Android devices, mounting, and cables for LEAF Battery App

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Wow, very nice mount.
The suction cup sticks to the textured dashboard surface?
I would not have expected that.

They say:
Technical Details
Easy one-touch mounting system locks and releases the device with just a push of a finger
Extra -large strong suction cup attaches to the windshield or most smooth flat surfaces and is easily removable
Super strong suction cup can be restored to its mint condition by rinsing it with warm water and allowing it to air dry
Fully adjustable with 360 degree rotation for quick portrait and landscape views
No slip-grip securely holds mobile devices up to 3 inches wide
Since it says that it can rotate for landscape use...
That is really nice, I am ordering now.
THANKS.
 
Yes, I cleaned the dash with some alcohol before I mounted it. The area I mounted it isn't even that flat and it still sticks, though there is a limit to how much it can be curved. The suction cup has this layer of gel on it that conforms to the texture. I have removed it a couple times without an issue. Gel is still sticky, and no damage to dash. Though I wouldn't recommend moving it a lot.

And yes it will do landscape though then the holding tabs will be on the top, bottom and one of the sides. I have not used it in this orientation. It will allow a cable to be plugged in which is nice, but you need to be careful about the placement of the bottom tab. Fortunately it's adjustable! On my galaxy S3, if you put the bottom tab right in the middle, it covers the mic hole quite well which obviously isn't good. But I just offset it a little and it's all good.
 
i bought one of those $11 bluetooth devices from the not recommended ebay seller (listed in the wiki) and it works..

But i bought it before reading the wiki.



Super-Mini-Elm327-Bluetooth-OBD2-V1-5-Car-Diagnostic-Interface-Tool-Blue.jpg
 
Gary,

Thanks for your Kyocera Event write up. I have the phone and the extension (no blue tooth connector yet) but I was able to download and install the app. I would have struggled mightily without your instructions.

J.
 
You are most welcome for the Android instructions.
Glad it helped somebody. :D

On the mini-ELM device pictured above, the tab on the side
sometimes breaks off, but it is not essential. Two of mine
broke off, and I have yet to find the broken-off portions.

No matter where you get these things, some seem to work
much better than others, even from the same vendor.
 
Has anyone developed the recommended hardware set for those who are starting from scratch? Lets say I wanted to buy a new, simple android device - what's the best one (assume it'll be dedicated to leaf app use).
 
Check the wiki for all of the devices you can use/hardware you need. It looks to me like the Kyocera Event phone is the least expensive new device you could purchase (or get a used Android phone that a friend or family member is no longer using) I almost got the Event and then decided to get something more versatile, like a tablet that I can also use as an e-reader, etc. I got the Samsung Galaxy since it was on sale and I liked that it has a slot for an SD card. The Google nexus 7 is a little more $, but has twice the memory and better reviews. Kindle Fire would also work, but you have to side-load the app.

I also want to thank GaryGid for all the detailed instructions on page one of this thread. I never would have got it to work without his posts in this thread!
 
I can confirm that the original HTC Dream (a.k.a. G1 or Google Phone) will not work. Although, that's the only problem :D ! I was able to find it, download it, and install it with no issues other than having to enable 3rd party apps (and it told me to do this--no head scratching required). So, it didn't take very long to try. Upon running it, I'm told that it stopped unexpectedly. Android 1.6 (Donut). I'm sure the API from that era is missing functionality.

Pity, though; it's a nice little phone and I'm not using it otherwise. So I'll try the HTC Sense next. Although this information is fairly useless, engineers are all about completeness, and I thought it might be useful to have a list of "probably won't work" devices.

I'm editing this message, since it's still the last one, to include two (apparent) successes. I've installed the app on a Kindle Fire (the original, non-HD model), and the T-Mobile rendition of the HTC Sense (kernel 2.3.4). Both run and display their screens. I don't have anything to pair it with, so I don't know how much this proves. Maybe it's time to get me some teck nawligy.
 
turbo2ltr said:
I haven't tried the battery app, but I've been using this as a mount for 6 months for my Galaxy S3 and it works awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007FHX9OK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007FHX9OK&linkCode=as2&tag=rigratecom-20" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Even sticks to the Leaf's textured dashboard and is strong enough to hold my radio. It is also super easy to put the phone in and remove. The position I have it in allows me to see the screen and even touch the screen without taking my hand off the wheel or my eyes off the road.

20130306_182723.jpg
I picked one of these up and am unable to get it to stick to that part of the dash in my '13. It initially sticks, but the curved dash under it leaves part of the suction cup not quite depressed, and it slips off after a while. I'll have to study your picture and see if I can place mine exactly where you have yours.
 
I spent some time and figured out how to get it to suction to the dash correctly, so I've now moved mine and am happy with the placement. With a charge wire routed through the dash (coming out in front of the fuse box and then routed up the seal), I now have my phone running Waze right where I want it.
IMG_20140609_210507.jpg

(and I do miss my Galaxy Nexus dock, which had "pogo pins" so that the phone was connected to the charger without having to plug it in, and my new LG G2 doesn't have wireless charging).
 
jlv said:
I picked one of these up and am unable to get it to stick to that part of the dash in my '13. It initially sticks, but the curved dash under it leaves part of the suction cup not quite depressed, and it slips off after a while. I'll have to study your picture and see if I can place mine exactly where you have yours.

It is a bit placement sensitive. Also need to make sure the surface is clean of any armor-all. I also find pressing down on the latch in the middle of the suction cup before latching it helps to get as much air out of the suction cup before pulling a vacuum. The only time I have an issue with it is if it's sitting in direct sunlight, sometimes it ends up coming off.
 
turbo2ltr said:
It is a bit placement sensitive. Also need to make sure the surface is clean of any armor-all. I also find pressing down on the latch in the middle of the suction cup before latching it helps to get as much air out of the suction cup before pulling a vacuum. The only time I have an issue with it is if it's sitting in direct sunlight, sometimes it ends up coming off.
After your post, I finally got mine to stay on the dash, and it worked pretty well, but fell off 3-4 times over the 5 months I've had it. That is, up until it finally got cold here (been around 35F all week). The first morning of the cold snap, it had fallen off the dash. Nothing I've been able to do so far has gotten it to stay attached to the dash.
 
jlv said:
Nothing I've been able to do so far has gotten it to stay attached to the dash.
The solution was that iOttie sent me a replacement (as described in this post) that once I installed has not ever fallen off since. Lesson learned: don't move it once it's installed.
 
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