Just completed this Mod. Thanks a Ton for the write up! After my charging port failed I wasn't sure what to do.
Anyway, works great!
Anyway, works great!
[GUIDE] Galaxy Nexus MOD/Palm Touchstone-No soldering on phone!!
- Thread starter ohiomoto
- Start date
Take the battery door off, put it on the touchstone and make sure you're getting 5.6 volts. If your are then you don't have a good connection between your door and the phone.I just completed this last night without any issues, and it was charging on the touchstone, now this morning i get nothing, it will charge via the usb plug but wont charge on the touchstone anymore.. nothing has changed except the phone charged overnight via usb so the battery is full but shouldn't it still go to charging mode on the touchstone? nothing happens at all
nothing is shorted and it was just sitting on a table all night!
There is a link to a DYI for the soldering mod in the first post. But I'll save you the trouble of having to read the post: Galaxy Nexus inductive charging mod - [H]ard|Forum 
As an electrical engineer for over 10 years, I'm starting to lose my mind. I'm modifying my phone and bought a 2nd setup for a friend.
I have two of these:
Deep Discount for Brand New HP Touchstone Charging Dock Pre Pixi Veer Pre2 PRE3 | eBay
Six of these:
Amazon.com: Palm Touchstone Back Cover: Cell Phones & Accessories
I didn't even check the voltage to start out with. I just started transferring the coil to my phone, got the magnets down, put the palm sticker back over the coil/magnets, then plugged it in and checked the voltage. Nothing. I've now tried 3 different bases with my modded phone backplate and the other non-modified palm backplate. I've been trying to figure this out for an hour and I can SOMETIMES get a charge to show up. A 5.56 voltage corresponds with a constant buzzing. However, most of the time, I get no buzzing, no voltage. Sometimes I get a oscillating buzz/no buzz, but it doesn't stay around much, and I haven't gotten a voltage with it.
I've tried nudging the bare backplates up/down. I've tried lifting the backplate off the charger slightly. I've tried different usb cables (one of them I've been using to charge my phone for a long time now). I've tried plugging it into AC and a USB port on my computer. I've checked the voltage of the wall socket.
If the buzzing occurs, I can hold my ear up to the thing and rotate it. This changes the frequency and volume of the buzzing. However, it seems any time I change something (remove power, remove the backplate from the base) the buzz (and voltage) goes away.
It's extra frustrating because I don't know of a way to diagnose which part is defective, since it happens with 3 bases and 2 coils.
Any helpful ideas? I'm beginning to think I've wasted $100.
Edit:
I've also tried with the original magnets, with the stronger neo magnets, and without magnets. Whether or not it works is a crapshoot. I actually did get it working like 5 times in row with the original palm pre magnets after switching a power cable. Thought it was the cable after all, so I swapped back out to the neo magnets and it didn't work. Swapped back to the config that worked 5x in a row and it wouldn't charge at all. I've officially spent waaaaay too long messing with this.
I have two of these:
Deep Discount for Brand New HP Touchstone Charging Dock Pre Pixi Veer Pre2 PRE3 | eBay
Six of these:
Amazon.com: Palm Touchstone Back Cover: Cell Phones & Accessories
I didn't even check the voltage to start out with. I just started transferring the coil to my phone, got the magnets down, put the palm sticker back over the coil/magnets, then plugged it in and checked the voltage. Nothing. I've now tried 3 different bases with my modded phone backplate and the other non-modified palm backplate. I've been trying to figure this out for an hour and I can SOMETIMES get a charge to show up. A 5.56 voltage corresponds with a constant buzzing. However, most of the time, I get no buzzing, no voltage. Sometimes I get a oscillating buzz/no buzz, but it doesn't stay around much, and I haven't gotten a voltage with it.
I've tried nudging the bare backplates up/down. I've tried lifting the backplate off the charger slightly. I've tried different usb cables (one of them I've been using to charge my phone for a long time now). I've tried plugging it into AC and a USB port on my computer. I've checked the voltage of the wall socket.
If the buzzing occurs, I can hold my ear up to the thing and rotate it. This changes the frequency and volume of the buzzing. However, it seems any time I change something (remove power, remove the backplate from the base) the buzz (and voltage) goes away.
It's extra frustrating because I don't know of a way to diagnose which part is defective, since it happens with 3 bases and 2 coils.
Any helpful ideas? I'm beginning to think I've wasted $100.
Edit:
I've also tried with the original magnets, with the stronger neo magnets, and without magnets. Whether or not it works is a crapshoot. I actually did get it working like 5 times in row with the original palm pre magnets after switching a power cable. Thought it was the cable after all, so I swapped back out to the neo magnets and it didn't work. Swapped back to the config that worked 5x in a row and it wouldn't charge at all. I've officially spent waaaaay too long messing with this.
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My coworker managed to get it working without issues. I had the sticker still on the backplate, so I threw it on his charger and tested the voltage. 5.56v no problem. Made the other mods and the phone works fine. I have no idea what the problem is. Interference at home? It was by some appliances when I was testing. Bad wall socket? I don't know, but it's charging just fine. Weird.
Oh, and when it's fully charged, it appears to switch off charging with the screen on, but switches on charging when the screen is off. Maybe it switches to charging when the phone goes to 99%? So with a screen timeout, I have the screen constantly cycling on/off. I suppose I'll search through this thread to see how people have dealt with this.
Oh, and when it's fully charged, it appears to switch off charging with the screen on, but switches on charging when the screen is off. Maybe it switches to charging when the phone goes to 99%? So with a screen timeout, I have the screen constantly cycling on/off. I suppose I'll search through this thread to see how people have dealt with this.
I switched to a hardwired approach using flywire and the issues go away. Also was running into problems with the AC->USB power supply not having enough current, so it didn't charge using the fast charge method. I'm actually still having an issue with the charging cycling from charging to not charging that happens regardless of being at 100% or not. I'll update if I figure that out.
Just completed this mod on another style of case than the one I originally did the mod on (Diztronic Matte Back Black Flexible TPU Case). This second case is the Qmadix QM-HLSMI515-SO I picked up from Amazon for less than $5 about a week ago.
The only problem I ran into with the Qmadix case and which had little to do with the mod is that I use the extended battery and the Qmadix would not fit on the phone unless the battery cover was removed. I opted to cut in half an extra battery door enough to cover just the top part of the battery instead of just letting the case hold the battery in (with the help of some elec. tape, which also worked very well).
Both times I used copper tape to make my circuitry, soldering any joints/routing points and taping off with elec. tape to complete it. I've attached a few pictures (fully taped, ready to go / routing of copper tape circuit / in progress, initial taping after components were in place).
I'm glad that all of these old webOS TouchStones still have a purpose around the house, car and office.
The only problem I ran into with the Qmadix case and which had little to do with the mod is that I use the extended battery and the Qmadix would not fit on the phone unless the battery cover was removed. I opted to cut in half an extra battery door enough to cover just the top part of the battery instead of just letting the case hold the battery in (with the help of some elec. tape, which also worked very well).
Both times I used copper tape to make my circuitry, soldering any joints/routing points and taping off with elec. tape to complete it. I've attached a few pictures (fully taped, ready to go / routing of copper tape circuit / in progress, initial taping after components were in place).
I'm glad that all of these old webOS TouchStones still have a purpose around the house, car and office.
Attachments
Thanks OP for the wonderful guide. I finished this mod on my GSM galaxy nexus. But its a little too tight for me. May be I will buy an extended cover and try on that one.
Edit: I still can't get the phone to charge at 1amp rate. With fast charge enabled. phone shows its charging from AC source but charge percent goes up by ~4% in 10 mins compare to ~8% when charging from the original charger. Can anybody confirm if they got the mod to charge the phone at 1 amp rate?
Thank you
Edit: I still can't get the phone to charge at 1amp rate. With fast charge enabled. phone shows its charging from AC source but charge percent goes up by ~4% in 10 mins compare to ~8% when charging from the original charger. Can anybody confirm if they got the mod to charge the phone at 1 amp rate?
Thank you
It's been a long time since I looked into it, but I believe that was about the max it would pull with fast charge. Even at that rate, it couldn't quite keep up with navigation with the screen on so would either keep the screen off I was using navigation for long periods of time or plug the charger directly into the phone on long trips.
Thanks for the awesome guide! I just finished this last night, but I've got a quick question. I bought a touchstone and the Palm branded charging cables, but using the Palm cables the touchstone will not charge, where as using the charger I had for my phone (Some off brand from Best Buy) It will charge. Any ideas as to why this is? When using the Palm cables it has a buzz that kinda beeps on and off, but with the other cable it is steady.
EDIT: The charger works with the palm wall plugs and off brand cables, but not the palm cables and plug, I think that was addressed earlier in the thread that I needed specific cables.
EDIT: The charger works with the palm wall plugs and off brand cables, but not the palm cables and plug, I think that was addressed earlier in the thread that I needed specific cables.
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Does anyone know out of what kind of material the silver foil is made of?
It seems to be slightly magnetic.
It seems to be slightly magnetic.
rwhitby
Member
It is Mu-Metal (check Wikipedia for an explanation), and is required for correct operation.
-- Rod
rwhitby
Member
If you go on Amazon, you can buy the palm pre back covers meaning the battery covers for the touchstone and I think they're like $2 a piece, so you can easily buy the part that you're looking for there.
Sent using Tap coupled with Talk on a device that will knock your socks off of my feet: Nexus 4
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