Cf-29 Wwan

So i just realized that the sierra aircard 860 i bought off ebay wont bloody work.

So does anyone know what kind of WWAN solution there is for the CF-29 that's "europe compatible" and waterproof? Meaning everything must be internal. No covers can be open. Obviously USB doesn't work.

I only have a 1gb dataplan on my mobile, but i have an unlimited mobile broadband contract with Tele2 Sweden. I usually use a USB dongle but soon my TB will be finished and with will be ready for the road.

So any ideas? Modding wont be an issue.

 

Defective, or ???

The SBC units ( CF-29HTM50BM) came with the Sierra Wireless AirCard® 860 factory installed in the upper PC Card slot, wired internally to the lid-mounted WWAN antenna.

The 860 should function in Europe:

850 MHz (cellular band) All North America
900 MHz All Europe
1800 MHz All Europe and Asia
1900 MHz (PCS band) All North America

The only "modding" involved here is the substitution of a WWAN antenna-equipped lid (or the entire antenna assembly installed into your existing lid).

 

Nope, but unless i misread the manual, it uses GSM for 2G but CDMA for 3G. Meaning it will work, but only at 2g speeds.

Last time i checked . CDMA was shut down in Europe in 1999.

Yup, but that's 2G. So at best, I'd only reach EDGE speeds. Which for the record is around 240-250 kbps.

I've already installed an antenna in the lid. Hopefully i should get a decent signal too.

 

The Sierra 860 I use in my CF-29 connects to at&t at 3G.

BTW: I need to issue a correction here: the SBC unit comes OEM with the Sony-Ericsson GC83 WWAN modem; not the Sierra. I substituted the Sierra for the GC83 and promptly forgot about the S-E card.

Mea culpa.

 

Congratulations. That Wiki link has managed to confuse me, which doesn't happen very bloody often when it comes to IT.

Bottom line. Anything that uses CDMA technology doesn't work in Sweden. I have two CDMA phones. An old Blackberry and a Droid. Neither works here.

Guess the only way to settle this would be to try it and test the speed. But unfortunately, I don't have the card yet... I'll check back when i do.

 

gsm sled site:forum.notebookreview.com/panasonic

Interesting reading.

Jeff

 

Why are you discounting USB???

I can't remember when... And I don't remember who.... but someone posted a water-tight USB connection they had fabbed up. As I recall, it was like a silicone cover they had swapped off of something else that they had cut to size and slipped over the USB connector. Then... When they plugged it in it completed the seal and was water resistant.

Food for thought... Of course... Internal is better! But if you need cheap and quick... There you go.

 

The Panasonic setup will not be waterproof. It is water resistant. Reason is that the EU requires a card with a sim. The door for the sim is a snap closed cover on the end of the WWAN sled. Also, the sled itself isn't waterproof. It just has a seal to make it water resistant. However, no covers need to be open in order to use it.

 

ares93; you want to use the sierra 850, not the 860.

 

If you want to do some work, get a usb stick and connect it internally to a usb port. Either one of the extra ones which are usb 1 or if you need usb 2 then connect it to the solder points for one of the external ports. I did this for my tv receiver that I put in my cf 29.
Then it will be as waterproof as your cf29 is.

 

That's what I thought, too; but the link I provided him is for the AirCard® 800 Series Installation Guide, which covers both the 850 and 860 AirCards.

 

Well it looks like i was talking ot of my arrse on this one. There is a cdma network used in europe. WCDMA-2100. So whatever card supports 2100, i can use it. Looks like the 860 doesnt support wcdma-2100 though. So i'm still buggered.

Edit: looks like i'll have a sierra 860 card for sale soon. Anyone need it?

 

While not exactly what you are looking for....:

Option 3G+EMEA HSDPA PCMCIA Modem, AT&T Option HSDPA PCMCIA Data Card

Specifications:
Suitable Network :GPRS CSD, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Max Transmitting Rate : (Kbps) 1800
Applied Frequency Range: UMTS/HSDPA 2100 MHz GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 MHz
Interface: PCMCIA TYPE II
Operating System:Windows 98/ME/2000/XP

Whatever card you find, it may require unlocking from its parent carrier.

 

Unlocking isn't an issue. I've got the equipment to unlock basically anything.

Issue is finding a card that fits with a closed cover.

 

I may have a solution for you

I have here a Huawei stick without the plastic, a pigtail to connect with the antenna pcb and a usb board with flat lead cable (its a GPS board without the GPS module from Custom Toughbooks, -Aftermarket solutions for Panasonic Toughbooks)

I had mounted the usb board and the Huawei stick above the battery from my CF-29, its a tight fit but it worked well with the stock antenna on the lid

See picture off the material
If you have more questions, pm me

 

You have PM.

 

@ares;

It's a suggestion, so don't "Shoot the Messenger"

You've intimated at having Internal GPS at some point in the future, so go with the "Swag" from denrosten & check the following link:

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

It gives mPCIe options....I'm thinking of WWAN/GPS card - ello.

o.g.

 

That "thing" is too thick to fit above the battery, thats why i have to remove the plastic from the Huawei stick

 

O_G: Thats a great little contraption, I've seen it before. I think i actually have one at school. But like Denrosten said, it doesn't fit.

Denrosten: You have PM

 

Dude, how does an "Apprentice Modder" develop into a "Master Craftsman".


...By making things that don't fit, fit. :yes:

o.g. << it won't fit, o.k. give up & go home >>

 

True, but this isn't a mod machine. I use this thing at work. I'm not going to do mods that cant be removed and the TB restored to its original condition. Besides, i don't want to compromise the shock proof design.

Now, my CF-28 on the other hand. I'm not afraid to use the dremel on it.

 

I used the same board and a TV stick mounted in that same location. Double faced tape secures it. It is a tight fit, but it does work well. Everything is plug in and can be completely removed.

 

I've been down that road too. It will work for wwan / gps. I have the complete setup including 2 unlocked mc8781's with gps. It will only work with usb 2.0. You need to tap off of the external usb from the inside or use the usb 2.0 port on the docking port. NO you can't use a ssd drive on one of those. It is limited because it is usb. A real mPCIe port uses both usb and pci. interfaces.

 

Shawn, if you use your Toughbook in high heat situaltions at all... You may want to get a little Kapton tape to secure your boards. Only a few small pieces on each side would work. Then you'd never have to worry about them coming loose. Just a thought... After all... It is what Panasonic uses.

I LOVE Kapton tape!

 

Right, i ordered Custom Toughbook's GPS kit a few hours ago. I decided to buy the Ublox model btw.

I should get it in a day or two since CT lives just around the corner. I'll check back how it goes. I'll give the usb 3g mod a chance too. But i think i'll stick with the sierra 850 card i just bought.

 

Kapton is a great idea. I used taped designed for holding trim to car bodies. It doesn't come off easily and its made for poor conditions. $3.00 for 6feet at Walmart
I may stick a bit of Kapton on anyway the next time I open it up.
Thanks

 

For you to know all the mod that we have done can be remove without damaging the machine. It can be restore to its original state. Don't you know that this machine is like desktop that there is a lot of inner port for expansion using the ribbon cable. We do not engaged on soldering directly into the mbo. For other modders maybe but I am not. As you will see on the desktop, old or new there is a lot of an expansion slot on the mbo. and the fully rugged panasonic toughbook has no difference of them but it is a form of a connector using to slide 0.05mm pitch cable ribbon on it.

For an info. I don't want to mislead the riding public of what we are doing based on your comment above.


ohlip

 

Mate, I've had this machine for less than a month. Forgive me for not knowing every bloody inch of it.

FYI, there are plenty of mods that involves soldering on the mobo.

Cheers

 

Ares..No need to apologize. I just want to correct something, you know that there is a lot of reader here either member or lurker and its good to having that kind of comment so that everybody will have an opportunity to know whats is going on.

And Yes! I know that there is a lot of posibility to mod directly on the mbo., One for example is to have a USB hub on the unit. But I don't want to do that for the meantime. It is depend on to what my customer need.


ohlip