old cell phone re-application

Well I saw this thing on utube where these people took 3 cellphones, set them on a table whit a few kernals of popcorn in the middle, then called the phones and the popcorn popped.Maybe you could work on a sonic popcorn popper.

Have you seen how they did it? Apparently they mounted a mag from a microwave under the table.

I think the popcorn video thing was really just video editing, one guy did use a microwave to show one way it possibly could have been done. This was previously discussed on CR4

More on topic, one possible use is to just keep it charged an use the backlight as a flashlight/911 contact device during an emergency, as it should still work for 911.

Just last night I was wondering if my old cell phone might have a gps module that I could extract and get NEMA data out of for uses such as in an RC plane.

Other possible uses I can think of all deal with the parts in a cell phone. For example, use the RF section for a transmitter or amplifier for remote control, or otherwise. Figure out how to drive the lcd screen for a display for another device.

This is the kind of thing I'm talking about. Tear it down and use it for something else.

-It's a resonable receiver/transmitter.

-It has memory.

-It can be programed.

-Good battery power.

-LED display.

-Text and numeric input.

-PC interface

Too bad I didn't know more about devices like this. There are probably dozens of things you could do after you hack it and re-program it. And even more things you could do with the components.

what about some security application?

if you had some wireless sensors/cameras or the like, set up (in garden, say) to transmit to the cell phone, it could store pictures of the exploits of your neighbour's cat..???? or call you to let you know?? or (if war has been declared) activate the cat-zapper???

the first big questionmark that comes to mind, is the cell receiver/transmitter a predetermined frequency? Would that limit applications, or would you be able to buy wireless (sensors, cam, whatever) at the specified frequency?

I'm not sure if FCC allocations for cell frequencies overlap with other tech? Or perhaps the freq of the cell is actually tunable by some means?

Way back in the olden days (when cell phones were fairly new) the magazine "Nuts and Volts" used to publish a lot of neat cell phone hacks. I haven't picked up a copy in years, but they may still do such things.

I seem to recall a few months ago an item, I believe on the Instructables web site, but it may yave been somewhere else, where someone took an old rotary style telephone and substituted a cell phone for the guts. Remember the old rotary telephones, with the wheel on front that had numbered holes for your fingers? You turned the wheel to dial a number...

Hi, im that old to remember the days of wires and heavy electromechanical precision work to make a call, and when calls only took about a minute, or else it was to expensive. One learned how to cut the crab. I also have a number of old cell-phones, and I have used the chargers for LED-psu, because the newer ones are switched-mode ones with a limited voltage (5-7 V) and about 0,3-0,5 A. They work perfect for this app, and they are efficient too, about 94% or so. I have refitted 4 IKEA-lamps with LED and gone from 50W to 2 W. The calculations are: 4x10W 12 V halogen lamps with iron transformators, which have an efficiency of 80 %, so 40/0,8=50 W total. I have 3x230V 50hz grid. A Sony-Ericson charger of 4,9 V 0,4 A and 4 10mm clear warmwhite leds of 10 lumen, with assistance of 4x4 5mm clear coolwhite. The 10mm uses 3,4V 70mA and the 5mm ones use 3V 5mA, a total of 360mA 4,9 V which is 1,76W /0.94 =1,87 or 2 W. I dont have the same light, its of less quality(poor colours), but for the chosen place its OK. The IKEA lamp is the model "gruva". That has inspired me to continue to light the dark places of my home, a passage from the house to the garage, where Im sitting now, with a 12 mm tube and 36 of the 5mm leds. The tube is finished, I have to mount some magnets to the side of the tube to fix it to the H-steelbeam carrying the ceiling. And it is supplied with a Nokia charger with 5 V 350 mA output. It lights instantly, and continues to light a second after youve switched off.

I have dumped the phones, as it is too advanced for me to tinker with.

moe

Now that's what I'm talking about.

LED lights. I have a drawer full of adapters. And it sounds like a great weekend tinker process.

I have a 11-year-old Nokia 6210. It's reliable so I don't want to replace it. Ones I had to clean the rubber sheet of buttons, but there was no other problem. I hate to discard usable things and though it does not have built-in camera, mp3 player or any other whistles and bells but it's a perfect phone.

I understand cell phones are commonly used to remotely set off IED's in Iraq. If you are spotted using one when a bomb goes off, the military will make sure you quickly get to meet Allah.

So be careful where you look on the Internet for how to repurpose a cell phone, you may end up at an Arabic web site, with the FBI at your door.

I just like to abuse it until it quits functioning, amazing the level of violence one can dish on their phone and still work. They are not very aerodynamic, though.

I once had Sprint call me long after I had retired a phone and offered to buy it back, that was after a period of two years, and my daughter had turned it on to see if it worked.

So true, they are rugged. Even my oldest phone still works, and it's been through hell and back. Well Detroit and Winnipeg anyway...... close enough.

There aught to be a way to use the CPU for something. I mean mine is two years old but addresses more memory than my Pentium II ever did. Has a sound card, plays MP3s, Has a mini USB, Blue tooth functions, records pictures and video.

Its value is already dropped by a factor of ten, by next year I suspect it will be much less.

I'd love to get a hold of the programming manual for it say to run LED lighting or my thermostat, security system, etc.

Brad

Don't forget voice recognition. Even my old phone has this. It would be great to make this the controller for a robotic device. Your robo-dog could sit and roll over on voice command.

Yes, mine has the most annoying habit of asking to be programmed when I open it in a hurry. Now to turn that into lemon aid.

Brad

I have a few I have disassembled in the garage. Was wanting to rig the camera but am not smart enough.....yet.

"not smart enough.....yet."

This is what I'm trying to do as well. It's what I end up doing for most of my projects. I guess once I've learned how to do something I get bored too fast. Then on to the next learning curve.

Check this out....

http://www.serasidis.gr/circuits/smscontrol/smscontroller.htm

very cool.

Thank you gdevine,

Looks like a good PLC hack.

Brad