Registered: Aug 2001
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Posts: 12

VisorPhone USB Charger/hotsync cable

Like everyone else, the battery on my VisorPhone poops out after about 2 days on standby or about 180 minutes of calling time. This means plugging in the charger module to my VisorDeluxe with VPhone in place every day or so to top it off. this charger module is seperate from the Hotsync cradle. Since I travel a bit I was looking for a USB Hotsync Cable to replace my VisorDeluxe cradle.
I found a cable designed for the Visor Prism that works perfectly well as a USB hotsync cable and also will charge my VisorPhone module. Perhaps any VisorPrism travel cable will do this but here's the product I found: the USB Sync-Charger for Handspring Visor by EXP Computer, Inc. ( www.expnet.com ) The price at Fry's Electronics in Sunnyvale, CA was $29.99.

The cable is about 2 feet long (80mm), USB connector at one end, Visor 8-pin connector at the other with a flat (11mm x 28mm) x 2.5 inch long black plastic control near the USB end. This control has a "SYNC" button and tree LEDs - PWR, TXO & RXO (I have NO clue what TXO and RXO stand for).

The VisorPhone starts charging as soon as the cable is plugged into a powered computer or USB hub and charges in about the same time as plugged into the charger module at a wall socket.

It seems like the cable hotsync button only works only when the Visor is turned on. Also the VisorPhone software seems to get "possessive" when trying to hotsync - it sometimes freezes the system after the hotsync completes. I've found hotsyncing with this cable is much more reliable if I take the VisorPhone module out during the hotsync.

Even with these minor inconveniences, it is a LOT more fun to just have one cable I can slip in my pocket to take care of my charging and hotsyncing needs!

BTW, Fry's is selling Refurbished Visor Deluxe at $99.00. At a glance, they had several hundred (after advertising it heavily on TV for a week or so).