Project - GPS Modification

What I am about to tell you can be taken with a grain of salt, since I have not taken apart the AAO yet. Maybe tomorrow!

The GPS you put inside needs to have some sort of metal sheild under it. This will do two things:
-Prevent some of the interference from the mainboard from reaching the GPS.
-Help contain any GPS signals and give the antenna some directionality towards the sky.

The inside of the top cover has some sort of metal paint on it does it not? I've taken off the WWAN miniPCI cover and that piece does. If so, sanding down the paint will help plenty. Just do it in the region of the antenna. If the antenna sits under the keyboard metal shield, then the shield also needs to be cut away to help, or reorient the GPS antenna under the palmrest better.

 

Well I dont think the metallic flakes the paint has will have much to do with it. There's just no room under the left palm rest to fit a GPS receiver with the RF Shield on it. That's why I took mine off to get it to fit there but, it goes no reception.

 

I'll ask this question with the caveat that I have never soldered anything in my life and don't know much about these mods, but why couldn't you put a dongle of some sort up next to the screen and send the wires for power and comm down to the mainboard like in the wireless-n antenna mod? You get it pointing at the sky, away from the EMI of the board, and there's plenty of real estate up there (though not sure about the depth, if that happens to be the limiting factor).

Just a very ignorant question..

 

Yeah there is not much room to fit a gps receiver/antenna on the sides or on top of the screen.

 

I still believe there is enough room to fit GPS module between LCD screen and plastic case. I'm going to fit 3G aerial as there are some news about 3G modem. I'm also planning to measure the gap between mentioned items. If GPS module will fit there I will try to install some flat GPS unit there...

 

yes maybe if you cut a square hole on the plastic cover and let the ceramic patch antenna go thru.

 

It is good idea as I'm planning to cover my AA1 with vinyl sticker from Lapjacks. I believe this will hide hole made in LCD cover and it's not going to disturb signal from "space" to much...

 

Don't just settle for cutting the lid. I think it can be done either there or in the palmrest with the right hardware and shielding configuration. Even a self adhesive piece of sheet aluminum foil would work for shielding without changing the thickness of the unit. And the patch antenna can be removed from some GPS boards too, and the circuit board can be relocated elsewhere. The lid could be a great place depending on the room back there, and you could use the webcam wiring and a hub in the lid so that it would be fairly easy to integrate.

 

Any updates on mounting behind the lid? Gapspace specs maybe? im likeing the canmore hardwired as it looks very compact and easy enough to remove the usb port and replace with wires. I have already installed my um-175 cell modem and have come to terms with the fact that the wilson slimline is the thinest dualband antenna that ill be able to use. I spoke with a tech support guy at wpantennas who assured me i can strip it of its case with out and any affect to reception, so in theroy the lid shouldnt affect reception any more than the plastic case's that enclouse both of these two devices orginally...I hope..lol

Worst case senerio, I drill a tiny hole in lid cover for the wires and use the face halves of the devices to cover the boards and glue them to the lid..atleast that way if i do have to settle for external mounting they should only protrude about 2 tenths of an inch or so..and that i think i can tolerate for a few months. Give the company time to catch up with our crazy desires to have a fully functioning netbook with out senceless contraptions hanging of it to ruin your day.

Damn i talk to much

 

I tried mounting mine behind the screen however didnt work out. Theres not much space and if you have a touchscreen, when you press the screen it will distort the picture because of the receiver behind it. Didn't get any reception also and it left a big bulge on the screen cover.

I think sticking a small plastic box on back of the lid and placing the receiver in there is the best solution. Or not even a box, maybe like the the dome shaped plastic or something. Just need to be creative.

 

Rawr!

Cool man thanks for the quick reply. I think ill just head into it knowing ill have to mount them externally, and save myself some drama. I have placed the order for the touchscreen as well so I dont need it interferring with the luxery of that. :ugeek:

 

In that case there is only one way for me to have GPS... SDIO unit pluged in to left SD card slot... Have to concern buying something like that: http://www.expansys.com/p.aspx?i=150682

 

Yeah that one looks cool but, it seems to protrude quite a lot from the SD port and may possible just break off quite easily.

 

i see that as being extremely fragile and id be afraid it break the first time it took a hard hit. But yea very cool and compact and light weight....and if u give a crap about your warrenty than that is surely a peice to be looked at.