Getting photos off a VX6000
January 19th, 2005This might as well be subtitled “How to pretend to be a geek”. Or just “Geeks. Will they shut up and speak a language I understand already?” Or how about “Not yet a nerd, not yet a woman”?
I will attempt to not delve into acronyms and make jumps that are confusing. This tutorial will assume that one knows how to download and install software on your chosen computing platform. For this example, I’m showing screenshots from a Mac, but the software works pretty much the same on a PC, except with more annoying software installs. And yes, I had to make a dig at sucky PCs and the sucktacular Windows XP.
Some backgound first. Last year in the blurry dark times after Leta was born, I got a new cell phone. It had a camera, but I really didn’t do much with it, as I was disappointed in the results and couldn’t be bothered messing about with something less than the digital SLR. Then I was introduced to Flickr by the blogerati. Then Flickr started making it really easy to upload photos from a phone and display the results on my personal site. During the holidays, I decided to give it another go and I’ve been emailing photos from my LG VX-6000 cellphone to Flickr. It’s sweet. What’s not so sweet are the photo charges that Verizon bills me for every time I send an image. I’ll still email the odd photo, but I’ve become rather addicted to snapping pictures with the phone and I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay that much to email my crappy ass photos for the sake of vanity. I’ll also be damned if these kids with their iPod shuffles are going to tell me what the hell I can do on my Rascal. Not that I necessarily have a Rascal, but if I did, I’d be shaking my fist towards youngsters at every opportunity, while cruising up to 25 miles on a single charge.
I did some research and discovered that my phone can talk to my computer, with simple USB cable and a freeware, open-source app called BitPIM. BitPIM runs on Mac OS X as well as Windows XP, so if you don’t have a Mac, these instructions, with allowances for Windows wanting to install about 8 different drivers, should work. I got it to work on my PC, but I did have to install drivers for the phone (I’ve done the search with the results linked here). In order to follow this tutorial, you’ll want to download BitPIM first, because it contains information on other phones and may tell you which USB cable type you need. I say this because I had purchased a FutureDial USB cable from Radio Shack but as the VX6000 is USB capable, the FutureDial cable didn’t work. Because in reality, it’s a serial-to-USB cable and not a pure USB cable. In non-geek: my phone needed a plain cable; one without a big clunky thing on the cable next to the computer end of the cable. That big clunky thing was screwing up the data transfer. I found this out reading the help section of BitPIM. It had pictures and everything. I returned the FutureDial cable and decided to tempt fate and walk into the gaping jaws of hell: a Verizon store located in a mall.
I went into Verizon and as I predicted, the sales staff wouldn’t sell me a USB cable for my phone (less than a year old and already obsolete) if their lives depended on it. I even had a mental picture of the sales memo that they had all been briefed on about discouraging any sales except for some crazy software package that they wanted $50 for and was Windows only and was a crock of shit. I just needed a simple USB cable. Leaving Verizon to ponder their mistake in not getting my money, I walked 38 feet to a cell phone kiosk (one of the kind that have very patriotic American flag phone faces) and asked if they had a plain USB cable for my phone. They did! I couldn’t believe it. It was in a very sketchy looking package, but it was $20 and the guy said he’d take it back if it didn’t work. I didn’t bother installing the software that came on the unlabeled CD-R. Incidentally, I had done a bunch of searching online for a cable and didn’t come up with a retailer that I felt I could trust, although there is one manufacuture that makes a USB cable that claims to charge the phone while it’s plugged in. This is a nice feature, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle and my local retailer had the right cable.
Because this is turning long-winded, I’m going to recap.
Ingredients:
- 1 cellphone, LG VX-6000
- 1 USB cable made for VX6000 without nubs or blocks of any kind save the parts that connect to the phone and the computer
- BitPIM software downloaded and installed
The first thing to do would be to turn the phone on and connect it to the USB cable and plug the cable into the computer (which would also be powered on). After connecting, nothing will happen if you are running a Mac. If you are on a PC you should be prompted to install a bunch of software. Do it. Mac users, launch BitPIM. You’ll see that while appearing to be shaky (it takes awhile to launch, even on pimped systems), BitPIM will actually perform a very handy set of tasks, none of which are remotely of interest to us save the downloading of photos to the computer. Incidentally, iSync does not recognize the phone so don’t waste your time. Windows users, after you’ve done the installs and your computer tells you it’s okay to wipe, launch BitPIM.
The first thing to do in BitPIM is make sure that your computer can see the phone. On first launch, BitPIM will present you with a settings screen (that you can get to on subsequent launches by hitting the preferences menu under the BitPIM menu. It’s next to the Apple Menu. Windows users, it’s on the Edit menu and it’s called “Settings”.) (fig. 1 - click image below to open a larger, more legible image in a popup window):
Click the menu next to “Phone Type” and select LG VX6000. Across from the Com Port and the crazy numbers there is a “Browse” button. Click it and make sure to select the line of text that shows a USB CDMA device in it. I don’t know what CDMA stands for, but that’s the one you want. Click “Ok”. If the numbers next to “Com Port” change, your computer is talking to the phone. This may or may not be definitive, but that’s how I knew the phone was talking to the computer. You may or may not need to click the “Browse” button. I did, it worked, so I’m sharing my results. Now that it appears the phone and computer are talking, it’s time to show the files that are on the phone. To see the files, go to the “View” menue and select View:View filesystem (fig. 2):
Nothing will happen except that you’ll see a new tab called “Filesystem” and a triangle. Click the triangle. You should see a progress bar and an indication that something is happening. If you get an error window, something is wrong with your cable or your phone. The error window will have a “Help” button on it. Click this to learn more about your phone and it’s cable needs. I’m not going to dive into the help system of BitPIM as that is covered elsewhere and is easily navigated and read by humans.
If all went well, you should see the camera’s file system (fig. 3 - click image for larger, more legible image to display in a popup window):
You’ll want to find the line that says “cam” and click the triangle next to it. After a moment, the photos will show up in a list and you can then select them for saving by right-clicking (or, Mac users with a single button mouse, holding down the Control key and clicking) on the name of the image you want to download to your computer (fig. 4):
I tried to select multiple photos to download, but it has to be one at a time. Kind of a bother, but for not having to pay Verizon, one that is minor. Once you release the mouse button, a Save dialog window opens up and you can pick where you want to save the image.
From there, you can do what you want to the image, and we’re one step closer to global understanding and world peace for all nations and peoples.
If you have questions or issues, post them in the comments and I’ll try to help wherever I can. BitPIM supports many other phones, so you might find that this works for you even if you don’t have an LG VX-6000.
January 20th, 2005 at 12:12 am
YAY!! What are the chances I have the exact same model & carrier as you?! I’m so excited. I’m going to RadioShack or wherever tomorrow to purchase le’ USB cable. Woo!
January 20th, 2005 at 12:41 am
Jenny, you can’t get the cable you need at Radio Shack. The only kind they have are the ones that don’t work! Find a mall with a cell phone kiosk or a generic cell phone store that sells accessories.
January 20th, 2005 at 4:23 am
Hello,
I would like to ask you please to delete my comments about Michael Moore on this
http://www.blurbomat.com/archives/2003/03/23/osca
Thank you!
January 20th, 2005 at 4:34 am
I’ve always just IRed my photos to my laptop, or you can buy a Bluetooth dongle for about $20.
January 20th, 2005 at 7:41 am
“Not yet a nerd, not yet a woman”
snicker.
January 20th, 2005 at 7:46 am
Kal, my phone doesn’t have Bluetooth.
January 20th, 2005 at 7:53 am
Sadly, Kal, that LG is not Bluetooth-equipped. But I hear ya. Getting my sucky sucky cameraphone shots off my Sony Ericsson Z600 is a breeze with Bluetooth. It also makes iSyncing my Address Book and iCal stuff a snap.
Yes, my name is Karo and I am gay for Bluetooth.
January 20th, 2005 at 7:56 am
Oops, x-posted while I was taking my sweet time and checking work email.
January 20th, 2005 at 8:01 am
I think CDMA is basically a wireless modem. If not, may Chuck have mercy on my soul.
January 20th, 2005 at 9:03 am
Yipee! Now I won’t have to pay Sprint any more than I already do! Jon, you’re the best!
January 20th, 2005 at 9:05 am
Did it pain you to type “one without a big clunky thing”?
I almost felt sad for you upon seeing that.
January 20th, 2005 at 10:04 am
I see a tab that says Ringers. Do you know if that allows you to put ringers directly onto your phone rather than sending them through SMS?
January 20th, 2005 at 10:11 am
Neil, I think you can. I haven’t tried yet, as I wanted to focus on getting photos off the phone. You have to be careful and backup the ringers you already have, as I believe when you upload to the phone, it overwrites whatever is there. I could be wrong…
January 20th, 2005 at 10:57 am
It works for my LG VX6100! I just downloaded BitPIM last night. I also discovered images can also be accessed through the “Wallpaper” tab. Also, if you don’t have a USB cable some of the help information in BitPIM tells you which retailer you can order them from on-line for the cable you need for your specific phone. I did buy my cable from Verizon but please note I had to lie to the salesman and say I was going to be connecting my laptop to the Internet via the cell phone (using their mobile office system) before he would sell it to me. Cost was $39, which seemed high for a cable. Thanks Jon!
January 20th, 2005 at 11:04 am
You use all this crazy tech speak like my husband. My brain does not operate this way. I think the two of you may be evil geniuses. Or I am a putz.
Either way, I love it when you have posts like this, because I can memorize lines and repeat them to my husband. This sends him into a frenzy of TechNerd lust and is quite rewarding for me.
Thankyou!
January 20th, 2005 at 11:53 am
This week I discovered two things that make me totally electronically challenged; I do not have a Tivo OR a camera phone.
But in 1980 I did choose VHS over BETA. (Thank goodness!)
I need to get with it already.
January 20th, 2005 at 2:03 pm
Damn, Jon, I definitely see Heather’s point. I have only the haziest grasp of what you are talking about, but if my husband were to talk this way, I would be rendered completely weak in the knees. Geek talk gets smart girls hot.
January 20th, 2005 at 2:59 pm
Good lord, mihow. Speak not of the TiVo. As much as I love my Bluetoothy camera phone, I would gladly feed it to the hounds of hell so I could keep my TiVo.
I firmly believe man traveled to outer space so we could have TiVo.
January 20th, 2005 at 3:07 pm
Ha! Karo. From the way people make it sound, it’s like heroin or something; physically impossible for the body to NOT enjoy, yet, eventually it will take over your life.
Ok, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic. However, digital cable nearly ate my head. I imagine Tivo might consume me entirely.
January 20th, 2005 at 5:04 pm
My husband will be so happy when he gets home, as your post was so full of manly geekery that I am TOTALLY turned on! I dig it when my man talks technical. Yum.
January 20th, 2005 at 6:10 pm
CDMA stands for code division multiple access, i think (rusty ex-wireless worker here). it’s the type of digital technology used in the phone. other, older phones used TDMA. cingular & others use GSM technology. i’m too sick & lazy to look up a more technical definition right now. maybe next time.
January 20th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
CDMA is the cellular technology developed by Qualcomm, by the way.
here’s one of the better definitions i found:
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is one of several digital wireless transmission methods in which signals are encoded using a pseudo-random sequence - which corresponds to a different communication channel - that the receiver also knows and can use to decode the received signal. CDMA is one of several “spread spectrum” techniques. CDMA offers improvements over analogue transmission in the areas of reduced call dropping, battery power conservation, more secure transmission and increased service options.
via: telestial.com
January 20th, 2005 at 7:33 pm
All I know about CDMA is that here in Australia you need a CDMA phone instead of a GSM when you’re in the middle of nowhere and can’t get normal reception.
Sometimes our kangaroos get lost when we drive them to work.
January 21st, 2005 at 1:26 am
Roughly speaking, about how much does sending a photo to yourself from your LG VX6000 w/ Verizon cost? Just wondering b/c I take pix w/ my phone’s cam and mail them to myself… but it is a work phone and I don’t pay/see the bill so I’m curious as to how much I’m driving up my wireless bill doing this.
January 21st, 2005 at 2:29 am
“It saves the .25/photo that Verizon charges and puts them in a more permanent place for later use.”
Sorry! I see in the previous entry, you already answered this. Doh!
January 21st, 2005 at 6:44 am
You’re posting this just to get your wife all hot and bothered.
January 21st, 2005 at 10:45 am
I guess I’m lucky. With TMobile, I pay a flat fee for wireless with unlimited email/pictures/web browsing. I have been really happy with it. My Sidekick II takes really funky pictures and the colors are almost always screwed up, but still fun to send to flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kristyk/sets/89641/
January 21st, 2005 at 11:38 am
I cannot believe I missed my ONE CHANCE to show my inner geekness, since I know what CDMA stands for, since I used to work in wireless and knew plenty of brilliant engineering dudes who worked for Qualcomm. In fact I even wrote an ARTICLE about it (CDMA, not the dudes) for the company newsletter. That is so sad and pathetic, I challenge you all to top it.
January 21st, 2005 at 12:41 pm
I’ll bet you could use the same phone as a modem with your mac (I just assume you have a PowerBook). I’ve got a similar phone and it was cake to set up. No extra fees, just airtime. Slow, but handy sometimes.
http://homepage.mac.com/davidemm/vx4400/
January 21st, 2005 at 2:36 pm
I apologize for posting this on your site twice, but I put it under the wrong post!
Excellent tutorial, I shall have to give it a whirl!
CDMA is the name of the wireless technology used by Verizon (and Sprint) and your phone is setup to work on CDMA infrastructure. As opposed to GSM technology that is used by Cingular/AT&T Wireless and T-Mobile. This post makes me wonder if you can convert the phone from a CDMA phone to a GSM phone by installing new software directly on the phone. Since GSM phones use SIM cards, I suspect it requires more than software.
CDMA = Code Division Multiple Access
GSM = Global System for Mobile Communication
SIM = Subscriber Identity Module
January 21st, 2005 at 4:59 pm
jenn, it’s much more complicated than just the software. lots of proprietary stuff that won’t work together between CDMA & GSM unless you have a phone that’s specificially dual or tri-moded to CDMA & GSM. it’s not a do-it-yourself job.
January 21st, 2005 at 5:34 pm
Thanks for this post, Jon. I tried bitpim with my Sanyo PM-8200 and it worked very nicely. I had more or less given up and was thinking of coughing up money for proprietary software. (Ugh.)
January 22nd, 2005 at 1:45 am
Oh man, thanks for doing this tutorial! I don’t have the same phone as you, but I do have the same carrier and I’ve been wondering if there’s a way to connect my phone to my computer and avoid the .25c per photo email fee. Now I know!
January 22nd, 2005 at 11:54 pm
Dear god, Blurbman you are the ubergeek! Not only don’t I have your skill, I don’t have the tech either. [looks around at his 5 year old computer, Sony Walkman (cassette only) and wall phone with only 12 buttons and weeps for the anacronism of it all]
January 23rd, 2005 at 3:53 am
Holy cow, how did you know that my crappy Motorola mobile phone tools software stopped working and I wanted to get pictures from my phone? (assuming this will work with my crappy Motola v220 phone). You must be psychic, I’ll bet that comes in handy.
January 25th, 2005 at 5:37 am
The big thing you need besides a cable is the driver for your OS of choice. I found the following page very helpful:
http://homepage.mac.com/davidemm/vx4400/
January 25th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
I went to Radioshack, got the forbidden cable, downloaded the drivers and it worked!!!! Thanks.