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PhilSkill
Enthusiast II
February 13, 2018

Android Controllers and Setup, past the CR100 brick

  • February 13, 2018
  • 112 replies
  • 8635 views
As many of us are being thrown off of our CR100's, and forced onto an external third party device, please use this thread to say what device you will use or have tried, and advise what settings and configurations make it work.

Please keep it on topic, use the "Save the CR100" thread to put the world to rights on the bricking of our functioning devices.

Life must go on, The CR100 will die, lets try to help each other find our best solution.

To start,

I have just purchased a Lenovo Tab 7 Essential, 7" screen so similar overall size to the controller, ordered through Tesco Direct, very fast service available in 3 hours from ordering.

Tesco added a discount so got it for £62, although They advertised it as the Tab 4 7" which is actually a different unit with slightly higher res and should retail at £99 rather than £69 anyway its fine at the right price. both run Android 7.0

So set it up with no security as I don't want a pin entry each time I pick it up.

Installed Sonos from Google play and allowed Sonos net connections and connected straight to my system.

Then set the sonos options to "Show lock screen controls" and "Show Volume on Home screen"

Set the Android screen saver to Clock (its a bit too small compared to the Controller) but can be shown when docked (charging), so leave the unit on and it blacks out to a clock, can be digital or analogue.

One downside of this particular device is the micro usb charging port is not central, so Belkin docks wont work, so the cradle/dock could be an issue!? Any ideas?

Leave the Sonos app running and it comes out of the lock screen into Sonos.

Without a proper cradle its not so easy to directly compare, sometime touching the display unlocks, othertimes I need to press the side power button.

If you touch the button it goes to the home screen, which needs a swipe to unlock, a nice touch, if sonos is playing and running, then the home screen wallpaper is the artwork.

On the home screen are quick access play,stop and skip but no volume, there is a tiny expander arrow that opens up a menu that has a button to change volume, but thats way too complex, easier to double tap the quick access area and it opens the sonos app to show you the zone with volume control, art, queue etc.
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112 replies

Renowned Enthusiast I
February 19, 2018
As an update, I’ve tried the mini usb charging dock.
2 issues:
1. The kindle fire 7 charging port is off centre, on the top and next to the power button, so this causes a problem when trying to locate it centrally on the stand. Although the male charging connector can be moved on the stand, if you move it to make the tablet central then the power button ends up resting on one of the raised bumps on the dock. This means it constantly presses the power button and causes the tablet to switch on and off repeatedly. The only way to avoid this is to settle for the tablet not being central on the dock. See photo.

2. Its relatively easy to remove the tablet from the dock, but you do have to use 2 hands otherwise lifting the tablet just lifts the stand as well. However, once removed its quite tricky to re-attach.

Overall, something with wireless charging might be better, or if sticking with the kindle 7 a basic stand with a longer cable attached (so you can leave it attached all the time.

Paul Gordon
Enthusiast II
February 20, 2018
Has anyone found, or become aware of, a dock which is wall-mounted? - all my CR100's are wall mounted in wet areas. Obviously it's a problem to put a tablet & a sink full of water in close proximity, especially with an arrangement like the above, where it wouldn't be too difficult to imagine reaching out for a toothbrush off the rack and knocking a tablet stood on the side of the sink over... This isn't a problem with the CR100, since when docked, it's very positively seated & not so easy to inadvertently knock, and also being wall-mounted means it's up out of the way of where my toothbrush is stored, & thus away from flailing hands...

I also have the problem that my CR100 cradles have been mounted with the power cable flushed into the wall, so if/when I remove the cradle, there will be a wire left behind sticking out of the wall. I'd like to look at reusing that to power a replacement dock/cradle rather than have to cut & dig into the walls & make good afterwards.
SAVE THE CR100!!
bockersjv
Local Superstar
February 20, 2018
For wall mount maybe something like this:-
Beetronic Tablet Mount
or Clicky 2

Or there are similar units like those used in shops for display purposes, but they tend to be device specific.
Paul Gordon
Enthusiast II
February 20, 2018
For wall mount maybe something like this:-
Beetronic Tablet Mount

Or there are similar units like those used in shops for display purposes, but they tend to be device specific.


I don't actually mind device specific... - In fact, I welcome an option the looks like it was "designed" rather than "assembled"... I guess with something like that I could maybe fit a wedge shaped fillet between the mount & the wall, in order to replicate the screen rake angle that I have today with the CR100 (Those original Sonos designers really were the mutts nuts...)
SAVE THE CR100!!
ratty
February 20, 2018
if/when I remove the cradle, there will be a wire left behind sticking out of the wall. I'd like to look at reusing that to power a replacement dock/cradle rather than have to cut & dig into the walls & make good afterwards.
The CR100 PSU is 6V/3.8A. USB is 5V. You could fry the tablet.
bockersjv
Local Superstar
February 20, 2018
The CR100 PSU is 6V/3.8A. USB is 5V. You could fry the tablet.
Maybe the kindle Fire could live up to its name 😉 😃
Paul Gordon
Enthusiast II
February 20, 2018
if/when I remove the cradle, there will be a wire left behind sticking out of the wall. I'd like to look at reusing that to power a replacement dock/cradle rather than have to cut & dig into the walls & make good afterwards.
The CR100 PSU is 6V/3.8A. USB is 5V. You could fry the tablet.


Obviously I was planning fit whatever appropriate PSU in place of the original... 😳 - just leave the wire in the wall... the PSU isn't sealed up inside the wall too, that was left accessible underneath the sink vanity unit, and could be changed quite easily, as could the jack plug on the end if it's not the right size (most likely any new tablet would need a mini-USB plug)...
SAVE THE CR100!!
ratty
February 20, 2018
Obviously I was planning fit whatever appropriate PSU in place of the original... 😳 - just leave the wire in the wall
Okay. Just checking.

any new tablet would need a mini-USB plug)...

Micro USB.
Paul Gordon
Enthusiast II
February 20, 2018
YIKES! - I never realised how grubby the camera makes that look!... - the thing doesn't look anything like as tatty as the photo would suggest... - but I guess I'm going to go & break out the Mr. Sheen now!... :S
SAVE THE CR100!!
ratty
February 20, 2018
I assumed you'd re-textured the CR to blend in with the tiles.