what are our options? i have a truck with a spacious hand rest which i can slip it into however i assume the phone would slide off? are there QI chargers that are rubber? or mat like? i assume others will have the same question.
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Wireless Charging in the car
- Thread starter projectfx
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ckurt25
macrumors 65816
I'm trying something different. I have an iOttie phone holder in my Jeep already. They sell a similar wireless charger / holder but I didn't want pay for a brand new holder when the one I have works fine so I searched for wireless pads that were narrower than the phone. I hope to be able to sandwich the pad between the phone and the holder. I ordered the one below. If it works I'll probably use a 3M command strip to hold it in place on the holder.
Wireless charging pad - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075Q97P9T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Existing car mount - https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Unive...d=1509199156&sr=1-3&keywords=iottie+car+mount
Wireless charging pad - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075Q97P9T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Existing car mount - https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Unive...d=1509199156&sr=1-3&keywords=iottie+car+mount
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i like this but i dont love the idea of a permanent wire going from the dash to the USB which is at the gear stick.
My car’s a 2017 Ford Fusion, and it has a recessed area underneath the infotainment system (in the center console) which fits an iPhone 8 Plus perfectly. I disassembled the wireless charger (purchased from Amazon) and modified the housing to allow for ample coverage and installation. I removed several trim pieces from the center console and ran the USB power cable to an Aukey USB power outlet inside the console under the armrest.
All of the wires and the charger are hidden, so it’s a 100% clean installation. The charger works every time, and I don’t have to find a sweet spot for the phone to sit.
I’m pleased with the result, as I was initially going to use an add-a-fuse to power it, so no extra supplies or soldering needed.
All of the wires and the charger are hidden, so it’s a 100% clean installation. The charger works every time, and I don’t have to find a sweet spot for the phone to sit.
I’m pleased with the result, as I was initially going to use an add-a-fuse to power it, so no extra supplies or soldering needed.
ckurt25
macrumors 65816
I currently run the lightning cable from the usb outlet in my center console to the dash mounted phone holder so it'll be swapping cables. I've never had an issue with the cable interfering with access to anything on the dashboard. You could use 3M Command Strips to route the cable and hold it in place if it was an issue.
The main reason I want to use this dash mounted is because I use Waze for navigation. Even in my wifes's car that has a 7" touchscreen with navigation, it's not as user friendly or feature rich as Waze so she uses a similar mount.
Before you hardwire anything, test out he possibilities first. In the past, I’ve found wireless charging can’t keep up with the power draw of GPS and music streaming simultaneously.
ckurt25
macrumors 65816
Nothing would be hard wired. Only plugged into the USB outlet. The only "permanent" possibility is Command Strips that come right off.
It's definitely a good point about power consumption. Luckily I only use it for GPS as I have satellite radio. I'll be curious to see how it does maintaining / charging the phone while using GPS.
It was super easy, too. I did it in 45 minutes while I waited in the parking lot during an appointment.
poppe
macrumors 68020
I have to wonder if Waze will deplete the battery faster than the wireless charger could keep up, if that is OP's plan. The cabled version seems to just keep up or slightly more when running waze and a podcast.
Mackneezie
macrumors regular
I'm working on something very similar in my 2015 Silverado. There's a spot on the arm rest that is recessed and it's also where I place my phone when I am charging it anyways.
I have used a dremel to cut into the arm rest and I am working on mounting a 3 coil Qi charger I purchased off eBay underneath so that you cannot see it. There's a rubber pad that will cover up where I've cut, and the bottom part of the arm rest has a cover underneath so all you will see is a USB cable coming out of it. Also, conveniently inside of the arm rest are two USB ports 😀
Here's what the arm rest looks like, for reference.
The new 2016 Silverados come with wireless charging in this spot, but I'm not paying $200+ for an arm rest. My $9 eBay special will do just fine haha.
3 Coil Qi charger
