DesignFlaw06
Well-known member
For the longest time, I've had a phone charger in the glove compartment. I run GPS, music, route tracking, etc. while on the bike.With my last phone, I had to buy a right angle micro USB and get it in there just right to get it to fit. Wasn't always easy. That phone was broke in an ill-fated air hockey game so my latest phone is the Droid MAXX. The MAXX supports wireless Qi charging. Hmmm
, I got an idea!
Wireless charging works with coils in the device and the charging station. With the coils lined up, the device can inductively charge. A Kickstarter project caught my eye a while back called Tylt. Tylt is somewhat unique because it has 3 coils instead of 1 allowing easier alignment of the phone's coil.
When I saw this picture, I thought I might be able to make something work.
When it arrived, it looked even better from a size and fit standard. On top of that, it ran off 12V instead of the 19V I had seen on the other chargers. That meant I wouldn't have to step up voltage, which was a bonus. The 3 coils meant being precise about the positioning wasn't as much of an issue. Got the glove box out of the bike and sized it up.
Yup! Looks like it's going to fit! Had to remove a couple support fins to really get it in the right spot, but it was pretty close from the start.
Nick (naskie18) came over this weekend to help me on this project. He's mechanical, I'm electrical and that's pretty much how the work divides out on all of our projects. Now that we knew the coil wold fit, I needed a way to keep the phone in place against the side of the glove compartment. Nick came up with this idea. Using the top half of the housing, add one more bend, and trim the plastic until it fit.
I took cut up a can coozie to line the pocket with so my phone wouldn't get scratched up. Nice little neoprene cover. Attached the new pocket into the glove box.
With a little JB Weld and caulk, I attached the coil to the back of the glove box housing. Sealed up to protect from the elements just in case. The wires run out though a 12V regulator.
Phone fits! Box fits back into the bike!
Time for the moment of truth!
TADA!
We did some shake testing with the phone and the box before we put it back in the bike. Phone is pretty secure in there and never lost charging status while we did it. Still too cold and wintery to do a road test, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Wireless charging works with coils in the device and the charging station. With the coils lined up, the device can inductively charge. A Kickstarter project caught my eye a while back called Tylt. Tylt is somewhat unique because it has 3 coils instead of 1 allowing easier alignment of the phone's coil.
When I saw this picture, I thought I might be able to make something work.
When it arrived, it looked even better from a size and fit standard. On top of that, it ran off 12V instead of the 19V I had seen on the other chargers. That meant I wouldn't have to step up voltage, which was a bonus. The 3 coils meant being precise about the positioning wasn't as much of an issue. Got the glove box out of the bike and sized it up.
Yup! Looks like it's going to fit! Had to remove a couple support fins to really get it in the right spot, but it was pretty close from the start.
Nick (naskie18) came over this weekend to help me on this project. He's mechanical, I'm electrical and that's pretty much how the work divides out on all of our projects. Now that we knew the coil wold fit, I needed a way to keep the phone in place against the side of the glove compartment. Nick came up with this idea. Using the top half of the housing, add one more bend, and trim the plastic until it fit.
I took cut up a can coozie to line the pocket with so my phone wouldn't get scratched up. Nice little neoprene cover. Attached the new pocket into the glove box.
With a little JB Weld and caulk, I attached the coil to the back of the glove box housing. Sealed up to protect from the elements just in case. The wires run out though a 12V regulator.
Phone fits! Box fits back into the bike!
Time for the moment of truth!
TADA!
We did some shake testing with the phone and the box before we put it back in the bike. Phone is pretty secure in there and never lost charging status while we did it. Still too cold and wintery to do a road test, but I'm feeling pretty good about it.
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