Mobile phone

[gunnix]

Hi, I know it's not very bushcrafty but anyway. I'm looking to buy a mobile phone, cause my girl is tired of not being able to contact me 24/7. But I want a good one which would last a long time. My ideal phone would be water and shock resistant, just be sms+phone, and use normal 9v or AA batteries, and have a reasonable amount of warranty. Is there anyone who knows such a phone? I think it's not very much to ask, but I guess most mobile phones are more a toy... handheld radios seem to be built in much better quality.

I also heard about people using their handheld radio to telephone trough some kind of system which connects the radio to their normal telephone line, which makes a mobile phone with the normal phone costs... But I think it was only legally possible in the US :/ .

 

[Ed]

and use normal 9v or AA batteries,

I'm not sure one exists available in the uk

Ed

 

[Goose]

You can get units taking standard cells to plug in and charge your mobile but not seen any for a while that take AAs, there was a motorola(I think) that took rechargeble AAs but that was an old phone.

The "radio system" I think you mean is the push to talk(simplex) system, some UK phones have it but the UK networks have not switched it on yet, or are likely to in the near future. The system is network reliant, if you have no signal it doesn't work, and uses the GPRS (mobile internet). The advantage of it is cost and being able to talk to several people at once, think of using voice on MSN.
I beleive it is popular in the US and have heard it is as popular as texting, the reason UK networks don't use it is to do with billing and profits I beleive!
You could only use it to other PTT phones also.
Just noticed that you are in Belgium, don't know if there any networks that use it in europe.
The cost of having a mobile is pretty cheap over here now, especially if you use it to call out only once in a while, the pay as you go system is ideal, my kids have mobiles but don't use them much,yet, but I make sure they carry a mobile for emergencies, and a £10 top up has lasted my son for months!

 

[ArkAngel]

A lot of the older phones had rubberised cases and were fairly simple in their operation but these are no longer available in he shops. Plenty on e-bay but of course no warranty!

I know of no phone that takes AA or 9V batteries. Most new phones have a very respectable battery life but, if you want another way to charge up there such things as wind up chargers. We have a few in our shop although i have no idea how useful they actually are-maybe someone else has experience of these?

As for longetivty from my experience i have only ever had Nokia phones with one execption (an old erricsson and it fell to pieces) Most have lasted very well indeed my old 7110 is still going strong with my dad using it and it's over 7 years old.

My advice- cheap pay as you go handset with the few features you want on it, and get a cheap water or weatherproof case for it.

 

[Pablo]

This is the best one I know of:

http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/nokia-5140i.htm

Unfortunately it only has rechargable batteries but they usually last a long time (if not used constantly on talk).

Pablo

 

[outdoorgirl]

Yes, the Nokia 5140 is the only water resistant phone currently available in the UK, afaik, and although I don't work in the handset department, I do work for a mobile telcomms company...

No mobile phone uses a 'standard' battery - they wouldn't last 5 minutes on the stuff you can put in torches...

You could try a walkie-talkie set, but this would have a) a limited range and b) the disadvantage of no text, photo/messaging facility and no ansaphone...

ODG

 

[Martyn]

This is the best one I know of:

http://www.mobile-phones-uk.org.uk/nokia-5140i.htm

Unfortunately it only has rechargable batteries but they usually last a long time (if not used constantly on talk).

Pablo

I have one of these an it's very good, not brilliant, but very good. It's more of an armoured phone that any real water resistance. You could maybe use it in the rain, it does have a sort of limited weather resistance, but it's largely cosmetic and a dunk in a puddle would kill it like any other. Battery life on standby is excellent, best of any phone I've had in a long, long time. There are very few "outdoor" mobiles and although the 5140i has faults, I'd say it's the best of them.

I also have the GPS shell for it. As a functional GPS, this sucks, like a big sucky thing from the planet suck. A laudible attempt at a good idea - a combination GPS and phone, but it takes forever and then forever again to get a signal lock. From cold start, sometimes over 10 minutes if the conditions are less than perfect. By contrast, my garmin GPSmap 60cs takes about 30 seconds under the same conditions. The GPS shell also sucks batter power and will eat 90% of your standby time if you use the GPS feature. However dismal it may be, it does work ...eventually. As an emergency device, it might save your ***. I have it with me at all times, because it's a phone and I use it. I certainly dont have my Garmin in my pocket at all times. At the end of the day, like knives ...or anything else, the best one to have, is the one you have with you when you need it.


For serious GPS uise, get a dedicated unit. For emergency use, the nokia shell is the only phone/gps hybrid on the market, so by default, it wins.

The 5140i is a good, robust phone, with some limited weather protection and an rubberised shell to save it from dinks and knocks. The case is easily replaced if it gets damaged and the accessory GPS shell makes it a good choice for outdoor persuits. Not perfect, but definitely the best of what's available.

 

[Tadpole]

Hi, I know it's not very bushcrafty but anyway. I'm looking to buy a mobile phone, cause my girl is tired of not being able to contact me 24/7. But I want a good one which would last a long time. My ideal phone would be water and shock resistant, just be sms+phone, and use normal 9v or AA batteries, and have a reasonable amount of warranty. Is there anyone who knows such a phone? I think it's not very much to ask, but I guess most mobile phones are more a toy... handheld radios seem to be built in much better quality.

I also heard about people using their handheld radio to telephone trough some kind of system which connects the radio to their normal telephone line, which makes a mobile phone with the normal phone costs... But I think it was only legally possible in the US :/ .

few if any mobile phones are waterproof, but I keep my inside a waterproof plastic box, taking it out as and when needed, even in the rain. I've not had any problem with it yet.
YMMV

If you can get hold of a Motorola c520, it will at take 4 AA sized batteries; they don’t give you much talk time but will extend your standby time by a day or so if you don’t use the phone for talking.
Or my personal choice would be to by a cheapish “pay as you go phone” and buy a spare battery for it. Most modern phone batteries will last 6 to 8 days on standby. Alternate the batteries and you will always have a charged one as spare. Sixteen days of standby/txting time should be enough for most people. Or you could buy a portable solar powered phone charger (sadly most of the good ones cost a lot more than a “third spare battery” and are not waterproof enough to use outdoors)

 

[addyb]

I don't know enough about electronics to warrant a model recommendation, but what I can do is to say that it's a really, really, really smart idea to bring one with you, whenever you're going into the boonies away from civilization.

We had this happen to us a few years ago, when I was wasting away my teenage years in Air Cadets. We stumbled across a climber with a broken ankle who was in really bad shape, and thanks to my Old Man we were able to get him off the mountain via a helicopter. A cell phone in the bush can save a life. Period.

Adam

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

In the Co-op a short while ago they were selling hand-wound rechargable torches the torch has a phone charger plug and lead with about 5 adapters, to charge your phone from!
only £4.99

it's not on the Co-op website (i just checked)

 

[mark a.]

There are phone waterproofers out there, including this intriguing one, as it's basically a condom:

http://www.skins-mobile.com/main.html

If you're worried about battery life, just by getting a phone with as few features as possible really helps. If you just want to talk and text, then you can ignore all phones with cameras, 3G etc etc which all sap energy.

In the UK, there's the BT Fusion phone. If you're at home it automatically routes calls through your BT landline. If you're out, it acts as a normal mobile phone. I don't know if there's anything like that in Belgium, though.

 

[MattW]

As others have said, I'd go with something simple and cheap, together with a waterproof case (those condom things look intriguing - shame there's no UK dealer - having said that, a proper condom would probably do the job, although you might get some funny looks using your phone ).

Regarding the ability to use standard batteries; you're pretty unlikely to find anything - even cheap modern cell phones use lithium polymer batteries these days due to Li batteries high energy density (pack a lot of power into a small package). However, you can get a sort of 'emergency power supply' which takes standard AA's and plugs into the accessory port of your phone (not sure if all phones will take them - you'd have to research this). These won't last for ever, but will give you enough juice for a few calls if you're caught out with a flat battery.

hope this helps
Matt

 

[JoeG]

I have seen the water proof cases. You can get them for lake land limited cheaper and they have 3 in a pack and there different sizes. As for how to charge it up, i have seen those hand wound rechargable tourches, they need alot to be able to enough power to really re-charge. But i did see a round ring that had a magnetic ball in and coils around the outside that when the ball moved around it created electricity which then powered a phone. But i havent seen those for sale. But i have got a tourch that you shake from side to side and the magnet passes through a coil which then recharges the tourch. You should be able to modify it so you can fit a phone cable on.
As for the limited range for walki-talkis, i can get far using my amateur radio hand held. It goes onto PMR(walki talki)but of course the power is turned down to the right power( which is half a watt) But on 5W which is what my handheld will run i can get over 20 miles or over no problem. If i had another antenna on then i get more gain, so i get further. But on the one i have its been modified so you can use AA batteries if you really needed to. But the battries last me for about a week listening and transmitting into the local repeater thats on amateur radio.
So if you got a phone that you couldnt fit AA battries in, you could make your own battery pack that you attach on, or get a couple of battry packs that run 13.8V or 12V and huck them up to the in car charger for the phone. This should recharge it. My phone will last four days without charge. So you should be able to make it last. You dont need to buy a big battery pack for the 12V or 13.8 battery pack, you can make your own easy. And if you dont get reception at where you are then you can make your own antenna that attaches to the phone to get a good reception and it doesnt take up alot of room.

Joe

 

[leon-b]

well a little while ago i had an old nokia 3210, it was average size and it was really strong. i even dropped it off clay mound (a big clay cliff near my house) and it was fine it was knocked about loads and it still survived. i dont know how water resistant it is but if i were you i would water resist it yourself.
just an idea, the only problem is it is a fairly old type of phone so i dont know if it would meet all of your spesifications you want
leon

 

[Pablo]

If you're just looking for a waterproof solution, try one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AQUAPAC-WATER...8QQihZ020QQcategoryZ10364QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I've got one for my PDA phone and although a little expensive, it is certainly water/dust/mud etc proof.

Pablo

 

[JoeG]

Pablo,
I'm sure those cases are cheaper at lake land limited, and you get 3 in a pack. Heres the link click There the same thing just not with a make. I havent used them but i have a aquapac one like the one above.

 

[Pablo]

JoeG,

Thanks for that. They're certainly cheaper. I'm not sure I'd trust just a velcro and snap closure for full waterproffing though even though they said they've tried it.

At that price it's worth a go though.

Pablo

 

[JoeG]

I think that it has a lock system besides the velcro thing on top of it. I saw them and thought about the aquapak one we had just bought.

Joe

 

[Tengu]

do you really want your GF to be in contact with you 24/7????

 

[pierre girard]

few if any mobile phones are waterproof, but I keep my inside a waterproof plastic box, taking it out as and when needed, even in the rain. I've not had any problem with it yet.
YMMV

If you can get hold of a Motorola c520, it will at take 4 AA sized batteries; they don’t give you much talk time but will extend your standby time by a day or so if you don’t use the phone for talking.
Or my personal choice would be to by a cheapish “pay as you go phone” and buy a spare battery for it. Most modern phone batteries will last 6 to 8 days on standby. Alternate the batteries and you will always have a charged one as spare. Sixteen days of standby/txting time should be enough for most people. Or you could buy a portable solar powered phone charger (sadly most of the good ones cost a lot more than a “third spare battery” and are not waterproof enough to use outdoors)

I was in a sporting goods store yesterday, and I saw something kind of interesting. It was a wind up (retractable crank) light. It also had a place to plug in cell phones for recharging. I don't know if it was any good, but I almost bought it when the clerk said it was $9.99. Then he checked and found it was $19.99, so I didn't get it.