Need help customising my mk2 CF19

I recently got my first toughbook, a mk2 CF19 with windows 7 loaded on it. Initialy i was thinking i would load XP and strip it down to maximise battery life etc as its my globe trotting laptop (i joke that is my kindle with the added feature of a real book heft to it) but quite happy leaving it as is now

AS it stands its CF19FDGAACM, has 3gb ram (1gb + 2gb, plan on replacing original 1gb soon) and 500gb hd with windows 7

It has already beeen a week in New zealand (i live in australia if it makes a regional difference.) and i have found that i wanted to create a little wifi hotspot to share my internet connection with my other devices so i dont have to log off one device to log on with the other.

I downloaded virtual router and discovered that through youtube using the CMD that my wifi drivers are not compatible with Hosted Networks . So i was thinking of replacing my Intel Wireless Wifi 4965AG card with something that is Hosted Network capable.

I was thinking of getting a Intel Dual band Wireless AC 7260hmw card (wifi N + bluetooth) for AU$33 delivered. The thought being i appear to already have bluetooth on my CF19, the drivers are 'generic' so i am guessing its another seperate removable module , which i could free up that second slot for something else.
My only concern is thepictures of the 7260 card appears short, wide and stubby as opposed to the narrow, long and slender 4965AG. So will it physically fit in the space around the Pci-e slot??

i also intend to install a factory cf19 GPS somewhere along in the future so anyone who has done that i would appreciate any considerations i need to make.

i have a Sierra Wireless MC5725 1xEV-DO Network Adapter listed in my network connections. i thought maybe it was a second card? I tried disconeecting from wifi with the intel casrd then connecting with the Sierra one and it works but if i disable the intel one it doesn't?

Lastly i'm on the look out for an inexpensive rubber keyboard, ebay is around US$50 plus post . Paid US$150 for the laptop so hoping that is not norm. The battery that came with it was a cf18 battery and i got two other genuine ones locally for $50 delivered. As i am a house painter by trade i am thinking of mixing up a grayish drab yellow epoxy enamel and painting the silver areas when i have the laptop apart for ram and other upgrades. Hopefully if it will be something that sticks out when your looking for it but a matt finish so it doesn't draw too much attention when out an about across the globe. (the opposite of the 'Ooooh Shiny' effect) If i can find some OEM strap mounts that would be sweet two as i'd like to put a hipster bandolier/sling with pockets as the strap for the AC/DC adaptor and other accesories.

 

Nice ideas for mods....I just woke up so my post may be a bit slow...
Yes the original Bluetooth is a separate module that you can remove...It's connected with a cable and does not "free up a slot" when removed.
There are different 7260 modules.....let me find a couple photos...
The Sierra is a wwan card..(internet using your cell phone service)
strap mounts should be easy to find.. I may have a couple extra here..

Okay..this first photo shows the difference from a half height mini pci express (mpcie) card and a m.2 (ngff) The 7260 comes in both sizes. The card on the right is the mpcie..
You want the mpcie. The 4965 is a full height mini pci express card. The 7260 is a half height card. They make an adapter for that.


The adapter..

 

This will cost more, but is a much better GPS module..This is plug in and fits in the same location as the original.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/UBlox-6-GPS...279?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item338a0eb717

 

Here is what the strap rings look like. A CF18 strap is identical.

 

what shawn sez about the ublox *kit* ... X 2 .
the factory units have much left to be desired .

 

Thanks shawn, that was a pretry comprehensive reply and a lot sooner than i expected!

Is the cable for the Bluetooth module anything usable? Like a USB that i can tap in for something else. (basic soldering does not scare me) The 7260 was indeed the one pictured on the right and now you shown the half to full bracket it makes sense. Is there a differnt card that is better suited for my application if i dont need the extra (2nd) bluetooth?

Also my touschscreen only works with the stylus? is this a driver /win7 configuration thing or do i need to replace the touchpanel type?

Forgot to mention in my previous post that i already added a 2 port USB3.0 pc express card ($7) so i could have extra usb, i have another digital/analog TV +fm express card (which captures AV to boot)(pinacle brand, NOS $14) will prob get another USB 2.0 pcmcia card ($9)

I have loaded up about 8gb worth of gaming Roms so it now my retro-arcade game station. i am looking at cutting up some third party wired usb Xbox 360 controllers so they are in a smaller form factor for travelling. Currently addicted to Metal slug
Also it has 98GB of survival data (technical and repair manuals, permaculture, grass roots, UN and VITA manuals etc)

The other carry option i was considering is a hand moulded brown distressed leather messenger bag with a cut out so you could view the screen in tablet mode by lifting the front flap. This sounds fancy but given the laptop is splashproof i could lay the wet leather directly on the laptop to cure/dry rather than making a mould ???

 

... "splash proof" , "water resistant" and "water tight" have three different meanings .
personally , i would carve a piece of wood to the proper measurements , paint it and use it to form the wet leather .
don't forget to saturate the finished item with "neets foot oil" (good stuff for horse hooves and leather goods) to which a little fungicide has been added .

 

If i decided to do the moulded leather i would probably wrap the laptop in cling wrap... definately don't have the extra patience to carve wooden replica

For now its an idea, have so much to do to it

 

My preferred Wifi card is a Ubiquiti SR-71..no bluetooth but hi power
http://www.streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=SR71E

Those PCMCIA/Expresscard to usb cards will cause problems.....
The pcmcia/expresscard slots only have 500ma where the usb ports have/need 2amps..Short story is when you plug a usb device into the adapter card, the card overheats and possibly damages the laptop..

Look into these...
Fieldmate Toughbook Convertible Carrying Case

or these

PanasonicToughmate Always-On TBC19AOCS-P

 

The Toughbook configurator is down, but I think your CF-19 has a digitizer touch panel. It will not respond to your finger, you have to use the stylus. Does your stylus have a little button near the tip?
CAP

 

the extra ports will definitely be for low voltage stuff. Like a mouse or a memory card reader. External HDD or drives will plug into one of the two other slots, if there was another spare usb port to tap into i'd be tempted to retrofit the 1394 4 pin firewire slot with another USB as i never likely to use it.

i will give some thought on the sr71.

 

yep just pulled it out and noted it doesn't need actual contact with the screen to work. You can hold it a mm above the surface and it will show on the screen

 

info on a CF-19FDGAACM

 

Quick update. Bought some metal epoxy for painting. Decided i couldn't get the right yellow so went with a beige royale - neutral (which actually is in the yellow spectrum of my dulux colour atlas)

Got a brand new sealed iLuv webcam for AU$1 (plus $& post) for Skype


It was going to cost me about AU$80-$90 delivered to get a oem rubber keyboard posted from usa or europe. i ended up buying a parts Cf19 MkII with smashed screen but with rubber keyboard and working motherboard for AU$120 delivered. figured it would serve me better in the long run.

Got the AC7260 wifi/bluetooth card. waiting for the $2 adaptor plate arrive from china.

Tried opening the back so i could switch the oem 1gb ram in primary slot with the 2nd 2gb, (2nd 2gb is in mail)
Had one knurled screw... the last one. Tried soldering a wire to it so i could remove it ala-you-tube trick. No dice. put all the screwsback, did 2nd attempt today. Still no dice.

Ended up drilling out the head. Ram swap successful. Need some new screws cause couple of the others are on the way out. They look like m2? Eyeballed what will be nescessary for the ac7260, should be easy. Thinking i will disconnect the oem bluetooth just to stop that minute powerdrain (dont really use bluetooth anyway)

One radical idea i'd been considering is to remove the sierra wireless card (not something i use in australia or brazil... my two main travelpoints) and putting in one of these hybrid tv tuners

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AVerMedi...079?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a133b74df

The only thing i need to really need is the oem cable and sockets for input/output of AV and TV ant

Other things in mail are a 16v Lenovo OEM DC car adaptor. In the pass i have kept Targus Universal AC/DC adaptors with tips but i find they burn out quicker than single output units. Its a lot easier to get a hold of IBM/Lenovo power adaptors than panasonic. Two units but less individual components.

So so far i have
-webcam
-ac adaptor
-dc car adaptor (+socket with aligator clips option)
-usb gamepad

What else am i missing that should be mounted on my future bandolier strap?

 

This is all I carry now (2 in 1) http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-AC-DC-A...209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a4cfcfb21

 

I have one of those avermedia cards here....Probably have the cable too.

 

thanks toughasnails, i think i might get a few of those. Wish i knew about them before getting the other style.

Shawn, any chanc of getting a photo of the cable socket arrangement?

 

Let me see what I can do...I need to verify possession of said parts...

 

Ok, I checked..I must have thrown out those parts on my last cleanup...Or I lost them....

Anyway....working backwards will help you get the needed parts....
Find out what laptops those cards came in. Time and Google....
Get the needed cables, antenna, and header from that model laptop... Ebay will be your friend now...

 

been googling so far haven't found any old notebook brochures with models featuring card

 

here for a start

Dell...XPS One 20
Asus G2S

 

parts laptop turned up today, swapped over my rubber keyboard.
keys are funny to type


the half pcie to full size adaptr turned up yesterday so i figgured i try to install the intel ac7260 card. No luck. notebook will not boot with it in place. Will boot with original 4965 or nothing so i suspect dud card.

 

Returning my intel crd, bought an atheros .

Put in another 2gb samsung ram.

Windows says Installed Memory: 4gb ram (3.24gb Usable)

Never encountered this before is my ram faulty or is there something about mk2 cf19 that cant access the full 4gb????

 

That is where 64 bit came from. 32 bit maximum is 3.24.

Some place in Google Land is an explanation.

__________________________________________________________
Bottom line.
For using more than 3.24 use 64 bit. Usually not worth the effort. IMHO.