Netbook and magnetic field dilemma; what to do?

>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I was just about to order an Asus Eee PC (a small 10 inch screen netbook)
> at a good price, in the hopes that it would offer a more comfortable, lower
> EMF alternative to this big PC with its 24 inch screen.
>
> I had intended to run it on batteries, and of course disable the wireless
> connection.
>
> By chance, I Googled "eee pc emf", and found a YouTube video of someone
> measuring the magnetic field around their Eee PC, running on batteries.
> They say in the video description that the field was, at certain spots, over
> 30 milligauss!
>
> That's really high! That's what I expect to find on a power cord, by a
> fusebox, or right at the back of this big, AC powered PC - not on a little,
> 12 volt, battery powered netbook!
>
> I'm glad I saw this video before buying the thing. But it was kind of a
> let down, too, because I really need a low EMF, small, affordable, portable
> computer, and I thought this was going to be it.
>
> I have some questions:
>
> 1. How can such a small thing have such high magnetic fields?
> 2. What inside do you think is causing them? The spinning hard drive and
> the fan?
> 3. Does anyone here have an Eee PC that they've actually measured the
> magnetic field, or other electromagnetic radiation from? Can you comment?
>
> My plan had been to get the Eee PC, disconnect the fan, and replace the
> spinning hard drive with a SSD (solid state hard drive), since it has no
> moving parts.
>
> Do you think doing this would eliminate the bulk of the magnetic field? (I
> ask because this keyboard, for example, and this mouse, which are of the
> normal, wired variety, have very little magnetic or electric field - and no
> moving parts).
>
> Also: I've found some sites which show the inside of the Eee Pc, and the
> underside of the keyboard.
>
> I have some very thin (probably the thickness of two or so pieces of
> printer paper) magnetic shielding metal; it's flexible and can be cut to
> shape. Based on the pictures I'm including in the links, does anyone think
> it's feasible to open up the Eee PC and line as much of the case as I can
> with this material?
>
> If I do so, and am worried about shorting something out because of
> conductivity, would a layer of clear tape over the shielding foil where it's
> near any circuits do the trick, or is that still risky?
>
> Also - about the keyboard: you can see in some of the "How To Open Your Eee
> PC Case" pictures, under the keyboard, is a metal sheet with a few holes in
> it. Do you think it'd be safe to cover this with the thin magnetic field
> shielding material in the exact same shape (cutting out the same holes that
> are present) and sticking the keyboard back in place? Do you think it'd be a
> problem that the keyboard touches the shielding foil directly? (I assume
> not, but what do I know?)
>
> Phew. That's a lot of questions, but I would be so grateful if any
> knowledgeable folks out there could advise me on them. The links I referto
> are included below. Thanks so much!
>
> R.
>
> Magnetic Field from Eee PC:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TON5DWzAUwA&feature=related
>
> How to open the case/pictures:
> http://www.eeepcandme.com/how-to-open-your-eee-pc-case-eee-pc-mod-guide/
>
> Pictures of the keyboard:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16125
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the
> boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to
> New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  
>

>
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I was just about to order an Asus Eee PC (a small 10 inch screen netbook)
> at a good price, in the hopes that it would offer a more comfortable, lower
> EMF alternative to this big PC with its 24 inch screen.
>
> I had intended to run it on batteries, and of course disable the wireless
> connection.
>
> By chance, I Googled "eee pc emf", and found a YouTube video of someone
> measuring the magnetic field around their Eee PC, running on batteries.
> They say in the video description that the field was, at certain spots, over
> 30 milligauss!
>
> That's really high! That's what I expect to find on a power cord, by a
> fusebox, or right at the back of this big, AC powered PC - not on a little,
> 12 volt, battery powered netbook!
>
> I'm glad I saw this video before buying the thing.  But it was kind of a
> let down, too, because I really need a low EMF, small, affordable, portable
> computer, and I thought this was going to be it.
>
> I have some questions:
>
> 1. How can such a small thing have such high magnetic fields?
> 2. What inside do you think is causing them? The spinning hard drive and
> the fan?
> 3. Does anyone here have an Eee PC that they've actually measured the
> magnetic field, or other electromagnetic radiation from? Can you comment?
>
> My plan had been to get the Eee PC, disconnect the fan, and replace the
> spinning hard drive with a SSD (solid state hard drive), since it has no
> moving parts.
>
> Do you think doing this would eliminate the bulk of the magnetic field? (I
> ask because this keyboard, for example, and this mouse, which are of the
> normal, wired variety, have very little magnetic or electric field - and no
> moving parts).
>
> Also: I've found some sites which show the inside of the Eee Pc, and the
> underside of the keyboard.
>
> I have some very thin (probably the thickness of two or so pieces of
> printer paper) magnetic shielding metal; it's flexible and can be cut to
> shape.  Based on the pictures I'm including in the links, does anyone think
> it's feasible to open up the Eee PC and line as much of the case as I can
> with this material?
>
> If I do so, and am worried about shorting something out because of
> conductivity, would a layer of clear tape over the shielding foil where it's
> near any circuits do the trick, or is that still risky?
>
> Also - about the keyboard: you can see in some of the "How To Open Your Eee
> PC Case" pictures, under the keyboard, is a metal sheet with a few holes in
> it.  Do you think it'd be safe to cover this with the thin magnetic field
> shielding material in the exact same shape (cutting out the same holes that
> are present) and sticking the keyboard back in place? Do you think it'd be a
> problem that the keyboard touches the shielding foil directly? (I assume
> not, but what do I know?)
>
> Phew.  That's a lot of questions, but I would be so grateful if any
> knowledgeable folks out there could advise me on them.  The links I refer to
> are included below.  Thanks so much!
>
> R.
>
> Magnetic Field from Eee PC:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TON5DWzAUwA&feature=related
>
> How to open the case/pictures:
> http://www.eeepcandme.com/how-to-open-your-eee-pc-case-eee-pc-mod-guide/
>
> Pictures of the keyboard:
> http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16125
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the
> boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to
> New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> 
>

>
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and respond.
>
> I can't find much about that meter being used, though all I see refers to
> its range in milligauss, which makes me think magnetic only, not a
> combination of electric and magnetic - why they would combine the two into
> one measurement is beyond me. But who knows? I wish companies would be more
> specific than just saying something "measures an electromagnetic field".
>
> I had not at all considered that the trackpad would be a strong source; I
> mean, I figured it puts out something, but not that it could be a large
> portion of it. I would probably use an external USB mouse with the Eee PC
> anyway, as I don't think a trackpad is very accurate for many things, such
> as photo editing.
>
> When you say that hands should be at least a foot or two away from the
> laptop, how would one go about using it, since, well, the keyboard is
> attached right to it? I think it would be rather too small a screen to be
> far away enough to use with an external keyboard...
>
> I really do hope that a big chunk of the magnetic field was from the normal
> hard drive. After all, it's driven by an electric motor, and it contains
> magnetic material! That would create a pretty high near field, wouldn't it?
>
> When you say: "Unless stealth is a must, it is better to put the shielding
> farther away (the exception is if you are trying to use inductive shielding
> like thick aluminum)."
>
> ...do you mean that shielding would be better done on the outside of the
> case so it's farther away from the internal components?
>
> Can you think of a very low profile for higher frequencies that would work?
>
> I find the hardest ones to block are lower high frequencies, like what can
> get picked up with an AM radio...
>
> Could I maybe line the whole inside of the case with YShield Paint?
>
> Thanks again, Bill!
>
> If anyone else would like to chime in, too, please, please, do!
>
> Cheers,
>
> R.
>
> --- On Wed, 1/6/10, Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> From: Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> Subject: Re: [eSens] Netbook and magnetic field dilemma; what to do?
> To: [hidden email] <eSens%40yahoogroups.com>
> Received: Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 2:45 AM
>
>
> I don't know that detector... it's quite possible it
> responds to both electric and magnetic fields.
> (The only way to prevent that is shielding around
> the magnetic pick-up).
> It seems to me that a large part of what is being detected
> could be the track-pad. Track pads use fields to measure
> where your finger is. The field drops off fast with distance,
> but you also might just disconnect it.
>
> You need to keep your hands at least a foot or two from
> the laptop anyway. It's also possible the hard drive was
> registering on that detector. An SSD drive would solve
> that.
>
> I think the real problem with computers is the higher
> frequencies. Unless stealth is a must, it is better to
> put the shielding farther away (the exception is if you
> are trying to use inductive shielding like thick
> aluminum). Especially with magnetic shielding a couple
> inches away will reduce saturation. But you want stuff
> that can go up into the MHz.
>
> You might check with this guy for advice:
> http://www.ahappyhabitat.com/computer.html
>
> I still think the EEE PC is a good thing to try. Get an
> SSD drive. I think you can raise the temperature where
> the fan comes on in software. An SSD can make less heat
> than a spinning hard drive, especially if you minimize the
> amount of access by the OS (for a mac, disable Spotlight;
> for windows there's other stuff to disable; people looking
> for long battery life have studied this).
>
> Asus announced an aluminum version of the EEE back in
> 2008 but I don't know if any ever came to the US. I
> am inclined to get one if/when available at an OK price.
>
> On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 5:20 PM, R. Ticle <[hidden email]<rticleone%40yahoo.ca>>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > I was just about to order an Asus Eee PC (a small 10 inch screen netbook)
> > at a good price, in the hopes that it would offer a more comfortable,
> lower
> > EMF alternative to this big PC with its 24 inch screen.
> >
> > I had intended to run it on batteries, and of course disable the wireless
> > connection.
> >
> > By chance, I Googled "eee pc emf", and found a YouTube video of someone
> > measuring the magnetic field around their Eee PC, running on batteries.
> > They say in the video description that the field was, at certain spots,
> over
> > 30 milligauss!
> >
> > That's really high! That's what I expect to find on a power cord, by a
> > fusebox, or right at the back of this big, AC powered PC - not on a
> little,
> > 12 volt, battery powered netbook!
> >
> > I'm glad I saw this video before buying the thing. But it was kind of a
> > let down, too, because I really need a low EMF, small, affordable,
> portable
> > computer, and I thought this was going to be it.
> >
> > I have some questions:
> >
> > 1. How can such a small thing have such high magnetic fields?
> > 2. What inside do you think is causing them? The spinning hard drive and
> > the fan?
> > 3. Does anyone here have an Eee PC that they've actually measured the
> > magnetic field, or other electromagnetic radiation from? Can you comment?
> >
> > My plan had been to get the Eee PC, disconnect the fan, and replace the
> > spinning hard drive with a SSD (solid state hard drive), since it has no
> > moving parts.
> >
> > Do you think doing this would eliminate the bulk of the magnetic field?
> (I
> > ask because this keyboard, for example, and this mouse, which are of the
> > normal, wired variety, have very little magnetic or electric field - and
> no
> > moving parts).
> >
> > Also: I've found some sites which show the inside of the Eee Pc, and the
> > underside of the keyboard.
> >
> > I have some very thin (probably the thickness of two or so pieces of
> > printer paper) magnetic shielding metal; it's flexible and can be cut to
> > shape. Based on the pictures I'm including in the links, does anyone
> think
> > it's feasible to open up the Eee PC and line as much of the case as I can
> > with this material?
> >
> > If I do so, and am worried about shorting something out because of
> > conductivity, would a layer of clear tape over the shielding foil where
> it's
> > near any circuits do the trick, or is that still risky?
> >
> > Also - about the keyboard: you can see in some of the "How To Open Your
> Eee
> > PC Case" pictures, under the keyboard, is a metal sheet with a few holes
> in
> > it. Do you think it'd be safe to cover this with the thin magnetic field
> > shielding material in the exact same shape (cutting out the same holes
> that
> > are present) and sticking the keyboard back in place? Do you think it'd
> be a
> > problem that the keyboard touches the shielding foil directly? (I assume
> > not, but what do I know?)
> >
> > Phew. That's a lot of questions, but I would be so grateful if any
> > knowledgeable folks out there could advise me on them. The links I refer
> to
> > are included below. Thanks so much!
> >
> > R.
> >
> > Magnetic Field from Eee PC:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TON5DWzAUwA&feature=related
> >
> > How to open the case/pictures:
> > http://www.eeepcandme.com/how-to-open-your-eee-pc-case-eee-pc-mod-guide/
> >
> > Pictures of the keyboard:
> > http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16125
> >
> > __________________________________________________________
> > Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the
> > boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to
> > New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the
> new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA at
> http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  
>

>
>
> > I recently sold Mark an extra DVI fiber optic cable I had so maybe he can
> > chime in with how its been working for him so far.
>
> Interestingly, my preliminary results are that the fiber optic DVI monitor
> cable is actually WORSE symptom-wise than the VGA cable I had been using.
> But I need to go back and forth for a couple weeks to make sure that it's
> not something else that had coincidentally changed while using the fiber
> optic cable.
>
> Marc
>  
>

>
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and respond.
>
> I can't find much about that meter being used, though all I see refers to
> its range in milligauss, which makes me think magnetic only, not a
> combination of electric and magnetic - why they would combine the two into
> one measurement is beyond me.  But who knows? I wish companies would bemore
> specific than just saying something "measures an electromagnetic field".
>
> I had not at all considered that the trackpad would be a strong source; I
> mean, I figured it puts out something, but not that it could be a large
> portion of it.  I would probably use an external USB mouse with the EeePC
> anyway, as I don't think a trackpad is very accurate for many things, such
> as photo editing.
>
> When you say that hands should be at least a foot or two away from the
> laptop, how would one go about using it, since, well, the keyboard is
> attached right to it? I think it would be rather too small a screen to be
> far away enough to use with an external keyboard...
>
> I really do hope that a big chunk of the magnetic field was from the normal
> hard drive.  After all, it's driven by an electric motor, and it contains
> magnetic material! That would create a pretty high near field, wouldn't it?
>
> When you say:  "Unless stealth is a must, it is better to put the shielding
> farther away (the exception is if you are trying to use inductive shielding
> like thick aluminum)."
>
> ...do you mean that shielding would be better done on the outside of the
> case so it's farther away from the internal components?
>
> Can you think of a very low profile for higher frequencies that would work?
>
> I find the hardest ones to block are lower high frequencies, like what can
> get picked up with an AM radio...
>
> Could I maybe line the whole inside of the case with YShield Paint?
>
> Thanks again, Bill!
>
> If anyone else would like to chime in, too, please, please, do!
>
> Cheers,
>
> R.
>
> --- On Wed, 1/6/10, Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> From: Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> Subject: Re: [eSens] Netbook and magnetic field dilemma; what to do?
> To: [hidden email] <eSens%40yahoogroups.com>
> Received: Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 2:45 AM
>
>
> I don't know that detector... it's quite possible it
> responds to both electric and magnetic fields.
> (The only way to prevent that is shielding around
> the magnetic pick-up).
> It seems to me that a large part of what is being detected
> could be the track-pad.  Track pads use fields to measure
> where your finger is.   The field drops off fast with distance,
> but you also might just disconnect it.
>
> You need to keep your hands at least a foot or two from
> the laptop anyway.  It's also possible the hard drive was
> registering on that detector.  An SSD drive would solve
> that.
>
> I think the real problem with computers is the higher
> frequencies.  Unless stealth is a must, it is better to
> put the shielding farther away (the exception is if you
> are trying to use inductive shielding like thick
> aluminum).  Especially with magnetic shielding a couple
> inches away will reduce saturation.  But you want stuff
> that can go up into the MHz.
>
> You might check with this guy for advice:
> http://www.ahappyhabitat.com/computer.html
>
> I still think the EEE PC is a good thing to try.  Get an
> SSD drive.  I think you can raise the temperature where
> the fan comes on in software.  An SSD can make less heat
> than a spinning hard drive, especially if you minimize the
> amount of access by the OS (for a mac, disable Spotlight;
> for windows there's other stuff to disable; people looking
> for long battery life have studied this).
>
> Asus announced an aluminum version of the EEE back in
> 2008 but I don't know if any ever came to the US.  I
> am inclined to get one if/when available at an OK price.
>
> On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 5:20 PM, R. Ticle <[hidden email]<rticleone%40yahoo.ca>>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Hello everyone,
> >
> > I was just about to order an Asus Eee PC (a small 10 inch screen netbook)
> > at a good price, in the hopes that it would offer a more comfortable,
> lower
> > EMF alternative to this big PC with its 24 inch screen.
> >
> > I had intended to run it on batteries, and of course disable the wireless
> > connection.
> >
> > By chance, I Googled "eee pc emf", and found a YouTube video of someone
> > measuring the magnetic field around their Eee PC, running on batteries.
> > They say in the video description that the field was, at certain spots,
> over
> > 30 milligauss!
> >
> > That's really high! That's what I expect to find on a power cord, by a
> > fusebox, or right at the back of this big, AC powered PC - not on a
> little,
> > 12 volt, battery powered netbook!
> >
> > I'm glad I saw this video before buying the thing.  But it was kind of a
> > let down, too, because I really need a low EMF, small, affordable,
> portable
> > computer, and I thought this was going to be it.
> >
> > I have some questions:
> >
> > 1. How can such a small thing have such high magnetic fields?
> > 2. What inside do you think is causing them? The spinning hard drive and
> > the fan?
> > 3. Does anyone here have an Eee PC that they've actually measured the
> > magnetic field, or other electromagnetic radiation from? Can you comment?
> >
> > My plan had been to get the Eee PC, disconnect the fan, and replace the
> > spinning hard drive with a SSD (solid state hard drive), since it has no
> > moving parts.
> >
> > Do you think doing this would eliminate the bulk of the magnetic field?
> (I
> > ask because this keyboard, for example, and this mouse, which are of the
> > normal, wired variety, have very little magnetic or electric field - and
> no
> > moving parts).
> >
> > Also: I've found some sites which show the inside of the Eee Pc, and the
> > underside of the keyboard.
> >
> > I have some very thin (probably the thickness of two or so pieces of
> > printer paper) magnetic shielding metal; it's flexible and can be cut to
> > shape.  Based on the pictures I'm including in the links, does anyone
> think
> > it's feasible to open up the Eee PC and line as much of the case as I can
> > with this material?
> >
> > If I do so, and am worried about shorting something out because of
> > conductivity, would a layer of clear tape over the shielding foil where
> it's
> > near any circuits do the trick, or is that still risky?
> >
> > Also - about the keyboard: you can see in some of the "How To Open Your
> Eee
> > PC Case" pictures, under the keyboard, is a metal sheet with a few holes
> in
> > it.  Do you think it'd be safe to cover this with the thin magnetic field
> > shielding material in the exact same shape (cutting out the same holes
> that
> > are present) and sticking the keyboard back in place? Do you think it'd
> be a
> > problem that the keyboard touches the shielding foil directly? (I assume
> > not, but what do I know?)
> >
> > Phew.  That's a lot of questions, but I would be so grateful if any
> > knowledgeable folks out there could advise me on them.  The links I refer
> to
> > are included below.  Thanks so much!
> >
> > R.
> >
> > Magnetic Field from Eee PC:
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TON5DWzAUwA&feature=related
> >
> > How to open the case/pictures:
> > http://www.eeepcandme.com/how-to-open-your-eee-pc-case-eee-pc-mod-guide/
> >
> > Pictures of the keyboard:
> > http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16125
> >
> > __________________________________________________________
> > Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the
> > boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to
> > New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the
> new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA at
> http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> 
>

>
>
> Hi Bill,
>
> Thanks for the ideas.
>
> What about a keyboard would make it so hard to shield?
>
>
> R.
>
> --- On Wed, 1/6/10, Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> wrote:
>
> From: Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com>>
> Subject: Re: [eSens] Netbook and magnetic field dilemma; what to do?
> To: [hidden email] <eSens%40yahoogroups.com>
> Received: Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 3:32 AM
>
>
> If you want to paint inside use the nickel paint from lessEMF.
> But I think it's unlikely you can get good enough continuity
> unless you also put finger stock on the seams and it's probably
> hopeless to shield the keyboard and screen anyway.
> Possible it would help, but not much. Definitely use an
> external keyboard and mouse. Yes it's annoying to have a small
> screen...it would be cool if you could flip it so the keyboard is
> on the back. Use really big fonts.
>
> On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 8:11 PM, R. Ticle <[hidden email]<rticleone%40yahoo.ca>>
> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > Hi Bill,
> >
> > Thanks for taking the time to watch the video and respond.
> >
> > I can't find much about that meter being used, though all I see refers to
> > its range in milligauss, which makes me think magnetic only, not a
> > combination of electric and magnetic - why they would combine the two
> into
> > one measurement is beyond me. But who knows? I wish companies would be
> more
> > specific than just saying something "measures an electromagnetic field".
> >
> > I had not at all considered that the trackpad would be a strong source;I
> > mean, I figured it puts out something, but not that it could be a large
> > portion of it. I would probably use an external USB mouse with the Eee
> PC
> > anyway, as I don't think a trackpad is very accurate for many things,
> such
> > as photo editing.
> >
> > When you say that hands should be at least a foot or two away from the
> > laptop, how would one go about using it, since, well, the keyboard is
> > attached right to it? I think it would be rather too small a screen to be
> > far away enough to use with an external keyboard...
> >
> > I really do hope that a big chunk of the magnetic field was from the
> normal
> > hard drive. After all, it's driven by an electric motor, and it contains
> > magnetic material! That would create a pretty high near field, wouldn't
> it?
> >
> > When you say: "Unless stealth is a must, it is better to put the
> shielding
> > farther away (the exception is if you are trying to use inductive
> shielding
> > like thick aluminum)."
> >
> > ...do you mean that shielding would be better done on the outside of the
> > case so it's farther away from the internal components?
> >
> > Can you think of a very low profile for higher frequencies that would
> work?
> >
> > I find the hardest ones to block are lower high frequencies, like what
> can
> > get picked up with an AM radio...
> >
> > Could I maybe line the whole inside of the case with YShield Paint?
> >
> > Thanks again, Bill!
> >
> > If anyone else would like to chime in, too, please, please, do!
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > R.
> >
> > --- On Wed, 1/6/10, Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com><wbruno%
> 40gmail.com>>
> > wrote:
> >
> > From: Bill Bruno <[hidden email] <wbruno%40gmail.com> <wbruno%
> 40gmail.com>>
>
> > Subject: Re: [eSens] Netbook and magnetic field dilemma; what to do?
> > To: [hidden email] <eSens%40yahoogroups.com> <eSens%
> 40yahoogroups.com>
>
> > Received: Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 2:45 AM
> >
> >
> > I don't know that detector... it's quite possible it
> > responds to both electric and magnetic fields.
> > (The only way to prevent that is shielding around
> > the magnetic pick-up).
> > It seems to me that a large part of what is being detected
> > could be the track-pad. Track pads use fields to measure
> > where your finger is. The field drops off fast with distance,
> > but you also might just disconnect it.
> >
> > You need to keep your hands at least a foot or two from
> > the laptop anyway. It's also possible the hard drive was
> > registering on that detector. An SSD drive would solve
> > that.
> >
> > I think the real problem with computers is the higher
> > frequencies. Unless stealth is a must, it is better to
> > put the shielding farther away (the exception is if you
> > are trying to use inductive shielding like thick
> > aluminum). Especially with magnetic shielding a couple
> > inches away will reduce saturation. But you want stuff
> > that can go up into the MHz.
> >
> > You might check with this guy for advice:
> > http://www.ahappyhabitat.com/computer.html
> >
> > I still think the EEE PC is a good thing to try. Get an
> > SSD drive. I think you can raise the temperature where
> > the fan comes on in software. An SSD can make less heat
> > than a spinning hard drive, especially if you minimize the
> > amount of access by the OS (for a mac, disable Spotlight;
> > for windows there's other stuff to disable; people looking
> > for long battery life have studied this).
> >
> > Asus announced an aluminum version of the EEE back in
> > 2008 but I don't know if any ever came to the US. I
> > am inclined to get one if/when available at an OK price.
> >
> > On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 5:20 PM, R. Ticle <[hidden email]<rticleone%40yahoo.ca>
> <rticleone%40yahoo.ca>>
>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > Hello everyone,
> > >
> > > I was just about to order an Asus Eee PC (a small 10 inch screen
> netbook)
> > > at a good price, in the hopes that it would offer a more comfortable,
> > lower
> > > EMF alternative to this big PC with its 24 inch screen.
> > >
> > > I had intended to run it on batteries, and of course disable the
> wireless
> > > connection.
> > >
> > > By chance, I Googled "eee pc emf", and found a YouTube video of someone
> > > measuring the magnetic field around their Eee PC, running on batteries.
> > > They say in the video description that the field was, at certain spots,
> > over
> > > 30 milligauss!
> > >
> > > That's really high! That's what I expect to find on a power cord, by a
> > > fusebox, or right at the back of this big, AC powered PC - not on a
> > little,
> > > 12 volt, battery powered netbook!
> > >
> > > I'm glad I saw this video before buying the thing. But it was kind of
> a
> > > let down, too, because I really need a low EMF, small, affordable,
> > portable
> > > computer, and I thought this was going to be it.
> > >
> > > I have some questions:
> > >
> > > 1. How can such a small thing have such high magnetic fields?
> > > 2. What inside do you think is causing them? The spinning hard drive
> and
> > > the fan?
> > > 3. Does anyone here have an Eee PC that they've actually measured the
> > > magnetic field, or other electromagnetic radiation from? Can you
> comment?
> > >
> > > My plan had been to get the Eee PC, disconnect the fan, and replace the
> > > spinning hard drive with a SSD (solid state hard drive), since it has
> no
> > > moving parts.
> > >
> > > Do you think doing this would eliminate the bulk of the magnetic field?
> > (I
> > > ask because this keyboard, for example, and this mouse, which are of
> the
> > > normal, wired variety, have very little magnetic or electric field -
> and
> > no
> > > moving parts).
> > >
> > > Also: I've found some sites which show the inside of the Eee Pc, and
> the
> > > underside of the keyboard.
> > >
> > > I have some very thin (probably the thickness of two or so pieces of
> > > printer paper) magnetic shielding metal; it's flexible and can be cut
> to
> > > shape. Based on the pictures I'm including in the links, does anyone
> > think
> > > it's feasible to open up the Eee PC and line as much of the case as I
> can
> > > with this material?
> > >
> > > If I do so, and am worried about shorting something out because of
> > > conductivity, would a layer of clear tape over the shielding foil where
> > it's
> > > near any circuits do the trick, or is that still risky?
> > >
> > > Also - about the keyboard: you can see in some of the "How To Open Your
> > Eee
> > > PC Case" pictures, under the keyboard, is a metal sheet with a few
> holes
> > in
> > > it. Do you think it'd be safe to cover this with the thin magnetic
> field
> > > shielding material in the exact same shape (cutting out the same holes
> > that
> > > are present) and sticking the keyboard back in place? Do you think it'd
> > be a
> > > problem that the keyboard touches the shielding foil directly? (I
> assume
> > > not, but what do I know?)
> > >
> > > Phew. That's a lot of questions, but I would be so grateful if any
> > > knowledgeable folks out there could advise me on them. The links I
> refer
> > to
> > > are included below. Thanks so much!
> > >
> > > R.
> > >
> > > Magnetic Field from Eee PC:
> > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TON5DWzAUwA&feature=related
> > >
> > > How to open the case/pictures:
> > >
> http://www.eeepcandme.com/how-to-open-your-eee-pc-case-eee-pc-mod-guide/
> > >
> > > Pictures of the keyboard:
> > > http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.16125
> > >
> > > __________________________________________________________
> > > Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email
> the
> > > boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch
> to
> > > New Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca
> > >
> > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> > __________________________________________________________
> > Connect with friends from any web browser - no download required. Try the
> > new Yahoo! Canada Messenger for the Web BETA at
> > http://ca.messenger.yahoo.com/webmessengerpromo.php
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
> __________________________________________________________
> Looking for the perfect gift? Give the gift of Flickr!
>
> http://www.flickr.com/gift/
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>  
>