Bugzilla – Bug 9486
remote needs a stronger magnet
Last modified: 2011-01-13 23:49:02 UTC
The remote that came with my PQP2 unit has a fairly strong magnet. It has no trouble sticking to the side of our refrigerator, even when I have it in a plastic Ziploc-style bag. Today I tried the baggie-on-fridge trick with the remote that came with my MPQ (?) pre-release Boom. It does not stay in place, even when outside the plastic baggie. So I'm back to using the PQP2 remote in the kitchen. Was there a change in the later hardware releases, or am I just seeing some variations in the builds?
Neither one of mine will effectively stick to the side of an appliance. They just slide down unless they get help from another magnet strip or some other means of keeping them from sliding.
Need to come up with spec for magnet strength. Force to remove from a piece of 20ga steel, with upper and lower bound.
Remember it isn't removal force that is important it is sliding force on the smoothest vertical surface you can find. The smoothest appliances that I've found at my house are the washer/dryer. The enamled surface has the least friction of all of my appliances. The boom is ideal for places like laundry rooms otherwise. Another idea - a remote pad. I've used a thin magnetic strip from the back of a coupon mailer that was supposed to be hung on the fridge. If I put that on the fridge and the remote on it then it sticks and doesn't slide down to the floor. Essentially the strip adds a bit of magnetic strength but mainly it changes the texture of the surface - it is sort of "rubberized". Appliances are very smooth and things tend to slide down them even if they "stick" nicely otherwise. An adhesive strip or 2 could be applied to one side of the pad to allow it the additional force needed to stick to stainless steel appliances, perhaps.