Adding internal(ish) Bluetooth to a Laptop

Stuffing bluetooth into a laptop that wasn't really meant to have it without any of that pesky soldering.

Step 1 The idea

I recently refurbished my laptop and after adding internal wi-fi i decided I wanted bluetooth in there too. After a bit of Internet research I found it couldn't be done without soldering. I'm not very good at soldering and I didn't want to risk bricking my laptop so I decided to go a different way. I already had a bluetooth dongle and after looking at it closely found it would fit fairly comfortably between the screen and its casing, with the lead poking out above my usb ports. I then set about stripping down the components and taking my baby apart.

I wasn't quite sure where to put this but its my first Instructable and I'm neither writer nor photographer so be kind

Comments

[CCH3ST3R]

well this is awesome cuz i use alot of projects w/ bluetooth but one stupid question is ur computer an old toshiba satalite from like the 90's

[Karel Jansens]

It's not that I want to belittle your instructable (it's very nice, BTW), but I've seen USB Bluetooth dongles that barely protrude from the USB slot. Surely they would make such intensive surgery redundant?

[gmjhowe]

http://usb.brando.com.hk/prod_detail.php?prod_id=00417&dept_id=015&cat_id=036
Like this? i own one of these, works very nicely! tho i hav it in the back of a powermac, its only about £13/$27

[i make shooting things]

that thing is tiny hows the range?

[gmjhowe]

range is good (10 metres), i use it to run my bluetooth keyboard off, works across a room no probs, and even works thru walls. i have seen 100 metrre versions, but not from brando.

[Karel Jansens]

10 meters? It's not like you need a huge antenna for standard bluetooth; I've seen even smaller adapters.

[gmjhowe]

i want to be able to get it out of my usb port tho! lol

[samwise]

thanks for the comments, glad you like. I suppose it is a tad redundant but it was done with stuff I already had laying around and provided an afternoons entertainment. I am kinda tempted by the tiny ones i found one yesterday for £7 but I would probably lose it.

[Marche]

Please tell me you have linux on that MacBook LinuxH4x0r...

[uguy]

hole or whole?

[LinuxH4x0r]

I would do this, if my MacBook didn't already have BT Great job

[GorillazMiko]

Neat Instructable! Nice laptop too, looks cool with all the stickers.