Stylus Pen Issues

[mark james]

My FIL asked for a stylus-tip 'thingy' for using his cell phone. He does not care if it is a pen or a tube-ended stylus. NOTE: He is 97 in a few weeks, and this will not fix his very shaky hands and poor eyesight ... However, he asked for it, so I'm good.

So, I have several PSI Mini Stylus Key ring kits, so as a simple 7MM tube I can extend the length as much as I want, even into a closed-ended stylus which was my first attempt, photo below.. I made a nice 6" stylus out of Buckeye Burl (he graduated from Law School from Ohio State in 1951) , but testing it on my IPhone and my wife's IPhone and IPAD, it did not do well. We needed to punch it very hard for it to activate the letter, and sometimes it simply did not work even with repeated pushing/tapping/hitting. But, a soft finger touch worked fine, the technology is formatted for a skin touch I suspect!

I also have several Berea Sierra Stylus Ballpoint Kits. So I turned/assembled one of those - same issue (slightly better, but not acceptable). A soft touch with the stylus - nothing; a hard touch - mostly did OK, but this is not really good. A soft touch with a finger - great. Again, technology for a skin touch.

BUT, these are supposed to work as stylus touch.

Has anyone had good success with ANY stylus kits (pen or otherwise) that work well on cell phones? I suspect the technology is formatted for a skin/finger touch, which does make sense. But these kits are being promoted for general touch apparatus usage and I am not getting good results.

I have no problem buying other kits that will work, and am not complaining about the products I have - they will still get used. Any suggestions?

Cheers, Mark

 

[KMCloonan]

Mark, I looked up smart phone screens, and many of them work on capacitive touch (a finger changes the capacitance passing through the screen.) Here is a link to one site that explains it

I then googled capacitive stylus, and there are many. So maybe focus on that type of stylus? I don't know if they all claim to be capacitive, but it may be a differentiating factor.

 

[rixstix]

I'm pretty sure that your hand needs to be in electrical/physical contact with the metal tube and stylus tip. The kits seem to have strategic placement of metal parts that are in contact with the brass tube.

Edit: psi troubleshooting
Trouble shooting: Problem - your touch stylus does not work on a touch Screen
The stylus tip control over a touch screen is activated by the electric conductivity from your finger, through the stylus tube to the rubber
tip - this small electrical charge enables the stylus to work. If it does not work try these remedies.
Check your fingers: If you (or the user) have on gloves or other finger protection take it off. If fingers are covered with glue from assem-
bly - remove the glue. Check to see if your fingers work without the stylus. If it does not then the problem is probably not the fault of the
stylus.
There must be good connectivity between your fingers and the stylus tip through the tube inside of your kit. You may get poor connec-
tivity if you split the tube, or the components are not properly pressed with excessive glue. The easiest way to remedy this is to fold a
piece of silver foil and insert into the tube so it presses both front and rear ends to complete all possible poor connections..
Remove the tip and try another tip. If the original tip is defective, call the company for a replacement.

 

[mark james]

I'm pretty sure that your hand needs to be in electrical/physical contact with the metal tube and stylus tip. The kits seem to have strategic placement of metal parts that are in contact with the brass tube.

Thanks, I will explore - very helpful.

Mark, I looked up smart phone screens, and many of them work on capacitive touch (a finger changes the capacitance passing through the screen.) Here is a link to one site that explains it

I then googled capacitive stylus, and there are many. So maybe focus on that type of stylus? I don't know if they all claim to be capacitive, but it may be a differentiating factor.

Also very helpful. I will explore the suggestions in the AM.

Thanks folks! Much appreciated!

 

[monophoto]

I made a stylus for myself many years ago when I was using an Apple iPod Touch for mobile email and web access. For those not familiar with the iPod Touch, it was essentially an iPhone minus the telephone functionality - so it served as an electronic calendar/secretary with Wifi and Bluetooth communications capability. At the time, my retirement job required that I be able to send/receive e-mails and access a website relatively easily; wife and I were both retired and did some occasional traveling. I didn't want to be bothered schlepping a laptop computer when we went on a trip, and the iPod Touch was the perfect solution for my situation. I found that using a stylus was far more efficient (and accurate) than using my fat fingers to access that small keyboard.

That said, as others have said, my understanding is that a stylus works by completing a capacitive circuit to the user's body, so it's important that it be designed so that there is a good electrical connection between the tip of the stylus and the user's hand. In the original PSI stylus design, the rubber tip is surrounded by a metal ring that is in contact with a brass tube that runs through the stylus. The user's hand surrounds that brass tube, separated only by the relatively thin turned wood or plastic body - which forms yet another capacitive connection to the user's hand. And it is also possible for the user's hand to touch the metal (steel) pocket clip which is pressed into the brass tube - an even better electrical connection.

Yes, it is possible to make a stylus with a longer body, but its important that there be a brass tube inside to create that capacitive connection to the user's hand. A stylus with a solid wood or plastic body won't work.

Later on, I upgraded to a full iPhone, but found that my stylus doesn't work as well (although it does still work.) I think Apple changed the design of the keyboard in the intervening years. However, I recently purchased an Amazon Fire tablet (a new adult toy!), and find that my stylus works very well with it.

Additional thought (in the 'for what it's worth category) - Monteverde offers a line of metal stylus pens that should appeal to turners (who tend to be tool junkies) in a variety of colors. These pens are available in ball point, fountain pen, roller ball and mechanical pencil varieties, and with a removable cap that exposes interchangeable flat and phillips head screwdrivers, and with three scales engraved on the side. The pens (but not the mechanical pencil) also has a spirit level on the side. They aren't kits, but make a neat gift for the pen turner who has everything.

 

[mark james]

I made a stylus for myself many years ago when I was using an Apple iPod Touch for mobile email and web access. For those not familiar with the iPod Touch, it was essentially an iPhone minus the telephone functionality - so it served as an electronic calendar/secretary with Wifi and Bluetooth communications capability. At the time, my retirement job required that I be able to send/receive e-mails and access a website relatively easily; wife and I were both retired and did some occasional traveling. I didn't want to be bothered schlepping a laptop computer when we went on a trip, and the iPod Touch was the perfect solution for my situation. I found that using a stylus was far more efficient (and accurate) than using my fat fingers to access that small keyboard.

That said, as others have said, my understanding is that a stylus works by completing a capacitive circuit to the user's body, so it's important that it be designed so that there is a good electrical connection between the tip of the stylus and the user's hand. In the original PSI stylus design, the rubber tip is surrounded by a metal ring that is in contact with a brass tube that runs through the stylus. The user's hand surrounds that brass tube, separated only by the relatively thin turned wood or plastic body - which forms yet another capacitive connection to the user's hand. And it is also possible for the user's hand to touch the metal (steel) pocket clip which is pressed into the brass tube - an even better electrical connection.

Yes, it is possible to make a stylus with a longer body, but its important that there be a brass tube inside to create that capacitive connection to the user's hand. A stylus with a solid wood or plastic body won't work.

Later on, I upgraded to a full iPhone, but found that my stylus doesn't work as well (although it does still work.) I think Apple changed the design of the keyboard in the intervening years. However, I recently purchased an Amazon Fire tablet (a new adult toy!), and find that my stylus works very well with it.

My wife (Polymer Chemist) loves a challenge and problems to solve. Her kitchen experiment this AM worked well:

1 Dissolve some salt in water
2. Dip the rubber tip in
3. Allow it to air dry
4. Wipe any residue off.

Apparently the rubber tips are just porous enough to allow some of the dissolved salts to settle into the tip, thus improving the capacitive circuit.

It did pass the test for both of the stylus tips I had used.

But thank you Louie - your explanation is excellent and probably a better consideration.

 

[Woodchipper]

That is interesting. I have a stylus for my Samsung tablet. Fat fingers don't work except to swipe to open the main page.

 

[Talonstorm]

Interesting, I recently made a stylus pen (rubber tip) and it works just fine on my android and apple devices. I know I have seen a fabric/mesh type style tip too, I wonder if that would work better for some.

 

[mark james]

I now have swapped out several more of rubber stylus tips (screw on/off) and they seem to be fine.

 

[Penultimate]

I made a bunch of styli in the past. If you can't make it so your finger is in contact with metal then add more metal like an aluminum finial. That will help with capacitance. I prefer the fabric tips.

 

[Mortalis]

It all comes down to the conductivity of your hand/finger(s) to the tip. You need to play the game of this is connected to that and that is connected to whatsit and it all needs to be conductive along the way. If you try a to make a closed ended pen that doesnt have a center band or metal to touch it will be difficult to make the circuit of conductivity close.

 

[sbwertz]

My carry pen is a 7 year old slimline that I replaced the cap with a woven mesh stylus conversion tip I bought from Craft Supply. I use it on a smartphone, an IPad and on an android tablet and have had no problems with conductivity. I have a standard cross refill in it for the pen, and I have replaced the stylus tip once when I wore a hole in the first one. (It has a threaded insert so you just screw the tip in. Makes replacement easy. They are still available at Craft Supply.)

 

[sbwertz]

I have also made a stylus just with a 7mm tube with a stylus tip in one end and a short tether with a headphone jack to plug into the headphone port on the other end...they are available from several suppliers.

 

[monophoto]

My carry pen is a 7 year old slimline that I replaced the cap with a woven mesh stylus conversion tip I bought from Craft Supply. I use it on a smartphone, an IPad and on an android tablet and have had no problems with conductivity. I have a standard cross refill in it for the pen, and I have replaced the stylus tip once when I wore a hole in the first one. (It has a threaded insert so you just screw the tip in. Makes replacement easy. They are still available at Craft Supply.)

PSI sells replacement tips also, and also offers them in colors other than black.

 

[sbwertz]

PSI sells replacement tips also, and also offers them in colors other than black.

I like the Craft Supply ones because they are a woven mesh conductive tip, and VERY smooth to slide across the screen. I like it better than the rubber tips.