I just completed installing wireless charging pads for both my phone and my tablet and wanted to do a write-up to share with you guys.
Requirements / Baseline:
Here are the parts I ordered:
Installation Notes:
I will put this to test in the course of the next several thousand miles and post an update. Just wanted to share in case anyone has a similar need.
Also, clearly, for this to work, your smartphone/tablet needs to support wireless or induction charging. Many of the modern devices do nowadays (except apple, cough cough), but in case they don’t here is a neat solution that I used on my old phone (Galaxy S4 mini):
Qi Wireless Universal Charger Receiver Pad Coil with Micro USB Head for Samsung | eBay
Requirements / Baseline:
- Basically, my requirement/need was very simple. I use my smartphone and/or tablet quite a bit for navigation in the car and wanted a seamless, hard-wired solution for them to be charging while they are being used (GPS use sucks up a lot of juice)
- Even when not using GPS, I wanted to be able to dock the phone and tablet and not have to fiddle with a cord I had to plug in each time. Docking should mean charging, with zero effort.
- This was particularly important for the phone, because I am constantly picking it up and taking photos or talking etc. and plugging/unplugging each time proved to be a huge hassle (which prompted this whole project in the first place).
Here are the parts I ordered:
- Proclip vent mount. ProClip Center Mount*-*ProClip USA
- Proclip universal device mount (medium). Medium Universal Adjustable ProClip Holder T1*-*ProClip USA
- Dual USB cigarette lighter adapter. Amazon.com: iFlash Dual USB Car Lighter Charger Adapter with 3A Output - fast Heavy Duty Ouput - Black Color: Cell Phones & Accessories
- Aux twin power outlet (for hardwiring) Amazon.com: Custom Accessories 10242 Auxiliary Twin Power Outlet: Automotive
- QI wireless charging pad for tablet. Amazon.com: Koolpad Qi Wireless Charger Pad for All Qi Compatible Devices Including Samsung Phones with Receivers (Black): Cell Phones & Accessories
- QI wireless charging pad (mini) for phone. https://www.amazon.com/gp/css/order...=1&opt=ab&qid=&search=102-5659931-5937012&sr=
- RAM mount flex base with 1” ball. Amazon.com: Ram Mount Flex Adhesive Base W/ 1" Ball Rap-B-378U: Automotive
- RAM double socket arm (small). Amazon.com: National Products RAM-B-201 Ram Marine Double Socket Arm for 1" Ball: Sports & Outdoors
- Random wire splitters, connectors, 18 gauge wire, zip ties, etc.
Installation Notes:
- For details on how I mounted the tablet mount in the car, see this thread: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/151632-my-ashtray-navigation-tablet-mount.html
- I am not covering the steps on how to install the Proclip vent mount - pretty straightforward.
- I wanted the whole setup to be modular. i.e., have the ability to swap out the charging pad later on for different voltage/design (I actually have a slimmer black pad on order for the phone), swap out cables in case I go to a device that is not micro-USB, as well as have the ability to swap between 2A and 1A outlets on the USB charger socket.
- I wanted it all to be hardwired so I that I don’t have to fiddle with cables and plugging in each device each time I get in and out of the car.
- First, I spliced the cigarette lighter socket and juiced my dual aux input tray.
- Then I mounted the dual-outlet tray like so. I wanted it to be accessible, but you can easily bury it somewhere even more out of sight if you wanted to.
- Then I routed the phone and tablet micro-USB cables, leaving as little of the cables exposed as possible.
- Tidied it all up, and BAM! I’ve got a dual wireless charging setup for both devices.
I will put this to test in the course of the next several thousand miles and post an update. Just wanted to share in case anyone has a similar need.
Also, clearly, for this to work, your smartphone/tablet needs to support wireless or induction charging. Many of the modern devices do nowadays (except apple, cough cough), but in case they don’t here is a neat solution that I used on my old phone (Galaxy S4 mini):
Qi Wireless Universal Charger Receiver Pad Coil with Micro USB Head for Samsung | eBay
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