Hi,
this morning someone sent me a link from Tom's Hardware about this tablet. The articles mentions that some people have modded their case to improve GPS signals.
I wonder why Asus don't revise this product to address this issue.
Sent from my HTC Desire using xda premium
You DONT even have to do all that anymore. Asus is offering free GPS dongles to people who purchase a prime. Offer ends in July. Just take a look in my GPS dongle test thread. Then take a look at the link in my signature THST says positive transformer thread.
Prime is a great device. Get one asap
Well first of all, I find it hard to believe that the aluminum case is causing 100% of the problem. Because, if it were then like you said, why not just change the design of the backplate? My guess is that simply adding a plastic strip to the top of the backplate would not improve GPS performance that much. And personally I think the plastic strip look is ugly as hell. What they could have done is kept the all aluminum finish and just relocated the antenna to behind a speaker grill, which is similar to what other devices with metal casings have done. I am sure the GPS still wouldn't be 'professional grade' but it would at least be better than what we currently have.
Either way, the whole GPS problem was something that was obviously not 'caught' until really late in the production process. If it were caught earlier, I am sure something more pro-active would have been done about it. But by the time they found out, they were in too deep to make a hardware change as they were most likely already in mass production. The early regions of where the device was released they had already advertised the thing as having GPS, both on the box and on the official spec sheets. Then when it was released these people found out that GPS was virtually non-functional and ASUS had to quickly back track and pull GPS as a feature from the spec list. My guess is their lawyers told them they need to do something to avoid a class action law suit and any further bad press around this whole situation. So their options were:
1) Recall the device and then modify the hardware in some way to fix the GPS problem (whether that be done via a newly designed back pate or whatever). And then any new ones produced would obviously have this hardware change incorporated as well.
2) Offer a free addon that improves GPS performance.
As we now know, they went with option 2, which I am sure was also the cheaper route. Also, option 1 would imply an admission of guilt in that they messed up. The GPS dongle option allows them to say: "Although the TF201 is not a professional GPS device, as part of our unwavering commitment to our customers we are offering all customers who purchased a TF201 system a free external GPS extension kit, called a dongle, which may help improve signal reception and optimize the user experience".
Honestly I do not care about GPS in a tablet and I will probably only ever use my dongle a select few times in the entire span that I own and use the Prime. I do think it is good that ASUS is doing something about it though. Other companies may very well have just brushed this thing under the rug and moved on with life (which is what I assumed ASUS has been doing until we found out about the GPS dongle).
jordache16 said:
Well first of all, I find it hard to believe that the aluminum case is causing 100% of the problem. Because, if it were then like you said, why not just change the design of the backplate? My guess is that simply adding a plastic strip to the top of the backplate would not improve GPS performance that much. And personally I think the plastic strip look is ugly as hell. What they could have done is kept the all aluminum finish and just relocated the antenna to behind a speaker grill, which is similar to what other devices with metal casings have done. I am sure the GPS still wouldn't be 'professional grade' but it would at least be better than what we currently have.
Either way, the whole GPS problem was something that was obviously not 'caught' until really late in the production process. If it were caught earlier, I am sure something more pro-active would have been done about it. But by the time they found out, they were in too deep to make a hardware change as they were most likely already in mass production. The early regions of where the device was released they had already advertised the thing as having GPS, both on the box and on the official spec sheets. Then when it was released these people found out that GPS was virtually non-functional and ASUS had to quickly back track and pull GPS as a feature from the spec list. My guess is their lawyers told them they need to do something to avoid a class action law suit and any further bad press around this whole situation. So their options were:
1) Recall the device and then modify the hardware in some way to fix the GPS problem (whether that be done via a newly designed back pate or whatever). And then any new ones produced would obviously have this hardware change incorporated as well.
2) Offer a free addon that improves GPS performance.
As we now know, they went with option 2, which I am sure was also the cheaper route. Also, option 1 would imply an admission of guilt in that they messed up. The GPS dongle option allows them to say: "Although the TF201 is not a professional GPS device, as part of our unwavering commitment to our customers we are offering all customers who purchased a TF201 system a free external GPS extension kit, called a dongle, which may help improve signal reception and optimize the user experience".
Honestly I do not care about GPS in a tablet and I will probably only ever use my dongle a select few times in the entire span that I own and use the Prime. I do think it is good that ASUS is doing something about it though. Other companies may very well have just brushed this thing under the rug and moved on with life (which is what I assumed ASUS has been doing until we found out about the GPS dongle).
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+1...although the solution of a GPS dongle really kills the idea of a TRANSFORMER prime...cant use it with the keyboard dock, and its not as flush and they said it is..you wont be able to use majority of the leather cases and etc when you are using the dongle
I have owned the prime for months. My wifi strength is fine and I dont use GPS enough to justify the problem.
proxus01 said:
I have owned the prime for months. My wifi strength is fine and I dont use GPS enough to justify the problem.
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Same here.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
kwazytazz said:
+1...although the solution of a GPS dongle really kills the idea of a TRANSFORMER prime...
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Not really - now it can TRANSFORM into a 'professional grade' GPS device! ;-)
Regards,
Dave
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2
jordache16 said:
why not just change the design of the backplate?
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They are, for the 300 and 700 series, back to plastic where the radios are going. iPad tried behind the speaker grille and it still has issues. Its better than nothing but def not perfect.
Yes, the black strip doesnt always look as appealing, however you could cover it with a case or carbon fiber sticker or whatever, i'd much rather go for plastic strip over no radio reception.
And also yes, the interference can definately be 10000% caused by the metalic back plate. Both by blocking the signal and RF noise. Everything pretty much is grounded to the metal back and it, in turn, has a lot of RF noise associated with it. If i attach a lead to the gps or wifi contact inside the tablet and have the wire run outside the tab i get excellent reception. Once that wire goes within about an inch of the tablet the signal drops dramatically. Even if the access point is on the proper side of the tablet so its not blocking the signal.
Asus knows how to make killer electronics. they did an amazing job on the prime, however the demand caught them off guard. They tried to do something different with the metalic design and got caught with their pants down. They will get it right eventually and in the mean time we are at least getting SOMETHING (free dongle for gps, why not?)
The prime is a great tablet, awesome for watching movies, playing games, browsing the internet. ya, the wifi is not that great, i look forward to mods for using the dongle for wifi instead of GPS, but in the mean time this is the best we got, and its good enough. When the 700 comes out i may sell my prime for that but i got money in my pocket. if your on a budget, buy the TF101, its still better than any other tablet (aside from the 201 IMO), or wait for the 300 series which will still be a cost efficent tablet.
Asus is doing their best to remedy this situation. They are a big company and big machines move slow. Considering their track record i will still continue buying their products. I have been impressed overall by the prime, and the 101 before it, and look forward to the 700 when it comes out. Continue doing your research and determine what is going to be important for you (and if you do go Prime make damn sure to test it every way you can before accepting it).
proxus01 said:
I have owned the prime for months. My wifi strength is fine and I dont use GPS enough to justify the problem.
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Same for me.
proxus01 said:
I have owned the prime for months. My wifi strength is fine and I dont use GPS enough to justify the problem.
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SoTacMatt said:
Same here.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
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texstar said:
Same for me.
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same here..lmao
my wifi been been performing great where ever i go. whether at home, traveling and tethering, or some where else and hooking up to another public or private network.
The worst problem with the prime is the constant freezes it has...
It`s frustrating.
Tried all the browsers people recommend and the problem persists.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
Related
Well it appears this is a design flaw!
When they where designing it they should have used some plastic! Using all metal backing makes the signal weak as hell!
Even if they can fix this problem idk! It would still be really weak!
For an example if you look at the ipad there is plastic for the Apple logo behind this is the wifi anttena!
Hopefully the back really is plastic and they did not overlook that problem! And it's just imperfections in the antenna!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
I am pretty sure the Asus tech guys aren't totally dumb. I think they know about problems with WiFi and metal...
I guess the antenna is somewhere in the bezel. Anandtech (i think they were the ones) said that with their new unit wifi was okay, but it depends on the holding angle of the prime.
So it seems we DO have to take some comprises for having a full metal back. But I think I can life with that
Diamondback2010 said:
I am pretty sure the Asus tech guys aren't totally dumb. I think they know about problems with WiFi and metal...
I guess the antenna is somewhere in the bezel. Anandtech (i think they were the ones) said that with their new unit wifi was okay, but it depends on the holding angle of the prime.
So it seems we DO have to take some comprises for having a full metal back. But I think I can life with that
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Yeah but even still It's not a tablet unless you get great Internet signal!
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Diamondback2010 said:
I am pretty sure the Asus tech guys aren't totally dumb. I think they know about problems with WiFi and metal...
I guess the antenna is somewhere in the bezel. Anandtech (i think they were the ones) said that with their new unit wifi was okay, but it depends on the holding angle of the prime.
So it seems we DO have to take some comprises for having a full metal back. But I think I can life with that
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Click to collapse
Anandtech said the new unit was better, but not as good as the original Transformer in terms of WIFI.
Don't assume that ASUS is not capable of making such a stupid mistake. There have been lots of cases of top tier companies shipping out products with such design flaws, and I don't think ASUS is in the category of top tier company. I work in a fortune 500 company, and we get the first batch of a lot of laptops, and we test them before the workers get them. Sometimes I'm amazed at the lack of basic quality control when these devices first come out. It's like they ship out beta hardware.
Ectoplasmic said:
Anandtech said the new unit was better, but not as good as the original Transformer in terms of WIFI.
Don't assume that ASUS is not capable of making such a stupid mistake. There have been lots of cases of top tier companies shipping out products with such design flaws, and I don't think ASUS is in the category of top tier company. I work in a fortune 500 company, and we get the first batch of a lot of laptops, and we test them before the workers get them. Sometimes I'm amazed at the lack of basic quality control when these devices first come out. It's like they ship out beta hardware.
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There is not one doubt in my mind Asus wasn't aware that the WiFi was wearker than the TF101. However you have to realize unless the performance literally was unacceptable by whatever QC standards they have, they are able to pass the design, build the product, and ship it. Fact is only because a couple top tier reviewers recieved units that weren't up to the standards of the rest, they decided to handle the situation the way they did. In fact if they weren't aware of it, they probably would've let the stock stay as is, launch as normal, and say that "there are a small number of reported cases" as companies usually do.
Ectoplasmic said:
Anandtech said the new unit was better, but not as good as the original Transformer in terms of WIFI.
Don't assume that ASUS is not capable of making such a stupid mistake. There have been lots of cases of top tier companies shipping out products with such design flaws, and I don't think ASUS is in the category of top tier company. I work in a fortune 500 company, and we get the first batch of a lot of laptops, and we test them before the workers get them. Sometimes I'm amazed at the lack of basic quality control when these devices first come out. It's like they ship out beta hardware.
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This happened with Apple and the Iphone 4. The antenna was located in the bottom
right of the phone and signal was lost when you had your hand over it.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5178/an-update-on-transformer-prime-battery-life-wifi-issues
"Using Ookla's Speedtest.net web app I get a consistent 34 - 37Mbps on the original Eee Pad Transformer (our actual WiFi performance tests involve downloading a file from a local server, but Speedtest was a quick and easy way to verify the problem). My original Prime review sample averaged around 0.5Mbps, while the replacement Prime got around 10Mbps - all in the same test location. Fiddling around with location I could get the replacement Prime up to 16Mbps. My test area is riddled with challenging interference so I setup a separate test area in another room. Even after buying the same Netgear WNDR4500 wireless AP that ASUS verified 31Mbps+ operation on, I wasn't able to break 16Mbps.
I have four other APs covering my house, I turned all of the radios off as a last ditch effort. Boom - 36Mbps on the Prime.
The culprit appeared to be either my 3rd gen Time Capsule or 5th gen Airport Extreme, with those radios off and using the WNDR4500 I was able to get performance competitive to the original Transformer. Here's where things get interesting. The original Transformer was made out of plastic, through which RF travels quite nicely. The Prime's metal construction makes things a bit more finicky. Indeed this is exactly what I saw, where depending on tablet and AP orientation I'd see anywhere between 10Mbps and 36Mbps downstream (average speed tended to be in the 15 - 20Mbps range). "
I also think it's a mistake to assume that other reviewers would necessarily notice this problem. Other reviewers might not have tested WIFI performance at all.
Ectoplasmic said:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/5178/an-update-on-transformer-prime-battery-life-wifi-issues
"Using Ookla's Speedtest.net web app I get a consistent 34 - 37Mbps on the original Eee Pad Transformer (our actual WiFi performance tests involve downloading a file from a local server, but Speedtest was a quick and easy way to verify the problem). My original Prime review sample averaged around 0.5Mbps, while the replacement Prime got around 10Mbps - all in the same test location. Fiddling around with location I could get the replacement Prime up to 16Mbps."
I also think it's a mistake to assume that other reviewers would necessarily notice this problem. Other reviewers might not have tested WIFI performance at all.
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No one is doubting the performance isn't up to par with the TF101. It's obvious it's not. Again Asus was well aware and thought it would slip by well because of something called everyday use. If it wasn't noticed by other reviewers it's for a reason, they tested it under normal use circumstances and found it to be quite acceptible. I am in no way making excuses for Asus or the design but it is what it is. Anandtech however doesn't test like that and which is why they were able to find such a flaw. It's all about a matter of usage.
I'm about to dump my pre-order. This whole release date debacle pissed me off, and now if there is possible WIFI issues...it might be a bad investment. I've been asking myself if I really need a tablet anyhow, and the answer is probably not.
please dump it.. saves it for the people who want it.
adampdx said:
I'm about to dump my pre-order. This whole release date debacle pissed me off, and now if there is possible WIFI issues...it might be a bad investment. I've been asking myself if I really need a tablet anyhow, and the answer is probably not.
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I'm glad I didn't do the pre-order thing. I don't want to be first in line for this. I'll wait until it is generally available, and there has been time for reviews of retail units. Let other people be on the bleeding edge
I have not been close to cancelling my preorder up to this point but if this wifi issue is confirmed I may be tempted to buy the original TF. Especially considering they keep showing OOS open-box Transformers for $185 on a particular website we all know and love. If I see one in stock I think I will go that route until this issue is worked out.
I wish some more reviewers would do in-depth testing on this issue.
I hope they don't make it thicker with a redesign! It seems line it already was redesigned once aka the one poorly placed speaker...
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Wordlywisewiz said:
I hope they don't make it thicker with a redesign! It seems line it already was redesigned once aka the one poorly placed speaker...
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
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Haven't you ever seen a proper Wifi antenna? They at least as thick as your finger.
So they NEED to make it a lot thicker.
Otherwise we'll never get a proper Wifi signal.
You may better get a different device.
I am really not sure if you are trolling... But be assured, I AM.
Diamondback2010 said:
Haven't you ever seen a proper Wifi antenna? They at least as thick as your finger.
So they NEED to make it a lot thicker.
Otherwise we'll never get a proper Wifi signal.
You may better get a different device.
I am really not sure if you are trolling... But be assured, I AM.
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Well I'm just saying maybe they should have put a real wifi antenna in the dock also...
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk
Diamondback2010 said:
I am pretty sure the Asus tech guys aren't totally dumb. I think they know about problems with WiFi and metal...
I guess the antenna is somewhere in the bezel. Anandtech (i think they were the ones) said that with their new unit wifi was okay, but it depends on the holding angle of the prime.
So it seems we DO have to take some comprises for having a full metal back. But I think I can life with that
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They were dumb enough to test the Wifi after they've mass produced the thing instead of before. What makes you think otherwise?
Folks, let's tell the whole story here. What Anandtech also said:
I have four other APs covering my house, I turned all of the radios off as a last ditch effort. Boom - 36Mbps on the Prime.
The culprit appeared to be either my 3rd gen Time Capsule or 5th gen Airport Extreme, with those radios off and using the WNDR4500 I was able to get performance competitive to the original Transformer. Here's where things get interesting. The original Transformer was made out of plastic, through which RF travels quite nicely. The Prime's metal construction makes things a bit more finicky. Indeed this is exactly what I saw, where depending on tablet and AP orientation I'd see anywhere between 10Mbps and 36Mbps downstream (average speed tended to be in the 15 - 20Mbps range). Apple gets around this issue in the iPad by putting the WiFi antenna behind the plastic Apple logo, however it's not entirely clear to me where the WiFi antenna is on the Prime (I have this policy about not taking things apart until I'm done testing them).
As to why performance was lower with the Apple APs active, I'm not entirely sure. Chasing down RF interference issues can be a severe undertaking. One thing is for sure, the Prime is going to be far more finicky than its predecessor when it comes to reaching peak speeds over WiFi.
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I know that the folks at Anandtech are smart people, but it seems like the reviewer conflated some things here. I don't know how much testing he did AFTER turning off the Apple AP's, but it sure seems to me like the fluctuating results he's talking about were from before he did so. Perhaps the Prime is fine in general but just had an interference issue with the Apple APs that actually resolved itself just fine once they were turned off.
Why would there be this kind of interference with the Apple APs? I have no idea, except that it would point to something in software and not hardware. But until we have someone who does a really good job of detailing precisely where a non-defective Prime has wifi issues, I'm personally writing this off to something being broken in his first unit.
True, he did say he could get it to 36Mbps "depending on tablet and AP orientation I'd see anywhere between 10Mbps and 36Mbps downstream (average speed tended to be in the 15 - 20Mbps range)"
This, along with:
ASUS feels the WiFi range does not currently meet their standards and has delayed all shipments worldwide. At the moment there is no ETA and noinformation on available quantities on the first batch.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=20155626
As a comparison, AnandTech shows the Kindle Fire's WiFi maxes at 15.2, and I couldn't get close to that in my own tests.
i posted in multiple threads my concerns about the wifi issue when the anandtech and cnet reviews came out. i've canceled my preorder at jr but will keep my adorama and bestbuy preorders for now though. all hype i had for this thing is completely gone. now i'm like whatever.
If Anandtech was able to get full WIFI speed turning off other AP's than that points more to an interoperability issue that should be correctable through firmware/driver rather than antenna/hardware design.
Someone is offering me $450 for my Transformer Prime with the Keyboard dock. I am tempted to accept it, and wait for the prime or another tablet.
My problem with my tablet are the very weak wifi connection (for example, I cannot play HD videos on my TP whereas my EVO 4G plays the same videos with no problem at all, 3mb download while my computer gets 12mb), the lack of GPS connectivity (I have never been able to view a single satellite using GPS test), and I hate that ASUS chose to put only one speaker, which makes listening not really pleasant.
Do you think I should accept it or should I hope that ASUS will find a way to amke things better on the TP?
I don't know what kind of issues you have had, but I guess the question is do they make the tablet unusable for you, or do they just irritate you because you paid a premium for a high end tablet and (quite rightfully) expect it to work as advertised ? I ordered my Prime back in December, Amazon was out of stock and I had to wait, during the wait I read up on all the issues and seriously considered cancelling my order, but decided to give it a chance, Amazon's no hassle return policy helped a lot in this regard. I'm glad I decided to give it a whirl because the Prime meets my needs and is going to allow me to lighten up the gadget load while travelling, by replacing one of my laptops, my Kindle and potentially my iPod.
I have had my Prime for all of 8 days and so far I am pleased. The thing OTA'd itself to Sammich and presumably applied the wi-fi and GPS patches at that time. From what I have seen the wi-fi range isn't stunning, but it's more than adequate. The Wi-Fi King at my house is my little Toshiba NB201, it out ranges every other device we have in the place and it typically runs 3-8 db stronger than the Prime. But the Prime is right there with my iPod Touch, and seems a bit stronger than my wife's Toshiba laptop. GPS is so so, and that's not a real issue for me, but it'll lock up pretty quickly outside, and within 30 seconds in the house. I can't complain much about that. I have seen some of the other issues that people complain about, the browser was pretty dodgy for a couple of days after the Sammich update, I also noticed screen flicker after playing Spirit off the Market, but both those issues appear to have either fixed themselves, or the Prime pulled a fast one and updated without telling me. Either way they are fixed. I'd be hard pressed to take a $250-$350 hit unless the tablet was just unusable for my intended purpose. I hope this helps and good luck with your Prime, if you keep it make sure you hold Asus feet to the fire to get it fixed.
tablet and keyboard for $450 and you still thinking about it. Even if you don't want to keep it you can make profit out of it
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
Yep, I'd buy it off of you for that too. Why don't you throw in a SquareTrade warranty in and make this a perfect deal?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk
I was considering accepting because I am right now disappointed by the fact that I cannot watch HD videos on the net and, frankly, if a device is wifi only, the wifi connection should not suffer any weakness, and in my case, it makes me feel I have a useless device if I cannot do my favorite things on it. Also the fact that ASUS is releasing a new version of the transformer with a different back plate makes me think they now there is a problem with the current device and they are not able to fix it. But on second thought, I will keep it and hope ASUS does something to improve my experience.
Wendemixda said:
I was considering accepting because I am right now disappointed by the fact that I cannot watch HD videos on the net and, frankly, if a device is wifi only, the wifi connection should not suffer any weakness, and in my case, it makes me feel I have a useless device if I cannot do my favorite things on it. Also the fact that ASUS is releasing a new version of the transformer with a different back plate makes me think they now there is a problem with the current device and they are not able to fix it. But on second thought, I will keep it and hope ASUS does something to improve my experience.
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Lol the TF700 is just hteir "next" product that won't be out until the summer. People have also proved that hte case isn't what caused the issue. It's a bad connection to the antennas.
That said, the tablet plus dock cost $650. Are you saying you'd accept $200 less than what it costs???
nhshah7 said:
Lol the TF700 is just hteir "next" product that won't be out until the summer. People have also proved that hte case isn't what caused the issue. It's a bad connection to the antennas.
That said, the tablet plus dock cost $650. Are you saying you'd accept $200 less than what it costs???
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Someone would have to be a fool to accept that kind of loss....lmfao device still brand new...
It would make sense that they would update the faulty hardware when they found the problem. I'd still like a TP 201 but GPS is a necessity for aviation navigation. If the problem was fixed in later batches, I would buy one.
Well, if GPS is a necessity... don't go for the TP... it's a fantastic device, but not intended to be used as a GPS device... it's a design fault more than a hardware fault... perhaps if the TP Infinity has GPS it would be better...
prime will work fine for navigating now that asus is giving away free external gps dongles..read my gps dongle test thread for more details
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1602789
Is the dongle only for people who bought a TP before the GPS was removed from the specifications?
Would a person who bought a TP today get a dongle?
skypony said:
Is the dongle only for people who bought a TP before the GPS was removed from the specifications?
Would a person who bought a TP today get a dongle?
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yes..dependent on where you live though. most places can get them
I bought a Prime 1.5 weeks ago. After rooting and apply the aGPS fix, my GPS works great. I haven't waited longer than 10 seconds for a lock. Maybe they did improve it.....
I would not trust a non dedicated GPS system for aviation. That is just asking for trouble.
I have a later TFP (C1 series) and my GPS is functional but not great.
The Asus TFP aluminum case (product design - good for appearance and sturdiness) imepeeds GPS and Wi-Fi in some cases.
I ordered the GPS dongle and anticipate this will bring GPS reception up to the level of my smartphone.
jlabrat said:
I have a later TFP (C1 series) and my GPS is functional but not great.
The Asus TFP aluminum case (product design - good for appearance and sturdiness) imepeeds GPS and Wi-Fi in some cases.
I ordered the GPS dongle and anticipate this will bring GPS reception up to the level of my smartphone.
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Click to collapse
recent testings, including mines and other members, show prime gps dongle performing better than smartphone gps
Pilot here. Bought my prime to be an EFB. All the pilots I personally know that use a tablet for an EFB are apple freaks so they were my only point of reference before buying. I was told not to expect a tablet GPS to be that useful in the confines of a small aluminum cockpit. The GPS antenna really needs to be up on the dash which obviously would make the tablet a bit useless. The suggestion was to use a bluetooth GPS and set it up on the dash if I wanted georeference on the charts. However, none of these pilots bothered with that. Of course it did occur to me that these pilots were full of **** and trying to justify why they bought the cheaper ipad without 3g (and no GPS either) but I was not expecting any tablet gps to be great in the cockpit so I wasn't making my purchase decision based on that.
I'm of the mindset of not bothering with it. I have three panel mounted GPS units in the airplane. I really don't need another. It's easy enough to just swipe chart to the right location when I need the chart and I don't need to actually look at a chart very often at that.
So, I was dissapointed when I saw the the GPS in the prime is a no-go, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. That said, I put in for that new dongle... it's free afterall, may as well give it a try.
Mr Zulu said:
Pilot here. Bought my prime to be an EFB. All the pilots I personally know that use a tablet for an EFB are apple freaks so they were my only point of reference before buying. I was told not to expect a tablet GPS to be that useful in the confines of a small aluminum cockpit. The GPS antenna really needs to be up on the dash which obviously would make the tablet a bit useless. The suggestion was to use a bluetooth GPS and set it up on the dash if I wanted georeference on the charts. However, none of these pilots bothered with that. Of course it did occur to me that these pilots were full of **** and trying to justify why they bought the cheaper ipad without 3g (and no GPS either) but I was not expecting any tablet gps to be great in the cockpit so I wasn't making my purchase decision based on that.
I'm of the mindset of not bothering with it. I have three panel mounted GPS units in the airplane. I really don't need another. It's easy enough to just swipe chart to the right location when I need the chart and I don't need to actually look at a chart very often at that.
So, I was dissapointed when I saw the the GPS in the prime is a no-go, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. That said, I put in for that new dongle... it's free afterall, may as well give it a try.
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please post back after you receive the dongle and test it on your flights. i bet you will be surprised as to how well and accurate the dongle performs.
Mr Zulu said:
Pilot here. Bought my prime to be an EFB. All the pilots I personally know that use a tablet for an EFB are apple freaks so they were my only point of reference before buying. I was told not to expect a tablet GPS to be that useful in the confines of a small aluminum cockpit. The GPS antenna really needs to be up on the dash which obviously would make the tablet a bit useless. The suggestion was to use a bluetooth GPS and set it up on the dash if I wanted georeference on the charts. However, none of these pilots bothered with that. Of course it did occur to me that these pilots were full of **** and trying to justify why they bought the cheaper ipad without 3g (and no GPS either) but I was not expecting any tablet gps to be great in the cockpit so I wasn't making my purchase decision based on that.
I'm of the mindset of not bothering with it. I have three panel mounted GPS units in the airplane. I really don't need another. It's easy enough to just swipe chart to the right location when I need the chart and I don't need to actually look at a chart very often at that.
So, I was dissapointed when I saw the the GPS in the prime is a no-go, but it wasn't a deal breaker for me. That said, I put in for that new dongle... it's free afterall, may as well give it a try.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes the free GPS Extension Kit; this is what Asus calls in the packaging it does help the GPS. What the Kit does is it disables the built in GPS and uses the dongle GPS. Works good, I tested to see indoors. I have the C3OK serial TP and the GPS kind of works outside, but with the dongle, it finds your location within 30 seconds after the first time. I prefer not to have the dongle, but at least I can use it if I ever wanted to really use the GPS. I have my TP rooted, so I might try the GPS hack that has been really working. Here is a quick view of the dongle.
demandarin said:
please post back after you receive the dongle and test it on your flights. i bet you will be surprised as to how well and accurate the dongle performs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It came in today and while I haven't flight tested it yet I think I have to say color me not impressed.
When I first got the tablet with Honeycomb still on it, I could get and lock onto GPS with it sitting on my dining room table near a window with an accuracy of 90 something feet. Outside was a little better... maybe 40 feet or so but I have no doubt that if I was diving (or flying) that the lock would be lost but I never tested it.
When the tablet updated to ICS, I lost ALL GPS function. Never could see a satellite inside or outside even when left for hours under an open sky.
Well, with the dongle, my GPS now see satellites again... but not as good as I had with the native GPS and Honecome operating system. Sitting here on the same dinning room table near the same window, I mostly do not have lock. Occasionally it will grab a lock but the best I've seen is accruacy o 143'. The last lock I had was to 757'. Currently as I type, no lock. Outside after setting for a long time, I got a lock to 70 or so feet. As I walked around the yard, accuracy fluctuated between that 70' and 125' but was mostly between 90' and 125'.
I'll have a chance to test it in a small aluminum cockpit going 200mph tomorrow and see how it does... not expecting much.
---------- Post added at 03:10 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:47 AM ----------
Woops, sorry. Nevermind. It didn't occur to me that it might perform better after restarting the prime (since it's hardware and the software has been restarted several times since the last update).
In any case, it's actually impressive now. Inside it's a solid 40 or so on the accuracy. Outside walking around the back yard, it holds a solid 12' or so. Best I've seen.
I'm feeling better about it's chances tomorrow. We'll see.
Finally got a chance to post back here. It worked flawlessly in the airplane. 17' to 20' accuracy when the Prime was sitting on the seat next to me. Would go to less than 10' accuracy when I held the Prime in front of me where it would normally be when I'm working on it and that's going at about 200mph. Nice feature added to the charting software.
I still regard it as just a 'nice feature' though. It really is easy enough to just swipe the chart to your location without GPS. Most airplanes have GPS in the panel now (mine has three) so you already know your location and most GPS units built in the last 12 years or so contain most of the information you'd need on a typical flight in the database so we don't even have to look at these charts during the actual flight that often anymore... and some of the more recent ones have the charts actually loaded into them (mine does not and is what I use the Prime for). When we douse a chart in flight, it's not to see where we are (since we already know that), it's to look up some detailed information that's not in our GPS databases, or perhaps the most common reason... to look up the spelling of an assigned intersection (spellings are typically very odd) so that we can access that intersection in the panel GPS.
Now, there are SOME older planes where the owners may not of updated their panels to have a GPS in them. For those, I'd want to buy a tablet with a good working GPS. In that case, a GPS would be a HUGE benefit.
I was at nfm today and saw the new tf 300 and tried it out. All I can say is I don't like it. Back plate is rough on the hands and GPS still does not work. Let GPS status go for 3 mins and nothing. Glad I an sticking with my prime
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
monkey10120 said:
I was at nfm today and saw the new tf 300 and tried it out. All I can say is I don't like it. Back plate is rough on the hands and GPS still does not work. Let GPS status go for 3 mins and nothing. Glad I an sticking with my prime
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, I'm glad you're happy with your Prime. It's a great device. Enjoy it.
That said, according to all of the reviews and pretty much anyone who owns one, the GPS reception on the 300 is fantastic, especially compared to the Prime. It's rather difficult to truly judge the GPS capabilities of a device just from the quick, informal test you ran on a display unit inside a store. That's about as far from conclusive evidence of its GPS capabilities as claiming the same without ever having even touched one.
As for the feel of the device, that's all personal preference. I don't find the slightly raised ridges to be rough on the hands in the slightest. In fact, it's quite comfortable and helps with grip tremendously. Actually, I can't imagine someone describing the back as rough. It's not even close to fitting the definition of that word. Additionally, the more rounded edges of the 300 definitely make holding the device for extended periods much more comfortable for me than holding the Prime. The Prime always felt like it was cutting into my hand after awhile. I don't get that at all with the 300.
The Prime is a fantastic device, and there are several things it has over the 300 (display, weight, thinness, etc). But the 300 definitely has a leg up over the Prime on GPS (and WiFi as well for many), and the feel of the device in hand all comes down to personal preference.
bsweetness said:
First, I'm glad you're happy with your Prime. It's a great device. Enjoy it.
That said, according to all of the reviews and pretty much anyone who owns one, the GPS reception on the 300 is fantastic, especially compared to the Prime. It's rather difficult to truly judge the GPS capabilities of a device just from the quick, informal test you ran on a display unit inside a store. That's about as far from conclusive evidence of its GPS capabilities as claiming the same without ever having even touched one.
As for the feel of the device, that's all personal preference. I don't find the slightly raised ridges to be rough on the hands in the slightest. In fact, it's quite comfortable and helps with grip tremendously. Actually, I can't imagine someone describing the back as rough. It's not even close to fitting the definition of that word. Additionally, the more rounded edges of the 300 definitely make holding the device for extended periods much more comfortable for me than holding the Prime. The Prime always felt like it was cutting into my hand after awhile. I don't get that at all with the 300.
The Prime is a fantastic device, and there are several things it has over the 300 (display, weight, thinness, etc). But the 300 definitely has a leg up over the Prime on GPS (and WiFi as well for many), and the feel of the device in hand all comes down to personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with you. It's very misleading when people open a new thread to give opinion on the device without properly testing it. Did OP test the GPS on other devices in the store, I highly doubt any other device will be able to lock on a satellite in an indoor environment, including the dedicated Garmin devices. The feel of the device is definitely a more personal choice, some people prefer the extra thickness and grip the plastic cover provides. The GPS/Wifi has been excellent on mine, not that it was horrible on the prime, but with plastic cover the signal simply travels through better.
andyxover said:
I completely agree with you. It's very misleading when people open a new thread to give opinion on the device without properly testing it. Did OP test the GPS on other devices in the store, I highly doubt any other device will be able to lock on a satellite in an indoor environment, including the dedicated Garmin devices. The feel of the device is definitely a more personal choice, some people prefer the extra thickness and grip the plastic cover provides. The GPS/Wifi has been excellent on mine, not that it was horrible on the prime, but with plastic cover the signal simply travels through better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never just open threads without reason. I tested it with a galaxy tab, Sony s and the new Toshiba tablet. Forget what its called. Very nice by the way. But yeah they all has gps within 1 min. The tf300 never found 1 sat. That is all I am saying on this thread
I am in no way saying it is a bad device
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
monkey10120 said:
I never just open threads without reason. I tested it with a galaxy tab, Sony s and the new Toshiba tablet. Forget what its called. Very nice by the way. But yeah they all has gps within 1 min. The tf300 never found 1 sat. That is all I am saying on this thread
I am in no way saying it is a bad device
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with this and your original post. I'll go down to NFM to take look myself, but I already know if its thicker, heavier, and the screen isn't as good you can keep it. If I need GPS I'll use my phone or gps tether. No way on earth I'm sticking that dongle thing on my prime, but then again the dongle was free so you get what you pay for. I got the prime partially because of the looks, feel, weight, and screen. Whatever tablet I get next will have to be better in all areas than the prime, I'll wait till I see the 300 but I doubt it's better.
bsweetness said:
The Prime is a fantastic device, and there are several things it has over the 300 (display, weight, thinness, etc). But the 300 definitely has a leg up over the Prime on GPS (and WiFi as well for many), and the feel of the device in hand all comes down to personal preference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In 95% of cases, the Prime is the much better device. For people that dont use GPS its like 98% of cases
Also Tf300 screen is made of harden glass compared to the TF201 Gorilla Glass. I take my Prime with me everywhere I go. It's nice to see the screen in complete daylight with intense glare. If I can recall Primes have 600 nits compared to 350 nits on Tf300. The whole ergonomics deal with Tf300 is nice but my Moko slim case feels nice too and it even protects my investment. My wifi rocks just as good as my Galaxy tab 10.1 My TF201 internal GPS is weaker but can hold a lock while driving. Or just connect my dongle if need be. Love my Prime. To each his own right
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium App
Flawless gps... In side and outside.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2
clouds5 said:
In 95% of cases, the Prime is the much better device. For people that dont use GPS its like 98% of cases
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Again, completely personal preference. I had the Prime and got rid of it. Now I have the TF300. I won't be getting rid of it. I definitely like it much better than the Prime as an overall device.
ill1 said:
I agree with this and your original post. I'll go down to NFM to take look myself, but I already know if its thicker, heavier, and the screen isn't as good you can keep it. If I need GPS I'll use my phone or gps tether. No way on earth I'm sticking that dongle thing on my prime, but then again the dongle was free so you get what you pay for. I got the prime partially because of the looks, feel, weight, and screen. Whatever tablet I get next will have to be better in all areas than the prime, I'll wait till I see the 300 but I doubt it's better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
are you in Omaha?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
bsweetness said:
Again, completely personal preference. I had the Prime and got rid of it. Now I have the TF300. I won't be getting rid of it. I definitely like it much better than the Prime as an overall device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some parts of it are personal preference, i agree. But some are just Facts. I based my statement on how often and how i use my Tablet. For example The display is better on the prime because of the IPS+. And I use the display alot Wifi on the other hand is only better in certain locations far away from the router. GPS yeah, no argument here but thats something I hardly ever use, thats why it only got a small %age in my statement
The look (aluminum/colored plastic) is personal preference. And all the other hardware stuff... Cpu clock, Gorilla Glass, speaker? etcetc are just better on the prime.
But i could see myself being happy with the TF300 as well but i already have a prime that works perfectly in all situations in which i need a tablet, so for me the TF300 is only superior in the 2% of my usage time where i need GPS. I'd never even think about exchanging it for a TF300^^
clouds5 said:
Some parts of it are personal preference, i agree. But some are just Facts. I based my statement on how often and how i use my Tablet. For example The display is better on the prime because of the IPS+. And I use the display alot Wifi on the other hand is only better in certain locations far away from the router. GPS yeah, no argument here but thats something I hardly ever use, thats why it only got a small %age in my statement
The look (aluminum/colored plastic) is personal preference. And all the other hardware stuff... Cpu clock, Gorilla Glass, speaker? etcetc are just better on the prime.
But i could see myself being happy with the TF300 as well but i already have a prime that works perfectly in all situations in which i need a tablet, so for me the TF300 is only superior in the 2% of my usage time where i need GPS. I'd never even think about exchanging it for a TF300^^
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For me, the display isn't that big of a deal. Indoors, the displays are pretty comparable (unless you want retina burning brightness). Outside, it's not even a contest, but I don't use it outside. So the display argument again comes down to personal preference. Sure the Prime's display is better, but in general use, not much of a difference will be seen. CPU clock speed pretty much is a wash as well in every day use. The speaker on the Prime might be slightly better, but again, they're so similar that it would be tough for anyone to distinguish in a blind test.
I find the TF300 to be superior for my uses. I had incredibly spotting WiFi reception on my Prime, which in and of itself is pretty much a deal breaker. No such problems on the TF300. I actually use GPS fairly often, so that's a given on the TF300. The feel of the TF300 is much better in hand to me, particularly because of it being slightly thicker and having more rounded sides. I use the dock extensively, so using the Prime in a case to make the ergonomics more comfortable for long periods was frustrating since I had to constantly take it on and off. With the TF300, I don't have to worry about one.
So while I'll certainly agree that on paper the Prime is clearly ahead of the TF300, but in everyday use, I find the TF300 to be much more usable than the Prime was for me. And again, most of the reasons I listed why it is such come down to personal preference. You won't catch me knocking the Prime. It's fantastic. And I can certainly understand why people who own it wouldn't want to get rid of it for the TF300. But the TF300 just works for me in ways that the Prime didn't. The minor trade-offs in a few areas from the Prime have been more than worth it for improvements in daily use.
Posters like cloud5 & jjdevega make me feel good about my purchase. Prime is a great device, when you have a really good working one like we do..lol. I use my prime everyday. This is my computer as years ago(when first Ipad came out) I converted to using tablets for any and every computer function I needed. Now that I have the dock also, it adds a whole new dimension to prime and extends its already superior battery life. As far as how it feels, Prime feels great holding it. I'm 6'5, with big hands, so the whole prime cuts into people hands seem over exaggerated to me. like apple would say, "You holding it wrong" if it does..lol. Im still just as amazed with my device since the first day I got it. Everyone loves how thin and light it is. plus the differences in display compared to 300 isn't just prime being brighter. If you look at any tech site detailed breakdown of the 2 displays, Prime is clearly superior. With that said 300 still has a decent display. it not being gorilla glass will make it's display easier to break/scratch. so people better make sure to protect it. I haven't had a case or screen protector for my prime since day 1 and no scratches or cracks on the screen.
I can see why a few like the 300 over the prime. its because their experience with Prime wasn't a good one like mines. I bet if they had a prime like mines, or cloud5 or jjdevega, they wouldn't even want to downgrade to 300. It is a downgrade. Even Asus calls it this themselves. its the low end replacement to the OG Transformer. No disputing that.
I like having a device that's kind of exclusive. If i want to be a "me to" guy, I would've just got a new Ipad.
mods do need to go on and make a 300 section so we can get all these mofos up outta here..lol j/k..300 is the little brother to prime. its like little kids(300) running around playing. they need their own playground now so the grownups(Prime) can conduct business..lmfao
monkey10120 said:
are you in Omaha?
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We have NFM here in kansas. I'll be out that way today and I'll drop in and see if they have one.
ill1 said:
We have NFM here in kansas. I'll be out that way today and I'll drop in and see if they have one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats what I thought. Only 2 nfm's, it had to be one if them. I actually drove to Kansas city for worlds of fun... Small world lol
Never been to the nfm in Kansas though. Great store.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
monkey10120 said:
Let GPS status go for 3 mins and nothing
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First GPS lock can take up to 12.5 minutes (internet connection could speed this up depending if AGPS was properly configured by manufacturer, which Asus often forgets to do it seems). Next locks will be much faster. 3 mins is too little to test GPS. The time is 12.5 because you need to get data about satellite positions from the satellites.
Magnesus said:
First GPS lock can take up to 12.5 minutes (internet connection could speed this up depending if AGPS was properly configured by manufacturer, which Asus often forgets to do it seems). Next locks will be much faster. 3 mins is too little to test GPS. The time is 12.5 because you need to get data about satellite positions from the satellites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this normal I ask as I don't use GPS on a tablet but I just tried GPS tether with my evo and got an instant lock. I would think waiting almost 12 minutes would leave me very lost.
The NFM by me didn't either have the the 300 or have them on display.
demandarin said:
Posters like cloud5 & jjdevega make me feel good about my purchase. Prime is a great device, when you have a really good working one like we do..lol. I use my prime everyday. This is my computer as years ago(when first Ipad came out) I converted to using tablets for any and every computer function I needed. Now that I have the dock also, it adds a whole new dimension to prime and extends its already superior battery life. As far as how it feels, Prime feels great holding it. I'm 6'5, with big hands, so the whole prime cuts into people hands seem over exaggerated to me. like apple would say, "You holding it wrong" if it does..lol. Im still just as amazed with my device since the first day I got it. Everyone loves how thin and light it is. plus the differences in display compared to 300 isn't just prime being brighter. If you look at any tech site detailed breakdown of the 2 displays, Prime is clearly superior. With that said 300 still has a decent display. it not being gorilla glass will make it's display easier to break/scratch. so people better make sure to protect it. I haven't had a case or screen protector for my prime since day 1 and no scratches or cracks on the screen.
I can see why a few like the 300 over the prime. its because their experience with Prime wasn't a good one like mines. I bet if they had a prime like mines, or cloud5 or jjdevega, they wouldn't even want to downgrade to 300. It is a downgrade. Even Asus calls it this themselves. its the low end replacement to the OG Transformer. No disputing that.
I like having a device that's kind of exclusive. If i want to be a "me to" guy, I would've just got a new Ipad.
mods do need to go on and make a 300 section so we can get all these mofos up outta here..lol j/k..300 is the little brother to prime. its like little kids(300) running around playing. they need their own playground now so the grownups(Prime) can conduct business..lmfao
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think you need other people to prove you are happy about your Prime... BTW: Are you going to buy the TF700 because that is the "big brother to the Prime!"
JoeyLe said:
I don't think you need other people to prove you are happy about your Prime... BTW: Are you going to buy the TF700 because that is the "big brother to the Prime!"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends. More than likely ill just keep my prime.
really, I don't know yet. ill cross That bridge once it comes.
ill1 said:
Is this normal I ask as I don't use GPS on a tablet but I just tried GPS tether with my evo and got an instant lock. I would think waiting almost 12 minutes would leave me very lost.
The NFM by me didn't either have the the 300 or have them on display.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one I tested was the NFM in Omaha.
This last weekend I was fustrated while vacationing when my Prime could not hold onto the hotel WiFi connection because of the distance to the router, yet my HD2 phone had no problems. This was the first time poor Wifi affected me. That got me thinking....
Looking at the fix made to the T700 to improve Wifi signal (and GPS), why couldn't a similar DIY mod be done to an existing Prime's back? I dont think cutting a slice off the top of the aluminum back is a doable option, but what about just cutting or drilling a large hole over the antennas, and filling in the hole with plastic or epoxy. This could look similar to the black oval plastic "wifi window" on the 3rd generation iPod Touch.
I'm thinking of trying this but wanted some input from others before trying. I looked at the other hardware mod thread here, but that concentrated on adding external antennas. According to that thread, once you removed the back, Wifi improved dramatically.
I think this was discussed before..but if you are feeling brave enough, let us know how it turns out man
This idea has been talked about in great length, but general consensus was that it would be too difficult to add a plastic window to the back of the Prime, because all of the hardware physically attaches to the aluminum back plate of the Prime.
You you be voiding your warranty by taking the device apart. And there is a very good chance you would render the device 100% non-working while doing the mod.
If the WiFi really doesn't meet your needs, return the tablet.
I'm glad I sent mine in to get it fixed, I am getting mine back tomorrow and that will make 10 days. I figured they would be pretty quick at fixing the wifi by now
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
almightywhacko said:
If the WiFi really doesn't meet your needs, return the tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, but this is not an option for a second hand Prime with an unlocked bootloader.
I'll have to take another look at the tear down pictures and video to get a feel of the space between the electronics connected to the back and the back itself. I have no fear of eventually opening up my Prime as I have opened up many phones in the past.
I had the same problem while on vacation in Mexico, my HTC Eco 3d picked up the hotels wifi no problem but my Asus didn't. I'm so happy I picked up a Asus WL-330N3G portable wifi router based on someone suggestion here, I wouldn't been able to work without.
Basically placed the portable router where I had the strongest signal in the room, and was able to use my prime anywhere in the room. An on top of it the router is very small, and can be powered by a USB port as well. As a bonus I use it as a gaming adapter for my ps3 when I'm home.
I think getting a portable router is a lot easier option then modding the back of the Prime.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Axe-08 said:
I'm glad I sent mine in to get it fixed, I am getting mine back tomorrow and that will make 10 days. I figured they would be pretty quick at fixing the wifi by now
Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Make a thread tomorrow when you get it back. And tell US if it improved.
Seriously .
ive said this before but could another idea be wait for the 700 to come out and then wait for some inner photos to be taken. If they look similar to the prime then could we not just try and buy a 700 backplate and try and fix it to the prime?
mardukeme said:
I. I'm so happy I picked up a Asus WL-330N3G portable wifi router based on someone suggestion here, I wouldn't been able to work without.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you get it from? My wifi signal in my bedroom is terrible and moving the router doesn't seem to be an option
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
What about drilling small holes in the area where the wifi antenna is, creating a sort of a mesh? Could be very easily done with a drill with a small enough head by very carefully and slowly drilling into the aluminum.
I don't know if that would improve the wifi signal, but it is doable.
Might want to consider one thing though- People have been getting different wifi and GPS readings on unmodded primes, meaning that the problem is not necessarily the aluminum cover, but rather the quality of construction, components, etc.
Eliad Kimhy said:
What about drilling small holes in the area where the wifi antenna is, creating a sort of a mesh? Could be very easily done with a drill with a small enough head by very carefully and slowly drilling into the aluminum.
I don't know if that would improve the wifi signal, but it is doable.
Might want to consider one thing though- People have been getting different wifi and GPS readings on unmodded primes, meaning that the problem is not necessarily the aluminum cover, but rather the quality of construction, components, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm sorry, Faradays law says this will not work, for RF, mesh or solid is the same.
The contact area of the pingions on the motherboard to the antenna are realy tiny,I think replacing the pingions on the mainboard for small coax will improve, The wifi chip is at the other end of the tablet, the signals have to cross the entire device. I even saw they route the wifi signal trough a series of PCB trace and cables to the place where they connect to the antenna. I think replacing these connections by new a cable with at one end an MMCX and the other end solderd to the antenna, will improve the reception.
otispowell said:
Where did you get it from? My wifi signal in my bedroom is terrible and moving the router doesn't seem to be an option
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it on eBay for $50 dollars here's a link to it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASUS-WL-330...345650?pt=COMP_EN_Routers&hash=item1c21fd7f72
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
The other thread linked in the original post has all information regarding this topic.
Creating something like the 700 would be basically too complicated (though never impossible)
We won't know if the 700 back plate will match up until it is released (i doubt it is worth the work)
The external antenna works wonders, and can be made "removable"
A simple wire from the pogo pin that is isolated from the glass/aluminum will increase connectivity
Here is another link for good reading...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1479664
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
I've read through both of those threads, the one I posted and the second one posted above. Unfortunately they both went the route of replacing the existing antennas with wires or external connections. The closest one to my idea was this:
Originally Posted by Lock-N-Load
Really though, in the end, it seems if someone wanted to get really hardcore, they could dremel a slice out of the back that is tall yet narrow, go to home depot and get some plexiglass, sand it down to obscure the view into the device, and epoxy that in place and place the wire into that as a window. Totally possible IF you wanted to kick it up a few levels now that the hard work is done and shows an antenna wire can hep. Essentially steal Apples' idea but keep it simple and make it home grown.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said, slicing off the top of the back and covering it with plexiglass is probably too much. I'm thinking more like just a hole, over the existing antennas, covering it with epoxy, and making a Wifi Window like that on an iPod Touch:
mardukeme said:
I got it on eBay for $50 dollars here's a link to it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ASUS-WL-330...345650?pt=COMP_EN_Routers&hash=item1c21fd7f72
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks =]
are there any other items that work the same but are cheaper?
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using XDA Premium HD app
nonpaq said:
This last weekend I was fustrated while vacationing when my Prime could not hold onto the hotel WiFi connection because of the distance to the router, yet my HD2 phone had no problems.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why didnt you just tether to your HD2?
i just had a great idea. Based off what the linked thread was earlier,
It would be a handle on both sides, makes your TFP like a briefcase and eliminate the ugly/bulky antennas. Of course it won't be as powerful, but this would let us put antennas in the handle and increase reception. of course, it would require holes to be drilled in the back, but we can easily stick that on (and it would be very strong). It can be easily created with fiberglass, a color could easily be created and the brush strokes could be done as well. and a little gloss could be added after we have painted/added the brush strokes and get pretty close
biggem001 said:
i just had a great idea. Based off what the linked thread was earlier,
It would be a handle on both sides, makes your TFP like a briefcase and eliminate the ugly/bulky antennas. Of course it won't be as powerful, but this would let us put antennas in the handle and increase reception. of course, it would require holes to be drilled in the back, but we can easily stick that on (and it would be very strong). It can be easily created with fiberglass, a color could easily be created and the brush strokes could be done as well. and a little gloss could be added after we have painted/added the brush strokes and get pretty close
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Very nice design The handle is a great idea. All you need to do is run some wires through the handle. That is all my WIFI attached antenna are doing in my "Optimus Prime" mod. As long as you get the wires away and above the metal backplate your in business. You can check out my link in thread for the original mod. GL m8
Here is pic of two wires coming from WIFI pogo pins. Raised out and above
the metal backplate. All you would need to do is run wires through a nice handle and you will get amazing wifi or GPS.
willumpie82 said:
I'm sorry, Faradays law says this will not work, for RF, mesh or solid is the same.
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I've read on this forum that some (or one) devices (not the TFP obviously) have their wifi antenna located behind the speaker grill in order to allow proper wifi reception.