Cf Card Bluetooth Range

[pht]

Hello,

i'm an owner of SL-6000L, and have bought a CF bluetooth card (socket 8510-00159L). The card itself is working fine (original rom with bluez, OZ as well). I'm experiencing a different problem however.

The bluetooth connection (eg. zaurus to gsm phone) only works with a certain, uncomfortable spatial position. For example, it works when the phone is directly above the zaurus, but not when it is in my pocket etc. My guess is that it is the ruggedized metal casing that is preventing the bluetooth signal from reaching the phone.

As a workaround, i'm using a USB stick (msi starkey 2.0) under OZ, which works fine as well. However, this is not as comfortable as using the CF card (not speaking about the cost of the CF).

Has anyone else experienced this? Would it help to try another CF card (which)? Or does it get better with the clamshells (c3200 etc.)?

[speculatrix]

I suspect you have a hardware problem; my BT0101M (I think) is able to make a bluetooth network connection to my linux gateway about 15 metres away through two brick walls! There again, the bluetooth card sticks out about 6mm so I guess that's where the antenna lives. When I had a socket bluetooth card and an 860 it seemed fine, but perhaps the 860 didn't have much shielding.

If you're brave and willing to open up the socket card you might be able to add a modest wire antenna to it which could simply run along the top edge so it's a few mm clear of the Zaurus. Alternatively if you're really brave, mod your 6000 to remove a little bit of shielding round the CF slot!

[pht]

Thought so. Anyone else can confirm socket CF bluetooth working on a clamshell? (Or any other CF bluetooth on SL6000?)

Regarding the hardware hacking, I'd rather modify the CF card. I'll see what I can do.

[pelrun]

The Socket cards work very well on the clamshells; in fact it's almost mandatory to use one because any other card gets in the way of your hands when the Z is in landscape mode.

I'd be very wary about hacking the card. It will have a special chip antenna specifically impedance matched to the circuit; unless you have some pretty heavy electrical engineering experience and the appropriate tools you're not going to meet with much success.

IMHO you'd be far better off selling the Socket, buying a cheaper, longer, more 6000-appropriate card and pocketing the difference

[pht]

Thanks for your advice. I have some (moderate) practice with electrical engineering. But I guess I'll be better off by buying some other card and save this one for the clamshell (which I plan to get someday).

Currently I have two candidates, Billionton and Anycom. This is a little off-topic, but can anyone confirm any of those two working (perhaps with the SL6000)?