Database Users

Is my MDA done for??? Can it be saved?

HEy I have an MDA but about a month ago my usb port broke and is loose inside the phone.
I want to know if this phone can be saved in any way
I have a LOT of contacts and other important info left on the phone and I need them badly.
the battery is dead and I need to know if to call it quits on this phone or not
maybe I could charge the battery through another MDA but i still need all those contacts to be transfered and its way too much to individually get.
please shed some light on what I should do

Maybe get a new battery and connect through bluetooth?

Repairing a HTC Wizard USB Connector
HEy I have an MDA but about a month ago my usb port broke and is loose inside the phone.
I want to know if this phone can be saved in any way
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it can be saved!
The same thing happened to me and I fixed it. What you need to do is get
a soldering iron
some extremely thin silver solder (I used .015 dia. Radioshack 64-035e)
some desoldering braid (Radioshack 64-2090)
a continuity tester (the more needle-like the probes, the better!)
a tiny flat head screwdriver (1mm I think).
All this is available at RadioShack or can be found for less online.
Take the phone apart. This is tricky. Read the HTC repair guides available off of this site.
ftp://xda:[email protected]/Wizard/Docs_Tutorials/Wizard_Service_Manual.pdf
I can do it with a tiny flathead screwdriver instead of the torx that is recommended.
At this point, go on youtube.com and watch some videos on how to do surface mount soldering at home with a normal soldering iron. I found this to be helpful and confidence inspiring.
One thing I did was use the file on my Leatherman tool to sharpen the soldering iron tip to a sharp point. This helped get to the tiny nook that you will be soldering.
Find the loose usb connector in the phone. Its probably in fine condition. The reason why it broke is that HTC did not use enough solder to hold it to the board. Its not likely your fault. In the old days we called this a 'design flaw' and an organization called the 'BBB' would instigate what is called a 'product recall' for what we casually referred to as a 'lemon'.
Now, solder the four corners of the USB connector to the board. It probably won't be hard to put it in its original place. Don't leave a cold solder joint... make sure the dolops of solder are nice and shiny.
Then carefully proceed to solder the pinouts on the connector to the traces on the board. This is easier than it looks because the thin solder will flow right onto the traces under the connector.
If you accidently short two traces with solder, then use the desoldering braid to suck it up. Be extremely careful not to lift hard on the braid and pull up the traces. This did not happen to me, but I was careful.
The thing to know is that the USB connector has 5 pinouts but the USB standard only uses 4 of them. Google Mini USB connector pinouts and study which pins go to which wires: http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml
When you think you have succeeded at soldering, use the continuity tester on your multimeter to check your work.
Check for short circuits between the traces.
Plug a mini-usb cable into the phone and carefully check continuity from the far end of the USB cable, to the trace on the motherboard of the phone. All four wires on the USB cable should match to the corresponding traces on the board. This is pretty logical when you are actually staring at it. But just in case, what I am saying here is, take one conductor of the continuity tester and place it on one pinout of the usb connector on the phone. Take the other conductor of the continuity tester and put it on the corresponding wire insider your 4 pin USB-A cable connector. If you hear the multimeter beep, you succeeded.
These diagrams show which pinout goes to which wire: http://pinouts.ru/Slots/USB_pinout.shtml
If everything checks out. Reassemble the phone, and see if it charges with the wall charger. If it does, then see if you can get it to sync with ActiveSync. If the phone doesn't show up in the device registry (or the MacOS X System Profiler), you definitely have not soldered it properly. Be sure the phone is on of course.
PS. Finally, was it all worth it? Well, it was great to get my data back, now its time to go get an iPhone! I mean really, all of this hacking is not worth your time. The iPhone is a far superior cell phone in every aspect. Who wants to screw around with installing half-baked ROM files and buggy M$ platforms? I digress.
PPS. I was able to do all this with MacOS X running VMWare Fusion, Win XP SP2 running Active Sync. So you don't even need a PC!

you tell us to make sure the phone is off way at the end i found this, but is this considered service mont? http://youtube.com/watch?v=KdWCffSdpuE

There 2 things I could add to the instructions above,
1 when I solder surface mount or tight connections I use lots of solder resin (like a acidic primer that cleans the surface as heat is applied, can be cleaned with isopropylene[alcohol]). This really makes the solder flow good to the contacts then use solder wick to suck up any extra solder that may present a problem.
2 You can sign up for mail2web.com and sync your pda with there exchange server, works wonders, I can flash my phones and all of them always have the same full contact list with all the emails, calender etc......
hope this helps

resin and alchohol do the same thing?

My HD2 hardware mod- Wireless charing

I used a pixi charging back case (5.99usd) and touchstone charging base (9.99usd) to create this mod. You can find them on clearance at radioshack!
Can be made for other devices: ipods, iphones, bluetooth headset, etc...
Comment plz.
-Carnivore

Maybe some photos and more descriptions?
Im curious how this looks/working.

sure interesting, and most valuable as a proof-of-concept realization, even if I'de never go out with a setup like that

Hey, why do you use this microUSB port?
There's one marvelous thing about our HD2 : the dual-backplate setup
-> Use the golden plated contacts right next to the sim card.
They're used for the "old/weird" special car back-plate in order to make contact via the magnetic holder (aka the "original" car kit)
This way u'll be able to mod a plastic back plate with all the mechanism integrated, you just have to "make" two pins (and understand how the third middle one works) that connects to the HD2 motherboard
Hope that helps But i'm sure our HD2 will be the only one who will survive the wireless charging mod without too much trouble vs unibody etc

Nice
Yeah it looks nice but i don't think anybody is siriously going to use this do you??
Wy doing all this effort for making while you just can plug your charging cable in??
Anyways nice work. Good that people are trying to improve the phones usability.

keesmathot said:
Wy doing all this effort for making while you just can plug your charging cable in??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
oh I bet he's had a lot of fun doing it That alone is more than enough of a reason

I tried doing something like this a little while back, the connectors next to the sim card can be used for charging which would make the whole thing much nicer and easier, it worked good, but the HD2 metal door blocked the signal so it would not charge, so I used it with a sillicon case on top, it was good but not the best, then I tried to hard wire it inside, opened the HD2, it got few dust specs behind the LCD from opening, I tried blowing them away and the whole screen died, well it was a sad story which eventually ended up on ebay, and I had to get a different one I WILL NOT TRY THIS AGAIN, i hope.

thats good of you to try. hope you find a compatible plastic back for it or some other solution.
ill be looking forward to your progress on this as i have a palm pre and an extra touchstone charger.

RedWave31 said:
Hey, why do you use this microUSB port?
There's one marvelous thing about our HD2 : the dual-backplate setup
-> Use the golden plated contacts right next to the sim card.
They're used for the "old/weird" special car back-plate in order to make contact via the magnetic holder (aka the "original" car kit)
This way u'll be able to mod a plastic back plate with all the mechanism integrated, you just have to "make" two pins (and understand how the third middle one works) that connects to the HD2 motherboard
Hope that helps But i'm sure our HD2 will be the only one who will survive the wireless charging mod without too much trouble vs unibody etc
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The car kit's replacement back is also metal. But I will look into those 3 pins in back. Anyone know what they do exactly?

Carnivore9 said:
The car kit's replacement back is also metal. But I will look into those 3 pins in back. Anyone know what they do exactly?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
they activate the navi-panel and charge your phone at the same time. Do they have the navi-panel for the TMOUS version? I'm not really sure, but yea, if you're able to use the 3 pins inside, then it'll free up your micro usb connector.

lude219 said:
they activate the navi-panel and charge your phone at the same time. Do they have the navi-panel for the TMOUS version? I'm not really sure, but yea, if you're able to use the 3 pins inside, then it'll free up your micro usb connector.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I actually was fooling around with a microusb charging head and found that if you ground one of the data wires, the navpanel will show up. I was a little confused at first since I've never used it before then figured out it was a hidden feature.

[Q] Not charging unless I put upward pressure on USB cable

Hello everyone,
Since a few days my phone doesn't charge unless I hold the cable up and in the left or right corner of the port.
If I just stick it in, it doesn't connect/charge at all. And sometimes it says it's charging, but it isn't at all (or it's losing more power than it's receiving because it doesn't have good contact with the port).
Is there any fix to this or does anyone else have this problem?
It is NOT a problem with my micro-USB cable, I tried many, they all act the same.

Bad news
You have to replace your USB port, there's no doubt about, unfortunately!:crying:
Edit: there's a little chance to solve this by cleaning up your USB port...

i had this and it turned out to be dirt ground into the bottom of the USB port. A thin piece of wire from a tie wrap sorted it.
(of course, usually it IS a faulty USB port)

samsamuel said:
i had this and it turned out to be dirt ground into the bottom of the USB port. A thin piece of wire from a tie wrap sorted it.
(of course, usually it IS a faulty USB port)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suppose this is a stand for what I said:highfive:?!

hehe,. yea, , only to begin with i was countering your 'theres no doubt' remark, , but then realised i hadn't read your whole post.

Well guys, I tried cleaning. A layer of dust came of so I got excited, but it didn't work.
There also is way too much play with the cable when it's in, so yeah.
How much is that port change going to cost me?

from what I've read its not so much the price as the difficulty, , there are loads of stories of repair shops screwing it up. If you're a dab hand with a soldering iron, give it a go, or if you go to a repair shop, get down in writing what they are gonna do if they screw it up.

Yet again a good advice!
I wouldn't suggest to do it your self unless you're a soldering master: as samuel suggested there are (so called) profesionals failing to do this, just because it's tricky enough to get the job done the right way.:fingers-crossed:

Sometimes it is possible to resolve by tightening up the connector in a fashion that promotes the contact of the female to male contacts.
Done one dismantled once as easy to work on connector, basically I pushed the shorter edge in just slightly & with CARE on the female socket in the area over the contact plate thus forcing the male plug to push tighter against the contacts, also tweaked the to plug retention lugs so plug clips tightly.
Worth trying as if lucky can be a cheap easy solution & has worked fine on one I did but as only done the 1 I have no idea if it going to work for majority of worn plugs :-S
Replacing board socket is tricky & not that cheap normally as a good tech knows it a not liked or easy repair ... good luck

Thanks for the great advice everyone, I really appreciate it.
Mister B said:
Sometimes it is possible to resolve by tightening up the connector in a fashion that promotes the contact of the female to male contacts.
Done one dismantled once as easy to work on connector, basically I pushed the shorter edge in just slightly & with CARE on the female socket in the area over the contact plate thus forcing the male plug to push tighter against the contacts, also tweaked the to plug retention lugs so plug clips tightly.
Worth trying as if lucky can be a cheap easy solution & has worked fine on one I did but as only done the 1 I have no idea if it going to work for majority of worn plugs :-S
Replacing board socket is tricky & not that cheap normally as a good tech knows it a not liked or easy repair ... good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm going to try this first, if it doesn't work, I'll follow samsamuel's advice.
I love this community!

Unscrewed said:
Thanks for the great advice everyone, I really appreciate it.
I'm going to try this first, if it doesn't work, I'll follow samsamuel's advice.
I love this community!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
May take couple of adjustment to get it good & best do a little at a time.
Will only work if is contact issue between plugs, if issue is broken contact leg or poor connector leg solder joint to mainboard then no benefit.
Post back if get it working ...

Mister B said:
May take couple of adjustment to get it good & best do a little at a time.
Will only work if is contact issue between plugs, if issue is broken contact leg or poor connector leg solder joint to mainboard then no benefit.
Post back if get it working ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sure thing! I have one question, though. How do I correctly open up the device without damaging it (too much)?

Torx screwdriver and a thin credit card, there break down videos on youtube.

As above really, do your homework on stripdown & take a lot of care, back cover is easy if done right, plectrum is useful plastic tool for prying things apart or get hold of decent plastic opening tools, credit card can be used but too thick really.

[NST] Loose USB socket

Charging today confirmed my worst fears. My original NST has an issue with the USB socket. I know there are tear-downs online, but I haven't seen anything addressing this issue. Maybe people just toss them?!
Anyway, I'm not afraid to open the thing but I am worried that it may be like other more recent devices I've tried to deal with where it was clear they were never designed to be touched by human hands.
Does anyone know if the solder connections are user-friendly? @Renate NST?

Replacing a USB socket is always the best fix.
I've still had good luck with blowing all the lint out of the socket and
carefully squashing the shell a bit to make the physical fit tighter.

Renate NST said:
Replacing a USB socket is always the best fix.
I've still had good luck with blowing all the lint out of the socket and
carefully squashing the shell a bit to make the physical fit tighter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I'll give that a shot before disassembly but I'm not thinking that will solve the problem based on the way it behaves when the plug is jiggled. So far I can still charge if I am determined enough to find the sweet spot. I'm just hoping there's enough left of the solder tabs/points/? to allow a resolder if that's what's needed.

So finally I brought together all the tools needed and followed this guide to take the NST apart. Everything went smoothly and now I know I can easily replace the battery (although I'd be unlikely to do so since a new battery would probably cost more than another NST...). And....I got it all back together without misadventure (other than it turning on while trying to get the case back repositioned) and it all seems to work fine. That's the good news.
The bad news: as I feared, most of the contact points for the USB socket are so tiny that human hands could not possibly deal with them. At least not my human hands, and even if they could, I don't have a soldering tool tiny enough to even think about reheating a joint. It took a powerful magnifying glass to inspect what I could see of the joints and I did not find anything amiss. I even inserted the USB plug and gently jiggled it to see if anything betrayed a loose connection. NADA.
So, I'm out a few bucks for the tools but mostly I just now know that this situation is not going to get any better. I can charge by carefully inserting and tapping on the connector until I get a steady LED and the charging image comes up on the screen. I can do everything else via WiFi (but no USB Audio for this device any more).

[Q] Charging ways - Charge jumper

I have a OnePlus 5 with broken usb-mic connector on the motherboard (FPC). I'd like to restore the charging functionality and, at best, also the usb (data + data -) line. There is a schematic for the FPC pin assignment? There are other place on the board where I can find 5v,gnd,data+,data- line (maybe a jtag or a service hole/plate)?
I also have a spare connector but there's not enough space to re-solder and some plates are gone with the broken connector, so I'd like to find an alternative way.
Thanks

fraschized said:
I have a OnePlus 5 with broken usb-mic connector on the motherboard (FPC). I'd like to restore the charging functionality and, at best, also the usb (data + data -) line. There is a schematic for the FPC pin assignment? There are other place on the board where I can find 5v,gnd,data+,data- line (maybe a jtag or a service hole/plate)?
I also have a spare connector but there's not enough space to re-solder and some plates are gone with the broken connector, so I'd like to find an alternative way.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Honestly, resoldering would not help, and since are pretty much left with no alternative but burn chunks of money, I don't know what you expect from here?

vdbhb59 said:
Honestly, resoldering would not help, and since are pretty much left with no alternative but burn chunks of money, I don't know what you expect from here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't understand what You're talking about.
The question (I suppose in the correct section) was easy: There are pins or plates (except the fpc connector) on the OnePlus 5 Board to power it?
For the pourpose I have in mind (a Tasker bridge device) the solder solution would be great, if possible. Seems strange that in the whole board there's not an alternative +5v and a GND to power it. But, after a week and with only Your (non contributing) answer I think I have to get the circuit tester and route some points myself.
I'd rather prefer no answers If the only one I get is about the circumstances and not about the point.
Thanks anyway

fraschized said:
I can't understand what You're talking about.
The question (I suppose in the correct section) was easy: There are pins or plates (except the fpc connector) on the OnePlus 5 Board to power it?
For the pourpose I have in mind (a Tasker bridge device) the solder solution would be great, if possible. Seems strange that in the whole board there's not an alternative +5v and a GND to power it. But, after a week and with only Your (non contributing) answer I think I have to get the circuit tester and route some points myself.
I'd rather prefer no answers If the only one I get is about the circumstances and not about the point.
Thanks anyway
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to say if you see it that way. I know what I wrote was correct, and I was just resonating your point that there is no way out. Not sure if you seem to have seen it differently and rather why??

vdbhb59 said:
Sorry to say if you see it that way. I know what I wrote was correct, and I was just resonating your point that there is no way out. Not sure if you seem to have seen it differently and rather why??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's always a way out, maybe it could be difficult or expensive, that's not the point. We're talking about a connector, not a more complex component.
Banally, the first way is by following the 5v from usb cable to fcp connector, (as described in a youtube video about OP5T) and check if that plate is still there, then, if not, if there is another point of the same line or a scratchable spot.
The question was about existent schematics and/or other people experience about this or similiar. Things that can make everything easier or confirmed.
So:
- The "repair" is achievable? Absolutely Yes if the fpc plate is not damaged (by making a bridge); probably Yes if damaged.
- The "repair" makes sense? Yes, for my purposes
I can't see Your point and Your statement, as I already know there's a way (that I've asked to be confirmed or already experienced) .