Related
Thought I'll let ya'll know.
EDIT: Review.
Ok, I bought this from the store. I thought I'll wait to see if there was a better one, but I was unconvinced, not to mention some of them looked this, atleast from the suggestions of one of the store reps.
The mount costs 30 dollars outright from the store. If you buy two accessories, they take 20percent off both, three or more accessories and the discount becomes 25percent.
The box comes with: a cradle, window (suction) mount, a circular sticky pad (to mount the unit over the dash), and an alcohol wipe. It sucks that this does not come with the usb car charger, which apparently was a separate purchase for me ($5 dollars on amazon instead of $30 at the store).
So far I like it. Unlike other reviews, I have found it fairly easy to mount it, even with only one hand. And once you snap the lock on the top, it stays there. Once mounted, it automatically launches the car panel app, whether the dock itself is plugged in to a power source or not.
Although its sturdy, sometimes it shakes when you hit a bump on the road. Plus, adjusting the mount itself requires two hands though, and there are a couple of knobs that you can sort of tighten the adjustment into place. These are the only two quirks that I have with this.
Overall, I like it. As someone who uses the phone navigation quite a lot, it helps to have your phone mounted instead of fumbling around while driving, which is a definite no-no.
Definitely interested in this. Missing my DX's car mount.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Did it come with the audio cable to plug into your headunit? After selling my DX I can't seem to find that cable anywhere. Plugged into headphone jack.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
No it did not come with an audio cable.
Sent from my StarTAC
My family has 3 of these mounts. The first two had the two "teeth" in the usb connector, which made it harder to pull the TB out. But the last one was bought more recently and it's missing the teeth. I think VZW heard people's complaints and redesigned it. On that mount, the TB comes off easily.
Awesome - thanks for taking the time to post pictures and a write review!
I use my phone for navigation a lot and have been holding off on getting the car mount because of poor reviews. But this definitely looks a lot better than keeping it on my lap
I find the kickstand-in-vent mount to be working quite well. Even on bumpy roads.
necosino said:
I find the kickstand-in-vent mount to be working quite well. Even on bumpy roads.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That just scares me lol - I'd be afraid of the kickstand breaking after a while. Or getting worn out and start to just flap around like a fish out of water ...
YankInDaSouth said:
That just scares me lol - I'd be afraid of the kickstand breaking after a while. Or getting worn out and start to just flap around like a fish out of water ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just leave the phone angled at like 30* upwards so that all of the weight isn't on the kickstand, but everything is still completely visible. I'm thinking of adding a small support as well though. (I have a spare console vent, so if I mess it up I can replace it easy enough).
what25 said:
No it did not come with an audio cable.
Sent from my StarTAC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Damn. Can't find it anywhere.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Wouldn't any 3.5mm stereo cable work? I have a 2 foot cable I used to plug a cowon q5w to my car's unit. Sounded pretty nice, and I am thinking of using it for this phone in the car cradle.
Just to add to the OP's review, my recent purchase of this cradle also shows no issue with being too tight. I was disappointed it came without a power cable, though I already had one from amazon for $5 anyway. And finally, my Thunderbolt gets SUPER hot while plugged into this cradle. Almost too hot to handle.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
tedkord said:
And finally, my Thunderbolt gets SUPER hot while plugged into this cradle. Almost too hot to handle.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just today put the sticky pad below the ac vents closer to the shift stick an mounted my dock there, and so far it hasnt shown any heat issues. Previously it did, but I had it on my windshield during the day, when the sunlight was basically at the phone during the time it was there.
My .02 on the car mount....
1) Phone does get hot I noticed too. I pointed one of my dash vents directly up toward the phone, doesn't overheat, but wondering what will happen in winter when cool air isn't blowing on it...
2) Phone does tend to jiggle a little bit more than on previous car mounts I have owned. Not enough to bother me, but it's been mentioned as a complaint by others, and it does happen.
3) The stock music player does crazy things when in the car mount. I solved this by downloading the Android Music app from the market, no more issues, and free.
4) Not a huge fan of the stock Car Dock mode, as it doesn't have a link to music or voice search. I fixed this by downloading Google Car Home from the market. Free, and customizable to any app you want to use.
5) Any 3.5mm cable will work with this mount, however, the one I already owned was too big to clip into the back of the mount (has 1 clip for a charger, 1 for 3.5mm cable). Getting a standard sized one worked great however, hangs next to car dock for easy access once phone is in position.
Finally, I spoke to an HTC rep about the car dock a couple of weeks ago. He told me that the mount currently for sale is NOT manufactured by HTC, but that one from HTC was coming out soon (no idea to timeframe).
Hope this helps!
ludionis said:
Finally, I spoke to an HTC rep about the car dock a couple of weeks ago. He told me that the mount currently for sale is NOT manufactured by HTC, but that one from HTC was coming out soon (no idea to timeframe).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm really doubting that HTC will make one, since I have not seen any car mounts built by them for their other phones, except for very few (say Nexus One).
pitchblack86 said:
Definitely interested in this. Missing my DX's car mount.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed! Absolutely necessary for me on road trips and such. I'm definitely getting this...
ive had one for a while now. i couldnt live with out it.
I've got one for sale if anyone is interested. Used it twice.
It does not work with an extended battery or with a case on your phone.
PM me if you're interested...sorry to thread jack.
interesting dock but we need something that works with an extended battery/case
good pictures and review
respect
tedkord said:
Wouldn't any 3.5mm stereo cable work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is correct, yes, any standard audio cable will work. You can buy them anywhere.
Anyone figure out a way to use this with the extended battery? Getting it in & out is a pain.
I just picked this up. I really like me. I am rooted and using BAMF 1.6 remix with the Google Car.
Has anybody tried mounting their tab in their car? I'd like to mount mine on the center console and use it for navigation and music, but I haven't found any mounting solutions for my ZJ that I like. I'm hoping maybe the Broddit Proclip for the 10.1 isn't too far away.
I've seen the ones that bolt to the floor, but I don't think I'm really interested in something like that. Plus, they are expensive.
Anyway, those of you that have done this - let us know what you worked out, and give us a few pictures if you'd be so kind. I'm keen to get my tab mounted in my Jeep as well!
I use this one...
A word of caution is that, compared to a phone or a GPS, the Tab is relatively heavy. It tends to vibrate some at the end of the clip. But if you just stick the mount into a cup holder in the center console of your car you should be fine.
Anybody seen anything new? Not many options thus far
I've been keeping my eye out... but still haven't seen much either.
The 10.1 is a fairly large device to mount to a dash with something like a ProClip. I used a proclip center vent mount for my Garmin and it was great, but I could not imagine the GT sitting there like that.
As awesome and cool as it would be to have the GT mounted nicely on the dash it would block too many things on the dash. The type of vehicle you have will also be a huge factor, maybe you have one of those larger popup drawers that some cars have, maybe the GT can somehow be mounted in that spot.
I'm working on making a custom mount for my car, that will drop the tab over my radio and will look stock.
I modeled the radio and dash in Solidworks and am fabricating the custom mounts later today. I'll post pictures of the process and make a thread later this week.
If you can get me the specs of the radio, I may be able to make you a mount as well.
Since there are no custom car mounts for the 10.1 Tab yet, I bought this car mount from Ebay to use for a 2000+ mile road trip I'm taking next week:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310333108738&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2583wt_1037
While it is off course a plastic fantastic, non-custom car mount, I just tried it out in my Civic and found it to be quite decent actually. Very simple design and not too bulky at all, and seems fairly sturdy (of course, I wouldn't be surprised if it falls off the window at some point). I'll take some pictures later of it in action and post them in this thread.
For power, I used this dual USB car charger (one 2.1A and one 1A USB jacks to charge both my 10.1 Tab and my Evo 4G at the same time):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120693523948&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
It won't charge the 10.1 Tab without this adapter though:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190522553195&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3085wt_1037
All together, I have a fairly nice setup for my 10.1 Tab and Evo 4G (with wireless hotspot to my Tab) that will hopefully work well during my trip next week.
Sholland91 said:
I'm working on making a custom mount for my car, that will drop the tab over my radio and will look stock.
I modeled the radio and dash in Solidworks and am fabricating the custom mounts later today. I'll post pictures of the process and make a thread later this week.
If you can get me the specs of the radio, I may be able to make you a mount as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cant wait to see the finished product!
su6oxone said:
Since there are no custom car mounts for the 10.1 Tab yet, I bought this car mount from Ebay to use for a 2000+ mile road trip I'm taking next week:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310333108738&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2583wt_1037
While it is off course a plastic fantastic, non-custom car mount, I just tried it out in my Civic and found it to be quite decent actually. Very simple design and not too bulky at all, and seems fairly sturdy (of course, I wouldn't be surprised if it falls off the window at some point). I'll take some pictures later of it in action and post them in this thread.
For power, I used this dual USB car charger (one 2.1A and one 1A USB jacks to charge both my 10.1 Tab and my Evo 4G at the same time):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120693523948&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT
It won't charge the 10.1 Tab without this adapter though:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190522553195&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3085wt_1037
All together, I have a fairly nice setup for my 10.1 Tab and Evo 4G (with wireless hotspot to my Tab) that will hopefully work well during my trip next week.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Will that mount stick to the dash or glass only?
Sholland91 said:
I'm working on making a custom mount for my car, that will drop the tab over my radio and will look stock.
I modeled the radio and dash in Solidworks and am fabricating the custom mounts later today. I'll post pictures of the process and make a thread later this week.
If you can get me the specs of the radio, I may be able to make you a mount as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd like something like this. I don't want to mount my tab in the windshield or on the dash, it's way too big for that imho. But there is PLENTY of room on the center console of my Jeep to hold the tab. It has a 1.5 DIN mount there, so I've been wondering if I could figure something out with that extra half DIN that I had available.
As far as Broddit Proclips go, then already have mounts for the iPad and Xoom, so I don't think it would be much of an issue for the Galaxy Tab 101.1.
Any advice for a good mount for a convertible?
When i drove a Hummer, I would just put my netbook up on the dash and it never moved. Now that I've gone to retro thunderbird, I'm worried that due to the wind factor, it will fly out when I'm on the freeway. The cup holders are a bit back..... so something with a long stem on it might be ideal.
This is what the interiors look like.
njfoses said:
Will that mount stick to the dash or glass only?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only tried it with glass since it didn't come with a plastic sticker circle, but I'm not sure it would be able to support the 10.1's weight from the dash.
anyone tried this mount yet? add the "HTTP.WWW"
mountguys.com/product_p/mfx-88-ipadtab.htm i still can't post links
If you have a folio type case you can use my "ultimate $2 car mounting solution" All you need is a 6' bungee cord, available at any Walmart/Target/hardware store for $2 or less. Guide the hooks from each end of the cord into vents on your dash, fold the flap of the case backwords and slide it between the cord and the dash. Presto! Not the prettiest set up, but dirt-cheap and actually works very well.
That looks great exactly what i was looking for. Please post pics when completed, would love to have one made for my car.
Sholland91 said:
I'm working on making a custom mount for my car, that will dwrop the tab over my radio and will look stock.
I modeled the radio and dash in Solidworks and am fabricating the custom mounts later today. I'll post pictures of the process and make a thread later this week.
If you can get me the specs of the radio, I may be able to make you a mount as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using a Ram Mount for a Motorola Xoom as shown here:
http://www.ram-mount.com/NewProducts/motorolaxoommount/tabid/3871/Default.aspx
Fits fine, though I needed to file out the side of the mount slightly to fit the 3.5mm headphone jack in. Nothing 5 minutes with a round file couldn't handle.
Ram have a variety of ways to mount this to your car - I'm using this one:
http://www.ram-mount.com/CatalogRes...45051049054045049045050051056085/Default.aspx
Because I need a nice solid setup for my 4x4.
I got a PadHoldr mount that has spacers to make it work with any tablet (Xoom, Galaxy, iPAd, whatever) and so far I really like it. It bolts underneath your dash and has an arm tha comes out. It covers up my radio controls so I could care less about that. Had this in there for months now going strong, has a foam pad on the back so it doesn't wobble around. Use this for Pandora/music videos/Google nav/Torque/everything. Highly recommended!!
So, on my way to work this morning I was in my car fiddling with my phone while driving. Yes, I know i'm not supposed to and it's dangerous! But god damnit i'm used to having a car dock. Its not my fault vzw decided to release this...how should I put it big piece of fecal matter into the market.
Okay so long story short, I almost got in an accident because i was trying to switch songs in google music but b/c i have no car dock, I had to look down. I've lived the past 2 years with my og droid with the car dock. I really wanted to wait for something better, cause honestly without the 3 pin function built into the dock, i didn't want to spend this money. But i finally gave in due to my safety, and the safety of others.
Now here is my review:
Ill start with the good.
-The dock is extremely sturdy. I think once the phone is put into the holder, it will honestly never come out as long as you've secured the base correctly.
-The material that surrounds the phone is very nice
-It's easy to move the phone while its in the dock. meaning lets say my passenger wants to have a look and fool around with the dock, she or he can easily just pop that screen facing his / her way and tighten the bolt.
-It fits with the extended battery
Now the bad:
-This one is obvious. No 3 pin connection????? WTF ARE YOU THINKING VERIZON.
-The phone takes FORCE to put into the dock, and I mean with both hands. I am so gentle with my g-nex usually.... its almost like im molesting it trying to get it in the dock.
-NO charge / audio out on the base of the dock. Again i say, WTF ARE YOU THINKING VERIZON
-The part of the dock that surrounds the 3.5mm audio out jack DOESNT FIT bigger cables. Meaning, if you spent extra money to buy a good 3.5mm cable thats thick, it probably wont fit. I have a belkin pure a/v 3.5mm cable and it does not fit. Most likely will only fit regular sized 3.5mm cables
-Because the dock material is kind of...like rubber i guess? When you forcefully slide the phone in(you have to) it makes me paranoid about the volume / power buttons. To me, it feels like over 100 slide-ins, the keys would probably get damaged because of the force you need to use and how tight the dock fits.
Honestly, if the dock just had the 3 pin connection for audio out / charge i would rate the dock 10/10 for that alone. But because it doesnt, im giving it a rating of 3/10. I bought a gnex for the sole purpose of utilizing those 3 pins so i dont have to plug **** in every damn time i get in and out of the car. But for now, it serves its purpose as purely a phone holder.
Can you confirm that a car dock app doesn't pop up automatically? I use Car Dashboard Pro.
I can confirm...since it is merely a place to put a phone with no automatic port to plug into it technically doesn't even know it is in a dock.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
I completely agree with your review--I ended up picking it up, strictly because I needed nav on a road trip...but still not happy about having to buy this thing.
Have you guys checked out the reviews for this thing on the Verizon site? All of the reviews are 1/5 or 2/5 stars (first review by yours truly)...yet somehow the overall rating is 5/5. Verizon should learn how to cheat at product ratings less obviously...
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/...ryDetails&archetypeId=12924&accessoryId=49882
I just received and installed the official Samsung car mount. Physically, it has incredible build quality. Both the suction piece and the actual arm look and feel as if they were designed to withstand people trying to break it. The aesthetics are also top notch. Performance is what I was looking for. I no longer have to plug in my headphone jack into my phone every time I get in the car. I can now pop my phone in and leave Pandora running with the screen on without worrying about being distracted when changing songs or draining battery life. The adjustments available are perfect for me since I mounted mines on the windshield. If you want to mount it somewhere else using the plastic dash piece they give you, the fixed arm and adjustable joint may not provide you with as much mobility as you'd need--depending on where you mount it.
This dock is easily worth the $36 I paid for it, that much I know for certain. I have a similar dock from when I had my iPhone 3GS and it looks flimsy and cheap compared to the Samsung mount even though both cost approximately the same. For the price, the dock and charger combo are hard to beat. It's also a lot more convenient to use than a dock that doesn't have the phone connections built in.
All in all, I'm incredibly satisfied with the purchase.
In case you're wondering how it hooks up, here's a youtube link for the T-mobile Galaxy S2 that another user posted. The Sprint version is exactly the same, except for adjustments made to the flexible plastic to fit our phone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8XNr7A91j0
thanks for this, megatron! I dont want to okie dokie my phone if I dont need to and this looks really nice and durable...appreciate the post.
rayandreas said:
thanks for this, megatron! I dont want to okie dokie my phone if I dont need to and this looks really nice and durable...appreciate the post.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem. Be sure to note that it may not fit your phone if you use a case. I haven't pushed the charger yet to see how much of a load it can handle before the energy use by the phone outpaces the power supplied by the charger. Thus far, I've only run Pandora with the screen on a 100% of the time and it still charged the phone a good amount. I'm hoping I eventually get the chance to test out google maps or navigation with pandora running to see how the charger holds up against that type of drain.
i have this, very happy with it so far.
Question: How does the phone know it's docked to activate Car Mode? Is there a magnet in the dock that the phone picks up on like the old DROIDs?
Based on this review, I've ordered one of the mounts for myself. I'll report back when it comes in!
xak944 said:
Question: How does the phone know it's docked to activate Car Mode? Is there a magnet in the dock that the phone picks up on like the old DROIDs?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe it detects a certain resistance or short across a couple of the USB pins.
I was looking for a Qi compatible cardockingstation and i found the Owl Carpad, it looked good and was according the site compatible with the nexus 4, now the question: will it work with a Nexus 5? i found different stories all over the internet, has enyone tried it?
Because i'm a new forummember i can't place a link here..
Or do you recommend a different carmount?
Also i was thinking of placing a NFC-sticker on the inside of the charger so that if i place my phone it will automaticly start my navigation, bluetooth an spotify but will it work? because of the field generated by the charging.
Tomorrow i will be replacing my N4 with a N5!!!(Sorry i'm just happyXD)
Sorry i my grammar isn't wat it's supposed to be
i believe as long as it states Qi, that it will be compatible. Qi is a universal standard so it should work with all Qi compatible devices.
envizion58 said:
i believe as long as it states Qi, that it will be compatible. Qi is a universal standard so it should work with all Qi compatible devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok true, but the location of the coil for charging is lacated different to the nexus 4 i think, of it's a couple of mm to hight i won't charge i'm affraid
Check their site, they have an upgrade pcb you can install.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
There was alot of talk about this in the Nexus 4 forums, and one of the devs was acting as a US distrobutor of sorts as well to help save on shipping costs. Someone over there probably has a Nexus 5 by now and could probably answer your questions with first hand knowledge.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2029734
KevinWolfs said:
I was looking for a Qi compatible cardockingstation and i found the Owl Carpad, it looked good and was according the site compatible with the nexus 4, now the question: will it work with a Nexus 5? i found different stories all over the internet, has enyone tried it?
Because i'm a new forummember i can't place a link here..
Or do you recommend a different carmount?
Also i was thinking of placing a NFC-sticker on the inside of the charger so that if i place my phone it will automaticly start my navigation, bluetooth an spotify but will it work? because of the field generated by the charging.
Tomorrow i will be replacing my N4 with a N5!!!(Sorry i'm just happyXD)
Sorry i my grammar isn't wat it's supposed to be
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I live in Korea so I got mine real quick. I ordered the Nexus 5 bundle kit where they sent a desktop QI charger, the car QI charger with both suction and vent mounts. They've both been great, but also keep in mind I've only had them for a few hours. My daily commute is about 30 minutes so I'll get a better feel of the car dock in the coming weeks. The Nexus 5 slides/clips in real smooth and easy and is easy to get out. We'll see how it holds up to bumps and whatnot.
I've read some people saying it cuts off charging at around 90%, so I'll be testing that plus how it holds up with navigation software running. For my purposes, I don't really expect it to charge the battery while running navi, but at the very least, to prevent drain. So far, I like.
dipson626 said:
Hey, I live in Korea so I got mine real quick. I ordered the Nexus 5 bundle kit where they sent a desktop QI charger, the car QI charger with both suction and vent mounts. They've both been great, but also keep in mind I've only had them for a few hours. My daily commute is about 30 minutes so I'll get a better feel of the car dock in the coming weeks. The Nexus 5 slides/clips in real smooth and easy and is easy to get out. We'll see how it holds up to bumps and whatnot.
I've read some people saying it cuts off charging at around 90%, so I'll be testing that plus how it holds up with navigation software running. For my purposes, I don't really expect it to charge the battery while running navi, but at the very least, to prevent drain. So far, I like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. Will be keeping n eye on your reports. :thumbup:
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
dipson626 said:
Hey, I live in Korea so I got mine real quick. I ordered the Nexus 5 bundle kit where they sent a desktop QI charger, the car QI charger with both suction and vent mounts. They've both been great, but also keep in mind I've only had them for a few hours. My daily commute is about 30 minutes so I'll get a better feel of the car dock in the coming weeks. The Nexus 5 slides/clips in real smooth and easy and is easy to get out. We'll see how it holds up to bumps and whatnot.
I've read some people saying it cuts off charging at around 90%, so I'll be testing that plus how it holds up with navigation software running. For my purposes, I don't really expect it to charge the battery while running navi, but at the very least, to prevent drain. So far, I like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you, do you have a link where i can order one? i don't see it on the official website?
I'm seriously considering designing and 3D printing car dock with USB in it so you can just drop your phone in. Not enough of such products... None in fact.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
undercover said:
I'm seriously considering designing and 3D printing car dock with USB in it so you can just drop your phone in. Not enough of such products... None in fact.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah but wireless is a bit nicer, in the car and you will not make the dock work the first time, you wil spend hours drawing, printing and fitting, and i will probably look not as nice.
I just ordered the nexus 5 charging pack from Owl, it was €80, with taxes from Holland it's €100 for 2 wireless chargers what is a lot of money, i sure hope the Qi standard will work with my next devicesXD
KevinWolfs said:
Yeah but wireless is a bit nicer, in the car and you will not make the dock work the first time, you wil spend hours drawing, printing and fitting, and i will probably look not as nice.
I just ordered the nexus 5 charging pack from Owl, it was €80, with taxes from Holland it's €100 for 2 wireless chargers what is a lot of money, i sure hope the Qi standard will work with my next devicesXD
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I can make things look nice, worry not. It is a lot of work to design it though.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
KevinWolfs said:
Thank you, do you have a link where i can order one? i don't see it on the official website?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here's the main site (all in Korean): http://owllus.net/index.php
I did everything in Korean, but now that you asked, I dug a little deeper, and I found this: http://owllus.com/
If you go to the top, you'll see the different options, the ~/all is what you want. I like it so far, but still too early to make a final call. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help.
[Edit: Oops, I just saw that it said you already ordered one. If case anyone else was wondering, here you are.]
dipson626 said:
Here's the main site (all in Korean): http://owllus.net/index.php
I did everything in Korean, but now that you asked, I dug a little deeper, and I found this: http://owllus.com/
If you go to the top, you'll see the different options, the ~/all is what you want. I like it so far, but still too early to make a final call. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help.
[Edit: Oops, I just saw that it said you already ordered one. If case anyone else was wondering, here you are.]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll be very interested in your report - if it works OK I'll get one, but I can wait a week or 2 to see how those of you who have one go with it.
I've had one for the Nexus 4 for almost a year now. I'll be getting my Nexus 5 tomorrow so I can update you guys.
I've used the Owl Carpad with my N4 for the past 6 months or so and while it works okay as a wireless charger, it doesn't quite cut it as a car dock. With constant screen-on with nav running it could not increase charge and even lost charge most times unless the phone was completely idle. On longer trips with music streaming and nav running (Waze or Google Nav) I would have to kill the screen constantly to cut battery drain.
Regardless of that, my N4 Owl Carpad does not work with the N5 due to the coils being aligned differently between the phones, something to keep in mind with any wireless charger which doesn't allow for adjusting placement of the phone -Tylt, Nokia Dt-910, etc.
I love wireless charging at the home and office but I haven't seen a mobile solution yet which can stand up to the intensive battery drain phones experience while used as a HUD while driving. My 2cents.
dwaltuberalles said:
I've used the Owl Carpad with my N4 for the past 6 months or so and while it works okay as a wireless charger, it doesn't quite cut it as a car dock. With constant screen-on with nav running it could not increase charge and even lost charge most times unless the phone was completely idle. On longer trips with music streaming and nav running (Waze or Google Nav) I would have to kill the screen constantly to cut battery drain.
Regardless of that, my N4 Owl Carpad does not work with the N5 due to the coils being aligned differently between the phones, something to keep in mind with any wireless charger which doesn't allow for adjusting placement of the phone -Tylt, Nokia Dt-910, etc.
I love wireless charging at the home and office but I haven't seen a mobile solution yet which can stand up to the intensive battery drain phones experience while used as a HUD while driving. My 2cents.
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I'm actually toying with the idea (working with several ideas actually, this is just one) of picking up the Owlpad and swapping out the half bridge coil most of these qi chargers use for a full bridge and balance out the power to increase output slightly so that I can actually charge the phone effectively under heavy load. If I end up doing it then I'll obviously post a tutorial and required items, but it feels like there's a really weak spot in the market for effective qi car chargers. Either that or I'll crack it open and adjust the coil positioning for the N5 and use the new board they offer to make it work with the N5 and offer a tutorial for that. We'll see, still exploring ideas and seeing which ones come out on top for time vs. cost of materials.
I like the mount for the owl pad but the charger is worthless. It overheats the phone unless mounted over a vent and only slows the drain if navigation is on along with the screen.
I was trying to find a small charger I can tear down and insert into the owl pad mount. I know that they offer a new PCB but there's no way I'm going to give them more money for their crap.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
I've had the Owl CarPad for over a week now and after seeing some other complains and comments and running my own tests, I've come to the conclusion that it's perfect for me. For my uses, it's exactly what I want.
Mount: Excellent
The phone is super easy to slip in and out of the holder. Being able to get my phone in and out with one had was really important for me. With my old car mount, I always had to lean over and use two hands.
Performance: Acceptable
As others have said, and as they say on their blog, with navigation running and screen at 100%, the phone does lose charge, but a lot slower than it would without any sort of charge of course. I find this acceptable because:
1) A byproduct of wireless charging is wasted energy in the form of heat. I've used four different QI chargers now, and only two have been able to increase the battery's charge while still running navigation software. The problem? While using both of those chargers, the phone heated up to about 47 Celsius. Not good. Using the CarPad, the highest I've seen it go is 42. Still high, but when running navigation + USB charging, it got up to 39, so I'm okay with that. I'm sure the CarPad could probably charger faster to prevent drain, but that would get way too hot.
2) I use navigation about once a month at most. The main reason I wanted this car dock was for convenience. My daily commute is about one hour each way, so it's nice to keep the phone topped off. I opened it up and added an NFC sticker to the inside so that it turns on Play Music and Bluetooth when I slide it in the dock. So, 99% of the time, I'm just using my phone to stream music to my car stereo, and the CarPad is able to charge my phone while that's going on. I still have the old USB charger from my GNexus, so I can use that in a pinch. Again, I'm okay with this.
Conclusion: I like it; I'm happy.
I've used a few other QI car mounts (borrowed from friends, didn't spend/waste money), and this is the best one I've come across. I think the customer service I've received has also been excellent. Due to time zone differences, it may be about 24~48 hours before hearing back, but they're happy to answer any questions and concerns you have. I can see why some people have complained about the charging performance of the Owl products, but for what I use it for, it's perfect.
Quick Edit: Forgot to add, they do have an upgraded version they send you for the Nexus 5. It's not the same internals as the one for the Nexus 4.
dipson626 said:
I've had the Owl CarPad for over a week now and after seeing some other complains and comments and running my own tests, I've come to the conclusion that it's perfect for me. For my uses, it's exactly what I want.
Mount: Excellent
The phone is super easy to slip in and out of the holder. Being able to get my phone in and out with one had was really important for me. With my old car mount, I always had to lean over and use two hands.
Performance: Acceptable
As others have said, and as they say on their blog, with navigation running and screen at 100%, the phone does lose charge, but a lot slower than it would without any sort of charge of course. I find this acceptable because:
1) A byproduct of wireless charging is wasted energy in the form of heat. I've used four different QI chargers now, and only two have been able to increase the battery's charge while still running navigation software. The problem? While using both of those chargers, the phone heated up to about 47 Celsius. Not good. Using the CarPad, the highest I've seen it go is 42. Still high, but when running navigation + USB charging, it got up to 39, so I'm okay with that. I'm sure the CarPad could probably charger faster to prevent drain, but that would get way too hot.
2) I use navigation about once a month at most. The main reason I wanted this car dock was for convenience. My daily commute is about one hour each way, so it's nice to keep the phone topped off. I opened it up and added an NFC sticker to the inside so that it turns on Play Music and Bluetooth when I slide it in the dock. So, 99% of the time, I'm just using my phone to stream music to my car stereo, and the CarPad is able to charge my phone while that's going on. I still have the old USB charger from my GNexus, so I can use that in a pinch. Again, I'm okay with this.
Conclusion: I like it; I'm happy.
I've used a few other QI car mounts (borrowed from friends, didn't spend/waste money), and this is the best one I've come across. I think the customer service I've received has also been excellent. Due to time zone differences, it may be about 24~48 hours before hearing back, but they're happy to answer any questions and concerns you have. I can see why some people have complained about the charging performance of the Owl products, but for what I use it for, it's perfect.
Quick Edit: Forgot to add, they do have an upgraded version they send you for the Nexus 5. It's not the same internals as the one for the Nexus 4.
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How long did it take to ship? I received my shipping conformation last week, but haven't been able to pull up any tracking information.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
undercover said:
I'm seriously considering designing and 3D printing car dock with USB in it so you can just drop your phone in. Not enough of such products... None in fact.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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KevinWolfs said:
Yeah but wireless is a bit nicer, in the car and you will not make the dock work the first time, you wil spend hours drawing, printing and fitting, and i will probably look not as nice.
I just ordered the nexus 5 charging pack from Owl, it was €80, with taxes from Holland it's €100 for 2 wireless chargers what is a lot of money, i sure hope the Qi standard will work with my next devicesXD
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Why not design a holder that the LG pucks can sit in then you will have wireless and a holder.