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    Leave out the drive heater?

    Discussion in 'Panasonic' started by RonCF-28, Jan 8, 2009.

  1. RonCF-28

    RonCF-28 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi guys. Is it OK to remove the hard drive heater for a 28? I was installing a new drive in my latest 28 project and for me this is the first caddy I have run across with a heater in it. I assume I can just unplug it and leave it out but I thought I should ask the much more experienced 28 moders. :)
     
    RonCF-28, Jan 8, 2009
    #1
  2. Alex

    Alex Super Moderator

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    Yes you can unplug it and leave it out

    I have only had about 6 cf-28 caddys out of over 20 cf-28's mk-2's + mk-3's with the heater
    And I have mixed them up before without issues



    Alex
     
    Alex, Jan 8, 2009
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  3. Toughbook

    Toughbook Drop and Give Me 20!

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    In CA I doubt you would need it... Unless you travel to colder climates... BUt if there is a chance you wil... I'd keep it in... It doesn't draw anything unless the laptop senses that it is cold. So they say...
     
    Toughbook, Jan 8, 2009
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  4. canuckcam

    canuckcam Notebook Evangelist

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    Anyone know when the heater actually turns on? I have the heater on my CF-29... fired it up after leaving the TB in the car overnight in -15 (I think that's around 20F or something like that?) and it fired up just fine. Not sure if there's any battery drain since the light was still green.
     
    canuckcam, Jan 8, 2009
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  5. Rob

    Rob Toughbook Aficionado

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    I know that with my CF-29 I left it in my car as well overnight for a black friday camp-out about 4 years ago and when I turned on my toughbook from standby the green flashing power LED turned into an orange flashing power LED for about 15 minutes and then it just turned on... I'm assuming it was heating the LCD and drive (these things do have LCD heaters right?!?!) otherwise the LCD would practically explode at those extreme temps
     
    Rob, Jan 8, 2009
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  6. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    JB -

    I've never seen anything in one of these LCDs that could be a heater; the nematic fluid in the LCD is hydrocarbon based, so I'd doubt it could actually freeze. I do know that extreme cold does slow down the molecular realignment that makes an LCD work, but remember the entire panel IS a semiconductor device and it DOES dissipate a very small amount of electricity through that fluid.

    mnem
    If your ratio of lighter fluid to charcoal is 2 to 1, this is where you belong...
     
    mnementh, Jan 8, 2009
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  7. Rob

    Rob Toughbook Aficionado

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    I've seen a customer bring in an IBM T40 from the freezing cold once outta their car where they left it in their overnight and he turned it on and the screen got about 5 hairline cracks in it and we had to replace it... the guy felt like an idiot after that lol
     
    Rob, Jan 8, 2009
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  8. Cunha

    Cunha Notebook Enthusiast

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    I can only assume that since the HD is protected against extreme heat change, the screen must be able to handle it, too.

    But Ive never even seen one of these in real life...just using logic.
     
    Cunha, Jan 8, 2009
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  9. mnementh

    mnementh Crusty Ol' TinkerDwagon

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    Mmmhmmmm... I would suspect the issue was more likely due to physical failure rather than electrochemical; I used my old NEC Versa IN walk-in freezers when I did refrigeration service. The LCD would get cold enough that my breath froze on it, but it never cracked. My guess would be that the cold made the hinges uber-stiff & the LCD housing just flexed too much...

    mnem<~~~ Got stabbed in a drive-by shooting*
     
    mnementh, Jan 8, 2009
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