Simple MagSafe Phone Holder

[4nthony]

I recently had the need for a phone mount in the van. I was looking at various RAM Mount accessories and their X-style mounts require two hands, one to pinch the X, the other to place the phone. I wanted something that I could just kinda loosely place the phone into the mount and the MagSafe would pull it into place. RAM does make a MagSafe holder and while the MagSafe is fairly secure, I'm not sure how well it will hold on bumpy terrain.

Afer several iterations, I settled on the design below. My daughter loves the way it looks and says the phone is getting a hug.

I haven't been spending much time in the shop lately so it felt good getting back out there and having some time to myself.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Cool, gotta love an Origin project.

I'm confused though, does a magnet actually hold the phone in? That charging disc is magnetic?
There is enough of something inside the phone to stick to it?

 

[squall_line]

Cool, gotta love an Origin project.

I'm confused though, does a magnet actually hold the phone in? That charging disc is magnetic?
There is enough of something inside the phone to stick to it?

MagSafe is an Apple-named/patented magnetic affixing and orienting solution to lining up what is otherwise a Qi-compatible wireless charging coil to a phone.

The phone and the pad both have magnets in them to effect this, and they're quite reliable, though can be finicky in a bumpy car ride depending on the rest of the mount.

Apple has since licensed it to other phone makers.  It's also possible to get magnetic rings and/or cases for other model phones that have wireless charging to create the same capabilities.

MagSafe also has other accessory attachments such as wallets, and other Apple accessories (such as AirPod cases) are also magnetized to take advantage of the tech.

 

[4nthony]

Cool, gotta love an Origin project.

I'm confused though, does a magnet actually hold the phone in? That charging disc is magnetic?
There is enough of something inside the phone to stick to it?

Yep, everything [member=75217]squall_line[/member] said

The magnet does a pretty good job of holding onto the phone. The little side grips are a bit of added security to keep it in place when hitting bumps in the road. It can still be knocked up and out, which I've done with my hand when I wasn't paying attention, but so far it has held tight while driving.

And yeah, I'm still loving the Origin!

 

[Rick Herrick]

Nice creation.  How is it mounted in your car? From the picture it looks like its just suspended in the air.

 

[4nthony]

Nice creation.  How is it mounted in your car? From the picture it looks like its just suspended in the air.

Thanks! I used a cubby mount and a some parts from RAM to put it together. Purchased from Amazon.

 

[Rick Herrick]

Thanks Anthony.  I have cobbled a few things out of RAM stuff and I like it.  I will investigate this other piece that actually mounts to the car.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Oh, ok. so the magnet is not really about holding it, but aligning/registering with the charger.
As an Andriod user, I'm not fluent in Apple stuff. My phone is wireless-capable, but the case I use is not so friendly with it. I'm not exactly a power user either. I generally plug it in overnight and it will last all day, even playing Spotify most of the time.

 

[4nthony]

Oh, ok. so the magnet is not really about holding it, but aligning/registering with the charger.

The magnet is holding and charging the phone. Depending on the amount of force, the phone can slip off the magnet. The grips on the side and bottom of my holder are there for a bit of additional security.

You can see how MagSafe holds in this video. Fast-forward to 5:20

EDIT: In the video, he's using an Apple case that may have some extra magnetic bits for holding. I don't use a case with my phone.

 

[Packard]

I’m not sure I understand this MagSafe thing.  When I google it, I find these adapter rings.  What do they do? Apparently they are adhesive backed because they say not to use it if your case has a anti-fingerprint coating.  Which I assume would affect the adhesion.

 

[derekcohen]

I understand that the thread is about using the Origin in design, but I like my phone mount to disappear (as much as possible). Paint it black.

I did a similar conversion as in the video above ...



Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[4nthony]

I’m not sure I understand this MagSafe thing.  When I google it, I find these adapter rings.  What do they do?

When a case is used, it adds distance between the MagSafe charger and the metal in the phone, weakening the magnetic grip of the charger. I believe these rings are designed to increase the magnetic coupling.

Paint it black.

I made one and when I realized I only had poplar dowels, I used some India ink to paint it black. The water in the ink swelled the white oak and I wasn't able to get the charger into the hole. It's a very snug friction fit. I could use the shaper to cut the hole a bit larger -- somewhere between .02 and .03 mm -- to compensate for any potential swelling. 

Your holder looks nice and blends in well with the Boxster interior. My van will eventually be built out with wood accents -- cabinets, shelving, etc. -- so I'm OK with wood accessories standing out on the dash.