My ExpressCard slot is too wide.

April 12, 2009 5:12 PM

How do I secure a FireWire ExpressCard/34 that jiggles around inside an ExpressCard 34/54 slot?

I have a Dell Vostro 1310 with an ExpressCard 34/54 slot. I also have this SIIG FireWire ExpressCard/34. (All the other FireWire ExpressCards I can find are all 34.) It works fine in my laptop but there's all this slot space to the right side of it and it's not secured in place. A cable pull or even catching it on a shirt sleeve will move it and potentially disconnect it, which is no good for a live show laptop situation.

Is there a solution to this problem? I've found a few 34/54 adapters in obscure online stores overseas but I have to believe there's a more obvious and easy solution available locally. Or is everyone cool with their FireWire adapter rattling around in their laptop?

posted by frenetic to computers & internet (3 comments total)

Was the "EX-10000 - ExpressCard Kit 34/54mm for stabilisation" one of the adapters you saw? They're also listed on ebay. A more home-brew approach is illustrated here.
posted by Dave 9 at 8:32 PM on April 12

Thanks! That's the one, I couldn't order from their website and didn't know about the eBay one. I'll order it from there.

Also that velcro solution is horrifying. I don't understand why that sort of thing is necessary.
posted by frenetic at 8:16 AM on April 13

As a follow-up: I did manage eventually to get one of those from eBay and from Germany. It works perfectly and was twelve dollars.
posted by frenetic at 12:32 PM on May 13