Laptop clip?

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Anyone know if it's possible to get some sort of clip that will hold a usb 2.0 cable connector tightly in place at the laptop end? Mine just seems to be sensitive to any tiny movement with my mount cable and laptop usb port (Lenovo Z50-70). I've seen clips that will hold cables to a desk surface but I really want something that will hold one to the laptop case. I've tried taping etc. but that's not convenient and doesn't work very well anyway.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Louise

[Oddsocks]

Hi Louise,

We used these latching USB cables, linked below, for ultrasound probes with laptops in maternity units, I ordered replacements when needed through my own companys US stores and I haven't seen them anywhere else in the general user market but the manufacturer still markets them so it might be worth an email to see if they have a European distributor. 

http://www.l-com.com/content/Article.aspx?Type=N&ID=9812

A to A connectors price list in USA:

http://www.l-com.com/usb-usb-cable-assemblies-with-latching-type-a-connectors

A to B connectors price list in USA:

http://www.l-com.com/usb-usb-cable-assemblies-latching-type-a-to-standard-b-connector

Latching A male to A female extension ( uk eBay link):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-grade-USB-male-to-female-extension-cable-120cm-with-locking-latches-/172096920097?hash=item2811c69a21:g:HmcAAOSw~bFWHPI7

The cables fit standard USB 2 sockets and have sideways expanding wedges that grip the socket and prevent the plug moving, you just squeeze the tabs in the side of the plug end to release it.

If the sockets are really worn on your laptop, and USB 2 is not rated for a huge number of insertions, then a cheap 4 port PCMCIA, Cardbus or Express Card plugged into the expansion slot on the laptop, if provided, would give you some nice new sockets to use.

 

[Thalestris24]

Hi

Thanks. Yeah, something like that might do. The laptop is quite new but it's always had that problem. It's my eqdir cable that's suffering so I'd need a short m to f link cable. As you say these sort of things seem not commonly available. Maybe I can do something to the existing cable connector to make it tighter hmm...

Cheers

Louise

[Oddsocks]

Found a short latching A male to A female extension on ebay uk, added to original post and repeated here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-grade-USB-male-to-female-extension-cable-120cm-with-locking-latches-/172096920097?hash=item2811c69a21:g:HmcAAOSw~bFWHPI7

 

[Thalestris24]

2 minutes ago, Oddsocks said:

Found a short latching A male to A female extension on ebay uk, added to original post and repeated here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Automotive-grade-USB-male-to-female-extension-cable-120cm-with-locking-latches-/172096920097?hash=item2811c69a21:g:HmcAAOSw~bFWHPI7

 

Awesome! From Argos, who'd have thought?

[Oddsocks]

10 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

 The laptop is quite new but it's always had that problem. It's my eqdir cable that's suffering.

One of the astro club members was having intermittent problems with his eqdir cable, the A-plug was rather cheap and nasty, the contacts were badly stamped with raised burrs along the edges so the contacts were barely making...I cut the B-end off a new cable with good quality gold plated contacts and replaced the original eqdir cable....problem solved.

[Thalestris24]

1 hour ago, Oddsocks said:

One of the astro club members was having intermittent problems with his eqdir cable, the A-plug was rather cheap and nasty, the contacts were badly stamped with raised burrs along the edges so the contacts were barely making...I cut the B-end off a new cable with good quality gold plated contacts and replaced the original eqdir cable....problem solved.

In my case I think the cable itself is ok. I've swapped things around recently - now running the avx from a desktop and the heq5 from the laptop. The laptop usb connectors have always had a looseness problem, especially in the cold. If I can get one, I'll give one of the above automotive grade cables a go. I'll post to let you know if it's better

Louise

[martin_h]

I have a new HP laptop and the sockets on that are just the same, only have to touch the lead and it disconnects - total rubbish! 

[Thalestris24]

Update! I got the automotive usb lead today. A bit disappointed though. It certainly holds the connector in but it's still very loose in the socket. I think I'm going to have to get creative!

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Hmm... Well I think I cured the looseness - simple small piece of shiny card folded so that no side to side movement of connector and no up down movement :D. But... still seem to be getting occasional random disconnections. More testing/research required.

[Thalestris24]

Arrrggghhh! I think I might have sorted it now. I think I recently changed the Win 8.1 laptop power plan. In doing so it appears to have defaulted back to the suspend usb power enable... D'oh! The loose usb connection was also a problem but a bit of a red herring...

Louise

[Starlight 1]

I have a little clip on the power lead input side and use this to hold the usb cable that next to it and for the next one i put the cable under the laptop on hold it still.

[Thalestris24]

2 hours ago, Starlight 1 said:

I have a little clip on the power lead input side and use this to hold the usb cable that next to it and for the next one i put the cable under the laptop on hold it still.

Trouble is these sort of clips hold the cable but don't necessarily keep the connector itself tight. I think my little bit of card solves the problem

Louise

[Astro_gav]

On 25 February 2016 at 02:14, Thalestris24 said:

Hi

Anyone know if it's possible to get some sort of clip that will hold a usb 2.0 cable connector tightly in place at the laptop end? Mine just seems to be sensitive to any tiny movement with my mount cable and laptop usb port (Lenovo Z50-70). I've seen clips that will hold cables to a desk surface but I really want something that will hold one to the laptop case. I've tried taping etc. but that's not convenient and doesn't work very well anyway.

Any ideas?

Thanks

Louise

Is it the connection in the laptop or the cable itself? You could alway try making your own clip somehow using Sugru. It's a putty like substance that sets over a 24 hour period after being moulded to the shape you want into a flexible rubber.

 

Gav

[Thalestris24]

10 minutes ago, Astro_gav said:

Is it the connection in the laptop or the cable itself? You could alway try making your own clip somehow using Sugru. It's a putty like substance that sets over a 24 hour period after being moulded to the shape you want into a flexible rubber.

 

Gav

Yeah, it's the connection between the male cable connector and the laptop socket that's loose (especially in the cold). I'll consider the Sugru but the bit of card seems to be working for now.

Thanks

Louise

[PeterCPC]

I love it when a low tech solution is the best.

Peter

[Oddsocks]

That is a shame the special USB cable did not work...will you return it?

You would not believe the number of Maternity Unit Ultrasound laptops I had to replace over the years where the users had put the laptop down on a bed with something below the USB plug and then leaned or sat on the laptop, either the port socket is bent or pulled out of the motherboard or else the motherboard is cracked...and of course no-one knew how it happened....It is rather a poor design though, it would be better if the laptop port  was built in vertically, at an angle, or built so that the entire plug body disappears into the chassis just leaving the cable sticking out with an eject button beside it when you need to disconnect...Still just a few more years and most likely wireless will have taken over completely!

William

[Thalestris24]

6 minutes ago, Oddsocks said:

That is a shame the special USB cable did not work...will you return it?

You would not believe the number of Maternity Unit Ultrasound laptops I had to replace over the years where the users had put the laptop down on a bed with something below the USB plug and then leaned or sat on the laptop, either the port socket is bent or pulled out of the motherboard or else the motherboard is cracked...and of course no-one knew how it happened....It is rather a poor design though, it would be better if the laptop port  was built in vertically, at an angle, or built so that the entire plug body disappears into the chassis just leaving the cable sticking out with an eject button beside it when you need to disconnect...Still just a few more years and most likely wireless will have taken over completely!

William

Hi

I'll still use it as a flying lead but in combination with the card trick. A disadvantage of the card is that it comes out when unplugged but not a problem with the clip-in lead  

I suppose we have to live with the way things are. I've no doubt stuff will evolve over time. I read a while back that someone had developed ultra thin lenses which sounded interesting.

Louise