Hello everybody. As i promised a few weeks back, i will post my some pics of my modded n900 . The idea behind this came from the need to be able to read a usb flash memory anytime, anywhere, withot carry usb adapters or cables (AND becase my htc x9500 is not very pocketable ). Also i decided (this was not really my idea) to be able to charge the phone anytime in the sunlight - so i sticked a solar panel (from an old solar charger) on the battery cover. However the solar charging is very very slow, and becase the pannel ios connected directly to the + and - of the battery, the n900 does not look like its charging, also no indication of charging in the battery graph either, but i made a test in wich i depleted the battery completly so the phone could not be turned on. i left it for almost 4 hours in direct sunlight and i got only 4 - 5 % just enough to turn the phone on and connect to wifi to check email. So yes the solar panel mod will only became usefull in case of a plane crash in a deserted island . On the other hand the usb mode is really usefull, and no i did not removed the mini usb port of the phone; instead i solder some wires from the mini usb to a host usb removed from an old cable. Here is a pic:


As you can see i removed the lock-unlock switch, but i solder a wire from its pad to an old nokia 3310 power switch to keep the function of the button. I did this becase the loc-unlock button act as option menu button in android (i also use nitdroid). Here is a pic of the new placement of the switch (you can also see the solar pannel):


Here are some pics of the modified case to fit the usb port inside, i also had to cut the resonance chamber of the right speaker:


Here are some more pictures of the motheboard:


And here some pics with the assembled phone:


Another note: Pali made a great application: Usb Host Mode New - that allows usb+charging. Becase i didn't removed the mini usb port i can use a modified charger to charge the battery and power the usb device connected to the other end of n900. The "normal" charger will not work with this mod becase it short-circuit the data pins of the usb port.
Also the mini usb port can still be normally used for pc suite and mass memory mode with normal n900 usb cable.

Here is one with the battery cover with the solar panel contacts:


If anybody want to do this to his/hers n900 it should know that the "mutilation degree" applied to the phone is high, and it also should have some basic electronic/soldering knwoledge. Also a soldering station is recommended becase mini usb contacts are really small.
But overall in my opinion it worth it. I have now in my pocket a device that can do almost anything (no more need of the htc x9500 )
I also tried to make a video with the usb host in action, but the nokia e72 (belonging to the person who helped me with this) i used for the pics, simply did not recorded anything (software problems)

poor little beast

The little beast is working perfectly . I'm using it for more than 3 weeks in this way.

"mutilation degree"
I can't imagine doing that to my N900. :O

By the way, I noticed in the "assembled phone" picture that you have nice looking hands for a guy and then I saw the nails... then the nail polish! You're a lady! Sorry I'm not used to seeing ladies around TMO, much more a lady who loves modifying her gadget. hehe Congrats on your mod!

on a sidenote, hostmode-powered is http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php...203#post921203
/j

No. That is a girl who helped me doing this mod.

i'm loving your work. I'm building a timber house at the moment and want to make it an n900 house. music, video, web, camera, sos. And phone I supppose. All powered from an n900
i'm thinking python sripts and lego motors and coderdojo.



Please carry on your research into powering this little beauty.

I'm looking only at the hands - that is the best presentation of modded hands... drat, N900 I ever saw. You did truly great job on this one, all looks perfectly cutted and it all fits together. You've got the skillz. Well done.

(...)

Nice work, the final effect looks very professional (almost, like N900 was designed this way). Your photo-tutorial is very good, too.

Personally, I wouldn't remove lock switch to fit regular size USB port (to less kowledgeable - it doesn't allow connecting 2 devices at once, technically, it's same one port with two ends) - portable y-cable is always with my N900, allowing the same thing (inc. charging while hostmode). But it's just me, and I understand, that having full-sized port matched your aesthetic more

OTOH, I think you'll agree, that this solar panel thingie is just a PoF, hardly usable in real life? Also, have you integrated something to protect panel itself? AFAIK, when in sunlight, they give power, but when out of it, and still connected to charged battery, reversed voltage slowly (or quickly, depending on panel) kills photovoltanic capabilities. So, at least diodes are absolutly required, if you don't want to have weird decoration, instead of "working" panel, if your plane crash on that desert, eventually

tmo != dating site, please We're supposed to belive, that you're suggesting he sticked nail-polish to his hands, thus "made up" work partner for photos?

Anyway, if we're at off-topic department:

Sadly, I knew those aren't author hands, from 1st second. Woman, who likes to mess with soldering iron/cutters/DIY as whole, *won't* have nails of this size, belive me. If you see a girl with fancy long nails - real or glue'd - you may be 99% sure, that she doesn't like to tinker.

Yes exactly, it's not a usb hub, its the same port. I wanted to no longer carry usb adapters or Y cable with me.
As for the solar panel, you are right, it's kind of useless, but it doesen't bother me (i barely notice its presence on the back). And about diodes, i simply couldn't find anymore space for them but i sticked a tape on the contacts (you can see it in the last picture), so in everyday use the panel does not make contact with the battery. However that was a proof of concept only to show that it is possible. Back in the days of symbian, i was out on a trip for one week, and my nokia n70 depleeted its battery in the first day, and there was no place to charge so i could not power the phone on at all, and i really nedded to check email, but that was not possible.

As a side note - let's keep the discution more on-topic. The reason i did not hold the phone with my hand was becase the phone i used to take the pictures (nokia e72) was with problems, so i had to keep one button pressed to focus and another button to take the photo. I always thought maemo.org is a respectable site where we discuss ideas, not social networking crap.