[dabull]

For the 8100 only folks. This is something we will probably never see made commercially, yet i have accomplished this task in about 10 man hours.


First off, this is a prototype! (and sorry about the cell phone pics, its all i have) It does not look very good, but it works perfectly. All of my design and engineering ideas worked fine. It is slightly adjustable, so the phone can fit super snug, or it can be loose enough to just drop in, either way works the same. The main reason for the poor-quality finish is the rubber-dip i used, or should i say how i used it. As feared, I was not very tactful in the application of the product. It was way too thick, and i did not have the necessary solvent to dilute the mixture. In other words, i can do much much better now that i know what im dealing with.

here it is before the rubber coating. you can sort of see the wires on the inside, they are sandwiched between two sheets of plexiglass (the whole thing filled with super-epoxy) this glue is stronger then the plexiglass itself, there is no way this will break or even deteriorate.



with the rubber, you can tell that it has the potential to look factory made. the only add-on i have resolved from this prototype will be the need for guidance bars on the bottom. the phone can swing off to the side a little, but its really not a problem at all. i think it looks better the way it is now, but for practicality i believe i will include supports on the bottom



the support arms that you see are actually one continuous piece of wire. it was very difficult to get symmetry on this, and will always be the hardest part of the build. with just one wire though, there is no chance of an arm slipping out between the sheets.



the back neck is made from wrapping 3 sets of #12 wire around a screwdriver. initially, the wires were in a neat spiral, but after bending them around A LOT (its a prototype, i was playing) they have become a little out of shape. it doesnt effect performance, the device still has full 180deg rotation in all directions. however, its not something that you would want to bend back and forth everyday. its more of a device that you adjust to your comfort and your car, then leave it. that said, it would take hundreds of bends to even degrade the strength. I wish i could find a cheap ball joint to replace my home-made neck, but i have to say this turned out really well. maybe a cloth sleeve would be a nice cover-up for this.


Anyone else like the idea? it works for me. also, it can be plugged into any usb port. im thinking of attaching a female port to the bottom of my desk, then the phone can have its own desktop holster. In any case, i finally have a car holster that charges without using the side-usb port. now, to hard-wire my gps receiver into the car and ill be all set

ps- as originally planned, this holster allows FULL access to the phones buttons, camera works and all, i made sure the back did not go above the lens.

[SanFrancisco]

That is totally cool. Hats off for taking the initiative. And thanks for posting. I enjoy personal innovation. You might enjoy Make magazine.

makezine.com: MAKE: Technology on Your Time

I think Seidio is coming out with such a device. Hopefully they will see your post and consider your observations.

[SanFrancisco]

Given the way the contacts meet the phone, I would think that some lower guides would be needed, maybe even full length channels.

I think that's needed since users would expect to slide the phone into the cradle and not have to concentrate on lining up the phone to get the charging contacts to to mate with the phone. People don't have the patience for that.

[mckinneycm]

RIM sells a desktop charger that uses the contacts on the back.

[bryanpittman]

dabull you beat me to the punch. I have been toying with a desktop design for a few days now.

I like your concept. It is very creative. Great job!

My idea is a bit more stationary. It is a one piece plastic injection molded cradle. It still needs a bit of work. The model of the Pearl is crude, and needs some more detail. But it's a start.

[majorxp]

I wish I was talented enough to make such a device. That is very cool indeed. Bravo!

I suppose there is some auto-cigarette lighter to usb adapter to where you could use it in the car.

[MrKyoo]

Moved to the Hardware & Accessories Section

~MrKyoo

[dabull]

Originally Posted by mckinneycm

RIM sells a desktop charger that uses the contacts on the back.

but does it mount up for car use?


this was the whole idea, so i could use my phone's gps and maps without holding onto it.


i know it seems like i have to 'line up' the phone when i insert it, but i dont. its very forgiving, even if the phone goes in crooked it still charges. overall though, it slides right down and in very straight. still, bottom guide pins will be in my final design. not sure when i will tackle this, making the prototype was fairly easy but a final finished model will take much more time and effort.


also, my other idea was to eliminate the usb jack and just mount this directly to a cigar lighter adapter. it would increase the strength while its mounted, because right now it relies on a usb port for stability. its not rock-solid or anything, but it surely holds good enough. i liked the idea that i didnt have to ruin a car charger, and that i could put this holder in any usb port.


surprisingly, the rubber coating is SUPER tough. i was pleasantly surprised of the texture and strength of this stuff. once applied correctly to a sanded-finished model, it will look like a factory job.

and, in the future, maybe i will do a clear colored model. i could then install LED lights on the inside, but it would be much more difficult to make it look pretty as you will see all of the internals.

[dabull]

Originally Posted by bryanpittman

dabull you beat me to the punch. I have been toying with a desktop design for a few days now.

I like your concept. It is very creative. Great job!

My idea is a bit more stationary. It is a one piece plastic injection molded cradle. It still needs a bit of work. The model of the Pearl is crude, and needs some more detail. But it's a start.

i would have loved to do plastic-injection molding. it was my first idea, but i had to improvise when i knew i wouldn't have access to that type of technology. i would also love to have your photoshop skills! i have to say though, im thoroughly impressed with this plexiglass-sandwich design. it is indestructible, easy to build and looks good. it also leave a lot of options for improvements.


this wouldnt be out of reach for people to make. i didnt use special tools or materials, i have a regular workshop garage with standard tools. all it is made of is copper romex wire, plastic glass, and a usb cable end. the super epoxy holds it all together. the concept is what im most proud of, because now that i know it works, and works well, i can make it look pretty. maybe just one led light on top to show that it has power...