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Any way to enable wireless charging? Possibly removing the back and with a touchstone similar to what's possible with the s3?
Swyped while swerving from my Samsung GS3
Similar to this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1962993
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
Most places are declining to make this
We need moto to make these kinda features stock
The problem is the phone is not designed to be opened or the battery removed.. hence voiding warranty if u do so
That's why we prob won't see this for the RAZR HD and HD maxx
With the s3 u can just pop the back door off...this phone I have yet to see a breakdown... I really doubt the aftermarket companies that make those kinda product will want to invest in making a product that voids ur warranty just to install it
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
This is xda surely warranties aren't a concern? If i saw a tear down it wouldn't be hard to set it up with a touch stone like the s3 i would think?
Swyped while swerving from my Samsung GS3
Thatoneguy. said:
This is xda surely warranties aren't a concern? If i saw a tear down it wouldn't be hard to set it up with a touch stone like the s3 i would think?
Swyped while swerving from my Samsung GS3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If their is room
I forgot where I read it
But the two screws on the bottom come out then the screen slides up..as far as I remember.. lol
Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using xda app-developers app
Not even worth trying, I attempted this mod on the Atrix HD which is done by connecting the positive terminal on the palm pixi to the +5v part on phone and it eventually worked but a usb had to be plugged into phone the usb wasnt plugged into anything but the phone wouldnt charge unless it actually detected a usb plugged in.
Unfortunately, I don't think it will happen. It is true that XDA doesn't care too much about warranties, but there is a big difference between hardware and software warranties. Accessory manufacturers aren't going to make something that you have to hack apart your phone for. What is worth more to you, a 30 dollar wireless charging accessory that you have to jimmy rig, or the warranty that protects your $650 investment? You can unroot easy enough to return to VZW but try explaning the wireless charging mod that's on there now.
I've been interested in getting a wireless charging solution for my phone, and while I have to look into it a bit more to figure out specifics for certain things, I think it may be possible to create a case that plugs into the USB port so we wouldn't void our warranties.
Designing the case wont bee too much hassle, a micrometer and some 3D modeling software. However we need to find a way to get a micro usb connector that has a 90 degree bend in it to go into the port without causing any sort of scraping. Possibly have the right hand side of the case hinged and secured by snaps on top and bottom? or have the connector itself removable.
So materials for a test setup would require:
Touchstone components
90 degree MicroUSB male connector
Soldering gun
Custom case
I don't have the setup to do this available to me right now, however I think the biggest problem would be getting a connector small enough to keep from adding a lot of bulk to the side of the phone. Heck, with it only supplying .42 A at about 4.8 volts, it may not be inconceivable to group 2 in a case for faster charging. I haven't worked with the touchstone charger myself before, so I don't know their size.
Anyways, food for thought, and a possible personal project once I get some more important things finished up.
Hi,
Signed up just to post my results so far.
Ive gotten razr HD maxx to charge through the USB port using a touchstone pixi back cover.
It works using the touchstone charging base but the usb wall wart that came with the razr hd. The amperage coming though was not enough using a motorola dedicated usb wall charger that came with my bluetooth headphones putting out 500mA. It charges a little slower using the induction charger. I need to figure out if this will work running off my cars electrical system as that is my main motivation for getting this to work.
To get the phone to go into charging mode you have to either short out the USB data wires or connect the D+ wire to a 2v contact on the touchstone pixi circuit. Connecting the usb D+ to the 2v contact hopefully will allow me to hardwire this setup directly to the phone and leave the usb port free if, assuming I can find enough room inside for everything.
The phone is charging right now on the touchstone base, estimate 2hr to full charge from 70%
Im going to try and shove it all inside the phone tomorrow.
DrunkenFerret said:
I've been interested in getting a wireless charging solution for my phone, and while I have to look into it a bit more to figure out specifics for certain things, I think it may be possible to create a case that plugs into the USB port so we wouldn't void our warranties.
Designing the case wont bee too much hassle, a micrometer and some 3D modeling software. However we need to find a way to get a micro usb connector that has a 90 degree bend in it to go into the port without causing any sort of scraping. Possibly have the right hand side of the case hinged and secured by snaps on top and bottom? or have the connector itself removable.
So materials for a test setup would require:
Touchstone components
90 degree MicroUSB male connector
Soldering gun
Custom case
I don't have the setup to do this available to me right now, however I think the biggest problem would be getting a connector small enough to keep from adding a lot of bulk to the side of the phone. Heck, with it only supplying .42 A at about 4.8 volts, it may not be inconceivable to group 2 in a case for faster charging. I haven't worked with the touchstone charger myself before, so I don't know their size.
Anyways, food for thought, and a possible personal project once I get some more important things finished up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont know if I can get this to work internally now due to soldeirng limitations.
There is just enough space to slightly force the phone back together (it does bulge) but the pins for the USB port are covered and recessed under the USB housing. There is not enough clearance for me to do a clean solder onto the contacts.
I can not find another trace for the 5v or D+ pin on the circuit board.
If i could remove the outer cover maybe but for now this is going to have to be a plug into the USB port/external mod until i either grow a bigger pair and try to remove the USB port or find alternate contacts to solder the leads onto.
EDIT: I actually just went for it and ground off the corner of the USB casing. And actually soldered the wires onto the pins. However the touchstone system will not allow this to work internally. The battey when laid on the coil will interfere with the EMF and cause an unstable voltage. It goes from a low of 4.8 to 5.5 v. Maybe someone thats an RF engineer can figure something out with the reflector.
Maybe if i get more motivation later ill check out a qi standard charging setup to see if its compatible. For now im going to find an outer case and just go with the usb plug use this externally.
Try picking up some foil tape and put it between the battery and coil. You should be able to pick some up at your local hardware or hobby shop. It may need to be touching the ground to be effective though. Depending on some things over the next month I might be able to start working on my own setup.
Tried that but no go.
With the foil covering the coil, the voltage fluctuates before the battery is even placed over it. I hope you can get it working internally, ive since used an otterbox commuter case to hold it all together.
DrunkenFerret said:
Try picking up some foil tape and put it between the battery and coil. You should be able to pick some up at your local hardware or hobby shop. It may need to be touching the ground to be effective though. Depending on some things over the next month I might be able to start working on my own setup.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In what order are you putting the components? Phone, battery then coil. Or phone coil then battery? Basically is the coil between the hardware and battery, or is the coil between the back panel and battery.
I can see where the issues would arise if it is between the battery and hardware. Both would be giving off EM waves if the device is on. If it is between them, try moving the coil to between the back panel and the battery.
Right now I can't afford to try an internal mod where I could kill the phone if I screw up, so until a couple things settle down for me I will only be attempting an external mod that fits in a case. If I can get the design right I may be able to make it so there is still a USB port available.
*Edit*
I'm sourcing/pricing components right now and you've already given me the voltage output, but how about the current provided by the coil? What I'm planning involves building a small circuit that would short the D+ wire only when there is no USB cable connected.
Anyway we can get some pics of the project in progress?
Swyped while swerving from my Droid Razr Maxx HD
Thatoneguy. said:
Anyway we can get some pics of the project in progress?
Swyped while swerving from my Droid Razr Maxx HD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I don't have the components at the moment to start my project physically, however as I said I am finding the parts I'll need. Apparently its a PITA to get male micro USB connectors without bulk orders, or importing from China. I'd prefer a SMT (surface mount for circuit boards) but those appear to be next to impossible. Anyways I've been able to find pretty much everything I need and just a matter of time till they get in.
My plan is to provide a clean circuit that would use the USB port on the phone to charge using the coil, while adding a new USB port into a phone case to still allow USB data and charging. However as the coil can create fluctuations in voltage and current, I want to have a setup that allows for it to be isolated while it is plugged in through USB.
Attached is just a quick circuit diagram I made using EveryCircuit, I need to refine it still, but just an example. Heck if you have the app rebuild it and you'll be able to see what it does. Left side is USB cable input, with a switch at top to simulate plugging in and unplugging, while the right is the phone side with the power source being the coil. The light/loads are to simulate the data lines and power lines and show whether the circuit works.
When I get the parts together I'll take pics and post a tutorial. I have some 3D modeling experience so I may even be able to design a custom case to put everything into.
DrunkenFerret said:
In what order are you putting the components? Phone, battery then coil. Or phone coil then battery? Basically is the coil between the hardware and battery, or is the coil between the back panel and battery.
I can see where the issues would arise if it is between the battery and hardware. Both would be giving off EM waves if the device is on. If it is between them, try moving the coil to between the back panel and the battery.
Right now I can't afford to try an internal mod where I could kill the phone if I screw up, so until a couple things settle down for me I will only be attempting an external mod that fits in a case. If I can get the design right I may be able to make it so there is still a USB port available.
*Edit*
I'm sourcing/pricing components right now and you've already given me the voltage output, but how about the current provided by the coil? What I'm planning involves building a small circuit that would short the D+ wire only when there is no USB cable connected.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the coil was sandwiched between the back case of the phone and the battery. The metal in the battery is influencing the flux going through the charging coil. The base is not always on, it only turns on when the charging coil is present. If not present the base seems to send out a pulse every so often to detect the presence of the charging coil inside the phone.
The issues arise once the battery is laid across the coil, the base begins to oscillate and the voltage begins to alternate. Also the coils seem to only work within a specific frequency range, but i dont have a signal generator or oscope to confirm this.
According to the battery charging app the base is putting out ~6-700mA to the phone with an 1A charger plugged into the base.
I thought I would share with you my experience of the QI charger I recently purchased from FastTech.
After seeing some reviews of these wireless chargers I thought I would take the plunge & get one myself.
Website.
Firstly, the FastTech website is pretty well laid out, its fairy easy to navigate & find what you want. What I do like about the site is they tend to include lots of images of the item you are buying - many sites usually include a generic picture that's at a poor resolution, but FastTech really go all out to include as much information as possible. This includes data sheets, specifications, size, weight etc etc. The attention to detail is top notch & nothing of importance gets overlooked.
Choosing the charger.
FastTech list quite a few QI chargers. These range from big twin versions for dual charging, specific chargers for certain devices life the Nexus 4, Galaxy Note 2/S3 down to the cheaper generic ones.
I decided to choose this one:
http://www.fasttech.com/products/11...owered-qi-inductive-wireless-charger-for-car-
I would say that this is generic one but for $40/£30 (At time of writing) its not bad value compared to other QI Wireless chargers on the market.
One of the main reasons I chose this version is that it comes with a Micro USB connector rather than a small round power connector like most other versions do. This means I can use any Micro USB cable I own. It also states that charger works via a car charger or a USB port; most other QI chargers only work using a wall socket which provides enough voltage/amp for the device to operate. At the time of purchasing I was highly dubious that the charger would work correctly using an USB port on a PC but I crossed my fingers that it would.
Ordering & Delivery
Ordering is pretty much as expected & only take a few minutes to register. Entering in the details is easy & the website provided clear & easy to follow instructions, so if you are used to ordering online there's nothing to worry about. I paid via PayPal - quick & easy.
Delivery is free so that's a bonus & once your order is placed & sent, a tracking reference is included along with a nice photograph of your item with your address on to show you that its been posted - nice touch!
Now comes the 'negative' part..... delivery! Its takes a long time, approximately 21 days to be precise. That's from Hong Kong to the UK. I've ordered stuff from Hong Kong in the past & its usually taken less than 10 days, buts that's usually small stuff. What didn't help was the parcel tacking - it wasn't very informative. The only time I got an up date was when the parcel arrived in the UK & the tracking reported that it had arrived in the country. However, it still took 4 days from then to get to my house.
I'm not really saying this was an issue for me but I was getting a little nervous whether I would turn up!! So, If anyone orders anything from FastTech please be aware that you might have to wait over 3 weeks for your item.
Packaging & Contents:
The charger arrived in a standard jiffy bag & the box containing the charger was inside. The box was wrapped up with some additional bubble wrap to help prevent it from any bumps or knocks it may suffer from its 6000 mile (give or take!) journey from Hong Kong to the UK. Luckily it had seemed to have done its job as everything seemed ok & the box was fairly undamaged apart from a slight crease in one of the corners.
The QI charger comes in nice thick white card presentation box very similar to the boxes that mobiles are shipped in. Its design is simple & minimalistic with just a few logos & a photo on it to indicate what's inside.
Once in the box you are greeted with the QI Charger. Under the charger & its cardboard support sleeve is the Micro USB cable & tucked away in the corner is the mains wall charger in a box - this is the European version & doesn't fit a UK wall socket. I don't know why, but I convinced myself the a Euro 2 Pin to UK 3 Pin adapter was included but there isn't. The FastTechs website clearly states that the charger only ships with a EURO style plug, I have no idea why I thought that there was an adapter included.
QI Charger - A closer look.
The QI charger is made standard white plastic, nothing special. Its approximately the same size as a Galaxy Note 2, so if you have seen or held one of these then you will know how big it is. One thing that stands out about the charger is that its incredibly light, this along with the cheap looking white plastic, makes the device feel exceptionally cheap. Because it is so light it actually makes the unit feel hollow & its hard to be convinced that there is actually anything inside.
I also think the colour doesn't help. The white plastic picks up mucky marks quickly - in fact it was covered in dirty finger prints before I even touched it. In my opinion, I believe black plastic would have helped the overall look of the device.
The build quality is ok, again nothing special - screw-less design with two half's glued together. The underside has four small corner dimples moulded in the back plastic which the charger sits on when put on flat surface. Its a shame that these aren't little rubber feet to give the charger a more no slip effect when on a hard surface.
Usability.
As mentioned before, I could not check how the charger worked using the mains adapter because it only fitted a European wall socket. So, I tried it out on one of my PC USB ports. I used a USB2 socket because this is the common port that most PC/Laptops have. My PC has does have USB3 sockets but these can provide a different (better) current which may not represent everyone else's setup. Once plugged in the chargers green power light comes on. This light is constant & cannot be turned off unless you unplug the charger.
Unexpectedly, the charger worked really well using only a USB port. This was a real surprise as the wall charger has an output of 2A & a USB2 port only has an output of 500mA, I was expecting the phone not to charge properly because of the big difference in current. It also worked fine when plugged into my laptops USB port.
As you can see from the photos the phone charge 'zone' is quite forgiving & the phone can be placed on the charger without the need to position it accurately. I found that I could place my phone on the charger relatively care free. There was no need to readjust the position or find a millimeter perfect position for the charging that some other QI charges seem to have.
It has to be noted though that the QI charging coil in the Nexus 4 is offset towards the bottom of the phone - about 1/3 of the way up. The induction charging coil in the QI Charger is central, therefore the phones best position on the charger is so that the top of the phone is level with the edge of the charger where the USB cable is inserted. If I placed the phone centrally on the charger it would not charge.
I noticed that there is a very slight magnetic attraction between the phone & the charger when the induction coils are aligned. This is particularly usefully as it helps with the phone location to the charger (you can feel it 'grab') & also prevents the phone from moving/slipping if the charger is place on a slight slope.
When the phone is placed on the QI charger & connects, the charger emits a single beep & a blue light starts to flash in the corner of the device to indicate a successful pairing & charging has started. Also, the phone acknowledges that a connection to the charger has been made and produces a quiet tone to say its now charging.
Strangely, I found that the QI charger actually charged my phone more quickly that a standard USB cable that's connected to a PC/Laptop. It also charges the phone all the way up to 100% & keeps it there. Once the phone got to 100% I experienced no power loss over the space of about 45 minutes. However, this might be a concern as once at 100% the charger doesn't seem to switch off & the phone remained warm.
On the subject of heat, as with most QI chargers the phone got hot while being charged wirelessly. I monitored the temperature of the battery & it never got over 41C
My Nexus 4 has a DBrand skin on the back & it didn't seem to interfere with the charging process. I don't own a bumper or case so I couldn't test how well the charger would work if one of those were fitted to the phone.
For those of you who might want to use the charger at night, the green & blue lights are fairly bright & might be a tad annoying if you intend to use it in the bedroom.
Conclusion.
In a nut shell the QI Wireless Charger that I purchased from FastTech works really well & it actually exceeded my expectations when plugged in to a PC or Laptop.
The position of the phone on the charger is fairly forgiving & a full battery charge is accomplished even on USB. All in all I'm happy with how the charger works & has it has permanent place on my desk at work.
....... but........
However, taking a step back & looking at the whole QI Wireless charging method I feel like its all a bit redundant & not real necessary.
Currently, QI chargers are just too expensive in what they are. The Nexus 4 Orb sells for silly money & the cheap chargers still retailer for more than 10 wall chargers put together! At the end of the day it only charges the phone, and 'Only' is a word that needs emphasising; because if I use a USB cable to charge the phone I can still use the phone with the cable plugged in. Also if the cable is plugged into a PC/Laptop I can transfer files as well. The QI charger takes all these useful features away.
Also you are still tied to where the QI charger is plugged into so you don't gain any real world additional freedom from a charging cable. It kind of feels like a docking station without the bonus of being able to transfer files to the PC.
In a way I feel that QI chargers are sold like a cool iPhone feature - they look cool, people who see it go 'wow' & it makes your mates jealous. But at the end of the day its not really that different to the thing it replaces & may not even work any better!
OK, it looks like from the above statements that I actually hate QI wireless charging & that people shouldn't bother with them. That's not what I think at all & in fact believe that the charger is a cool gadget, I've been showing it off to nearly everyone that passes my desk at work. I've written this review to point out the Pros and Cons of buying & owning a QI Wireless charger & to show that it might not suit everybody's expectations. My only major criticism is the price. The charger I purchased does not look or feel like its worth £30 ($40). If the price drops below £10 ($15) then the price would genuinely reflect the product. I'm assuming that the price currently reflects the new QI charging technology, hopefully prices will start to drop in the upcoming months when (or if) QI charging becomes popular.
So to sum up, if you're in the market for a wireless charger for your Nexus 4 phone then I highly recommend this QI Charger from FastTech. However, consider it more of an cool impulse purchase rather than a must have, can't live without gadget.
Pros
Works as intended.
Fully supports PC USB charging
Charges to 100%
Positioning of phone on charger is quiet lenient
Free delivery & parcel tracking from FastTech
FastTech offer refunds if unhappy with item & replacements if device is faulty.
Show off to your mates
Cons
Feels cheap
Quite Expensive
Doesn't necessarily replace wired charging
Packaging only contains European wall charger
Delivery took longer than expected from FastTech
Get laughed at by mates for spending £30/$40
MARKS OUT OF 10
DESIGN: 7
FUNCTIONALITY: 9
FEATURES: 7
VALUE FOR MONEY: 4
OVERALL: 7
Hope you enjoyed the review. Please post comments below.
Review by Chris B
cmberry20 said:
However, taking a step back & looking at the whole QI Wireless charging method I feel like its all a bit redundant & not real necessary.
Currently, QI chargers are just too expensive in what they are. The Nexus 4 Orb sells for silly money & the cheap chargers still retailer for more than 10 wall chargers put together! At the end of the day it only charges the phone, and 'Only' is a word that needs emphasising; because if I use a USB cable to charge the phone I can still use the phone with the cable plugged in. Also if the cable is plugged into a PC/Laptop I can transfer files as well. The QI charger takes all these useful features away.
Also you are still tied to where the QI charger is plugged into so you don't gain any real world additional freedom from a charging cable. It kind of feels like a docking station without the bonus of being able to transfer files to the PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i have one of these with euro plug (not usb). the comment above is exactly how i feel after couple of usage. not only it doesn't do data transfer, but usage too is inconvenient, due to (a) you can't pick up your phone, (b) touchscreen is much less responsive during charge. with that $40, i might as well bought a real dock and other accessories.
Just a quick update.
I can confirm that the charger stops charging the phone once 100% is reached. I think there's '100% with still a little more left to charge' & '100% Full'! I noticed that the charger would still carrying on charging for 5 minutes or so once 100% was reached, I think that it must be because the battery isnt quite fully charged. After that, the blue light switches of the phone is allowed to discharge. But as soon as the phone looses less than 1% the charger recharges it.
It basically trickle charges the phone to keep it at 100%. I certainly don't get the issue where the phone has lost 5 to 10% of its charge once 100% had reached.
Thank you for the honest and detailed review. I was considering this charger and looking for qi wireless chargers for the past few months but was never fully convinced about buying one because its not really as useful as it is just "cool". I thought it might be convenient to make a car dock out of because I wouldn't have worry about plugging and unplugging it. But I think for now I will just use a usb cable and maybe look at wireless chargers again once they're cheaper.
Thanks for the review OP. Like the person above me said, I too have considered getting one of those. The price it's at now is pretty tempting, but I don't think the Misses would appreciate me buying a $30 charger. I do think it would be an interesting thing to have and to mess around with but ahhhh I don't know. And speaking of USB 2.0... When do we think that phones will have USB 3.0?
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium
I bought one of these and it's great - except for the lights and beeping (I'd like to use it by my bed) - has anyone opened theirs up and successfully altered it?
thigger_tom said:
I bought one of these and it's great - except for the lights and beeping (I'd like to use it by my bed) - has anyone opened theirs up and successfully altered it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I decided to have a go today. Opening it needed a sharp blade to help pry open the case (there are a /lot/ of plastic clips) but eventually ended up with everything accessible. Everything's soldered onto a single board with only the coil and USB connector separate. However, the buzzer can be opened up and the metal plate removed which silences it:
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There's a small flat hole in the side - put a small screwdriver in there, twist and the top will pop off. The round metal plate can then be picked out (I used blu-tack) before putting the top back on. I've kept the plate on the off-chance I ever want it to beep again.
A bit more blu-tack to cover each of the LEDs and I now have my ideal charger!
I'm pretty unhappy. I just unboxed mine, set my N4 on it and it's not working. I also bought a charging coil for my Note2. The N4 has the poetic Bumper on it and it seems that that small distance is too much for it to charge through. The Qi standard is 5mm to 40mm. This device doesn't seem to work at even 1 to 2 mm.
As a test I took a plastic SD card case I have that is 4mm thick and the charging coil from the note2 and with it, it won't work. but without it between it works fine.
Basically this thing is useless if you have a case.. I really thought the point of a wireless charger was that it would work through a case. LAME! I'll update if I learn anything more but as of this time, I'll probably be returning or selling mine...
joeavery2 said:
I'm pretty unhappy. I just unboxed mine, set my N4 on it and it's not working. I also bought a charging coil for my Note2. The N4 has the poetic Bumper on it and it seems that that small distance is too much for it to charge through. The Qi standard is 5mm to 40mm. This device doesn't seem to work at even 1 to 2 mm.
As a test I took a plastic SD card case I have that is 4mm thick and the charging coil from the note2 and with it, it won't work. but without it between it works fine.
Basically this thing is useless if you have a case.. I really thought the point of a wireless charger was that it would work through a case. LAME! I'll update if I learn anything more but as of this time, I'll probably be returning or selling mine...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might be a defective unit, or the coil isn't fully connected, or not enough juice from your USB. Is yours the same brand as OP's?
hmm, not sure if you have a faulty charge or if you have been unlucky with the build quality of your QI Charger.
I packed my phone up with some business cards & a foldered sheet of paper & it still happily charges up. I would say the gap it about 5mm to 6mm. (1/4" if you live in 'merica)
This is still being charged via USB 2 on a desktop PC.
thigger_tom said:
Well, I decided to have a go today. Opening it needed a sharp blade to help pry open the case(...).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you manage to open it ? I tried to insert a very thin flat bladed screwdriver between the two parts of the device and slide it around it but nothing popped-up or anything, plus it slipped and I stabbed my thumb so I prefer not to use a knife...
I'm affraid I could break it by forcing the screwdriver inside.
I'd like to mute it because I work in an open space office. Also, this "beeep" is pretty annoying. The blue LED and the Nexus 4's LED are enough for me.
Thanks
Nekrozys said:
How did you manage to open it ? I tried to insert a very thin flat bladed screwdriver between the two parts of the device and slide it around it but nothing popped-up or anything, plus it slipped and I stabbed my thumb so I prefer not to use a knife...
I'm affraid I could break it by forcing the screwdriver inside.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used a sharp blade from a pocket knife. Inserted the edge of the blade along its length into the groove and used it to pop open the clips (there are loads). I think you could probably do it using one of the plastic pryer devices they use to open iPhone cases. I wouldn't recommend a screwdriver as there isn't enough surface area and the plastic is quite soft so you'll probably just make a load of marks in the side of the case.
You don't need to use the pointy end so there shouldn't be a risk of stabbing yourself doing it like that!
My thumb and I thank you.
I've got a plan to install the sony DK48 magnetic dock into my car.
I intend to fix the dock to the top of the dashboard using velcro (so that it can be removed if necessary). I'll bend some thin black acetal plastic rods and glue these onto the dock to stabilise the phone in the dock. I'm going to solder the charging cable onto the cigarette lighter socket, run the cable behind all the fascia panels, the radio and up to the top of the dash.
Anyone got any advice on soldering a usb charging cable onto the cigarette socket. At the moment I'm planning to use the electrics out of a dismantled USB-cigarette socket, but wonder whether it might be better/neater to solder the cable straight to the socket with correct resistors in place, but I'm not sure exactly what I would need.
Anyone got any other advice?
Hoping to get this done sometime next week and will post photos if it all works.
Whoa whoa wait a minute... Sorry if I am reading what you are saying incorrectly but are you saying you want to consider just solder the usb cable directly on to the cigarette lighter and use some resistors to split the voltage so that you will get 5V at the charger??? If that is the case do not do that! A cigarette lighter is 12V so if you can get the resisters to be 7V that means the charger is 5V right? No! It's not that straight forward. Thing is that yes a cigarette lighter is 12V... but it's not a constant 12V. The voltage is just happens to be whatever it is at the time. It ranges from like 10V-15V depending on if your car battery is low or the car is running. When charging the car battery the voltage has to be higher than 12V. I know in my car it's about 14V when running. So when your car is running the cigarette lighter would be 14 and you would be shoving too much voltage into the Z3. Defiantly don't want to fry that expensive Z3!
So yes you defiantly want to keep the circuitry for the car charger. What the circuit does makes it so that it outputs a clean constant 5V with up to 2.1A of current (depending on the model). It cleans up any spikes that may come from the alternator and has safeties on top of that to make sure neither too much voltage or current will end up in your usb port.
Back to your original question. If you can get to the wires right behind the cigarette lighter (behind/under the dash) you could splice into the wires there. There is usually a lot of space you can shove stuff in there. Get something like this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-Female-...ocket-Plug-Connector-Plug-Cable-/271275968209
And just splice it into the wires. Just two wires, cut, strip, solder, tape and done. No disassembling of charger is needed. Plug in your charge to the socket and run it up your dash. Just keep all of that hidden behind all of the panels and no one can tell you even tapped into the cigarette lighter.
Side note: Please please please do not buy a dirt cheap car charger. Like some random $1 eBay charger from China. There is a reason why it's $1. Short answer: the electricity coming out is probably questionable. Also there probably no safety standards. This rule usually applies more to the AC wall adapters (those $1 AC adapters you should avoid like the plague!) but I prefer to live by the same rule. If the electricity coming out of it is dirty then you will be slowly killing your battery quicker than normal. You will start wondering why your battery life is so poor probably like after a year...
Good point about the variable voltage coming out of the car socket. I'll do it the safe way then and use the hardware from a usb/car adapter. The rest *should* be easy.
Just in case anyone is interested I installed the Sony Magnetic Charging dock onto the dashboard of my car. The magnets hold the phone very well, its stable, and hasn't fallen out in 6 months use. I wired a usb cable from the 12 V socket via a 12V - USB adapter as suggested above.
I'm very pleased with the end result and have a neat method of using my phone as a satnav without all the mess of sticking a holder on the window and cables running everywhere. Its also much quicker to place the phone into or out of the magnetic dock than it is to clamp it in a normal holder.
This wireless charging pad is about 3" square and about 1/2" thick with very little weight. The top of the unit has 1 anti-slip strip on each side of the top surface to resist phones from slipping off. USB C connector on one side and charging indicator on the opposite side.
Wireless charging is one of the most useful features of a modern phone due to its convenience and flexibility. When I look at wireless chargers the most important is the charging surface and how accurately the device has to be placed on the pad in order to function. This Choetech charger is very convenient in that as long as you are reasonable close to getting it on the pad around the center of the phone, it is good to go.
The next important feature is its ability to charge through cases, This unit can charge through the thickest of cases, an Otterbox Defender on a Galaxy S6. It easily worked on several other cases that were less thick but were made from other materials.
As it is a fast charge capable device it does require a fast charge capable power supply, which is NOT included, but is likely included with your phone. Other fast charge supplies are available separately. It will function using a standard supply, but not in fast charge mode.
On a personal note, I have developed a grand hatred for bright LEDs which has required me to mask off the LEDs on the Samsung branded charging pads with electrical tape. Apparently they thought they were also making flashlights... This Choetech pad has a much more user friendly experience where the LEDs will actually turn off when finished charging and the lights themselves are otherwise more dim.
If this unit could be improved in any way, I'd feel that some sort of guide or glow could be utilized for the placement of a phone on the pad in a dark room. Other than that, this unit is about as perfect of a charging pad as any could want.
The link to the product where my review is posted on Amazon is here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L3OUC7W
they do have a special running on the base at the moment, I suppose the recall is affecting sales or some such.... Although I'm just guessing on that.
Save $5.00 when you spend $23.99 or more on USB-C Fast Wireless charger offered by CHOETECH-Official. Enter code NA9SKYFQ at checkout.
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Save $6.00 when you purchase 1 or more USB C Wireless Charger offered by CHOETECH-Official. Enter code BHZ6XPK6 at checkout. Here's how (restrictions apply)
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I'm planning on modifying the one I have to have neodymium magnets placed in the corners and some metal bits inside my case for them to stick to, but this is experimental at this point. I haven't found a fast charger car mount yet, and I like to engineer solutions rather than buying them.
I have the same one, it works great. However, i don't think you actually need the adaptive fast charger for this. If it is actually 10W as listed, then a 5v x 2A charger would give all the power it needs.
update: never mind, i just tried swapping out for a fast charger adapter, it does make a difference. strange...
This charger pad heated my fathers s5 to the point where the battery expanded and caused the screen to bend
Sent from my SM-N930W8 using XDA-Developers mobile app
Hi I bought 2 keyboard folio from eBay brand new but it is like it haves a faulty battery. When I try to pair it with the tablet through NFC I press yes on the "do you want to pair the Nexus keyboard" but after some seconds it fails. But when I put the keyboard to charge it works. After I pair the devices and use the keyboard when I unplug it it stops working straight away. So I was wondering if this happened to anyone else and if it is any key combinations to hard reset the keyboard or something like that?
More people having the same issue!!!!!!!!
https://productforums.google.com/fo...ce=footer#!msg/nexus/miyKVULMUWo/7vH_5T0OGwAJ
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
Has anyone found a way to replace the battery or fix the charging issue, battery not charging?
Has anyone tried using a portable external battery charger to power the keyboard, how long does it last?
Until you unplug the external battery.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
I opened the keyboard and the battery seems to be dead because I tried to charge it with another charger and nothing was happening. On the keyboard I put another battery 400mah but still wasn't charging so I thing the board is faulty too. I will take a picture of the battery and upload it because I tried to find one but I couldn't.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
vincenzo697 said:
I opened the keyboard and the battery seems to be dead because I tried to charge it with another charger and nothing was happening. On the keyboard I put another battery 400mah but still wasn't charging so I thing the board is faulty too. I will take a picture of the battery and upload it because I tried to find one but I couldn't.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
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Click to collapse
Please upload any pictures you can, would be really helpful.
I was considering buying a simple small portable battery charger 1500-2200-4000~ and using it, but it would discharge too quickly, attempting to charge the faulty one in the folio. Also considered taking the folio battery/charging component and splicing in portable battery charger..
Another option I thought of, is using a male to male micro usb cable from the Nexus 9 to the folio.
I am using a generic micro usb charger works fine. I also bought a male to male micro usb cable attached to the Nexus 9 and folio, also works great. The keyboard hardly registers drawing any power.
Sorry for the late reply. That's the original battery of the keyboard which i tried to find but couldn't. The hard part is that it needs to be 1.5mm to 2mm of thickness Max so the keyboard top part can close normally. The other pictures is the modification I made replacing the battery but with a thicker one. It wasn't charging so that's why I came to the conclusion that it must be the board too that it is faulty. I connect the - and + cables from the charger to the exposed cables to charge the battery and that's it.
Sent from my HTC 10 using XDA-Developers Legacy app
That's a lot of hardware. So the battery may be good and its the charger that's faulty. Thanks for the images!
clockcycle said:
That's a lot of hardware. So the battery may be good and its the charger that's faulty. Thanks for the images!
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NO. The battery too is faulty. Because I connect it straight to the charger and it doesn't charge.
Maybe?
vincenzo697 said:
NO. The battery too is faulty. Because I connect it straight to the charger and it doesn't charge.
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Hey... Just bought a brand new one with the same issue straight out of the box.
Have you tried measuring the original battery with a multimeter?
The battery protection circuits will sometimes protect the battery from undervoltage by not letting them charge any more as it potentially damages them...
One way to attempt to recover the batteries is to remove the protection PCB and charge them with a LiPo charger at super low amps till they get up to like 3.3v then letting the original charger and battery protection finish charging it... (Kinda dangerous if battery really is damaged)
These things sat on shelves for years.... I can't imagine the batteries didn't drain.
Edit: did you take the keyboard apart??? Lol... Is it glued together??
I took mine apart... This is not a reversible process lol... Checked battery voltage and sure enough... 0 volts.... There's no Li-Ion charger that will ever try to charge that battery as there is a risk of fire.
Looks like HTC cheaped out on the battery protection circuit and it didn't cut off the battery below 3.3v and let it get to 0v... Gonna have to try to recover the battery using my lab power supply to trickle charge it... My lipo charger complains and won't charge it at all.
I'm having the same problem. Just bought one of these on Amazon for $30 and was excited to use it. How did they charge $130 for this when it came out?? This is useless. I'm going to have to return this junk. Any solutions before I do?
The solution is easy.
I have effected this repair on multiples of the nexus 9 folio keyboard.
Someone said earlier that the charging circuit is bad in addition to the cell being at 0v. This is simply not true. For the charging circuit and the cell to both be bad you will have likely hit the lottery in a bad way, or shorted and caused damage yourself.
Truth is that as mentioned before their protection circuit on their $130 keyboard was not up to the task. I make the assumption also that they overpriced these so heavily they sat until their hardware choices became apparent by making them DOA after the cell's voltage fell too low.
Someone stated that opening the keyboard is irreversible, this is also untrue, it only requires a bit of skill and patience.
Take it for what it is, because I would never recommend someone to revive a cell that had been sitting below 3.2v, it's just unsafe, but this is what worked for me as I didn't feel like digging through china stock to find a matching cell.
The cell is at 0v, so the fix is simple, connect another similar chemistry (3.2v-4.2v) cell in parallel (between the protection circuit and the cell.) I just used and 18650 from a laptop battery. Let's call this a "jump start." Start the charging and disconnect the second cell. Red charge LED should remain solid and charge cell 1 to 4.2v and you are good to go.
As far as the details, we know that the cell is on the left side, so only heat and slice adhesive from just beyond the corner to the center, slide your tool under the cell to remove the adhesion from the main body and carefully slip the cell out far enough to get at the contacts in order to get between the protection circuit and the cell.
main points
1 DO NOT PUNCTURE THE CELL (ALUMINUM TEARS EASILY)
2 DO NOT DAMAGE THE RED AND BLACK LEADS FROM THE PROTECTION CIRCUIT TO THE MAIN BOARD
3 DO NOT PRY OPEN THE OUTSIDE CORNER NEXT TO THE CELL AS THIS CORNER IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEFORMATION THAN OTHER AREAS
Probably best left to a skilled tech, but it can certainly be done.
The adhesive htc uses is much like hot glue, so after scraping the old glue out reseal and press with a hot glue gun (precision tip recommended,) easy peasy.
On a final note, shame on you htc (and google.)
k2thec said:
The solution is easy.
I have effected this repair on multiples of the nexus 9 folio keyboard.
Someone said earlier that the charging circuit is bad in addition to the cell being at 0v. This is simply not true. For the charging circuit and the cell to both be bad you will have likely hit the lottery in a bad way, or shorted and caused damage yourself.
Truth is that as mentioned before their protection circuit on their $130 keyboard was not up to the task. I make the assumption also that they overpriced these so heavily they sat until their hardware choices became apparent by making them DOA after the cell's voltage fell too low.
Someone stated that opening the keyboard is irreversible, this is also untrue, it only requires a bit of skill and patience.
Take it for what it is, because I would never recommend someone to revive a cell that had been sitting below 3.2v, it's just unsafe, but this is what worked for me as I didn't feel like digging through china stock to find a matching cell.
The cell is at 0v, so the fix is simple, connect another similar chemistry (3.2v-4.2v) cell in parallel (between the protection circuit and the cell.) I just used and 18650 from a laptop battery. Let's call this a "jump start." Start the charging and disconnect the second cell. Red charge LED should remain solid and charge cell 1 to 4.2v and you are good to go.
As far as the details, we know that the cell is on the left side, so only heat and slice adhesive from just beyond the corner to the center, slide your tool under the cell to remove the adhesion from the main body and carefully slip the cell out far enough to get at the contacts in order to get between the protection circuit and the cell.
main points
1 DO NOT PUNCTURE THE CELL (ALUMINUM TEARS EASILY)
2 DO NOT DAMAGE THE RED AND BLACK LEADS FROM THE PROTECTION CIRCUIT TO THE MAIN BOARD
3 DO NOT PRY OPEN THE OUTSIDE CORNER NEXT TO THE CELL AS THIS CORNER IS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DEFORMATION THAN OTHER AREAS
Probably best left to a skilled tech, but it can certainly be done.
The adhesive htc uses is much like hot glue, so after scraping the old glue out reseal and press with a hot glue gun (precision tip recommended,) easy peasy.
On a final note, shame on you htc (and google.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to try this repair on my keyboard. do you have pictures where to connect the wires.
I have a laptop battery
i have the case pulled apart
Just want to make sure that the wires are in the correct place.
The folio battery has a USB jack at one end and a switch (on/off perhaps) and a blue light at the other. What's happening when the blue light blinks?
Lindommer said:
The folio battery has a USB jack at one end and a switch (on/off perhaps) and a blue light at the other. What's happening when the blue light blinks?
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i meant if i take the keyboard apart.
I ordered another on off ebay, but i used the suggestion i thiunk i saw on here. I have a microusb OTG plugged into the nexus 9 and running a usb to the keyboard. it is supplying enough power to run he keyboard. also it does not seem top drain much power at all.
I'm typing this message on the folio keyboard. if the other keyboard folio has the same issue then i can at lease use this solution to use the folio.
now i need to order a shorter usb to microusb cord so i dont have to rubber band the cord and look sloppy when carrying it around
Thanks for that. But what about the blinking blue light?
Lindommer said:
Thanks for that. But what about the blinking blue light?
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That is paring mode if in not mistaken.
Nah, it's definitely a charging light. Doesn't blink when pairing but does when a USB charging lead is plugged in. Goes off after a couple of minutes, which confirms what we all know: the keyboard doesn't/won't charge.
Picked up one of these new from Ebay. It doesn't seem to want to charge and will only work when plugged in with charger. Anyway to get it working? Guess it's a return