Connecting phone to shark fin antenna?

bimmer01 · 08-15-2010, 08:40 PM

I am thinking of getting one of the new Android based phones, and BMW does not make a cradle adapter for those phones yet. I currently have a Blackberry, and a snap in cradle and love the convenience of being able to charge the phone easily and the added reception of the more powerful antenna. Just wondered if anyone has found a way to utilize those features without the cradle? I would think all that would be needed would be the side of the phones charger and another adapter that fits the coax type connection that the cradles have on their back side? I would buy another cradle in a heartbeat, but with soooo many new phones coming out I doubt they will make a bunch of new adapters???

vomers · 08-15-2010, 10:42 PM

I have a Motorola droid and would love to connect it to the shark fin... anyone got any ideas???

bimmer01 · 08-16-2010, 04:44 PM

It is so nice to have that added feature, but right now bmw really only makes the adapters for the iphone and the blackberry. The blackberry just doesn't have the capability of these new android phones! There has to be a way to do it fairly simply I would think, and it would be way cheaper than dropping $150 bucks on that cradle. I would think all you would need is a cord that would plug into the connection that the cradle normally snaps into and the other end specific to your phones charger opening. I would think someone out there could do this???

bimmer01 · 08-24-2010, 07:19 PM

bump

Quasimodem · 11-26-2010, 08:04 PM

Bump 2. Thinking about the new Galaxy Tab which uses Android OS as a carputer. I could get wifi-only (if it is available) and then keep my old iphone, but as far as I know, the iphone 3g does not use the BMW sharkfin because apple provides no antenna pin in the connector. Does anybody know if BMW offers a good link with Androids in their 2009 models? Do Android phones have pins to utilize an external antenna?

fdriller9 · 11-27-2010, 02:28 AM

If you guys get a stand alone cell extender I bet you could somehow retrofit it...pretty sure the coaxial connections on the shark fin are standard coaxial connections.

fdriller9 · 11-27-2010, 03:49 PM

Interesting:

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-ma...lphone-185772/

Maybe you can can route a wire to the shark fin....don't know how the lengths contribute to the reception but I'm sure some experimenting will tell.

Quasimodem · 11-27-2010, 05:26 PM

There is no external antenna connector on the Iphone, not even an external antenna like on old phones. Not sure about the Galaxy Tab.

Denny347 · 11-27-2010, 05:51 PM

My Droid X has no external connector for an antenna. Frankly, with Verizon I have yet to need it.

08-15-2010, 08:40 PM	#1
bimmer01 Private First Class 15 Rep 188 Posts Drives: 2008 328i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: myrtle beach, sc iTrader: (4)	Connecting phone to shark fin antenna? I am thinking of getting one of the new Android based phones, and BMW does not make a cradle adapter for those phones yet. I currently have a Blackberry, and a snap in cradle and love the convenience of being able to charge the phone easily and the added reception of the more powerful antenna. Just wondered if anyone has found a way to utilize those features without the cradle? I would think all that would be needed would be the side of the phones charger and another adapter that fits the coax type connection that the cradles have on their back side? I would buy another cradle in a heartbeat, but with soooo many new phones coming out I doubt they will make a bunch of new adapters??? __________________
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08-15-2010, 10:42 PM	#2
vomers Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2007 328i Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: WA iTrader: (0)	I have a Motorola droid and would love to connect it to the shark fin... anyone got any ideas???
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08-16-2010, 04:44 PM	#3
bimmer01 Private First Class 15 Rep 188 Posts Drives: 2008 328i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: myrtle beach, sc iTrader: (4)	It is so nice to have that added feature, but right now bmw really only makes the adapters for the iphone and the blackberry. The blackberry just doesn't have the capability of these new android phones! There has to be a way to do it fairly simply I would think, and it would be way cheaper than dropping $150 bucks on that cradle. I would think all you would need is a cord that would plug into the connection that the cradle normally snaps into and the other end specific to your phones charger opening. I would think someone out there could do this??? __________________
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08-24-2010, 07:19 PM	#4
bimmer01 Private First Class 15 Rep 188 Posts Drives: 2008 328i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: myrtle beach, sc iTrader: (4)	bump __________________
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11-26-2010, 08:04 PM	#5
Quasimodem Colonel 149 Rep 2,383 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: California iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 335d US [0.00]	Bump 2. Thinking about the new Galaxy Tab which uses Android OS as a carputer. I could get wifi-only (if it is available) and then keep my old iphone, but as far as I know, the iphone 3g does not use the BMW sharkfin because apple provides no antenna pin in the connector. Does anybody know if BMW offers a good link with Androids in their 2009 models? Do Android phones have pins to utilize an external antenna? __________________ Speakers: CDT Audio HD-42 comps--front doors (RAAMmat deadened), CDT ES-06 6.5" woofers--kickpanl Pods, Hertz EBX202R dual 8" ported trunk sub. Amps: Phoenix Gold RSd 500.4 (comps & pods). PG RSd 600.1 (sub). Power & Ground: 4AWG Streetwires w/RockFosgt RFDB1 distro blocks. Input: HU lineout--Kicker KISL RCA adapters--RockFosgt RFIT-6 cables--Audiocontrol Matrix--Monster cables--RSd 500.4--lineout Monstr Cabl to RSd 600.1.
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11-27-2010, 02:28 AM	#6
fdriller9 Banned 260 Rep 7,089 Posts Drives: '06 AW 330xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey/Philly/NYC iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330xi [6.44]	If you guys get a stand alone cell extender I bet you could somehow retrofit it...pretty sure the coaxial connections on the shark fin are standard coaxial connections.
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11-27-2010, 03:49 PM	#7
fdriller9 Banned 260 Rep 7,089 Posts Drives: '06 AW 330xi Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North Jersey/Philly/NYC iTrader: (4) Garage List 2006 330xi [6.44]	Interesting: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-ma...lphone-185772/ Maybe you can can route a wire to the shark fin....don't know how the lengths contribute to the reception but I'm sure some experimenting will tell.
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11-27-2010, 05:26 PM	#8
Quasimodem Colonel 149 Rep 2,383 Posts Drives: 335d Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: California iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 335d US [0.00]	There is no external antenna connector on the Iphone, not even an external antenna like on old phones. Not sure about the Galaxy Tab. __________________ Speakers: CDT Audio HD-42 comps--front doors (RAAMmat deadened), CDT ES-06 6.5" woofers--kickpanl Pods, Hertz EBX202R dual 8" ported trunk sub. Amps: Phoenix Gold RSd 500.4 (comps & pods). PG RSd 600.1 (sub). Power & Ground: 4AWG Streetwires w/RockFosgt RFDB1 distro blocks. Input: HU lineout--Kicker KISL RCA adapters--RockFosgt RFIT-6 cables--Audiocontrol Matrix--Monster cables--RSd 500.4--lineout Monstr Cabl to RSd 600.1.
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11-27-2010, 05:51 PM	#9
Denny347 Major 360 Rep 1,080 Posts Drives: 2008 M3 E90 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Indianapolis, IN iTrader: (0)	My Droid X has no external connector for an antenna. Frankly, with Verizon I have yet to need it.
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