carstick on aux battery or other solution for streaming movies?

[Waldo]

The VW carstick which offers MIFI is to be connected to a front USB socket (glovebox or under the radio), and is said to use a fixed antenna integrated in the car (hence it's advantage over using your phone's hotspot function). This means it stops working after 30 minutes unless the engine is running, not ideal to stream a movie in the evening. What would be the best/easiest solution?

 

[MattBW]

I use a mifi hotspot or my WiFi extender setup. On the mifi the battery lasts about 4 hours of use and can be left plugged into usb. Three uk also have a go binge add on which makes Netflix not count as data


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[Waldo]

My problem is the VW carstick only works on the front USB sockets and stops working after 30 minutes when then engine is not running, just like the radio does.

 

[MattBW]

It’s a stand-alone device not the usb


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[AlanC]

Can you move the supply with an extension cable to one of the sockets in the back using a USB adapter?

Those are not limited to time as the front ones are, which run off the engine battery. The computer will turn off the power to the radio and the USB sockets via the Canbus system to protect the engine battery.

Alan

 

[MattBW]

Weirdly I came back to say just that. That’s a good point and probably an easy solution.


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[Waldo]

AlanC, not sure I understand what you mean with supply here: "Can you move the supply with an extension cable to one of the sockets in the back using a USB adapter? " the car stick looks like a regular usb stick (see attached picture, 2017 version is black) but doesn't work from the back USB sockets: the LED stays red, becomes green in front), maybe because it detects there's no connection to the antenna? I have to think the other way round: connect the front USB to the spare battery or disable the 30 minute shutdown. I've read sth about doing the latter safely but can't find it anymore

 

[El Greco]

If the device is standalone and all it needs is power to operate, then it can be supplied from any power source as suggested above. Why go to the trouble of messing around with the front USB ports if they only supply power?

You could also use a rechargeable power pack or even something like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00VBAE5Y0/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[Amarillo]

If the device is standalone and all it needs is power to operate, then it can be supplied from any power source as suggested above.

I think that it is not standalone. Either of the front USB ports connect it to a built in antennae; it has no antennae of its own so will not work from a leisure socket to USB adaptor, much like my iPod won't play music through the car's media system if charging from a leisure socket,


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[Waldo]

Exactly Amarillo, as I tried to explain it needs one the front usb ports to connect to the car antenna, the question is how hard is it bypass the 30 minute switch off on the front usb ports/radio. I think I read a solution here on the forum somewhere but can't find it anymore, I'd like to discuss that with VW Amersfoort when they install solar panels

 

[MattBW]

There may be a setting for the carstick timeout on that that could be changed in VCDS but I am not aware of it. It sounds like its designed for travelling rather than destination. The 30 mins seems the same as the stereo timeout.

The same Sim in a standalone mifi device may be a quick fix, they are about £30. Mine was in use for 4 hours the other day before it ran out of battery, even then just plugged into a usb charger and carried on.