....for example will allow you to dock a phone in an otterbox defender, in a Bose sound dock? I really want to put my phone in a defender, but I dock the phone daily in a Bose SD, and taking the phone out is just too much work, surely somebody must make a small dock extender so people with not quickly removable cases can still dock? Thanks.
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Anybody yet make a docking extension or adaptor that...
- Thread starter Megalobyte
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From experience, for the Otterbox Defender per se, this adapter is not compatible. The Defender case will need to be sanded around the opening just to make this adapter compatible. This rendered my case an unsightly look, that I had to reorder the case.
I second Daremo's suggestion: the Radtech DockExtender. The white 19-inch has the right length (and price).
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Just to clarify, the white Radtech cable WILL work with the OtterBox Defender?? I wasted my money on the Cablejive cable and didn't realize the plug wouldn't fit until it was too late. I would LOVE to have an extender cable that fit into the OtterBox.
I don't have the OtterBox, to be able to say 100%, but I do have the dock extender cable, so I took some side by side photos next to the iPhone dock cable that comes with the phone.
The Dock Extender is on the left, and Apple cable on the right. The width is identical, but the dock extender cable is a bit thicker.
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But it doesn't look longer than the stock connector, will it go deep enough to make a good connection through a defender case?
Oh, OK. I didn't know it was a length issue. I thought it had to do with the plug size itself.
An extended dock connector may not exist. The only thing I can think of, is possible take an older iPod USB doc connector, remove the white plastic case, and just put a pice of electrical tape around the metal housing. This MAY make it thin enough and give you the extra length to fit in the case... Again, this is a guess without having one in front of me.
Can you take some photos of the bottom of the case, and the phone inside the case to see what you have to deal with?
Daremo, I think he was talking about the depth of the metallic part of the plug connector.
Megalobyte, I do think that the plug on the Radtech Dockextender has sufficient depth when compared to the stock connector to make a good connection.
Daremo, if you can perhaps do a measured scale comparison of the depths between the plug-ins of both cables, it will help address OP's concern.
Hmm, that might be a bit too thick to fit into the Otterbox dock portthere's barely enough room for even the stock cable. Thanks for the picture, thoughthat's possibly the most helpful answer you could have given
I have the CableJive cable, and it definitely doesn't work with an Otterbox; the plastic surrounding plug is too fat to fit into the hole in the Otterbox case. This could be solved with either a narrower plastic plug (ie exactly the same size as the Apple cable) or a longer metal bit, but
Incidentally, the SendStation dock extender that someone posted up there WILL form a connection to an iPod in an Otterbox case, but it's not terribly secure (I can't use it in the car, for example). With the Bose SoundDock, though, it should be exactly what you're looking for; it even comes with a Universal Dock insert.
I appreciate all of the responses. It would be nice if one of the cables had the male end the exact same size as a stock apple connector since I know that would fit, the extra thickness of the one posted I'm pretty sure would be too big to fit a Defender. So I bought one of the Sendstation ones on eBay for 26 shipped, I'll post back and report whether it works with the Defender.
Unfortunately, the Sendstation will NOT dock an Otterbox Defender, though I will say it's more the case's fault, the Sendstation is actually well made and designed, the trouble is the dock port in the case is too far from the phone's actual opening, it gives the case lots of protection, but it looks to me like the only extender that will work with the case is one which has one end identical in dimension to the stock cable.
Oh well, I'll keep my eyes open.
Oh well, I'll keep my eyes open.
Wife and I are going to be getting our 3gs phones in a few days and thought we were set on getting the otterbox defender cases however we will be using a dock radio and also car chargers so far the only thing i have saw are people who have modified the otterbox cases to make it fit. Anyone found any type of extenders that work with this case?
I recently ordered one of these so i could try to use the battery in my incase power slider if im camping or something without having to take my phone out of the defender case. I'm just waiting on shipping and I will let you know if it works or not. Even if the plastic housing is too big to plug into the iPhone, those cables are so cheap I'm not opposed to modifying it.
NICE FIND! and they look to have longer data/charging cables as well that will work with the defender...... super cheap... i hope they work, i'll try em out......
thanks!
Are these suggestions just for docking to external speakers? I'm looking for some kind of extender just to charge and use a FM transmitter without taking the case off. Are there other options out there that are...I don't know...cheaper? As small as this thing is...I'm going to lose it frequently.
http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/318/productID/1695
http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/318/productID/1667
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/dockextender/
I use the Sendstation in my Belkin Tune Base so I don't have to remove my Switcheasy Serpent case, works great.
http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/318/productID/1667
http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/dockextender/
I use the Sendstation in my Belkin Tune Base so I don't have to remove my Switcheasy Serpent case, works great.
Any comment on the cable from dealextreme linked above? Just to add a bit of information from my own searches, I have seen are several options for cable extenders (male to female) from dealextreme. I've linked them all below with corresponding photos of the male-end. There is also this extender from 3GJuice, called the “Finally There” Cable – With Otterbox Support" but it is just as much as the one from Sendstation (~$30). Here it is on Amazon (currently unavailable): http://www.amazon.com/3Gjuices-Finally-There-Cable-Extension/dp/B0032I7PUK
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.30393
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.20628
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21892
“Finally There” Cable from 3GJuice:
http://funroe.net/2010/01/29/iphone-otterbox-3gjuice-cable-or-thats-a-darn-expensive-annoying-case/
=======================================================
I'll also add some information on standard USB to 30pin connection cables (NOT extenders). This cable appears to have the same dimensions as the stock Apple version and would probably fit through the Otterbox case:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.21882
I have the following cable and it does NOT fit through the case, most likely because of the extra plastic "sheath" seen below:
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.23525
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Modified Dock Extender for use with an OtterBox Defender Series Case
First off I must say that the OtterBox Defender Case has got to be the best case for an iPhone. I purchase mine with the iPhone and within two days it had paid for itself. I dropped my iPhone about three feet onto concrete steps and it bounced down two more steps. I thought I would be making another trip to the Apple Store but no, the iPhone survived and the only damage to the OtterBoxs case was a tiny nick to the plastic around the bottom speaker port. And when I found that the belt-clip was too lose to hold the iPhone, OtterBox sent me the update belt-clip at no charge.
The only problem with the OtterBox Defender Case is that the iPhone has to be removed from it if you intend to attach the data-port to any type of dock. Oh it works fine with the data cable but docks need to be at least another 1/8 inch longer and most docks are designed to cradle the iPhone when docked, which can not be done when the iPhone is in the OtterBox Defender Case.
Enter the Dock Extender by SendStation Systems. As it comes from SendStation, the Dock Extender almost does the job, getting an additional 1/16 inch into the Defender Case, but not enough to lock it in place. But with the help of a simple modelers file and about fifteen minutes of work, the Dock Extender fits perfectly.
Step 1. Remove the case from the Dock Extender (Note that this, and the remaining steps, will void your warranty on the Dock Extender). The simplest way to do this is to carefully put the Dock Extender across a pen and rock the Dock Extender side to side until the case and the circuit board begin to separate. There is a small amount of goo (like the stuff that holds new credit cards to the paper, what I call credit card bogers) which I assume helps to hold the case and the circuit board together. Keep this as you should not use your own (bogers) when reassembling later. The reason you need to remove the case is that you dont want to fowl the inners with the plastic filings.
Step 2. Remove the iPhone from the Defender Case. This is to also keep the iPhones data port clear of plastic filings.
Step 3. Take the Dock Extenders case and with a modelers file, begin to remove the hips. File off enough material so that, when inserted into the data port opening of the Defender Case, you can not see a gap between the Defenders case and the Dock Extenders case.
Step 4. Clean off any plastic filings from the two cases, if you have a can of air, this will work great. Put the iPhone back in the Defenders case (might as well clear the screens protective membrane while you are at it) and reassemble the Dock Extender. When reassembling the Dock Extender, you will notice that one side of the circuit board has two tabs and the other side has one. Make sure that you are putting the case on properly by matching-up these tabs to the notches on the inside of the case.
Step 5. With everything back together, it time to test. Insert the Dock Extender into the data port. You should hear a click as the Dock Extender locks into the data port and it should take a bit of force to remove it from the port. If not, return to Step 1 and file off a bit more.
The main reason I needed the Dock Extender was that I wanted to be able to use a Blue Mikey on my iPhone without having to remove the iPhone from the protection of the Defender Case. The combination of the three looks great and works perfectly. But remember, the Dock Extender comes equipped with a matching Universal Dock insert with a removable support and three interchangeable bumper caps. So, even with this mod, you can now attach your Defender Case into almost any dock that a naked iPhone can use.
First off I must say that the OtterBox Defender Case has got to be the best case for an iPhone. I purchase mine with the iPhone and within two days it had paid for itself. I dropped my iPhone about three feet onto concrete steps and it bounced down two more steps. I thought I would be making another trip to the Apple Store but no, the iPhone survived and the only damage to the OtterBoxs case was a tiny nick to the plastic around the bottom speaker port. And when I found that the belt-clip was too lose to hold the iPhone, OtterBox sent me the update belt-clip at no charge.
The only problem with the OtterBox Defender Case is that the iPhone has to be removed from it if you intend to attach the data-port to any type of dock. Oh it works fine with the data cable but docks need to be at least another 1/8 inch longer and most docks are designed to cradle the iPhone when docked, which can not be done when the iPhone is in the OtterBox Defender Case.
Enter the Dock Extender by SendStation Systems. As it comes from SendStation, the Dock Extender almost does the job, getting an additional 1/16 inch into the Defender Case, but not enough to lock it in place. But with the help of a simple modelers file and about fifteen minutes of work, the Dock Extender fits perfectly.
Step 1. Remove the case from the Dock Extender (Note that this, and the remaining steps, will void your warranty on the Dock Extender). The simplest way to do this is to carefully put the Dock Extender across a pen and rock the Dock Extender side to side until the case and the circuit board begin to separate. There is a small amount of goo (like the stuff that holds new credit cards to the paper, what I call credit card bogers) which I assume helps to hold the case and the circuit board together. Keep this as you should not use your own (bogers) when reassembling later. The reason you need to remove the case is that you dont want to fowl the inners with the plastic filings.
Step 2. Remove the iPhone from the Defender Case. This is to also keep the iPhones data port clear of plastic filings.
Step 3. Take the Dock Extenders case and with a modelers file, begin to remove the hips. File off enough material so that, when inserted into the data port opening of the Defender Case, you can not see a gap between the Defenders case and the Dock Extenders case.
Step 4. Clean off any plastic filings from the two cases, if you have a can of air, this will work great. Put the iPhone back in the Defenders case (might as well clear the screens protective membrane while you are at it) and reassemble the Dock Extender. When reassembling the Dock Extender, you will notice that one side of the circuit board has two tabs and the other side has one. Make sure that you are putting the case on properly by matching-up these tabs to the notches on the inside of the case.
Step 5. With everything back together, it time to test. Insert the Dock Extender into the data port. You should hear a click as the Dock Extender locks into the data port and it should take a bit of force to remove it from the port. If not, return to Step 1 and file off a bit more.
The main reason I needed the Dock Extender was that I wanted to be able to use a Blue Mikey on my iPhone without having to remove the iPhone from the protection of the Defender Case. The combination of the three looks great and works perfectly. But remember, the Dock Extender comes equipped with a matching Universal Dock insert with a removable support and three interchangeable bumper caps. So, even with this mod, you can now attach your Defender Case into almost any dock that a naked iPhone can use.
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Try the one from gadgetboost.com
I purchased a dockextender from gadgetboost.com - works for me - simply, but effective
I purchased a dockextender from gadgetboost.com - works for me - simply, but effective