Grounding issue magic (video)

[nbm400]

So I noticed at work today that the grounding issue shows up when i lie the phone on my desk. I somehow also noticed that placing my hand directly beneath the phone UNDER the desk somehow made the issue go away.

I have no idea how the my hand is discharging the static buildup or magically grounding the phone thru an inch of wood...

I'm not under any assumption that this is anyway useful, but is is freaking bizarre... anyhow here is a video of me doing it again at home tonight...

YouTube - EVO grounding magic cure

 

[orbitz781]

Ahaha What the heck? That is ridiculous

 

[damewolf13]

That is wild.

 

[cary328is]

Basically the table is a weak semiconductor. Your hand basically grounds the table using your body to complete the circuit. I could better explain it if you noticed how the antistatic mats in electronic assembly plants have wires that ground them on the assembly tables

 

[MisterEd]

Mine works flawlessly on any hard surface like your table but not on cloth surface like a bed or a couch arm. I really don't find it problem because it's usually in my hand.

 

[IPvFletch]

Well, see how far your hand can go or if it has to touch or how close, etc, play with it until you have more data points. This is BIZARRE!!

I mean I'm certain it has to be some kind of static-electric issue, but you would not think it's THAT sensitive, must be a lot of charge going through the phone's outside/case.. Or more eerily, what if it is linked to it's RF waves!!!

 

[horadin]

I just tried this on my coffee table and got the same results. I tried holding my hand just below the table, less than 1cm below, and the screen was still unresponsive. As soon as my hand made solid contact with the table from underneath, it worked fine.

Though it may seem strange, cary328is is correct. You are just completing the circuit by touching the table. Actually, while typing this I tried one more thing. I put my hand directly beside my phone firmly on the table (again less than 1cm) and it was again UNresponsive.

 

[Biggest Fro]

I'm not calling you liars, but I can't get this to work through my comp desk, but it's a little thicker than the table you was using. (from what I can tell)

Good find nonetheless.

 

[DUBious]

Could anyone make the connection between the grounding problem and battery drain? I mean that's energy just escaping through whatever it can. if it were properly grounded that energy would be cycled through the phone. I'm no electrician but these two problems seem too closely related to not ask.

 

[Mixelplux]

omfg works for me too LOL

 

[jmatteau]

yup, same here.

 

[IPvFletch]

I'm not calling you liars, but I can't get this to work through my comp desk, but it's a little thicker than the table you was using. (from what I can tell)

Good find nonetheless.

Uhh, the point is NOT ALL OF US HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I don't either. It's just some phones have grounding issues apparently.

Also, FYI, on Nexus One, they have these sensors on the outside, like a magnetic sensor, and others, so perhaps the EVO does too, and it is just interference?

It also seems ODD that when you put your hand BESIDE (still ON the table) it doesn't work but when you put it UNDER it does... STRANGE!!

 

[Twistax]

Just tried that at my work countertop. Same thing happens... i cant access the notifications tab until i put my other hand under the table.

Could this be done on purpose to prevent accidental touch? It works like a champ when i holding it with 2 hands.

 

[NeoteriX]

Basically the table is a weak semiconductor. Your hand basically grounds the table using your body to complete the circuit. I could better explain it if you noticed how the antistatic mats in electronic assembly plants have wires that ground them on the assembly tables

Though it may seem strange, cary328is is correct. You are just completing the circuit by touching the table. Actually, while typing this I tried one more thing. I put my hand directly beside my phone firmly on the table (again less than 1cm) and it was again UNresponsive.

Yes but... presumably the table is not floating in the air; it's resting on the ground, in contact with the ground, and so presumably, it too is grounded. If we assume that the table is uniformly made of the same material with a fixed conductivity, then why would the hand grounding the table be any different than the ground grounding the table?

Could this be done on purpose to prevent accidental touch? It works like a champ when i holding it with 2 hands.

Definitely not a feature. Does not affect all Evos equally.

 

[IPvFletch]

... then why would the hand grounding the table be any different than the ground grounding the table?

I too wonder about this....

 

[barnacles]

This is so goofy. I didn't know about this until I watched your video there. Tried it on my evo and sure enough.

 

[neoshi]

Yeah same crap with my car mount.. I put my hand behind the car mount's back plate and it works (or I just put a few fingers on the phone itself). Annoying and needs to be fixed. My Evo is hooked into my car's OBDII reader using Torque and sometimes I want to tap somewhere on the top of the screen to access something and it doesn't work.. have to make contact and then voila.

 

[cary328is]

Yes but... presumably the table is not floating in the air; it's resting on the ground, in contact with the ground, and so presumably, it too is grounded. If we assume that the table is uniformly made of the same material with a fixed conductivity, then why would the hand grounding the table be any different than the ground grounding the table?

I don't know. Maybe there are pads under the feet of the table acting as additional insulators? Maybe the lacquer coating on the table its also an insulator? And the electrical conductivity of wood changes with moisture? I don't want to bust out all my engineering books to explain basic materials science and electricity concepts but I'm sure it can be explained with a few scientific facts about what constitutes conductors, semiconductors, and insulators and the behavior of electrons
through those materials under different atmospheric conditions

 

[Biggest Fro]

Uhh, the point is NOT ALL OF US HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I don't either. It's just some phones have grounding issues apparently.

Also, FYI, on Nexus One, they have these sensors on the outside, like a magnetic sensor, and others, so perhaps the EVO does too, and it is just interference?

It also seems ODD that when you put your hand BESIDE (still ON the table) it doesn't work but when you put it UNDER it does... STRANGE!!

I DO have the grounding issue, but on my comp desk putting my hand underneath has no reaction.

Again, I'm not calling anyone a liar, I am simply stating that with my comp desk I don't have the same result.

 

[neoshi]

What material is your desk?

 

[nbm400]

I don't know. Maybe there are pads under the feet of the table acting as additional insulators? Maybe the lacquer coating on the table its also an insulator? And the electrical conductivity of wood changes with moisture? I don't want to bust out all my engineering books to explain basic materials science and electricity concepts but I'm sure it can be explained with a few scientific facts about what constitutes conductors, semiconductors, and insulators and the behavior of electrons
through those materials under different atmospheric conditions

What doesn't jive with all that is when I put my hand on top of the table just a few millimeters from the phone I am unable to pull the notification bar down.