Pete’s Place
My Hacks on Logitech’s Wireless Headphones for iPod
This is just a quick website I threw together to summarise a cool hardware hack I did. I wrote to Logitech Tech Support suggesting it too, and asking if I could get their Wireless Headphones for iPod's Bluetooth details in order to hack them for my Pocket PC.
Hack #1:
Firstly, for those with the Logitech Wireless Headphones for iPod and a cracked neckband. I used polymorph plastic: flexible plastic that can be melted and moulded at a low temperature (a few minutes in boiling water softens it, or a nearby hairdryer). By placing a strip of plastic over the crack, melting it using a hairdryer, and glueing the ends to secure it in place, then it has been able to repair the crack, and extend the lifespan of my headphones by another 7 months so far. Simply glueing the crack does not help, as most glues are brittle when dry.
Hack #2:
I'd called Logitech to have my old ones with a cracked neckband replaced. It's part of their warranty, so anyone else can as well, if you already bought a pair that are now broken (you'll need product ID numbers, so no leeching!). They take back in the transmitter (you get a new one), but leave you the broken headphones.
So, having been told to throw away/recycle the broken-neckband headphones, I put the broken pair aside, waiting for a later date to use them in some simple DIY, if I could repair them.
Unable to find any other unwanted headphones with a flexible neckband, I recently decided to turn them into an iPod remote control. I disassembled (this is the old pair, remember) the two headphone compartments, and removed the battery by cutting the cables. I then resoldered these wires directly to the opposite main board, and, much to my surprise, was able to charge them and use them again!
I left the existing (right-hand) earphone in place as a mini-speaker, and added a female mini-jack socket, de-soldered from an old PC sound card. I then added a tiny switch to allow the "speaker" to be turned off if desired (though the headphone port would remain delivering sound).
Using the advice given to me from Logitech Support, I was able to re-pair the transmitter module with this new, different bluetooth accessory, and was able to listen through it! The buttons continued to control my iPod, and so now I have a portable, pocket-sized bluetooth iPod remote!
In order to make this more portable, however, it had to be closed up. Therefore, I melted down the broken neckband using a soldering iron, and filed it down to make it smooth. This kept the device whole, and so no wires are now left dangling outside. To this plastic surround I added a bent nail, to hold a lanyard. This completed my DIY.
The finished solution I can recommend, as it seems to be a useful product in its own right. A pocket-sized Bluetooth iPod remote with a lanyard and a headphone port is a valuable gadget, with the added bonus of a speaker. As it fits nicely in the hand, listening during class is possible (not that I have done so myself, of course). It is also nice to have a remote when I need to rest my head (it is difficult to lie down with the neckband on).
Here's a photo of my home setup, with a ruler and bent paperclip acting as a nice support for hanging these headphones on.
Good luck if anyone else tries this stuff, it's pretty cool now it's done, but not really worth it if you don't have the parts already. I really wish this was a forum, so anyone reading this could respond easily, I might set one up. For now, please feel free to email me, p-e-t-e-r-b-u-r-k-A-T-f-r-e-e-.-f-r
