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Tip: Modify your Desire HD to have a lanyard.

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Pojken

Well-Known Member
Hey,

Last night, I noticed that there was some plastic corners on the DHD under the battery cover. I thought this would be a perfect place to put a lanyard. So, I recklessly took an exacto blade to it and bored a hole out. Eventually, I got it big enough to loop a thin lanyard through it. Pictures attached in hidden link.

Here's what I did wrong:

1) I should have attached the lanyard to the LEFT side and not the right side. The reason is because the left side attachment will pull the lanyard taught so holding, you are given a bit more support (of course, this depends on the length of your lanyard).

2) I should have made the hole a bit higher up onto the side and not at the exact corner. There is no space there for lanyard AND the bump that clicks into the slot to hold the cover in place.

Here's what I did right:

1) The placement of the lanyard there is great because of the thick piece of plastic. HTC could have easily made a slot for a lanyard there.

2) I drilled a hole into the cover in order to slot the lanyard through. The problem is that once it's through, you can't loop it around. I instead used clear thread to tie it together. I did several loops and knots to make sure. This clear thread is NOT fishing line, but clear sewing thread which is really thin, but strong.

3) Using that clear thread, I was able to use it to pull the lanyard through a relatively tiny opening. To do so, pull your clear thread through the lanyard loop. Then, insert both ends together into the hole. Then, pull the thread firmly and it will pull the lanyard through.


If you are going to try this, only do ONE side. That area is used to hold the battery cover tab. Mine set back in nicely, but perhaps I was lucky. Use the smallest hole possible, so use a pointed Exacto blade to bore it out by rotating it back and forth. Otherwise, use a Dremel (I forgot mine at work). As always, be careful. This corner is mostly plastic, so you should be okay if you slip a little.

Enjoy,

Tim

Click the Show button below to see pictures.
dhdlanyard.jpg

dhdlanyardback.jpg

dhdlanyardexposed.jpg
 
It already has a loop for a lanyard. Right next to the Sim card slot on the right, it looks like a little thing for a lanyard to me.

I assume you'd just put it on and then put the cover on and it would seal tightly?
 
Actually, there are no loops for a lanyard. If there were, there'd be an opening in the back battery cover.

Tim

backopen.jpg
 
big_mike said:
he means where you have cut of the bottom of the phone in the picture.
Click to expand...
Ahhh...

Yeah, there was no hole or place to put the loop. Instead, I simply drilled one in it using a pointed blade. I did it half asleep one night, so I kind of made a mess of it. It works, though. The sewing thread is the most important part - it really strengthened the connection.

Hope it works for you guys.

Tim
 
Maybe he's referring to a Desire or a DZ? My guess anyway, never seen a hole either. Thanks for the tip! Though, I wouldn't like to drill any holes in my DHD it's still good to know.
 
GSMGuy - if you look again at the picture you posted you'll see that there are 2 of these clips (one either side) and if you look at the back cover (you'll see it easier on the right hand side in your pic) there is a small lip that the clip connects with. It's my GUESS that these are to help hold the cover on rather than add a lanyard (although it could well work)

Pojken - thanks for the info, you did a good job on it. I'll not be adding one to mine however as i'm far too lazy and don't really need a lanyard on a phone ;)
 
It's for my wrist. It's quite unwieldy and slippery at times. If I'm using it for a long period, I like having it secured around my wrist. It also gives you a bit more to grab in case you do drop it. I also like to hang the end out of my pocket so if I need it, I can fish it out easier.

Oh, and I changed mine - I switched it for a camera lanyard. It's the kind that has a piece that can tighten the lanyard around your wrist.

Tim
 
Thanks a lot Pojken. I've just done it.

I always have had my phones on lanyards because I am always reading on Wikipedia, especially when I walk my dogs, and I worry I would drop it.

My phone is also my camera, and is always out at arms length, and I don't want to drop it.

I've just picked up the new Desire HD on a plan, and it's a cracker of a phone (with a few extra apps, anyway.)

*** I used a fine drill bit in a battery drill to do those holes.
I did it through those thick plastic bits first so I could see, then through the plastic cap.
I then looped fishing line through and tied it to a 'Mossimo' phone lanyard.

Total of maybe 10 minutes. Easy.

You could also do this with a heated up pin or paper-clip. Try that. Even easier.

Brilliant. I love it.
*Sighs* Now why didn't the manufacturer do that ???
Si.
-------------
To GSMGuy, don't mess with that plastic thing in your picture because it's right by the 'cover closed' switch. Mess with that and your phone may never start because it thinks the back is open. !!!!
 
Why couldn't HTC just add this!?

They may make great phones, with great features, but "those that think best always forget about the obvious things"
 
eddiewawa said:
you guys ever think this might affect resale value? just thinking....
Click to expand...
Not really. I personally don't care because I usually hold on to my phones until the plan is over, which is about two years. By then, my phone is pretty beat up, so it doesn't matter.

I actually think that if you do a good job, it won't detract from the DHD.

Tim

p.s. Someone asked about lanyards. The one I have now (the blue one in the photo broke almost immediately) is from my old Canon camera. It's great because it's very durable and has an extra plastic piece that tightens around the wrist.
 
There is another way, though not as elegant it is not as permanent :P

IMG_2507.JPG


I wanted to take a photo with my mini-USB to micro-USB adapter with a lanyard but couldn't find it. That lanyard would have been less than 1mm thick, especially when squashed.

The rubber band I used was about 1.8mm - 1.9mm with the taller direction (rubber band cross sections are actually rectangular, not square) so anything under that will fit just fine.

The lid closes without any force and there are no gaps/bulked out bits. Only problem is that it doesn't come out right at the bottom. I tried feeding the lanyard through the 3.5mm port and micro-USB port but that didn't work.
 
Just spotted this thread, i had already altered my dhd to fit a wrist lanyard, i placed it so i could still fit a carbonfibre cover then on the inside in drilled a small hole in one of the corners then using a knife cut down to the hole to create a hook for the lanyard. Then i drilled a small hole through the bottom cover just big enough to thread the lanyard through. In the last picture i had to file away a small piece of plastic under the string so it sits flat when the cover is replaced. The cover closes perfectly.

If u use new drill bits it looks very professional and i cant see it having a negitive effect on resale value





 
sithedogblogge said:
Thanks a lot Pojken. I've just done it.

I always have had my phones on lanyards because I am always reading on Wikipedia, especially when I walk my dogs, and I worry I would drop it.

My phone is also my camera, and is always out at arms length, and I don't want to drop it.

I've just picked up the new Desire HD on a plan, and it's a cracker of a phone (with a few extra apps, anyway.)

*** I used a fine drill bit in a battery drill to do those holes.
I did it through those thick plastic bits first so I could see, then through the plastic cap.
I then looped fishing line through and tied it to a 'Mossimo' phone lanyard.

Total of maybe 10 minutes. Easy.

You could also do this with a heated up pin or paper-clip. Try that. Even easier.

Brilliant. I love it.
*Sighs* Now why didn't the manufacturer do that ???
Si.
-------------
To GSMGuy, don't mess with that plastic thing in your picture because it's right by the 'cover closed' switch. Mess with that and your phone may never start because it thinks the back is open. !!!!
Click to expand...

As I was trying to post a reply to GSMGuy (unfortunately first post shouldn`t contain images and his post has them), both of the covers do not have "cover closed" switches. They are in fact antennas.
 
GSMGuy said:
The HD DOES have a fixing for a lanyard, just, for some reason not the gap in the back cover - If you look at this pic, it's just to the right of the SIM slot, above the red circle...

desireHDcover.png


There will probably be a section marked on the INSIDE of the back cover for the cutout, will check when I get mine next week!!

Mike
Click to expand...

DUDE, the bottom plastic cover is actually the GSM ANTENNA!!! Don`t mess with it or you will end up with a phone without a phone function.

The battery cover is actually the WIRELESS AND BLUETOOTH ANTENNA. Don`t mess with that either (or with its contacts).
 
Wow, yes, that's right. Every plastic panel on the DHD is an antenae of some sort (even the LED one, that's GPS). Don't do anything that would tamper with the metal connectors or who knows how much damage you'll do.

Thanks for spotting that post ro0ter, I've deleted it.
 
Cant understand why anyone in their right mind would want to have a lanyard on their phone:eek:
 
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