I wanted to share my “homemade” Mag Safe car charger. I’m too cheap and impatient to wait for an elegant solution.
I used a magnetic phone mount but put the magnetic sticker on the back of the Apple Mag Safe Charger. For power, if you want the full 15 watts you need to get a car charger capable of PD3 (Power Delivery 3.0). It’s not about the wattage per se. I needs to put out 9V at 2.22 amps. I recommend 9V/3A to be safe. Go with something with plenty extra watts (as you lose some in the transfer. Mine is 30watts)
My first attempt was with a charger that wasn’t powerful enough and it charged really slowly. I didn’t realize the power requirement or PD3.0 (this is why MacBook chargers don’t power the Mag Safe well. They don’t have this standard.
I’m kind of obsessive with cable management so I ran the USB-C cable in the dashboard. But that isn’t essential.
The magnetic bond is strong too. I’ve been aiming for potholes to test it haha. I’m using a 12 Pro Max switching between the clear and leather Mag safe cases. Both work great.
Basic cost isn’t bad. If you have a Mag Safe Charger you only need to spend $30 more.
$15 - Magnetic Car Mount
$15 - PD3 capable car charger.
I used a magnetic phone mount but put the magnetic sticker on the back of the Apple Mag Safe Charger. For power, if you want the full 15 watts you need to get a car charger capable of PD3 (Power Delivery 3.0). It’s not about the wattage per se. I needs to put out 9V at 2.22 amps. I recommend 9V/3A to be safe. Go with something with plenty extra watts (as you lose some in the transfer. Mine is 30watts)
My first attempt was with a charger that wasn’t powerful enough and it charged really slowly. I didn’t realize the power requirement or PD3.0 (this is why MacBook chargers don’t power the Mag Safe well. They don’t have this standard.
I’m kind of obsessive with cable management so I ran the USB-C cable in the dashboard. But that isn’t essential.
The magnetic bond is strong too. I’ve been aiming for potholes to test it haha. I’m using a 12 Pro Max switching between the clear and leather Mag safe cases. Both work great.
Basic cost isn’t bad. If you have a Mag Safe Charger you only need to spend $30 more.
$15 - Magnetic Car Mount
$15 - PD3 capable car charger.
