Seidio Car Dock Help Please

[holmes]

Installed the Seidio Car Dock/ Mount today & I love it!
Only issue I'm having is when its in the dock if I try to input anything into a "text" area, it wont bring up the touch screen keyboard. If I slide the screen up to expose the physical keyboard, THEN the touch screen keyboard shows up! If I slide it back down the touch screen goes away!?!? When I slide it open I then have TWO keyboards! The physical & virtual ones. I should add I am running Bugless Beast 1.1 & have removed the stock "Car Home" app (I do want to reinstall that app & am looking for help to do THAT also).
Thanks for reading all this, any help or suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Droidster163]

I have this same problem as well, but I don't really mind it cuz I just take it off the dock when I have to text.(plus it would be kind of hard typing while on the dock) I figured it was a safety measure so people aren't texting while driving but I could be wrong.

 

[Murz]

I have the Seidio Car Dock and have never had this problem. I can have it in the dock and bring up the digital keyboard without opening the physical keyboard.

 

[AquaDan88]

@ holmes:
I noticed the same problem today. I've got the Seidio car dock too, and I'm running BB 0.9 and HelixLauncher. Wondering if its a custom rom issue. Funny thing is that I have the multimedia dock by Seidio also, and the keyboard pops up no problem there.

What are you running?

I wouldn't mind so much, but I use the keyboard to type in addresses into the search, or send a quick text with the voice to text function, which you can't access without the virtual keyboard.

 

[The_Law]

I am not using a custom rom, but I am using the Helix Launcher. I have the manual 2.1 Update installed.

I also have the Motorola car mount. I just removed the innocase and tested with that - the Virtual Keyboard pops up when in that mount but not the Seidio.

Additionally, I installed Dock Simulator and simulated running Car mode, the Virtual Keyboard worked there in Landscape.

Finally, I switched over to the default Home (not Helix Launcher) and re tested with the same results - using the Seidio Car Dock causes Virtual Keyboard to not work but using the Motorola Car Dock, the Virtual Keyboard does work.

Note: I also have the Multimedia dock - which works just fine.

On a side note, my Seidio Car Dock stopped charging my Droid. Apparantly this is a known issue so I have RMA'd a replacement which should arrive Monday or so. I'll see if there is any difference there.

 

[AquaDan88]

@ The_Law, Let me know how that works. If it fixes your problem, I'll RMA too.

 

[solar]

Arrggg. Another issue. I have the dock too, but haven't really used it since the first one doesnt charge the phone and the replacement is on its way. I'll have to test this out.:dry:

 

[AquaDan88]

I have no problem charging. I have found that a lot of people complain that the AC-USB charger that they give you is crappy. I luckily have a RadioShack Mini-USB charger from my old Moto Q9m, so I use that.

I am kinda pissed that they didn't just use the regular Micro-USB like the phone has. I feel like I bought a charger for nothing!

 

[The_Law]

Ok, finally got the replacement car mount. I can confirm that the Virtual Keyboard does not work when in the Car Dock.

now...why would that be?

Edit: If I just rest the phone in the cradle, the Virtual Keyboard works. Only when clicking down onto the usb charger is the keyboard disabled. I can verify that the OEM cradle and charger do not exhibit this behaviour.

 

[solar]

Well, I fully expected mine to not work. But when I tested it today, the soft keyboard did work. I don't think it ever hasn't worked, but I couldn't remember, so I checked it today. Weird huh?

 

[holmes]

I found a solution!!!

I figured out a work-around for the Seido Car Dock... Just by Reversing the Magnet in the dock!!! :blackdroid:

The Droid only knows what "kind" of dock it is in by the "PUSH" or "PULL" of the magnet that is in these dock. This is done by the orientation of the magnet inside of the dock. You can reverse the magnet in the SEIDO Car Dock with the steps listed below.

1) Remove the four (4) screws from the back of the dock. (Yes, you probably have the remove the "Void" sticker over one of the screw holes on the dock, most likely voiding the warranty so, do this at your own risk blah, blah blah....)

2) Seperate the two (2) pieces from each other (there is a wire between the two parts, DO NOT DISCONNECT THIS) You just want to seperate the two pieces just enough to gain access to the magnet that is on the inside of the front piece.

3) Using a magic marker or sharpie, put an "x" or check mark or some sort of marking on the magnet (this way you know how the magnet was oriented before we remove it)

4) With a small flat head screw driver, or something similar, pop the magnet out (it is being held in place by a thin piece of double sided tape)

5) Put the magnet back where you just removed it (try to salvage the double sided tape, get a fresh piece of double sided tape, or use a dab of super glue is what I did)

6) Fit the two pieces of the mount back together and replace the four screws..... DONE

Now, the phone thinks its in the "Home Dock" and will allow the virtual keyboard to work! Now you can text or input phone #'s while in the car dock!

I downloaded the app "Dock Nothingness" that blocks the Home Dock "Clock" screen from launching.

Hope this helps someone :greendroid:

 

[Wongway]

I have this exact same problem, Holmes.

This is one bug that has me totally perplexed. I'm not sure if it's the phone, the dock or what. Incidentally, I am not rooted, and have the over the air 2.1 update.

 

[solar]

I got so tired of my seidio innotraveler no charging, tha I just voided the crap out of my warranty and did a dirty mod on my dock so that I could use my motorola charger with the dock. I didn't use any of the electrical components from the seidio dock, as 1) I don't trust the quality of the components 2) I don't have the electrical know-how and didn't want to fry my droid. Its not pretty, but it works. If you wanna see the pics are in this thread:
http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-accessories/25514-seidio-innotraveler-car-dock.html

 

[solar]

I figured out a work-around for the Seido Car Dock... Just by Reversing the Magnet in the dock!!! :blackdroid:

The Droid only knows what "kind" of dock it is in by the "PUSH" or "PULL" of the magnet that is in these dock. This is done by the orientation of the magnet inside of the dock. You can reverse the magnet in the SEIDO Car Dock with the steps listed below.

1) Remove the four (4) screws from the back of the dock. (Yes, you probably have the remove the "Void" sticker over one of the screw holes on the dock, most likely voiding the warranty so, do this at your own risk blah, blah blah....)

2) Seperate the two (2) pieces from each other (there is a wire between the two parts, DO NOT DISCONNECT THIS) You just want to seperate the two pieces just enough to gain access to the magnet that is on the inside of the front piece.

3) Using a magic marker or sharpie, put an "x" or check mark or some sort of marking on the magnet (this way you know how the magnet was oriented before we remove it)

4) With a small flat head screw driver, or something similar, pop the magnet out (it is being held in place by a thin piece of double sided tape)

5) Put the magnet back where you just removed it (try to salvage the double sided tape, get a fresh piece of double sided tape, or use a dab of super glue is what I did)

6) Fit the two pieces of the mount back together and replace the four screws..... DONE

Now, the phone thinks its in the "Home Dock" and will allow the virtual keyboard to work! Now you can text or input phone #'s while in the car dock!

I downloaded the app "Dock Nothingness" that blocks the Home Dock "Clock" screen from launching.

Hope this helps someone :greendroid:

Thats a good way to get around it! I don't even use the car dock mode anyway, I always to my regular home screen.

 

[The_Law]

Per Seidio tech support, the lack of the Virtual Keyboard in the car dock is by design. It is triggered when the micro-usb charger is initiated. They said it was for safety reasons so people don't type and drive, however, I'd argue that fumbling for the physical keyboard while docked, or removing the device from the cradle is more dangerous.

Anyhoo, since I have no use for the Car Dock mode, I did the magnet reversal trick. Now, I get best of all worlds such as:

1) Virtual Keyboard
2) Multimedia mode shows clock and weather (nice, since I don't have a clock in the car or an air temp guage)