Adding Aftermarket Internal GPS to the CF-29

Ohlip, that looks great. Durable and an ideal location. Love it.

- I'd like to get started on this... can you tell me where you sourced all your parts? (Bump, antenna, GPS receiver, etc.)

Thanks in advance

 

Why would you want to pay more money for a 12 channel when you can buy a 20 channel for less money?

Teo... I love your installation and thought about doing that as well... But I don't want to have to spend the money to buy the bump-out and metal bar every time.... Will you be making a form mold anytime soon?

 

Hey! Rick. I'm still stuck with my day job now but fortunately this coming week a bet slow coz of canadian dollar rebound for a couple of days and the US buyer of our product also slowdown.

BTW, i have already one sample but it isn't right. There is a lot of bubble that need to fix my mould or even create another one. I need to order a different type I guess.

So, Hows the selling? Here is terrible and luckily i have one unit sold locally as I started posting on craiglist(local) and one on ebay recently.


ohlip

 

Were you able to get a decent price on Craigslist? I thought about that but everyone trolls with lowball offers there. (At least on the few things I've sold.)

The CF-29s are selling okay. Ebay is slow but steady and private orders are the same or a little better. I noticed that a while back the CF-18s were going gangbusters... Now they have cooled since the telcom dumped the crap ones out there. I get PMs every day almost asking for parts or where to get them. Nobody wants to pay for a newish/modded one with the replicator and CD Rom...

 

I've got the same price like on ebay and I found out most buyer are all around. They mostly don't have an ccount on ebay thats why they pre...re locally.



ohlip

 

Hi All,
Hey ohlip you did not answer the question on were you sourced your parts.
I'm very interested as I've got something cooking. But what do you think of this little baby.
http://www.alphamicro.net/components/product~line~48~id~570.asp

With a gps corner and a little magic could work wonders.
cheers
strawman

 

straw..I already used that one and you can view the result here: ebay item no.330332698915

And to answer your Q? about sourcing the mat'ls for gps setup. It is posted on this thread a long time ago. If you could go back and search but anyway here is the link for an antena: http://www.jdgastore.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=15
And for gps module: http://www.starlite-intl.com/Detail.asp?++USA++=USA&pid=1885&sid=&area=&sar=&action=

hope it helps your quest. Good Luck.


ohlip

 

Hey Ohlip,
Cool, I think I really am living behind the moon here (that's a term for being behind the times).I could be losing the sarantel and going for the patch cos I want to put something other than a telephone in (gsm to expensive here).
cheers my friend
strawman

 

Can you take an antennae off a cf-27 and mod it to the 29?\

EDIT: NBR loaded too slow I didn't see ohlip's post about where to find an antennae and I do like that one. My question still stands if anyone wants to answer it

 

Anything can be modded... But it is not a direct fit, no.

 

If you want WWAN still available on the unit with aftermarket gps and with sarantel antena, look on this Ebay item no.330326975368. The gps setup is not connected on the sled.


teo

 

Teo,
This is "jerdebe" from EBay. Thank you very much for your support and guidance outside of this forum. I truly appreciate your willingness to help.



www.jdgastore.com does not appear to currently have a connector I would expect to see, into which I would insert the Sarantel 1010021 and also attach your recommended 32" coaxial cable with an MMCX connector. I think that the final assembly would look something like this on their site:

JDGA MAGNETIC MOUNT OMNI-DIRECTIONAL GPS ANTENNA 24dB

Can you advise on where you were able to source the rest of the components necessary to connect your recommended antenna to the GPS?

Best regards,
Jerald

 

I bought it in bulk like the mmcx connecotr and the coax( Ebay my friend ). I recommend RG178 for coax cable. I can provide you a pigtail with an MMCX connector on it for your holux gps module but you will be responsible for soldering to sarantel antena. The price is negotiable +shipping. Lol.


ohlip

 

Let the negotiations begin, then :-D
As you suggested in our Ebay message exchange, I do have a Dremel and can modify the LCD frame corner so that I can insert the antenna through it. Should suffice, but I like that molded "bump" you added to one of your Ebay items. What's the status on that item? Is the price negotiable?

 

It was sold long time ago. Those setup is the best one, no dremmeling on the lid but the patch antena that I used on it is hard to find. Its made by toaglas. Its smaller than what you have right now. I bought it from GIZMO for 29buck plus shipping and it came from netherland. My mistake is that I only bought two that time which supposed to be on bulk to. But I just want to try it and it works perfectly. Now they don't have any stock. From what I heared from them it will be available next month.


ohlip

 

Teo.... By the way... I've been meaning to tell you that I love your avatar... Where did you find it?

 

My wife actually sent me that article where he got that picture about a week before he changed his avatar. Very awesome article where they tested the CF-30 by letting a tiger and elephant play with it, threw it off a building, and shot it. Very cool stuff

http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/23/toughbook-tiger-elephant-technology-personal-test.html

 

I successfully installed the Sarantel Helix GPS antenna into the lid, but I need to go back and try to make it so it is further imbedded down. It stands up to high for its own good. I got the antenna and a 32" lead from

http://www.jimdgrayassoc.com/index_files/geohelixantennas.htm

I called them and told them what I wanted and they built it for me. $90.00

Sitting in my house, I am picking up 7 satellites. This is much better than anything else I have experienced. I am going to post my pictures and a write up and then I'll come back here and post the link in this thread.

 

Ummm..... $90 USD? $90 for just the 32" MMCX lead for the antenna? I love Jim & Tom... But that seems expensive. I know they sublet that but still.... I can make them for less... If anyone wants one in the future....

 

LOL Rick. when I ordered that stuff he gave me the RG-174 for free with the antenna and tried to talk me into letting them do it because they won't warranty it if I screwed it up. That kinda set me back but it took me no time at all to get it attached to the antenna then throw a mmcx on there. I will also volunteer myself to do these for anyone. $90 is just crazy for that

Rick, tag team?

 

I just ordered another 50 right angle MMCX connectors so I am set

I've been through about 90 so far... I need to stock up for the possible contract I just (hopefully) won...

 

Uh, that was seriously misinterpreted! The cost of the GPS antenna with the 32" RG-174 lead terminated with the MMCX that they put together and warranty was $90

Sure, I could buy a length of RG-174 and a bag of MMCX connectors and the correct tool to crimp it and develop my soldering skills well enough to mess up a few before getting it right.

But, I only needed *one* and when I add it all up, including my time to get it right, it would cost me more than $90 in time and materials.

So I wouldn't go bashing Jim & Tom. Great stand-up guys, those two.

Best regards...

 

Whoa... I wasn't bashing them at all... I was just surprised at the price since $90 is higher than I have ever heard them quoting. I figured that you were getting the antenna with it. But then I think they just don't solder it to the antenna... They have a fancy connection that solders onto the bottom.

Hey... I love those guys... They get all my business... Except the fabrication of the MMCX leads.

By the way... The last time I ordered from them they were talking about ways to get more business. I suggested a forum there so people who used their products could talk to the prople who make and sell them. I hope they do it.

 

TB CF-29


Rick just wishes that there was more people (customers) like you out there


You are right, $90 to get you up and running is fair
Those small connections are a pain to solder, and you need the right tools to do the work

Rick

You are right, $45 extra for labour multiplied by the amount of Toughbooks that you sell ,just doesnt make sense for you
But you are skilled enough to be able to do this yourself


Alex

 

That and Jim and Tom don't have time to do this themselves... They have to sublet this work. I think they have a guy that stops in every day or every other day to do this kind of stuff for them.

They do good work... That's for sure...

 

Hello, everybody, haven't been on the forum for quite a while, anyway was reading about antenas, and found the post about taoglass antenas, found it on the net for sale here ... http://secure.conwin.com/cgi-bin/st...searchrpp=5&searchtyp=EXACT&ref=&cat=&catstr=

Item Display






Active GPS Patch Antenna (AP.10A.07.0050B)

GPS Active Patch Antenna 50mm,0.81 U.FL 10x10x6mm 1 Stage LNA Janus Part Number MC-0281-G. Taoglas Part Number AP.10A.07.0050B

View Antenna Information

1-99 $16.20
100-499 $11.20
500-999 $9.77
1000 and up, please contact us


at janus remote comunications http://www.janus-rc.com/ just click on shop now ...

thinking about turning my old non gps cf-29 in gps one, hope it helps someone

also taoglas site has good FAQ on placement of antenna inside
can be found here

http://www.taoglas.com/images/produ...GPS/Active/Patch/Antenna/Application/Note.pdf

 

I may have to try one of those Taoglass antennas....

 

Can some one please please send me or tell where I can get pictures of where the soldering points are on the CF-29. I bought one last year and I've been dying to install a GPS inside my baby. Please someone help. droinds at hotmail dot com. Thank you all.

 

There are no soldering points. Just use the solutions which u can found in this thread, which are using the flat cable connector. But for this u need also the schematic for the pinout. Or buy an plug'n'play-kit from vincent.
Which port are u willing to use?

 

Yeah... The pinouts are posted here throughout many times I'm pretty sure. It will require some reading as well as some micro-soldering to get the absolute best system installed.

 

Does anyone have input on the "custom-toughbooks" GPS or GPS/Bluetooth kits? I've read through the thread and did not notice any mention of them. I was wondering about reception/performance, inside a building/car etc. Looks to have a good sized reflector plane and a clean and easy OEM like install.

This looks like it might be the evolution of fstik1's design?

Any info would be great.

Thanks

 

If you search you will find several threads on that issue. This thread is for modding your own GPS into your CF-29.

There are mixed reports on the kit for aftermarket GPS. The two I had didn't work. Others have had them work... But none work as well as the custom ones you can install for half the price if you do your own work. Better signal, faster acquisition, etc. At least those are my experiences. You can find others in various threads dotted are here in the first few pages.

Welcome to the forum!

 

I know many aren't big fans of the custom-toughbook kits, but even most critics give a pass on the breakout card they make. The antennas arent great, the module is bad, and the rest of the parts are fragile or otherwise not top of the line. I hope to avoid the micro-soldering by buying their breakout board. If I have my way, I intend to put a sarantel SL1204 Geohelix-M antenna opposite the WWAN antenna on the monitor (with some serious modding and/or fabrication). Those things considered, what module would the experts that troll this forum recommend ? If I need to cut and solder wires I have no problem, but I would like to avoid any modification to the chip, so it would be useful if the module used the same 6-pin connector. Also, does anyone have a good source for better versions of those ribbon cables sold in the kit which shal remain nameless? Any opinions on the antenna selection, in terms of functionality, not fitment (I plan to make the right antenna fit!)?

 

My bad, thought I was in the right section as the kit in question is not OEM. Should have searched elsewhere as well.

Apologies for my noobness.

The board is a big selling point, that coupled with the ribbon makes for a nice clean factory like setup. Another good point is that the kit is pretty much ready to go. I figured I could always upgrade the antenna location and the module if need be down the road.

Good to know, I really like the idea of lower price and better performance. I'm not afraid of modding or soldering either. However I do not have much spare time right now, already too many projects!

Right now I just want something that works, doesn't cost an arm and a leg, and wont take too much time to install.

Thanks for the input, I will continue my research before I make my choice.

Much thanks!

 

Personally I have SERIOUS doubts about installing the Sarantel opposite the WWAN (On the right side of the LCD facing it) as there is nothing really to tie into. There is no beefiness, there is no TOUGHNESS on that side. You'll be out one day and will accidentally shear it right off.

(Ask me how I know!)

 

Yep, this is a job for a custom mount! If only there was a way...

 

*COUGH BROKENLINKCOUGH*

*Search...Search...SearchitySearch...*

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=448684&highlight=430183

mnem
link.

 

That is odd, I checked this one when I posted it. It must have pulled it from my cache.

 

Hmmm.... If you wanted to get into some serious magnesium mods... You could probably adapt a CF-30 type to fit.....

 

I think it's just the Forum stripping away part of your HTML when you post with custom hypertext; that's why I just paste the actual URL & let it do things the way it wants to. Less hassle anyhoo...

mnem
hyper.

 

I too see this mod as asking for trouble. It just doesn't look "Tough", it might not pull out but it looks like it might get hammered in from an impact. I like the mod with the Sarantel inside the WWAN hole but would like to keep the stock antenna there myself.

 

That is an active patch antenna, not a sarantel
The sarantel needs a clear 360 degree for reception

If the sarantel is used there is the possibility of damage if dropped ,but the upside is that there is no antenna on the market that can match the reception it provides

The stock GPS antenna on my cf-30 in the lid is well protected and provides a good signal, but the sarantel on my cf-29 was superior



Alex

 

Which antenna do you use for your GPS installs then? Your antenna, although mounted on top of the LCD, looks very different from a Sarantel

 

I either mount a Sarantel in the WWAN location (I create the location with OEM parts when needed) Where it has the beefiness of several factors going on for it. I've found a way to make the Sarantel literally unbreakable when mounted in the WWAN spot. But there is always a chance of a shearing force that cannot be ignored... Unless it is mounted like the CF-30.

Otherwise I use a 27 dbi active patch antenna in the palmreast. It gets as good a signal as the Sarntel does, IMHO, you just can lose a little bit of signal if you are typing while needing to access GPS data. And usually... You don't drop the satellites you just lose a little signal whih comes right back when you hand is moved.

Obviously the best place would be the best antenna mounted (ALA CF-30 mount on top of LCD) with the best engine that would hold its data for a long time. We all have our own "way" of doing things and each worls for us. The prices are dropping on these parts so, if you wanted to play around with diferent setups, you could easily find what works best for you.

Jim D Gray is coming out with all sorts of antennas all the time. Every now and then I get a sample to try out and report back to them. You should definitely give them a try.

 

so the Sarantels are relatively "safe" when mounted in the WWAN bumpout?

 

From reading this thread again I do get that impression. Are you certain of this though? My research suggests that the above may not be the case. Reading through the GoHeliux-S datasheet I found some promising information.
Following are some excerpts, with especially interesting areas underlined:

The GeoHelix-S antenna is ideal in applications where:

• the device is handheld, body-worn, or otherwise surrounded by high-dielectric
materials that would de-tune conventional antennas;
• the antenna is tightly integrated with other antennas, e.g., Bluetooth®/GPS receivers or
GPS/GSM mobile phones;
• there are tight constraints on the size of the device or the amount of space allocated to ground
planes;
• the GPS receiver requires 20dB or more of input pre-amplifi cation;
• the orientation of the device is random; or
• the antenna will be embedded in the device.

...The GeoHelix-S antenna may be deployed in an external, “stub-style” configuration, but it is also a simple antenna to
embed due to its isolation properties...

The strength of the PowerHelix antenna technology is
its immunity to de-tuning in the presence of dielectric
loading, like human tissues. The GeoHelix-S antenna
retains efficiency and polarization near the human body.
Conventional antennas lose 5-10dB of gain in similar
circumstances.

Though it will not electrically couple with a ground plane,
the GeoHelix-S antenna can be expected to increase
efficiency by up to 100% when mounted over a ground
plane due to near-field signal reflections. Configuration
and orientation of the ground plane with respect to the
antenna will vary results, but efficiency will not decrease.

GeoHelix antennas may be mounted externally or embedded within a device. External applications will give the antenna the
greatest field of view, however embedded applications can be designed with minimal impact on antenna performance.



Judging by that information one would think that perhaps the antenna could be buried down in the plastic somewhere at the top of the LCD and work fine.

In addition, factoring in the stated immunity to de-tuning from human tissue and increased efficiency with a ground plane it would suggest that the palmrest location may have more than satisfactory performance.
On the surface this seems like a win-win as it would seem to avoid the interference that typing purportedly causes, as well as having an easier install than LCD mounting. Size may be a factor in this location though as I have not yet assessed just how much space is available.

While one could successfully argue that external mounting will provide the best signal. I wonder if internal mounting will provide an adequate signal while also preserving the "toughness" so often needed with this machine.

Anyone have any insight on the feasibility of using this antenna in the palmrest area?

Is there something I'm missing?

 

The Sarantel needs to be pointed UP for best reception. It needs no ground plane. They do have a model that uses a plastic sleeve when embedded into electronics... Or you can use the black "signal clear" nylon cover. When used in the WWAN area it can be made "Toughbook Tough"... I mean... Even if you drop your CF-30 directly onto the GPS antenna area you risk breakage. The Sarantel provides a little more surface area to snag, shear or break... But if it is built into the WWAN cover area correctly... It is a very stout addition. I have tried mounting in the old CF-28 on the opposite side of the LCD but could never find a place that was sturdy enough to mount to... I built one. I see the CF-29 with the same issues. But that is just me.

If you REALLY want to know the facts... Call up Tom Lambe or Jim Gray at Jim D Gray and Assoc. HERE!

 

Yest, no dispute up for best reception but the specs specifically mention it is ideal for "random orientation".
While a ground plane is not necessary it mentions that one can increase the efficiency by up to 100%.
The model with the plastic is the exact one I think would work.


I believed you were the one who mentioned that the signal on this antenna is almost overkill, for that reason and the info in the datasheet I think it would work great in the stock location (size not being an issue of course).
I also think it might work fine inside the right bumper of the LCD if it could be made to fit.

I would love to try but do not think I could pull it off. I have always thought of myself as a technically savvy guy, but after reading through this thread a couple of times I'm no closer to a clear idea of installing GPS myself. Much of it is GRΣΣK to me!
I do not fancy attempting any micro-soldering, nor do I want to pay the $ needed for an OEM kit. For now I must live vicarously through you awesome posters here on this forum.

 

Same here NTTD. I do not have the level of skill to micro-solder little computer parts or otherwise mod a Toughbook to the high standards Toughbook and ohlip do. The best I can do is swap HDDs and RAM chips I simply ask because I am one of those who actually wants to know what's under the hood, so to say. I find that people lacking such awareness take less care of and get less life out of computers than those of us who are in the know...

 

The sarantel antena must be install straight upward as much as posible. If you want to embed this antena it must be sorounded by a plastic or rubber casing. If you burried it on the corner of the cf-29 lcd lid it will give you zero signal as it was covered most of it by magnesium. This antena has slot on the base radom cover as reference to its max. area to be buried to a metallic casing.


ohlip