Wednesday 14 September 2011

Charging Cradle - droid car mount, car mount


This product works with Droid 2 and Droid 2 Global, and reportedly the original Droid (more on that later).



This product consists of two parts. The first is the suction cup/arm portion, which attaches the device to your windshield. I have not tried that portion of the product at all, because I'm using a Proclip vehicle mount to attach it to my dashboard, and the Proclip two-prong adapter specifically designed for this product.



The second portion is the part that actually holds the phone, and that is made up of two parts. As delivered the two parts are connected, and allows you to snugly insert a Droid 2 into the holder. If, however, your Droid 2 is in a plastic case, you need to remove a liner that is inside the holder. That liner fits somewhat snugly in the device, but once it is removed a Droid 2 in a plastic case fits. The case I am using appears to support an extended life battery, but I have not verified that. Accordingly, it appears this dock fits an extended life battery, at least if you use a case. Again, I have not verified that. The unit comes with a second liner which reportedly fits the original Droid. I have not verified that.



You can use your phone with this device orientated either horizontally or vertically. With a vertical orientation your effectively have a "tall-screen" GPS, which is a much better orientation for maps.



Once the device is in the dock, the phone will pop up a specialized program as shown in the pictures, designed to make it easier to use while in a car. I'm not sure that portion of the programming is all that useful, but you can exit it and use the phone normally if you wish.



My only complaint is that the power connection to the device is a bit awkward, and that's due to the device being designed to be used in two orientations, and not specifically designed to be attached to a dashboard. As it is the power connector points straight out the back. Absent using a connector with a 90 degree bend, the cord may hit your dashboard. Again though, this shouldn't be an issue if you mount the device to your windshield with the suction cup.



Finally, the price on this unit is very reasonable, in part because it does not come with a 12 volt power cord. The Amazon seller I used threw one in for free! Motorola Car Mount and Rapid Car Charger for Motorola DROID 2 and DROID 2 Global [Retail Packaging]

This car mount and rapid car charger works great -- but -- it doesn't work when you have a protective case for your droid. I purchased both this and a protective case at the same time and got the car mount first -- phone fit great and it also comes with a adapter that you remove if you get a hard case -- however, the hard case has to be a "motorola approved" protective case. That really limits your ability to use this car mount. I ordered a Seido case, which I have used before and highly recommend it. But -- understanding which hard/protective case might fit with this car mount is more work than its worth. So, I returned it and am hoping to get another car mount -- based on a user's review (that I didn't read before I purchased this car mount) says the AKRON is a good mount that fits all phones. The odd thing to add is that the Motorola docking station -- works great -- and also has an adapter to use if you are not using a hard case -- and this Mortoroal docking station can be used with my Seido case. Go figure??

great product. a must have if you have a droid 2. had a little problem getting a case that would work with it but got it resolved by buying an authentic motorolla case from verizon ( 25 dollars ). very convenient, charging cord plugs into cradle so you don't have to mess with wires and plugging things in. just drop the phone in and go. the navigation is great. my only gripe was that the package had been opened and even though everything was in bags, half of my cradle's suction cup latch looks like it had been broken off. it still locks fine but i'm not sure if this was a new product or something that had been returned. it was sold as new.

I didn't purchase this navigation mount from Amazon.

I bought it from Verizon Store at the time of DROID 2 purchase (Extra discount on phone accessories that makes most of the genuine accessories much cheaper than anywhere else).



Anyhow, it is good to know that Motorola seem to redesigned their navigation mount this time around for DROID 2. Now, you can have your phone stably place on your navigation mount while keeping the case on!



I'm not sure if all the DROID 2 navigation dock comes in a package in a way that the "insert" is already tightly inserted onto its main dock. Well, mine did... and I hated it. I wished if I could have the navigation mount that is usable while keeping the case on.



It took me a while to figure this out...

I actually spent a good one month or so without knowing it and did take the case off every time I'm in my car. Yeah...It was a huge drag... (I still loved it's stability though)



Because of the hassle, I came to very close to just abandoning it and getting an universal navigation mount that would fit my DROID 2 while keeping its case on. And then I found out that Motorola DROID 2 A955 Multimedia Docking Station can be used while I keep the case on after removing the insert (please read my review for the product IF interested)...

And I thought, "Hmmm... so if things worked out with the multimedia docking station, shouldn't it work with the navigation mount too??"



So I tried to see if I could remove the insert from the main dock.

It didn't come off easily. This is because the gap between the main dock and the insert is practically none and I didn't want to damage the dock body. It was necessary to detach the main dock from the arm before I proceed to the next step.



I used two different kind of flat-head screwdrivers (i.e., one small, one medium) in order to separate the two. I first used the small flat-head to make a small gap between the insert and the dock. And then I inserted the bigger flat-head between the gap and pushed the insert further apart from the main dock). IT PROBABLY THE BEST IF YOU WORK ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE MOUNT SINCE THE SCRATCHES WON'T BE SO VISIBLE EVEN IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY DAMAGE THE BODY.



It took several attempts before they came apart.

It is a good thing that Motorola built the mount so steadily, but it takes a gentle, yet firm force to separate the two.





Pros:

- Compatibility (Fits DROID 2 with or without a case)

- Durability (This navigation mount does not shake or move once it's placed right).

I use suction cup to mount against the front glass and from the day one (it's been about a month),

it never came off. It's still attached to the glass as strong as the day one.

- Stability (This navigation mount is built very solid and won't come off nor shake the phone).

- You can adjust the angle in anyway you want.

- There is a charging output on the back of the mount. So you can just put the phone in its place and it starts charging as long as you keep the phone on the mount, which is crucial as battery drains while using Google Map Navigation.



Cons:

- It took a while to figure out how to set it up right (Had to use two screwdrivers...)

- Package doesn't include car charger

- Aux cable is no use if your vehicle doesn't have it's input or is not equipped with bluetooth system (just like my old car. I only have a cassette tape player and I would need to get something like this:Xm Auto Cassette Adapter in order to get a better sound.



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



Product Description:

- This customized car cradle and mount stays put while on the road, automatically triggers a

dashboard application that allows you to easily access your music, internet radio, Google Map

Navigation, and make hands-free calls or connect to your favorite widgets.

- The 3.5mm cable connects with your car's auxiliary port to play tour tunes on your car stereo.

- Includes an insert to allow use with DROID or DROID 2 by MOTOROLA.



Package Includes:

- Navigation/Music Vehicle Mount for DROID 2 by Motorola

- 3.5mm Aux Audio Cable

- Adapter insert for DROID by Motorola

- User Guide - Droid Car Mount - Car Charger - Dock - Car Mount'


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