I picked up this color changing USB hub from Radio Shack for $5 and it has a storage area that fits an HD2 perfectly.
I can't post a link so just google "Radio shack color changing 4 port hub" and you'll find it.
After looking at the nice fit I thought it would be easy to put a usb cable in the bottom of the compartment, so I could use it as a docking/charging station.
It's only held together by one screw in the storage compartment and then a couple pieces of double stick tape, so it was easy to open up. After taking it apart I held the phone next to it and marked where the USB port on the phone was using the dry marker that came with it. It had to be placed in the front corner of the storage compartment because of the circuit board directly underneath that storage compartment.
After marking it out I used a dremel rotary tool to put a hole in it, but I think a drill bit would have worked just as well. Then I put the USB jack in the hole so that it stood about a half inch off the bottom of the storage compartment. I took a sharp knife and trimmed those ring like pieces of plastic on the back of the usb jack off so that it was possible to put a 90 degree bend in the cable to fit it in the hub. Then I also put a small hole in the back edge and ran the cable out and plugged it into the hub.
It fits well with the stock rubber cover on the phone, or no cover on your phone, but I don't think it would fit very well if your case was much bigger than the stock case.
The dry marker that comes with the hub doesn't fit in the hole any longer, and you can't reach the buttons on your phone, but the button problem could be fixed by having the jack stand 1" off the bottom instead of the 1/2" I used.
Great job!!
Cool! Could you please measure the opening dimensions? I'm wondering if my HD2 in Otterbox Defender might fit inside?
Nice, if only we could get them in Australia.
Thx outstanding mod/hack. On my way to rat shack today thanks to your brilliant idea
Sent from tin can with string.
Related
never being happy with what is already made..i decided to modify my accesories so they fit my needs.
keyboard: took a chance on this one..wasn't sure if it worked with hd2 bluetooth stack but it worked right out of the box (press a button and connect it to the phone..that easy). and it's actually great..the keys are very clicky with good depth despite the really tiny size (as big as the hd2). it comes with an optional stand and a case. and btw..it's cheaper than other keyboards...around 50$ and it's designed in canada..actually made in china..but still..
the headphones..this project has already been done before..but i used the great headphones from my old omnia phone..really good fit..deep base..buttons and mic still work after i soldered the wires inside it
and for the case ..this was the biggest pain in the a..; this case made by melko protects really well the hd2 by covering all the edges without covering any part of the screen. however it has design flaw..i had to chop of the top of the back part..(see photos) so the "hook" that grips over the phone (there is no magnet etc) can go all the way back. if not..the front part of the case would stay a bit open..dumb.
the second modification is that i "transplanted" the the clip from an old cellet case to the back of the case (glued it under the leather and sewed it through the plastic of the case with a nylon double wire..extra safety..you know. and ofcourse i had to buy the new metal clip that works with any cellet case. only downside is that i removed the zagg shield from the back and side. total cost for the case and new clip..about 30$..plus a few good hours of work.
oh..and the case doubles as a reasonably solid stand
so what do you guys think?
one last pic
mikgangal said:
one last pic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this is still big keyboard have a look here ..
http://www.chinavasion.com/product_info.php/pName/mini-bluetooth-keyboard-for-smartphones/
yup..u're right..it's smaller..but i don't see myself actually typing a text on that.
on the one i got..i can type with full speed
Wow. That keyboard is huge. I think I'd rather pull out my netbook...
wow all looks good to me!
how did u solder the headphones? i would like to try it too!
wow all looks good to me!
how did u solder the headphones? i would like to try it too!
actually this project has been done b4
in short..you pop open the buttons (with your nail). gently you pull out the circuit board from the case and you give yourself some loose. you clean up the white stuff around the connections..unsolder the old headphones and then clean up the extra solder so that you can see the holes.
IMPORTANT the wires of the headphones you wanna add have to be cleaned either with heat from the soldering iron or with aspirin works best i believe (put the wire over the aspirin..heat it up..and as it melts you 'wash' the wires in the aspirin really well..carefull not to inhale !)
this will help uncoat the wire from the protective plastic film. then just solder them to the circuit board...use some epoxy over the connections for extra strength..put everything back togather...and voila
Modify Leo HTC Headset to In-Ear Headphones
After a bit of searching I made a dock for my Nexus S and thought I'd show the results here.
I found out about polymer clay in this post (the thanks button is disabled for some reason...).
And I used the resistor values listed here, as some other threads showed they also worked with the Nexus S: Fun with resistors (home/car dock mode + more)
I ordered a Sparkfun microUSB breakout board, bought some resistors at a local electronics shop and four blocks of black Fimo clay at a nearby arts shop. I had the other supplies on hand:
-Soldering iron, solder, etc.
-Shrink wrap in various sizes.
-Hot glue.
-Aluminium plate.
-USB cable.
-Narrow and slightly rounded file.
-Box cutter or exacto knife.
I made the cable first (and did not take pictures at that time) and ensured that part worked before tackling the clay portion of the project.
I soldered one end of the resistor on the breakout board and the other directly on a stripped portion of the ground cable. The data wires remain functional as I am using a wall charger that properly shorts the D+ and D- wires to enable AC mode. I secured everything to the board with hot glue and finished off with shrink wrap.
This was my first time working with Fimo and it went well. I wrapped my phone in cellophane for a test fit along with the modified cable. The cable however isn't rated for the baking temperature so this was only temporary.
After baking, it turned out that I had misplaced the portion meant to hold the cable, so I snapped it off and made another with some left-over clay. The cured material can handle rebaking with no issues.
A bit of rework on the attachment point with a knife, test fit again, glue the board and file a notch for the buttons.
The phone slides in and out smoothly. I'm quite satisfied with the results.
Update: dock still works great. I've made one mod though: I took an old mouse pad, tore off the cloth on the top, cut a shape matching the dock's bottom, and hot glued the two together. This anti-skid pad means I can turn off the alarm or answer a call (which the phone answers in speakerphone mode right away) without inadvertently moving my phone on the nightstand.
Goodbye,
Darkshado
Wow really cool, and might have to try it.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G
nice work! I still have mine intact and it suffered some serious banging. Love your design too! Cheers.
a video of the process would be awesome for us noobs
Thanks for the feedback!
daudster: sorry, but its too late for a video. The good news is that there are plenty of good soldering tutorials out there.
This post by Fallon also has nice pictures that are very close to what I've done myself.
I started with the cable.
My "donor" USB cable was a standard compliant color coded affair. (Red Vcc, Black Ground, Green D+, White D-)
Checking with a multimeter to be safe is a very good idea.
Given the gauge of your typical USB cable wires and the breakout board's holes I suggest you presolder your wires.
Holding the stripped end of your wires with a sufficiently massive pair of pliers will make a nice heat sink to prevent melting the insulation when soldering.
Instead of doing like Fallon and placing the resistor above the breakout board, I soldered one pin on the board, the other on a stripped section of the ground cable "downhill" from the board. If you want to do it like this, make sure that you don't short your resistor with the ground cable. Then cover with shrink wrap.
Lousy ASCII art diagram below:
(Breakout board on the left)
ID--------R------\
GND--======---====
Depending on your exact design, this may not be necessary, but I opted to secure the small gauge wires to the board with hot glue, prior to covering with a larger diameter length of shrink wrap. While this cable's solidity might not be commercial grade, tugging on the cable by mistake would not risk as much damage.
Also a departure from Fallon's post is that I am using a Samsung OEM wall charger that shorts the Data wires in the charger itself, enabling AC mode, so no need to do it on the breakout board. My cable is confirmed working on the computer with both ADB and USB Mass Storage file transfer.
Test as you go to make sure none of your solders introduced unwanted short-circuits. (Fail to do this is and you could very well KILL your precious Nexus S or computer.)
Now, the Fimo part.
This was my first time ever working with Fimo and it turned out to be easy. As you work the material you heat it a little (friction) and it becomes a bit tacky to the touch so I worked on a small sheet of aluminium foil, wax paper might be better yet.
The aluminium plate is used for curing, as its much easier to handle with oven mitts and solid enough for this purpose.
Roll three blocks of Fimo in a sheet about 6-8 mm (¼") thick. With a blade, cut the excess on each side to end up with a properly sized rectangle for the back and bottom of the dock. These leftover bits will serve to support the back as well as the breakout board.
I kept my back flat, you may want to have it curved like the Samsung OEM one. Your choice, I chose flat because its easier to make and to simplify reuse with minimal modification when I'll change phones down the road.
The notch in the bottom for the buttons may be done before or after curing. Before, your fingers, a pen, coffee stirrer sticks or popsicle sticks all work. After, a rounded file or sandpaper.
My first breakout board support was misaligned so I had to break it off. For this reason I suggest you consider doing it in a second curing. This way your test fits are going to be much more accurate.
Most cables aren't rated for high enough temperatures to follow the Fimo in the oven for its curing. That's what lead me to making a support with a notch and using hot glue to finish the job. It's also flexible enough in case your alignment isn't perfect.
Goodbye,
Darkshado
Realy nice work
a quick sanding and molding would of gone miles to make it look normal!
i think that i'm going to try this!
thanks:good:
Just a few quick pics to show you an idea for a way of easily maxing a cheap OTG adapter more discreet. I'm not claiming its pretty but it works
Started with one of there for £1.90;
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150758616053?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_1480wt_1037
Slit the side of the soft black plastic cover. I found all the wires to be embedded on one side so made 1mm deep cuts on the other side allowing it to bend. Cover with material of your choice (I've not got that far). Add a simple velcro pad to your case and usb device of choice and attach in place.
Sorry the pic is an attachment. Haven't had chance to look for the upload rules/sites
Why not just get the ones that are a cable? They bend easier, and you can still velcro if you want it attached to the back.
http://www.amazon.com/T-Flash-Adapter-Samsung-GT-i9100-GT-N7000/dp/B005FUNYSA/ref=wl_mb_recs_1_dp
I have one but wanted something more compact.
so i was staring at this GameKlip accessory and thought, I could probably make one myself. They sell for about $20 including shipping online. Why not save some $ since I had the material.
What I used:
1 piece of 3" long and 1/8" thick stainless steel wire ( I got from a welding shop )
some shrink tubing from an electronics store, to protect the mounting points on the controller.
lighter or hair drier to shrink the tubing.
2 pairs of pliers to bend the wire
1 Sharpie marker to mark my bending points.
Playstation 3 Sixaxis wireless bluetooth joystick.
you can design as you see fit, but i started by bending the wire in half like a big V
bent the curved part 1/4" down @ 180 degrees. this is my anchor point for the joystick. this part goes right between the thumb sticks at the back.
from there i went underneath the joystick, making small bends to follow the contours of the controller.
NOTE: this is where you slide small pieces of shrink tubing over the wire at any point you don't want scratches on your joystick. Keep adding more as you progress, if you make too many sharp bends, you wont be able to slide the tubing around the bends.
anyways from the bottom to the front the wire goes, again following the V shape and spreading towards the L1 and R 1 buttons.
from there I bent the wires up, again following the contours and adding shrink tubing. Every time i needed a bend, i marked the wire with the Sharpie first and eyeballed it. the great thing is if you mess up, just bend the wire back and try again.
After going to the top front of the joystick, i made mounting bends like the first one. now with two single wire ends instead. (see photo) went backwards a tad and curved back 180 deg foward again.
i bent the remaining wire into a smallish platform then back to the joystick again, aiming for the USB charging port for my final brace to hold the weight of the phone.
I finished off by joining the two loose ends at the bottom of the joystick again with the shrink tubing. Both ends in one piece of tubing.
now i need a cheapo eBay TPU rubber case to permanently glue/double side tape to the mounting platform.
In all it took me about an hour.
you can use a thicker gauge of wire to make the whole assembly stiffer, but that would be too hard to bend and possible damage your controller when putting it on or removing. I had to remove it many times during the build to test my bend angles and fit.
oh and if you're not feeling the MacGuyver-ness, buy a real one here: http://buy.thegameklip.com/
reserved
More pics without joystick
Nice work
thanks
on second thought, thicker,copper wire would be doable too, as you can easily solder the pieces any way you want, and its malleable enough to bend easily.
I thought about Aluminum Wire but its too soft and likely to come loose and make your hands all black from the oxidation. It would be light though
I may just tack weld a small sheet of metal to the platform part so i can stick a case on easier.
Maybe just punch some small holes in the TPU case and zip tie it to the frame....
Can we get a pic with the phone attached?
mr mystery said:
Can we get a pic with the phone attached?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
He said in the OP that he needs to get a cheap case so he can adhere it to the mount.
Nice craftsmanship ^_^
Sent from my Kangadore 64
mr mystery said:
Can we get a pic with the phone attached?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Using an ultrathin 3mm case and double sided tape. I dont recommend this case for this job as its super hard to remove the phone from it.. A softer flexable TPU case is best.
Sorry for the bad photo, using my Nexus 7 for a camera blows.
The last 3 photos from my Note 1. Anyways the finished product. Enjoy.
What about modifing this car mount to clip in and out?
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Dakota0206 said:
What about modifing this car mount to clip in and out?
View attachment 1572530
Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
looks good but likely cost way more than its worth. may as well just spend the $20 for an original one. you'd still have to make a clip on part and bond it to that mount.
Good job buddy. And here I am, thinking about spending the $25 bucks to get this item n' all.
See this one
Such wow, reviving a very old thread.
My next target controller will be the Dualshock 3.
I needed a new charging method after metal band replacement.
Here is the band:
http://amzn.to/1P1YK8s
And this is the stand:
http://amzn.to/1P1Z5YA
(Mine is black, but there's no pics)
I simply bent up a beer bottle cap, wedged it into the hole, and added a dab of hot glue. Pressed the charging disk and the cap together (I like this better than the plastic cap as the magnetic pull from the disk works on the bottom too), and you're done.
Total cost, minus my steel band, $5.99. I'm very happy with it and putting it on and off the charger is very easy.
Love the idea, original charger is just too light, whenever taking watch off it wants to come with it.
I just use Blutac to hold charger to the stand - works for me.
not your idea though, is it. The guy who did the original Spigen stand of what this is a clone of was first.
has anyone used this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Rep...TF8&qid=1512066968&sr=1-2&keywords=W150+stand