NOT HOT!! Potential HP Laptop Problem (Staples Deal)

[JPSJPS]

Originally posted by: uncJIGGA
Bah, I just cut up some electrical tape and carefully taped it around the connector on the cord to make it 'fatter'. Cheap and easy fix.

Be careful to not lose the ground connection. There is an internal spring loaded contact at the bottom of the socket that makes contact with the outer metal of the connector plug. You don't want tape at that location on the connector plug.
I cut a small rectangular piese of brass sheet & wrapped it around the plug and that seemed to help. PIA though so maybe I can epoxy it to the plug. Arctic Silver epoxy maybe.
John

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: JPSJPS

Originally posted by: uncJIGGA Bah, I just cut up some electrical tape and carefully taped it around the connector on the cord to make it 'fatter'. Cheap and easy fix.

Be careful to not lose the ground connection. There is an internal spring loaded contact at the bottom of the socket that makes contact with the outer metal of the connector plug. You don't want tape at that location on the connector plug. I cut a small rectangular piese of brass sheet & wrapped it around the plug and that seemed to help. PIA though so maybe I can epoxy it to the plug. Arctic Silver epoxy maybe. John

Gotta' love guerilla engineering! A man can't posess enough paper clips. Now, hand me that Duct Tape.

 

[davemac]

There isn't much of a gap between the exisiting PS plug and the laptop's opening. You could probably fix this a little more permanently by using some heat shrink tubing from Radio Shack rather than wrapping electrical tape which will tend to get messed up over time. You should be able to cut a small piece of tubing say < 0.1" long and heat shrink it onto the very end of the expose metal of the plug butted up against its plastic molding. If it is still loose after this, just add another layer of heat shrink and hopefully you'll get it snug. You want to keep the length of the tube small of course so that it doesn't interfere with the electrical contact on the laptop power socket. You could also stick some very thin brass shim stock under the heat shrink tubing if you need to make some fine adjustments. You can usually find that at a decently stocked small hardware store. (Not Home Despot). The beauty of this is that it's also very easy and clean to remove if you ever need to by simply slitting it with a knife.

Maybe someone out there can give it a try. I'm too lazy to run over to Radio Shack right now!

davemac

EDIT: Just to add on to this: I went to Radio Shack this morn and got some heat shrink tubing for $3. The 1/4" tubing works very well for this. What I ended up also doing is creating a little 3" pigtail plug extension with a male and female power connector on it. I intend on leaving this plugged into the laptop all the time. This should minimize stress to the latop's MB connector by reducing the in-and-out (hehehe) stress.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: davemac
There isn't much of a gap between the exisiting PS plug and the laptop's opening. You could probably fix this a little more permanently by using some heat shrink tubing from Radio Shack rather than wrapping electrical tape which will tend to get messed up over time. You should be able to cut a small piece of tubing say < 0.1" long and heat shrink it onto the very end of the expose metal of the plug butted up against its plastic molding. If it is still loose after this, just add another layer of heat shrink and hopefully you'll get it snug. You want to keep the length of the tube small of course so that it doesn't interfere with the electrical contact on the laptop power socket. You could also stick some very thin brass shim stock under the heat shrink tubing if you need to make some fine adjustments. You can usually find that at a decently stocked small hardware store. (Not Home Despot). The beauty of this is that it's also very easy and clean to remove if you ever need to by simply slitting it with a knife. Maybe someone out there can give it a try. I'm too lazy to run over to Radio Shack right now! davemac

This sounds altogether too considered and thought out. Can't a coat hanger be used here somewhere?

 

[papio]

The 3/16" wide electric tape seems to work pretty good. Do you think I can sell the solution to hp??

 

[tchinhe]

I have the ze4101 and it is a little loose in my opinion but the inside pin is pretty big...... don't see how that think really can break so easily. With all this complain, I guess it really is a bad manufacturing defect. now I am thinking of selling it. hehehe.

 

[jmunjr]

Hehe. you guys "got what you paid for"...

 

[poppagene]

Originally posted by: papio
The 3/16" wide electric tape seems to work pretty good. Do you think I can sell the solution to hp??

works for me too

 

[ReiAyanami]

HP+Compaq=HCraq

 

[Runciter]

Originally posted by: davemac

EDIT: Just to add on to this: I went to Radio Shack this morn and got some heat shrink tubing for $3. The 1/4" tubing works very well for this. What I ended up also doing is creating a little 3" pigtail plug extension with a male and female power connector on it. I intend on leaving this plugged into the laptop all the time. This should minimize stress to the latop's MB connector by reducing the in-and-out (hehehe) stress.

Sounds interesting... you wouldn't be able to supply some pix would you?

 

[davemac]

Originally posted by: Runciter

Originally posted by: davemac

EDIT: Just to add on to this: I went to Radio Shack this morn and got some heat shrink tubing for $3. The 1/4" tubing works very well for this. What I ended up also doing is creating a little 3" pigtail plug extension with a male and female power connector on it. I intend on leaving this plugged into the laptop all the time. This should minimize stress to the latop's MB connector by reducing the in-and-out (hehehe) stress.

Sounds interesting... you wouldn't be able to supply some pix would you?

Sure, I'll post some pics tommorow.

davemac

 

[davemac]

Originally posted by: davemac

Originally posted by: Runciter

Originally posted by: davemac

EDIT: Just to add on to this: I went to Radio Shack this morn and got some heat shrink tubing for $3. The 1/4" tubing works very well for this. What I ended up also doing is creating a little 3" pigtail plug extension with a male and female power connector on it. I intend on leaving this plugged into the laptop all the time. This should minimize stress to the latop's MB connector by reducing the in-and-out (hehehe) stress.

Sounds interesting... you wouldn't be able to supply some pix would you?

Sure, I'll post some pics tommorow.

davemac

Here are some pics:

pigtail in laptop

pigtail closeup

davemac

 

[GPz1100]

VAG,

Considering not many of us have time to sift thru all the posts in all the forums on here, I think its very appropriate that the post was posted here. After all, the purchase was made based on a thread in this forum, and chances are this user doesn't patronize other forums on here, and even if he/she does, its possible to miss threads because of the sheer number of them.

So if there's some issue with a hot deal, then here is a good place to post it.

 

[kevlarcc]

damn, dave. That is some excellent work you did there. Did you get the parts for the pigtail from radioshack as well as the heatshrink? Got any item numbers for the connectors?

Thanks a ton! I like your fix more than the others.

 

[davemac]

The plugs are 2.5mm I.D. x 5.5mm O.D. and can be ordered from Jameco electronics. Part #'s 159505 and 28767.

inline male jack
female plug

You can also order some 1/4" heat shrink tubing #182756 from them too:

heat shrink tubing

Cheers,

davemac

 

[amexblue]

HP was charging my friend $280 for this problem. When I told him that several people had this problem, he contacted HP again and argued that it was covered under warranty and it a manufacturers' defect. He got it repaired free of charge.
just a heads up

 

[ebuy]

My HP laptop's DC connector had been broken. I had sent it back to HP to repair it. I'll report the result when HP recieve my laptop.

 

[gwlam12]

Originally posted by: GPz1100
VAG,

Considering not many of us have time to sift thru all the posts in all the forums on here, I think its very appropriate that the post was posted here. After all, the purchase was made based on a thread in this forum, and chances are this user doesn't patronize other forums on here, and even if he/she does, its possible to miss threads because of the sheer number of them.

So if there's some issue with a hot deal, then here is a good place to post it.

actually, rebate problems dealing with a deal posted here usually get locked.

 

[gwlam12]

Originally posted by: JPSJPS

Originally posted by: VaG
I always find it ironic when the first two words of a post in hot deals starts with NOT HOT. Forget all the rules, shouldn't those two words be a dead give away that you're about to post in an inappropriate forum?

What is your problem?
This is a hot deal for those who save a $300 repair.
How many other deals do you see that save $300?
John

ur original post wasn't about saving 300 dollars though. it was just notifying us about a problem. but hey thats all im gonna say! dont respond as i am easily offended.

 

[ebuy]

I got email that HP has shipped my laptop and they didn't charge me for repairing the DC connector!

Originally posted by: ebuy
My HP laptop's DC connector had been broken. I had sent it back to HP to repair it. I'll report the result when HP recieve my laptop.

 

[ObiDon]

I just received my HP laptop about a week ago (from the President's Day deal) and I noticed this. I just wrapped three layers of electrical tape around the back 1/3rd of the power connector and now it's nice and snug.

 

[NoComprende]

Does anyone know how the parts linked by Davemac are put together? Are they just wires that are connected by hand and then covered with the shrink tubing? What does it take to use shrink tube? This looks like a good solution that is also very cheap. Thanks for the help.

 

[ICR5]

That " DAVE " idea is fantastic.. I'm gonna give it a try. Wonder if they make an "L" adaptor that has the proper connectors at their respective ends. Now that would be a great 2nd idea.