fine (abet unable to charge in this fashion).
It does work though
Higher resolution photos:
http://i.imgur.com/zhrPgOo.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/vpAxPxt.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ooaI9w3.jpg
This is a review of iOttie Easy Smart Tap Car and Desk mount for Nexus 7: http://www.iottie.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=1020&ProductType=321
I know what everyone going to say, "title on website says iPad mini". I guess anything with "i" is a popular search keyword, but this particular Car/Desk mount is universal and intended to fit any tablet 5" to 5.5" wide. I was very impressed with iOttie car mount for Note 2, and decided to test their new mount for smaller tablets. The design itself consists of 3 main parts: base mount with a super strong gel base suction cup, extendable arm connecting base to the main mounting frame, and the frame which has two one-touch trigger buttons for a truly one hand operation. The gel base suction cup has one of the strongest sticky pads I have ever seen. It will stick to most of the surfaces, either in horizontal, vertical, or upside down positions, and will hold to it with it's dear life. Doesn't matter if its a smooth or textured surface - it will hold on to it. As you can see from my pictures, it wasn't as tricky mounting it on the flat top surface, but it was very impressive how it sits upside on the kitchen island, and especially impressive how I was able to mount it sideways on to a textured surface above glove box in my car. I was able to do that before with iOttie mount for Note 2, but in this case we are talking about heavier mount and heavier tablet all together. Even after multiple uses, all you have to do is to rinse and air dry the sticky pad under the water to restore it's original adhesion.
But it's not just a suction cup that holds everything together. Extendable arm/elbow is a bridge between suction cup and a mounting frame. You actually have a flexibility to have this arm connected in two ways so you have less footprint while on the desk, and longer extension while in the car. In addition to adjusting the angle, you also have a separate side knob to extend it's reach going to a mounting tab which connects to the main frame. The mounting tab connects to the frame with a sturdy 3 latches and comes with an additional stopper for extra security. The joint connection between the arm and the frame has yet another adjusting knob for a further angle fine-tuning. Placing a tablet into the frame (has to be open prior to that) is very easy since pushing on trigger buttons will automatically lock the top part of the frame thus placing your tablet into a very secure grip.
The whole mounting system is made out of a solid high quality plastic material with a nice translucent finish. Every knob is finger friendly, and also nuts and bolts are made out of metal rather some flimsy plastic. Easy Tap mechanism is very robust. Basically you only need one hand to place your tablet into the frame, and then later pull the top grip to take the tablet out. This mount is definitely worth considering if you are looking for an easy and secure mounting of your Nexus 7 either at home or in a car, but you have to be aware of one shortfall where you will have to use a tablet either without a case or with a slim type of the case. Unfortunately bottom shelf part of the frame has a narrow opening to fit the tablet with a thicker case.
Here are the pictures:
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Whats it like using in car when the car is being driven over some uneven roads. If you have a textured surface in the car does the mount still stick on good and strong??
Hello. I have put together a simple way of making a car dock that is both magnetic and wireless charging. I made these docks using parts from Amazon, and the design is strong enough to hold and charge my phone through a pretty thick case. I'm posting this thread to show off what I have made, and to gauge people's interest in these car docks.
Since these don't seem to really exist on the market yet, I'm also considering refining the design and possibly collaborating with someone to mass produce and sell these docks. I refined the design so they are simple as possible to make, and can post a tutorial if people are interested.
Here are the products I used. Total cost under $50:
DigiYes® USB POWERQI Qi Wireless Charger
10 Neodymium Magnets 1/2 x 1/8 inch Disc N48
Aduro U-GRIP PLUS Universal Car Mount
So far I have made three mounts while experimenting with the fabrication process. The first one actually used a peanut butter jar lid and 10 magnets to hold my phone without any support (no pictures of this one). It was functional, but ugly as sin. Subsequent mounts I used the original casing from the charging coil, and simplified the process and cost/strength of magnets by adding a base support. Here are the results:
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Not bad for a little bit of drilling and super glue (which I always make a mess of). Because of the way I came across parts, I only used a single "grip" as the base for resting the phone, however using both grips for a wider base might feel better when docking the phone. It's also possible to use even stronger N52 magnets and skip the base altogether, to give your phone the effect of "floating" on the dock.
The drilled holes are 1/2" and have to be close together as possible (without overlapping) in order to fit 4 magnets between the interior screws that hold the charging coil in place (inside the case, not visible). I used a rusty spade bit which was terrible and had a bad habit of tearing off more than it should. To make the mount look as clean as possible, I'd recommend using a more clean cutting bit, maybe something like this which will grind through the plastic without catching or tearing.
Well anyway I hope you guys like it and show some interest. If you have any further questions, please let me know. Thank you for reading!
I made something like this and it worked well. I should however be getting this in next week http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-air-dock
I'm excited for it. It's magnetic and also membrane grip and looks pretty nice.
mr3army said:
Interesting position of magnets and size of them. How many mA you get charging? Also what case you using?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The charger is rated for 1A wireless charging, and that seems to be accurate. Is there a more accurate measurement I can pull from the phone? The case is Caseology Premium Shock Absorbent TPU Bumper Case and it's pretty thick in the back. It picks up the wireless coil okay, but I would need stronger N52 magnets to hold it up without a base (which I thought I ordered, but accidentally got n48 instead).
Hi all...
I've been using this phone for long time but never successfully found a good car mount. I don't want suction cup style, nor air vent clip. I am thinking of getting one of those magnetic ones. I heard comments about strong magnet interferes the screen on/off. But my main concern is the design of our phone. Our ZF2 has curved back. But this magnetic mount required to have best performance on regular phone with flat back.
I would like comment from those who used this kind of magnetic mount.
TIA
I have the aukey one. I bent the metal plate and can fit it behind the stock back cover.
It's the best set up.
No extra bulge. No case.
Jump in car.
Put on magnet. Holds tight.
Doesn't affect GPS or reception.
AUKEY 360 Degree Universal Car Holder Magnetic Air Vent Mount Smartphone Dock Mobile Phone Holder for iPhone 6S 5 Samsung S6 HTC
http://s.aliexpress.com/F3ArU3me
(from AliExpress Android)
I use this and work very good
http://pt.aliexpress.com/item/With-..._9&btsid=2e3ff2bf-60e4-47c5-a102-e512c8d66999
No problem with back curve of our zenfone 2. Strong and effective. But with no case. If i try to put magnet inside the case the strong isnt enough. I hold but fall down when you grab a hola in the street
I use with a case and the magnet in back of case. Very nice
P.S - Doesent affect anything in screen or coverage. Double tap work as it should
I had one of this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MEMTEQ-Univ...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I was very sceptic in the beginning, but it worked nicely, no problem with the curved back. However when I wanted to use it with a cover as well, it didn't hold any more. At that point I replaced the piece of metal provided in the packet with a larger metal piece which I stick in between the case and the back, and that way I got it holding with, but not perfectly.
Conclusion, only buy magnet holder if you are using your ZF without any flipcover or anything else.
Thx! Is yours ball joint standard 17mm one? The thing is... before I could wait someone to feedback here, I decided to purchase the Arkon ones (non magnetic mount) that has a standard 17mm ball join on a AMPS plate (as shown below) that stick with on my existing mount.
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JDM STi
Emil Borconi said:
I had one of this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/MEMTEQ-Univ...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I was very sceptic in the beginning, but it worked nicely, no problem with the curved back. However when I wanted to use it with a cover as well, it didn't hold any more. At that point I replaced the piece of metal provided in the packet with a larger metal piece which I stick in between the case and the back, and that way I got it holding with, but not perfectly.
Conclusion, only buy magnet holder if you are using your ZF without any flipcover or anything else.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
JDM STi said:
Thx! Is yours ball joint standard 17mm one? The thing is... before I could wait someone to feedback here, I decided to purchase the Arkon ones (non magnetic mount) that has a standard 17mm ball join on a AMPS plate (as shown below) that stick with on my existing mount.
JDM STi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Never measured it to be honest, but looks like.