Database Users

clean the trackball

has anybody had to clean their trackball yet? i don't need to but im sure one day i will. anybody attempted to take it apart and do it at all?

These things have a trackball?
Not to change the subject, but folks find using trackball more convenient than swiping the screen? I guess if you're used to a Blackberry Curve or something it's an old habit.

daveydave said:
Not to change the subject, but folks find using trackball more convenient than swiping the screen? I guess if you're used to a Blackberry Curve or something it's an old habit.
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i don't really use it or see why htc put it there but like the BB we will eventually have to clean it.

I've taken mine apart to blow the dust out from under the screen a couple of times. It's not that difficult actually. There's a great tutorial at Android Central in the Sprint Hero forum.
http://androidforums.com/sprint-htc-hero/22036-sprint-htc-hero-disassembly-diy.html
The trackball is stuck in a housing so you can't actually take it out, but you can roll it around and wipe what you can.

Tikerz said:
I've taken mine apart to blow the dust out from under the screen a couple of times. It's not that difficult actually. There's a great tutorial at Android Central in the Sprint Hero forum.
http://androidforums.com/sprint-htc-hero/22036-sprint-htc-hero-disassembly-diy.html
The trackball is stuck in a housing so you can't actually take it out, but you can roll it around and wipe what you can.
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if they make a 2nd gen hero i want no trackball.

I just use a little rubbing alcohol. Although I've heard that it hurts to put alcohol on your balls.

It seems difficult to completely get rid of it. We need some form of hardware navigation for utilities like recovery.

fixxxer2008 said:
if they make a 2nd gen hero i want no trackball.
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Your wish has (pretty much) been granted haha. The Legend has been rumored to be Sprint's Hero 2 (still very much a rumor) but it makes sense. Optical trackpad included.
But on a more related note, I too have had my phone apart to dye the housing black and to clean the dust out, and the trackball is indeed in its own little housing as was mentioned above, and it can be cleaned pretty easily with some rubbing alcohol

Leukay said:
Your wish has (pretty much) been granted haha. The Legend has been rumored to be Sprint's Hero 2 (still very much a rumor) but it makes sense. Optical trackpad included.
But on a more related note, I too have had my phone apart to dye the housing black and to clean the dust out, and the trackball is indeed in its own little housing as was mentioned above, and it can be cleaned pretty easily with some rubbing alcohol
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I'm planning on cleaning the dust out of my Hero this weekend. How fragile are the connectors when you disconnect them etc.? Because I REALLY cannot end up damaging my phone

Leukay said:
Your wish has (pretty much) been granted haha. The Legend has been rumored to be Sprint's Hero 2 (still very much a rumor) but it makes sense. Optical trackpad included.
But on a more related note, I too have had my phone apart to dye the housing black and to clean the dust out, and the trackball is indeed in its own little housing as was mentioned above, and it can be cleaned pretty easily with some rubbing alcohol
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i just looked the legend up, looks like the gsm hero?

http://android.1800pocketpc.com/2009/12/07/htc-legend-features-specs-and-images.html
the htc legend. i like the design but not the white color.

fixxxer2008 said:
http://android.1800pocketpc.com/2009/12/07/htc-legend-features-specs-and-images.html
the htc legend. i like the design but not the white color.
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It isn't actually white, its made out of a single piece of aluminum (thats the color too lol).

Aluminum design. Yep. I've never had my hero apart because I'm too scared to take apart my phone... I don't know what I would do if I bricked it I just complain to Sprint so they do it.

Leukay said:
...But on a more related note, I too have had my phone apart to dye the housing black and to clean the dust out, and the trackball is indeed in its own little housing as was mentioned above, and it can be cleaned pretty easily with some rubbing alcohol
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You dyed your Hero black? Any pics?

crunchybutternut said:
You dyed your Hero black? Any pics?
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Here's some pic's for ya!

fixxxer2008 said:
http://android.1800pocketpc.com/2009/12/07/htc-legend-features-specs-and-images.html
the htc legend. i like the design but not the white color.
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The only problem with the design is that you're probably stuck with the stock battery size. And although they may make a somewhat higher capacity in the stock size, you're not going to be able to upgrade to a Seidio 3500 mAh battery or some other behemoth sized battery.

Leukay said:
Here's some pic's for ya!
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That's the way it should've came!

Leukay said:
Here's some pic's for ya!
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Excellent! What did you use to dye it?

atoz350 said:
That's the way it should've came!
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Isn't it?! I mean, the tan/beige color is nice for a corporate kinda person, but I like my phones lookin slick
crunchybutternut said:
Excellent! What did you use to dye it?
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I just used some black RIT dye. I think it looks purrdy

You can use RIT powdered dye, I used to sell Touch Pro backs in about a dozen colors. very easy to do, but make sure you don't overheat the housing or it'll curl up on you.

Hero scratch test

Not sure if this has been posted before, did a quick search and found nothing so i decided to test it out myself.
/watch?v=JYZWyGxg6Uw
I am unable to post links yet, as this is my first post to the forums.

That would be:
youtube.com/watch?v=JYZWyGxg6Uw
Nice timing. I just took the screen protector off my hero today. Don't think i'll be putting a new one on.

Mine got scrathced
Only hairscratch though

Yeah, that's bull****. Just crawl around under some houses with your phone in your pocket.

Why's my nudity in your picture!

i guess it depends on if you're a troll living under a house :lol:
mine's fine in my holster, been fine since november without a screen protector... of course I work in an office

Taking a stab in the dark are you at best buy

edit: ooooohhh

johngalt929 said:
That would be:
youtube.com/watch?v=JYZWyGxg6Uw
Nice timing. I just took the screen protector off my hero today. Don't think i'll be putting a new one on.
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Fail...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYZWyGxg6Uw

Why are you crawling under houses? Disposing dead bodies?
Also, my Hero screen is also naked and has been since I got it. No scratches!

My job involves wiring houses. dropping the lines into the crawlspace is alot faster then dropping them into a wall.

chococrazy said:
Taking a stab in the dark are you at best buy
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mayyyybe, I borrowed one of their working models.

abcdfv said:
Yeah, that's bull****. Just crawl around under some houses with your phone in your pocket.
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Scratch resistant, not scratch proof (GAWD!)

If some sand in my pocket did that to my phone, someone who put pressure on the raxor instead of just brushed it could have scratched it.

ajones7279 said:
Why are you crawling under houses? Disposing dead bodies? !
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Someone's gotta do it
Mine's been naked too since October, and no scratches. Sometimes I think I'm too careful with my phone. I treat it like royalty.

abcdfv said:
My job involves wiring houses. dropping the lines into the crawlspace is alot faster then dropping them into a wall.
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So, I've learned through the years that my crawlspace is like heaven for people who have to get in there from time to time. I've also heard some horror stories about them. Have you seen any rats or hand-sized spiders in your day?
To keep it on topic as well, you could say if any of the above critters managed to scratch your screen with their fangs or teeth.

i have had my hero since october without any screen protector, no scratches at all... however the dust under the screen is just as bad as scratches imo

ive had mine since december and ive dropped it on concrete getting out of my truck ( twice lol ). it feel face down and i only have one little hairline scratch. u can only see it at certain angles. ive never had a screen protector on it.

Had mine since mid-October. A couple of very very fine scratches on it. I've learned not to carry coins in the same pocket as my phone, since that was what I was doing the day it got scratched lol.
It's pretty damn scratch resistant though, considering I've dropped mine in silage, had corn dust and silage in the same pocket as my phone, and even a little manure the other day (ew lol). Still just those couple of little hairline scratches that are virtually unnoticeable.

I have had mine since Dec and no scratches. I did have one strange thing happen though, i played the hell out of fishin 2 go for about a week, oddly enough after a bit of finger smudges are on the screen and i try to wipe them off, my reeling in the big ones has left a circular impression in the screen. So that spot is harder to get the smudges off. Its weird, like a wear mark.

Paint on end button is gone, dust in screen! Screwed!!!!

Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk

marcusva79 said:
Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
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That really sucks....sorry man. It seems like in general this phone is made well but has these few issues that are its achilles heel.

Put it back to stock and trade it in. HTC has a one year warranty on defects for there phone's and sprint will trade it in.

Wait.... waaaht?
My end button has the silver paint chipping off... but I never thought it could be a problem? Dust in the screen? Screwed?? Why?

my phone has survived a lot in the past 5+ months(cant believe its been that long now), i don't seem to have a dust issue yet
but.....
most of the damn paint came off the end button and now it looks like someone smudged lipstick on my button

The ghost armor I have on my hero is a full protective cover, has little pieces for the call/end button too

no dust on my mine pant is chipped no worries EVO sooon

It's insanely easy to disassemble the Hero and blow out the dust. It's also pretty cheap for a new housing.
http://androidforums.com/sprint-htc-hero/22036-sprint-htc-hero-disassembly-diy.html

if you had best buy do your signup
BUY GEEK SQUAD BLACK TIE PROTECTION
9.99 a month for the hero, and you can litterally throw it in a pool, run it over, spit on it, burn it, bring it in. we give you a brand new one.

Avalaunchmods said:
if you had best buy do your signup
BUY GEEK SQUAD BLACK TIE PROTECTION
9.99 a month for the hero, and you can litterally throw it in a pool, run it over, spit on it, burn it, bring it in. we give you a brand new one.
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IS this service without a deductible when you bring the phone in? If so that beats sprints insurance. Might be worth it to break my bestbuy ban and get the Evo from them.

don't want your paint to chip? here's a quick tip!
don't push the buttons with your finger nail.
my buttons = completely fine
co-workers buttons = completely chipped.

blampars said:
don't want your paint to chip? here's a quick tip!
don't push the buttons with your finger nail.
my buttons = completely fine
co-workers buttons = completely chipped.
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Mine did not start as a chip. It started peeling off. I don't think that the paint they used is very adhesive to the plastic material the buttons are made of. I keep my fingernails trimmed and they never touch the buttons. It just simply is not a good material and paint match.
All of my end button paint is gone and almost all of my call button paint is gone. It really does not look that bad. I actually think it will look pretty cool when all my call buttons paint is gone... then I will just have a plain red and green buttons.

Avalaunchmods said:
if you had best buy do your signup
BUY GEEK SQUAD BLACK TIE PROTECTION
9.99 a month for the hero, and you can litterally throw it in a pool, run it over, spit on it, burn it, bring it in. we give you a brand new one.
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This is quite incorrect. According to the Policy, Best buy will not replace except in the case of a 3rd failed repair. The 3rd failed repair also has to be for the same thing each repair.
CUT AND PAST ->geeksquad.com/gslibrary/services/content/black_tie_protection/terms_and_conditions/20080914/20080914TC.pdf
Read up. and find out what you paid for. It is also a real pain to get out of the plan.
Darn new user restrictions.

regaw_leinad said:
The ghost armor I have on my hero is a full protective cover, has little pieces for the call/end button too
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HIGHLY recommend the Ghost Armor for this and any other device. The armor is better than most I've tested and withstands tons of abuse. It will also help to prevent chipping and rubbing off of paint.

thatjerk said:
Mine did not start as a chip. It started peeling off. I don't think that the paint they used is very adhesive to the plastic material the buttons are made of. I keep my fingernails trimmed and they never touch the buttons. It just simply is not a good material and paint match.
All of my end button paint is gone and almost all of my call button paint is gone. It really does not look that bad. I actually think it will look pretty cool when all my call buttons paint is gone... then I will just have a plain red and green buttons.
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hmm strange.. I got my phone in november, and my silver area where all the buttons/trackball is at still looks as if I just took it out of the box.
Now my co-workers phone, purchased in december, looks like it's been to hell and back.
not that i think it would make much of a difference, but his is a with google branded phone, while mine's not. *shrug*

Sporkman said:
no dust on my mine pant is chipped no worries EVO sooon
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I hear that.

no dust on my screen of paint fading, then again I don't shove my smart phone into my jeans pocket next to change, keys, and my lighter. Funny though it seems phandroid has changed their site to look like XDA........wait this is xda

No chips whatsoever, but the dust has slowly taken over the lower third of my screen. (and gaining ground) ive also dropped my phone on the cement about a dozen times and its surprisingly durable.

marcusva79 said:
Sent from my HERO200 using the XDA mobile application powered by Tapatalk
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get the insurance and then take it in. to prevent the dust, get a full body screen protective film to even cover the buttons. also pick up a body glove case.

F insurance, take risks .
I keep hoping that I will damage my hero enough to justify paying full price for an EVO, otherwise I will be waiting until mid-October.

Battle Scars *OUCH*

So I'm trying hard to keep my phone from getting even one scratch until my cases come in, which should be any day now.....
....then today I freakin' drop it on the concrete by accident.
I feel like $#!t ...my heart sank.... damn it!!!
BUT, on the bright side I am very surprised on how well it took the hit. The phone dropped and actually rolled a couple of times, yet it only marked up the plastic/metal looking trim that goes around the phone.
By any chance do you think the rim piece would be available later for a replacement part? Gosh I sure hope so. I'm desperate to go rip off the trim at the T-Mobile store
...I keep telling myself....it could have been worse right?
Bottom line: For how hard it hit the concrete, I'm impressed...since it was dark I was thinking it was going to be way worse, until I held it to the light to see the damage. Thank goodness for not a cracked screen....
BTW: I have the 3M screen protector. If it wasn't for that it would have for sure had some mean scratches on the screen....sigh..

Ouch.. I did the same with my new Touch Pro (current phone) and it also ended up with some dings on the sides, but that phone's partially metal with a plastic screen.
Since one of the frequent criticisms of this series of phones is the build quality, glad it looks like the Vibrant's made pretty well after all if it can survive that with only cosmetic damage.

you should put a warning in the title, those pics are way to graphic.
:'(

Mithent said:
Ouch.. I did the same with my new Touch Pro (current phone) and it also ended up with some dings on the sides, but that phone's partially metal with a plastic screen.
Since one of the frequent criticisms of this series of phones is the build quality, glad it looks like the Vibrant's made pretty well after all if it can survive that with only cosmetic damage.
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Yea I agree that the Vibrant is well made. I've read a lot of some people commenting on the material and all, but obviously they have no idea how well the made it is. Heck, I'm kind of glad it wasn't heavy and bulky.....
"THE heavier they are the harder they fall..."
Kudos Vibrant....just can't wait to put a case on it to mask the scars....Soldier.

Berserk87 said:
you should put a warning in the title, those pics are way to graphic.
:'(
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I know brother....I'm slowly getting over it though.... I can't wait until my black case comes in so I can put it on. At least I won't see the scars....

I dropped mine on the sidewalk few days ago and it just scratched up the top of the back lid so I just swapped it. My heart stopped for 2 minutes and I was afraid to look at my screen because when I dropped my hd2 it shattered the screen
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

iunlock said:
BTW: I have the 3M screen protector. If it wasn't for that it would have for sure had some mean scratches on the screen....sigh..
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Does the 3m screen protector reduce the quality of the SAMOLED screen a lot, or make it sticky?
Those pictures are nasty Hope you get your case soon!

OH MAN. I am week in the knees just looking at it!

Berserk87 said:
you should put a warning in the title, those pics are way to graphic.
:'(
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more like nsfw.
dam that hurt me. i just got mine last night, hope i dont do the same

A gel skin would cover those up nicely. I decided to get one in the first place because even though I love the feeling of this phone without the skin on, I hate scratches/dents a lot more.
I had a bad track record with my G1 too... dropped it like 4 times

You should link me to where you bought your screen protector. I got Tmobile generic ones, but they suck, so I bought one from eBay. What I've got was this super thick, weird feeling protector, leaves too many bubbles, sucked. Bought another one, which is identical to ones you buy at the store, works good, but doesn't cover the bottom part of the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

afive720 said:
You should link me to where you bought your screen protector. I got Tmobile generic ones, but they suck, so I bought one from eBay. What I've got was this super thick, weird feeling protector, leaves too many bubbles, sucked. Bought another one, which is identical to ones you buy at the store, works good, but doesn't cover the bottom part of the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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I got mine from ClearFreak via Ebay - you cannot even tell it is on, I do have one air bubble trapped and it's a bit annoying on the bottom of the screen, I always feel it when swyping

Don't be too sad. I got a screen scratch the other day. Of course its real tiny and when I point it out to others, they can't even see it. But its all I see.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

At least you got it over with. Now no more worries about dropping your phone. lol

At least you can cover it with a case, unlike scratches on a screen.

Ouch! That looks like it hurts.
Feeling Vibrant on xda-app

afive720 said:
You should link me to where you bought your screen protector. I got Tmobile generic ones, but they suck, so I bought one from eBay. What I've got was this super thick, weird feeling protector, leaves too many bubbles, sucked. Bought another one, which is identical to ones you buy at the store, works good, but doesn't cover the bottom part of the phone.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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The best one IMO is the one from clearfreak, which is the one I have. Just make sure when applying it, to follow their directions. You have to spray it with water, wet your fingers and squeegee the water out with the little tool it comes with.
It's made out of 3M and you can't even tell it's on. All the other screen protectors like the generic ones really mess up the touch response. It's not as responsive from what I've noticed. Stay away from chEapBAY if you know what I mean...those are all pieces of junk from china, hence 5x protectors for $0.99US

lqaddict said:
I got mine from ClearFreak via Ebay - you cannot even tell it is on, I do have one air bubble trapped and it's a bit annoying on the bottom of the screen, I always feel it when swyping
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Same one I have and I love it....the 3M stuff is awesome, thank goodness if it wasn't for it I would have definitely have scratches from the fall.
You should write them and ask to exchange your screen protector. I actually got mine swapped out because I had some annoying lint on the sides and couldn't get it out so they swapped it.

disturkis4u said:
I dropped mine on the sidewalk few days ago and it just scratched up the top of the back lid so I just swapped it. My heart stopped for 2 minutes and I was afraid to look at my screen because when I dropped my hd2 it shattered the screen
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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I know that feeling! My heart literally stopped....The whole freakin' world stopped LOL....
I once had an HD2 as well and that thing weighs a ton. Bigger it is the harder it falls...That phones like half glass....miserable phone.

acspin said:
Does the 3m screen protector reduce the quality of the SAMOLED screen a lot, or make it sticky?
Those pictures are nasty Hope you get your case soon!
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Very interesting you asked that because I was curious at first as well. However, I must say that once I did put it on, it didn't alter the quality at all.
As for it being sticky, I assume you mean on the surface when you glide your fingers across it right? Well...it depends if your hands are dry or not....it really doesn't bother me and I think it works fine...the only time it may be a little resistant is when your hands are sweaty. I think that would go for most all screen protectors though...

Hero Project Almost Finished

For a while i was talking about painting my hero....well i got the balls and started. I am not finished as i have only done half of the front and the back still needs smoothed out. Everything works fine and suprisingly, ever since i disassembled and reassembled the touch screen is actually more responsive. I will upload pics and if someone wants to do it themselves i will also add the instructions and what tools you will need.

Nice, what'd you use?

rizdog23 said:
suprisingly, ever since i disassembled and reassembled the touch screen is actually more responsive.
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Really? Very interesting.

Would you please upload higher resolutions photo's of the finished product. I'm curious how it looks like.

I will as soon as finished. The paint i used was krylon satin based white acrylic and then once im done im going to put a glossy finish on it. Everyday ill update the pics.

Not bad, not bad at all. Keep it up.

Nice! That is pretty awesome.

Well done. Now that I got a new phone I may take my old hero and experiment like this.

nikola25 said:
Well done. Now that I got a new phone I may take my old hero and experiment like this.
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Well hey if you want the steps i took etc ill post em

What kind of paint did you use. I might paint mine since its just sitting here now. I want paint that won't wear off.
Sent from 3D land

unCoRrUpTeD said:
What kind of paint did you use. I might paint mine since its just sitting here now. I want paint that won't wear off.
Sent from 3D land
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Agreed Completely

I started with Krylon Acrylic Satin White but i was not pleased with it so i took it completely off and then used Super Gloss Craft Paint from the Rustoleum American Acceents

rizdog23 said:
I started with Krylon Acrylic Satin White but i was not pleased with it so i took it completely off and then used Super Gloss Craft Paint from the Rustoleum American Acceents
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Nice and Shiny!

unCoRrUpTeD said:
Nice and Shiny!
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Yeah but it did not come out glossy enough for my liking so im going to put a glossy clear coat on it