Easy Stand?

[dugless]

I am wondering if anyone has developed or thought about a small,
lightweight stand for the AG?
I tend to set my AG down a lot during the day for many distrations and
interuptions (phone calls, calculations, etc.). I have found that the
desk stand that comes with the AG is a little annoying to use every
time. I have actually set the stand on the floor and that makes it a
little easier to use, but I would really like something like a tripod
attached to the front to allow it to stand up on my desk so I wouldn't
have to try and balance it in the desk stand.

My only idea right now is to attach some kind of "leg" into the free
USB port that would allow it to sit there without lying on the USB
cable. (which is what happens when I am in a hurry) This would make the
AG a tripod itself, which might work if I can imprement it well.

My other option is to lay the front down so that the back is facing up,
but if I don't pause it before I do this, then I tend to hit a lot of
buttons when I pick it back up.

Any suggestions, or recommendations?

[Carl Andersen]

It is not too hard to screw something into the bottom of the Alphagrip,
especially into one of the rubber bases. I have done this myself.

One solution would be to buy a small Panavise micro mount (about $15).
One end of this is a base that you can screw onto your desk; the other
ends with a ball joint that has a camera bolt on the end of it. Find a
way to attach the camera bolt to the bottom of your alphagrip and
you'll have a detachable mount that you can swivel to any angle you
want. Probably the best way to attach the bolt to the rubber base is
to buy a headless screw (or just saw the head off a screw) and a
bolt-to-screw connector. Your hardware store should carry these.

[Carl Andersen]

Here's a link for that micro mount:

http://www.panavise.com/f/cctv/cctv_micro.html

[Doug Sims]

This may work for me, but it sounds like this would be a device that is
screwed to my desk. I don't want to physically mount it to the desk
(since I use it in my lap most of the time), I just want to be able to
set it down without half of the keys being pressed in the process, or it
be a precise activity of putting it in the exact place every time.
I also want something that I can easily remove from the unit completely;
so that traveling with the AG is not a chore (i.e. it will still fit in
my laptop case). I am also wondering if anyone has had any problems with
the operation of it after making these modifications. I don't want to
screw some metal into a wire or circuit board.

thanks for the suggestions,
--Doug

[Lee Tumbleson]

Am I missing something?  Why not just set it down in a 3-point stance; two legs and the USB cable.  The AG isn't heavy enough to put an undue pressure on the USB cable/connector.

[Doug Sims]

I've tried that and the cable has gotten a noticeable crease at the end
of the connector. With the factory cable, the magnet on the on cable
(noise filter or whatever it is) causes the cable to bend to a sharp
angle when the AG leans on it. This may not harm anything, but the
standard cable that comes with the AG is pretty thin and I don't want to
chance ruining this very handy 10' cable.
My original point I was trying to make was that the 3-point stance seems
to me to be the easiest and most natural way to set it down, but I just
want to come up with something that won't damage anything and won't look
like its been hacked together.

I guess an easy/temporary solution would be to reinforce the USB cable
with some tape or stick or something of that sort.
Does anyone else rest theirs on the cable in this manner? If so, has it
been any trouble?

Lee Tumbleson wrote:
> Am I missing something? Why not just set it down in a 3-point stance;
> two legs and the USB cable. The AG isn't heavy enough to put an undue
> pressure on the USB cable/connector.
>

> On 5/25/06, *Doug Sims* <wdsi...@gmail.com

[Lee Tumbleson]

How about reinforcing the cable by putting a plastic tube (maybe 6" long) over the cable.  Cut a slot on one end, so that the cable leaves the tube at the slot, so that the end of the tube sits on the table, without bending the cable.

The tube should be large enough to go around the magnet and the USB plug and just long enough to completely cover the plug and magnet, while allowing the cable to go out the side of the tube, rather than the end.

Maybe a 3/4" dia PVC pipe?

On 5/25/06, Doug Sims <wdsi...@gmail.com> wrote:

--
Lee

[Doug Sims]

That is more like what I was thinking. I may try a toilet paper tube
first since I can use scissors to cut and hack on it. If that works well
I will make a more permanent stand with some plastic pipe. I'll be on
vacation next week so that seems like a good time to just tinker with a
few ideas.
Thanks,
--Doug

Lee Tumbleson wrote:
> How about reinforcing the cable by putting a plastic tube (maybe 6"
> long) over the cable. Cut a slot on one end, so that the cable leaves
> the tube at the slot, so that the end of the tube sits on the table,
> without bending the cable.
>
> The tube should be large enough to go around the magnet and the USB
> plug and just long enough to completely cover the plug and magnet,
> while allowing the cable to go out the side of the tube, rather than
> the end.
>
> Maybe a 3/4" dia PVC pipe?
>

[Mike Willner]

I think the tube is a good idea. I think the cable (which is thinner than
most) would eventually have problems if it's used to support the AG-5's
weight too often.

FYI, we've asked Sejin to produce a sturdier desk stand which we plan to
sell to our customers at cost. I think the tube is a better idea though
because you'll be able to set the AG-5 down anywhere.

We considered making the bottoms of the AG-5's "legs" flat so you could set
it down and have it stand vertically without a desk stand, but we thought
the edges would bother you when holding it in your lap (or on your stomach
when leaning way back). Plus, we didn't think it would be as aesthetically
pleasing as the rounded bottoms.

[Lars]

An old/broken USB stick? If your'e more into DIY, get a single USB plug
(80 Euro Cent here in Germany = 1 US-Dollar) and 5 mm (1/5")
steel/aluminum/plastic rod. Crimp the plug with the rod instead of a
cable, fit the sleeve and possibly glue it together.

If you want something really fancy, use a translucent pipe, connect a
few LEDs with a resistor to the power pins of the USB plug and fit them
in the pipe. Close as above and you have a glowing stand.

Sadly you can't use those EL wires as they require a bulky inverter.