November TCEMC Winner: Nate007

[TMG]

Congratulations to Nate007 for winning Novembers Cheap and Easy Mod Contest .

Nate entered his 'Integrated wireless mouse' mod and blew the competition away.

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Heres my integrated wireless mouse mod.

Note: There will have to be 3 posts to accomidate all the pics so please bare with me.

step 1 was to rip the laptop apart, this included taking out many screws on the bottom of the chassis and some hidden screws also. :
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0143.jpg
Step 2 was to disassemble the receiver, 2 screws and it fell apart:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0139.jpg
Step 3 was to de-solder the USB plug, LED, and connect switch (what a pain that was):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0146.jpg
Step 4 was to re-solder wires to the USB/ LED/switch contacts(2 burns were sustained during the following):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0150.jpg

[TMG]

Step 5 was to locate the USB solder points on the laptop Mobo:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0144.jpg
Step 6 was to mount the reciever unit to the laptop with foam mounting tape and hot glue:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0158.jpg
Step 7 was to place the switch and LED where they can be seen, The switch went perfectly through the locking hole on the back of the case, and the LED was mounted in the right speaker bay so the light could show through the holes(both were mounted with hot glue.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0155.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0156.jpg

[TMG]

Step 8 was to solder up the contacts to the USB:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0160.jpg
Here it is with the top cover on:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0162.jpg
Heres the light showing through the speaker holes:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v373/nate007/PCDV0163.jpg
I had a great experience doing this mod and yes, it is working perfectly fine. I will look forward to a mod contest every month.(please please please)

Supplies:
Dell Latitude 110L(had it for a while): free
Wireless mouse: $15.00(from a friend)
Solder/solder wick: free
Hot glue and foam mounting tape:free
Wires from an old front panel audio bus: free
>total time taken: 3.5 hours
>injuries sustained:2 minor burns on my left index finger

Cost: $15.00

Thats all folks.

[brian_holiday]

Congrats, it is a really nice mod. Can We assume you will post a pic of the prize? :D

BH

[nate007]

Thanks Everyone, and I'll go ahead and post a pic of the prize when I recieve it.

[dog2525]

thats a nice mod. i should try that on my bro's acer.

[flashdude]

Yes congrat's, That is a super nice mod. Well done everyone.

[skoota_logic]

nice mod man wish i could so that with my lappy

[brian_holiday]

As a play on your idea, I am planning on taking the wireless transmitter for my USB joystick and mounting it in the back of a blank. I will post pics when I get it finished. Thanks again for the idea...;)

BH

[c0d3_z3r0]

I like this mod!
I wish I could do that with a Keyboard and Mouse combo.

[Wyndle]

c0d3_z3r0,

If you have the tools to solder and a steady hand you can do it. USB mods are very easy since it is only four wires.

If you have any soldering skill you can even make it look like it is supposed to be that way. If you want to make the wires look really nice inside the system you are putting it in, find an old ATA 33/66 IDE cable (thicker and less wires) and strip off a section of 4 wires so that you have them pre-bundled and run a small heatshrink tube over it. Once you get the wires soldered on both ends shrink the tube and you have a professional looking USB mod.

[TMG]

well i know he has the tools and a steady hand...

http://www.yoshi.us/forums/showthread.php?t=18822
http://www.yoshi.us/forums/showthread.php?t=18261

I would be nice to have the keyboard/mouse combo, this is already a "standard" in laptops with bluetooth technology, i use a wireless keyboard mouse when my laptop is in its dockin station with BT.

[Chris_Tucker]

you can do this with any wireless device, depending on the size of the reciever unit. and if its usb.

[c0d3_z3r0]

Yeah, I can do this easy, probably even use the existing 'usb mobo plug', take a needle and remove the little pin, desolder the old wire, resolder the new device's wire in it's place, and put the pin back into the little plug and just plug it back to the mobo, and would look like the device was made to have it inside the case.

It would be pretty cool to have it built in to a media center PC along with the IR receiver to make it look like one machine without all the extra stuff hanging out to the side or the top of the case.

[dstone]

Just wanted to say congrats, Nate007! And a note to all those who entered: We're all winners through education and experience. Can't wait to see what comes about in the next contest!