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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
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
Hi,
I noticed that my SUUNTO power clip fits perfectly on the TS also using 4 connecting point. However I do not know how the wiring of the TS is and how it then should be changed on the clip. I think it would be much more practical to use a modified power clip vs the Omate cradle (obviously need to buy an additional SUUNTO power clip to modify). Any ideas?
Pics? Google brings me to this thread, LOL.
A charger is just 5V and 0V, so it will be simple to modify (if it needs modifying).
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
http://www.backcountry.com/suunto-ambit-power-cable-strap
found on google
You sure that's the right one? It doesn't look like it will fit my TS
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
Here some pictures
OK, that looks pretty funky. Yeah I think it would work. If it doesn't, it would be easy to modify
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
Best way to check is to hook the cable to a charger and check the metal points with a multimeter and do the same thing for the cradle.
Good idea. OP let us know
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
Wow can´t wait to hear if it works out for you...
Suunto - warning!!
Joost39 said:
Wow can´t wait to hear if it works out for you...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK - I too was thinking the SUUNTO lead would be a good extra addition, so ordered one off Fleabay.
I used a standard voltmeter to check the connections on the TS cradle (pics will come).
With the clam shell opened to the left, so the 4 contact pins are on the right, the voltages (top to bottom) are: GND, +2.00V, +2.57V, +5V. [This is plugged into a wall plug charger, not PC)
Using the meter on the SUUNTO lead, oriented to reflect the same top to bottom pinout (for me the lead comes out of the right of the plug, and SUUNTO is upside down),
then THE GND AND +5V ARE REVERSED, SO THIS WOULD PROBABLY SHORT THE TS BATTERY/DAMAGE THE WATCH.
Im in the process of hacking the cable, just by cutting open and switching the cables, but initial feedback doesn't show the that the TS is charging.
[I have only swapped GND and 5V, so wonder if the other lower voltages are needed]
I do also see that the SUUNTO clamp pins and TS pads don't line up exactly, and the clamp doesn't hold on very well to the watch....
More updates later.
Thanks for sharing this info.
I am currently waiting on the spare SUUNTO cable to arrive to complete the MOD with an USB connector. I agree the SUUNTO clamp is not fixed as tight on the TS as to my Ambit2 watch but it does work and I think it still would be easier to use vs the Omate cradle. Just hope it will charge with the cable.....
roubroeks said:
Thanks for sharing this info.
I am currently waiting on the spare SUUNTO cable to arrive to complete the MOD with an USB connector. I agree the SUUNTO clamp is not fixed as tight on the TS as to my Ambit2 watch but it does work and I think it still would be easier to use vs the Omate cradle. Just hope it will charge with the cable.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't this sort of clip what the TS was going to use originally before they moved to the cradle? I don't mind the cradle I just use it with my wireless charger...
Small update: I reversed to polarity of SUUNTO clip by changing the USB connector to match the 5V +/- of the TS cradle (pin 1 and 4); however the TS does not charge. I assume there is a bit more to it to match the SUUNTO charger cable with the cradle and get TS to charge (I am measuring different resistance in clip and cradle from pin 2 and 3). But unfortunately I am more of a desk jockey and not really technically savvy :silly:
Maybe somebody has more info on the cradle circuit and is able to built the right charger clip. For now the non-ergonomic cradle is the only option for me.
Thanks for your research, I've been waiting for your update.
It wouldn't be complicated to set up a rig to mimic the charger but its more hassle than I can be bothered with and it wouldn't help anyone else because each person would have to buy the Suunto clip and modify it themselves.
If you're going to butcher a piece of hardware, a simpler solution would be to go to poundland and buy a large hair clip and fix it to your cradle, so you can sit the watch in it and clamp it in place.
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
Agree LeighR. Well maybe Omate will re-design the cradle one day to make it more ergonomic so one can eg use the buttons while charging..... but I guess by then we will be buying our next gen wrist-phones with the major manufacturers.
It is a simple thing to do to drill a couple of small holes in the side of the cradle so you can press the buttons with a toothpick. I did that to mine back in February and the cradle is still fine. Of course, be careful and use a small bit, but its not rocket science.
Expecting Omate to redesign the cradle borders on foolishness, in my opinion. After all, if they had cared even a little they could have driiled the holes themselves during manufacturing. They could even have extended the buttons to the outside of the case, too, but they did not.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
trent999 said:
It is a simple thing to do to drill a couple of small holes in the side of the cradle so you can press the buttons with a toothpick. I did that to mine back in February and the cradle is still fine. Of course, be careful and use a small bit, but its not rocket science.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've drilled holes in mine but it's a crap solution. Actually, I barely use the buttons but the cradle also makes it a pain to use pull down/up menus.
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
This kinda works. Its not great but its cheap - £1 for 6 from pound land
Maybe a rubber band would be better
Sent from my LG-V500 using XDA Free mobile app
can anyone confirm these universal chargers would be working if we connect it to the right pin? i am confused whichone to connect..
THESE:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HJAHGXWaL._SY300_.jpg
http://images.shopmadeinchina.com/p...e-Lithium-Battery-Charger-USB_5404046.bak.jpg
CPGOD said:
OK - I too was thinking the SUUNTO lead would be a good extra addition, so ordered one off Fleabay.
I used a standard voltmeter to check the connections on the TS cradle (pics will come).
With the clam shell opened to the left, so the 4 contact pins are on the right, the voltages (top to bottom) are: GND, +2.00V, +2.57V, +5V. [This is plugged into a wall plug charger, not PC)
Using the meter on the SUUNTO lead, oriented to reflect the same top to bottom pinout (for me the lead comes out of the right of the plug, and SUUNTO is upside down),
then THE GND AND +5V ARE REVERSED, SO THIS WOULD PROBABLY SHORT THE TS BATTERY/DAMAGE THE WATCH.
Im in the process of hacking the cable, just by cutting open and switching the cables, but initial feedback doesn't show the that the TS is charging.
[I have only swapped GND and 5V, so wonder if the other lower voltages are needed]
I do also see that the SUUNTO clamp pins and TS pads don't line up exactly, and the clamp doesn't hold on very well to the watch....
More updates later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chiwah said:
can anyone confirm these universal chargers would be working if we connect it to the right pin? i am confused whichone to connect..
THESE:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HJAHGXWaL._SY300_.jpg
http://images.shopmadeinchina.com/p...e-Lithium-Battery-Charger-USB_5404046.bak.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ignore any of my reference to needing to supply power to the middle two pins - I was wrong.
I have now got the SUUNTO clip working with just 0V and +5V to the outside pins - its all about lining them up properly!
Not Really, but it's a good match and fit.
Maybe I should kickstart these? Or maybe license them to LLP? Standard weighted desktop tape dispenser turned around. Watch band slides around the spool and everything holds up nicely. Easy insertion and removal. When not in use, the cradle sits nicely on top. I need to order some more right angle usb cables for a better fit and to reduce stress on the port.
This is probably from staples. I'd imagine any other tape dispenser would work nicely as tape rolls are pretty standard.
brilliant idea!
How do you work the buttons when it's in the case? Have you drilled some holes?
death_entry said:
How do you work the buttons when it's in the case? Have you drilled some holes?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my current setup, I only use the physical buttons for the power button and to lock the screen. Instead I use ultimate nav bar for accessing all the functions on-screen, and have disabled screen off when charging in the developers settings.
Somewhere I have an extra Qi wireless charging pad which I should try to attach either to the Omate Directly or to the Cradle
fg said:
In my current setup, I only use the physical buttons for the power button and to lock the screen. Instead I use ultimate nav bar for accessing all the functions on-screen, and have disabled screen off when charging in the developers settings.
Somewhere I have an extra Qi wireless charging pad which I should try to attach either to the Omate Directly or to the Cradle
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The watch strap is actually quite restrictive I couldn't even get it to make contact with my touchstone... perhaps a charging induction coil at the base of the cradle could be an interesting one...
Actually I meant induction charging on my last message, wireless charging the TS would be amazing though
Hello
Can I order a separate charging dock for the Amazfit 2/Stratos anywhere? 've tried to search for one, but only found docks/cradles for the Amazfit Pace (1).
I want to have one charger at work and one at home.
Thanks
I think watch is relatively new, that's why there's no aftermarket charging stations available yet. You can charge watch at home at evening when you feel that it will not last the next day. My Stratos goes around 4 days on a single charge.
I would be happy to find one too, same reason.
Also the cable does not seem extra strong, I would avoid moving it too much (home/work/trips).
As long as there are no spare, be careful do not damage the precious
Found one:
aliexpress.com/item/USB-Fast-Charger-Charging-Dock-Smart-Watch-Cradle-Micro-usb-cable-for-For-Xiaomi-Huami-Amazfit/32865940212.html
Only one seller so far, but I'm sure others will pop up soon
(I'm not allowed to post links yet...)
If you're desperate, you can always take apart a MicroUSB cable and manually link up the pins, since its just a USB interface on the back.
Hi All,
I have a Nokia 7.1 that stopped charging. I cleaned out the charge port and tried different cables and adapters but nothing worked. I've since come to find out that it's a common enough problem that lots of people post about it on Nokia's support forum with no other option other than taking it to a service center. I'm in the USA and there's not a single service center in my state so I decided to try and replace the daughter board myself. I've done this kind of thing before on other phones, my Nexus 4 was a frankenstein's monster by the time I was done with it.
My problem is I can't find a reliable source for a quality part. There's tons of replacements on amazon, ebay, aliexpress and other random sites but all the ones I've read had issues for connectivity of cell service or wifi. Does anyone know where I can source a new daughter board for this phone?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!!
I went through the same issue.
Bought another type c charging port on Amazon, it still works.
Awesome! Thanks for the reply. Did you go with one of the ~$10 ones or one of the ~$20 ones?
My 7.1 developed the same problem. What is the root cause? Is it mechanical problem of the connector pins worn out/oxidized? It does seem to be a mechanical problem since I can still wiggle the cable to make it charge for a while. What puzzles me is that the USB-C has inherent redundancy with 4 power and 4 ground pins that it should not easily fail. I have a phone with the old micro-USB and the charging still works flawlessly.
lejaune said:
My 7.1 developed the same problem. What is the root cause? Is it mechanical problem of the connector pins worn out/oxidized? It does seem to be a mechanical problem since I can still wiggle the cable to make it charge for a while. What puzzles me is that the USB-C has inherent redundancy with 4 power and 4 ground pins that it should not easily fail. I have a phone with the old micro-USB and the charging still works flawlessly.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure. It does seem to be a mechanical problem, but I've seen some repair videos where they open it up and just run a soldering iron over the connector pins on the board and it starts working again. I've ordered a daughter board and a replacement back glass panel in case I break it trying to get it off. I'll update after I get the parts and open it up to see if it works.
The board I ordered was this one from Amazon Smile:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08166DLDC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It seems like the ~$10 boards are missing some chips that the ~$20 ones have, at least according to the pictures that were uploaded with the listing.
@bpowdhar, Thanks for the quick reply. I did order a connector board on Ebay, and it looks to be of the ~$10 variety. I'll see how it works when it gets here. I will also try the "melting the solder" trick without removing the connector first. If that works, I'll leave the old board in place just to minimize the risk.
So I received the USB-C charging board and replaced the bad one. Now, it seems to be charging normally. It took some work to open the back cover by heating to soften the glue/tape around the edge. I then used an a xacto knife to pry the corner open followed by dragging an old credit card to slowly separate the cover. Once it's open, everything went smoothly. Just watch one of several Youtube video clips to know what to expect. You do need a small Philips screwdriver and a #5 Torx driver. You need to lift a ribbon cable and a micro coax cable from the board. Just don't forget to put them back on to the new board. I didn't bother to fix the old board by re-solder the connector pins because they are way too small for my solder iron.
I rely on the existing glue/tape to glue the cover back, but I'm sure it's not as water/dust proof as before, so I may redo that part to clean the old tape out and use the new tape or glue when I have more time.
I do noticed a couple of parts missing on my $9 board. I don't know if they have anything to do with regulating the high voltage fast charging. I usually charge the phone with a 5V adapter, and I will stick to 5V, at least for now.
Thanks for the update! I'm still waiting for my board to arrive from Amazon. It was delayed with the new shipping date anywhere from Nov 5 - Nov 10 and it still hasn't arrived. It sucks because tracking info shows that it arrived at my area's sorting facility on Oct 29 and left it on Nov 4. So it should have only taken a day or two to get to my local post office and to my house. I'll update when it finally gets here.
I know it's been a couple of months, but I finally got the part and swapped it out yesterday. The battery was completely dead so I plugged it in to charge and left for the day. I came back to it this morning and it's at 100% battery! I'm so happy now! I've attached a couple of pictures showing the old board (with the red dot) and the new one. So far no connectivity issues, but I'll give it a couple of weeks to see if anything changes.
A couple other notes:
It was surprisingly easy to get the back glass off. I used a heat gun on low and ran it around the perimeter for a couple of minutes and a utility knife to cut the adhesive. This part was what I was most apprehensive about tackling.
The fingerprint sensor comes off the same way, apply heat and press / pry away from the glass to reuse.
If I had to do it again, I'd buy the tube of sealant. The replacement glass came with a set of narrow adhesive strips and those were a pain to deal with.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to the thread. Hopefully this helps someone else.