Touch Screen Phone Solution

Alright...I know this post is going to get a few replies referring to the dangers of cell phone use whilst riding. I cannot disagree...it is dangerous to do anything on a motorcycle that takes your attention away from the operation of the machine.

That being said, I purchased a Cardo ScalaRider G4 last season because I was a longtime user of the ScalaRider Q2 and l had Christmas money to spend! The Q2 worked flawlessly with my BlackBerry 8830 with respect to voice dialing and voice answering calls. The Q2 has a built in FM radio so I used a small FM transmitter with my Garmin Nuvi 350. The Garmin also served as my MP3 player. I called it a low tech/high tech solution.

So...I retire my 8830, get an Android smartphone and the G4. I was sooooooooooooo disappointed in the voice dialing or lack thereof. I felt stupid for not researching that but c'mon man!! My ancient BlackBerry was flawless and with most jurisdictions in North America introducing hands-free legislation...you get the picture.

On the upside, gone is the Garmin and I run a GPS app called Co-Pilot Live by ALK Technologies. It's not perfect but I liken it to a big bomb...accurate enough to get the job done. Also stereo MP3's via Bluetooth is sweet.

I went on a trip a few weekends ago and although I tried to deny it, I really really really missed the hands-free calling the BlackBerry provided and I could not operate the phone's touch screen with gloves on. I had tried sewing conductive thread into the finger of left glove but I must be a lizard or something because it didn't work for me.

So...I buy one of these... http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250837339433&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT and and behold it works with my gloves on!

I found another cool app called Car Home Ultra by TheSpinningHead. I just programmed the most important buttons including some direct dial entries and voila!!


Check out my photo gallery....I have a few snaps of the set up.

 

Aerostitch sells gloves with the thread that is supposed to work with touch screens already installed. Maybe they might work?
It is weird, cause the Zumo screen works fine with regular gloves, I wonder what the tech difference is and why that tech isn't used on phones?

 

Buy two. One will get splattered when you meet one of those immovable objects and the backup rig will let the EMS dudes know where to find your remains. That being said we now return to our regular programming, " Shit only happens to other dudes" , starring The Greatful Dead. In stereo.

 

My gloves work well with my Droid Charge. I found that my snugger fitting gloves work, looser fitting gloves dont. I dont know if the snugger fitting ones have something special in them and if they do, it is purely by.coincidence.

 

By the way, is your name in reference to "The Mighty Boosh"?

 

I can use my Nexus S 4G through my gloves. Not so with my iPhone 3G.

 

Who is this Mighty Boosh you speak of?!?!?? Naw...my last name is Boucher (pronounced Booshay) llike Bobby Boucher (The Waterboy ft. Adam Sandler) It's my nickname among friends...the 63...well I'll be 48 in September.

IPhones and my HTC phone have what is called a capacitive display. Most GPS units and some other cell phone manufacturers employ resistive displays. There are certainly advantages to both. Google it.

All I know is that when I tried sewing in some conductive thread into my glove it didn't work for me. I always thought I had an electric personality...maybe not! I didn't want to buy gloves that I potentially wouldn't like just to muck around with my phone...I cannot disagree with Billy.

 

LOL! As long as you are not closely related to the "Booshes" of US Presidential infamy, you are OK by me..

 

So Billy...I'm in Northeastern Ontario,Canada...around the 49th parallel. Where is the closest ride to get me some Jojo's?!?!?? :tongue:

I'll program the Jojo's into my phone...haha.

 

With a credit card and a passport, Idaho would be a good bet on this side of of the Border. Montreal maybe? They probably have Jojos and are disguising them as bigass pomme' fritte. As a survivor of six (count em) Sportbike Wests until Sergeant Preston and the RCMP crew shut it down and four (I think it was four) Canadian BMW Rallys, I think you guys up there really text good English..

You might try PMing Tink, who has all the better JoJo joints in Colorado already programmed into his mobile and brain too.. Proving once again that yes, we can all get along.

 

I hate Montreal traffic at the best of times.

Someday...a ride report from good ol' Boosh containing, but not limited to, Jojo's.

Note to self: look for a Jojo Android App...

 

One of the motorcycle mags just did a test of the Aerostitch gloves, they found they did work. Maybe better thread? More? how it is stiched?

 

This is what I tried... DIY touchscreen gloves are as simple as a few stitches -- Engadget

It works for a lot of people. I just may not be the right candidate. Too bad really because I like my gloves...

 

I'm just going to enlighten some of you as to why it seems to work randomly with or without gloves. The difference lies in the types of touch screen used with various devices... namely capacitive vs resistive touch screens. The first requires something that conducts electricity to touch it (your skin) while the second works off of you pressing down on it to force two layers of material to touch each other. Capactive touch screens are becoming more common for various reasons such as accuracy, cost, and that the LCD receives more protection as it can be further away from the touch part of the screen with capactive touch.... thus harder to break.

Here's a full tech explanation for those interested: Touchscreen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Yes I knew the difference but what I'm saying is that this thread I've sewn in doesn't work for me possibly due my week electrical contact. My wife and son can operate my phone with said glove but not me. I read in aother article about touchscreens that a capacitive screen requires at least 5% humidity (on top of everything else) to work...interesting.

I'll stick to the little capacitve pen. It's cheap and I can wear whatever gloves I want. Garmin makes the Zumo (resistive display) with gloved-hands in mind...of course.

 

I know, you said you had tried the thread idea in the original post. What I was (trying to) saying is that although the DIY idea didn't work, perhaps a store bought pair would work. As they may use a different thread, or worked out how much thread per inch you need for it to work, or something I haven't even thought of. Aerostitch usually sells pretty good stuff and they have a fairly liberal return policy. So it might be easier for you, if you have the cash, to just buy a predesigned/engineered pair.

 

I think he might have been responding to my question earlier in the thread.

 

That sounds crazy- I can operate my Droid phone while it is in the clear "map pocket' of my tank bag With my gloves on! works great for restarting my music after I lose reception.
-Drew

 

I like the pic of the dude holding the mobile with those cool gloves. Is he steering with his feet? As much as I would like to do same, my toes will not reach or wrap around the clutch or brake levers or the throttle. I may have to buy a cruise control and have an auto tranny retrofitted to the 1200.

There may be a surgical procedure out there too.

 

Haha!!

Those Aerostitch gloves look like work gloves...no? Am I missing something?