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- Rob @ OSEV
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- #1
Hello my dudes!
Earlier today I posted about the new NextGen Phone Charger V2, and about the new charging and cooling option. As I went though the testing process, I started to think about if I could adapt the charger, designed for the dash, as a component to replace the non-functional Gen 1 wireless charging pad with. It would be the first ever charging and cooling pad for the Rivian.
And so I made it. Here is what some of the prototypes look like:
The process was actually remarkable simple. The ball mount was just shallow enough to fit under the plastic surround. I've carved out secondtions so that the air collected by the fan on the underwside of the charging pad is pulled from the large, carried over storage tray (not from inside of the thing itself)
Construction is straight forward . You have the top section along with a clamshell setup that clips into the bottom, and a third, smaller bit that snaps into the ball mount. (all pictured below) That third bit functionally does a few things - holds the 12V to USB-A QC hub, and functions as a cable manager.
Beyond that, I've reused the old style plug for power along with the same 3A/18W x 2 USB buck converter thats proven itself in the non-cooling setup for the last year or so. The cabling is slight different as the 90 degree barrel plug is swapped out for a straight version. Ironically, this is easier as the hubs come with this cable to begin with - I had to swap in the 90 degree cabling to clear in the old unit.
So, how does it work? Well, just like you would expect. Place your phone on the charger and it charges. 10W for the iPhone. The fan sounds is pretty quiet - think a laptop fan on it's lowest setting, and less than the HVAC even in low. Two is just slightly louder. The fans move a surprising amount of air and come on automatically when you start charging. They don't run at all when not charging. There are no funky lights at all - not in standby, and not when charging either.
This isn't exactly a cheap solution - the charging and cooling setup is currently $28 each, and two are needed here. (Amazon Link) When you combine that with the USB buck converter, and the Molex adapter, it's over $80 just for charging parts alone. (more if you opt for the TYCO GET connectors we use to eliminate solder)
Next steps for me are to continue to test the prototype -- I have it installed and working -- and to refine the design as there are tons of little details that I need to iterate on for a final design that I would even consider running myself.
There are no plans to produce this for sale currently, unless there are a good amount of people that are interested in it. I will be posting the OpenSource design for it when I feel it's ready - probably in a week or two. A Gen 2 compatible unit may be released at some point, but it will eliminate the ability to use the cards for access, which is a big bummer. (thanks Rivian)
Anyway, I'm interested to hear what you think about it. I'll try to post more photos of it soon.
Earlier today I posted about the new NextGen Phone Charger V2, and about the new charging and cooling option. As I went though the testing process, I started to think about if I could adapt the charger, designed for the dash, as a component to replace the non-functional Gen 1 wireless charging pad with. It would be the first ever charging and cooling pad for the Rivian.
And so I made it. Here is what some of the prototypes look like:
The process was actually remarkable simple. The ball mount was just shallow enough to fit under the plastic surround. I've carved out secondtions so that the air collected by the fan on the underwside of the charging pad is pulled from the large, carried over storage tray (not from inside of the thing itself)
Construction is straight forward . You have the top section along with a clamshell setup that clips into the bottom, and a third, smaller bit that snaps into the ball mount. (all pictured below) That third bit functionally does a few things - holds the 12V to USB-A QC hub, and functions as a cable manager.
Beyond that, I've reused the old style plug for power along with the same 3A/18W x 2 USB buck converter thats proven itself in the non-cooling setup for the last year or so. The cabling is slight different as the 90 degree barrel plug is swapped out for a straight version. Ironically, this is easier as the hubs come with this cable to begin with - I had to swap in the 90 degree cabling to clear in the old unit.
So, how does it work? Well, just like you would expect. Place your phone on the charger and it charges. 10W for the iPhone. The fan sounds is pretty quiet - think a laptop fan on it's lowest setting, and less than the HVAC even in low. Two is just slightly louder. The fans move a surprising amount of air and come on automatically when you start charging. They don't run at all when not charging. There are no funky lights at all - not in standby, and not when charging either.
This isn't exactly a cheap solution - the charging and cooling setup is currently $28 each, and two are needed here. (Amazon Link) When you combine that with the USB buck converter, and the Molex adapter, it's over $80 just for charging parts alone. (more if you opt for the TYCO GET connectors we use to eliminate solder)
Next steps for me are to continue to test the prototype -- I have it installed and working -- and to refine the design as there are tons of little details that I need to iterate on for a final design that I would even consider running myself.
There are no plans to produce this for sale currently, unless there are a good amount of people that are interested in it. I will be posting the OpenSource design for it when I feel it's ready - probably in a week or two. A Gen 2 compatible unit may be released at some point, but it will eliminate the ability to use the cards for access, which is a big bummer. (thanks Rivian)
Anyway, I'm interested to hear what you think about it. I'll try to post more photos of it soon.
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