[martinijim]

For those of us who own a Blackberry 7100 series, we have been faced with the lack of docking options for our PIM. Since the dock is not needed for syncing or charging the 7100, it seems no one has made a dock\cradle for our device.


Well, in an effort to pioneer the first ever 7100 series docking station, I present to you...


Building a Lo-tech Dock for 7100 series in 3 Easy Steps




Time Invested: 15 Minutes

Tool required:
1 – Razor blade, Exacto knife, utility knife or similar
1 – Needle nose pliers
1 – Pair Safety Glasses
1 – Band-Aid (optional)



Material:
Foam block minimum 1” thick. It should be at least 2” X 3”.
Styrofoam is good, but I recommend the plastic foam found in computer (i.e. laptop) packaging. It adds a much more stylish look.

Step 1
After acquiring necessary materials (I chose the plastic style packing foam), begin by placing your dock on a clean, dry, flat surface with plenty of light and ventilation.

Raw Material:


Top View:


Front View:


Step 2
Use the razor blade to cut a rectangle in the top of the foam (2 ½” long by ½” wide). See illustration below. I’ve outlined the cut for instructional purposes. I do not recommend using marker on the dock as it will take away from its modern sleek beauty.



Step 3
Once the cut is made, use the needle nose pliers to pull out approximately ¾” of foam thus creating a cradle for your Blackberry. At this point you should test the dock with your device to ensure a snug fit. It’s better to cut too little than too much; you can always trim the foam.

(Optional Step)
User the razor blade to cut out a cradle for you headset.



Your dock is now functional!

The 7100t


The 7100g


Other options for your dock:

Earpiece Cradle


More to follow...

As always, clean up after yourself. You don't want your boss or co-workers to know that you goofed off for an hour while you were "supposed to be working"!

Not recommended:



Feel free to submit your comments, questions, and suggestions.

Happy Holidays!!!

[Seca]

Thats great!!! LOL!

[martinijim]

Originally Posted by Seca

Thats great!!! LOL!

Thanks! Nothing like being stuck in the office for only two days this week. I'm really not motivated to do anything besides entertain others!

[glacked]

Okay, after I stopped laughing and calling over a coworker to look at this, I look over and low and behold... he's fitting some new cameras into pelican cases for our patrol guys. After a quick, "mind if I help," presto, I've got a nice, tactical black (gray really, but I'm swat - so I'll say tac-black) docking station!

It should be noted that mine is not as swanky as yours and by no means is a violation of any patent you may now or in the future hold.

Being that this foam is pre-cut for ease of removal in the case, I may apply some nice 100mph tape (think green duct tape) once I get home and plant this next to my to-drool-over gaming computer.

[martinijim]

Glacked - I am glad I have inspired you! Get some pics up there, I want to see your creation!

Jim

[penk]

excellent! awesome job and thanks for the grins.

[04navi]

LOL..Awsome Its also universal...

[RonM]

Now just spray paint it to match the phone for a truly "custom" look. LOL

[glacked]

Just now got around to doing this. Sorry for the delay.



The foam is pre-cut so you can rip it out of their cases. All I did was pull some out of the middle, cut it down some, then stuff it back in - no sliding down.



Btw, now I know I need to dust my desk - thanks for that! And thanks for the idea.

[NewBee Wins]

Glacked.........I like the other "handheld" in the background!!!

[glacked]

That's my "gaming" gun - and one of my backups when I'm on patrol. I've got myself a nice gaming comp - and my BB is more for keeping up with my online gaming buddies than work related. Although I recently found that I can check driver's license on it.

The wife is a prosecutor, so we make a lot of friends that say they're going to come over to visit from time to time. I keep that second handheld nearby just in case.

[MooseBerry]

That's a good setup, glacked. Stay safe Bro!

[kurrupt_1]

Nice work on the cradles.

[BBAdmin]

That's all just cracked me up - really tempted to take a jizsaw to the top of my Antec case now to slot the old BB in the top!!!!

[r0bh3]

Very nice, and I see there are color options as well. I've been looking for some accessories for my new 7100, this may be just the thing.

[kurrupt_1]

Originally Posted by r0bh3

Very nice, and I see there are color options as well. I've been looking for some accessories for my new 7100, this may be just the thing.

The question is how much are you willing to pay?

[glacked]

take a jizsaw to the top of my Antec case now to slot the old BB in the top!!!!

You know, heat rises. I'd also suggest either hooking a nice 80mm fan up just below it or maybe even a swanky water cooling system just for the cradle itself!

I saw an image where a guy installed an XM radio on the side of his comp and had a car hands free cradle under it for his cell - he could game, listen to XM and take calls all at the same time without having to touch anything. I don't know how you'd get the power worked out, but I'm sure Radio Shack could fix that problem.

Here's an idea: Get this item and put it in an empty bay on your case, cut foam to fit in the cupholder and set your BB in that - use your car kit to charge it with the attached lighter plug!

[martinijim]

Hey, remember this email (or similar one) that went around a while ago??? Here we all thought we were innovaters and this guy beat us to it. Now that is a real "out of the box" thinker!!!






Jim