RSS Feeds
fix
Turn An Old Mobile And Headset Into A Skype Phone
Posted by Kevin Purdy at 12:30 AM on October 9, 2008
Instructables author JFDuval had an old cell phone and a cheap headset laying around, so he decided to fuse them together to make better-quality calls on free VOIP service Skype. As you might imagine, you don't get wireless calling, and this method requires a small bit of soldering and case-opening, but the author says the call quality—and, in the case of a really cheap headset, the comfort on his ears—improved noticeably. It was also a crafty way to use some spare time and two items destined for the trash. Hit the link below for the step-by-step.
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
XenoMorphPT
Posted 2:08 AM 9/10/08
Now that's an HACK !!!!!!!!
XenoMorphPT
imagia
Posted 2:56 AM 9/10/08
This looks great. I'm a big fan of reusing old tech. If I were going to do something like this though, I'd want it to be wireless. There's a how-to out there that turns an old cordless phone into a cordless Skype handset. Well worth a google.
imagia
PunkMunkey
Posted 2:50 AM 9/10/08
How is this easier than having a "speakerphone" style conversation? I mean, kudos for figuring that all out and everything, but seriously... too much time on your hands?
PunkMunkey
ericslaw
Posted 2:46 AM 9/10/08
?!
so using the cellphone speaker and mic makes this more usable? I was able to get stereo earbuds with built-in mic for FREE from one of those daily-deal sites that should have better quality than a cellphone...
plus it's hands-free...
Now, hack a bluetooth headset to work with skype and you'll have something handy.
ericslaw
skrollan
Posted 3:09 AM 9/10/08
why not just use the headset?
i don't get it...
skrollan
TekWarren
Posted 3:28 AM 9/10/08
FTL
TekWarren
Al Iguana
Posted 4:14 AM 9/10/08
I got a voip phone for £8 from Tesco a while back. You're supposed to use it with Tesco Internet, but it works fine with Skype (since it is a generic model there are Skype/MSN etc drivers for it online).
Some enterprising souls should write a generic Nokia Symbian firmware to turn cellphones into Skypephones. But I guess it would need wireless capability (N80 onwards), older models would need to hardwared and hacked like this.
Al Iguana
SnickerHaHa
Posted 6:15 AM 9/10/08
This is a great idea and I've got a couple of old phone lying around. Now, where did I put my soldering iron?
SnickerHaHa
daybringer
Posted 8:59 AM 9/10/08
Time, effort, cost of solder > Cost of new cheap headset
daybringer
Michael A. B.
Posted 10:36 AM 9/10/08
I bought a bluetooth dongle and am now using my old bluetooth headset with my Skype. I am not sure how this hack is very helpful.
Michael A. B.
thisisasignin
Posted 12:13 PM 9/10/08
I like it when the Instructables URL has /?ALLSTEPS at the end.
thisisasignin
nilber
Posted 2:13 PM 9/10/08
Geez, I wish I had thought to use a speaker as a speaker, and a microphone as a microphone. But maybe, I should use the speaker as microphone and the microphone as a speaker. If you are in that bad of ways, give me your mailing address, I've got a pile of headsets laying around. What's next a desklight from the backlight in your LCD monitor that doesn't work anymore because you just threw your mouse at it in response to me calling you out? :)
nilber
equazcion
Posted 3:22 PM 9/10/08
Ditto to everyone else. This reminds me of when I was little and I'd take apart old electronics for fun and make little "modifications" like adding in an extraneous wire here and there. I'd be proud of myself if it all still worked in the end. Fun but pointless.
equazcion
countrylad
Posted 7:36 PM 9/10/08
My mobile does Skype - so that's wireless and works anywhere, even on my carrier's network. No soldering required.
countrylad