Another DIY Qi Charger / Car Mount - General Accessories

So, I picked up a Droid Turbo recently and decided I couldn't live without a wireless charger / mount.
I am a junkie for DIY stuff like this, and have many parts and pieces lying around. I am by no means saying this is a cheap alternative for purchasing some of the awesome chargers available on Amazon or eBay, but instead want to provide this as inspiration for those with disposable pieces as well.
Items Required:
-Cell Phone Mount - (I used http://smile.amazon.com/Arkon-iPhone-Smartphone-Handlebar-Samsung/dp/B00FQJCVSE/ref=dp_ob_title_wld)
-Small Qi Wireless Charger - (I used http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IQTGY2A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage)
-Rare Earth Magnets - (for the top part that holds the phone secure) - (something like: http://smile.amazon.com/Applied-Mag..._sbs_60_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1AE5XMNQDAVBPKR3AVXX)
-Flat magnet to put in back cover or case of phone - (I used piece from: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IOQ3K6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage)
-Cutting Device - (I used big-ass garden shears)
-Epoxy, or the like
-Duct Tape - (I used Gorilla Tape)
-Paint - (I used under-body noise dampening rubberized paint)
And of course, a cell phone with wireless charging capabilities.
Notes about pics:
I wish I had taken pics along the way, but I really didn't think it was going to turn out as well as it did. I also didn't realize it was going to turn out looking like a little android - man - thing.....
I measured up EXACTLY where the wireless charging pad was compared to the receiver before gluing it in place. This is a very important step.
I decided to put the flat magnet piece behind the "M" on the back of the Turbo, and placed the rare earth magnet at the android man "head" of the mount. The magnet needs to be pretty damn powerful to keep phone in place.
There just happens to be a gap at the "neck" where you can see the light from the wireless charger coming through as well. Another unplanned bonus...
Ask questions if you like. Good luck on your project!

Related

Camera phone lens attachment

has anyone tried the camera phone lens attachment?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Wide-Conversion...NameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ShippingPayment
like that for example?
can someone posts pics for example, i plan on getting one for my HTC 8125. i would like to know the results.
if no one has one, i'll take the hit for it then.
thanks.
Not yet! 4 flavors too: tele, macro, wide, supwide
So I guess you've already measured and it looks like they fit ours per the required area for that lens mount ring attachment? That would be all of those lenses for <$55, and maybe they have some package deal as well...I assume the aluminum EPD'd plastic case will hold some epoxy to mount that ring. I hope the ring isn't too large to interfere with standard cases and mounts....
I didn't select the MDA for the camera presense, let alone ratings (which was not that high), but I love having all the abilities you can!
I haven't even received much of the PDA yet, except for the Holux GPSlim236 & an unexpected Arkon CM929-S universal non-powered mount they threw in I did not order (I'll have to check with them and pay them if it wasn't intentional - at least I did want to get one anyhow....) The place on amazon I got that from (buygpsnow.com), only ordered on maybe 26 Jun, arrived today (29 Jun) - beating the phone from T-Mobile itself with special super squirrel ship tomorrow or die options and everything. (I only mention the GPS in such depth due to the earlier post of yours regarding it...and it is a tiny thing as reported...a little smaller than a standard pager of a decade ago...and comes with a multicharger based on a USB--->miniUSB plug and a US 115V/60Hz wall and 12V cig adapter. The battery, BTW, is an "HX-N3650A" type I'm pretty sure I've seen before, and only rated at 850mA - I see it screams for an upgrade too. It has a miniUSB port, a tiny coax type thing I assume is for an optional antennae, maybe <2mm wide and not much deeper, an on switch and 3 indicators for power, signal and BT - and the stickiest most effective rubber "feet" strips I"ve ever seen (I think I wrenched my arm trying to move it on the counter! )

3D Printed a sync/charging cradle. Check it out.

I finally have access to a 3D printer where I work and was asked to throw test uses out for it and try to pull it to it's limits. We typically use it to print out models of the 3D art our designers make. It's awesome for that.
I used it to print this dock that someone designed and posted over at thingiverse. I think it came out great in black ABS plastic. Haven't slotted a USB cable in to it yet but will when I get home (no cables that fit it here in the office. It has a hole and slot to route the cable out the back. It holds the phone in portrait mode. I use the Ringke Slim case (which I don't recomend since it scratches the phone but hell, i already own it) and it seems to sit nicely in the dock. :good:
Gallery of cradle from various angles: http://imgur.com/a/3XaMq
What do you think. How would you change it?
Nice! I would add short side walls to keep the phone from falling over and out of the dock and would make a second one wider with a lower back for landscape mode. I would also think about building in a space for a QI charger coil and board inside the back plate to have it double as a wireless charger.
Improvements?
Perhaps have the back hollow and wide enough to slip the 'official' Wireless charging pad in, and also ones like the pURL=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nokia-DT-900-Wireless-Charging-Plate/dp/B009WKGNB4]DT-900[/URL], and between the charger and phone be slim enough to actually charge the phone (most have a 5mm range)
Could you make me one? Only thing i would suggest is added small walls to the sides so it doesn't slide right off. Maybe make a variant with a space for a wireless charging puck?
Once the charger is in place it won't slide side to side.
That being said, i can find a charger that fits. The creator used one made by Nokia... Seems it would be more helpful to the community if he used a cheaper, easily attainable Monoprice or Amazon Basics cable.
http://www.amazon.com/LG-Electronics-WCP-300-Wireless-Charging/dp/B00C6VP03I
This should fit
I would lose the flat bottom allowing it to sit on irregular surfaces and also saving more materials. Looks great already though.

S4 Active car/ bike/ Motorcycle holder (dedicated)

Hi all,
just e tip: a dedicated carholder for this phone is ahrd to find and a little expensive if i'm honest.
if you search for a dedicated carholder form LG G2 on Ebay or such, this will do just aswell. mind you, with a little creative puzzling.
the size between these phones is comparable....not EXACTLY the same.
i've taken a light and heated the corners and the 'clipping and unclipping thingy' without the phone in it one by one.
After heating, fitted the phone in and pressen on the each corner-part and pushed the holder around it.
It fits pretty good and will not snap out easliy.
be careful after applying a heat source......ths plastic can be VERY HOT. insert phone and press it onto a surface.
no promises on the result ofocurse.....just thought i'd share it........
I just wanted to add that I went a different direction with this, and it works great.
I bought a http://www.amazon.com/SUPCASE-Samsung-Galaxy-Active-Unicorn/dp/B00DY2SEFE
Then I bought the quadlock mounts
The adapter for the phone
http://www.quadlockcase.com/products/universal-adapter
then bought the bike mount
http://www.quadlockcase.com/products/quad-lock-bar-mount-pro
and car mount
http://www.quadlockcase.com/products/quad-lock-car-mount
I attached the universal adapter to the back of my phone (easy easy compared to the otterbox stuff out there, since unicorn beatle case is uniformly flat already, it is why i chose it)
Now i attach it to my bike/car when I need to, and it doesnt make it too much bulkier. I actually have 2 cases, one with and one without the adapter, and I switch them out if I am going to go biking, or on a long trip where I might use the GPS.
there are really stable BikeMounts from Upmove:
http://www.upmove.eu/samsung-galaxy-s4-active-fahrradhalterungen/705j43k34u55.html

[MOD] Turn Google's crappy Wireless Charging Orb into a clean magnetic car charger

Hey everyone,
This is my first modification guide thingy so I hope it is ok and useful to some of you. I purchased an N5 off of Swappa recently that came with the N4 Wireless Charging Orb and the newer glass-topped N5 wireless charger. I assume the original owner was sick of how the orb performed (Google failed with the design of it) and bought the other charger. I was about to throw it away but started doing some research. Some other people have modified the orb, but the results are extremely ugly. I'll show you what I've done and how I'm incorporating this into my 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I want the result to look like it was factory installed and without any external suction cup wireless charger with ugly ass arms that clamp around the phone. I want it to be completely invisible until I plop my phone on it.
After I took everything apart I was going to try and reuse the casing somehow, so that's why this image is covered with a different covering than the Nexus imprinted rubber on the top. I decided against reusing the casing because it looked ugly and I found a better way.
Step 1 - Remove the Nexus rubber to expose the screws
Peel back the Nexus rubber covering to reveal the screws. I ended up ripping the rubber so be careful if you plan to reuse it. Honestly, you probably won't be able to get it to sit right even if you do plan to reuse it. The screws will be at 12, 3, 6, and 9 oclock.
Step 2 - Remove the screws to take off the top and and get access to the PCB/Wireless Charging Coil
Some people say you can just unscrew the screws, but mine were glued in with locktite or something. I had to drill them out. I used an 1/8" bit. Be careful not to hit the board. I hit the board a little bit ( since you can't really see it with the top on still) but everything seems to work. From there just take off the top and remove the board. You'll have to remove the 2 other screws holding the L shaped metal thing to completely remove the unit.
Step 3 - Buy Neodymium magnets and add them to the coil
I purchased these magnets (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ANVAHI/). They were $7.79 for 100. Since this is going in a vehicle and there's going to be bumpiness, I ended up using 44 magnets around the outside of the coil (stacked 2 high, all the way around). They hold on to each other and the coil magnetically, but I'll probably throw some double sided sticky tape around the edges to make sure they don't go anywhere.
Step 4 - Find the area in your vehicle where you're going to mount it and make a vinyl template
In my Cherokee, there's an ashtray which I never use (I don't smoke). Some people take out the ashtray and put a switch panel there for external lighting and what not. I thought, that's the perfect spot for a wireless charger. I grabbed some green car vinyl my friend had laying around, and cut it to match the ash tray. In the image above I layed it over the top, but I will be removing the ash tray completely so it sits flush. I plastidipped the vinyl black to match the interior of my truck (as close as possible) and to add a little more grip.
Step 5 - Mount and wire the wireless charger/vinyl covering
This will be done this coming Tuesday, but the image above is a test. It charges perfectly and is a very strong hold. I do not see this going anywhere when I'm driving. I'll reply to this thread with pictures of the final product next week.
Nicely done! Love the added magnets
Not sure I'd destroy my $50 charger to do this...but now I'm thinking of picking one of those cheap $15 Qi China chargers to disect
sean222 said:
Nicely done! Love the added magnets
Not sure I'd destroy my $50 charger to do this...but now I'm thinking of picking one of those cheap $15 Qi China chargers to disect
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You have the Nexus orb? And yours actually works? My phone would slide right off of that thing and I'd wake up with a dead phone. You really wouldn't damage the thing if you were careful. You might be able to unscrew the screws without using a drill.
Poi25 said:
You have the Nexus orb? And yours actually works? My phone would slide right off of that thing and I'd wake up with a dead phone. You really wouldn't damage the thing if you were careful. You might be able to unscrew the screws without using a drill.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine works great because I don't use a case, so the back of the rubbery orb sticks nicely to the back of my rubbery Nexus 5! with my old nexus 4, it didn't stick naked, but did stick after I put a wet application protector. I can imagine most cases not sticking and it sliding off though
Here's my final setup and finished product! Head to 3:00 mark for the wireless charger.
geat! probably i`ll do the same on my car
charly_mad said:
geat! probably i`ll do the same on my car
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The wireless charger works great, such a strong hold and completely invisible.

Car dock

Has anyone seen a car dock for the G4? Or know of a good one that they recommend?
I had a universal one from my old phone.... couple comments on those types. Look into one that clamps from the sides(so maybe ones for iphone?) The one I have is bottom and top and it barely fits thanks to the size of this phone. Also, I doubt there will be one where you can still use the back button(thank you knock to unlock!) Finally, this phone is bigger and thus heavier. The mount I have is one that plugs into the "cigarette lighter" which works for my car. However, I would imagine you might have problems with a suction cup mount especially if it is a cheaper one.
I always used to buy the factory car mounts, but I switch phones so often, that it was getting a bit pricey. When I bought my G3 I bought the iBolt MiniPro. Finally, a mount I can use phone to phone. Here's the link to it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/iBOLT-IBUC-33418-miniPro-Connect-Kit/dp/B00IJZYRCK
Ok thanks I'll check it out.
I got this one from my local Target and I love it... http://www.scosche.com/mounts/magicmount-landing. The best thing is the little metal price that you need to stick on your phone works just as well slipped inside of the back cover making it a non-permanent solution.
I highly recommend the iOttie One Touch mounts. You just push the phone into the holder, and there's a button in the middle that releases the spring loaded side clamps that locks the phone in place. To pick the phone back up, you squeeze a couple of tabs on the side right where you'd grab the phone naturally. I've got the old style in my car, and the new one with the telescoping mount in my wife's. Both are great.
They also have the very sticky type of suction cup that you renew by just running water over it. Ours both stick to the consoles that even have some texture on the plastic.
I've got the smaller size mount that I've had since getting an S4, but hers in the bigger size. The G4 fits OK in either.
Places like Meritline have them on sale frequently. I paid about $12 for the first one, and $15 for the newer one.
I got this iBolt when I had my Note 3, works great with the G3 and G4.
http://www.amazon.com/iBOLT-xProDock-car-speakers-extended-Batteries/dp/B00AOCSFYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434102989&sr=8-1&keywords=ibolt+car+dock
I have one of those magnetic vent mounts and it turns out that the piece of metal fits perfectly behind the plastic back cover. Those magnets are strong enough to work through cases, though I have not received a case for the g4 to test it out.
They are usually on sale on amazon for $6
Update so got a cheap case from amazon and the magnet didn't work behind the battery cover, will try the plate between phone and cover like I had before with my S4. Only problem is the case back is rounded.
More sturdy - Waze user
I was thinking about getting the Qi sticker for the LG G4, after they get more in the US, then picking up the TYLT VU car charger http://www.tylt.com/vu-car/, but that would put it to far away in my vehicle.
So get either the ProClip https://www.proclipusa.com/ or the Pro.Fit http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/shopvsm.htm custom mount for my vehicle and then use the RAM Mounts http://www.rammount.com/components to convert and link them together in a good position for Navigation and Waze use in Horizontal or Vertical position.
This would allow me to use the Qi Charging (not capable on my current phone as it is a few years old) with any new phone I purchase, as why I am in this section is that I am leaning towards the LG G4 for my next phone.
Speaking of proclipusa they make custom smartphone holders and since their G4 holder is not out yet, they have a page to sign up and get notified when it comes out.
http://www.proclipusa.com/targetsections/lg-g4-car-phone-mounts.aspx
I'd highly recommend the Spiderpodium and just bend it into shape. It's super versital and minimal, but works fantastically as a car dock for my G4 and other phones. You can mount it in an air vent or really any sort of receptical, I have a slot for CDs and it Does just fine in there.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00U8...iderpodium&dpPl=1&dpID=413qHPi24pL&ref=plSrch
The official maker is Breffo, but that one is very inexpensive and looks just fine.
These are the two I have in my cars.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P053YQ2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008IOQ3K6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00
Both are strong enough to hold the LG G Flex in the Otter Box Defender Case. I threw the metal plate on top of the battery put the leather cover back on and no issues.
I've just ordered a Brodit universal cradle (I swear by Brodit cradles and custom wired charging cables). I have installed a couple of 5v 3A USB voltage regulators wired in to a MicroUSB cable which pokes out just underneath my Brodit cradle location. Should give me plenty of juice for charging with Nav running.
According to Brodit, the universal holder is suitable for phones between 62-77 mm wide with a thickness of 6-10 mm. The G4 is 76.1mm wide with a 6.3mm to 9.8mm curved depth. Hopefully will fit fine! Will find out tomorrow!
phillymade said:
I got this iBolt when I had my Note 3, works great with the G3 and G4.
http://www.amazon.com/iBOLT-xProDock-car-speakers-extended-Batteries/dp/B00AOCSFYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1434102989&sr=8-1&keywords=ibolt+car+dock
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is exactly the one I had for my HTC One M8, worked like a champ. Can't use it with my Verizon G4 because the charging port is backwards.
I'm opting for a wireless charging dock (since I got the wireless charging quick circle case)
RedBullet said:
That is exactly the one I had for my HTC One M8, worked like a champ. Can't use it with my Verizon G4 because the charging port is backwards.
I'm opting for a wireless charging dock (since I got the wireless charging quick circle case)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
?? I use it with my G3 and now my G4. Charges just fine.
Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk
Little tough to explain. But I think the HTC cable that came with the one I got for my M8 is just the reverse of what the G4 has.
RedBullet said:
Little tough to explain. But I think the HTC cable that came with the one I got for my M8 is just the reverse of what the G4 has.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, the M8 has the mini-USB port flipped to what the G4 has. So car mounts made for the M8 won't work with the G4 unless you modify it.
Car mode??
Is there a car mode for this device? I don't think it shipped with any kind of car app or anything...
daedalus1066 said:
I threw the metal plate on top of the battery put the leather cover back on and no issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wonder if this will interfere with the NFC at all? I don't use NFC really so it isn't a big deal, just curious. Is it possible to stick the plate on the cover vice the battery since we have the option of a spare battery? Then I wouldn't have to worry about which Battery was in my phone.
Everyone you need to check out RAM Mounts! -- https://www.rammount.com/products/xgrip
I have two RAM Mount X-Grips. One on my motorcycle and one in my truck. RAM Mounts are modular mounts that you buy in pieces (they do sell kits) to serve the purpose you need and where you want to mount it. Due to its design it will securely hold most phones (my G4 with the spigen case fits) without any issue. It is easy to throw the phone in the mount and you never have to tighten anything down.
Example of configurations:
Motorcycle = handlebar U-bolt base + short arm + Standard X-Grip Mount
Truck = Adhesive flexible base + standard arm + Standard X-Grip Mount

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