[Product] Phone holder for the 8P

[FPSUsername]

I've seen many phone holders that fit in between the vents of the A3, however, they are only for the 8V generation, which has a wider placement of the two vents. This means that the product simply won't fit without cutting the mount or modifying the vents.

Hereby I present you, the phone holder for the 8P generation

Unfortunately, I don't know how to design something that can be crafted using a CNC machine, but I do know my way around PCB design programs.
I created the backplate in Altium designer and used the magnet holder piece from an 8P holder I found on AliExpress (here is the link to the one I bought).

The Audi logo has been placed on the exact same spot on the other side, meaning that you can mount the plate with the logo showing in one of the four corners. I think that the top right corner looks amazing on an LHD vehicle.

How to get your own phone holder:
1. Grab the Gerber files under releases from my repository here
2. Read the README file
3. Order the PCB (JLCPCB is advised)
4. Order the 8V Phone holder or any other that uses a screw with a 4mm diameter
5. Screw the magnet holder piece on the PCB
6. Remove one of the vents and lift the other vent just a bit to slip the PCB under it
7. Place the vent back and enjoy!

Extra:
You can order the PCB in different colors (silkscreen) and the copper finish can be chosen as well. I chose black with HASL finish, but you can make it as crazy as you like (white with ENIG (gold) finish for example). Note that the ENIG finish costs more.

 

[LEE69]

Here's my 8p one converted to a quadlock charger with the quadlock case too

 

[FPSUsername]

I have indeed seen the case that you have on eBay, although in my opinion, it doesn't look as cool as the 8V generation phone holders (plus it was expensive at 33 euros).
In the end, I did spend more than that (because I had to make a revision), but it's totally worth it. PCBs were ~3 euro and 15 euro for shipping and the 8V phone holder was another 8 euro.
I'm proud to share my made product so that others can also flex with this amazing looking phone holder

 

[George Kost]

Looking very good mate! Good job!
If I haven’t the one in the picture I would go for it as well!
It came with both magnet and holder.

 

[theViTALiTY]

Holy, that looks great. I ordered this mount https://www.dx.com/p/jedx-car-air-o...hone-holder-for-audi-a3-s3-black-2037248.html , and boi was i dissapointed when i figured out it was for 8V. Now im just hoping its with the 4mm hole to fit the PCB (already ordered). Gonna be awesome if it is.

 

[FPSUsername]

Amazing. I've indeed seen people fit the 8V phone holder on the 8P and they mentioned that you needed some cutting, but I never expected it to be so much. As I don't own any hardware to properly cut the holder, I decided to make the holder myself. I wanted to make it from aluminium using a CNC service, but a buddy of mine found out how expensive it is to let a shop (in China) do the CNC for you. Then I reminded myself that a PCB is strong, can look good, and can be cheap as well. It just works.

I did want to try a 1.2mm thick PCB, but I feel like it would flex too much. Even though 1.2mm thick looks really good for a PCB, I think in this non-electrical setup, that 1.6mm is more than thin enough.

Make sure to post your results here as well!

 

[George Kost]

Is the gap noticeable at the vents where there is no pcb? 1.6mm is not much but is it noticeable?

 

[FPSUsername]

Not noticeable at all, so it's good. The fit is tight, but not overly tight to the point where it pushes the vents to the side.

 

[leonwilliams]

I had one of these in my 8p all I did was grind a couple of mil off both ends and it fitted perfect

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[bronco]

I bought mine specifically for A3 8P from company called "Clearmounts", went for a complete package that (beside the magnet mount) includes a bracket on a swivel.

Link:
https://www.audiphoneholder.com/products/31/audi-a3-8p-2002-2012

Cheers,

 

[LEE69]

Mine was a clearmounts, but the magnet would hold my note 10+ so I went quadlock route

 

[George Kost]

Mine was a clearmounts, but the magnet would hold my note 10+ so I went quadlock route

I have a similar magnetic/holder combo mount from here. The site seems to be under maintenance at the moment.
I use the magnetic mount. And I placed the metal plate between my iPhone X and the silicon case. It stays strong. Never came loose.

 

[LEE69]

Weird, mine just wouldn't hold. Quadlock is ace never will fall off and if you buy the charger, it charges the same time. I'm never upgrading my phone too, this does more than I would ever need, saying that a new case is about £25 ish?

 

[theViTALiTY]

Just got mine today. Its da bomb my dude. Props for making it
For those wondering if its too thick, it is not. It sits nearly perfect, you cant even tell there is a gap until you stuff your face against the air vent.

 

[Skinnymat72]

Just got mine today. Its da bomb my dude. Props for making it
For those wondering if its too thick, it is not. It sits nearly perfect, you cant even tell there is a gap until you stuff your face against the air vent.

How and where do i purchase one of these?

 

[FPSUsername]

How and where do i purchase one of these?

Read the first post

 

[Davill9]

Read the first post

Hi there,

I am struggling to purchase one of these plates too.....
I can source a magnet no problem but it is the backing
I thought I may have been doing something wrong on the link but a friend tried last night also for me and was unsuccessful as well.
Sorry if I am being stupid.

 

[LEE69]

2PCs Magnetic Car Holder Metal Plate For Magnet Phone Stand Car Holder GPS | eBay

Material:Aluminium Alloy. These plates don't have any magnet. Bicycle Holder:No. Has Speaker:No. Car Holder:Yes.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Davill9]

2PCs Magnetic Car Holder Metal Plate For Magnet Phone Stand Car Holder GPS | eBay

Material:Aluminium Alloy. These plates don't have any magnet. Bicycle Holder:No. Has Speaker:No. Car Holder:Yes.

www.ebay.co.uk

Hi mate,
No sorry I mean...it’s the pcb backing that goes between the air vents, that I can’t seem to be able to work out how to purchase- the bit in op first post arrow’d below, with the Audi logo on top right corner

 

[LEE69]

Ahh sorry. Mine originally was a clearmount

 

[Davill9]

Ahh sorry. Mine originally was a clearmount

Ah fair enough mate.
cheers for letting me know.
I guess op would be best to ask then....
@FPSUsername
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/members/fpsusername.148770/
or
@theViTALiTY

theViTALiTY

www.audi-sport.net

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated on my above few posts
Many thanks in advance.

 

[LEE69]

Just go for this dead cheap https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001421072761.html

 

[theViTALiTY]

Just go for this dead cheap https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001421072761.html

Plate wont fit the 8P. Its for 8V and up.

Ah fair enough mate.
cheers for letting me know.
I guess op would be best to ask then....
@FPSUsername
https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/members/fpsusername.148770/
or
@theViTALiTY

theViTALiTY

www.audi-sport.net

Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated on my above few posts
Many thanks in advance.

I dont quite get what issue are you having here. You cant make an order at JLPCB or what?

 

[LEE69]

Plate wont fit the 8P. Its for 8V and up.

All it needs is a slight trim iirc

 

[Davill9]

Just go for this dead cheap https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001421072761.html

Yeah I would do but only fits the 8V

that is, I think why the other one was made and you take this magnet and swivel section off and fit to the pcb that is same shape as the above but to fit the 8p vents

I have just read the rest of following posts after reply. sorry

 

[Davill9]

Plate wont fit the 8P. Its for 8V and up.


I dont quite get what issue are you having here. You cant make an order at JLPCB or what?

No. I don’t seem to be able to.
May have to try on someone’s actual windows computer??
I am using an iPhone and it just doesn’t seem to work for me.

 

[leonwilliams]

It will fit the 8p I just got a dremmel and took a little off it fitted my 8p fine

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[FPSUsername]

I'm not sure on what to reply and I don't want to multi quote on this post.

As stated in the first post, this phone holder is made up from two products.
1. A generic phone holder (in my case I used one for the 8V generation)
2. A self designed replacement back plate for the 8P generation

You can order the PCB by uploading the gerber files at any PCB manufacturer and get a quote. I suggested JLC as I've had experience with their PCBs in my workfield. Their machines to fabricate PCBs are top notch and the silk screen finish is outstanding. The fact that they sell dual layer PCBs for this cheap is another pro for the hobbyist. Of course you can opt in for any other manufacturer, such as ALLPCB (they have glossy black finishes instead of matte back).

Note: of course you can use a dremel and cut the 8V phone holder to fit the car, but this is another take on a phone holder and I think the results are excellent. Of course you are free to modify the design by adding your touch, the source is uploaded on my GitHub.

 

[FPSUsername]

No. I don’t seem to be able to.
May have to try on someone’s actual windows computer??
I am using an iPhone and it just doesn’t seem to work for me.

You need to create an account to order. That's not an issue, but do that anyway. You can then ask support for them to make an order of it for you and send the gerber files to their support email.

Since you mentioned iphone, try it with the google chrome browser. Safari is known for not working well with many websites (most websites are built to work on the chromium engine these days)

 

[Davill9]

You need to create an account to order. That's not an issue, but do that anyway. You can then ask support for them to make an order of it for you and send the gerber files to their support email.

Since you mentioned iphone, try it with the google chrome browser. Safari is known for not working well with many websites (most websites are built to work on the chromium engine these days)

Thanks mate
and thanks for sharing designs with us. It does look great. !
I used a friend’s windows pc tonight and all sorted really easy on windows.
I ordered through who you recommended also.
The size came up automatically as 54mm x 79mm so hopefully that was the right size and I will post a picture when it is all done and fitted.

 

[FPSUsername]

I really wonder if someone will order it in a different color. Perhaps white or maybe blue.
It's unfortunate that you can't order the smallest batch in different colors, but that's how PCB ordering works.
You could buy 5 pieces of every color and ask them to send it as one package to save on shipping costs. It's not expensive at ~3 euro for 5 pieces (or per color).

Anyhow, I'm very happy with the end result. If one day I'll own an 8V car, I'll update the design for the 8V generation.
If someone is interested in helping me out with an 8V release, I need two measurements. One of the measurements is the circumference of the vent hole (the easiest method is to measure the circumference of the vent behind the lip) and the other measurement is the distance between the vent holes. In millimeters, please.

 

[ben_a38p]

I've seen many phone holders that fit in between the vents of the A3, however, they are only for the 8V generation, which has a wider placement of the two vents. This means that the product simply won't fit without cutting the mount or modifying the vents.

Hereby I present you, the phone holder for the 8P generation

Unfortunately, I don't know how to design something that can be crafted using a CNC machine, but I do know my way around PCB design programs.
I created the backplate in Altium designer and used the magnet holder piece from an 8P holder I found on AliExpress (here is the link to the one I bought).

The Audi logo has been placed on the exact same spot on the other side, meaning that you can mount the plate with the logo showing in one of the four corners. I think that the top right corner looks amazing on an LHD vehicle.

How to get your own phone holder:
1. Grab the Gerber files under releases from my repository here
2. Read the README file
3. Order the PCB (JLCPCB is advised)
4. Order the 8V Phone holder or any other that uses a screw with a 4mm diameter
5. Screw the magnet holder piece on the PCB
6. Remove one of the vents and lift the other vent just a bit to slip the PCB under it
7. Place the vent back and enjoy!

Extra:
You can order the PCB in different colors (silkscreen) and the copper finish can be chosen as well. I chose black with HASL finish, but you can make it as crazy as you like (white with ENIG (gold) finish for example). Note that the ENIG finish costs more.

Have a look at Brodit phone mounts then I have the Mous rugged phone case with wireless magnetic charging mount attached to it to the left of the radio

 

[FPSUsername]

No offense, but they don't look as stylish as mine does. Plus, not many phones have wireless charging (even though the concept already exists for about 5+ years).

On a side note, do yourself and others a favor by not quoting the first post. Often first posts are large content-wise and clutter the thread when you quote them.

 

[Davill9]

I really wonder if someone will order it in a different color. Perhaps white or maybe blue.
It's unfortunate that you can't order the smallest batch in different colors, but that's how PCB ordering works.
You could buy 5 pieces of every color and ask them to send it as one package to save on shipping costs. It's not expensive at ~3 euro for 5 pieces (or per color).

Anyhow, I'm very happy with the end result. If one day I'll own an 8V car, I'll update the design for the 8V generation.
If someone is interested in helping me out with an 8V release, I need two measurements. One of the measurements is the circumference of the vent hole (the easiest method is to measure the circumference of the vent behind the lip) and the other measurement is the distance between the vent holes. In millimeters, please.

Want to say a big thank you for sharing one of the best things I ever did for my s3
Genuinely!
It has saved me sooo much time trying to make something up.
It’s absolutely perfect for what I wanted

You can lift iPhone up and have a dash camera
I can see satnav without it on my lap
Play music skip track etc
Same with hands free calls etc
It genuinely is spot on and doesn’t come off or loose from vents and is still left vents flush and secure.
I did modify by putting a washer and anti vibration washer on back as it did come undone after a few months a few times but seriously thank you for sharing this mate
Full credit to you.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Davill9]

I really wonder if someone will order it in a different color. Perhaps white or maybe blue.
It's unfortunate that you can't order the smallest batch in different colors, but that's how PCB ordering works.
You could buy 5 pieces of every color and ask them to send it as one package to save on shipping costs. It's not expensive at ~3 euro for 5 pieces (or per color).

Anyhow, I'm very happy with the end result. If one day I'll own an 8V car, I'll update the design for the 8V generation.
If someone is interested in helping me out with an 8V release, I need two measurements. One of the measurements is the circumference of the vent hole (the easiest method is to measure the circumference of the vent behind the lip) and the other measurement is the distance between the vent holes. In millimeters, please.

Want to say a big thank you for sharing one of the best things I ever did for my s3
Genuinely!
It has saved me sooo much time trying to make something up.
It’s absolutely perfect for what I wanted
And the Audi rings was a lovely last touch.
Matches the rest of the dash.

You can lift iPhone up and have a dash camera
I can see satnav without having it on my lap
Play music skip track etc
Same with hands free calls etc
It genuinely is spot on and doesn’t come off or loose from vents and is still left vents flush and secure.
Centre is perfect position
May even convert to behind dash wiring wireless charger at some point too.
Only issue is dust buildup behind but I have a bottle brush now to clean when hoovering lol

I did modify by putting a washer and anti vibration washer on back as it did come undone after a few months a few times but seriously thank you for sharing this mate
Full credit to you.

I will put a pic on when I have paddle clutch and stuff all finished off


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FPSUsername]

I'm glad you enjoy it

I did modify by putting a washer and anti vibration washer on back as it did come undone after a few months a few times but seriously thank you for sharing this mate

You could also use a bit of blue locktite on the screw, but I didn't find such an issue with the magnet section that I salvaged from the 8V mount.

 

[Davill9]

I'm glad you enjoy it


You could also use a bit of blue locktite on the screw, but I didn't find such an issue with the magnet section that I salvaged from the 8V mount.

Or superglue
Na I’m just joking but it’s because the pcb is quite soft and is a really thin head on the 8v mount I bought from Ali express…
Slightly larger washers worked perfectly for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk