I know there had been one person who was thinking about offering custom back plates to people, but it ended up being too expensive.
I just got my Prime yesterday and my Prime cannot even lock onto a satellite even when it is outdoors so I understand the pain everyone feels from this problem. It bothers me that the solution to this problem is quite simple, and yet very risky because no one wants to take apart their brand new Prime.
I would like to develop an affordable method to fix the antenna problems. But before I decide to take apart my Prime I want to make sure there would be enough interest because some people don't mind the GPS problems and others really want it to work like me.
If there is enough interest I will probably keep my Transformer Prime and start working on a solution. If not, I will probably return my Prime.
If you are interested simply submit your response in the poll. Also, I want to gauge what sort of money you guys would be willing to spend to have your back plates modified.
No...................
What would be awesome is a back cover that allowed larger batteries but not sure if they make the same batteries but larger mah's.
Look at it this way, in a couple of months there will be a solution that delivers great GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth performance for $100 without voiding your warranty. It's called the TF700. You get an HD display included for that extra $100 also.
BarryH_GEG said:
Look at it this way, in a couple of months there will be a solution that delivers great GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth performance for $100 without voiding your warranty. It's called the TF700. You get an HD display included for that extra $100 also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no guarantee or official tests done yet to say T-700 will have superior wireless performance. Remember the backplate is still all metal only with thin strip up top being plastic. so its still prone to interference from backplate. Any assumptions on wireless performance is clearly just speculation until hard facts come out. you should know this Barry..lol
Being realistic here:
If it was something I had to dremel myself, I wouldn't buy it. I would guess I'm like a decent portion of XDA here when I say I'm not exactly the most precise when it comes to DIY projects.
If it was something I had to send my prime in to do, I'd hesitate quite a bit. No offense or anything, but I'm not comfortable sending my electronics to someone I don't know and have never met. I'd wait a long while for reputation to build up. If it eventually did, I'd pay $20 + shipping, preferably with some kind of deposit.
If I were to send my back panel to someone and have them customize it, I'd be a little hesitant, but more willing than above. If it worked, and really fit perfectly it'd probably be the best of both worlds: my own shiny ASUS metal backing with a plastic strip along the top. I'd pay $35~50 for it.
If it was a full back panel that was plastic instead of aluminum - and fit perfectly with the case, which I would imagine is the hard part since lower tolerances = higher cost - I'd pay $25~40 for it.
Thinking about it, if it were to use the same metal backing for the outside, but simply cut a window out for the antennas (leaving frame in tact to preserve back cover seal), that'd be the ultimate solution.
I'm up for this as long the cover fits properly and looks like a tablet still. Maybe just drilling speaker holes near/around the antenna is enough to let the signal go out.
Shouldn't Asus be doing this themselves? If they are smart enough, they can offer people option to replace the back cover when they get sent back thru RMA. Better yet, they can make some money out of it by designing colored backplates that works and fits properly and sell them for $20-$40.
This way, people have a choice, go aluminum and get bad signal issues or go plastic to get better signals and choose the color to match your style.
Lol, talk about covering your [email protected] and turning a bug into a feature. Haha.
Going to be a Debbie downer..This is going to go no where. It will cost to much. No one - or very few - will want to attempt changing it. Voids warranty. Just not feasible. It will be a lot of hypothetical talk - like the last thread like this - then Peter out. Sorry.
demandarin said:
no guarantee or official tests done yet to say T-700 will have superior wireless performance. Remember the backplate is still all metal only with thin strip up top being plastic. so its still prone to interference from backplate. Any assumptions on wireless performance is clearly just speculation until hard facts come out. you should know this Barry..lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, in order to defend the Prime, you're willing to say Asus is totally incompetent and incapable of developing a tablet with GPS, Wi-Fi, and BT that don't require 100's of pages of forum debate? If they were so pleased with the Prime’s design, why wouldn’t they have just slapped an HD display on it and called it good? They’ve said that adding the plastic border was specifically to improve wireless performance. For Asus' sake, I hope they do get wireless right in the TF700.
I too would pass on this unless offered by ASUS. They extended the warranty 6 months longer for. All of their screw ups. With all the issues we are having out of the box, imagine if we come to find out that the lifetime of the tablets hardware last only 1 year? You could cry all about it and say you want yours fixed or replaced, but you wouldn't get it.
As with a lot of other things, they tend to break right after the warranty. Asus already had set 1 year for the warranty period. So if the above logic and phenomena takes place, then the fact that Asus extended your warranty for 6 months would all be for nothing.
Why would you want to sacrifice that? You can root and revert to stock. Technically you have voided your warranty, but what they don't know won't hurt. You can't revert to a stock backing... Not easily at least. And probably not without showing signs of tampering.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk
BarryH_GEG said:
Look at it this way, in a couple of months there will be a solution that delivers great GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth performance for $100 without voiding your warranty. It's called the TF700. You get an HD display included for that extra $100 also.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the solution that will make me happy, Asus has already designed the new backplate on the 700 plus the HD screen makes it worth waiting for. It's actually more in line with the tabs announced by the competition so the confidence level is high that Asus will minimize the faults. Past the holidays, they now have plenty of time to correct their mistakes.
I say go for it! Like the guy who fabricated the dock, I wouldn't do it or buy it. But you'll get props and be the first person, I know, to do it!
Sent from my DROID2 using xda premium
PurpleSh4rk said:
I know there had been one person who was thinking about offering custom back plates to people, but it ended up being too expensive.
I just got my Prime yesterday and my Prime cannot even lock onto a satellite even when it is outdoors so I understand the pain everyone feels from this problem. It bothers me that the solution to this problem is quite simple, and yet very risky because no one wants to take apart their brand new Prime.
I would like to develop an affordable method to fix the antenna problems. But before I decide to take apart my Prime I want to make sure there would be enough interest because some people don't mind the GPS problems and others really want it to work like me.
If there is enough interest I will probably keep my Transformer Prime and start working on a solution. If not, I will probably return my Prime.
If you are interested simply submit your response in the poll. Also, I want to gauge what sort of money you guys would be willing to spend to have your back plates modified.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, if you just copy the TF700T back cover your assuming the antennas havent been redesigned, which I believe they have done with the TF700T so the antennas lie directly behind the plastic strip.
junrider said:
Of course, if you just copy the TF700T back cover your assuming the antennas havent been redesigned, which I believe they have done with the TF700T so the antennas lie directly behind the plastic strip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes they have because the volume and headphones micro sd slot are all in different locations the only same part us the dock connectors
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
If it was easy to do, well documented, and improved my battery life without damaging my tablet, I would be willing to spend maybe <= $30 on a backplate kit.
WiFi/GPS performance are more than powerful enough for my needs and I'm working in a pretty crappy area to get WiFi. But, I feel that the battery life might be better if I could tune down the TX power and have a more penetrable backplate.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
I have never seen it proven that even removing the backplate increases gps results. Anyone have a link where it is proven other than a statement by ASUS? Like maybe a Prime with the back off that is navigating a vehicle without wifi on?
Evo_Shift said:
Anyone have a link where it is proven other than a statement by ASUS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The fact that rather than adding a HD display to the Prime they've gone to the trouble and expense of redesigning the TF700 sort of confirms in action what Asus has said all along. If by repositioning the antennas and adding a plastic border the TF700 doesn't have wireless issues, that will be your proof. From the tear down, all the Prime's wireless components are of high quality so there would be no reason to change them in the TF700.
Evo_Shift said:
I have never seen it proven that even removing the backplate increases gps results. Anyone have a link where it is proven other than a statement by ASUS? Like maybe a Prime with the back off that is navigating a vehicle without wifi on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not gonna happen. It won't function with the back off based on the tear down pictures.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
The Antenna Location issue
junrider said:
Of course, if you just copy the TF700T back cover your assuming the antennas havent been redesigned, which I believe they have done with the TF700T so the antennas lie directly behind the plastic strip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone who is not sure where the Antennas are located IN THE PRIME, has either forgotten, or never saw probably the best write up on the subject. This explaination by AnandTech was quoted (and misquoted) widely, but few used the diagrams. Further evidence is in his (seperate) article with a full teardown of a Prime:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
See attached diagram. I sure Hope that Asus Has NOT moved the antennas. Have you all looked at the diagrams of the diversity WiFi and (single)GPS antennas in the Prime? They are ALREADY under where the plastic strip appears in the TF700T. That was what pissed me off the most, and the fact that it was 3 weeks into the Primes release. Had to take a LITTLE time to conceive, create and fit a new cover, from concept to working
model... say a few weeks? Ittseemed so obvious that it was a direct
response to the GPS issues, and AnandTechs discussion of plastic
covers over antennas, ala Apple.
On the redesigned back panel thing. While this may be a good way for Asus to recover a lot of lost faith and good will, this is no simple thing, and it is not as the OP envisions it. As good as his intentions might be, that back cover is super difficult to remove/replace as the gasket is pretty much all that holds the internals into the metal section. It is part of the Tablets structure, and it is the MAIN part that provides strength, structure, and integrity to the entire package. The other part, the Corning Gorilla Glass that covers the LCD is the other, but contributes substantially less. If you were to create a plastic section, or worse still an all plastic or polycarbonate, the unit would likely be a creaker and a squeaker. Plus, I think just disassembling these breaks the integrity of the unit, and I am not convinced that they can reassemble them as well as the manufacturing line can when they are built. A lot of reports came out of screens moving or being partially detached. Check the threads and see, but I suspect these were units disassembled for Wifi fixes perhaps. All I know is, cosmetically, mine is perfect, and I would be very concerned if it went in for service. Kind of like giving your Aston Martin to the tire guys at Walmart. You know they can do the work, but worry about what respect the hardware will get (usually it's none)
SmartAs$Phone said:
Anyone who is not sure where the Antennas are located IN THE PRIME, has either forgotten, or never saw probably the best write up on the subject. This explaination by AnandTech was quoted (and misquoted) widely, but few used the diagrams. Further evidence is in his (seperate) article with a full teardown of a Prime:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
See attached diagram. I sure Hope that Asus Has NOT moved the antennas. Have you all looked at the diagrams of the diversity WiFi and (single)GPS antennas in the Prime? They are ALREADY under where the plastic strip appears in the TF700T. That was what pissed me off the most, and the fact that it was 3 weeks into the Primes release. Had to take a LITTLE time to conceive, create and fit a new cover, from concept to working
model... say a few weeks? Ittseemed so obvious that it was a direct
response to the GPS issues, and AnandTechs discussion of plastic
covers over antennas, ala Apple.
On the redesigned back panel thing. While this may be a good way for Asus to recover a lot of lost faith and good will, this is no simple thing, and it is not as the OP envisions it. As good as his intentions might be, that back cover is super difficult to remove/replace as the gasket is pretty much all that holds the internals into the metal section. It is part of the Tablets structure, and it is the MAIN part that provides strength, structure, and integrity to the entire package. The other part, the Corning Gorilla Glass that covers the LCD is the other, but contributes substantially less. If you were to create a plastic section, or worse still an all plastic or polycarbonate, the unit would likely be a creaker and a squeaker. Plus, I think just disassembling these breaks the integrity of the unit, and I am not convinced that they can reassemble them as well as the manufacturing line can when they are built. A lot of reports came out of screens moving or being partially detached. Check the threads and see, but I suspect these were units disassembled for Wifi fixes perhaps. All I know is, cosmetically, mine is perfect, and I would be very concerned if it went in for service. Kind of like giving your Aston Martin to the tire guys at Walmart. You know they can do the work, but worry about what respect the hardware will get (usually it's none)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If the 201 backplate is anything similar to the 101, then removing it will be an easy task. And if the backplate can be modified in a shop by cutting a strip off the top, smoothing the rough edges and mating it with a strip of plastic, I think the cost will be affordable. Here's a video of the 101 backplate disassembly using a thin plastic release tool and a phillips screwdriver:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG9gEYRALtU
However, as pointed out, the fix must first be tested and proven to work on all Primes or at least those with no issues other than weakened rf signals.
Related
Now we know that the full metal back plate is the sole reason of weak WiFi and bad GPS performance.
ASUS admited it, and we can read as well explanation from AnandTech:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
So, what's the chance of ASUS redesigned the back plate?
Probably just patching the antenna area with plastic, that should be enough.
That would be awesome!
People used to laugh at Samsung because they always put plastic back cover. Now, suddenly we all need plastic one!
imho we still know nothing at all about the effects of the backplate.
Asus may well just be saying that because they got sick of the spam.
Until someone picks it apart and actually tries GPS without the backplate,
its all just merely a bunch of speculations.
It's amazing how dumb the engineers were know this one..... Not only the aluminum backplate but the placement and execution of the speaker is horrible not big enough holes to let the sound out well. Also just realized with Bluetooth on my speedtests are basically cut in half. Hopefully they fired the entire engineering department and are designing a 2nd Gen Prime right now.
Sokonomi said:
imho we still know nothing at all about the effects of the backplate.
Asus may well just be saying that because they got sick of the spam.
Until someone picks it apart and actually tries GPS without the backplate,
its all just merely a bunch of speculations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
Sokonomi said:
imho we still know nothing at all about the effects of the backplate.
Asus may well just be saying that because they got sick of the spam.
Until someone picks it apart and actually tries GPS without the backplate,
its all just merely a bunch of speculations.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah we do know the effects of the back plate. There's a reason why smart engineers do not shield GPS with aluminium. I am fairly certain that some Asus people got in trouble for such a mistake.
Can we get an aftermarket plastic backplate? I'd buy one in a second. This device would go from zero to hero in my book.
EDIT: Trouble? Dude there are a bunch of former ASUS engineers LFW.
Those of you who call it speculation. Make a pouch out of some aluminum foil, press speedtest and put the tablet into the pouch and close it. Voila, NO WIFI/GPS/BT. It's like magic.
Very slim to none at least in the near future. Not only do they have to redesign the backplate, but they need to re-position the GPS, Bluetooth, and Wifi. Once they have that set, Asus needs to rework their production line (which isn't cheap) to be configured to the new changes.
Once everything is figured out.. it'll be re-branded/tagged as TF 201A or something to that degree.
Just wish there was a way to make a round window in the backing like apple has around the asus logo and put plastic plug in.....
This could have been a ground breaking product. In my opinion they have ruined their reputation with this fiasco. I have a feeling within the next three months we'll be seeing primes coming out with some type of plastic window. Which of course it will be too late for us to return ours. When you put out a wifi only version the wifi better work flawlessly.
Isn't there some typ of spray coating they could have used on the inside of the backing or on the outside to help in radio reception?
Well, if there is aftermarket plastic back plate, question is how to replace it? I don't think that is an easy task. I expect there is no screw or something easy that we can crack open using common tool (screw driver).
To be honest, if I were ASUS, I will stop current production and change the back plate design. Several options:
1. Put rounded "window" patch from plastic large enough in the antenna area. Or something like the 3G model of Apple iPad with that black bar patch.
2. Put some kind of (speaker) grill there for aesthetic design and hide the plastic patch underneath it.
Not the whole back plate though.
Probably this will cost a lot of money to "change" their current order of (millions) back plate, but I think changing this is much better for their future product image/ reputation, rather than selling as it is now.
Granted, not all people do care with crap GPS (I don't care! I wont use it as car navigation), but for example with WiFi. Current situation, put people in "doubt". Even though many tests proved WiFi is OK, not great, but sufficient enough. However, the doubt feeling is there ... "Will the WiFi good enough at my house?" ... knowing the device is NOT designed perfectly ...
That Anandtech article is great. I like how he points out the the ipad 2 wifi model doesn't support GPS either.
That's what I've got my phone for.
gogol said:
Now we know that the full metal back plate is the sole reason of weak WiFi and bad GPS performance.
ASUS admited it, and we can read as well explanation from AnandTech:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5285/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-gps-issue-explained
So, what's the chance of ASUS redesigned the back plate?
Probably just patching the antenna area with plastic, that should be enough.
That would be awesome!
People used to laugh at Samsung because they always put plastic back cover. Now, suddenly we all need plastic one!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the link to that article. it was a good read. as far as the redisign goes, I'd side with what the Anandtech guy said and that it would be highly unlikely. too many units have been pushed out already. plus its main comoetitior, the wifi only ipad2 doesn't even have a GPS chip in it. only the 3g one. also the ipad2 having less wifi range than original Ipad based on placement of wifi antenna near speaker grill was a new one. if there is a redesign, it'll be down the road. too many units are being sold at a fast rate to stop production and redesign. despite the GPS flaw, this device is still selling like hotcakes. everywhere sells out instantly once available online. there are tons of people on backorder still. I still feel lucky to be able to own one so early. I'd do it all over again if I could.
now what would be cool is if Asus send us a voucher or something for a free 32gb memory card or major discount on a dock or something. I'd gladly take that instead.
Falhawk said:
That Anandtech article is great. I like how he points out the the ipad 2 wifi model doesn't support GPS either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because it doesn't have a GPS receiver...not a valid comparison, he only stated this for "popularity" not functionality...
markimar said:
Just wish there was a way to make a round window in the backing like apple has around the asus logo and put plastic plug in.....
This could have been a ground breaking product. In my opinion they have ruined their reputation with this fiasco. I have a feeling within the next three months we'll be seeing primes coming out with some type of plastic window. Which of course it will be too late for us to return ours. When you put out a wifi only version the wifi better work flawlessly.
Isn't there some typ of spray coating they could have used on the inside of the backing or on the outside to help in radio reception?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you meant return it to the store you purchased it from, but the Prime has a 1 year warranty from Asus.
gogol said:
Well, if there is aftermarket plastic back plate, question is how to replace it? I don't think that is an easy task. I expect there is no screw or something easy that we can crack open using common tool (screw driver).
To be honest, if I were ASUS, I will stop current production and change the back plate design. Several options:
1. Put rounded "window" patch from plastic large enough in the antenna area. Or something like the 3G model of Apple iPad with that black bar patch.
2. Put some kind of (speaker) grill there for aesthetic design and hide the plastic patch underneath it.
Not the whole back plate though.
Probably this will cost a lot of money to "change" their current order of (millions) back plate, but I think changing this is much better for their future product image/ reputation, rather than selling as it is now.
Granted, not all people do care with crap GPS (I don't care! I wont use it as car navigation), but for example with WiFi. Current situation, put people in "doubt". Even though many tests proved WiFi is OK, not great, but sufficient enough. However, the doubt feeling is there ... "Will the WiFi good enough at my house?" ... knowing the device is NOT designed perfectly ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really not simple in business perspective. Asus really needs to be creative with their design because:
1. Prime got a lot of publicity for Aluminum backplate (they can't just replace the whole thing with plastic cover)
2. Apple patents.. Simply attaching RF window & Asus plastic cover to the likes of iPad 2 simply screams of lawsuit from Apple.
markimar said:
Just wish there was a way to make a round window in the backing like apple has around the asus logo and put plastic plug in.....
This could have been a ground breaking product. In my opinion they have ruined their reputation with this fiasco. I have a feeling within the next three months we'll be seeing primes coming out with some type of plastic window. Which of course it will be too late for us to return ours. When you put out a wifi only version the wifi better work flawlessly.
Isn't there some typ of spray coating they could have used on the inside of the backing or on the outside to help in radio reception?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Asus reputation not ruined. The Prime is still the most desired and hard to find tablet out now. Despite GPS flaw, its still ground breaking technology. the GPS doesn't hold any weight when it comes to that title. at least we have a Gps chip period. ipad2 wifi version doesn't even have one. The Prime will still be known as the worlds first next generation Quad/5 core tablet that had alot of firsts. Best display out of any tablet out being another one.
as far as wifi goes,my unit doesn't have any issues or gripes in that regard. haven't noticed anything different than with my Ipad as far as connectivity and speed goes. once developers unlock bootloader and adjust the kernel values n such, we might end up having the best wifi of any tablet due to dual antennaes. plus we haven't even seen the positive impacts ICS will have on wireless performance with its updated drivers and better coding. only a few more days to go
shinzz said:
It's really not simple in business perspective. Asus really needs to be creative with their design because:
1. Prime got a lot of publicity for Aluminum backplate (they can't just replace the whole thing with plastic cover)
2. Apple patents.. Simply attaching RF window & Asus plastic cover to the likes of iPad 2 simply screams of lawsuit from Apple.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Found an article about the patent:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...s-new-kind-of-logo-antenna-for-portables.html
So, as long as it is not a "logo", ASUS should be safe, no?
setite said:
Those of you who call it speculation. Make a pouch out of some aluminum foil, press speedtest and put the tablet into the pouch and close it. Voila, NO WIFI/GPS/BT. It's like magic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah.. except the prime isn't a closed envelope, furthermore the GPS antenna isn't even facing towards the back.
If you want to do a REAL comparison, find a metal surface and put your phone ontop of it. See how the GPS reacts.
MAYBE it ll diminish just a little, but it will never be completely dead in the water like some if not most primes are.
gogol said:
Found an article about the patent:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...s-new-kind-of-logo-antenna-for-portables.html
So, as long as it is not a "logo", ASUS should be safe, no?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll never know with Apple. Heck, they filed a lawsuit against Samsung for creating rectangular tablet (that and bezel and few other ridiculous reason).
setite said:
Can we get an aftermarket plastic backplate? I'd buy one in a second. This device would go from zero to hero in my book.
EDIT: Trouble? Dude there are a bunch of former ASUS engineers LFW.
Those of you who call it speculation. Make a pouch out of some aluminum foil, press speedtest and put the tablet into the pouch and close it. Voila, NO WIFI/GPS/BT. It's like magic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know why everyone likes to point to a full metal enclosure as proof of the poor engineering design. Its not analogous to the prime at all.
I have actually made an aluminum foil backing for my phone out of curiosity and it had zero effect on my speedtest results (didn't check gps).
Basically everything is pointing to the metal backing is the cause of the problems, although I too would love to actually see the results with a unit sans backplate.
cry me a river.
gogol said:
Well, if there is aftermarket plastic back plate, question is how to replace it? I don't think that is an easy task. I expect there is no screw or something easy that we can crack open using common tool (screw driver).
To be honest, if I were ASUS, I will stop current production and change the back plate design. Several options:
1. Put rounded "window" patch from plastic large enough in the antenna area. Or something like the 3G model of Apple iPad with that black bar patch.
2. Put some kind of (speaker) grill there for aesthetic design and hide the plastic patch underneath it.
Not the whole back plate though.
Probably this will cost a lot of money to "change" their current order of (millions) back plate, but I think changing this is much better for their future product image/ reputation, rather than selling as it is now.
Granted, not all people do care with crap GPS (I don't care! I wont use it as car navigation), but for example with WiFi. Current situation, put people in "doubt". Even though many tests proved WiFi is OK, not great, but sufficient enough. However, the doubt feeling is there ... "Will the WiFi good enough at my house?" ... knowing the device is NOT designed perfectly ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so you're just going to repeat everything you heard Anand say?
None of that is going to happen, get over it.
Hi,
since there are obviously GPS problems due to the aluminium back i thought if there are replacement backs/shells from Synthetics or plastic/rubber?
I would really like a soft-rubber backside. it would 'stick' to surfaces so you can easily place it on uneven surface without it moving in every direction
I am pretty sure there aren't any 3rd party replacement backplates for the TF Prime, the device is too new and more importantly the back isn't made to be user-removable so marketing such a product would be challenging. I know that similar products exist for iPhones and other Apple devices, but honestly those devices easily sell 10-20 times the number that the TF Prime is likely to sell so I wouldn't get my hopes up hoping that someone creates one.
If you want a non-slippery backside to your tablet you can achieve this by applying a Zagg or similar skin to the back of the tablet. If you like the way the tablet looks you can even get a clear one which should be barely noticeable when applied.
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/11/spray-on-antenna-revealed-best-thing-to-come-in-a-can-since-eas
http://www.chamtechops.com/Kit/Kit.html
Kind thinking about spraying it on to the entire inside of the aluminum cover and turn the whole thing into an antenna. Have to call and see what the price is though. Heck, they just sprayed it onto a piece of tape and saw several magnitudes increase in range and power efficiency.
Spray on antenna
m.engadget.com/default/article.do?a...ge=1&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews
I was looking on pulse today and I found this. It would solve the issues with the prime. Just spray it on the aluminum back by the pcb to the outside. No drill holes or wires.
I want it!
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
ChrisDos said:
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/11/spray-on-antenna-revealed-best-thing-to-come-in-a-can-since-eas
http://www.chamtechops.com/Kit/Kit.html
Kind thinking about spraying it on to the entire inside of the aluminum cover and turn the whole thing into an antenna. Have to call and see what the price is though. Heck, they just sprayed it onto a piece of tape and saw several magnitudes increase in range and power efficiency.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think thats a great idea as long as you don't accidently spray two leads that shouldn't connect to each other. You could fry the board!
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1492135
I have to say, if the Prime performed so poorly for me in some area where I needed to resort to this kind of "fix," I'd have returned it long ago. I mean, mine works great for my needs--I've not yet run into a situation where wifi wasn't strong enough, and I'm one of those who don't care about GPS.
If neither of those were true, though, I'd not be spraying some crap on mine to try to make it work for me... Unless I were just wanting to hack something, in which case I'd find something a little less expensive. Unless I had limited cash, in which case... Okay, maybe I'd do it.
I read that spray on antenna story today and thought directly of the Prime
wynand32 said:
I have to say, if the Prime performed so poorly for me in some area where I needed to resort to this kind of "fix," I'd have returned it long ago. I mean, mine works great for my needs--I've not yet run into a situation where wifi wasn't strong enough, and I'm one of those who don't care about GPS.
If neither of those were true, though, I'd not be spraying some crap on mine to try to make it work for me... Unless I were just wanting to hack something, in which case I'd find something a little less expensive. Unless I had limited cash, in which case... Okay, maybe I'd do it.
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I'm assuming that this thread is just a little joke. You can watch the presentation over on wesolveforx.com or in the "opened my prime" thread where I have already linked this article. This product will not be available commercially for quite some time yet, however I do think Asus should be the first mass purchasers so that whenever a prime comes in for wifi/GPS issues, they just paint this wonderful organic nano capacitor compound onto the antennae and send it back out with the best dBm ever on any device.
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Lock-N-Load said:
I read that spray on antenna story today and thought directly of the Prime
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Yup yup.
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It would pretty cool to have this on my Galaxy Nexus. Then I would get reception at school -.-
The connection is usually 1 bar and then it drops.
wouldn't the length of the antenna need to be a multiple of the wavelength? (CS not EE so excuse me if I am incorrect )
Can someone make a 3rd party back plate to fix the wifi? I would pay for one that fixes the wifi strength. I love the prime but, when I travel its hard to signal strength in some of he hotel rooms. or has anyone seen anything made already? I don't want to have wires all over the place.
Someone should design it, actually put it on. And install it for cheep.
You sir, would make some $
I would pay between $80 to 100 for a streamlined professional looking backplate.
Assuming it fixed GPS and wifi.
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benefit14snake said:
I would pay between $80 to 100 for a streamlined professional looking backplate.
Assuming it fixed GPS and wifi.
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+1
don't really care about GPS only wifi, but if it fixes GPS even better
David522d said:
Someone should design it, actually put it on. And install it for cheep.
You sir, would make some $
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If only making it is that easy lol. The back is where majority of electronics are (circuit boards, battery, wires, etc). Someone will need to make the same exact back mold with all the screw post so you can screw the electronics back in. That itself wont be cheap. And most people will not wanna do this and then risk damaging parts and even voiding warranty. So profit margin will be slim or even none.
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benefit14snake said:
I would pay between $80 to 100 for a streamlined professional looking backplate.
Assuming it fixed GPS and wifi.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
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OR just wait for the 700t with the proper back place along with higher res screen if you're going to pay 80-100 just for a back plate plus all the labor and warranty and damage risks.
it actually is as simple as taking the design to someone with a machine and paying them a few hundred dollars to produce about a hundred of them, then sell them online for double your investment.
ickkii said:
it actually is as simple as taking the design to someone with a machine and paying them a few hundred dollars to produce about a hundred of them, then sell them online for double your investment.
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From what I understand its not easy and takes a while to make a mold specially with all the mount holes having small brass nuts built into them. Also you are infringing on copyright laws if you do this. Unless I guess you sell it under the table. It's one thing to have one made for personal use but for mass production I would be careful.
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On another note not replying to yours but....Also to make a mold it would have to be plastic obviously and would have to be thicker to keep the rigidness of the device. That might deter buyers and then also some of your cases will no longer work. Also you would not be able to dock it anymore if you have a dock.
aznmode said:
From what I understand its not easy and takes a while to make a mold specially with all the mount holes having small brass nuts built into them. Also you are infringing on copyright laws if you do this. Unless I guess you sell it under the table. It's one thing to have one made for personal use but for mass production I would be careful.
---------- Post added at 04:50 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:42 PM ----------
On another note not replying to yours but....Also to make a mold it would have to be plastic obviously and would have to be thicker to keep the rigidness of the device. That might deter buyers and then also some of your cases will no longer work. Also you would not be able to dock it anymore if you have a dock.
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I for one would buy it in a heart beat if it was reasonable priced. As for not being able to use the dock anymore, I don't understand what your saying. Anyways, +1.
newellj79 said:
I for one would buy it in a heart beat if it was reasonable priced. As for not being able to use the dock anymore, I don't understand what your saying. Anyways, +1.
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What i meant was to have the same rigidity as the aluminum back you would have to make the plastic back thicker at probably 1mm to 2mm. So this will add to the entire thickness of the tablet making it too tight to fit in the keyboard slot. If you look in the cases thread if you have a skinomo back skin and screen protector that it becomes very difficult insert the tablet in to the dock.
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I dont think many of you realize.... EVERYTHING is screwed or glued to the back. Everything. The battery, the wires, theres several smaller boards that are screwed or glued in...
Attached is a pic of the back plate on its own. You would then need to basically remove the top 1cm or so, replace it with plastic or otherwise, and finish the whole thing off with some kind of paint or coating so it doesnt look hidious.
THEN you would have to open the prime, detach all the components (theres a lot of them), and reattach them to the new back and hope to God you didnt screw anything up.
There was a guy who wanted to get a quote for doing manufacturing a backplate out of resin or something, he didnt get enough people backing the idea. For something like this to fly you would need at least 100 people to say ya i'll throw $100 at this for parts and just getting the project rolling, and you would have to install it on your prime yourself.
pileot said:
I dont think many of you realize.... EVERYTHING is screwed or glued to the back. Everything. The battery, the wires, theres several smaller boards that are screwed or glued in...
Attached is a pic of the back plate on its own. You would then need to basically remove the top 1cm or so, replace it with plastic or otherwise, and finish the whole thing off with some kind of paint or coating so it doesnt look hidious.
THEN you would have to open the prime, detach all the components (theres a lot of them), and reattach them to the new back and hope to God you didnt screw anything up.
There was a guy who wanted to get a quote for doing manufacturing a backplate out of resin or something, he didnt get enough people backing the idea. For something like this to fly you would need at least 100 people to say ya i'll throw $100 at this for parts and just getting the project rolling, and you would have to install it on your prime yourself.
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Maybe they can just make some kind of window near the wifi antenna so the wifi can exit.... something...
Wouldnt it be easier to just use a dremel to cut a nice cut or even a design. Use some LEDs to customize it, thinking of xbox and 360 mods now thats how I modded my 360 cut a hole on top for bigger fan, temps went down 15 to 20c Then you could use lexon or plexiglass. Place that against the metal backplate and glue it to the backplate. Might work?
I want to try it.
I was thinking about using fiber glass. I'm pretty experience with custom fiber glass subbox.
I want to do some research about how things are screwed and glued first.
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pileot said:
I dont think many of you realize.... EVERYTHING is screwed or glued to the back. Everything. The battery, the wires, theres several smaller boards that are screwed or glued in...
Attached is a pic of the back plate on its own. You would then need to basically remove the top 1cm or so, replace it with plastic or otherwise, and finish the whole thing off with some kind of paint or coating so it doesnt look hidious.
THEN you would have to open the prime, detach all the components (theres a lot of them), and reattach them to the new back and hope to God you didnt screw anything up.
There was a guy who wanted to get a quote for doing manufacturing a backplate out of resin or something, he didnt get enough people backing the idea. For something like this to fly you would need at least 100 people to say ya i'll throw $100 at this for parts and just getting the project rolling, and you would have to install it on your prime yourself.
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+1 exactly what ive been saying. Thanks for providing the image.
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nice info here
oduca said:
I want to try it.
I was thinking about using fiber glass. I'm pretty experience with custom fiber glass subbox.
I want to do some research about how things are screwed and glued first.
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That would be awesome! We all need this!
drvsbsm said:
Wouldnt it be easier to just use a dremel to cut a nice cut or even a design. Use some LEDs to customize it, thinking of xbox and 360 mods now thats how I modded my 360 cut a hole on top for bigger fan, temps went down 15 to 20c Then you could use lexon or plexiglass. Place that against the metal backplate and glue it to the backplate. Might work?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're going to cut I suggest you cut the 2 areas here. If you fail you can always put a skin on the back to cover the holes. Now I dont know if this will work as someone already tried drilling holes in this area but still had to run a wire from inside and then out the holes to get gps to work.
Someone just needs to make a hack that looks good and sell it for like $75 with a $150 core charge.. Then the person could send the core back, get a refund and someone could hack that one and have it ready to sell.. I would pay for one modded that looks factory..
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Does anyone know if this works?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsRqjG8i3Vw&feature=fvwrel
There is an additional issue...
In the "opened my prime" thread (if you dig through the 100+ pages) you find an additional issue... Interference. The backplate is not only blocking a signal, but also drowning it out in electronic noise.
Those of us who have tried putting a wire from the antennas outside the prime notice a very distinct improvment in signal strength. Soon as that wire gets to within an inch or so of the prime backplate all signal drops.
The holes would have to be large enough to account for this noise, and perhaps some sort of RF absorbant layer put between the antennas and the case.
Please do not get me wrong, i would LOVE to see an elegant yet simple solution however most people have not dug deep enough to find the reason Asus seems to have abandoned the prime is not because they want to, but because of unforseen design flaws.
On paper, great ideas, and i want you to succeed, im just giving you more information i have learned in my own quest for better signal strength.
I have noticed for a while now, the metal between the charging port and the screen on my prime occasionally bends in slightly for reasons unknown (perhaps a port connection with the dock? The way I hold the tracker itself? I dunno). I have thought nothing of it, and usually just push my thumb there to bend it back to its original location upon noticing it. This was undesirable, but acceptable up until a couple of weeks ago when I realized that the repeated stress on that little strip of metal finally took its toll, and it appeared to be snapped in the center. Again, I pushed it back to the original orientation, but the damage is now done. This makes me unhappy and must be a design flaw. I take the prime almost everywhere I go and use the heck out of it, but I absolutely baby this device. There's no reason why this should have happened.
I can still charge my prime with no issues. I usually keep my prime either in a cheap faux leather case, or in the case and connected to the dock. I've had my prime since May, and have been completely satisfied with this one exception.
Has anyone else had this same problem? We're you able to have Asus fix the issue, or replace the backing, etc? Is this the beginning of the end for my prime? Like I wrote, I am not having any related issues from this at this time. I do not wish to mail it in, but don't want this to get any worse and have problems with my screen because of the lack of any kind of rear support in that little location. Any shared experiences would be appreciated.
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Same problem here, all the color has gone and has a wavy shape to it. Not snapped yet though.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda app-developers app
Likewise, mine has been like this for a while. Can't fathom what might be the reason as the regular charging cord wouldn't cause damage like this.
The dock on the other hand, is a very likely culprit.
Scribbled with the Note II
1. Docking has bent the aluminium frame above the tablet's port
Looks awful. Hopefully the circuit board's connection doesn't crack. It's only a matter of time I guess.
I noticed mine was bent a few weeks ago when I tried to charge it. I pushed it back with a small screwdriver and it looks OK. Now I am constantly looking at it Anyway, I don't hav the dock so this is not related to it (but the dock may cause it too). I put the little shipping thingy on for protection but it doesn't stay in very well. BTW- Had my Prime since Dec 27 of last year so it's taken almost a year for mine to bend. A friend has a TF700 ans his bent as well. Design flaw indeed.
Bent on mine as well.
Sent from my SPH-L710
Mine was bent upon first removal from the box. I never sent it back because they were very hard get last January. Since then I sent it in for RMA repair for the rear camera issue and Asus replaced the entire unit so problem solved!
same here. Started bending out about 6 months after purchase, then after a few more months of me pushing it back in it finally stapped in the middle. I tried to push it back in but it wouldn't go all the way back in so, and it killed me to do this because i absolutely baby my prime, i had to break the two pieces that were now hannging out becuase they were sharp as heck. I don't ever use my dock so that didn't have anything to do with it and it stays in a very sturdy case so this is obviously a deign flaw. I considered sending it back to get fixed, but after all the negative reviews i've been reading from dissatisfied rma customers i am just settling for telling everyone of my friends who ask me that I will never buy another asus product again and if they're smart they'll do the same. Not only did ASUS put out a flawed device, they refuse to fix anyones problems. I don't care about the wifi or gps problems, some devices will always be better in that respect, but when it comes to hardware defects, such as this problem with the casing breaking off, and about 8 months after i bought the prime the small thin plastic piece that separates the two rows of pins in the prime charging port snapped in half and fell out, so now when i plug it into charge i have to be incredibly careful to not bend the pins inside the prime, and forget about me using my $150 keboard dock that completely stopped working after about 10 months. The quality of these products is just unacceptable and matched only by the insulting refusal by ASUS to do anything to assist us who, like myself, invested $650 for their crap products. whew, okay i'm done.
ASUS must realize it's a design problem. My kids broke my charge port, so I sent it in for repair. I was told they would send me an estimate on the repair cost (since it was customer damage). After not hearing from them for a couple weeks, I called up wanting to know what the hell was going on, and found out that they repaired it free of charge and was sending it back. Nice!
-Tracy
mine did the same about a week ago. I plan on taking some sandpaper and gently sanding down the sharp edges.
This isn't really a big deal for me, I am just slightly worried for the glass, but looking inside reassures me it will be fine with the metal plate behind it.
I actually like that my charger goes in a little easier now, although I'll probably have to shell out 30 bucks to buy a replacement soon, the plastic broke off it a while ago.
I'm not even mad, have squaretrade warranty for another year or so - just waiting for an 'accident' to happen, hopefully around the time a new transformer comes. Not interested in infinity after hearing prime can get better FPS and battery life. Hopefully a tablet with a 1280x800 display and next gen hardware will be on the way soon.