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First post after long reading here, very nice source of information about HTC PDA phones.
I just bought one TyTN II from a HK eBay seller - fast FedEx shipping so should arrive next Thursday.
In the mean time, I am looking for a good case and found many made of aluminum at the web and eBay. Click to see eBay link.
My question is, that aluminum will not act as a RF shield for both input/output cell signals? And that probable shield will not increase the battery drain forcing more current (giving more power output) at the internal cell transmitter?
More power output mean less battery charge life.
Moreover, it will not reduce also the GPS signal reception?
Someone already did a test (cell/GPS signal strength with and without that aluminum case)?
Thanks,
Sergio
I got one of those cases I havent notised any signal drops and im using Wifi and GPS and EDGE all the time
My monaco is great, no problems
Looking around, found this message of member cornellfOo in [URL="http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=352605&page=9]Seidio's Super slim rubberized case[/URL]:
"Wow. Glad to hear these types of cases finally came out.
Anyone know if these cases will hinder reception? I bought one of the aluminum hard cases and that definitely affected reception. I'm assuming that it's the aluminum and not cases in general that cause this.
I am in low service areas often so it can be the difference between making calls and not."
Usually any metal enclosures do shield RF signals and normally metal shield are used exactly to avoid RF leaking from devices. So, that is my point and would be great if more members could do this test and report here.
No problems with my aluminum case
I don't have a real scientific test, but I used my aluminum case for a solid week when recently on vacation and had no problems at all. (I switch to different cases depending on the situation and wanted the extra protection for it while it was in my pocket all day.) I used GPS, made phone calls and checked email and web pages with no problems whatsoever. (I saw no decrease in signal strength bars either.)
I also didn't notice any increased battery drain. In fact I even had an external charger with me just in case but only used it once all week and even that time I didn't really HAVE to use it (I just liked topping it off.)
That's just my experience.
The metal case costs you around 10 - 15db!!
Yes.. thats a lot.
You can check it with the tool Fieldtest.
thommic said:
The metal case costs you around 10 - 15db!!
Yes.. thats a lot.
You can check it with the tool Fieldtest.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I am still waiting for my device to be delivered, scheduled tomorrow by FedEx so, I can't yet make any measurements myself but, if you think that every 3 db down step is exactly the half in power measurements, that metal shield will eat too much signal.
I have one of these aluminum cases and I have found that I get better reception:
With the case open/screen tilted vs closed up
With the case off vs case on
I figured it would function as a RF shield and in all honesty it's not a huge deal to me. It's not hard to remove the device from the case if you need those extra bars, and I'll be installing a cellular repeater in my vehicle since we have mediocre (at best) cellular coverage up here.
Same here -- I just received my Monaco case, and have not noticed any interference in reception. I like it: my Kaiser feels protected now.
rgds, Manny
So, we have probably all noticed that even compared to other phones the xperia line (and the Play in specific) seem to suffer from lower reception capability.
Putting them side by side, my Motorola Droid (A855, OG Droid 1) gets a better signal both in DB measurement and in bars. Same thing for WiFi signal. I'm guessing there is an issue with design of the antenna array in the device that causes for lower reception/broadcast quality.
I don't wish to shell out $300 for a cell repeater or $300 + monthly for a femtocell that will eat my internet bandwidth (which is pathetically limited). With that in mind, I went and started looking over the device, its teardowns, and its schematics. I was looking for something as a diversity jack for an external antenna. Now I noticed, next to the battery connector, there is a small semi-covered coax input. It appears that if you pulled off the rest of the sticker, or even if you just pushed a coax prong into there you could potentially be an antenna. However, it is not specifically labeled as such on the system board or the chassis, and the schematics were largely electrical diagrams and not system board schematics. Is there any answer for this? On pretty much every smartphone I have ever owned, there is an auxillary or "diversity" coax jack for adding an external antenna or doing signal injection.
Does anybody have any input on this? I would love to be able to boost my phone's reception quality, even if only in the car or at home (even if it means a custom modded case for ease of connect/disconnect).
Cant help you with your specific question but i can throw a tip.
- Switch your phone to GSM only. It will strengthen the signal. The downside is you are stuck with G/E data speeds (slower than H).
dsswoosh said:
Cant help you with your specific question but i can throw a tip.
- Switch your phone to GSM only. It will strengthen the signal. The downside is you are stuck with G/E data speeds (slower than H).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sadly, with the US-CDMA variant and its firmware, I believe that is not an option. I'm specifically using the R800x. However, the board layouts are essentially identical.
I don't see the problem if you arnt getting any dropped calls. Wrap your phone in tin foil lmao
Sent from my XPlay using XDA App.
Deoxlar said:
I don't see the problem if you arnt getting any dropped calls. Wrap your phone in tin foil lmao
Sent from my XPlay using XDA App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well that is sort of the problem. I live in an area that its hills are filled with lead and other heavy minerals. Dead zones and limited signal zones are rampant, especially while driving. I _DO_ get dropped calls, and more importantly dropped data. Heck I even get dropped data from the router in the house through only one wall just a room away.
Basically if I can find out where exactly the aux/diversity port is for antennas, then I could design and fabricate a better back cover to either allow for external antennas, or to integrate better antennas into the cover (like the Thunderbolt sort of does).
Side note: Wrapping it in Tin/Aluminum Foil would make it worse, I believe (yes I have limited sense of humour).
you can easely remove the rubber in front of the coax port (atleast it definitly looks like a coax port). Would like to see a back case with better antenna in it (also being able to harbor an extra fat battery).
svenk919 said:
you can easely remove the rubber in front of the coax port (atleast it definitly looks like a coax port). Would like to see a back case with better antenna in it (also being able to harbor an extra fat battery).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that there are several coax ports. The one near the battery connector is the most obvious, but there are some more that are under the secondary cover or behind more stickers. Trying to find out which one is which or what they do is not easy. I have some basic electronics schematics, some teardown pics/video, and a really really sparse parts replacement guide, but not much else to go on.
Plug in an antenna and see if it improves?
svenk919 said:
Plug in an antenna and see if it improves?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
*laughs* I suppose that would be the easy/simple way to find out, wouldn't it?
I'll see if I can find a matching pigtail adapter and see if I can plug a big fat antenna into and see if the DBM improves for either Cell or WiFi. I wanted to see if anybody could confirm before I attempted to mod this thing.
Bit of a shot in the dark, but wouldn't adding more metal (large surface area) between the WiFi pins and the antenna increase signal strength? Or is the antenna more than just some sort of metal?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
Anyone??
I havent got a clue. But I AM curious if anyone knows...
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app
mattcooper said:
Bit of a shot in the dark, but wouldn't adding more metal (large surface area) between the WiFi pins and the antenna increase signal strength?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Perhaps (most likely not), but for sure you will make things a lot worse in at least a full half-hemisphere of angles.
mattcooper said:
Or is the antenna more than just some sort of metal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes.
The gain and directivity of antennas depends critically on dimensions of all metallic structures (including the antenna itself) in the "near field" of the antenna. Even for simple omnidirectional "whip" antennas, the length of the whip determines the frequency band at which it will work the best. Randomly adding metal nearby will usually make things worse, or at a minimum change its directivity.
As an antenna is a passive structure, gain can only be achieved by improving it in one direction while simultaneously making it worse in more directions. But because the orientation of the tablet in relation to the WiFi router (or cell tower) can not be predicted in advance, a high-gain directional antenna can not be used - it is undesirable. This is exactly the reason that automobiles and boats do not use high gain antennas such as dish or Yagi antennas - they will be used in all orientations except perhaps upside-down. (But the tablet probably will be used while it's owner is lying down - an upside-down configuration.)
Don't get me wrong - all the metal in the tablet/handset does alter the antenna gain pattern, and some manufacturers do a better job than others in figuring out how to place a simple, low-gain antenna in their device (in relation to all the other components) so there are no (or few) "dead spots" in the antenna pattern, and that the "RF matching" between the radio chip and the antenna is correct.
Remember Apple's iPhone "You are holding it wrong!" PR fiasco? Immediately after that happened, Apple started hiring (more) antenna designers. They were already doing some of that sort of thing, and now they are doing even more of it.
To suggest that a hobbyist can modify things to improve their antenna design is the same thing as presuming that the handset/tablet designers are completely ignoring antenna design issues. I doubt that is the case.
Hey
I'd like to fix my crappy GPS antenna, can anyone here help me with that - I don't know how it looks like and don't know how to take the phone apart safely besides being careful not to yank the mic
Will only copper wire work?
Has anyone ever done this?
This device is notorious for it's bad GPS reception but there's not info on how to fix it and I'd sure appreciate any help.
Thanks in advance!
Software?
Hey, did you try some software changes, before you unassembly phone? I have an iOcean X7 Elite (same MTK chipset) and Uncletools with updated EPO was helpfull for me. Fix GPS max. 20 seconds. With serial antenna. Check XDA forum or google about GPS fix MTK chipset or tell me, I can write a fast manual how to do that...
i managed to make a new GPS antenna. i took a copper adhesive and made a copy of the original one.
now i get a fix but SNR is around 35.
then i closed the back cover and got 30 SNR.
so i put another 2 slice of copper (9cm long) on the cover (one is touching the GPS antenna) and now i got 35 SNR.
but it is not enough. we need around 40-42 snr with 1-2 satellites in order to navigate in the city.
can anyone post a new GPS antenna mod that we can use with a copper adhesive?
You are probably best off finding a microstrip "patch" antenna optimized for
one of the two main GPS frequencies 1.57542 GHz (L1) and 1.2276 GHz (L2).
You could also attempt to build one, like you did, but with optimized
dimensions. These could be very small, on the size of a penny.
THIS is the basics of Microstrip (Patch) Antennas. You should definitely
try that design first! However, I don't know the impedance (the length of W
in the figure below) needed for your device, so you'll have to do some
trial-and-error...
Within THIS rather technical document, there are several simple designs that
you may try to make with your copper-tape-strips.
Finally try Google "homemade DIY gps patch antenna".
Let us know how it goes!
Here are some ideas:
Or perhaps this one?
E:V:A said:
You are probably best off finding a microstrip "patch" antenna optimized for
one of the two main GPS frequencies 1.57542 GHz (L1) and 1.2276 GHz (L2).
You could also attempt to build one, like you did, but with optimized
dimensions. These could be very small, on the size of a penny.
THIS is the basics of Microstrip (Patch) Antennas. You should definitely
try that design first! However, I don't know the impedance (the length of W
in the figure below) needed for your device, so you'll have to do some
trial-and-error...
Within THIS rather technical document, there are several simple designs that
you may try to make with your copper-tape-strips.
Finally try Google "homemade DIY gps patch antenna".
Let us know how it goes!
Here are some ideas:
Or perhaps this one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I added 10/15 points just with this
i hope to be helpful to you
i already tried the microstrip gps antenna. it gives great results but when you close the cover... poor results!
chenrp said:
i already tried the microstrip gps antenna. it gives great results but when you close the cover... poor results!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If that is the case, you're probably doing something right!
The cover itself changes the properties of the antenna, usually they compensate this with a velocity factor. What happens, is that the antenna seem larger than it should be, when the cover is closed. Try to compensate by reducing your micro-strip dimensions by multiplying them with ~0.97. Microstrip and patch antennas have a very narrow band-width... (You'll have to be accurate to the mm.) Also make sure the antenna is not touching anything inside, when the cover is closed, as that would again change the properties.
GPS antennas...
E:V:A said:
If that is the case, you're probably doing something right!
The cover itself changes the properties of the antenna, usually they compensate this with a velocity factor. What happens, is that the antenna seem larger than it should be, when the cover is closed. Try to compensate by reducing your micro-strip dimensions by multiplying them with ~0.97. Microstrip and patch antennas have a very narrow band-width... (You'll have to be accurate to the mm.) Also make sure the antenna is not touching anything inside, when the cover is closed, as that would again change the properties.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have three, two are active devices, with the receiver attached beneath, and require +3 VDC supply and RS-232 for data.
One is a ceramic patch from O.E.M Garmin, as supplied in their hand held units,
The third, is a patch used by old Garmin Flight navigator unit I used in my B-55 Baron. Its dimensions are 2-3/8" on a side, soI doubt you could fit this inside without difficulty, let alone altering the dielectric constant of the board.
But if you have a sizable space between the cover and the main board, you may be able to fit a small ceramic patch antenna that should work nicely, IF the feed impedances are similar.
he enclosed pics should give you a starting point though..
i managed to get 43 SNR! inside my house near the window.(with one stripe connected directly to the antenna contacts)
but i cant fit it inside the phone and still get above 35 SNR.
befano71 said:
I added 10/15 points just with this
i hope to be helpful to you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
chenrp said:
i managed to get 43 SNR! inside my house near the window.(with one stripe connected directly to the antenna contacts)
but i cant fit it inside the phone and still get above 35 SNR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's pointless to tell us what you get without also telling us what you did or have!
Please post the exact measurements.
E:V:A said:
It's pointless to tell us what you get without also telling us what you did or have!
Please post the exact measurements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
"but i cant fit it inside the phone and still get above 35 SNR."!
pointless to write how i did it if i cant put the antenna inside the phone!
I posted a picture.
Try doing as I did.
2mm aluminium tape 7cm long attached inside the cover like showed in the photo.
no need to dissassemble or cut or disconnect.
It seems wierd bit it worked for me and other w8s owners
connection to the antenna:
i disconnected the original antenna. taped an adhesive copper film to the antenna contact(in the board).
the film is very short, just enough to touch the back cover.
antenna:
on the back cover, i added adhesive copper antenna.
that way, we have a long antenna (should be ~9cm long) and is far enough from the phone so get better SNR.
see picture.
GPS foil antenna.
chenrp said:
connection to the antenna:
i disconnected the original antenna. taped an adhesive copper film to the antenna contact(in the board).
the film is very short, just enough to touch the back cover.
antenna:
on the back cover, i added adhesive copper antenna.
that way, we have a long antenna (should be ~9cm long) and is far enough from the phone so get better SNR.
see picture.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can use stained glass copper foil, they make several different varieties, and most have an adhesive backing, as well as natural copper and black oxide, but the black foil does not solder well, so stay with the natural copper for best results.
Did you match the feed impedance to the receiver? You need a proper load to cause the antenna to operate properly, and at 'L' band and higher, this matters even more-so.
Skin effects vary with frequency, and the higher you go, the more effect this has on any RF path, and can kill a receiver's ability to 'hear'.
GPS signals are already weak, and since 99.99% of the nation are not on the high accuracy portion of the 'L band, we are relegated to 1575.42
If anybody would like to attempt this mod, I would be happy to supply the foil, as I use the same material for rebuilding circuits, and have several rolls. Just send appropriate postage and I will send you more than enough to apply this modification to your device.
I guess you can Email me directly, or through XDA.
AECRADIO said:
You can use stained glass copper foil, they make several different varieties, and most have an adhesive backing, as well as natural copper and black oxide, but the black foil does not solder well, so stay with the natural copper for best results.
Did you match the feed impedance to the receiver? You need a proper load to cause the antenna to operate properly, and at 'L' band and higher, this matters even more-so.
Skin effects vary with frequency, and the higher you go, the more effect this has on any RF path, and can kill a receiver's ability to 'hear'.
GPS signals are already weak, and since 99.99% of the nation are not on the high accuracy portion of the 'L band, we are relegated to 1575.42
If anybody would like to attempt this mod, I would be happy to supply the foil, as I use the same material for rebuilding circuits, and have several rolls. Just send appropriate postage and I will send you more than enough to apply this modification to your device.
I guess you can Email me directly, or through XDA.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
theory and practice aside!
i calculated and learned about GPS L band and the results are not satisfying at all.
the only thing that really helped is the one i posted.
i put the iphone 4 antena and it work verry good
after few atempt to assembly my own antena without success i put the iphone 4 antena .
i get to 38 snr sometimes
this is what i have in a almost stormy day almost sea height with the help of the little alluminium strip.
just have to cut an adhesive aluminium tape, 2x70 mm and stick in in the back cover as shown in the picture.
put the cover back on and u'll see the sat levels growing 10-15% more than before.
maorhadad said:
after few atempt to assembly my own antena without success i put the iphone 4 antena .
i get to 38 snr sometimes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have you connected the iphone's antenna to yours? is there any connection there?
chenrp said:
have you connected the iphone's antenna to yours? is there any connection there?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not my brother.
Just peeled the metal band that in the back of the iPhone 4, and stuck it in the back of my bewond W8 as seen in the picture.
before i did it id do that guide :
thlmobilestore.com/news/gps-fix
It helps a little but not enough.
After I stuck the antenna of the iPhone 4 that comes a high precision level and not lose reception when I move for a second under a bridge or something like that ....
Custom GPS tAntenna
Used kitchen aluminium foil, as befano71 suggested ["2mm aluminium tape 7cm long attached inside the cover like showed in the photo"]. Built in a hurry, and might not be with perfect measures, but these are results on a foggy, cloudy evening (I was leaning through a window of a building, hence some satellites are zeroed). GPS fix in <10sec ...
Custom made aluminium foil GPS antenna for THL W8S:
Before mod:
After mod:
Hi everyone,
As said on tittle, I'm looking for a smart watch with the following requisites:
- Android complete 4.2 or higher
- Cell phone itself (gsm/wcdma)
- IP68?
I need it for swimming/surfing/similar, due to my work, I need to be contactable (calls/email) everytime, and sometimes I go swimming/surfing.
I bought an Imacwear M7, but the people said it's not ip67 and that it will die if I use it on the sea.
Does anyone tried this? Any other smartwatch? Any other options?
I'm a little bit lost, need your opinion and/or experience
Thanks a lot
none of the standalone (phone) watches will be fully water proof, because of microphone/speaker, if ever there will be one
some of them might claim water resistance but i wouldn't wear them not in shallow water, let alone the sea
the Sony Smartwatch 2 for example, claims to be ip57, but can't survive a shower. that watch doesn't even have a microphone or speaker
might be build quality related though
Swimming and surfing plus speaker and mic? That's 1 ATM (10m/30ft) rating at a minimum. No such creature exists, yet. It is possible to do, but companies would rather sell fashion smartwatches with laughable IP ratings instead.
Send it away and have it Liquipelled. http://www.liquipel.com/
SerialKilla said:
Send it away and have it Liquipelled. http://www.liquipel.com/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't waste your money. Tried that on three smartwatches, as well as a fourth project smartwatch of my own. It doesn't work. The treatment wears off when it comes in contact with pretty much anything. Oil deposits in the air from cooking, your skin, cloth, sand, dirt.
airtemisa said:
Hi everyone,
As said on tittle, I'm looking for a smart watch with the following requisites:
- Android complete 4.2 or higher
- Cell phone itself (gsm/wcdma)
- IP68?
I need it for swimming/surfing/similar, due to my work, I need to be contactable (calls/email) everytime, and sometimes I go swimming/surfing.
I bought an Imacwear M7, but the people said it's not ip67 and that it will die if I use it on the sea.
Does anyone tried this? Any other smartwatch? Any other options?
I'm a little bit lost, need your opinion and/or experience
Thanks a lot
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use Tempo Trainer Pro watch. U can find it here http://www.proswimwear.co.uk/ . It's includes a clip for dry land exercise. I am sure you will find it better then apple watch or Garmin.
I still havent found what im looking for...
Like I said before, no such creature exists. The best you can hope for is a regular smartwatch and then have somebody like me mod it to get it to a 1ATM (33ft) WR rating.
Hi lokifish Marz.... I´ve been thinking about doing that in my M7 smartwatch, but finally never tried it.
If finally doesnt appear that desired model, i will try to mod it for submersing
The M7 is like the Omate and is a serious pain to get IP67, much less anything better than that. About the only sort of easy way to get past a useless IP rating is fill the entire case with RTV silicone sealant, otherwise you are looking at a complete teardown and machine work.
I've been trying with liquid neoprene. It seals perfectly, very fluid, very good handling and also cheap!
Now I need to identify all the holes of the watch and work then properly.... It should work!
List of ingress points that need to be addressed to reach a minimum of 1 ATM water resistance needed for swimming/surfing;
Case back (requires complete redesign of seals or permanent sealing of back to case)
Case back screws and screw holes (requires complete redesign of seals or permanent sealing of screws into the case)
Buttons (requires complete redesign of button seals)
Camera (requires removal and filling of camera housing of replacement of housing glass)
Speaker (requires secondary sealing layer between speaker and outside)
Mic (requires secondary sealing layer between MIC and outside)
SIM Slot Door (requires sealing of screw holes and better gasket)
Charging contacts (requires the contact assembly in the case back be remounted and sealed using marine epoxy)
Display (requires the case be redesigned or pressure injecting sealant or marine epoxy from the backside)
Antenna ports (requires the bands be removed, the ports cleaned out. The bands then need remounting and a stiff silicone sealant be injected into the ports)
MIC and speaker secondary seal will negatively affect audio performance. This is however required as MIC and speaker damage will occur otherwise.
Display sealing issues are due to the lack of a large enough lip for the display to be mounted on to provide a proper seal
*Alternative approach (Untested)
Completely seal the display,PCB, SD Card, SIM Card, and battery in one solid block of silicone or some other water resistant material. Drawback is this seriously affects usability of the buttons, camera, MIC, and speaker. This also makes SIM, SDCard and battery swapping impossible.
(I've had over two years to think about this as well as attempt to get the TS and it's clones to pass a proper 24hr immersion test at 10m/33ft/1ATM. To date, I have not succeeded.)
Uffff.... so... you need to do a master.... its a marathon!
Thanks Lokifish... i think maybe i wont try...
i95,android 4.3,ip65,dial/answer phone call,you can know more from tinydeal.but i think Lokifish is right,no smartwatch can survive after a long time in the sea.
jack5847 said:
i think Lokifish is right,no smartwatch can survive after a long time in the sea.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not exactly true. If he wanted a companion smartwatch it's not the hard at all. The issue is with him wanting to be able to do that with a standalone, or otherwise known as a watchphone. That requires far more engineering. The closest he could get to any out of the box solution would be the massive Timex Ironman ONE GPS+ and all that would give him is something similar to SMS texts and that's it. The other option is a decently made standalone then seal it completely with a SIM inside. He would lose the mic and speaker function but would at least be able to send/receive texts and know who's trying to call him. Not a pretty solution but it would work.
I think i´ve got it!
Doodgee S1.
I dont link to any shop, but you can find it very easy. I´m waiting for some reviews...
airtemisa said:
I think i´ve got it!
Doodgee S1.
I dont link to any shop, but you can find it very easy. I´m waiting for some reviews...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, ignore any IP67 rated. IP67 is 1m/3ft immersion with absolutely no moving allowed.
I agree with Lokifish - I don't think that animal exists. I just bought the No 1 A10 to evaluate it for workouts, including swimming...
http://www.gearbest.com/smart-watches/pp_286212.html
...and am looking at the D5 for "office wear". I have to admit that I'm more attracted to the idea of "one watch to rule them all" - but - I'm also looking at $56 for the A10 (I bought it when it was on sale) and $130 or so for the D5 (or similar) so for the total outlay it's a pretty compelling use case. I was an original Omate TrueSmart backer and was profoundly disappointed. After spending $360++ for a watch that *wasn't* waterproof I went the "dedicated exercise computer as a watch" route - in the form of the Polar V800. I had to wait another year or so for smart notifications to show up (for Android) and Polar *still* hasn't done some basic data integration with 3rd parties like MyFitnessPal and the like. That was another $500+ and it *still* doesn't collect accurate heart rate data in the water. So - there's that... and of course there's no *real* smartwatch functionality to speak of.
I had considered the Garmin fenix 3 - and the recent addition of on-device HRM is interesting - but I'm mostly a swimmer so I'm going to be using a chest-worn device if I go that route. But *if* I did that it would be another $600-800 plus the cost of their data-recording HRM strap. As it stands now - I'm done with dropping multiple C-notes onto one-off projects and half baked tech from "the big companies". I'm going to nickel-and-dime my way through and figure out a way to make it work with multiple devices (with a LOT of help from my friends at XDA). I have the Bragi Dash coming in (sometime in February at last count) which I'm hoping will give me accurate HRM/oximetry data while swimming - and I'll be working to merge that data with the stroke/SWOLF data I gather from the wrist-worn device.
Side note: One of the advantages of the dual-device theory just occurred to me - in that I *can* carry a portable battery-pack charger and have one on charge when the other is on my wrist. So there's some element of continuity/back-up, should something go sideways with one device or another. When my TrueSmart would go dead I felt pretty naked, when it worked and was relatively performant from a battery perspective.
Anyway, I think this class of device will take some time to sort out as the companies figure out what the market(s) will bear in terms of durability and cost.