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Conductive tape for better WiFi/GPS?

Someone on the inspire forum used conductive tape on top of their antennas to boost signal dramatically! Anyone know the insides of a500 know if doing this would help us cuz wifi sucks..?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

Funny, I am going to be making some conductive glue in the next day or so. I was wondering what I should do with the leftover. I will consider putting some on the antenna just for kicks. maybe I can coat some paper and extend it a bit. If anyone has a good idea of how to implement it I might give it a shot. I'm certainly not a radio engineer type person, so I really don't know if there are any guidelines that I should follow. Like whether or not this will need direct contact with the core wire, recommended length/shape to match frequency, what matters, what doesn't, would a graphite conductor even work, etc. Keep in mind that the resistance will increase with length on this adhesive. I can double coat it and help some but there is no way to avoid this without embedding a wire. I already get a good signal but there's always room for improvement. And I need to open my case to fix a dented corner. Lucky I didn't break the glass when I dropped it on the pavement...
And if anyone believes that this is a bad/goofy idea please say so. I'd rather know not to try something and why than to waste the time.

I was thinking that you could use small strips of aluminum tape (the kind that is used to seal furnace duct joints)
It is very sticky and you would have to use some Goo Gone on a Q-Tip to remove the adhesive from a small strip where the antenna contacts the tape.
I am going to try this once my plastic opening tool kit arrives from China.

dincdoes.me said:
Someone on the inspire forum used conductive tape on top of their antennas to boost signal dramatically! Anyone know the insides of a500 know if doing this would help us cuz wifi sucks..?
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought you sold your 500?
Considering the 500 uses the same hardware manufacturer for the antenna, I can say I get good Wifi in my flat. Even in the toilet.
GPS though, I need to be within 3 meters of a window, but that's understandable.

Moscow Desire said:
I thought you sold your 500?
Considering the 500 uses the same hardware manufacturer for the antenna, I can say I get good Wifi in my flat. Even in the toilet.
GPS though, I need to be within 3 meters of a window, but that's understandable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was gonna sell it but a family member held onto it for $200 till I paid em back so I did n having fun again
But.. who ever wants to extend their radio reach with out buying new parts i will be trying conductive tape. My inspire can get WiFi anywhere in my house my a500 looses a bar 10 feet away from my Netgear CG3000D ..
Something needs to work.. I'm tired of laying in bed like a contortionist
Sent from my Inspire 4G using Tapatalk

PDMI USB connector

hi guys - i foolishly lent my streak to my sister for a while as she had broken her iphone and after a couple of weeks she called me up to say that it wasn't charging and was dead. I figured she'd just done something daft and it would be an easy fix but i got it back today and she's managed to pretty much destroy the pdmi connector (as well as break the rear door catch!) . Phone still works fine as i charged up the battery on the dock and fired it up.
So, is it possible to change the connector or is it soldered to the motherboard? If it's soldered i'm guessing it's a pretty specialist job to get it replaced? Or alternatively, is anybody interested in it for spares? It's in perfect condition as it's always had an invisible shield on it (just removed as it was getting a bit scabby) apart from the connector and rear panel catch....if there is any interest i can pop a thread on the marketplace.
Cheers
Niall

It's soldered. There may be companies which can replace the connector, but I'm not aware of them. You may want to look into replacing the motherboard by purchasing a Streak with a broken screen.

aye, that's what i thought...i've ordered up a connector as it looks like it's the plastic bit that disappeared so maybe be able to refit that from a new one? If not i'll maybe see if a phone repair shop will solder the new one on. Or has anybody got a smashed streak lookin for a new home??

[Q] Replacement back ordered from ebay no antenna's! What do I do?

Long story short I got a replacement back from ebay that does not have any of the built in antenna/contact points installed, is this normal for a replacement back? How would this be beneficial for replacement of a broken back glass if it cant function the same as the previous one for NFC wireless etc.? Can the antenna's be replaced or should I say something to the seller about issuing a refund?

Get the refund.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

scream4cheese said:
Get the refund.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
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I'm hoping I can get the seller to offer me a refund but I bought it as a guest with ebay/paypal and didn't register so I don't seem to have a lot of power in the resolution department with them (ebay). I have emailed the seller asking for a RMA to get my money back or to be provided a cover that includes the antenna's, we shall see what they say, but my question still is this....
Has anyone here bought a cover that did NOT include the antenna's and what did you do with the situation (buy new antenna and from where, somehow move the old antenna and how, etc.)
I'm just looking for more options in case the seller gives me a hard time.
Thanks again for anyone's input that can help me out!

rdmetz said:
I'm hoping I can get the seller to offer me a refund but I bought it as a guest with ebay/paypal and didn't register so I don't seem to have a lot of power in the resolution department with them (ebay). I have emailed the seller asking for a RMA to get my money back or to be provided a cover that includes the antenna's, we shall see what they say, but my question still is this....
Has anyone here bought a cover that did NOT include the antenna's and what did you do with the situation (buy new antenna and from where, somehow move the old antenna and how, etc.)
I'm just looking for more options in case the seller gives me a hard time.
Thanks again for anyone's input that can help me out!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can open resolution case withpaypal which actually works faster most of the time.

Use the antennas from the old cover

DynamicRam said:
Use the antennas from the old cover
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Click to collapse
I would but they don't seem reliably removable from the case they are glued in I believe and pretty much made of paper. I'm afraid that in trying to remove they will tear or break. Has anyone else had to move the antenna before? Any advice on how best to do it?

Use a heat gun on low or a hair dryer on medium heat and use it to warm up the glue holding the antennas on. Hold the gun/drier about 6-8 inches from the antennas moving up and down the back cover to get even heating. After about 10-15 seconds try to carefully peel them up. If it feels like its going to tear stop peeling and continue applying heat. Don't get them too hot as you'll run the risk of them melting.
Once out transfer them to the replacing aw quickly as possible to not let the glue reset.
-Sent from that.... you know.... thing that sends these things-

[Q] Nexus 7 3G screen replacement

Hello everyone,
I seem to have come across an issue that no one on the Internet has run into (I've searched Google for days trying to find someone who had the same experience as me). What happened: I cracked the screen of my brand new Nexus 7 3G tablet. What I did: I phoned the official Asus service/repair place, and asked about how much it would cost to repair it. They replied that it would cost 242 euros for the repair (VAT tax included). Considering that this is almost as much as a new tablet, I thought I'd try to repair it myself using parts, however I couldn't find any site selling the screen assembly for the 3G variant.
What I ended up doing: I got a cheap 8GB Nexus 7 and tried to take the screen assembly from it and use it on my own tablet. The shocking conclusion: It's not compatible. The screws that fix the assembly to the rest of the device are placed in different spots, and the shape of the assembly itself is incompatible. I could have tried to pry the screen off of the assembly and glue it to the 3G's one, but that goes way beyond my skill and knowledge and honestly I didn't want to risk ruining a second device.
Searching Google and a variety of other sites has yielded no answers, and I can't find a screen assembly made for the 3G variant anywhere (there are sites like eBay that list screen assemblies for Nexus 7, but my suspicion is that they are for the WiFi variant only and thus, incompatible.
So I've come to ask this: Is there anywhere I can find a screen assembly for the 3G variant? There seems to be absolutely no information on the Internet regarding this. What else can I do besides paying the obscene amount of money the service is asking for the fix? Honestly I'd rather just throw the tablet away than be ripped off like this.
TL;DR version: Is there any place I can get a screen replacement for the 3G variant of the Nexus 7?
Thank you in advance and sorry for the wall of text.

Take the back cover and logic board from the 3g and put it in the 8gb
Sent from my Nexus 4 @1.72 GHz on Stock 4.2.2

I've tried to do that but I ran into the same problem, where the screws on the board differ between the 2 devices, and the frame is different too, so I couldn't fit the board from the 3g device into the wifi one
IRX120 said:
Take the back cover and logic board from the 3g and put it in the 8gb
Sent from my Nexus 4 @1.72 GHz on Stock 4.2.2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

so did anyone ever find a source for 3g displays? i would like to not have to separate the screen from the frame, but all i can find is the display/digitizer assembly, or display/digitizer with the frame for wifi nexii, which are lacking the 3g antenna and do not have the correct screw threads.

Unfortunately, I gave up searching after running into dead ends for a few weeks. Now my Nexus is tucked away in a drawer, doomed to be abandoned for the foreseeable future. If someone else has had any luck, please post here your experiences.
Thanks.

jneapan said:
Unfortunately, I gave up searching after running into dead ends for a few weeks. Now my Nexus is tucked away in a drawer, doomed to be abandoned for the foreseeable future. If someone else has had any luck, please post here your experiences.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
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I have a Nex 7 3G with a broken screen. Replaced it with a regular digitizer for N7 wifi and it works fine. Don't know about the antenna since I don't use the sim card anyway. But that's one way to salvage the tab. Removing the bezel on the N7 8gb is not that hard. Heat it up around the edge with a heatgun at 500 degrees for 30 seconds and just peel it off the digitizer or wedge a guitar pick in between and slice it off the touchscreen. You can use a hairdryer instead for a bit longer.

graphdarnell said:
I have a Nex 7 3G with a broken screen. Replaced it with a regular digitizer for N7 wifi and it works fine. Don't know about the antenna since I don't use the sim card anyway. But that's one way to salvage the tab. Removing the bezel on the N7 8gb is not that hard. Heat it up around the edge with a heatgun at 500 degrees for 30 seconds and just peel it off the digitizer or wedge a guitar pick in between and slice it off the touchscreen. You can use a hairdryer instead for a bit longer.
Click to expand...
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And how would one put the new digitizer assembly in the frame? Would a special glue be needed, or something?

jneapan said:
And how would one put the new digitizer assembly in the frame? Would a special glue be needed, or something?
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Click to collapse
Any kind of glue that works on plastic and glass is fine so long as it remains flexible after curing time. A strong double-sided tape is an alternative. Some people just preserve the original tape on the bezel. I personally found it to be too weak once used.

i ordered a screen from aliexpress. came relatively quick, including more than enough double-sided sticky stuff, three (!) screen protectors, screwdrivers, a plastic lever, guitar pick thingy. managed to break the new screen while putting it in the old frame cos i heated the frame a bit too much so it got warped at one corner...

Wrongly ordered wifi only version full display set
I had the same issue and ordered Wrongly ordered wifi only version full display set on ebay which came and tried to install in but as expected the screws were not match and i tried to cut of some hinges but later when i powered on the display is really bad its pixleted and colors are corrupted.
touch seems to working but not usable. Any ideas? what can i do with the distorted display?

ashok_jeev said:
I had the same issue and ordered Wrongly ordered wifi only version full display set on ebay which came and tried to install in but as expected the screws were not match and i tried to cut of some hinges but later when i powered on the display is really bad its pixleted and colors are corrupted.
touch seems to working but not usable. Any ideas? what can i do with the distorted display?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmmm. It might be caused by a difference in how the actual screen works for both models (wifi and 3g). But at the same time it can be an issue with one of your connectors (they are easily damaged even when you're careful), I had a problem with the LCD flex cable connector on my tablet when I first changed my screen. It looked very corrupted when I powered it on and was really worried about the screen itself. I bought a replacement cable from ebay and it turned out okay for me.

@kendong2 and all.
My nexus 7 2013 LTE's screen got cracked. I am getting the nexus 7 2012 led screen online. Shall I but it? Will it be compatible with nexus 2013 LTE?

It definitely won't be compatible. You should find a screen made for the 2013 LTE model.

nope.

jneapan said:
It definitely won't be compatible. You should find a screen made for the 2013 LTE model.
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which is hard to find. lte and wifi have different screen bevels, which is glued to the glass. in theory removable, in reality i have tried twice to seperate the two and failed both times...

@kendong2 @jneapan
So even this will not be compatible? www.aliexpress.com/item/For-ASUS-Go...en-Assembly-New-Free-shipping/1570858412.html

shikhar623 said:
@kendong2 @jneapan
So even this will not be compatible? www.aliexpress.com/item/For-ASUS-Go...en-Assembly-New-Free-shipping/1570858412.html
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this is for n7 2013, which is a completely different device... so no.

kendong2 said:
this is for n7 2013, which is a completely different device... so no.
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Kindly share a link from where I can get that.

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/nexus-7-screen-replacement
that would be a good start.

the best way to replace broken glass on nexus 7 2012 3g is to buy digitizer with out lcd (i.e only touchscreen glass) you should order the correct one this can be done by noting the serial number of touchglass mine touch glass serial number is ME307TG and replacing it with broken glass

[Q] Signal issue after housing replacement - Help!

Okey guys,
I have a very serious problem with my Samsung S4 I337 AT&T. I cracked the screen, so I purchased new housing with the LCD altogether from a Sprint phone.
I know, I know it's Sprint, but I thought they would be using the same housing, however there are small differences on how the motherboard sits on the housing. I took the time and used a dentist high speed grinder tool to grind out the excess metal from the housing, so the motherboard can be placed well. I covered with tape the motherboard where it touches the housing metal parts with tape, so contact can be avoided, otherwise it seems to touch the volume down button and make it pressed all the time, thus unable to boot normally.
After I placed everything back inside and close the phone, signal is nowhere to be found. If it finds a signal it's very weak and after few minutes gets lost again. On very rare occasions the signal gets to where it should be, but very quickly gets lost.
So to me it appears that it's an antenna issue of some sort or I'm missing out something, so I'm asking for your help to figure it out.
I'm using the home button from the Sprint phone, I tried connecting the AT&T home button board, since they have small differences (seems like Sprint uses 2 antenna cables), but it doesn't solve the signal issue.
So my question is, am I missing something or doing something wrong or is the Sprint housing causing the signal problems?
It would become super expensive if I have to buy a new AT&T housing with LCD and replace it, so before I do that I want to make sure what causes the problem.
I can attach photos and show what I have done and show differences of the housing panels of Sprint and AT&T, if it is not understandable by reading.
Thanks for your help!

I think you'd need AT&T stuff because another thread(it should be in this forum) had the same issues.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2391568
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda app-developers app

You need the AT&T housing. Always use parts made specifically for your model number.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

Ok, thanks guys!
Already ordered the AT&T housing for it, however what do you think causes this problem. There is literally nothing much on the housing except for some antenna part on the rear end, I tried using the rear housing panel and still nothing changes.

skabg said:
Ok, thanks guys!
Already ordered the AT&T housing for it, however what do you think causes this problem. There is literally nothing much on the housing except for some antenna part on the rear end, I tried using the rear housing panel and still nothing changes.
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The antennas are different. The antenna for AT&T is made for GSM and is a certain length and pattern. The antenna for sprint is made for CDMA and would logically be a different length and pattern. Antennas have to be exact/precise for what they are made for.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
The antennas are different. The antenna for AT&T is made for GSM and is a certain length and pattern. The antenna for sprint is made for CDMA and would logically be a different length and pattern. Antennas have to be exact/precise for what they are made for.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
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Ok, I understand that, but wouldn't it be the same if I use the front housing from the Sprint with the rear panel where the antenna actually is from AT&T. Even in that case, I can't seem to make it work. Is there something I am missing? The antenna cable from the usb board to the motherboard is all the same and changing them doesn't help either. There must be something else hidden I don't see or understand.

skabg said:
Ok, I understand that, but wouldn't it be the same if I use the front housing from the Sprint with the rear panel where the antenna actually is from AT&T. Even in that case, I can't seem to make it work. Is there something I am missing? The antenna cable from the usb board to the motherboard is all the same and changing them doesn't help either. There must be something else hidden I don't see or understand.
Click to expand...
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There is likely contacts on the front bezel/panel that touch contacts on the motherboard. Similar to the GSM nexus 7. You have to use parts specific to the model number.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
There is likely contacts on the front bezel/panel that touch contacts on the motherboard. Similar to the GSM nexus 7. You have to use parts specific to the model number.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the help, I already ordered the AT&T panel, I'll update when it arrives.

silver waruch
skabg said:
Thanks for the help, I already ordered the AT&T panel, I'll update when it arrives.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, this is now a bummer. New AT&T housing arrived. I installed the motherboard and original antenna cable, all original part and still signal is nowhere to be found. I have re-checked everything twice and nothing.
Any suggestions here guys?

Check any metal contacts that would close a circuit from the motherboard to the casing... I have a suspicion that one may have broken off.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
Check any metal contacts that would close a circuit from the motherboard to the casing... I have a suspicion that one may have broken off.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okey, so you were right. One of the metal contact on the motherboard side was broken, so I had that re-soldered back into place. Signal did improve after that, but still very low and non consistent. It would vary between 0 and 1 bar at home, where I usually get 3-4 bars. Near cell towers goes up to 4 bars and LTE, but that's just about it. Signal strenght is -105dBm 2-5asu, which is very low.
What else can I be doing wrong or could have gone wrong in the first place?
Is there a place I can buy an external antenna and connect it to the L1 port and just use that hidden between the battery and the rear plate? Anyone has any experience with those?

Your signal is shoddy because of the solder. I highly suggest not modifying the antenna as that could make things worse. I would replace the entire board that that piece sits on. Or grab the connector off of a broken/ phone and replace that.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

Well, in this case I have to replace the whole motherboard, as this connector sits on it. I have the same connector and can possibly un-solder the old one from the board and put the new one.
Does really the little bit of solder can mess so much with the signal quality?

Yep. The connector is copper. Solder is composed of nickel and lead normally. Having 2 or more different metals messes with the conductivity.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

You might be right about that, but that small metal piece acting as a connector isn't made of copper for sure, it looks like it, but it is attracted by magnet, that's how I soldered it back into place. Based on my knowledge copper alone isn't attracted by magnets, so it has to be some sort of a mix of metals. Isn't the connector soldered to the motherboard anyways? It just bugs me how big of a difference this would make.

It is copper coated. They solder used is very thin on the motherboard. It has a very little affect to the signal. When you add more, it messes things up.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
It is copper coated. They solder used is very thin on the motherboard. It has a very little affect to the signal. When you add more, it messes things up.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
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Interesting, any suggestions of how to remove the broken piece from the board and re-solder the new one? Seems like solder gun will be out of the equation.

skabg said:
Interesting, any suggestions of how to remove the broken piece from the board and re-solder the new one? Seems like solder gun will be out of the equation.
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Click to collapse
15 to 25W max soldering iron. A thin layer of solder on the new part. Set it on the pad, heat it on the top of the contact surface of the new part till it joins. You should be good from there. Be careful of surrounding parts.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium

graydiggy said:
15 to 25W max soldering iron. A thin layer of solder on the new part. Set it on the pad, heat it on the top of the contact surface of the new part till it joins. You should be good from there. Be careful of surrounding parts.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You guys are amazing. I would have broke down and just replaced the phone.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using xda premium

I've been doing small electronics repair for almost 11 years. Its easy for me. Just gotta be patient and careful.
Sent from my SGH-I337 using xda premium