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Alright, yes I know how to use the search function and I can launch the Car Dock application itself just fine with the previously mentioned shortcut, however I need to switch the mode itself apparently (i.e. with the steering wheel icon onscreen).
I own a Car Dock but I want to be able to use the included cable that supports both charging and audio output in one cord. THAT only works in Dock Mode (in fact it doesnt even charge when plugged directly in, let alone route the audio to the 3.5mm jack.
I have to say that so far the thought put into the Motorola accessories like this dock blow away the HTC options and this Micro-USB to combo USB/3.5mm is exactly what I need but sometimes I just want to be able to only plug in ONE cord.
Any thoughts?
Im not sure what you are asking -- I disabled the Car Dock application by telling Tasker to open by default when plugged in.. I get MEDIA audio through the audio plug from the car dock.
Like I said, along with the car dock there is a combo cord, Micro USB to plug into the phone and USB on the other end for power as well as a female headphone jack. This cord usually plugs into the back of the dock which just extends it to the Micro-USB plug in the cradle that you set the phone into. I want to use the cord only, plugged directly into the phone.
Unfortunately the phone only routes audio out through the Micro-USB port when its in car dock mode, this is separate from the car dock app running and is denoted by the steering wheel icon in the top bar of the screen. Its switched into this mode by the previously mentioned magnets in the car dock, I need a way to switch it on some other way.
The cord is convenient because you only have to plug ONE thing in and you have both power and audio. Make sense?
starcastic said:
The cord is convenient because you only have to plug ONE thing in and you have both power and audio. Make sense?
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Click to collapse
Believe me, convenience makes sense to me.. I took the HD dock, and modified it so that it could be mounted to a ProClip swivel mount.. Part of that involved opening up the actual dock.. There is an IC inside the dock mount, if I recall - and I suspect that may be doing some playing around with the USB/audio split function. I did not see any magnets in there. The phone knows the difference between the HD Dock and the Car Dock - so I suspect the IC is giving it some of its info to determine that. I am not sure if magnets are being used this time around.
Does anyone know if the remote that comes with the web-dock combo will work while the phone is in the car dock? It would be a great feature and a lot safer to change songs while you are driving.
When I first got my Photon I had a problem getting the phone to seat properly in the dock using the Sprint case with holster. The case was hitting the raised area around the connectors because the hole in the case wasn't big enough, so I took a small file and carefully enlarged the hole so it could seat properly. I said all of that to say this; The phone appeared to be seated enough to be docked but was off just enough to not get a good connection. If there was anything magnet related it would have been in the dock enough to have been activated. There is definitely something in the dock that is being monitored to put it in Car Mode. If I get a chance today I'll do some testing to try and determine what is going on.
Sent from my MB855 using XDA Premium App
Been offline while doing some other things or I'd have replied earlier but yeah, the magnet idea was just a guess based on other reports here, I've not had a chance to disassemble mine to see whats goin' on in there.
I have to say I'm not a huge fan of the fit and finish on the dock as it relates to the way the integrated connector mates with the phone, it has an odd angle on it and even then doesnt seat all the way. Thats both with and without my slim case, both with and without the included. I dont have the bulky chrome Dell-looking Sprint case but its SUPPOSED to accept that one if you remove the spacer insert in the dock.
Does the iBolt car dock have a 3.5mm audio out? I've seen a few sites who's spec's indicate it does, however it looks similar to the Verizon one, and I have my doubts.
If no: Any car docks for the Rezound out with audio out? Is this even possible through the USB port? Should I be looking to upgrade my stereo with one that supports Bluetooth?
Thanks all,
Drew
As a side note: I've seen the charging problems with both VZW and iBolt docks, and the fix - My girlfriend and I are both very handy with a soldering iron, so I'm hoping I can fix that without much trouble.
I believe they are one in the same. I have the VZW branded one and it says ibolt on the box.
The mount does not interfere with the audio jack on the phone, so no need for a new stereo... sorry!
Can you link to the fix for the charging? I have not come across that yet... but it is a real issue.
I'll have to track down that thread, but I'm pretty sure it was on XDA. The fix involves shorting pins 2&3 (i think, don't try it yet!) on the phone connector inside the dock. This tells the phone that it's connected to a high-amperage source, and it can draw more power. If you do this, you, of course, want a 1A or greater charger. The best fix would be to pass pins 2&3 through from the phone connector to the charger connector, but that's more work.
I'll see if I can track down the thread and link it.
http://www.craigsdocks.com/htc-rezound-car-dock-swivel-style/
Had the I ibolt but returned it because of the charge issue and because the suction cup mount couldn't articulate into the position I needed it to. I bought the mount in the link above, it is far better, I mounted it with the fixed mount but I also bought the suction cup mount an it is also a better design than the ibolt and would have worked where I wanted it but I found a Better spot for the fixed mount.
This thread references the problem and a generic fix, I couldn't find the one that was specific to the dock. Perhaps the thread was from a different handset or a different forum.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1367120
I could be doing this mod soon, if I do, I will try to take plenty of pics and maybe do a short write-up.
I don't really like the look of the craigsdock, I prefer the VZW/iBolt one.
Edit: Found it now, look in this thread:
http://androidforums.com/htc-rezound/458723-verizon-rezound-window-dash-vehicle-mount-2.html
Here is my first official thread in the Evo 4G LTE forum. This is a basic guide on how I decided to wire my phone directly into my car to automatically stream music and charge, while making it clean as possible. Here is the list of things I needed in order to complete this installation. My goal was to have nothing to plug in allowing me to just drop the phone in the dock and roll on.
Materials:
Evo 4G LTE (baddest phone out there)
Incipio NGP Case (I give a review over the Diztronics below)(some other cases may work but this was one of the best fits possible)
Wired 12V Accessory Outlet for Automobile (with wire tap connectors and pigtail connectors) (you can also use a fuse jumper which I will explain below)
Belking Single Port Car Charger (which I modified by soldering the second and third pin together to allow full AC charging)
HTC USB cable (I tried to order a flat USB cable from China but the head was to big to fit into the back of the dock)
Vehicle Specific Mount (very sturdy and allows for a clean look)
ARKON APGN-VSM Vehicle Specific Mount Adapter (can be found here Amazon)
IBolt IBPF-33306 (I ordered from here Cell Guru. It took about a week to get to Indianapolis but it was the best price I could find. I ordered it along with an Incipio NGP case for around $40).
Bluetooth Streaming Stereo (You can use the AUX on your stereo but it's another wire to plug in and it is so much cleaner without it)
Instructions:
1.) Stereo Removal and Bluetooth Recommendations:
The first thing I did was take apart my radio unit dash section in my car. I have a 2002 Maxima so it was relatively easy. If you search google for your car Year Make and Model and simply type head unit removal afterwards, you can probably find a tutorial. The general rule with this is the more American and the newer the car, the harder it is to take apart the radio unit dash section. I had already installed a Sony MEXBT2900 stereo in my car which I used to stream Bluetooth all the way back to my HTC Hero. It is really good sound quality for streaming but the sound quality during phone calls is decent as long as you have the windows up and no AC blowing. There are much higher end Bluetooth stereos and I always recommend a Kenwood (was too poor to afford one at the time). I'm pretty good with car audio so if you don't know what you are doing at this point, find a buddy that knows what he is doing or find a local car audio shop to help you out. DO NOT GO TO BEST BUY. The installers there are complete idiots and will mess up you car along with overcharging you. Always try to support your local car shops. You can probably have them run the accessory outlet and install the stereo for around 100 bucks. If you are ballin enough to have a car with stock bluetooth streaming capabilities in your car, you are in luck. All you have to do at this point is run the 12 V Accessory Outlet.
2.) 12 V Accessory Outlet
You don't necessarily have to do this step as you can always run a charger from you current accessory outlet or what the old schoolers call it, cigarette lighter. However I wanted everything to be hidden behind the dash so I decided to run a new one from and existing power circuit. You have two routes you can go with this. Find a circuit that stays on no matter if the car is on or off. Find a circuit that turns on and off with the car. I was lucky enough that my accessory outlet right below my head unit turned on and off with the car which is exactly what I wanted. So I went to Amazon and ordered a 12V Power/Accessory Socket/Outlet. They also sell these in a lot of car stores such as AutoZone and Advanced Auto Parts. Make sure you get a fused one because anytime you run a new power wire in you car, it needs to be fused. I don't know the exact fuse rating needed as I always kind of guess (which is terrible but I'm not an electrician or an engineer). Usually the fuse that comes prewired into the socket is just right. I also ordered some of these and simple Wire Taps off of Amazon. Before going any further I recommend disconnecting the negative terminal from your battery. It will prevent and shorts or bad circuits. It not convenient for testing but it will save you if you mess something up. I got to the back of the current accessory outlet in my car and tapped into the wires. Positive to red, Negative to Black. They may not be colored this way in your Automobile so either try to find a wiring guide online or just do some testing. The cool things about the wire taps I ordered is that the accessory outlet clips directly into the taps and you don't have to strip any wires. You can buy a mountable Accessory Outlet online if it jiggling around behind your dash bothers you, but it really didn't find it necessary. Another option is find a fuse in your fuse box that controls a circuit that turns on and off with the car. Then you buy something called a Fuse Tap and simply slide the fuse into the hook side and then slide the fuse back into it's spot. From there you have created a new circuit but make sure the positive wire clipping onto the tap has a fuse. From this point you simply run the wire and ground the black wire of your accessory port to a ground point in your car (bolt or metal screw on the chassis). A big point here is if you do this and decide to use the AUX route, you could end up with a ground loop (horrible buzzing noise when phone is being charged and AUX is plugged in). It is hit or miss depending on how your automobile is wired. You do not have this problem with streaming bluetooth. So at this point, I ran the accessory outlet behind my stereo (back tucked away) and simply plugged in the charger and ran the charging cable through a convenient point in my stereo harness. This can be a tricky thing as I always recommend not to drill holes in you dash. Now for the fun part.
2.) Installing the Vehicle Specific Mount
There are infinite amount of mounting options but I wanted to choose a flush/semi-permanent one. I did some research and I found these little pieces of metal called Vehicle Specific Mounts. There are a couple of companies that make these. Pro-Clip, Pro-Fit, Arkon, Tessco, Bracketron, and Pro-fit. My advice is spend and hour and do your research. Think about where you want everything mounted and take in consideration viewing angle and safety. Find a cheap one because they are all basically machined pieces of steel (this may not be possible as the materials aren't expensive but I'm sure the R&D is). I ended up ordering a Pro-Fit NS-50-95 Custom Mount from TSS Radio. They are based out of Chicago and are very fast and responsive to any questions and shipping. They should all come with instruction on how to mount and all the necessary hardware. While you have the radio dash unit taken apart, this is a good time to get this installed. Follow the instructions and make sure everything is secure. Once you have this mounted correctly, you can put everything back together while making sure your charging cable has enough slack. This is a good time to do a test run and make sure your wired charger is getting power to your phone.
3.) ARKON APGN-VSM and IBolt Car Dock
These things go together like pees and carrots. It is a simple 17mm ball mount so the dock fits perfectly onto it. Once you figure that out, you can slide the Arkon Adapter apart. You will see what I mean if you order one. It basically has sliding teeth that allow the adapter to separate into two pieces. Before you separate it though, line it up with the VSM and find how you want to put it together. Slide the dock apart from the adapter now and attach the Arkon adapter to the VSM with the Arkon included hardware. This is very easy as it includes 4 screws and 4 nuts. When you are doing this, make sure the sliding teeth are facing up so when you go to mount the dock, you are sliding it down onto the dock. You will understand if you decide to do this because if you mount it the other way, the mount may slide down and apart over big bumps. Connect the power cable to the back of the dock and you should be good to go. Make sure everything is charging and works properly.
4.) HTC Car App Settings
I wanted it set up to where I would simply get in my car, turn the car on, throw the phone in the dock, and it would connect to my bluetooth and start streaming music. To get into the setting of the car app, just press on the bottom information bar where the battery and signal are displayed. I have my settings in the pictures below. This is the bad ass part of the whole operation. I can have my bluetooth off on my phone and when I plug it into the dock, it starts charging, starts the car app, turns my bluetooth on, and immediately starts streaming my music. When I take it off the dock, it stops playing music, obviously stops charging, and TURNS MY BLUETOOTH off on my phone. Play around with the settings to your liking or go out and find another car dock app. I like the stock one but other have decided to move on to different things.
A big thing I wanted to ask and nobody on this wonderful forum would answer is, will using the dock void my charger mod and revert it back to USB charging? The answer is no. I still have full AC charging through the dock. I'm am so pleased with this setup as it makes driving so much easier considering I drive a manual. My baby has 145K on it and it is still running strong. When it is time for a new car, I will simply buy a new VSM and do this installation all over.
5.) Incipio NGP Case vs. Diztronics TPU Case
I initially ordered the Diztronics because the Incipio wasn't available yet. I jumped on the Incipio as soon as I found it was released and luckily Cell Guru has it for around $13. The main reasons I like the Incipio over the Diztronics is because it is a little thicker, sturdier, grippier, and it covers the buttons. The covering of the buttons isn't an issue at all as all the button work relatively easy and there are no accidental presses of any type. All the ports are protected but accessible and it provides better protection of the camera lens with a little thicker material back there. Also the whole thing is a grippy flat black polymer, and not just the back of it like the Diztronics. I give the Diztronics about 7/10 stars because although it is a great TPU case, it simply lacks some things. I give the Incipio 9/10 and the only reason I didn't give it a perfect is because the covered buttons are just a slight bit harder to push.
This is the basic tutorial of what I've done. I honesty think it is the cleanest way to mount you EVO4G LTE and allow it to charge and play music without any extra plugging in. The pictures I took are with my phone. Sorry I didn't include more but I don't have another camera. Let me know if you have any questions.
I highly recommend 'car home ultra' app from the market. Its free and sooo much better than HTC app
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
jamfreak said:
I highly recommend 'car home ultra' app from the market. Its free and sooo much better than HTC app
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed...the HTC version isn't bad but Ultra is so much more customizable.
Very cool!
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Isn't that a 30 day free trial? I just dled it and it says free 30 trial
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
I've ordered the Z2 and it should be coming to my door any day now. When I realized that a magnetic charger might be a good idea to prevent wear of the microUSB port I started to look at the options available. Unfortunately the charging dock sold by Sony is too expensive in my opinion and I would like to find an off-brand alternative. I've looked through the posts on this forum and have come to understand that putting the charger in the wrong direction could be a big mistake. I'm still willing to buy just a cable but would prefer a dock to help prevent this.
My questions is does anyone have a suggestion for a dock(preferable) / cable?
I found this cable on amazon:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1947489602&pf_rd_i=915398
PS: A lot of docks on amazon have some bad reviews and I'm wary of buying them
I was in the same boat. The Sony dock looks nice like but it was fairly expensive.
I just ordered this last week:
http://www.amazon.ca/Magnector-Perf..._1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1421124799&sr=1-2
I've got genuine Sony and this one as well. Sony charger is cut more precisely, phone is held exactly as it should with no wiggle etc. But this alone doesn't justify 10 times higher price. The cheapo one does the job in the same way, I see no difference in charging speed. For example this cable is OK as well. If you don't mind waiting for delivery (it takes about 4 weeks to Europe), I can only recommend these products and Aliexpress site.
Regarding the cables with LED indicator - I've got one and even if it's interesting I don't find it useful. LED light is always on and when it reaches ~95% battery threshold it starts to flicker until fully charged, then the color changes to solid again.
Is it hard to screw up the direction of the charger? I've heard it will completely discharge the battery (It shorts the terminals?)
Also, is there a thin case that has a slot for the magnetic charging / what cases do you use if any?
Thanks for the info guys!
Theoretically the plastic around the terminals should prevent the connector from actually connecting "the wrong way" but in practice it can still happen, especially if you insist in moving and pushing the cable.
If the cable is coming out from "the middle" of the connector is easier to put it wrong (otherwise is easy to remember the cable has to go from the middle of the phone to the bottom so is much harder to make the mistake). However because the phone is so symetric you might confuse the front with the back and put it in reverse even in the docking station.
And last but not least make sure you have good warranty - it is possible that the magnet will "suck out" the connector from the phone, mine is barely hanging and is supposed to be from the batch that fixed this issue.
I have the original Sony dock as well as a third party dock. I also have a magnetic adapter for micro USB. All are working fine. Here are the links:
Third party dock - this works fine with my Z2 even though the title says Z3.
Micro USB adapter
Thanks for the reply unni_kmr, unfortunately I'm in Canada and I can't order through amazon.com easily. (Also that isn't on amazon.ca)
Anyone have input on whether I should get this dock for $15?
http://www.amazon.ca/Patec®-Magneti...=UTF8&qid=1421438530&sr=1-15&keywords=z2+case
Also, I'm looking for a case that's slim but doesn't impede the magnetic charging port. Any suggestions?
EDIT: Found this case, might try to cut a charging hole myself
http://www.amazon.ca/Xcessor-Vapour...id=1421440356&sr=8-2&keywords=z2+case+xcessor
WGuitar said:
Also, I'm looking for a case that's slim but doesn't impede the magnetic charging port. Any suggestions?
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Click to collapse
I don't have a case. I am using the Mocolo tempered glass on front and back. I bought it from here. Its very thin glass. Even with it on the front and back, the phone slides into the docks easily.
slow charging speed
hi there, i recently updated my Z2 , to 4.4.4 and everything is absolutely as expected but magnetic charging speed has taken a serious blow. with 4.4.2 it was as fast as normal cable charging but now with 4.4.4 it has become extremely slow , almost takes 8 minutes to charge 1%, and more than 8-9 hrs to fully charge ..
anyone else facing a similar issue .....kindly suggest solutions.:crying:
thanks
WGuitar said:
I've ordered the Z2 and it should be coming to my door any day now. When I realized that a magnetic charger might be a good idea to prevent wear of the microUSB port I started to look at the options available. Unfortunately the charging dock sold by Sony is too expensive in my opinion and I would like to find an off-brand alternative. I've looked through the posts on this forum and have come to understand that putting the charger in the wrong direction could be a big mistake. I'm still willing to buy just a cable but would prefer a dock to help prevent this.
My questions is does anyone have a suggestion for a dock(preferable) / cable?
I found this cable on amazon:
http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1947489602&pf_rd_i=915398
PS: A lot of docks on amazon have some bad reviews and I'm wary of buying them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What do you mean by putting the charger in the wrong direction could be bad. Do you mean the magnetic charger can only work in one specific direction?
y300owner said:
What do you mean by putting the charger in the wrong direction could be bad. Do you mean the magnetic charger can only work in one specific direction?
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Click to collapse
Not only it can work in only one direction but even worse if you manage to make it connect in reverse it might break the phone or the battery. Yay Sony!
d210 said:
Not only it can work in only one direction but even worse if you manage to make it connect in reverse it might break the phone or the battery. Yay Sony!
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Click to collapse
I use a "magnetron" cable for several moths now and never had any issues with it.
It is not possible to connect it in the wrong orientation.
I'm really happy with it and would absolutely buy it again.
kuhno said:
I use a "magnetron" cable for several moths now and never had any issues with it.
It is not possible to connect it in the wrong orientation.
I'm really happy with it and would absolutely buy it again.
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Click to collapse
Very expensive cable though...
And if you wiggle it a bit I'm sure you can make contact with it even in reverse. I assume it is using like any other cable the normal "mechanical protection" which consists in a tiny (fraction of a mm) extra plastic on the "lower" pin from magnetic connector.
A load of teardowns of the F1 are appearing online (this one is really short)
Seems to be very straightforward assembly - easy to get the back off, switch battery etc. 3rd party Qi receiver coils are very cheap and tiny (<1mm thick).
Surely not beyond the wit of man to install one inside the polycarbonate case and wire it into the usb-c power feed?
Would be awesome. A cable between the battery BTB connector would be great. like the qi mod on the iphone. https://youtu.be/YY5R-7dgbEA?t=8m20s
Any updates on this?
DoudouJack said:
Any updates on this?
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Click to collapse
The easiest way round it would be to use a qi coil like this https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bhqXBDQC inserted between the phone and a tpu case. Only problem really is that it blocks your USBC slot. Cheap and cheerful solution - entirely reversible too
thesoupthief said:
The easiest way round it would be to use a qi coil like this https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/bhqXBDQC inserted between the phone and a tpu case. Only problem really is that it blocks your USBC slot. Cheap and cheerful solution - entirely reversible too
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Click to collapse
Thanks for replying. I already know about these pads but I'm searching to kinda insert one inside the phone, which would connect internally instead of using the type c port. Not sure where the connection would be possible though, as the current would need to go through the daughter-board for security reasons.
I agree, inserting it in the case is the neater solution, but it is a bit of a complex fix, particularly when you consider how long qi would take to fully charge a 4000mAh battery (I'm guessing about 6hrs, judging by my experience with nexus 4 & 5, both having had much smaller cells). Having thought some more about it I'm just not convinced anymore that it's worth the hassle
Honestly, i don't think it's useful. Fast charging vs wireless. It is possible if you soldier stuff in it, but why
Daniktheboss said:
Honestly, i don't think it's useful. Fast charging vs wireless. It is possible if you soldier stuff in it, but why
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Click to collapse
Just because in some of my daily cases it would be very useful (e.g. the car mount connected via cable and charging wirelessly instead of putting the phone in the car mount and try to put the cable in it while holding it).
It is not a must have and ofc it's not charging as fast as wired, but if there is a possibility like a mod to buy I would definitely go for it.
DoudouJack said:
Just because in some of my daily cases it would be very useful (e.g. the car mount connected via cable and charging wirelessly instead of putting the phone in the car mount and try to put the cable in it while holding it).
It is not a must have and ofc it's not charging as fast as wired, but if there is a possibility like a mod to buy I would definitely go for it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Imho wireless charging is low power efficiency, produce more heat. May i suggess u to use magnetic cable, its easy to use when we driving especialy when you use phone car holder
Updates?