cr-200 Wireless car charger

[Joel S79]

I saw another thread in here a bit back, but I figured I'd toss up a quick review of it as it pertains to the 928.

Cons:
- It WILL hit the camera button, I trimmed mine so it didn't. Rubber stoppers are hollow, so you can pull them off, cut 'em, put 'em back. It didn't always open the camera app, but it will.
- Suction cup mount limits where you can put it.
- Suction cup pad wouldn't stick to my dash.
- When fully charged, the phone constantly charges/stops charging/charges/stops charging... annoying.
- NFC app doesn't support Xbox Music yet.

Pros:
- Wirelessly charges, duh.
- NFC works well, I don't use it much yet though.
- Holds the phone tightly
- Easy to release
- Car plug has a USB port to charge multiple devices.
- No ground hum so far
- Cable is long, and comes with a cable extension, so you can get fancy with the install if you wish.

My last vent clip mounted phone holder broke, so it was time to get a new one. Bit the bullet and got the CR-200 from one of the sale sites posted here. It showed up pretty quickly (ordered on a Wednesday, showed up on Monday) and everything was as it should be. After having some issues finding the Accessories app, I got everything working, and spent the better part of 2 days finding a place to mount it... a lack of flat dash parts, and an over zealous application of super slick dash shine (cue Eddie Murphy's Soul Glo song) last time my car was washed meant the mount was flying at me every time I hit the gas. I eventually just used the suction cup on the dash (it says not to in the manual), and it's holding strong. I personally like the clip mounts because it keeps it out of the way, but I've gotten used to the dash mount (you might be able to mount to the windshield, I didn't try). My car has a hood scoop, so the only thing it blocks is part of the view of the scoop. I wish I had bluetooth because the 3.5mm wire sticking out of the top is ugly, but it's a minor gripe (and I can just grab a wire with a 90 bend at the plug).

As far as being a wireless charging capable phone holder, it works as advertised. I don't keep mine plugged in all the time, only when I need to charge the phone, otherwise when it fills up you get into a super annoying charging/not charging chime loop. I haven't noticed any ground loop hum so far, which is awesome, and the holder holds the phone quite tightly, even when it's tilted in landscape mode. It's a bit of a bummer the NFC doesn't support the Xbox Music app, looks like it's because it's a system app and they just list "installed" apps in the app picker. Also, so far it seems like the car app keeps the screen on, but it may just be me being impatient... I like to keep the screen off when I don't absolutely need to see it.

If you MUST have a wireless charging mount for your car, have ample flat spots to mount it, and you can get it for a good deal, it's a solid buy. Just make sure you have a razor or some scissors handy to trim down the pad. That said, I would not pay full price for it, as the Qi standard becomes more main stream, we'll see more and more mounts show up that support it, and maybe one that actually supports the 928.

 

[Laura Knotek]

That is a nice review.

You've provided a lot of useful information for people who might need a wireless car charger.

 

[felickz]

Agreed on all points... With a simple gel case the camera button is flush with the case and clamping down the arms doesn't load the camera unless you do it abnormally hard. See my similar review : http://www.amazon.com/review/R144PZ...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUwpUvbUpU2068561

Also, this looks like an awesome alternative .. Magnetic! Already a backer: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cellinnovations/synergy-worlds-best-wireless-smartphone-charger

 

[hopmedic]

Here's my Frankenstein wireless car charger. Made with a DT-900 and other parts I already had. http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-928/234557-2.htm#post2061550

 

[hopmedic]

Also, this looks like an awesome alternative .. Magnetic! Already a backer: Synergy: World's Best Wireless Smartphone Charger by Daniel D'Agostino — Kickstarter

This looks really neat, and I'd probably be interested.... Except that I can't imagine a magnet that strong not causing damage to the internal compass in the phone. As it is, there's no way the compass can work with a field that strong right next to the phone, but beyond that, there have been reports of strong magnets in phone holsters causing actual damage to the compass component.

 

[Joel S79]

This looks really neat, and I'd probably be interested.... Except that I can't imagine a magnet that strong not causing damage to the internal compass in the phone. As it is, there's no way the compass can work with a field that strong right next to the phone, but beyond that, there have been reports of strong magnets in phone holsters causing actual damage to the compass component.

Yea.... I'm not sure I want a super strong magnet on the back of my phone. It'd be better if they offered a case with magnets inside it that linked up with the charger, a la the Palm Pre.

 

[felickz]

I asked this question on the comments section, will let you know of reply from project owner.

 

[felickz]

Response:

With any Wireless Charger, the compass may become affected by a disruption in the magnetic field. This may require a re-calibration from time to time. The powerful Neodymium magnet in Synergy has not caused damage to the device during our testing. The iPhones' we tested had no issues with the compass after completion of testing.
Thanks,
Daniel

 

[Joel S79]

Figured I should update this.

With the weather being warm (almost constantly, I live in San Diego), I had a problem with the holder falling off of my dash when it was in direct sunlight for a while (remember, my car doesn't have any perfectly flat spots on the dash). Considering the suction cup is now covered in dust and dirt from falling on the carpet of my car, it kept getting worse, so I removed it from the car. My car has a little storage spot under the HVAC controls, so right now I'm using the DT-900 plate (IIRC they both have the same voltage/wattage specs) I had in my house with the cigarette adapter that came with the CR-200. I covered the plate with some black rubber nonslip mesh like you use in a cabinet so the phone wouldn't slide off of it, and it's holding nicely. However, I'm sensitive to magnetic fields and the like and when the phone is charging I can feel it in the parts of my body that are close to where the phone is. I didn't notice this with the CR-200, so I suspect either the DT-900 isn't a fan of the current coming from the car, or the CR-200 is shielded so it doesn't interfere with the stereo and such. It's also possible I'm just noticing it more since the DT-900 plate is closer to my body (especially since I drive a stick).

I'm thinking about picking up the little puck Nokia released as that will fit in the car a little better. Not sure what I'll do with the CR-200, might just hang onto it to use around the house, or to dismantle and mount some other way when I have the time.

 

[hopmedic]

Figured I should update this.

With the weather being warm (almost constantly, I live in San Diego), I had a problem with the holder falling off of my dash when it was in direct sunlight for a while (remember, my car doesn't have any perfectly flat spots on the dash). Considering the suction cup is now covered in dust and dirt from falling on the carpet of my car, it kept getting worse, so I removed it from the car. My car has a little storage spot under the HVAC controls, so right now I'm using the DT-900 plate (IIRC they both have the same voltage/wattage specs) I had in my house with the cigarette adapter that came with the CR-200. I covered the plate with some black rubber nonslip mesh like you use in a cabinet so the phone wouldn't slide off of it, and it's holding nicely. However, I'm sensitive to magnetic fields and the like and when the phone is charging I can feel it in the parts of my body that are close to where the phone is. I didn't notice this with the CR-200, so I suspect either the DT-900 isn't a fan of the current coming from the car, or the CR-200 is shielded so it doesn't interfere with the stereo and such. It's also possible I'm just noticing it more since the DT-900 plate is closer to my body (especially since I drive a stick).

I'm thinking about picking up the little puck Nokia released as that will fit in the car a little better. Not sure what I'll do with the CR-200, might just hang onto it to use around the house, or to dismantle and mount some other way when I have the time.

That's just weird....

Yes, the current ratings are the same between the CR-200 and the DT-900. I'm using a 900 in my car, because $25 is cheaper than $100, and I already had a phone mount in my car, so I modified it to hold the 900 (see my post above referencing my Frankenstein mount). Any inductive charger is going to have a magnetic field, as that is how induction works. But it's just weird that you can feel it. Myself, I wouldn't suggest spending the money on the smaller puck - I'd just try moving the location of the current charger to see if that gets rid of that feeling of "attraction". :wink: