There are two hacks I want to do to my Sidekick 4g. First I want to swap the volume buttons and the charging port, cause its kind of a dumb layout and I end up hitting the volume buttons all the time. Also I would like to use docking stations and cant with the charger on the top of the phone. Second I want to add a flash to the camera. I don't know why they didn't include one it makes no sense. Any ideas? If there are any other interesting hacks you want to do or have done tell me about them. I will post pictures as soon as I get things all moved around.
I found a complete teardown of a SK4G on here so I'll use that as a atarting point. My dad knows electronics so he said he will give me a hand. I am currently searching Ebay for a second handset so I'm not tearing apart my daily driver for hacks. I will post all steps I take for everything, but I am still looking for advice from anyone who knows more about the SK4G.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using XDA
I think the flash is going to be really difficult. The flash I think uses a big cap to charge and then discharges it into the flash element. The problem is first getting the synchronization, too soon or too late and it is moot. Tying it to the button might work but you might need to insert a short delay (more electronics and room).
Moving connectors is probably the easiest to do. Really you need to remove the one from the board, solder some connections and run it to the new place. Routing the wire might be challenging because of the limited room but should be possible. The volume is going to be a comparable challenge, the buttons are likely on the board and very small but once you get them off all you have to do is wire them.
Thank you Giritrobbins! I didn't know that cell phones needed the flash cap too, I thought it was just an led. That will slow things down some but that saved me a unneeded headache.
Sent from my SGH-T839 using XDA
why i can not want to stop these hacks.
Related
I got my Wing second hand from my father. It was in a car accident at one point and pretty much submerged in mud. Anyways, it was taken to a phone place at one point and they replaced the lcd I think, and then shortly after, the phone magically experiences banding issues in the graphics vertically. obviously the pattern changes to the other direction when i flip it open.
more over, the keyboard doesnt seem to be working 100% either. In fact, most of the keys don't function at all. I have tried pulling the ribbon cables for both and putting them back in, and I can see nothing physically wrong with either cable.
Any further troubleshooting assistance would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I will get out my camera and collect as much data as I can about it in case that helps.
P.P.S. After I sleep that is. I have been fiddling with the thing all night. BTW, There doesn't happen to be any sort of adapter or something to hook real headphones to a T-Mobile Wing is there? One of its primary functions is as an mp3 player (but its really only a ghetto ghettoblaster at the moment, with only speakerphone) and the headphone/mic combo that came with it for its lame usb port don't have the greatest audio quality compared to what im used to.
Well I finally got some time to take the pictures, and I just have to get them off the camera and then ill post what I have.. (I figured I might as well take it apart while I was at it.)
I've searched far and wide to find a video or tutorial for my problem, but didn't find much.
My problem; my middle button (Windows key) has stopped working - it does work at times but you gotta hit her in the right spot. It does feel like there is some physical damage to the underlying components.
My question is, how would I go about solving this problem? My HTC is out of warranty as far as I know and I've found one person selling replacement keypads in the US (I live in the UK), but is the keypad the correct component to replace or should I be looking to replace whatever is underneath?
Thanks, Az.
Sent from my HTC HD2 using XDA App
I would rather pay money to HTC and make them repair it than buying it my self and doing myself anywayz,. it looks like its a physical problem, the button must be replaced.
If you want to, you can change the button, it's most likely it would be it the one's broken.
I deduce that you might not be too "experienced" with electronics as you were looking for a video on how to change this part or even how to open you PDA (even if I could totally wrong as there are many persons who like to have all the available info before proceeding).
Anyway, even if I haven't opened my HD2 (yet), I don't think it would be a problem, just be sure to be very careful when you open it, prepare yourself with all the necessary tools (little screwdrivers, I think you'll need a torxs T5 screwdriver, platic pliers, etc.), clean and illuminate your working area and proceed slowly without forcing anything.
To work with most of today electronics you'll need a very fine pointed soldering iron (or heavy skills in soldering, but it's better to have both) or two would be better, a magnifying lens lamp, pb free solder (even if you can use sn-pb solder with pb free solder); but all this stuff will be necessary only if you want to change the push button itself. I just saw how to take the HD2 appart and it seems like an "average" PDA disassembling, the only detail regards the final chassis disassembling, they ask to use a oven to soften three adhesive stripes, this could also be done with a good hot air rework station.
At the end, you'll have to decide if you want to change the push button or to change the whole front buttons board.
I hope this helps.
good luck
I have taken apart some many Tmous HD's, thank could do it with my eyes closed. But it is tricky. I think I'll make a video, and then post it.
I deduce that you might not be too "experienced" with electronics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You pretty much hit the nail on the head - well, I am experienced, just not any good, being into building and maintenance by trade, I'm more used to smashing and brute forcing rather than using careful precision lol.
I actually forgot about this post - what would you guys say about the volume +/- buttons? They're sticky, would I need to replace those too? And what sort of estimated parts price would I be looking at for both the buttons and a screen? I want to make sure I'm not overpaying. The screen itself isn't smashed, but the the top layer. I know it sounds like I've abused my HD2 in a bad way, but it did this to itself on a night out - I don't know how lol.
I've seen the screen part going for around £20. I have no clue on the bottom buttons or the volume keys. Would I be better off getting a dead HD2 for parts? And are there different part versions as such or are they universal?
The manual also shows the adapter in 2 parts but when i push in the direction thtis labeled on the adapter it doesnt seem to budge. What is it supposed to become after being detached?
Don't get curious. Originally the charger came as two pieces which you can see by looking at the lines separating the two.
It was the flat part with the prongs and the big part with the USB socket. You had to push them together and slide to lock them in place and then use it.
Apparently this was causing broken tabs or maybe they thought it was too hard for some people to do correctly so the recent batches have had both pieces attached to each other straight out of the box.
I'm pretty sure you can still separate them but I might be wrong. They might have glued them in place. Not sure why they would do that. Don't take it apart because you just might **** it up and regret doing so.
You should follow Tubular advice...
Mine also came already attached, and I wouldn't bother fiddling with it unless you want risk suffering the same problems other have experimented with their chargers.
Regards.
I took one apart and it's pretty stiff. you push firmly in the direction of the arrow, but it will only move a little bit, then you slide the two pieces apart. there is really no need to take them apart unless you are moving to another country and are going to permanently convert the plug. the tabs inside look kinda fragile, so it's hardly worth the risk.
I want to permanently disable my Samsung Galaxy S4's internal antenna. I know doing this seems a bit unorthodox but I have my reasons why I want to do so. I will be connecting an external antenna via the L1 port using a patch lead cable. No I don't want to use the internal antenna ever so I'm wondering how it can be disconnected; I don't want any responses asking me why I want this to be done I just want possible solutions. I was wondering if I could open the phone and somewhat remove the antenna or mess with the antenna contacts so it could stop working I'm not sure though so I need either a hardware or software solution.
The antenna is simply a wire running down the side of the battery compartment. Open the S4, disconnect that wire, and you should be able to achieve what you want.
Just one thing. Telling people you don't want questions as to why you're doing this is inevitably going to lead to people asking questions as to why you're doing this. In the future, if you don't want to pique people's curiosity, either come out and say why you're doing it, or don't make such an announcement.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
The antenna is simply a wire running down the side of the battery compartment. Open the S4, disconnect that wire, and you should be able to achieve what you want.
Just one thing. Telling people you don't want questions as to why you're doing this is inevitably going to lead to people asking questions as to why you're doing this. In the future, if you don't want to pique people's curiosity, either come out and say why you're doing it, or don't make such an announcement.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay thanks I will get a technician to pull the device for me. The reason i am doing it is that I am electrically sensitive...WiFi...cell signals they make me sick. The condition is relatively rare in some countries but it's increasing worldwide. Most times when I mention it to people that I am a 22 yr old electrically sensitive software engineer there's so much skepticism and ridicule because most people don't believe in the harmful effects of wireless radiation because they haven't experienced it first hand.
So my aim is to disconnect the internal antennae, then have an external one that's a good distance away that I connect to my device so I can use cell services without the radiation affecting me. I have a radio frequency meter that I use to measure the signals.The source of radiation is from the antennae so I have all other wireless features disabled and I would like to use this particular one that I can isolate/control.
If it makes you sick, that's understandable. If you want to do it yourself and not bother with the tech, taking the back off to get to the antenna wire is a pretty easy task. Nine screws and popping a tab or two and the back comes off. In your case, you want to completely remove the wire from the device as even if it's disconnected on one end, the other end may still be able to transmit. The wire snaps in at both ends, so again, it's a simple thing to do.
Alright thanks for the info. I don't have the screw driver so I guess I will have to make a technician do it. I am all the way in Jamaica so it's easier to go to a tech than to ship a small package here. I know about the antenna wire but I am wondering if its the only antennae ( apart from the WiFi, bluetooth etc. that can be disabled ) because I saw on a website a picture of the insides and there are two antenna contacts at the top that connect to an antennae thats on the shell. So is this wire the sole antennae mechanism for the GSM?
Honestly, I don't know.
joeldean said:
Alright thanks for the info. I don't have the screw driver so I guess I will have to make a technician do it. I am all the way in Jamaica so it's easier to go to a tech than to ship a small package here. I know about the antenna wire but I am wondering if its the only antennae ( apart from the WiFi, bluetooth etc. that can be disabled ) because I saw on a website a picture of the insides and there are two antenna contacts at the top that connect to an antennae thats on the shell. So is this wire the sole antennae mechanism for the GSM?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi mate ,
The wire connects the antenna at the bottom to the module where the GSM/EDGE , WIFI , BT, etc chips are , that cable seem to be the only physical connection between the antenna and the respective controlling chips
Check here , steps 13 , 14 and 15
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Samsung+Galaxy+S4+Teardown/13947
@MAX 404: I couldn't remember whether that was the case or not. I had other things on my plate.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@MAX 404: I couldn't remember whether that was the case or not. I had other things on my plate.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi mate ,
You cover planty my friend , you are a big help around here :good::good:
1. I had to replace the screen a little while ago. All went well except that I damaged my on/off switch button and I need to replace it. I'd also like to replace the volume pushbutton as I bent, but, was able to this one back in shape. The on/off button is held in place by a piece of tape.
I can find replacement buttons for the moto g4, but, the picture looks to be different than what I remember. It is confusing that they have several phones with such a similar name. I also know that many online places don't necessarily even use the correct picture for the specific item on sale to begin with.
I did find an official motorola online forum where they just said that phone has no user repairable parts. I guess I'm a technician/user then and need a replacement part. I never did figure out how to log in to that forum to try to get an answer or even part number.
I managed to damage the part when removing it, but, I imagine they would survive pretty much everything else the might destroy a phone. I haven't really been able to find any listing of very broken ones either.
Any help?
2. I also notice that while playing music via bluetooth to my car stereo that sometimes there is some noise. It sort of sounds like you would get if a potentiometer needs cleaning or the output jack has dirty contacts or gets jostled. Then I remember there are no wires and no potentiometers involved in this situation.
I did read somewhere that this is just a problem with that phone and there is no fix. I get it, it is basically a throw away phone, but, is this really the case. Was this an issue, was their a fix? and/or is there a way to get a replacement that doesn't have this problem or some way to upgrade to another model that doesn't have this issue more affordable?