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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
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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
Presently using an SG4 with the I-Bolt x-pro dock to mount, charge and stream audio to my car stereo. Anything out there similar for the LG G3? Would hate to give it up as its the best system for nav/streaming/charging I've seen.
Check this thread out: http://www.thenewx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49499#/forumsite/21065/topics/49499
I have the exact setup in my Xterra and it and cost $20. Popping the phone in and out takes about two seconds (excluding connecting any cables) and the mount is very sturdy. I use Tasker on my Android to launch my music app when I plug into my head unit with a 3.5 mm TRS cable). Actually I have a whole set of Tasker 'tasks' which automate a bunch of stuff related to my car...
buy a thin wireless charger and wireless charging case and tape it to the mount of your choice. If radio does not have bluetooth then buy a bluetooth reciver to fm-transmitter. Just slip the phone in and out of the mount. no wires need to be plugged in or out.
My goal is Clean & Convenient Nexus 6 as a BRAIN for my Acura MDX 2007
Ideally would like to built housing dock that looks like factory made with no visible cable but for now I'll settle with this setup.
Map, Music, Phone calls, One handed, portrait & landscape, charging ALL WIRELESS.
(Dream for the future: Remote starter, NFC unlock door, cooking & laundry )
Here I post my video (more detail Video is coming)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he0E6I42KmY
Stuff I used:
I have use kinivo for one year and a half. I have to say this is pretty reliable product.
ravpower & tack form holder are new.
charger (rav power) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H9B7ALK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
tackform (suction car holder), http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MR8BJZI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
kinivo bluetooth handsfree for phone & music. http://www.amazon.com/Kinivo-BTC450...s=kinivo&pebp=1421616171854&peasin=B009NLTW60
Nice setup mate, thanks for sharing. I'll be looking into BTC450 as well.
jlskd said:
Here I setup my acura mdx 2007 with wireless charger (rav power), tackform (suction car holder), kinivo bluetooth handsfree for phone & music.
I have use kinivo for one year and a half. I have to say this is pretty reliable product.
ravpower & tack form holder are new.
Here I post my video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he0E6I42KmY
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Can the Rav Power charger keep up with power usage while using GPS navigation?
Didn't have trip long enough to test. So far navigation on short trip still add couple percent to battery.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
I can't seem to find the same version of the tackform mount. And how did you attach the charging pad, was it just the suction and holding force that the mount uses?
ErylFlynn said:
I can't seem to find the same version of the tackform mount. And how did you attach the charging pad, was it just the suction and holding force that the mount uses?
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Check in the description of his video on YouTube. He has links for his set up.
This is pretty awesome, and while it's a bit pricey for a car dock solution, it IS a car dock solution and one that meets my requirements (not having to plug in a power cord every time).
Any way of getting the car mode to launch? Perhaps an NFC tag or something?
The charging pad is actually glued to tackform.
I'm also using ringke fusion case, it is a bit tight/shallow with the case on.
When I got extra time I'm going to try make better video so it can show more details.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
It is a bit pricier than what I want but tackform built quality also pretty good for $20.
The other one that I also consider is exo mount, I have the old version, the clamp. It work with small device. But with nexus 6 it's a little wobbly.
The new version is for one handed but I don't think it's going to work.
I'm sorry not sure about car mode, NFC. Have to do my research again.
For now I'm just going to set up tasker app so screen would stay on while wirelessly charging. Still learning.
Oh also looking for angle head micro usb so it wouldn't sticking out like that.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Me device arrived yesterday, here a couple of first impressions:
+ Nice packaging/box.
+ Easy assembly, strong suction cup. Attached it to the dash of my jeep using no adhesive.
+ Using the Nexus 6 I drove for 20 minutes with Google Maps navigation, Bluetooth streaming music All-Access. Screen brightness set to auto. Battery went from 75% to 76%. Its not discharging like the HTC M7 Car kit.
- Initial impressions of quality is that the plastic material seems cheap. Considering the device is $80+tax.
- Its big and bulky, I am comparing it to official HTC Car kits for M7-M8.
- Proprietary power connector like the one on VÜ Wireless Charger. Have to be careful rotating the mount so the connector doesnt get damaged.
Adjust height so that it wont interfere with volume rockers.
When did you order yours? I ordered on the 3rd I believe and haven't even received shipping information
Where did you get this? The one on the website says it is only for use with phones up to 5.7 inches. Does this still work for the Nexus 6 or did you get it somewhere else?
Well, never mind, I now see in the description that it says it is compatible with the Nexus 6. Strange that they would then mention up to 5.7 inch phones.
bbbasher said:
Me device arrived yesterday, here a couple of first impressions:
+ Nice packaging/box.
+ Easy assembly, strong suction cup. Attached it to the dash of my jeep using no adhesive.
+ Using the Nexus 6 I drove for 20 minutes with Google Maps navigation, Bluetooth streaming music All-Access. Screen brightness set to auto. Battery went from 75% to 76%. Its not discharging like the HTC M7 Car kit.
- Initial impressions of quality is that the plastic material seems cheap. Considering the device is $80+tax.
- Its big and bulky, I am comparing it to official HTC Car kits for M7-M8.
- Proprietary power connector like the one on VÜ Wireless Charger. Have to be careful rotating the mount so the connector doesnt get damaged.
Adjust height so that it wont interfere with volume rockers.
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joshm.1219 said:
When did you order yours? I ordered on the 3rd I believe and haven't even received shipping information
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I ordered mine on 2/3 in the evening. Arrived on 2/6. Ran another test with brightness blasted, GPS and BT. Doing that battery slowly drained.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
Really wanted one of these, but a proprietary charger ? I have a cable I threaded through my dash to my last dock. I would have to do that again and find a new bluetooth receiver as it is in my switched plug.
Guess back to the drawing board.
This is end piece going into the device. Its molded to regular cigarette plug on the other end.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
I wouldn't pay so much for that, I got the ottie easy flex wireless and I couldn't be happier. My phone never loses charge wile using GPS and listening to music through Bluetooth.
stacio88 said:
I wouldn't pay so much for that, I got the ottie easy flex wireless and I couldn't be happier. My phone never loses charge wile using GPS and listening to music through Bluetooth.
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Last time I checked with iottie they said that the easy flex wireless wasn't officially supported with the Nexus 6. I have seen info on XDA about mods but I wanted a supported model. Iottie have a new model is in works, but this one is available now.
You run the Nexus 6 on max brightness, stream music using BT over LTE whilst navigating and it still charges? What is the amperage spec on the easy flex? I could look it up but lazy right now
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
bbbasher said:
Last time I checked with iottie they said that the easy flex wireless wasn't officially supported with the Nexus 6. I have seen info on XDA about mods but I wanted a supported model. Iottie have a new model is in works, but this one is available now.
You run the Nexus 6 on max brightness, stream music using BT over LTE whilst navigating and it still charges? What is the amperage spec on the easy flex? I could look it up but lazy right now
Sent from my Nexus 6 using XDA Free mobile app
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It's 2.1 amp. I don't use my phone on full brightness ever, I usually have it at 50-75% brightness. It's officially made for the nexus 5 but works great with the 6.
These guys are the most unreliable fools I've ever seen. First it's January , then it's June, then it's now. I can only imagine the support they provide....
stacio88 said:
I wouldn't pay so much for that, I got the ottie easy flex wireless and I couldn't be happier. My phone never loses charge wile using GPS and listening to music through Bluetooth.
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I just received my iOttie wireless QI car mount & charger and I can assure you that it does indeed work with the Nexus 6 and it fits. Even with a case! Charges just fine with my Seidio Surface w/ kickstand!
stacio88 said:
It's 2.1 amp. I don't use my phone on full brightness ever, I usually have it at 50-75% brightness. It's officially made for the nexus 5 but works great with the 6.
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It's 1amp at the most, unless they got nextgen Qi that no one knows about. They're both rated the same.
joshm.1219 said:
It's 1amp at the most, unless they got nextgen Qi that no one knows about. [emoji14] They're both rated the same.
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Yea I just double checked, you're right. The power cable it comes with is 2.1 I believe.
stacio88 said:
Yea I just double checked, you're right. The power cable it comes with is 2.1 I believe.
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I might try to cancel the Vu if I can save a few and get the iOttie. I didn't even know about it. I'm not really happy with Tylt anyway, I ordered before this guy and my tracking info still just says "shipping label created". Thanks for sharing the pics.
joshm.1219 said:
I might try to cancel the Vu if I can save a few and get the iOttie. I didn't even know about it. I'm not really happy with Tylt anyway, I ordered before this guy and my tracking info still just says "shipping label created". Thanks for sharing the pics.
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For half the price you're better off witht the ottie. I ordered it through amazon for about $45.
The iOttie Easy Flex Wireless should accommodate 3.4 inch devices, and the Nexus 6 is only 3.27 inches. So it should fit.
I think the issues is in regards to the wireless charging capabilities. I think I've read that in some cases it couldn't charge because of the "fit".
Desca said:
The iOttie Easy Flex Wireless should accommodate 3.4 inch devices, and the Nexus 6 is only 3.27 inches. So it should fit.
I think the issues is in regards to the wireless charging capabilities. I think I've read that in some cases it couldn't charge because of the "fit".
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Awesome, thanks for that.
I was going to ask this about the Tylt, but I think this answers my question.. I just gotta figure out if wireless can charge though the trident case. I've tried it on two QI chargers, no luck yet but I've only spent a few minutes trying to position it.
Desca said:
The iOttie Easy Flex Wireless should accommodate 3.4 inch devices, and the Nexus 6 is only 3.27 inches. So it should fit.
I think the issues is in regards to the wireless charging capabilities. I think I've read that in some cases it couldn't charge because of the "fit".
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There is absolutely no problem with charging. I've had mine for over a month and haven't had a problem.
I came across this Kickstarter. It seems like a great idea. I backed it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1041610927/znaps-the-9-magnetic-adapter-for-your-mobile-devic
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I think I'll be backing this as well. I would love to have one on my wireless car charger as well so I can easily switch the USB cable from the charger to my N6 if I need to charge faster and not have to fumble with the cable.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
It looks like it can be a real pain to remove if you want to use someone else's cable to charge. Either that or you're going to be carrying your own cable everywhere or carry the cable adapter and risk/probably lose it.
I feel like this is going to be outdated technology when apple introduces something along the lines of there own wireless charger + bluetooth syncing. Apple has 'pioneered' this in the laptops for a while. They also 'invented' the iphones. I'm sure they thought of putting the magnetic ends to it since they also love creating there unique connectors. There's a few reasons why a small magnetic connector like that wouldn't work. For one, the magnetic strength isn't going to be good. It already sucks on the current 'v2' of the mag connector.
USB-C, or 3.1, can easily support a 2amp current to a Qi Charger in addition to carrying data from a bluetooth transmitter to send data back to the host/computer device. That or the phone can sync via bluetooth directly with the computer.
8Fishes said:
It looks like it can be a real pain to remove if you want to use someone else's cable to charge. Either that or you're going to be carrying your own cable everywhere or carry the cable adapter and risk/probably lose it.
I feel like this is going to be outdated technology when apple introduces something along the lines of there own wireless charger + bluetooth syncing. Apple has 'pioneered' this in the laptops for a while. They also 'invented' the iphones. I'm sure they thought of putting the magnetic ends to it since they also love creating there unique connectors. There's a few reasons why a small magnetic connector like that wouldn't work. For one, the magnetic strength isn't going to be good. It already sucks on the current 'v2' of the mag connector.
USB-C, or 3.1, can easily support a 2amp current to a Qi Charger in addition to carrying data from a bluetooth transmitter to send data back to the host/computer device. That or the phone can sync via bluetooth directly with the computer.
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Well its a good idea for people who have a tablet that doesn't support qi charging. I highly doubt crapple will incorporate wireless charging anytime soon considering how slow they were to add NFC. I backed out for my Shield Tablet and the possibility of USB 3.1 Type-C support
24 hours left to back it if you want one
I wonder if it will work if my Unicorn Beetle case has dust flaps
JTheAppMerchant said:
I wonder if it will work if my Unicorn Beetle case has dust flaps
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You could always cut the end off the cut out a little to make it fit. I already "ordered" mine from their backing website that was set up. I bought 3 USB 3.1 Type-C ones, 3 micro USB connectors, and 2 of each cable adapter along with keychains to hold them when I goto class. My micro USB ones should ship out soon so I'll have to post a review if them when they arrive. I plan to use them on my Nvidia Shield Tablet LTE and my two Nexus 6's