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Calling all 600m/D600 owners with internal Bluetooth - Page 2

post #21 of 89
2/17/05 at 11:08pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ewodzien
So sorry for the delays in responding. For some reason, the notification system on this board didn't send me a notification of PMs waiting for me until today. I double checked the settings, and notification was checked. While I was there, I turned on "email access", so people can now email me.
They changed the default settnings a while ago. You got the notification today because I emailed the mods today and told them to enable the email PM notification on your account

Thanks for the service tag, I'll see what I can do with it and hopefully there won't be a problem as I'm assuming you bought the laptops from Small Bussiness while most of us from Home division.
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post #22 of 89
3/6/05 at 1:38am
Thanks jer122 and mich43l bring me to this 'club'.

Here is my story. I purchased 600m w/ BT October last year. Two weeks after I got the system, the warning message "usb device not recognizied" started pop up. BT can not be find in device manager. Dell finally replaced a new system. Three months later,
this new system have the same problem again. In the BIOS, showed "BlueTooth is not installed". In the OS-XP bluetooth place, showed 'no hardweve device detected'. Dell called a tech to replace the BT module, updated bios and driver. But it still not working. I called Dell again and those 'tech support' just BS with me. I have spent more than 10 hours on phone with Dell 'tech(customer) support'. It is really frustrated and wasted time with this small module. Last friday, tech SP sent the case to TAXES and said higher level SP will call me on monday.(?)......

I bought several dell computers for myself and friends in last ten 10 years and don't have many problems. I should check the forums before purchase. Too trust Dell's products. This system WILL BE my last ONE from DELL.

Hi, ewodzien, would you please share your service tag with me?

Thanks everyone for posting.
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post #23 of 89
3/6/05 at 3:34am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by johny58
Thanks jer122 and mich43l bring me to this 'club'.

Here is my story. I purchased 600m w/ BT October last year. Two weeks after I got the system, the warning message "usb device not recognizied" started pop up. BT can not be find in device manager. Dell finally replaced a new system. Three months later,
this new system have the same problem again. In the BIOS, showed "BlueTooth is not installed". In the OS-XP bluetooth place, showed 'no hardweve device detected'. Dell called a tech to replace the BT module, updated bios and driver. But it still not working. I called Dell again and those 'tech support' just BS with me. I have spent more than 10 hours on phone with Dell 'tech(customer) support'. It is really frustrated and wasted time with this small module. Last friday, tech SP sent the case to TAXES and said higher level SP will call me on monday.(?)......

I bought several dell computers for myself and friends in last ten 10 years and don't have many problems. I should check the forums before purchase. Too trust Dell's products. This system WILL BE my last ONE from DELL.

Hi, ewodzien, would you please share your service tag with me?
Thanks everyone for posting.
So you're in the same (sinking) boat as the rest of us. Welcome.

Did you purchase the system from Home Division or Small Bussiness?

If you want to get in touch with ewodzien quicker, you can email him by clicking on his name.

Oh, and I should mention this: You can get dell to give you a FULL refund if you want to return the laptop because of this issue. Trust me they know of it even if they act like they do not. They offered this to me but I did not take it because, besides this BT issue, over heating and somewhat flaky design, I really like my 600m.

I did not mentioned this in this thread yet: dell is planning to put a new motherboard revision into the 600m which will hopefully address this issue.

Report back on your progress.
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post #24 of 89
3/7/05 at 2:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by mich43L
So you're in the same (sinking) boat as the rest of us. Welcome.

Did you purchase the system from Home Division or Small Bussiness?

If you want to get in touch with ewodzien quicker, you can email him by clicking on his name.

Oh, and I should mention this: You can get dell to give you a FULL refund if you want to return the laptop because of this issue. Trust me they know of it even if they act like they do not. They offered this to me but I did not take it because, besides this BT issue, over heating and somewhat flaky design, I really like my 600m.

I did not mentioned this in this thread yet: dell is planning to put a new motherboard revision into the 600m which will hopefully address this issue.

Report back on your progress.
Yes, I bought for home division.
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post #25 of 89
3/29/05 at 2:17am

Any update on this?

I really want to know if there is a definite fix to this.

I have the same problem too.

I tried teh mounting tape method... worked for short period of time, then everything got loose again.

Anyone else got something to add to this?
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post #26 of 89
3/29/05 at 11:23am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pdragon79
I really want to know if there is a definite fix to this.
I was really hoping people would update us on their progress. Did someone try giving ewodzien's service tag to tech support?

My 3 month old 600m isn't exhibiting the problem (yet?). If/When it does I may write a tutorial how to properly pad the bluetooth card which I think is the best solution. Others suggested and tried applying silicon glue but I think that's way too drastic.

I have to warn people about motherboard exchanges. New 600m motherboards are out (they provide full support for 333mhz memory). I don't know if the bluetooth problem is fixed but I know that the following features are not there anymore: internal mic, gigabit nic, smart card reader. If you need these three and planning on a motherboard swap I suggest you do it soon because the old motherboards supply will run out.
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post #27 of 89
3/29/05 at 11:54am
My almost 2 year old (bought July 2003) just started having these issues with its Bluetooth module - 2 weeks after buying a Bluetooth phone

Since I'm well out of warranty and I'm an electrical engineer who designs circuit boards, I figured I would open up the 600m and try to fix the problem.

What I found was the connecto on the motherboard was loose and if fell off while I was trying to determine what the problem was. Looking at the solder joints, I could tell that the connector was never solder on correctly. It had what is called cold solder joints. I suspect it might have something to do with where it is located on the motherboard and how it is assembled. I resoldered the connector on and it works perfectly again. Padding the module might make steady the connector enought to work for awhile but eventually the connector will seperate from the motherboard and the bluetooth module will stop working all together.

If you are good at soldering, you can easliy fix this yourself. I didn't even have to remove the motherboard from the base, just remove the cage the hard drive goes into.
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post #28 of 89
3/29/05 at 12:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by toppernh
What I found was the connector on the motherboard was loose and if fell off while I was trying to determine what the problem was.
From reading posts on this issue on the official dell forums I think this was another/separate issue with the connector. But it only existed with the first revisions of the motherboards - that is the bluetooth connector would completely fall off. This would happen because the connector protrudes from the board and applying pressure on the palm rest would push the bluetooth module down and it would in turn put pressure on the BT connector.

But the newest boards don't have the problem because

1. the board is more solid
2. The (new) plastic base provides support for the protruding BT connector from the bottom.

The issue here is not the connection of the BT connector to the motherboard but the connection of the BT module to the BT connector. Anyway, that's how I diagnosed the problem.
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post #29 of 89
3/29/05 at 12:30pm
All I can comment on is what I found when I took my 600m apart. I checked the connector on the Bluetooth module and it was okay. There is definitely some support under the motherboard connector from the plastic base. My motherboard was replaced in October of 2003 but I don't know if that means I have the first revision of the board or not. I believe it is A02 version, which would suggest it is not the first version.

I don't see how you could tell the difference from the module not connecting to the connector correctly versus the connector not being attached to the motherboard correctly - the symptoms would be the same. My symtoms were exactly as described - connect & disconnects of the module and USB device not found, all that could be affected by pushing on the left side palm rest.

There clearly is an issue with the assembly of the connector based on what the solder joints to the connector look like, at least on my board. And since these boards are not hand assembled that would suggest this is a common problem.
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post #30 of 89
3/29/05 at 12:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by toppernh
I don't see how you could tell the difference from the module not connecting to the connector correctly versus the connector not being attached to the motherboard correctly - the symptoms would be the same.
I guess you're right. I just assumed the issue was the connection between the BT module and the BT connector because the card is loose (it moves when pressed on top left or right). In my case the connection is most stable when the card is pushed back a little bit facing the user and that's where I would put the padding.

After you soldered the BT connector you can still take out the BT module, correct?
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post #31 of 89
3/29/05 at 12:51pm
Yes you can still take out the module. I just resoldered the connector to the motherboard. The kind of connector they used is a pretty loose fitting connector - it doesn't really lock or click when it is attached.
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post #32 of 89
3/29/05 at 8:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by toppernh
Looking at the solder joints, I could tell that the connector was never solder on correctly. It had what is called cold solder joints. I suspect it might have something to do with where it is located on the motherboard and how it is assembled. I resoldered the connector on and it works perfectly again....
If you are good at soldering, you can easliy fix this yourself.
I'm skeptical about this solution in the long term. Because the same issue that caused this problem in the first place is still affecting your fix - that is, wear and tear on the connector from pressing down on the palm rest.

Here is an idea. Get wires and solder them with one end connected to the BT module and and the other to the the BT connector. And put/mount the BT module somewhere else inside the case. I might try this before my warranty expires.
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post #33 of 89
3/29/05 at 10:23pm

MB Exchange

Since the three things that will be gone are:

smart card reader -
Gigabit Lan -
Internal Mic -

I like these features... sad that it will be lost. I don't use the mic, nor the gigabit lan, but I do use the smart card reader with my amex blue card.

I can live without it...

on the plus side....
bluetooth fix (hopefully)
333mhz for rams...(will there really be that much of a difference)
+ any more?

I think I'll just call mine in for replacement. I have until october before my warranty runs out. But I rather not wait till then.
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post #34 of 89
3/29/05 at 10:33pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pdragon79
I think I'll just call mine in for replacement. I have until october before my warranty runs out.
Just remember that they might still give you the older revision. I would either tell them you want the new revision - you have a legitimate claim since the older revisions are plagued by the BT issue. Or you can just wait a month or two until the older boards run out. If you have a home repair it can be faster easier to get the right mobo.
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post #35 of 89
3/29/05 at 11:03pm
Since I work on printed circuit boards everyday, I'm pretty sure this will fix the problem. It is correct that it is the flexing of the palm rest that is causing stress on the connector but looking at the cold solder joint between the motherboard and connector that is the root cause of the problem. Basically there was just solder attaching the bottom of the legs of the connector as I found it, where there should be solder coming up the sides of the legs creating a fillet. Solder joints can be pretty strong and I believe the flexing will not break the connector from the board if it is correctly soldered.

I believe Dell's issue - or who ever they have assembling these boards - is an incorrect assembly process. In volume PCB assembly they screen solder paste on to the board, place the parts on the board in the correct locations, and then run the board through an oven. It looks to me since this is a lone part far from other parts on the board because of the hard drive cage, it didn't get enough heat to solder properly.

Having said all this you have to have fairly good soldering skills and a fine point soldering iron to fix this yourself.
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post #36 of 89
3/29/05 at 11:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by toppernh
Since I work on printed circuit boards everyday, I'm pretty sure this will fix the problem. It is correct that it is the flexing of the palm rest that is causing stress on the connector but looking at the cold solder joint between the motherboard and connector that is the root cause of the problem. Basically there was just solder attaching the bottom of the legs of the connector as I found it, where there should be solder coming up the sides of the legs creating a fillet. Solder joints can be pretty strong and I believe the flexing will not break the connector from the board if it is correctly soldered.

I believe Dell's issue - or who ever they have assembling these boards - is an incorrect assembly process. In volume PCB assembly they screen solder paste on to the board, place the parts on the board in the correct locations, and then run the board through an oven. It looks to me since this is a lone part far from other parts on the board because of the hard drive cage, it didn't get enough heat to solder properly.

Having said all this you have to have fairly good soldering skills and a fine point soldering iron to fix this yourself.
Hey, thanks for the info and for posting here. I wonder if the fix they gave to ewodzien's systems is just that - more precise soldering.I have some soldering experince but nothing that requires much detail.

Update us on how your fix holds up after a while.
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post #37 of 89
3/30/05 at 5:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pdragon79
I do use the smart card reader with my amex blue card.
You can (try) replacing it with the original 600m's pcmcia/smart card housing:
http://www.parts-people.com/index.ph...7&prevstart=24
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post #38 of 89
4/20/05 at 12:07am
Well I bought a D600 with bluetooth a few months after they came out. It is still under warranty, but i don't want to go through the hassle of sending it in (don't want to pay for postage). Anyrate, I don't have a bluetooth device to check if my thing is working and I am not getting any error messages like with the usb. I even went through the entire dell hardware diagnostic test ( the boot to the other partition) without a problem. My beef is that the bluetooth light rarely works for me anymore. It has been like this for some time, and when running linux (gentoo) it is nice to have a visual clue as to if the WiFi is turned on/off. I know the light is suppose to be for bluetooth not wifi, but in practice it works that way and i want it back. I have recently noticed that if I hold the notebook up with with my thump on top of the front left corner (lid open), and two fingers supporting from bellow (just in front of the MiniPCI opening, the light will turn on. I guess it must be from this faulty connector. Perhaps I'll just wait and warrantee this thing a few months before it expires so i get the right fix. Pitiful excuse for getting your computer warrantied though.
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post #39 of 89
4/20/05 at 1:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by carbonated_beef
Well I bought a D600 with bluetooth a few months after they came out. It is still under warranty, but i don't want to go through the hassle of sending it in (don't want to pay for postage).
Dell will pay for it and sent you a nice box to put it in.

Quote:
Anyrate, I don't have a bluetooth device to check if my thing is working and I am not getting any error messages like with the usb.
It's probably disconnected from the connector altogether. The usb error message signifies that it isn't properly connected (i'm guessing some pins aren't making conact). Check to see if BIOS says it's installed. If not, the BT module isn't making enough of a connection to even trigger the usb error message.

Quote:
I even went through the entire dell hardware diagnostic test ( the boot to the other partition) without a problem.
Dell's diagnostics doesn't test the bluetooth connection.

Quote:
My beef is that the bluetooth light rarely works for me anymore. It has been like this for some time, and when running linux (gentoo) it is nice to have a visual clue as to if the WiFi is turned on/off. I know the light is suppose to be for bluetooth not wifi, but in practice it works that way and i want it back.
Yes. But there is a dedicated wi-fi led light but it's on the back. It's the left one (when viewed from the back) on top of the ethernet port. The right one is activity. You might have the BT radio disabled (done in the BTTray app) - I do that so that whenever I hit Fn+F2 only the wi-fi card is enabled.

Quote:
I have recently noticed that if I hold the notebook up with with my thump on top of the front left corner (lid open), and two fingers supporting from bellow (just in front of the MiniPCI opening, the light will turn on. I guess it must be from this faulty connector.
Yup. That's it.

Quote:
Perhaps I'll just wait and warrantee this thing a few months before it expires so i get the right fix. Pitiful excuse for getting your computer warrantied though.
Yes. Like I mentioned above though. There are new motherboards that take away a few features (but the BT issue still exists I heard) so if you want those get it soon to get the old boards before dell runs out of them.

Now. With all this said. My 4 moth old 600m (with the older motherboard) is not (YET?) exhibiting the problem.
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post #40 of 89
4/28/05 at 11:05pm

Does TM 350 work in D600 ??

HI guys,

I am planning to buy True Mobile Bluetooth 350 for my Latitude D600 and Inspiron 9200, Can anyone pls confirm it works in both these laptops? Thank you.

email: mvprashanth@hotmail.com
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