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Hi all,
Whilst the rhodium is a definate viable upgrade from the Raphael (and comes a little closer to the combined goodness of the Kaiser and Universal) it still seems to lack some essentials.
Why have HTC stuck a rubbish 3MP camera in it yet the HD and Topaz get 5MP?
No flashlight, also quite an essential highly useful piece of hardware that I use on an almost daily basis and consider to be a standard function of a decent PDA.
Amplified internal antenna for Radio, not essential but surely HTC could make this happen by now. We've had several devices capable of receiving FM yet you still have to use a hardwired headset to get signal.
I imagine it would not be too difficult to replace the camera sensor with a 5MP and take the drivers and software from the Topaz to make it functional though, however this I feel is yet another major oversight from HTC.
Flashlight, not so easy to add on to the device post production, would require case modification and voltage.............. Anybody know if the MBD is similar enough to the Raphael to actualy have the circuitry for this so that we can utilise the software controls for a FlashLight or whether it would require a seperate switch to enable such functionality.
Whilst I would realy like to upgrade to the Rhodium I feel that the camera and flashlight are major components that could swing my decision.
The Universal "was" to me the perfect PDA, it's just to bulky now and lacks the hardware integration such as GPS and FM that current devices have to make it viable for everyday use.
Do we have any serious hardware guys in the Rhodium forum yet that could answer my questions regarding the camera and flashlight as post production user upgrades.
Cheers,
(a very inactive )Beasty
I can tell you this much... my flashlight broke on my MDA and I have an app that amplifies the screen brightness all the way and turns the screen white. It works almost as well. As far as the flash for the camera goes... I have the camera set to nightmode which adjusts just as bright as if using the flash. So no biggie for me, at all...
Why exactly is a 3.2 MP camera rubbish? I don't understand this reasoning at all. 5 MP is a bigger number, but it doesn't create better pictures - only bigger ones. Pictures so big that if you're serious about taking them you need a dedicated camera to do with it. The camera on the phone is an accessory. You're not buying a camera with a phone in it.
Lack of an LED camera flash is a somewhat more realistic complaint. Although the range of such things is very short, there are enough dim light situations encountered on a day-to-day basis that it would be useful.
beast0898 said:
Hi all,
Whilst the rhodium is a definate viable upgrade from the Raphael (and comes a little closer to the combined goodness of the Kaiser and Universal) it still seems to lack some essentials.
Why have HTC stuck a rubbish 3MP camera in it yet the HD and Topaz get 5MP?
No flashlight, also quite an essential highly useful piece of hardware that I use on an almost daily basis and consider to be a standard function of a decent PDA.
Amplified internal antenna for Radio, not essential but surely HTC could make this happen by now. We've had several devices capable of receiving FM yet you still have to use a hardwired headset to get signal.
I imagine it would not be too difficult to replace the camera sensor with a 5MP and take the drivers and software from the Topaz to make it functional though, however this I feel is yet another major oversight from HTC.
Flashlight, not so easy to add on to the device post production, would require case modification and voltage.............. Anybody know if the MBD is similar enough to the Raphael to actualy have the circuitry for this so that we can utilise the software controls for a FlashLight or whether it would require a seperate switch to enable such functionality.
Whilst I would realy like to upgrade to the Rhodium I feel that the camera and flashlight are major components that could swing my decision.
The Universal "was" to me the perfect PDA, it's just to bulky now and lacks the hardware integration such as GPS and FM that current devices have to make it viable for everyday use.
Do we have any serious hardware guys in the Rhodium forum yet that could answer my questions regarding the camera and flashlight as post production user upgrades.
Cheers,
(a very inactive )Beasty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi Beasty
Nice to see you around!
I´m completly agree with you.
As an Universal user (As main phone) to this date I haven´t saw a REAL decent succesor, for a moment thinked of TP2 but adding to the points you mention the smaller keyboard and the fact that processor is almost the same as in Uni I think I´ll wait a while more to upgrade.
perhaps in 2010 some good models we can see from HTC¿
Or perhaps Toshiba new models.....
Cheers to you!
I'm umming and arring. I quite fancy the Touch Pro2. It has a wonderfully large screen (3.6", 480x800) and is otherwise like my current TyTN II with a bit more hoursepower. The biggest draw is, as ever, the XDA-Developer community and the availability of accessories. However, I do understand that it could have *more*.
I had The TyTn and I loved the flashlight. It was awful for taking pictures, but great for working down the back of electrical cupboards and desks. I miss it on the TyTn II.
I don't really care about the 3.2Mp camera being a "limit". If you want more than 3Mp, you really need a decent lens. Sure, it's nice being able to take pictures while out and about without carrying another device, but if I really wanted to take a picture I would probably be carrying a proper camera. And if I did have a 5Mp camera n my phone, I'd probably wish it was 10Mp.
I also don't see the point of the FM radio. Between podcasts and choosing the music I want to play by Mp3 file, I can't see why I'd want anything else (and 5 live is on AM anyway).
And this brings me to my problem - The Acer Temp M900. Bigger screen (3.8"), 5Mp camera and a flash, although also slightly bigger (3x3x-.15mm) and heavier (by 18 grams). By headline features it is superior.
It does,however, have less memory (256 vs 512 of ROM, 128 vs 288 RAM) and runs on a Samsung 6410 @ 533Mhz, although I don't know how that compares to the Qualcomm chip in the current batch of HTC phones. I also don't know whether there are known problems with the video capabilities of the phone like there are with the Qualcomm chips (as per htcclassaction.org). In my TyTn/Hermes I had a Samsung chip running at 400Mhz and I remember watching some CSI New York on it without much of a problem. This could therefore be a good thing (or a bad thing).
So I don't know, seems having a choice is almost as bad as not having one.
I dunno, this whole class action thing seems like much ado about nothing to me. I'm constantly ripping movies for my Vogue and they play flawlessly. The idea of videos stopping or skipping is unknown to me. It seems like this class action thing is inspired by people who don't quite know enough for their own good. I suspect it's less of a driver problem than a user expectation problem. I'm no whiz at this stuff, and if anyone would have issues with video, I would expect it to be me, since I don't know what I'm doing when ripping videos for the device.
Camera and flash is never an issue for me. I only use the camera once in a while and maybe use it for capturing my contact's photos. I try not to take photos in pitch dark or when there is not enough lighting, even when you have a flash, the photo is awful. Proper lighting is needed for good photos. Serious photos should be taken with a serious SR camera.
As for radio, I am don't mind using the headsets as an hardwire for the antenna, as long as it has a radio for me to listen to when I want to. The News is pretty important to me.
As comparing to the Universal, there is really no comparison, I think. Correct me if I am wrong, this is only a personal feeling. The camera is better, there are more memory, the CPU is at similar speed but the technology is different. Its like comparing a VIA C7-M ULV Processor 1.6GHz to an Intel Atom 1.33GHz. The Atom is actually faster as it is more refined. So really, speed is only a number. It really needed to be tested. But RAM and ROM does make a difference. So the more the better. I hate it when my device tells me I am running out of memory and it crashes.
In all, I think the TP2 is still a pretty good device to bet on. Of course I can think of lots of other things it could have. Like I would love it to have a Snapdragon CPU. I would love it to have HD video capturing. I would love it to have 16m colours. I would love it to have 16GB internal memory, etc...
All I like is an over-all, balanced little hand-held device and which I think this little one has... Actually... he he he... I really really wished it had a 3.5mm jack.
Hi I all,
I wasn't stating that I thought the Rhodium was rubbish.
I'm simply stating that I feel HTC are misguided with their designs.
The Rhodium does look very attractive and to be honest I probably will end up buying (purely for the larger screen, better speakers and keyboard) my Raphael is very feature packed but not very functional, the hard keyboard is far from useable and the screen real estate is rather painful after my Uni.
All I am stating is why can't HTC simply take the best of their ideas and current range and roll them all into the so-called "PRo" devices.
Sure we all have different specs that we would like to see as standard but what I fail to understand is why they have to add decent functionality to some devices and then leave it off of others.
For example, Topaz has 5mp lens, yet Rhodium only gets 3mp............. what is the purpose for using the less capable camera............ I'm sure it's no cheaper to manufacture than the 5mp.
It's good to see what others think though,
Thanks all for your points-of-view..........
@ Orb..... :- Glad to see you still floating around too Sir, I have seen you around the Uni and Raphael forums, I just don't have the time to Develop or participate much any more mate. Take care
Regards,
Beasty
What do you really think? Of course they won't release a device with everything, how should they be able to make a follow up ey?
Now they gave us the bigger screen and possibility to adjust the angle, but took the flashlight
Mr.Sir said:
What do you really think? Of course they won't release a device with everything, how should they be able to make a follow up ey?
Now they gave us the bigger screen and possibility to adjust the angle, but took the flashlight
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps that is my problem then.
At the time of release the Uni had "everything" tilt and twist display, twin cameras, twin speakers, decent sized keyboard and flashlight.
If it had built in GPS and 3.5G I would still be using it as an everyday device.
My point is they got it right at the time with the Uni, why are doing half jobs now
As far as releasing a follow up, that too is easy, updated hardware, smaller faster lighter better battery life and MORE functionality.
Cheers,
Beasty
beast0898 said:
As far as releasing a follow up, that too is easy, updated hardware, smaller faster lighter better battery life and MORE functionality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Easy, he says. It's a snap I think you should just get ahead of the curve now and buy one of these.
cocoaju said:
Camera and flash is never an issue for me. I only use the camera once in a while and maybe use it for capturing my contact's photos. I try not to take photos in pitch dark or when there is not enough lighting, even when you have a flash, the photo is awful. Proper lighting is needed for good photos. Serious photos should be taken with a serious SR camera.
As for radio, I am don't mind using the headsets as an hardwire for the antenna, as long as it has a radio for me to listen to when I want to. The News is pretty important to me.
As comparing to the Universal, there is really no comparison, I think. Correct me if I am wrong, this is only a personal feeling. The camera is better, there are more memory, the CPU is at similar speed but the technology is different. Its like comparing a VIA C7-M ULV Processor 1.6GHz to an Intel Atom 1.33GHz. The Atom is actually faster as it is more refined. So really, speed is only a number. It really needed to be tested. But RAM and ROM does make a difference. So the more the better. I hate it when my device tells me I am running out of memory and it crashes.
In all, I think the TP2 is still a pretty good device to bet on. Of course I can think of lots of other things it could have. Like I would love it to have a Snapdragon CPU. I would love it to have HD video capturing. I would love it to have 16m colours. I would love it to have 16GB internal memory, etc...
All I like is an over-all, balanced little hand-held device and which I think this little one has... Actually... he he he... I really really wished it had a 3.5mm jack.
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Click to collapse
I fully agree with you on this,
the 3.5 is the only thing I really wish it had.
But I mean it's not like they can build the perfect pocket pc,
everyone's likes/dislikes are completely different.
Well, i think its safe to say, that no matter what device comes out, their will always be something missing.. Some feature someone wanted on it that it doesnt include. Its the way of things. Personally, except for the 3.5mm jack, it pretty much does everything im going to want from it. I just got a 10mp pocket camrea so im not concerned with the built in one. Also, i thought i DID have an FM tuner in it? everything ive read says it does. Even if it doesnt tho, im not concered about it.
ajbopp said:
I dunno, this whole class action thing seems like much ado about nothing to me. I'm constantly ripping movies for my Vogue and they play flawlessly. The idea of videos stopping or skipping is unknown to me. It seems like this class action thing is inspired by people who don't quite know enough for their own good. I suspect it's less of a driver problem than a user expectation problem. I'm no whiz at this stuff, and if anyone would have issues with video, I would expect it to be me, since I don't know what I'm doing when ripping videos for the device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have watched videos on my Hermes and Wizard with little problem. Similar files on my Kaiser skipped a bit. I don't think it is quite the big thing people make it out to be (it still works as a phone), but it certainly exists and I'd rather my phone did everything I wanted rather than just most things.
Lyian said:
Well, i think its safe to say, that no matter what device comes out, their will always be something missing.. Some feature someone wanted on it that it doesnt include. Its the way of things. Personally, except for the 3.5mm jack, it pretty much does everything im going to want from it. I just got a 10mp pocket camrea so im not concerned with the built in one. Also, i thought i DID have an FM tuner in it? everything ive read says it does. Even if it doesnt tho, im not concered about it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The 3.5mm jack is pointless IMHO. It wouldn't take a headset, so you have to pull the headphones out to answer the phone. The extUSB is not ideal, but at least you don't have to faff, plus it allows for inline controls. I was initially sceptical, but having lived with it I have been converted. I won't repeat myself, but see here.
And it just occured to me why they have gone with the 3Mp camera. If the pixel size/density is the same in both and the lens is the same size, the physical size of the CCD will be larger in the 5Mp camera, therefore requiring either a stronger lens (resulting in fish eye pictures) or the lens to be further from the CCD. This would make it impractical (or maybe uneconomical) to put a larger CCD in a phone with keyboard as it is slimmer (or at least the keyboard section is slimmer) than a non-keyboard model.
beast0898 said:
@ Orb..... :- Glad to see you still floating around too Sir, I have seen you around the Uni and Raphael forums, I just don't have the time to Develop or participate much any more mate. Take care
Regards,
Beasty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, and thank to you and Laurentius I´m now adicted to this great community
I remember the old days on Universal with you guys
Really miss you!
beast0898 said:
Perhaps that is my problem then.
At the time of release the Uni had "everything" tilt and twist display, twin cameras, twin speakers, decent sized keyboard and flashlight.
If it had built in GPS and 3.5G I would still be using it as an everyday device.
My point is they got it right at the time with the Uni, why are doing half jobs now
As far as releasing a follow up, that too is easy, updated hardware, smaller faster lighter better battery life and MORE functionality.
Cheers,
Beasty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Completly agree with Beasty!!
Why in 2005 they launched a perfect device: Universal
What happened on 2008/2009??
I´m sure they noticed it´s better to make not perfect devices as everybody will change it every year, if they continue making perfect ones buisness would not be great.
But I can see now TP2 like a good but not perfect option, before thre was nothing...
Cavey.co.uk said:
The 3.5mm jack is pointless IMHO. It wouldn't take a headset, so you have to pull the headphones out to answer the phone. The extUSB is not ideal, but at least you don't have to faff, plus it allows for inline controls. I was initially sceptical, but having lived with it I have been converted. I won't repeat myself, but see here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can have a 3.5mm socket that takes a headset + 3.5 adaptor, or any 3.5mm plug in the same socket. My X1 has this.
I can see why you'd say it's pointless, as often I use the adaptor (to accept calls with my headphones in), so it could just as well be extUSB. However, it's useful to have the socket for those occasions you need it and don't have the adaptor on you.
Also, I've found 3.5mm sockets unreliable on phones. I had an HD for about 2 weeks and the 3.5mm socket broke (had to send it back for repair), and the same happened after a couple of weeks with my X1. I hope it doesn't happen again, as they took over 2 weeks to repair it!
If all 3.5mm sockets are as badly built as the X1 and HDs ones, I'd rather not have them (unless I renew my T-mobile contract that gave next day swap out replacements!).
codybear said:
I fully agree with you on this,
the 3.5 is the only thing I really wish it had.
But I mean it's not like they can build the perfect pocket pc,
everyone's likes/dislikes are completely different.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, personally I'd just as soon it had no camera at all. I'm stuck paying for and carrying a hunk of tech I don't really want. But the world seems to be against me on the utility of camera phones.
DavidMc0 said:
Also, I've found 3.5mm sockets unreliable on phones. I had an HD for about 2 weeks and the 3.5mm socket broke (had to send it back for repair), and the same happened after a couple of weeks with my X1. I hope it doesn't happen again, as they took over 2 weeks to repair it!
If all 3.5mm sockets are as badly built as the X1 and HDs ones, I'd rather not have them (unless I renew my T-mobile contract that gave next day swap out replacements!).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the iPhones 3.5mm socket seems to be holding up. I haven't heard any complaints about it, and as far as im aware, it accepts/uses headsets.
Never had any problems with my HD's 3.5mm socket.
beast0898 said:
Hi I all,
...I feel HTC are misguided with their designs.
The Rhodium does look very attractive...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why did they have to make it look like an an old i-phone? Isn't the design world past that now?
And why does it have to be bigger than it's predecessor without much usable difference in specification?
Hi all. I cracked my screen and being unable to find any guides i decided to go at it alone.... The result was mixed. While i managed to replace my cracked screen with a new one i accidently ripped off one of the solders(not sure if that was the correct term) that connected the internal head piece to the flexi board and now i cannot hear anything. I have tested it by ringing another phone and playing music through it and then pressing on the broken circut i am able to hear the music. My question is what would i use to stick it back together?
I didn't take it back to be repaired in the first place because i bought it unlocked and the phone comes from eastern europe.
I hope this is in the right place.
Any help would be wonderful. Cheers
well if it is a loose solder joint then you need to resolder it back to the board. As it sounds like you are unfamiliar with the terminology, you may also be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with doing this yourself. My appologies if this is not the case. Any rate I would find someone that does xbox or Wii or small electronic repairs and chip replacement that can solder it back on. Some of those pins are tiny.
If you push on the connection and it works, then it just needs to be resoldered.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
hi InRBigness,
Thanks for the reply. Yes this is the first time i have done something like this and we all have to start somewhere. I have just started to use this site and have found it very helpful.
I also find that i am a hands on person but not a technical person. So saying that i am confident in trying. Thankyou so very much for the advice and ill let you know what happens.
Just tried melting the metal that was already on it using the solder and it works great again. Crystal clear. Thanks again for your help.
I know you can buy these but with new mobiles having cameras and motion sensors, does anyone fancy writing an app to constantly record approx 2 minutes of footage and if detecting sudden motion changes, write the recording to disk.
Would ideally have it start with my satnav app.
Just an idea if anyone fancies trying it or knows if it has already been tried.
cheers,
Dead.
That's exactly what I am looking for, they sell on ebay minicams that do just that, record, say, 6hrs of footage in a loop, the oldest video frames being deleted when you reach the size limit of the storage card, to accomodate new footage. An HD2 would be oh so much better at that, and there would be no point in buying another specialized item when you havea device with way better video quality and potentially no storage limits.
I've been searching for something like this with no luck, someone can point us to a program which is similar to that?
would you really leave your $500 phones on your dashboard ???
akademik_acheeba said:
would you really leave your $500 phones on your dashboard ???
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Click to collapse
huh.... no?
We're talking about using our 500€ phones (I WISH it was 500$...) to more extent than just as phones, to justify the expense.
There is so dam much potential in a little monster like the Leo that the only thing missing to put it on the dashboard ONLY when you're driving, to let it act as a full onboard-blackbox, a car multimedia station, a loudspeaker phone system connected with the radio... is the appropriate, optimized software. Well, mortplayer is already good enough as a multimedia station, the normal jack output is good enough to connect to the AUX in of the car radio... but what's missing is a looping video recorder, possibly connected with the internal GPS receiver, and possibily with bump detection via accelerometer like the OP proposed. As soon as I got the Leo I was wanting to find that exact software for that exact purpose, when I found this thread here.
And I am going to put the phone back in my pocket as soon as I get off the car!
oh ok because from the first post, i got the impression that he wants an app to detect and record if someone bumps into your car while its parked...the whole video recording and abnormal movement detection while driving sounds like a good idea now (i cant wait to see the high impact footage on youtube !!!)
...you kidding? for starters, this is something vanilla iphones can't do since they lack multitasking, but imagine a Leo with GPS plotter, video recorder (possibly with accelerometer support and looping functions to overwrite on older frames after a certain size is reached, except when you need a sequence saved, and at a vocal command, or button press, or whatever, you get to save the last X minutes of video permanently), mortplayer as multimedia station, and if you need it, tomtom/igo/whatever to guide you.
These devices are too powerful to be used just as phones.
it sounds possible, build a program that has finger friendly launch buttons to start the video recording/bump app, gps, mp3 via usb aux, phone and whatever else. something like a program menu with large icons. im sure the 1GHz snapdragon can handle all the tasks at once. hmm now im thinking, this sounds like a damn good idea!!! this might require that either 1, you would have to use the poorest video recording settings to capture fast movement or 2, someone can fine tune the video recorder to something like sports video record to record fast paced movement and greatly increase the framerate. and while recording, use something like the seismoCAB(freeware) to calculate impace via the accelerometer. HERES THE SEISMOCAB, the site is french i think but you can find the link.
theemed said:
...you kidding? for starters, this is something vanilla iphones can't do since they lack multitasking, but imagine a Leo with GPS plotter, video recorder (possibly with accelerometer support and looping functions to overwrite on older frames after a certain size is reached, except when you need a sequence saved, and at a vocal command, or button press, or whatever, you get to save the last X minutes of video permanently), mortplayer as multimedia station, and if you need it, tomtom/igo/whatever to guide you.
These devices are too powerful to be used just as phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
dude i said it sounds like a good idea
akademik_acheeba said:
dude i said it sounds like a good idea
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Click to collapse
yes, that was a friendly and agreeing "are you kidding?"
Actually, it is so much of a good idea that when I first started searching for this kind of software, I was surprised when I found nothing existed, not even in the commercial scene.
theemed said:
yes, that was a friendly and agreeing "are you kidding?"
Actually, it is so much of a good idea that when I first started searching for this kind of software, I was surprised when I found nothing existed, not even in the commercial scene.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh ok lol. well you know theres no voice tone in the forums lol. but yeah you would think even something like a simple looping dash cam would have been out commercially.
And I do count on the fact that all this bumping of the thread will hint one of the enlightened ones to develop even a very simple basic ugly but functional app that does exactly that...
is there a dash cradle out there that will unblock the lens on the hd2? or is the back smooth enough for the suction cup dash holder?
My windshield suction cradle tends to cover the lens, but since it has foamy interior coating and I can set its width, I just need to slide the hd2 a bit "out", rotate the cradle horizontally, and I can get a clear view of the road. I already tested a recording, there's just a corner of the suction arm that covers the view, but only very little.
Anyway, I've seen windshield holders specifically designed for HD2, glove-like fit, with camera/speakerphone hole, much like silicone cases have, you would just need to search for them on ebay
oh ok thats whats up.
You know I was just telling my girlfriend the other day that I wish I had a way to record bits of idiot drivers in front of me. That'd be kind of cool to have it voice activated so when you shout "^%*@ %[email protected] drivers and their ^$*@ lack of ^#*@ brains!"
Ok, maybe a shorter voice command.. hehe.
Vocal commands could be even better as having to hit a button in the middle of some curses may very well lead to the whole mix of cradle and hd2 fall off the windshield which would lead to even more curses... and here we're creating in our fantasies the very best blackbox software for windows mobile bundled with vocal commands compatibility hoping someone picks up the task!
ok so i did a lil test today. mounted my tp2 and recorded some footage at speeds between 20-80 mph(city and highway). lets just say the video recorder sucks to be used as a dash cam. i searched for some kind of way to mod the camera and i found that there is hidden features that tmobile has turned off for some reason. it unlocked different recording modes. i will try it out soon and report back.
ok so i used the app from THIS thread and it set the record frame rate a lil higher. the video recording is less blurry and more clear.
ah, I forgot that not everyone in this thread owns a HD2. I had to activate some reg mods as well, to activate the full recording quality, maximum is 640x480 in MPEG4 format for my device. Given the nature of the video to record tho, to prevent other people to try and scam you in incidents, probably even a blurry video is enough to prove the dynamics of the impact, no matter if the license plates are readable.
Anyhow, the builtin video recorders are not designed with this usage in mind, we would need a video recorder which can be triggered via command line. Probably a proper looping recording is not needed as well, maybe recording consecutive chunks of, say, 10mins each, with the ability to manually delete the ones that you don't need, is enough.
For instance, the camera software for the HD2 is nice when you have to record casual videos, but is totally unadequate if you need to record video on the run, it even stops recording if you switch to another app, and that's obviously a big no-no.
imma try to record video while using my gps and see if it continues. the max i was able to get on recording was vga...that sucks
Hey guys! im new to XDA but I have been following for quite a while, I'm an electronics engineer and I just got myself a Tab 3 7" and I noticed...Damn yo, I cant see these damn buttons when I'm laying in bed!! so I'm going to be making a button light mod, i just need to find the points where it senses you touching the button and how to trigger it properly and have it shut off properly, which will probably require a diode and an npn transistor.
Anywho the help I need from you guys is possibly a guide on how to open the tab without damaging or scratching it, if any of you can lead me to such Id be very grateful and I will be making a step by step tutorial with pictures for those interested!
I know its easier to go out and buy the 8" tab with lights...but what would be the fun in that right?
MasterSe7en said:
Hey guys! im new to XDA but I have been following for quite a while, I'm an electronics engineer and I just got myself a Tab 3 7" and I noticed...Damn yo, I cant see these damn buttons when I'm laying in bed!! so I'm going to be making a button light mod, i just need to find the points where it senses you touching the button and how to trigger it properly and have it shut off properly, which will probably require a diode and an npn transistor.
Anywho the help I need from you guys is possibly a guide on how to open the tab without damaging or scratching it, if any of you can lead me to such Id be very grateful and I will be making a step by step tutorial with pictures for those interested!
I know its easier to go out and buy the 8" tab with lights...but what would be the fun in that right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think will be more practical to make a Mod for the menu and back keys as SOFT KEYS on the display just like the tab 2 7". At least you don't lose warranty by not opening up your tab.
A dev did it on the galaxy grand-see the attached screenshot and thread HERE
Ok, i do agree with that i suppose, but just for personal preference i did want to do it.
I Myself am not really worried for my warranty, and it will definitely be a choice for certain people depending on their desire on how much customization they want to go with, Also for further hardware modification purposes I do want to know how to open it up without harming its appearance, I see a small hole above the power button, but until I get confirmation im not going to risk it.
If a guide on how to dismantle it is about I'd love it still
thank you for your response
MasterSe7en said:
Ok, i do agree with that i suppose, but just for personal preference i did want to do it.
I Myself am not really worried for my warranty, and it will definitely be a choice for certain people depending on their desire on how much customization they want to go with, Also for further hardware modification purposes I do want to know how to open it up without harming its appearance, I see a small hole above the power button, but until I get confirmation im not going to risk it.
If a guide on how to dismantle it is about I'd love it still
thank you for your response
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Click to collapse
THIS is a teardown of the old original Tab which you can use as a reference. I will surely follow your progress as I too am an electonics hobbyist for several years and have good experience in repair of Medical Equipment. I do have to admit that I am somewhat doubtful of your purpose as it is very difficult to solder a "surface mount" LED or a transistor unless you have specialized soldering tools.
GOOD LUCK!
Has anyone tinkered with the guts of the moto mod gamepad? I'm having an odd issue with the analog sticks. In apps with high sensitivity to stick position, I don't get the full range of motion in certain directions. This is almost certainly a factory calibration problem... on a PC I could just calibrate the device directly or find a workaround, but I don't know enough about android accessories/devices. Short of ripping it open and futzing with what I assume are hall sensors, is there a way to initiate some sort of device re-calibration, or change the values for 0 to max in Android?
I've sent a similar question to Lenovomoto, but I'm not hopeful.
Edit: I'm too green to upload images here, but gamepad tester output shows a 'flat tire' response from 11-oclock to 1 oclock.
I rock the stratus steelseries XL for Android gaming. It has never let me down....and paired with the projector mod is an epic combo... I would just return it get the controller and hold out for your promo..unless you already have it..then ur set...
Mr_Shakes said:
Has anyone tinkered with the guts of the moto mod gamepad? I'm having an odd issue with the analog sticks. In apps with high sensitivity to stick position, I don't get the full range of motion in certain directions. This is almost certainly a factory calibration problem... on a PC I could just calibrate the device directly or find a workaround, but I don't know enough about android accessories/devices. Short of ripping it open and futzing with what I assume are hall sensors, is there a way to initiate some sort of device re-calibration, or change the values for 0 to max in Android?
I've sent a similar question to Lenovomoto, but I'm not hopeful.
Edit: I'm too green to upload images here, but gamepad tester output shows a 'flat tire' response from 11-oclock to 1 oclock.
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Click to collapse
It sounds like a DOA gamepad. Out of the box mine hasn't had to be calibrated and has a natural controller feel. The only thing I notices is the D-Pad required firm pressure at times.
my gamepad doesn't seem to have any of those type issues:
https://youtu.be/8zndTsQgKf0
have you checked for a software update?
No updates yet, though I do suspect it could be corrected in software, so here's hoping. In the meantime, it looks like in-game sensitivity adjustments provide a suitable workaround for most games and emulators. (just boost the sensitivity to the point where all directions register) I'll just have to wait patiently - despite providing raw output data, Moto customer service doesn't regard this as a defect.
I have had the same issue with my original gamepad mod and the replacement. I've deducted mine to trigger slop. No teardowns I've found yet. And I called Lenovo about it and they said no calibration tools available. Make sure your forward directions are not sloppy. On both analogs I get .8 travel out of 1 in all forward directions on both sticks. Trying to figure out how to fix lenovos poor design and crappy plastic parts myself. Glhf.
I Solved this problem on my gamepad
My way is a bit tryhard, but... I found this teardown from a guy who was replacing the membrane from the D-Pad, I can't post links cause I'm a new user, but if you search for "moto gamepad disassembly" in google, click the third link that says "Moto GamePad Mod - better buttons! : Moto_Z - Reddit" and then go to the link at the bottom of the thread (thanks very much to that hero).
So... following those steps I removed the stick and used sandpaper to expand the radius of the circle that limits the movement of the stick. When you are getting close to the grey ring, you are done. At that point the stick can reach from -1 to 1 values on every direction you point it.
If you want to do it, I have a couple of tips... In the second step of the teardown you have to use a bit of strength to separate the shell on the top and bottom corners that point to the center of the gamepad. And I recommend to use a hard sandpaper at the start and when you are close to the grey ring use a soft one.
Sorry if I don't write very well, I don't speak much english.