Latitude D620 hacks...

Did some searching but didn't find anything, so please excuse if this has been covered elsewhere...

Here's what I want to do:

1. Upgrade my RAM from 2G to 4G. Easy.

2. Add a bluetooth radio. Easy with a TrueMobile 350 gotten on eBay.

3. Upgrade my HD to a SSD. Will any standard 2.5" SSD work, and do some work better than others with this particular model?

4. Add a mini-PCI-e GPS module where the mini-PCI-e WWAN card would be. Should I expect any problems with this (aside from antenna and software issues)?

Thanks!

 

My advice: don't go cheap on SSD's. Cheap SSD's are crap. Check out the SSD thread in the hardware subforum for advice on specific models.

Greg

 

I don't think that the mini pci-e card is your best choice for GPS.

While there are mini pci-e GPS cards available (http://www.azurewave.com/product_GPS-M01_1.asp), make sure you order from a place that will let you return it if it doesn't work. EDIT: Apparently that is an OEM only part.

Newer WWAN cards have GPS built in. That being said:

I have a 5720 Verizon card in my D620. The card has the capability for GPS, but my system apparently does not have the proper antenna to support it.

I have not verified this myself, but apparently the D630 has the proper antennas as a friend of mine has gotten GPS to work on his with a Sprint 5720 card.

My opinion for SSDs: Unless you are a high vibration environment (car, plant floor, etc), they aren't worth the cost. If you are set on one, get the highest read/write speed you can afford, at least 175Mb/s read and 100Mb/s write or so.

 

Thanks for replies, folks.

I use the laptop almost solely in the car on rough roads. Storm chasing in the plains is tough on hard drives, so I figured that an SSD might do me some good.

The only mini PCIe solution that I've found is that Azurewave card, and I think you're right that it's for OEM pickup only.

The PCIe WWAN idea is interesting. I use a Novatel U727 on Sprint for primary data through a WiFi hub. The U727 has GPS, but it doesn't export data in sentences that my application recognize (AFAIK). If I were to pick up a PCIe GSM/UMTS WWAN card with GPS, perhaps I could either (A) use the GPS section only, and (B) use the entire card to help fill in the holes on Sprint via AT&T.

On the antennas... perhaps I can harvest the antennas from a broke-down D630 somewhere. Guess it's time to hit up eBay.

Thanks again, y'all...

 

You are able to use the GPS independently of WWAN service.

This link shows how to enable it for the 5720 card:
http://www.sarcasm.com/it/index.php...-on-the-dell-5720-sprint-evdo-broadband-card/

EDIT: If you can't find the antennas seperately for a D630, look for the LCD back cover, the antennas usually come with that.

 

Alrighty... after reading the responses here and on another forum I posted this too, I decided to go ahead with purchasing a Dell 5270 Mini PCIe WWAN card on Sprint with GPS (that can be used without activating a contract). Got it for $50. A D630 laptop lid (the part behind the panel) with the antennas will be about $20. So, for $70, I should be able to pull this off.

It prolly won't perform as well as my regular Bluetooth GPS unit, but that's okay. As long as it performs adequately, I'll be happy.

I'll see about posting some pics of the project when everything gets in.

Thanks!

 

Well... marvelous!

Things couldn't have gone much easier or better with this.

Picked up the Dell 5720 mini PCIe WWAN card, popped off the hinge cover, removed three screws and a connector to take off the keyboard. It turns out that all the antennas were *already installed*!! So I just pooped the card in, connected the antennas (the hardest part of the whole thing), and reassembled.

Made a registry hack, and now the computer has internal GPS for under $50. I also added the internal bluetooth and upped the RAM while I was inside. I didn't even need to the buy the D630 lid.

Of course I was too lazy to venture out into the cold, dark night to see if I could get satellites (my house has a metal roof). But I will tomorrow.

Thanks, y'all!