Poqet Broken Hinge Fix

["Bill Moy" <billmoy@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello List!,

I wanted to report that I've had great success fixing my Poqet's cracked,
fly away hinge.  My right hinge cracked off finally and looking at the
contact points where the hinge actually attached itself there was not much
surface there if glue was used alone.  It cracked along corner bends,
directly below the right hinge, behind the space where the LCD flat cable
moves, and also at the right side where the hinge extends from the lower
casing.  In the past, epoxy alone still wasn't strong enough for the slight
pressure asserted as the clamshell opened.  I played in my mind how I would
fix this problem and toyed with the idea about using metal from a can glued
for added strength.  It was a good idea that I've used for other fixes.
Because of its smooth finish, glue sometimes did not take the best hold.
Then my eyes landed on a free AOL v8.0 CD disk that I just picked up.  It
cut very nicely with household scissors.  I made a piece that would fit the
'square' area on the right side between the PCMCIA slot and the back edge
with an extension that laid over the hinge's side (although covering the
actual pin-post.)  I would figure how to get access to the pin later if
there was ever a need --so far, never...)

Laying the cut piece's exposed side on the rest of the cut CD, I was able to
use a wrench or vice-grip to mar the glued-side of the cut piece to add
strength by gluing to a non-smooth surface.  This was a bit more difficult
to do with metal.  I used epoxy for all cracked lines, dry, then added the
CD cut part to solidify the hinge to the body.  A bit of magic marker black
and I'm back in business!   I also left out the curved metal spring that
pressure-holds the screen at angle positions.  I think this can be slid back
into place after every crack is secured, but I found there wasn't a need for
the way I use the Poqet.

I'm reporting this because I was a bit discouraged reading/remembering from
old Poqet archives that once a cracked hinge flies there's nothing much that
can be done.

While I have your ear,  I also wanted to let you know that I bought some
time ago a Poqet classic from eBay with a home made ac adapter that connects
via the expansion port.  It's really a simple solder of two wires from an
appropriate AC adapter (Radio Shack) to connection points.  It works!

Long live Poqet!

(Sven, I think this email went to the Poqet list, please forward if it
mistakenly went to the Sharp PC3000 list.  Thanks!)

--Bill