Firing my gun broke my cell phone!

[gobabygo]

I got my first handgun yesterday (Springfield TRP Operator) and went an indoor range yesterday to shoot it. I put my cell phone in my range bag and set that down on the bench in front of me. Shot, about 200 rounds with the phone less than 2 feet away from the muzzle.

I get in the car, and dial home, and I can't hear anything! My wife says that she could hear me talking, so somehow shooting the gun damaged my phone so that I can't hear anything. It was working fine just before I got to the range.

I actually bought an extended warranty thing on this phone when I bought it a year ago. I almost never buy these things, but for some reason I thought it would be a good idea. Glad I did now!

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

BUMMER DUDE ! Maybe the increased decibel levels damaged the microphone.

 

[blades67]

Sounds like a coincidence. The fact that your wife could hear you shows that the phone is working, but the speaker failed. I've had my cell phone on the bench, not protected by my rangebag, while shooting my HK91 without any damage to the phone. A .45 ACP won't generate a pressure wave anywhere near that of the .308 Win/7.62 NATO, so I doubt your shooting did it in.

 

[CZ 75 BD]

presume you were wearing hearing protection...

it may not be the cell phone. Seems the mic would be damaged, but your voice was heard.

 

[seeker_two]

Repeat after me....Don't shoot at your cell phone....

 

[spacemanspiff]

umm, stupid question, but were you wearing hearing protection? can you hear me now?

 

[Captain Scarlet]

concusion damage?

sounds like the muzzle blast may have caused some damage to
your cell phone from the concussion and high decibal level at
such a close proximity to the phone? it damaged the speaker?
kinda like how a person's ear drum can get damaged?

 

[chevrofreak]

umm, stupid question, but were you wearing hearing protection? can you hear me now?

I believe this to be the case as well

 

[gobabygo]

Heh, I was wearing ear protection, plugs and muffs, and I can hear you loud and clear.

I was also thinking that the concussion wave somehow damaged it. But it was the speaker that got damaged, not the microphone, which I would think would be more like an ear.

Anyway, with my warranty, I went to Best Buy (waited in line for forever) and was able to grab a new Sanyo 8100 cell phone, one that takes pictures, for a net cost of $50.

Looks pretty cool, but time will tell.

 

[resmeth]

Glad to hear (pun intendid) that best buy didn't give you any hassle. I have found them to be very bad honoring their warrantees.

 

[12.7x99mm]

Never even thought about this. (If in fact it was damaged by noise)

Apparently I have a really good phone. At least for the time being.

 

[keyhole]

I'll have to stick with my old cell, probably lots toughter, as it fell off of my scooter at 75, and after sliding down the highway, still works great. Just a little road rash.

 

[Politically Incorrect]

The condenser mic in the cell phone would probably be less likely to become damaged than the speaker. It's most likely made out of metal foil. The speaker may be heavy coated paper or other material that would become damaged from the percussion of a firearm.

I've had my cell phone on my belt while shooting my M1A, but never had any ill effects (maybe due to it being folded up).

 

[gbelleh]

I've always wondered about that. I usually have my phone clipped in my pants pocket while shooting, but I've never had a problem, or heard of this happening to anyone else.

 

[gudel]

what cell phone is it?
i brought my v60i to the range. put it on the bench, right under the gun, about 2 feet away from muzzle of USP45 and Ruger 95, about 300 rounds for each. phone still works.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I like to buy bags of Army men and shoot at them with a .22 LR at 100 yards at the range. Great challenge! I set them up on the backstop and fire away. I had cleaned up the Army men and set them on my bench. I pulled out my Rem 700 Classic .30-06 and fired one shot at some paper. The muzzle blast destroyed the hard plastic bag the Army men came in, which was about two feet from the muzzle. It knocked off several of them too. I had never had muzzle blast destroy something like that, so I was impressed.

-SquirrelNuts

 

[gobabygo]

My phone that broke was a Sanyo 5150 (Sprint) that was about a year old. And remember this was at a smallish indoor range (~14 stalls).

I'll be leaving my cell phone in the car from now on. Not like I'm going to be talking to anyone while shooting anyway.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Sorry guys, I musta been havin' a blonde moment....... A microphone is tha' thang ya' talk into..............I meant the speker..........

 

[foghornl]

The mikes & speakers in cel-fones are not really made to take that kind of sound pressure levels. The "speaker" part was probably paper or a very thing plastic, so not too hard to break. I have heard of this once before, so it does happen, although rarely.