Cradle for the Optimus?

**iowabatman** · 12-16-2010, 10:48 PM

Originally Posted by KSmithInNY

Thats been proven to be very doable with android devices. You'll screw up your compass but HERE YOU GO

The modder posted a tutorial somewhere but you have google.

I am super interested in this, I have two touchstones, one on my nightstand and one in my car.

I'll have to do a little modding of my own

**jwp1223** · 12-23-2010, 01:50 AM

I am just going to make one out of ceder or oak.

**shortyjacobs** · 01-03-2011, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by cmags

Made a discovery today. The Optimus is within a millimeter or two in all dimensions of matching the size of the iPhone 3G/3GS. This opens the door to a million cheap cradles/holders that would probably hold the Optimus pretty nicely, and likely *very* securely in a case/silicon skin.

I ran across this today and it's cheap enough to give it a blind try:

The site also sells some of the least expensive USB cables (including micro-B cables) I've ever come across. I think I'll put in an order and fab something up for the car and maybe the desk too.

Hey cmags, did you ever get this and try it out? I'd really prefer one of these "snap in" type cradles as opposed to the chunkier adjustable arm ones, but I'm worried that the Optimus is smaller than the Iphone by a few millimeters, and might just rattle around/fall out....

**cmags** · 01-03-2011, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by shortyjacobs

Hey cmags, did you ever get this and try it out? I'd really prefer one of these "snap in" type cradles as opposed to the chunkier adjustable arm ones, but I'm worried that the Optimus is smaller than the Iphone by a few millimeters, and might just rattle around/fall out....

Yes I did, and as of today have my final results of testing it. First, I want to mention that the suction cup on this holder sucks -that is to say actually that it doesn't- it falls off the glass very easily. It may have just been to cold when I tried, but I am primarily concerned with the cradle part only because I plan to hard mount it to my dash anyway.

The phone is just slightly too small for the cradle when naked. It wouldn't hold in a car environment.

To tighten this up you can simply attach a thin (approx 1 mm) piece of plastic or rubberto compensate nicely.

Next I tried it with a hard case. It fit snugly. A bit too snugly tho, at the low corners and sides mostly. It would have been a fairly easy fix however. Simply either sand the cradle down on the few key spots or bend them out under a bit of heat.

I was going to do this but then there was talk in the cases thread about the tpu firm cases. I ordered one and received it today. It fits *perfectly*. Easy in and out but solidly cradled.

Now to figure out how to hard mount the cradle in the car, and more importantly, how to affix a charging cable permanently to the cradle. More updates later as I tackle these issues.

Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk

**shortyjacobs** · 01-03-2011, 10:55 PM

That's awesome, thanks for the writeup! I got impatient and ordered one with both universal and iPhone specific mounts, good to know I'll be able to use either. Here's what I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...idcentral00-20 .

Thanks man!

Sent from my Optimus S...excuse the spelling mistakrs

**TVCCS** · 02-07-2011, 02:30 AM

Thanks for all the pics and the very informative post on the cradle adaptation...that looks like the Arkon cradle...helluva price indeed. One question...I've seen a similar looking cradle on eBay that comes with a stylus holder molded into the back of the cradle...and they even throw in a stylus. I'd find that useful for a phone with no QWERTY...does this one have that stylus holder, or not? Thanks again.

**asanchez1986** · 02-07-2011, 06:03 PM

CMAGS ~ did you ever find out if the LG Desk Cradle for LG P500 Optimus One would accommodate the LG Optimus S?

**cmags** · 02-07-2011, 06:44 PM

@TVCCS - No the cradle didn't come with a stylus or place to hold one. Do you have a link to the one you saw?

@asanchez - I wasn't ever able to find the desk cradle available for sale anywhere. It was just shown as a product on their site - but you couldn't buy it.

**TVCCS** · 02-07-2011, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by cmags

@TVCCS - No the cradle didn't come with a stylus or place to hold one. Do you have a link to the one you saw?

@asanchez - I wasn't ever able to find the desk cradle available for sale anywhere. It was just shown as a product on their site - but you couldn't buy it.

Yeah...here it is...also comes with a carabiner, even. That stylus mount would be terribly handy for this phone.

**TVCCS** · 02-08-2011, 09:53 PM

I picked one of these up for my V, and it works. The car mount from Verizon for the Vortex also works...buy both and get 20% off. The car mount is likely the most stable I've found yet for the Optimus...very solid. On the Optimus V they do not trigger Media Mode or Nav automatically, but they work otherwise.

SPECIAL NOTE: Some owners of the Optimus V are reporting the cradle triggers the Voice Button on the right side of the phone (others don't), and may require use of a Dremel or similar tool to create enough space to prevent this. Appparently this is a very fine "fit" issue for some phones, as some people have the issue, and others do not.

**WTylerJeter** · 02-09-2011, 12:32 PM

^looks nice! Thanks for the heads-up!

**TVCCS** · 02-09-2011, 08:43 PM

I know it's not the cardboard one offered earlier in the thread...but I found my own cheapie today, provided you have a case:

A whopping $1.29, courtesy of your local Office Max.

They have business card holders that work with non-cased phones as well...as do Office Depot and Staples.

**dwb993** · 02-11-2011, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by TVCCS

I picked one of these up for my V, and it works. The car mount from Verizon for the Vortex also works...buy both and get 20% off. The car mount is likely the most stable I've found yet for the Optimus...very solid. On the Optimus V they do not trigger Media Mode or Nav automatically, but they work otherwise.

I am liking this car mount from Verizon for my Vortex. The pic does not show how the charging cable is routed, although it does say, "This custom fitted mount includes a built-in power port for convenient in-vehicle charging!" Does anyone have this particular car mount and can post pics, please?

**TVCCS** · 02-12-2011, 05:02 AM

Originally Posted by dwb993

I am liking this car mount from Verizon for my Vortex. The pic does not show how the charging cable is routed, although it does say, "This custom fitted mount includes a built-in power port for convenient in-vehicle charging!" Does anyone have this particular car mount and can post pics, please?

You can see the charging port of the phone in the pic there...I used mine vertically and just ran the charging cable up from the bottom. If you use it horizontally, you'd need to do it from the side, like is shown in the picture. The mount doesn't have any integrated power jack like some others do...Verizon got that one wrong...I think the stuff about launching Car Home with a Vortex is probably bull as well...but I'm sure there's a Vortex thread somewhere about same. I used mine with an Optimus V and it was a perfect fit and very stable, but eventually went with a mount that allowed me to use a Body Glove button case on the dash. I just made a more detailed post about car mounts over at Android Forums...peruse at your leisure...

**Bigtuna00** · 02-26-2011, 12:07 AM

Originally Posted by TVCCS

I picked one of these up for my V, and it works.

Just got mine today. Some more words of caution:

As a charger it works totally fine. The included transformer is exactly the same as the one that comes with the Optimus V (5.1V, .7A).

The cradle is identified as a USB 1.0 device in Windows. This means slow file transfers and *might* mean lower amperage for charging (haven't been able to confirm this).

You have to push the phone down quite firmly in order for it to be recognized as a USB device and not just charge. In other words if you gently set it in the cradle it only charges. If you push harder, it will be recognized by the computer. The tolerance is obviously very small. Some light modding of the cradle will probably alleviate this.

All in all it's better than nothing I suppose but the lack of accessories for these phones sure is frustrating

**one80oneday** · 03-28-2011, 09:42 PM

Take a large binder clip (over an inch wide)
Clamp down on a USB plug (See PIC)
Pull off the squeezing clips
Add Velcro for more stability if needed

**Captain Niko** · 03-30-2011, 10:22 AM

Originally Posted by one80oneday

Take a large binder clip (over an inch wide)
Clamp down on a USB plug (See PIC)
Pull off the squeezing clips
Add Velcro for more stability if needed

Well I see Macgyver has an Optimus too!

**smineroff#ac** · 04-30-2011, 10:44 AM

I bought these after I read the review by Jerry There only $4 an they work great

**tismon** · 05-22-2011, 07:11 PM

I didn't see this posted anywhere.
What about ?

It seems to have the micro usb and a second charging slot though it probably is a little wide.

**BigJohn10** · 06-17-2011, 02:29 PM

Like a lot of others, I am also trying to find a desk dock/charger for the LG OPTIMUS V (VN670)!

Any headway/info on this issue, please advise of any updated success.

Thanks,
John

**kac001** · 08-19-2011, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by tismon

I didn't see this posted anywhere.
What about URL HERE this one from Mugen[/URL]?

It seems to have the micro usb and a second charging slot though it probably is a little wide.

Would the extra width make this cradle "case" friendly? I have a body glove case on my Optimus V (same size and pretty much identical to the Optimus S) that I don't want to take off every time to use the cradle...