Particle's Custom RPG

General => Common Topic Symposium => Topic started by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:18 pm CDT

Title: Others will die, but -my- phone will go forever [big images]
Post by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:18 pm CDT: Ever had enough of your phone having bad battery life? Tired of getting only a few days (you with newer phones might get close to a week) of battery? I have been for some time. Last week I did a conceptual test run of a solution to this problem. Today, when my phone's battery charger decided it wasn't going to charge...again...I created a permanent solution to my problem.

Instead of continually using a 900mAh lithium ion battery pack, I've upgraded to this :
(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/1sm.png) (http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/1lg.jpg)

(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/2sm.png) (http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/2lg.jpg)

(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/3sm.png) (http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/3lg.jpg)

Battery life has over tripled.
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Post by: KoRo on May 31, 2006 10:19 pm CDT: are those just AA's?
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Post by: Darwin on May 31, 2006 10:22 pm CDT: I'd like a portable foot pedal for mine. I sometimes have a hard time sitting still (since I spend so much time typing), so a foot pedal universal charger would be awesome.
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Post by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:22 pm CDT: That's what makes it so great.

Run out of battery? Just slip in some new AAs. You never have to remember your charger--everybody's got a AA battery charger.

Run out of battery? No waiting on a recharge--slip in some cells that are already charged and you're good for another couple weeks.

Never do you have to pay for an expensive battery pack should it go bad, either.
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Post by: Lidge Farkley on May 31, 2006 10:23 pm CDT: Advertising!
Admin Ban Spammer!
;-)

Very excellent concept and very cool configuration. :-)
I can say right now that I don't think current cellphones have enough "meat" to them... I feel like I am holding nothing... not comforting to me.

Anyway... you should mock up a casing system and cover panel to consider.
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Post by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:24 pm CDT: Quote from: "Lidge Farkley"
Advertising!
Admin Ban Spammer!
:-)
I can say right now that I don't think current cellphones have enough "meat" to them... I feel like I am holding nothing... not comforting to me.

Anyway... you should mock up a casing system and cover panel to consider.

I'm the same way--I think my phone is already too small. That's why I don't like flip/slider phones, either. They're even thinner yet. This thing feels like a REAL man's phone.
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Post by: KoRo on May 31, 2006 10:28 pm CDT: I just have the basic Nokia 6010 that comes with the plan, and it's a tank. I've dropped it countless types on cement, concrete, asphault, you name it. It barely has more than a few dents in it.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on May 31, 2006 10:34 pm CDT: i drop my razr all over and its fine...one or two scratches on the corners...i like my thin flip phone...i cant destroy the screen without trying
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Post by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:43 pm CDT: My phone has a hard clear barrier between the screen and the outside world. It isn't as exposed as other phones, since it is a stick phone. (it was engineered to take it)
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on May 31, 2006 10:48 pm CDT: meh...i dont care mine has more games and ring tones and cool malarkey on it lol.....
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Post by: Particle on May 31, 2006 10:55 pm CDT: Those things don't really interest me. I'm one of those one percenters out there who prefer a phone that isn't tiny, don't like sliders/flips, and don't like crazy ring tones. I want a ring tone that's a ring, not music.
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Post by: Taurik on May 31, 2006 10:55 pm CDT: hahah. Nice. reminds me of this calculator i ripped apart in grade school and put a battery where the solar panel was. (it actually worked, too)
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Post by: Artorius on May 31, 2006 11:02 pm CDT: Quote from: "Particle"
Those things don't really interest me. I'm one of those one percenters out there who prefer a phone that isn't tiny, don't like sliders/flips, and don't like crazy ring tones. I want a ring tone that's a ring, not music.

I'm probably the only person on this forum who doesn't have a cellphone, and I pretty much hate everything about them.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on May 31, 2006 11:21 pm CDT: i just realized my phone hasnt rang in over 2 weeks lol.....oooh my phone is on vibrate lol....ive missed a few calls....my phone is a toy for me...just like this computer is
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Post by: Kyrie on May 31, 2006 11:30 pm CDT: I don't have a cell phone.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on May 31, 2006 11:43 pm CDT: you should get one....tmobile has great deals for people with no credit history too....no deposit only buy the phone and a 75 activation feee then for signing up for a year you get a discount off your phone
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Post by: Taurik on June 1, 2006 12:33 am CDT: Particle would probably approve of my cell phone, which is about seven years old, big, and doesn't have any ringtones that don't sound at least vaguely like a ring:

(http://http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/49/bd/502779-elec_lg.jpg)
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 1, 2006 12:40 am CDT: ZOMG!!!! its my dads old phone
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Post by: KoRo on June 1, 2006 01:24 am CDT: I'm w/ Particle. Simplicity & Performance over gadgets.

The more things its got, the more it'll break.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 1, 2006 01:26 am CDT: =P mine wont break again....i broke one when i bought it in the store on purpose but still got a new one for free =D
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Post by: villman420 on June 1, 2006 01:31 pm CDT: couple of my friends families have gotten rid of there house phone and just have cell phones now.

anyone notice that the smaller phones get, the malarkeytier reception you get? my old ghetto kyocera phone got reception anywhere. now my new LG flip phone gets the malarkeytiest reception ever and its so irritating
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Post by: KoRo on June 1, 2006 04:27 pm CDT: I always find it to be the other way around...Seems the smaller you get, the better reception i get.

My phone is right in the middle =D
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Post by: Noalear on June 1, 2006 05:09 pm CDT: my girlfriends getting a razr. once she gets the razr in im modding my phone too.. gunna try and compete with particles. My phone has totally malarkey out and the screen has a huge lemon on it because someone....... someone....... *looks at my pictures* broke it. im going to go with an antenna upgrade and a power upgrade.
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Post by: villman420 on June 1, 2006 05:11 pm CDT: im in a small hick town where towers arent as prominent. im sure youre in a more populated area so signal isnt as big of a problem as it is for me
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Post by: KoRo on June 1, 2006 05:11 pm CDT: This cell phone stuff reminds me of the movie "Slipstream"
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 1, 2006 05:12 pm CDT: naw i live in teh b00nies....but the razr has a sick antenna
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Post by: Particle on June 1, 2006 05:51 pm CDT: Quote from: "Noalear"
my girlfriends getting a razr. once she gets the razr in im modding my phone too.. gunna try and compete with particles. My phone has totally malarkeye out and the screen has a huge lemon on it because someone....... someone....... *looks at my pictures* broke it. im going to go with an antenna upgrade and a power upgrade.

Copier! *points*

When you go to do it, let me know. If you aren't careful of a few things when doing this, you'll break your phone entirely.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 1, 2006 06:02 pm CDT: and post pictues
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Post by: Calendros on June 1, 2006 06:25 pm CDT: hah, my GF got me a cool flip phone... I got all these features... it's funny though, because my phone is turned off 95% of the time... I only turn it on when I'm A> Expecting a call, or B> about to make a call and no other phone is available.
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Post by: Lidge Farkley on June 1, 2006 07:15 pm CDT: I don't own a cell phone would rather never own one and I avoid using them unless needed.

hmmm... Maybe you could design a "Man's Grip" which would overshell a phone like that one and also contain these extra batteries.

As for my style, I am in that 1% as well; I want a phone that I can hold like a WW2 grenade and has a ringer instead of some annoying audio clip. I also want a phone that will stay charged and allow me to talk with out a wire as long as possible with out a spare battery.

Though... I also don't actually want a phone.. hmm.

I look forward to additional phone mod's and projects! Post pictures!
(this reminds me... I made a newer LCD projector project... but I still don't own a camera.. heh.. so.. no pictures of this one either. doh!)
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Post by: Particle on June 1, 2006 07:38 pm CDT: Quote from: "Lidge Farkley"
Maybe you could design a "Man's Grip" which would overshell a phone like that one and also contain these extra batteries.

I like seeing the stuff. It's kind of the same deal as how I run my computers without side panels on. I like to see the stuff that makes technology interesting.
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Post by: Lidge Farkley on June 1, 2006 08:01 pm CDT: Good point... how about a transparent "Man's Grip" for the "inside" enthusiasts?
:-)
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 1, 2006 11:31 pm CDT: or just put the phone in a box....and drill holes in it for sound
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Post by: 12Stones on June 2, 2006 11:59 am CDT: I don't have a cell phone either.. kinda like it.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 2, 2006 01:27 pm CDT: well duh....leprechauns arent real so they dont sell cell phones to them
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Post by: Particle on June 5, 2006 09:42 pm CDT: Five day update. I'm still using the same batteries from the last picture, which was taken about 10 minutes after I installed these NiMHs.

(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/day5sm.jpg) (http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/day5lg.jpg)
Click to see the battery remaining and days ran.

Interesting note: I seem to get better reception with this pack than the normal pack. Dunno why, but I always seem to be at 4-5 bars now instead of randomly dipping to 2-3 all the time.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 6, 2006 03:00 am CDT: how many hours used???? not attached actually using the phone
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Post by: villman420 on June 6, 2006 08:35 am CDT: part can you take that battery pack off and put old one back on if you wanted to?
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Post by: Particle on June 6, 2006 11:27 am CDT: Quote from: "villman420"
part can you take that battery pack off and put old one back on if you wanted to?

Yeah, if I wanted to I could go back. Reinstalling my custom battery pack would take some time though (have to re-glue everything) if I wanted to go back to it after using the normal battery again.

I've used the phone more these last five days than normal. I haven't exactly counted the minutes though.
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Post by: Noalear on June 6, 2006 01:01 pm CDT: yeah you keep calling me. stop it. i hate phones. i only use the phone when i have those man questions only you can answer particle.

ps- your voice is that of a giant.
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Post by: Noalear on June 6, 2006 01:03 pm CDT: pss- i like double posting. and oh yeah- my phone cries when you call, because the signal is all like *kick in the door* KNOCK KNOCK MOTHER LOVER!
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Post by: Particle on June 7, 2006 10:52 pm CDT: Time for a day seven update. The phone is still going, though I suspect the batteries will die some time Thursday or Friday. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/day7sm.jpg) (http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phone/day7lg.jpg)
Click to see the battery remaining and days ran.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 7, 2006 11:45 pm CDT: nice nice....mine will last longer than that as long as i dont use it....if i use it on a daily basis say 5 calls or so a day of varying lengths anywhere from a few seconds to an hour or so it will die in 3 days
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Post by: Particle on June 7, 2006 11:51 pm CDT: I've been using the phone daily and it's lasted over seven days so far. If I don't do anything, I suspect I'll get over two weeks out of it. If I actually use this phone with the default battery, I get about a day and a half out of it...so you can see the percentage improvement. If your phone gets a week if in standby the whole time with the standard pack, this custom one would give you about a month most likely.
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Post by: slorge_gridlock on June 8, 2006 11:19 am CDT: Man do I feel my age.
(http://http://www.att.com/cls/images/whitwallrota.jpg)
Phone I had to use in high school.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 8, 2006 01:10 pm CDT: awesome...wish i had one of those in my car
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Post by: Particle on June 8, 2006 08:28 pm CDT: ZOMG NEWS
My phone finally died today, consistant with a few predictions. After 180 hours, my phone finally drained the battery to the point where the phone shut off. In other news, it took twenty seconds to put in new NiMHs...so now I'm good for another week.
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 9, 2006 12:03 pm CDT: HAHAHA....hmmmm when does this device become available to the public???
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Post by: KoRo on June 9, 2006 04:25 pm CDT: well technically it already is...with a little label stating "Some assembly required"
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Post by: Vorter_X_ on June 9, 2006 04:26 pm CDT: but but but.....i dont wanna put it together...get it patented geoff
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Post by: Dirk on June 10, 2006 06:02 am CDT: Mine came with this thing where I just plug it into a wall everynight and it works wonders. Though the pack would be a great idea for someone away from electricity but in cellphone transmission tower range for extended periods of time. I'd be willing to be the portable satellite phones have something similiar, if not then they're stupid.
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Post by: Particle on June 10, 2006 10:50 am CDT: Plugging the phone into the wall for an hour or two every couple days is retarded when you can go over a week and only have to spend ten seconds replacing three AA batteries. After that, you're good for another week. I'm sick of crappy battery life, and this is a solution--one that I like. My phone used to have a pathetic energy system like your phone and most others. It has since been converted to a better solution.

Reasons why it is nice:
- 3 AA NiMH batteries cost about $3. Compare to 20-30-40 dollars for a lithium ion pack from Nokia/Audiovox/etc.
- 3 AA NiMH batteries last 180 hours under heavy usage. Compare to 36 hours for the high capacity lithium ion pack for this phone.
- The external battery pack actually improves the feel of the phone and helps the it sit well on a table without moving from the slightest tap.
- You can essentially recharge your phone at your leisure. Keep a spare set or two and you can recharge the batteries when you want, not when your phone goes dead in the middle of a call. Unless you had a spare phone, you'd be hard pressed to do this with normal battery packs.
- With over a week of uptime, you can go visit somewhere for the weekend and not have to worry about a recharge/needing your charger.
- Go somewhere for a long time and forget your charger? Everybody and their pet dog's pet June bug has a AA battery charger. You aren't SOL just because you forgot your phone's proprietary charger.
- Changing batteries takes all of ten seconds. Charging a phone normally takes hours. If you were in the middle of a call, you aren't tied to the wall--simply insert new cells and charge the old ones at your leisure.
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Post by: KoRo on June 11, 2006 05:59 pm CDT: Everybody and their pet dog's pet june bug might have AA batteries..

But I can't see everyone having a battery charger...we used to never have one until just a few months ago (my mom was sick of buying batteries for her digital camera)
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Post by: Bovidi on June 11, 2006 06:12 pm CDT: Koro wasn't Particle's point though that battery charges are generic and you can easily go out and buy a charger or AA batteries instead of custom batteries or custom charger?
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Post by: KoRo on June 11, 2006 06:14 pm CDT: sorry, im in that 'non-generalizing' mood....Particle knows what im talking about.

But I really don't think they sell battery chargers in Cimmaron, NM.
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Post by: Noalear on June 11, 2006 06:33 pm CDT: if you have a gas station they probably do.
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Post by: Dirk on June 11, 2006 06:39 pm CDT: It's not retarded, it's just a matter of convenience. It's more work for me to recharge batteries regularly for my cell phone when I can just leave it in every night while I sleep, not to mention it's just less stuff to keep up with. I'm not saying that going through all of that for a battery pack wasn't industrious or would be a complete waste of time for anyone to even consider, just that it comes down to personal preference or usefulness. I'm sure there are people who would be able to use up an entire cell phone's battery life between the times when they're asleep and for those people this is ideal. Most people don't use their cell phones that much, even when I was working full time in a job that required moderately heavy use of my cell phone (and at the same time had no land line phone at my apartment) I never ran into running out of battery.

Point is that generally speaking, people don't need that sort of extra juice.
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Post by: Particle on June 11, 2006 06:42 pm CDT: Seems like I'd unplug my phone, blink, and the phone would say "Battery very low! Phone is shutting down!". For me, two days can pass by very quickly...and digging out my charger that often is annoying to me. Now I can just leave it going for over a week and replace the cells--takes all of thirty seconds to replace them and throw the old ones on the charger. I like it. A lot wouldn't. I just think it's geeky and neat so I shared it with the forum.
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Post by: Calendros on June 12, 2006 10:40 am CDT: Gotta admit, it is pretty clever... I however wouldnt do it simply because I'm the kind of guy who thinks "Hey, my phone looks cool, envy my penis size" whereas if I had a big battery-pack stuck to the back of my phone, it would increase it's size by double, and putting it in my tampon pocket would be impossible, so it'd look like I have something overly large in my pocket -- something large enough to try to steal.
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Post by: KoRo on June 12, 2006 04:17 pm CDT: Judging by how you described your phone situation, I would guess that you wear tight pants and talk on incredibly tiny phones...

Are you emo by chance?
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Post by: Darwin on June 12, 2006 07:49 pm CDT: Quote from: "Calendros"
so it'd look like I have something overly large in my pocket
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Post by: Lidge Farkley on June 13, 2006 07:31 pm CDT: Quote from: "Particle"
Seems like I'd unplug my phone, blink, and the phone would say "Battery very low! Phone is shutting down!". For me, two days can pass by very quickly...and digging out my charger that often is annoying to me. Now I can just leave it going for over a week and replace the cells--takes all of thirty seconds to replace them and throw the old ones on the charger. I like it. A lot wouldn't. I just think it's geeky and neat so I shared it with the forum.

Hmmm....

So when will the pictures/plans and electrical technical data be shared as well to enable us to quickly assemble such a... wonder?

Might want to make one of these packs up for my lady friend... ye know?

Peace!
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Post by: Particle on June 13, 2006 08:27 pm CDT: It's simple enough to do but takes a long time to explain with words. Technical specs? Ok, I'll put it all in a nifty chart then:

(http://http://www.pcrpg.org/pics/misc/phonepackchart.png)