HELP! I think I broke my CF-28!

I need some help. I know I haven't exactly been active on the forum, but I have been gaining a LOT of helpful information about my recently purchased CF-28 from you guys. . .

So, I was cleaning up my room, and moved my 28 (lid was closed, but power was on) from my desk to my chair, and while I was moving some things around, and I bumped the chair, and the computer took a dive onto the tile floor. The floor is alright, but ironically, my computer is not. For some reason, the backlight in the screen has stopped working. I've tried everything a Toughbook newb would try to get it to work again (power off/power on, slapping the back of the screen, that's about it), all to no avail. The backlight doesn't work, I'm pretty sure the LCD itself is still functional, and I know the touchscreen portion works, as I've been able to touch the screen and see very subtle changes in the darkness of different parts of the screen that would correspond with logging into windows, opening the start menu, etc.

My question is, how would I go about diagnosing the problem? I'm going to tear into this thing when I get back to the states (getting out of the Army, been stationed overseas for several months), and I'd like to get it fixed pretty soon, as I have another project for it that I'd like to get started upon my return home. I don't know if the fall just knocked a connection loose for the backlight, or if it just flat-out broke the backlight itself.

Any help you guys can give me is much appreciated, I feel like a complete idiot, mostly because I was under the impression that only an idiot could break a beast of a computer like the Toughbook, which is why I bought one to begin with (besides the fact that I needed something "unbreakable" to use while in the field).

 

You might be better off just buying a new CF-28 screen and swapping it out.... A whole lot less aggravation!

 

TB is right, the inverter is easy to replace, but if the bulb is gone then that is a whole different matter. The bulb can be replaced but it is a royal pain, ask me how I know.

 

Any idea where I can find a good deal on a replacement touchscreen assembly then? I looked on eBay, but most of the listings there are for just the LCD, they either aren't touchscreen or don't specify.

Also, are you talking about just replacing the actual LCD panel, or getting a whole new cover assembly with the screen included, and swapping it out? I'm not new to computers, I've been tearing them apart and repairing my own for years, but I have heard of issues with the backlight and reflector not being installed PERFECTLY and resulting in shadows and other issues.

I'll probably also start looking for a newer model, I think a CF-29 or CF-30 might be a better option for what I use my computer for, I've been experiencing compatibility issues with my 28 and my wireless networks, as well as "freezing" and lagging issues while running. . .

Definitely going to stick with Toughbook though, I'm even contemplating selling my MacBook to afford a newer model and replace both the Mac and my 28 with something a little more potent.

Just found a few promising options for Touchscreen/WiFi 29's on eBay for about the same price I paid for my 28 4 months ago. . . Might be making a purchase soon here, I'll probably fix the LCD on the 28 and try to sell it first, though. 30's are still a little out of my price range, but they do look like very capable machines! I'd love to have one some day, but that day isn't today, unfortunately.

 

All you really need is the LCD panel to keep it plug and play, the panels will work with touch or non-touch CF-28's

 

My mistake, I thought this was like PDA touch screens, I replaced an LCD in a Dell Axim once, the digitizer was attached to the LCD. Good to know I can replace one without replacing the other. I saw one for $60 on eBay, is that a good deal? Are there other places one could be found cheaper? I'm on a tight budget, don't have a whole lot of extra money to put into my "toys" right now, so the cheaper the better. I'll probably order one next week.

Are there any writeups on doing the replacement, or is it relatively straight-forward?

 

Check on the buy/sell/trade forum attached this forum and see if anyone has one they want to sell. Replacing the screen itself is not hard just a lot of screws. If you search the forums you will find one. The main thing to remember is that you will also have to remove the hinge cover and the keyboard connector cover to be able to unplug the power and video connectors. BE SURE TO WEAR GLOVES SO NOT TO GET FINGERPRINTS ON THE FRONT OF THE LCD, ask me how I know.

 

Springfield just hooked me up for one at a much better price than $60 bucks, just search for him, I just replaced mine as I had an lcd go bad on me, I don't know if he has any left but he's always had what I need.

 

Always glad to help a Panasonic forum member Shoot me an email springfield98(at)gmail(dot)com.

I'm out of town but get back on Sunday. Have some CF-28 parts units and will look them over to see if I can provide a replacement display.

 

So... HOW DO YOU KNOW? :laugh:

mnem
agitate.

 

Email sent. No rush, I get back to the states from Korea on Saturday afternoon, I'll probably be jet-lagged until early next week anyway. lol Just let me know what you have.

 

Errr perhaps a dumb question, but you did make sure that you did not just happen to toggle the LCD/CRT Hot Key when the Toughbook tumbled to the floor, right?

 

That was the first thing I checked. The lid was closed, so I don't see how that could happen, but I did check it out.