What to do with an old cell phone

[J-ferrera]

ok so i have this old cell phone laying around and i thought i could make something out of it i dont really know a lot about electronics but if i have a schematic i think i can make it work so if theres any cool things anyone know how to build out of an old cell phone let me know heres a pic of the cell phone

 

[audioguru]

Hi J,
I used the electret microphone from an old cell phone. It is very small and works very well.
If the phone has a vibrating ringer, check-out its motor. It is probably the smallest motor you've ever seen. I kept looking at it, wondering what it was until I removed it and its cover. It swings a weight around and around.
Maybe you could also use the phone's little speaker for a beeper or something.

I know, you could use the mic and speaker for a little keys-finder project. The mic hears your whisle or clap and activates its speaker as a beeper.

 

[zachtheterrible]

If it still has service, you could ring it and it would set off a bomb :twisted:

Or, less evil, it could be incorporated in an alarm system in your vehicle so when someone tries to break in, it will call your new cell phone.

 

[J-ferrera]

thanks i think thats a good start but do you know ay other cool things to do with it?

 

[J-ferrera]

well the no it doesnt have service anymore so i guess thats out of the picture any other ideas?

 

[samcheetah]

i believe this is a Nokia 3310. right???

well you could buy a new account and use it for about anything (i dont know if the telecommunications authority in your country lets you do that)

i would say that the best thing that this phone has is the LCD display. there are tons of projects on the internet that use the LCD display of this phone. the reason is that its just so simple to connect and operate. you could also use this phone in a telemetery system. all Nokia phones have a FBUS/MBUS connector underneath the battery which can be used to connect to a microcontroller or a PC. that way you can send SMS using a microcontroller. this can have uses in many applications where something has to be monitored or controlled remotely

 

[zevon8]

Not sure where you are located, or if such programs exist, but many charities will gladly accept used cell phones. Places like womens shelters, etc have programs where they distribute these phone to their clients.

Often it is just for the availability of emergency calls like 911 ( 999 depending where you live ) without an active account.

 

[bryan1]

Hiya's,
Siliconchip brought out a project using old nokia phones and the usual electronic mobs (jaycar,altronics,dick smith) have all brought out kits for it. The kit is basically an sms based kit allowing you to switch relays turn on lights etc. The only thing I don't like about it is it uses an avr microcontroller not a pic :x

Cheers Bryan1

 

[panic mode]

Whay to do with graphic card:

part1
https://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=182

part2
https://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=183

 

[Tom_Braider]

Devon is right about the recycle program and 911, but Zach's idea of a car alarm is very, very clever.

 

[mindctrl]

Zach's idea, been done before, hundreds of times. Companies have cars now with integrated GSM/GPs phones that call the police when the alarm is set off, or will call a computer and start feeding it GPS information through a GPS received located in the car.

I believe this is the basis of the OnStar system used in GM vehicles, no?

--mindctrl

 

[Peter]

Couldn't an old cell phone hidden in the car help police triangulate it's location?

 

[gary350]

Wire it to a normally closed relay and attach it to the ignition on your car. If someone steals your car call the phone, the relay opens, and the engine dies. Put this gizmo on a friends car for a prank call him over and over as he drives down the road the motor will keep shutting off it will drive him nuts. LOL.

 

[Peter]

nifty, I could wire that up to my motorcycle too which twice has been subjected to an attempted theft!

 

[atferrari]

Put this gizmo on a friends car for a prank call him over and over as he drives down the road the motor will keep shutting off it will drive him nuts. LOL.

Good idea!!

What if by mistake, anyone calls you at the moment of overtaking a long truck with a car coming to you at high speed?

Would you have time to LOL or just to COL?

Your "nuts" could be driven suddenly upwards to replace part of your brilliant brain!