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Update 18Jan2011: I was not 100% happy with the way the dock looked, it did not looked well finished and was not very smooth. the plastic is actually very hard to sand, it would take some serious time doing it by hand and with a sander or dremel the plastic heats up to much and melts. The perfect solution is to add plaster, I had some in the garage and you probably do too. This was easy to do, just cake some plaster all around your dock, make sure that you only put a thin layer on the part where the phone will sit, you don't want to change the shape of that. after it dries take some sand paper to it and make it baby butt smooth. After getting it the way you want grab a damp paper towel and clean all the dust off, I also found that this does a good job getting rid of some hard to reach imperfections that sand paper could not. Once the dock is all clean its ready to be painted, don't forget to tape off the micro sd plug.
I am really satisfy with the way the dock looks now, here is a pic of it.
the only down side to this is that if you drop it, you will most likely chip off the plaster so keep it safe. If you guys have any ideas as to something better I could of used let me know because I will be making another dock for the second fascinate in the house.
After adding plaster
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Hello everyone, I will attempt to give a step by step instruction on how to make your own custom dock. It does not matter if you have a case (any) or an extended battery this method will work for you.
This is not the cheapest method, or the easiest or the fastest or the safest and the dock wont look as good as the OEM dock, but at the end you will have a dock that fits your phone perfectly and that is what really counts.
Materials
1- AMACO Friendly Plastic Pellets, the 4.4 oz bottle prob has enough for this project but its $12.5 and you will need to pay for shipping (on amazon). I think the best deal out there is the 28 oz bottle, it has a lot more than your going to need but after you realize what you can do with this stuff you will be glad you got the bigger bottle. here is the link Amazon.com: AMACO Friendly Plastic Pellets, 28-Ounce, Ivory: Kitchen & Dining
2- Plastic wrap. You will need to wrap your phone and case to protect it against hot plastic and water.
3- Pot, stove, water.
4- Small chopping board or something else thats flat, to flatten the soft plastic.
5- Cooking thermometer, to measure the temp of the water.
6- Micro usb cable, if you will not be using the OEM usb cable make sure that your computer recognizes the phone, some usb cables don't work for some reason. I made the mistake of not checking and the cable i bought on ebay does not work with my laptop, not a prob for me because dock will be in bedroom.
7- Cold water in a bowl.
8- Dremel tool with sanding attachment to sand plastic. If you don’t have the dremel or something similar its going to be a challenge to put details on your mold.
9- Spray paint of desired color (optional)
Guide
1- Read the instructions on how to use the plastic pellets. I am not responsible for any damage you do to yourself or your phone. You will be dealing with hot water, you can burn yourself or get your phone wet if you’re not careful.
2- Fill the pot with water and bring to a temp between 140 F and 150 F.
3- Get your phone ready, turn off your phone and take the battery out. You will need to protect your phone form hot plastic and a little bit of water. I suggest you wrap your phone with plastic wrap (look in the kitchen) then put the case on and wrap it again. Don't over wrap because this would add bulk to your phone and it will change its size.
4- Plug in the micro usb cable to your phone.
5- By now the water should be hot enough, check the temp and drop some plastic pellets in, enough for plastic to cover the micro usb cable plug to the phone. The pellets should turn clear when they are ready to be molded. I did not have a thermometer so I just had the water below the boiling point. the water should hot but not enough to burn you if you were to dip your finger for a sec or 2.
6- Take a spoon and scoop out the plastic, start molding the plastic around the usb connection, make sure to press in plastic in between the plug and the case, this would make a sort of key so when you slide your phone in it will only fit one way, this will prevent any damage to the usb during normal use.
7- Let the plastic cool, you will notice that it will start to turn white again. It should take about 10 mins for it to be stable enough for you to unplug it and put it under cold water. It is very important to make the usb part of the dock first, if you try to make the rest of the dock first in my opinion is harder to get the usb part later.
8- Drop some more pellets in the hot water, enough to make the cradle part of the mold like in the picture bellow.
Once the pellets are ready take them out and roll them into a ball, grab the chopping board and press the ball to flatten it. Make sure to put plastic wrap in between to prevent the soft plastic to stick.
9- Plug in the micro usb and make sure the molded plastic fits. place your phone the on top of the flat soft plastic. This step is one of the hardest. You need to mold the plastic around the left side of the phone by the volume rocker. This is important because it will create a sort of track for you to slide you phone in. Also keep in mind that you will want the 3.5mm audio jack and the cameras uncover. Keep molding it around the back of the phone and on to the plastic of the usb plug. Don’t worry if there is a lot of extra plastic you will be able to but the excess with some scissors but try to and smooth as possible this will make it look nicer at the end.
10- Let the plastic cool on your phone, this will guarantee and exact fit, don’t try to get it off your phone or you might end up bending or twisting the plastic. After about 10 mins it should be cool enough to get off your phone without bending. Run in though cold water to finish cooling it off. You should end up with something similar to the picture above but with a lot of excess plastic, start cutting all the extra until you have the basic shape you will want, again remember that you might want the audio jack or camera uncovered.
11- Start sanding all the sharp edges and making the mold look the way you want it, I rounded all the corners and made it a curvy look. It’s up to you. Also make it look smooth, focus on the front of the mold and not the back as that will probably be covered. A good technique is to dip in the mold in hot water for a few seconds. the mold should be tacky but not soft. Start rubbing your hand trying to buff out all the imperfections. Make sure the mold still fits on your phone, is very easy to mess it up.
12- Once your happy with the way your cradle looks is time to find what is going to stand on. There are many things you can use, you can even mold yourself a stand. I wanted it to be heavy that way there was no chance of the phone tipping over or sliding around easily on my nightstand. I could not find anything around the house that was the right weigh or size. I ended up finding a rock on my back yard that had the right characteristics, it had 2 flat sides to I knew I could work with it.
13- I used the rock as the stand. I molded plastic all around the rock making the flat sides flatter and made sure it would not wobble. Again make it look nice, and smooth.
14- Once your happy with the way the cradle and the stand look is time to put them together. Melt some plastic, enough to cover the parts of the cradle and stand that will be touching, you will use it as glue. Dip the stand and the cradle to make them tacky. Put the melted plastic on the stand where it will be connected to the cradle. Press the pieces together and hold it for a min or two, then run it through cold water. Your almost done!
15- Make the newly added plastic smooth and put some finishing touches to the dock, your prepping it for painting.
16- Paint the dock your desire color. Make sure not to paint the usb connection you might clog it.
You’re DONE!!!!
ENJOY YOUR NEW DOCK!!
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if you have any questions just ask
here is all the pics i took
I didn't read through it yet, but from the looks of it looks very nice. I dont have a use for it. However, i know many will.
Good job.
thanks, I do love it so far very functional.
Very novel idea, and good use of moldable plastic, very nicely written tutorial! Props!
I could see this being a nice way to have an Audio AND charging dock for a car though. Build in an audio cable as well, and buy a universal phone mount that has a removable phone holder (many do, check out semsons.com ) - mold your "dock" to the mount without the phone holder, and voila, instant car dock with audio and charging capabilities. I might give this a go sometime.
However, I would suggest that just getting the Verizon / OEM kickstand case, as a viable/easier alternative for a desk cradle - having the kickstand is like having a dock built into the phone - and IMHO it's also the best case around for our devices (and one of the best kickstand cases for any devices ever). You can get Samsung/OEM charging cords, just like stock with the funky connector, off ebay in 4' and 6' lengths for just a few $'s. I have one plugged into every one of my PC's and cars.
So does it go into the dock app automatically?
Sent from my sch-i500 Showcase using XDA app
Protonus said:
Very novel idea, and good use of moldable plastic, very nicely written tutorial! Props!
I could see this being a nice way to have an Audio AND charging dock for a car though. Build in an audio cable as well, and buy a universal phone mount that has a removable phone holder (many do, check out semsons.com ) - mold your "dock" to the mount without the phone holder, and voila, instant car dock with audio and charging capabilities. I might give this a go sometime.
However, I would suggest that just getting the Verizon / OEM kickstand case, as a viable/easier alternative for a desk cradle - having the kickstand is like having a dock built into the phone - and IMHO it's also the best case around for our devices (and one of the best kickstand cases for any devices ever). You can get Samsung/OEM charging cords, just like stock with the funky connector, off ebay in 4' and 6' lengths for just a few $'s. I have one plugged into every one of my PC's and cars.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought about that before, I decided to build the dock because I wanted to stop messing with wires. the dock just sits there ready to go, all I have to do is slide my phone. best example, the other night I realized I forgot to dock my phone, it was one of those times where you were about to fall sleep and you realize you forgot something, normally you will have to fing the cord and try to plug it in to your phone, in the dark is not the easiest thing to do specially if all you want to do is go back to sleep, with out even looking I reached over grabbed my phone and docked it, that simple. I really like not having to grab the usb cord and plug it to my phone. to me that is worth the effort.
I do agree with you that the case with the kickstand is one of the best, too bad I already spend 20 on my seidio case.
elijahblake said:
So does it go into the dock app automatically?
Sent from my sch-i500 Showcase using XDA app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry i didnt get back to you sooner, kinda busy these last couple of days.
to answer your question, no it does not go to the clock app or dock app, if anyone knows what I could to to make it do that please let me know. thanks
jonagpa said:
sorry i didnt get back to you sooner, kinda busy these last couple of days.
to answer your question, no it does not go to the clock app or dock app, if anyone knows what I could to to make it do that please let me know. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
there's several people trying to figure this out... I remember one was even going to buy a dock and tear it apart, never heard anything else about that...
Someone tried magnets, but said that didn't work..
So it looks like it's probably something built into the actual dock..
Guess you may could get someone to write an app that makes the desk app auto open when your phone is plugged in and tilted in an angle???? (prob only work if rooted though) I'm talking about stuff way over my head, so..
The official dock probably has one of the pins on the usb connector shorted out or connected to the 5v power to tell the phone that it's docked...
Sent from my Samsung Fascinate
Pfredd said:
The official dock probably has one of the pins on the usb connector shorted out or connected to the 5v power to tell the phone that it's docked...
Sent from my Samsung Fascinate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
that's exactly what I thought but with one having the OEM dock its hard to tell, if someone that owns a dock and has a multimeter could they check continuity between pins and give us the info we might be able to figure it out.
This is awesome, and congrats! You've been picked up by xda and your idea/thread announced on their twitter feed!
I don't have a sammy phone but have tossed around similar ideas for a while know. I made a car dock for my G1 out of kydex some time back. I was able to form it around my phone for a secure fit and ease of removing it by pressing a tab, but had to plug the usb in after it was mounted. Ofcourse the other problem I had was not being able to slide up the physical keyboard.
I toyed with the idea of using a piece of thin but strong spring steel to have sticking out from the tab are to fit between the keyboard and display. This never went any farther than an idea.
However, you have reknewed my interest! I could make a mold similar to yours, although flipped 180 degrees. Have the front of the mold make a J shape under my send, home, trackball, back, and end key, and have the part under the send key wrap to the left and up. Like a J. The base could be formed to follow the shape of the sdcard cover and then folow forward to just before the volume key cutout. Do basicly yhe same to the top area, shaping out the camera button.
This should form a contoures socket for the phone to slip into. The shape and fit should prevent it from vibrating loose in travel, and would permit me to flip up the screen for physical keys access! This could also work on the droid 1 and 2, lg ally, and about any other phone with a keyboard.
Awesome post, thread and idea. I tip my hat to you sir!!!
jsp254 said:
This is awesome, and congrats! You've been picked up by xda and your idea/thread announced on their twitter feed!
This should form a contoures socket for the phone to slip into. The shape and fit should prevent it from vibrating loose in travel, and would permit me to flip up the screen for physical keys access! This could also work on the droid 1 and 2, lg ally, and about any other phone with a keyboard.
Awesome post, thread and idea. I tip my hat to you sir!!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I cant believe it was picked up by xda, now with all the views surely we can get someone that has the OEM dock for the fascinate to figure out how it knows when is docked so we can auto launch the dock app.
@ jsp254 looking forward to see your car dock, that's actually my next project so if you have any tips let me know.
I will also like for anyone that attempts this to post their tips and if they added any new ideas.
You rule!!!
Great idea!!!
roberto188 said:
One word....GHETTO!
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Click to collapse
I don't mind constructive criticism, but don't make those kind of comments here, it doesn't add any value to the thread. I also stated on the guide that you won't end up with a dock of OEM quality.
roberto188 said:
One word....GHETTO!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it's pretty cool, a lot of work and I don't think I'm going to try it but's it's a very good DIY. How about showing us something better...
The problem I see with the car dock, even in Chicago it gets pretty hot in the summer, and inside a car it could get to 110-120 degrees, would that melt the plastic, or at least deform it enough to have to redo it? If not, then I will definitely try it, as I got an extended battery for my EVO and don't have a car holder anymore.
Great tutorial though, I might have to try it anyways.
thenuge said:
The problem I see with the car dock, even in Chicago it gets pretty hot in the summer, and inside a car it could get to 110-120 degrees, would that melt the plastic, or at least deform it enough to have to redo it? If not, then I will definitely try it, as I got an extended battery for my EVO and don't have a car holder anymore.
Great tutorial though, I might have to try it anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's a good point, have not tried it in hot weather (its cold here in mass) however it should not deform until it reaches a temp of at least 140f°.
thenuge said:
The problem I see with the car dock, even in Chicago it gets pretty hot in the summer, and inside a car it could get to 110-120 degrees, would that melt the plastic, or at least deform it enough to have to redo it? If not, then I will definitely try it, as I got an extended battery for my EVO and don't have a car holder anymore.
Great tutorial though, I might have to try it anyways.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow and I thought it got HOT in Mississippi...
elijahblake said:
wow and I thought it got HOT in Mississippi...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it doesn't get that hot outside in chicago, but greenhouse affect is a killer.
I know it is workable at 140f, but will it deform at 110 under slight pressure, like holding the phone? It doesn't have to melt to be a problem, just sag a little bit or change so the phone doesn't fit.
thenuge said:
it doesn't get that hot outside in chicago, but greenhouse affect is a killer.
I know it is workable at 140f, but will it deform at 110 under slight pressure, like holding the phone? It doesn't have to melt to be a problem, just sag a little bit or change so the phone doesn't fit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think I am gonna set my oven to 110° and leave a piece of the plastic there for 10 or 15 min, I'll let you guys know what happens
Update: It seems like I can't set my oven to a temp lower that 170* so I cant actually test this my self, maybe someone else can.
Related
Hi,
I was a bit bored this evening and I thought I could build myself a usb-cradle for my diamond. I just slammed it together because I just wanted to see if it could work.
What you need:
- the orginal plastic box your diamond came with
- good aiming skills, (i was too lazy to measure anything)
- about 60 - 90 minutes, depending how fast you work
- some tools i guess
- NO glue! Everything will fit so there is no gluing needed (i hate gluing)
What i did:
- cut out the shell the diamond was lying in, cut the top bit off and cut out a gap for the usb cable to fit through. This will be called the "tray" where the phone will be sitting in
- cut a gap into the top of the box to slide the "tray" into it
- cut a small hole into the back edge of the box, for the usb cable to fit through, when the box is standing on the table
- please take a look at the pictures so you might get a better idea of it
Hope someone likes it
greetz, Greebear
PS: you can even hide the charger and usb cable under it
EDIT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nG0EKw0r1Y
How about a pic of the finished cradle without the phone.
Surur
here you go
doesnt seem too sturdy
good luck if u have to send the phone back
hehe nice job tho
mugglesquop said:
good luck if u have to send the phone back
hehe nice job tho
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks... hmm... hope i dont have to send it back then
sorry, couldnt help myself.
i got a bit of inspiration when seeing you diy cradle out of the box...
tought i could do that myself... but i just changed the design a bit...
here are the pics:
yeah, nice
i like planting seeds
greebear said:
yeah, nice
i like planting seeds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i actually use my diy cradle every day
but im upto making some improvements...
trimming it down and adding some rubber feet and weight...
Jeeze guys..appreciate initiative, but you can buy a cradle from HK on eBay with a UK AC adaptor for less than a tenner....
,,,nice to see the box recycled I suppose
aaah, i had the box lying around anyway, this way its more or less usefull again
i know the cradles costs nearly nothing, but it was just good fun to build
recycling foam. i am using this to keep my devices upright on my night table.
foam from a TV and knife. that's all. easy to add the usb plug for charging in diamond's "cradle".
Was also thinking of making something from hard foam, one for home and the other for office.
I have a bunch of scrap lexan and acrylic panel material 3-6mm thick at work. I guess I'll have to try my hand at making a cradle. It would be useful since I just throw my phone on my desk right now and I really don't want to get it all scraped up.
There is something nice about making stuff that you could buy...just because you can.
what could be even better is when you have acces to a mill... mill it out of a massive block of acrilic
I found a good usb-cradle too.
"Freedent box" + piece of rubber, it doesn't look nice, but it's very simple for office desk.
For home, I have the HTC Cradle !!!
I was thinking something like this since I'm creative and I don't want to pay that much for a htc cradle.
Get some plastic, design it, mold it. Make a box.
Get the Dongle that has a 3.5mm, 2.5mm, and a usb connector.
Anyone see where I'm going
That way, my cradle will be able to attach to my 5.1 system
I'll post pics if I ever get to it.
Something like this:
In situation:
It looks ridiculous... but, it's very reliable !!!
hsena said:
In situation:
It looks ridiculous... but, it's very reliable !!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i got it
Much respec
Who cares if manufactured cradles cost peanuts and your home made one has a face only a mother could love...the warm after-glow of having created something useful from nothing more than compensates.
I just bought this new car holder two weeks ago and I have to say it's awesome! I've had two car holders before this, one giant universal one that was ugly and broke really quick, and a SGS specific one bought off Ebay that scratched the backplate and was no good.
I saw this at a local store last week and decided to give it a try, it's a universal mount that holds using an adhesive pad, but the pad leaves no residue or stickyness on the phone it just holds the phone, and then when you pull it off it comes off. My phone has never fallen off and one time just for fun I tossed the phone at it lightly and it stuck, thats how sticky this thing is.
The best part is once it starts to lose its stickiness due to dust, skin etc you just rinse it out and start over again.
(I don't have any pictures right now but heres the website)
http://www.clingo.com/
bigc_13 said:
I just bought this new car holder two weeks ago and I have to say it's awesome! I've had two car holders before this, one giant universal one that was ugly and broke really quick, and a SGS specific one bought off Ebay that scratched the backplate and was no good.
I saw this at a local store last week and decided to give it a try, it's a universal mount that holds using an adhesive pad, but the pad leaves no residue or stickyness on the phone it just holds the phone, and then when you pull it off it comes off. My phone has never fallen off and one time just for fun I tossed the phone at it lightly and it stuck, thats how sticky this thing is.
The best part is once it starts to lose its stickiness due to dust, skin etc you just rinse it out and start over again.
(I don't have any pictures right now but heres the website)
http://www.clingo.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is some pretty neat stuff!!!
Looks awesome.
Just bought one of eBay
I would like some more reviews for this it looks very interesting will it also hold with an invisibleshield attached to the back or is it slippy then? I don't want my phone to fall off while driving it could cause a lot of damage to my phone
webcrtor said:
I would like some more reviews for this it looks very interesting will it also hold with an invisibleshield attached to the back or is it slippy then? I don't want my phone to fall off while driving it could cause a lot of damage to my phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
I'd like to know how sticky the sticky bit is as the roads over here are atrocious, I don't really want to have to fish the phone out from under the pedals while doing 100kmh
I like the idea of these but i don't think i'd ever trust it to hold the phone properly
I have seen a video of someone going over speed bumps and the phone stayed attached but i'd rather go for something that i know would be sturdy due to the holder. Just my opinion.
Got mine the other day.
Where I'm living at the moment there is road crew everywhere screwing with the roads. Potholes raised bits in the road. Suffice to say the roads are f'ing terrible.
And this thing will not let go if it at all. After driving around for about half an hour it was actually quite difficult to get my phone off the holder.
Driving around there is very little vibration in the phone, all the joints in the holder are very firm without being a ***** to use.
Overall im very impressed
As an extra test, I just went on a 600km road trip on Monday and it held my phone the entire time, I love this thing
For those who don't believe in Clingo I must say that it takes me two hands to take my SGS off of it. It is STICKY.
When you remove the phone off the holder does it make the back of the phone all weird and sticky?
And will it stick to a phone case? the case has a smooth and a bit of rubbery feel to it
I bought one of these also and found it to be very good.
You just have to watch out for the bump on the bottom of the SGS in positioning the phone during sticking.
I had one of these for a while but have now switched to a holder that my SGS just slots into.
It doesn't leave any residue on the back of the phone. It doesn't work too well with leather cases as it likes a nice smooth surface for maximum attachment and a word of warning, it can lose some of its 'strength' if the sun is baking your car all day. Even in England where we just get ****e weather, last summer mine dropped off a couple of times whilst driving which is why I ditched it.
And one final tip, get a retractable car charger because you can then 'set the slack' in the cable so that it does not pull on the phone. Curly cords can cause the phone to work itself loose as they always try and retract into their original shape. Plus retractable chargers are neater too.
I use the i9000 specific one from Ebay (dealextreme actually). I've hacked it a bit:
- shortened the bit that goes over the phone so it will push less hard
- removed some sharp edges that could scratch the phone
- removed the bendy bit and glued the phone holder and suction parts together at a near-right angle
and most important of all:
- stuck a PU anti slip mat under the suction cup and cut to size (a tad larger than the original suction cup). Now the suction cup also sticks to the dashboard
Those PU mats are like the Clingo backside I suppose. But a lot less expensive. The grip is very good (too good?) as I wanted to remove it from the phone and I was afraid to pull off the back cover. I'm happy I only stick it to the dash
TieNN89 said:
When you remove the phone off the holder does it make the back of the phone all weird and sticky?
And will it stick to a phone case? the case has a smooth and a bit of rubbery feel to it
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont have a case on my phone so I can't comment on that part.
But it does not leave any sort of residue at all. comes of perfectly clean.
Quick update (hope this doesn't count as necro posting) The holder got dusty, started losing its grip, I rinsed it off and the next morning when it was dry it was as sticky as it was when I first started using the holder. Much more time down the road and this is still a great holder.
I'm interessed in it also, but...
The hole of speaker sound, is not covered by clingo??
Because when i'm using satnav/GPS apps i need to listen, but if clingo is above the hole the sound doesn't come out...
Can someone say something about this, please...
Sncrespo said:
I'm interessed in it also, but...
The hole of speaker sound, is not covered by clingo??
Because when i'm using satnav/GPS apps i need to listen, but if clingo is above the hole the sound doesn't come out...
Can someone say something about this, please...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All you would need to do is place it on the holder so that it isn't covering the speaker hole when you stick the phone to the clingo holder. You can stick it anywhere you want on the phone so it's only a matter of placement
Only caveat is that smooth/velvety materials don't stick well. My HTC EVO stock battery case doesn't stick for long, and the Seidio active innocase is too smooth to stick. Works great on a stock iPhone and my HTC Universal. Holds that one hard enough to pull the battery cover off!
My concern is will it rip off my invisible shield when I try to take it off the mount. I can see the adhesive pulling the film right off the back of my phone.
I've got this for my Samsung Galaxy S II, and it will almost *always* remove the battery cover due to its grip when trying to take the phone off. Good and bad
I've been wanting a dock/stand for some time now, and don't like the docks on deal extreme and im finding it hard to find the first party dock from when the phone first came out. So I decided to make my own stand, one that would still allow me to plug in/charge the phone.
It's really simple and is made from a shisha tin (hookah tobacco tin) and 1 paper clip. The tin's lid still lifts off as well, so I can store my second battery, sd cards, cable, etc in the tin. Sits at a nice angle, is great for making calls over speaker phone since the phone is elevated, works great for remote apps like the XBMC app, and makes for an awesome alarm clock.
It most likely works with most phones (depending on where your ac plug is), so it's not necessarily for the G2, but the G2 is my main phone. Works with both my extended and retail battery in place, and how the paperclip is in the tin, it's easily bendable and can be formed to angle other phones. The tin is haevy enough and the phone sits at an angle that makes it so the stand sits strongly, no wobble or anything, even when I use the phone in the stand.
Everything I used was:
Shisha tin (could use any tin)
1 Paperclip
Exacto knife - to make holes in tin
Pliers - to bend paperclip accurately
I can take more pictures for you guys if you'd like.
actually, that is not bad at all i might make something like that as well
ahaha looks cool
A friend today told me to route a small usb hub inside the tin and to integrate the usb cable for the phone. I like this idea, however, I need to get ahold of a small powered usb hub.
Gallaphanx said:
A friend today told me to route a small usb hub inside the tin and to integrate the usb cable for the phone. I like this idea, however, I need to get ahold of a small powered usb hub.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
haha starbuzz, the best. My fav is bluemist!
Are you talking about so you can just plug a usb into the back of it to keep it charged and a micro usb coming out the top?
If that's the case all you need is an usb extension cord and a micro usb cord, and chop it if you feel comfy soldering, or find a short enough one, and solder both sides to the tin.
Kinda vague instructions but hopefully you get the idea.
That's awesome, I just got out of work a bit ago and thought of this as well. My soldering skills are way beyond usb cables so it'd be no problem for me.
Awesome custom job, nice to see some hands on creativity.
Looks cool. Do u have an extended battery on ur phone?
How much? lol, it's a cool looking dock, love the DIYness of it.
Did you grind down the sharp edges of the paper clips at all? Or add rubber tips to prevent any scratching? The USB Hub idea would be good too. Should pitch this dock to an OE manufacturer and start making some money off it!
My backlights are white on my G2. How did you get yours blue?
pretty sure they're white, just a bad picture.
so i love anything homemade, love to build and modify to save money and have thing the way on want when you cant just buy it. so i bought it, well no need they sell pretty decent docks for the g2 on ebay, maybe im just getting old and lazy...
This is my first how-to thread, please rate and thank if you please.
I saw this mentioned in a previous XDA thread and decided to try it.
I found it pretty easy to do but be patient and have a light touch. This can ruin your accessories or phone, proceed at your own risk!
Let me know if this works for you and feel free to add your techniques and tricks! I will update the OP and add them to the guide.
Tools and supplies:
Flat head screwdriver or two with a thin blade (~3/8" is best don't use a microdriver)
Thin plastic card (insurance cards work well)
OEM Wireless charging back
Stock back cover (Optional if you have a snug case)
OPTIONAL: Spudger Set. (I didn't use mine but it won't hurt.)
OPTIONAL: Hair Dryer or heat gun.
__________________________________________________
v1.1 Added head spreader removal
v1.2 Added heat gun suggestion
v1.3 Added video guide link to OP
v1.4 Added link to non-OEM Receivers
v1.5 Added suggestion to simply not use the stock back at all if you have a snug case.
v1.6 Added advice how to remove the "heat spreader".
__________________________________________________
cbutters said:
Thanks for the guide.
I made a video tutorial for those who want to watch the process done.
http://youtu.be/E9j6Yvs1ufc
Props to BuddhaFool for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
__________________________________________________
Be aware there are are premade third party receiving coils which do not involve hacking apart perfectly good innocent hardware that did nothing to you and probably does not deserve to be treated this way. Several us of us have found that the OEM coil runs cooler and seem perform better but your milage may vary.
Here are some alternatives listed by cnlson:
cnlson said:
http://mugen.co/mugenizer-samsung-galaxy-note-4-wireless-charging-receiver-qi-standard.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...te 4 qi receiver&sprefix=note+4+qi+re,aps,246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
__________________________________________________
1. Gently wedge the screwblade in between the covers. Near the top under the headphone jack there is a nice spot.
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2. Move the screw driver slowly around the edges twisting it to pry apart the plastic pieces, working from top to bottom. On the bottom edge be careful not to damage the circuit board, just loosen the plastic surrounding it.
3. Repeat the process around the camera and speaker cut outs.
4. At this point you can pull apart the halves.
5. Unstick the edges of the bottom circuit board first. Just loosen the edges don't pop it out all the way. You can use the plastic card or a spudger. (I used the screwdriver here and was just very careful, use at your own risk.)
Alternatively:
homer285 said:
Great post thanks for sharing, I used a heat gun to loosen the glue and it came apart with no force or heavy pry tools. A hair dryer would work too and possibly a safer alternative to a screw driver or heat gun, but thats only my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
6. Push the contacts in from the back to give you an edge to start from. From this point on focus on minimizing the bending of the coil sheet. Try to keep it as flat as possible.
7. You can gently bend the entire plastic back around each edge this will make the glue start to unstick.
8. Insert the card under the top contact posts and slowly worry it down unsticking the coil. Again try to not sharply bend the sticker, patience is your friend here.
9. I found it useful to keep bending the plastic and sticking the card in deeper and deeper to keep my progress.
10. When I finished the last bit of glue the sticker popped off suddenly taking the circuit board with it. Glad I loosened that first.
10.5. Optional: Pry the metal tray for the circuit board out of the back cover as well. (Slip screwdriver into the crack and slide it popping out the plastic "rivets".) Place under the board in the next step. I did not do this at first, but after some reflection I think this might be a heat spreader to protect the circuitry from the battery. It has not impacted fit.
GKreamer said:
One think I did differently on the hack- I was careful not to bend the metal heat shield. I then removed it by taking a small x-acto knife and cutting off the plastic heads from the rivets. I then bent the back around all four sides of the metal plate and removed it from the old back. After peeling the adhesive from around the edges I put it under the circuit board and then put the Note 4 back into the case I have.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
11. Put the Receiver coil sticker on your phone carefully aligning the contact posts.
12. The stock back closes snugly and securely. I read that some people had to file down the contact posts but that was not the case here.
13. It is now works wonderfully with my Ballistic Urbanite Case*. It is charging in both landscape and portrait.
buddhafool said:
OK I am using my phone without the back (it is snug in my case) and it seems to be much less finicky. The stock battery door seems to be interfering.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
* - I loooove this case. It is so protective and slim. :good: I literally bought seven different cases. The best ones would never fit around that accursed OEM back and the third party recievers would overheat my phone. The ones that fit were either enormous slabs or under protective. Now that it fits I am such a happy a camper! :victory:
Great post thanks for sharing, I used a heat gun to loosen the glue and it came apart with no force or heavy pry tools. A hair dryer would work too and possibly a safer alternative to a screw driver or heat gun, but thats only my opinion.
When I had my Nokia 925 I removed the qi coil from the charging cover and imbedded it in the back cover so that it didn't need the case to charge. Worked great for over 6 months while I had the phone and is still working with my friends son who is using it now.
Thanks for the detailed write up.
homer285 said:
Great post thanks for sharing, I used a heat gun to loosen the glue and it came apart with no force or heavy pry tools. A hair dryer would work too and possibly a safer alternative to a screw driver or heat gun, but thats only my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately, the hair dryer trick did not work in my case. They used a LOT of glue and it cured pretty well - I ended up ripping up parts of the second plastic layer in 3 of the heaviest concentration of glue were. The poor cover looks wrecked..
Fortunately - I was able to extract the charging coils without any issues.
Does anyone have any issues with NFC? I am using a UAG TPU case and with the case on, NFC does not work. I'm wondering if it is the distance or if I damaged the NFC portion of the charger....
EDIT: NVM - I took out apart again and reseated everything - NFC is working again. I tried to cut one of the NFC pins - and accidentally snapped one of the pins off.. Everything still appears to work though, so not sure what it was for...
Thanks BhuddaFool for the pictures. (Already clicked on the Thanks button - hint, hint)
ksoze said:
Does anyone have any issues with NFC? I am using a UAG TPU case and with the case on, NFC does not work. I'm wondering if it is the distance or if I damaged the NFC portion of the charger.... :confused
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't use NFC sorry. Is there a quick test I can do to replicate?
buddhafool said:
I don't use NFC sorry. Is there a quick test I can do to replicate?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A fun way to test NFC would be to find a Credit card that has contact-less payment - Mastercard PayPass for example. Your phone needs to be active and unlocked, once you scan it, you should hear a beep. A fun app to pair with this is, AnyTag NFC Launcher- it will take the ID of the NFC tag and use that as a trigger to perform actions.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.anytag.android&hl=en
Otherwise you would need another phone, or actual NFC tags - I eventually ended up buying a few NFC tags and have them at my desk, in my car etc.
I've edited my post - NFC is indeed working - looks like the pins were not in contact correctly before.
Thanks for the guide.
I made a video tutorial for those who want to watch the process done.
http://youtu.be/E9j6Yvs1ufc
Props to BuddhaFool for this!
I did this mod last weekend. NFC works fine without a case, I have some of the Samsung Techtiles and was able to test and program one.
Question though, I have 2 Q1 chargers; 1-Nokia (at home) and 1-Samsung mini (at work). The Nokia one gives me absolutely no issues at all with charging, but the Samsung one is now really (extremely) particular about placement. It wasn't like that prior to the mod, but now its more likely to flash the amber light than charge. I noticed the non-qi back plate has a very thin copper lining in one part that is covered by a very thin sticker film. Should that be removed? Any one else do this and experience similar issues with the Samsung mini charger?
I am glad it is working for you. FYI: I dug up an NFC chip and tried that app. Nice find and it works great through my Ballistic Urbanite case . I can't wait to setup my Airdock 2 with it. (It just arrived)
ksoze said:
Otherwise you would need another phone, or actual NFC tags - I eventually ended up buying a few NFC tags and have them at my desk, in my car etc.
I've edited my post - NFC is indeed working - looks like the pins were not in contact correctly before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
alfredtv said:
I did this mod last weekend. NFC works fine without a case, I have some of the Samsung Techtiles and was able to test and program one.
Question though, I have 2 Q1 chargers; 1-Nokia (at home) and 1-Samsung mini (at work). The Nokia one gives me absolutely no issues at all with charging, but the Samsung one is now really (extremely) particular about placement. It wasn't like that prior to the mod, but now its more likely to flash the amber light than charge. I noticed the non-qi back plate has a very thin copper lining in one part that is covered by a very thin sticker film. Should that be removed? Any one else do this and experience similar issues with the Samsung mini charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry I have a TYLT Vu (work), a Keedox Qi Wireless 3-Coil (home) and a Airdock (car). It works fine portrait and landscape with all of those. It is possible that is more finicky too.
Interesting, I see that sticker you are referring to, I'll take your word that it has copper under there. Browsing Amazon it looks like even the cheap knock off battery doors have that strip too. Maybe it is a NFC antenna?
cbutters said:
Thanks for the guide.
I made a video tutorial for those who want to watch the process done.
http://youtu.be/E9j6Yvs1ufc
Props to BuddhaFool for this!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice thanks for the vid, I still think you could have put much more heat in to it, would have made the job easier and safer than heavy prying.
I've done it with a hair dryer also but need to heat it for at least 5 minutes moving the dryer frequently not to isolate one area too long, but anyway great job and good clear vid dude.
OK I am using my phone without the back (it is snug in my case) and it seems to be much less finicky. The stock battery door seems to be interfering.
alfredtv said:
I did this mod last weekend. NFC works fine without a case, I have some of the Samsung Techtiles and was able to test and program one.
Question though, I have 2 Q1 chargers; 1-Nokia (at home) and 1-Samsung mini (at work). The Nokia one gives me absolutely no issues at all with charging, but the Samsung one is now really (extremely) particular about placement. It wasn't like that prior to the mod, but now its more likely to flash the amber light than charge. I noticed the non-qi back plate has a very thin copper lining in one part that is covered by a very thin sticker film. Should that be removed? Any one else do this and experience similar issues with the Samsung mini charger?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my original charging back today. This mod is something I want to try but all this thickness I guess is for a purpose to isolate heat from the battery.
Note 4
not meaning any disrespect for the thread but why wouldn't you just pick up a wireless charging element by itself so you didn't have to worry about breaking it disassembling it?
http://mugen.co/mugenizer-samsung-galaxy-note-4-wireless-charging-receiver-qi-standard.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...te 4 qi receiver&sprefix=note+4+qi+re,aps,246
cnlson said:
not meaning any disrespect for the thread but why wouldn't you just pick up a wireless charging element by itself so you didn't have to worry about breaking it disassembling it?
http://mugen.co/mugenizer-samsung-galaxy-note-4-wireless-charging-receiver-qi-standard.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...te 4 qi receiver&sprefix=note+4+qi+re,aps,246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the informative links I appreciate your feedback.
This is addressed in the OP. Some of us have had bad luck with the third party receivers, my phone got scary hot when I used one. This is thread is for those people.
buddhafool said:
The third party receivers would overheat my phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
willstay said:
I got my original charging back today. This mod is something I want to try but all this thickness I guess is for a purpose to isolate heat from the battery.
Note 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That could be. Fortunately it is running really cool with this setup. I promise to check in later if I have any issues that develop.
cnlson said:
not meaning any disrespect for the thread but why wouldn't you just pick up a wireless charging element by itself so you didn't have to worry about breaking it disassembling it?
http://mugen.co/mugenizer-samsung-galaxy-note-4-wireless-charging-receiver-qi-standard.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...te 4 qi receiver&sprefix=note+4+qi+re,aps,246
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also - the majority of the receivers will block NFC for the Note 4 - since Samsung has placed the antenna for NFC onto the battery itself. The official Samsung cover includes a separate NFC antenna.
Another reason for going for the official cover is that it is generally very forgiving in terms of placement - due to the size of the coil. Some of the smaller aftermarket ones require that you place the phone off center or has to be placed just right for charging.
I too have also noticed concerning levels of heat generated with the - admittedly, cheap budget receiver that I purchased online. The second one that you linked from Amazon looks promising though.
ksoze said:
Also - the majority of the receivers will block NFC for the Note 4 - since Samsung has placed the antenna for NFC onto the battery itself.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought the cheapest one for the Galaxy s3 and my wife has used it for charging her S3 for the past year+ and she uses NFC at work all the time (the coke machine uses softcard and they were giving away 50 free $1 purchases a month from feb til december last year) and even though the Qi receiver sits right on top of the battery there was no problem whatsoever with either the charging or the NFC.
buddhafool said:
This is addressed in the OP. Some of us have had bad luck with the third party receivers, my phone got scary hot when I used one. This is thread is for those people.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My apologies, I missed that line. I know with the one I got for my wife's S3, it gets warmer when it is not placed on the charging pad correctly since it doesn't get enough of a charge to keep up with the outgo.
out of curiosity, does the phone charge very quickly on the Qi charger? could I ask you to charge for an hour on the Qi and an hour plugged in to show the speed? (gsam battery monitor or the graph from the system battery monitor)
I'm curious how fast it actually charges, I assume it doesn't do the quick charge like plugging into the stock charger.
cnlson said:
I'm curious how fast it actually charges, I assume it doesn't do the quick charge like plugging into the stock charger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It seems to charge pretty quickly. I think charges about as fast as being plugged into a "normal" adapter but certainly not the blazing speed of the quick charger. I don't think I am going to be able to post any battery graphs.
buddhafool said:
It seems to charge pretty quickly. I think charges about as fast as being plugged into a "normal" adapter but certainly not the blazing speed of the quick charger. I don't think I am going to be able to post any battery graphs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the reply! I'll be looking into the cover since I have the 50% off coupon.
Hey all,
I just stumbled across this dock, has anyone given it a try yet? Looks very promising, although I can't find a ton of info about it.
http://www.amazon.com/Exelium-UPM200-Magnetized-Wireless-Mount/dp/B00SY5FBOS
and here's the official site:
http://www.exelium.net/index.php?page=33&ia=1418046573
There's also a receiver card with built in magnets for the Note 4:
http://www.amazon.com/Exelium-UPMSN4-Magnetized-Wireless-Receiver/dp/B00SY5FB7U
If it works well then this looks like it could be the answer to a LOT of people's wireless charging prayers! Any experiences or info would be greatly appreciated!
Exelium up qi dock
Hi
I have seen your comment on this forum. I am working for Exelium and I can tell you more about this concept.
Exelium has developed a concept which allow to combine magnet fixing system and wireless charging system.
For Galaxy note 4 and S5 we have made some patch receiver(wireless and magnet) that you can put easily by opening the back of the mobile and plug it in 2 seconds.
Then you can plug and charge your Galaxy Note 4 on our different stations : Home (wall mount), car (windshield or dashboard mount), office (desk mount).
We can go on our website and watch our videos in our Youtube channel.
I hope that my explanations help you.
In US we are now in amazon, soon in best buy but also b&Hphotovideo
Best regards
HFOURQUET said:
Hi
I have seen your comment on this forum. I am working for Exelium and I can tell you more about this concept.
Exelium has developed a concept which allow to combine magnet fixing system and wireless charging system.
For Galaxy note 4 and S5 we have made some patch receiver(wireless and magnet) that you can put easily by opening the back of the mobile and plug it in 2 seconds.
Then you can plug and charge your Galaxy Note 4 on our different stations : Home (wall mount), car (windshield or dashboard mount), office (desk mount).
We can go on our website and watch our videos in our Youtube channel.
I hope that my explanations help you.
In US we are now in amazon, soon in best buy but also b&Hphotovideo
Best regards
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, speedy response from the manufacturer, nice! I'd love some more info on how strong the magnets are, I personally am very attached to my S-View cover and would be very interested to know whether the magnets in the Exelium Up will hold the Note 4 even with the S-View flap in the way. Have you done any testing to this effect, or can you comment on whether the Up will work with an S-View cover? I imagine that the same question would apply for anyone using a case as well.
Thanks for the attention!
soul777toast said:
Wow, speedy response from the manufacturer, nice! I'd love some more info on how strong the magnets are, I personally am very attached to my S-View cover and would be very interested to know whether the magnets in the Exelium Up will hold the Note 4 even with the S-View flap in the way. Have you done any testing to this effect, or can you comment on whether the Up will work with an S-View cover? I imagine that the same question would apply for anyone using a case as well.
Thanks for the attention!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know that we have made some tests but I need to check with my designer to give you accurate comment. Of course our concept is working at best without big case or extra thickness. I think that charging is working well but case can reduce a bit the magnet process even if our magnet are good quality.
Good concept, Will it work with a case? How long does it charge a Note 4 (how many percent per hour)
Hello
The performance is about 80% compared to standard lightening cable but as the system is combined with magnet fixing system, you have to consider that you optimize each time the charging process because when you are in your car, you plug and it's charging and same at the office and home!
It works with case but bigger is the case less the performance will be .
Thanks again for all the information, it's nice to see a manufacturer paying attention to user forums like this. One more question, does the receiver patch interfere with NFC, or will NFC still function with it installed? If NFC does remain functional, is it because the patch has the antenna and connections for NFC built into it, or is it just positioned so that it doesn't cover the NFC antenna in the battery? Also I'd still love to hear your designer's opinion on compatibility with the S-View case. Thanks!
soul777toast said:
Thanks again for all the information, it's nice to see a manufacturer paying attention to user forums like this. One more question, does the receiver patch interfere with NFC, or will NFC still function with it installed? If NFC does remain functional, is it because the patch has the antenna and connections for NFC built into it, or is it just positioned so that it doesn't cover the NFC antenna in the battery? Also I'd still love to hear your designer's opinion on compatibility with the S-View case. Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
Sorry for late reply. The NFC can works but it's more complicated to make works it. We need to be closer!
Does the magnet qi receiver add any bulge to the back? I'm quite close to pulling the trigger on this, what's the warranty?
ChronoReverse said:
Does the magnet qi receiver add any bulge to the back? I'm quite close to pulling the trigger on this, what's the warranty?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hello
On the S5 and note 4 that we have you can not see the bulge to the back, of course if you put from tha back,your finger at the magnet locations you feel them a bit.
For the warranty, we have 2 years warranty
Irritating so far...
HFOURQUET said:
Hello
On the S5 and note 4 that we have you can not see the bulge to the back, of course if you put from tha back,your finger at the magnet locations you feel them a bit.
For the warranty, we have 2 years warranty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been interested in getting this for my Galaxy Note 4.
Actually purchased already through Amazon. The only problem is, the universal patch to attach to my phone is apparently backordered. The dock itself (of course) doesn't come with any other means to utilize it. I've tried other metal plates, but of course, the metal plates will block the Qi charging capability, so for the moment, I'm stuck with either being able to mount the phone and not charge it, or being able to charge it, but not mount it.
Just rather annoying so far. Going to try looking in Michael's or some other craft store to see if I can't find my own small metal discs and 3M adhesive to utilize this mount.
The mount should be bundled with the magnets for the back cover. Let us know how you get on.
xdm9mm said:
The mount should be bundled with the magnets for the back cover. Let us know how you get on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it's plainly stated before ordering and on the box that the magnet for your back cover isn't included.
My issue is wondering why I'd order both, but the mount is in stock, yet the magnets for the back of the phone aren't.
Like I said, for the time being, I'm trying to find small metal discs that might work over the magnet points to get it working.
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Since It's been over a week since my Exelium Qi dock has arrived and still no word on whether or not the universal patches for the back of my phone will even be in stock, I went ahead and got a bit creative.
Found 4 metal discs at a local Hobby Lobby in their jewelry section, some white vinyl cut to size and done. One thing of note, I originally attempted to use a metal plate like the ones found in the Scosche magic mount. While the plate works to attach the phone to the dock, it blocks wireless charging.
The dock so far seems to work quite well.
It does not, however, charge faster than (for example) continuously watching Netflix would drain your battery. At best, this would keep the battery from draining as fast, but from most Wireless dock reviews I've found, this seems to be relatively common. It will charge your phone up if you aren't using the phone too heavily. Running Netflix continuously for 2.5 hours, the battery drain was from 100% to approx 86%, so I'd say it's pretty decent.
For the moment, I'm using the 2.4Amp output charger coupled with a regular USB cable. I haven't tried using a fast charging capable USB cable yet however to see if it would charge any better/faster. In my home experiments with a fast charging cable+proper charger, it really won't change the charging output much if at all.
I like the dock design, and of all the available Qi mounts out there, I tend to prefer this idea/design the most. However, this is pretty much 1 of 2 out there that I know of that is a magnetic mount. (AirDock being the only other one out there I'm aware of). The current price on Amazon for this is pretty fair, especially compared to other docks and it's about half the price of the AirDock.
So far, the only real knock/annoyance is getting/finding a proper way to attach the phone to the dock.
I thought I might try AirDock's magnetic stickers to see if this might work in the meantime while waiting for Exelium's magnetic patch.
Sad to say, the AirDock's stickers are horribly inadequate to hold up the weight of a Note 4. I almost wonder if they'd be adequate for any phone as their stickers pretty much amount to what looks like a pre-cut sticker with 4 wafer thin discs of metal in the right places (and I mean, as thin as a sheet of aluminum foil, thin). They do line up perfectly with the Exelium's dock magnets however, so at least I now have a pre-cut template to make my own stickers in the future.
Anyone know what kind of magnets are in the mount?
glyphx said:
Anyone know what kind of magnets are in the mount?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure I follow? I'm guessing neodymium magnets of some sort. They have a better hold than the average refrigerator or craft magnets I've seen. Just not sure how it matters?
Well I was using the mountek magnetic ngroove snap as a dock with my galaxy s6 without a backplate and it actually held the phone up pretty well not great but good enough, but when I switched to the exelium dock as a mount it doesn't hold as well, and just keeps slipping off. I don't know if the magnets are different or what but the only thing I can think of is that the ngroove snap has a grippy rubber sticker over the magnets and the exelium is just a white plastic cover. I'll probably just end up removing the white plastic cover and replace it with something with more grip.
glyphx said:
Well I was using the mountek magnetic ngroove snap as a dock with my galaxy s6 without a backplate and it actually held the phone up pretty well not great but good enough, but when I switched to the exelium dock as a mount it doesn't hold as well, and just keeps slipping off. I don't know if the magnets are different or what but the only thing I can think of is that the ngroove snap has a grippy rubber sticker over the magnets and the exelium is just a white plastic cover. I'll probably just end up removing the white plastic cover and replace it with something with more grip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh, I experimented with that, and this is the conclusion I came to;
The Mountek (I found a scosche version) magnet uses 4 little neodymium magnets together making a large surface area to create that pull.
Docks like the Exelium UP and (likely) the AirDock2 have to keep the 4 magnets around the edge/perimeter of the dock since the wireless charging coils are right in the center. A big plate like that from the Mountek works pretty nicely on the Exelium, but the problem I found was that the big plate also blocks the wireless charging coil from working.
It's why I took to finding 4 smaller discs to use on each of the 4 magnets around the edges to generate enough pull from the magnets to hold my Note 4 up to the docks.
I have one minor worry about using a magnet that strong: The S-Pen.
The wacom digitizer works by using a low level magnetic field. I put my Note 4 on a PMA wireless pad I have laying around, which actually worked with the wireless charging in the phone (this is sometimes the case, but not always, regarding cross-compatibility between the two standards). However, I made sure to test the S-Pen while it was on the pad, and lo and behold the pen barely recognized in the area near the PMA charging coil., and that was only if I applied SIGNIFICANT pressure.
The reason PMA pads caused this is that the coil also acted as a magnet strong enough to hold the phone in place. It's already known that magnetic cases cause damage to the Wacom digitizer after a few days of exposure, and those a comparatively weak magnets.
My worry is pretty much that if the magnets you're using are strong enough to dock, that they are also strong enough to permanently damage the Wacom digitizer, and make using the S-Pen impossible. Have these docks been extensively tested to make sure this is not the case?