I'm tired of cold hands...anyone ever try putting a heating element inside their mice?
I bet a few inches of nichrome (say, from a dead soldering tool) wound up inside the case, wrapped with some nice hi-temp insulation of some sort, and connected to the computer's 5V supply would work out nice.
I'd hazard a guess that 2W would be enough heat, and at 5V that's 12.5 ohms. Perhaps 10 ohms worth of wire? (Accounting for the thermal coefficient.)
Anyone forsee any possible worries from the DC magnetic field? Depending on how many courses around the mouse it takes, it wouldn't be more than a few ampere-turns.
Tim
I bet a few inches of nichrome (say, from a dead soldering tool) wound up inside the case, wrapped with some nice hi-temp insulation of some sort, and connected to the computer's 5V supply would work out nice.
I'd hazard a guess that 2W would be enough heat, and at 5V that's 12.5 ohms. Perhaps 10 ohms worth of wire? (Accounting for the thermal coefficient.)
Anyone forsee any possible worries from the DC magnetic field? Depending on how many courses around the mouse it takes, it wouldn't be more than a few ampere-turns.
Tim
Amen!
Ditto!
In the winter, my mouse hand turns to ice when I'm mousing at home in my 68F office.
How 'bout a mouse mit? It could basically be a fuzzy hand sock with a cutout on the bottom for the mouse. Seal the edges with velcro.
Think it could be a money-maker?!
Ditto!
In the winter, my mouse hand turns to ice when I'm mousing at home in my 68F office.
How 'bout a mouse mit? It could basically be a fuzzy hand sock with a cutout on the bottom for the mouse. Seal the edges with velcro.
Think it could be a money-maker?!
Hmm, that's good to know....when I get a USB header. I have a 2-button serial mouse. 
But as long as it means warmpth, I don't mind two extra wires.
But as long as it means warmpth, I don't mind two extra wires.
Blink an Eye
I say the pointer/cursor should be controlled by our pupil. Then you can saw off the cold hands and still work even faster on your computer.
Chris 😉
I say the pointer/cursor should be controlled by our pupil. Then you can saw off the cold hands and still work even faster on your computer.
Chris 😉
Except when playing Doom 2.
(Yep, that's right, I like all sorts of old things...tubes, DOS games...)
For the heating element I was thinking, to spread out the heat and keep it from getting too hot, put the resistance wire inside a bit of plastic tubing filled with oil. Last problem I had with this is blocking the X encoder wheel.
Tim
(Yep, that's right, I like all sorts of old things...tubes, DOS games...)
For the heating element I was thinking, to spread out the heat and keep it from getting too hot, put the resistance wire inside a bit of plastic tubing filled with oil. Last problem I had with this is blocking the X encoder wheel.
Tim
Games
Sorry, I honestly totally forgotten that computer can also be used for games. I must be getting old😱
Sorry, I honestly totally forgotten that computer can also be used for games. I must be getting old😱
What's wrong with a 5 watt resistor inside, and letting convection do the rest? I can't imagine there's too much heat sensitive stuff in there.
I can't believe I'm talking about this!
I can't believe I'm talking about this!
I get the feeling a 200-300°F resistor would melt a spot on the plastic. Plastic is a good insulator, and so is air. Convection would only carry the majority of the heat a few times the height away from center, I'd think. Plus, if you put it dead center, it could fry the chip inside there.
And, most importantly, it would feel better to have an evenly-heated mouse (or if anywhere, most at the buttons), than a hot-spot under the palm.
OTOH, a string of 1/2W resistors might work, sealed up inside some heat shink tubing. Anyone got 12 .5 ohm resistors? 🙂
Maybe for testing I could try a 10 ohm 3W under the buttons, run some wires back to 5V.
Tim
And, most importantly, it would feel better to have an evenly-heated mouse (or if anywhere, most at the buttons), than a hot-spot under the palm.
OTOH, a string of 1/2W resistors might work, sealed up inside some heat shink tubing. Anyone got 12 .5 ohm resistors? 🙂
Maybe for testing I could try a 10 ohm 3W under the buttons, run some wires back to 5V.
Tim
I like Keshas' idea of the heated mouse pad best so far--area heat that envelopes the hand. Only prob I see might be the emf from heater wires messing up the mouse signal, esp. if it's wireless.
What about putting a gainclone inside a mouse? (power supply external), and then when it gets cold out, crank up your music and warm up your mousing hand.
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Brian
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Brian
I have a ferroresonant line voltage regulator powering my computer. It sits under the desk and I put my feet on it. It keeps me nice and toasty warm. You don't need a heated mouse when your feet are warm!
MR
MR
Personally I want my mouse cold.. 😛 lol, but seeing as we are heating here, what about making a small compartment on the inside of the mouse top cover that is insulated from the rest of the mouse, filling it with oil, and putting a coil of wire in it... that way you can heat a large area without melting a hole in your mouse.. 😛 Or, what about water cooling your CPU, and passing the warm water from the CPU into your mouse, then back to the cpu.. 🙂 lol
WTF's a "vivarium"? 😛
Webster's:
"n. an enclosure for keeping or raising and observing animals or plants indoors; esp. one for terrestrial animals."
Ah, so it just keeps the critters warm.
If it's flat, and fits under the pad fine, I'd be happy to have one 🙂
Tim
Webster's:
"n. an enclosure for keeping or raising and observing animals or plants indoors; esp. one for terrestrial animals."
Ah, so it just keeps the critters warm.
If it's flat, and fits under the pad fine, I'd be happy to have one 🙂
Tim
you could channel a circluar pattern into a mouse pad using an old soldering iron and use nichrome wire to heat up the mouse pad to around 45c.
the neoprene the pad is made from however will start to melt at around 85c... so be careful 🙂
perhaps a thermal sensor+opamp to control the power supplied
the neoprene the pad is made from however will start to melt at around 85c... so be careful 🙂
perhaps a thermal sensor+opamp to control the power supplied
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