Active Topics

 


Reply
Thread Tools
csaba93's Avatar
Posts: 48 | Thanked: 42 times | Joined on Nov 2010 @ Dublin, Ireland
#11
This is brilliant!! Thank you for making this guide!!
I personally would not like to take my N900 apart just to get to the usb port, and to be honest I very very rarely use the usb port to charge it or to connect to computer. For charging I have an external BL-5j socket charger which works perfectly and I have 3 batteries so two are always fully charged and one is in the phone. I will file off the teeth of the charger though, because its extremely simple to do.
Once again I'd like to thank you for your hard job on the battery guide and now this usb port fix and all your input on the forum!!!


ps. I filed off the teeth on the charger and it works like a charm!! It slides in and out of the port perfectly!!!!


Regards,
Csaba

Last edited by csaba93; 2011-08-21 at 12:20. Reason: result of suggestion
 

The Following User Says Thank You to csaba93 For This Useful Post:
dr_frost_dk's Avatar
Posts: 1,503 | Thanked: 2,688 times | Joined on Oct 2010 @ Denmark
#12
I still urge everyone here who want their N900 to be more robust in the USB area, to have the soldering down done.

In case we do not see any other phone device we want and want to keep our N900 going a long time, this is simply one of the best ways.

And don't keep saying that, well my USB still works, and have worked fine for months and it will keep working, well maybe, maybe it will break in a month, a week?.
 

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dr_frost_dk For This Useful Post:
dr_frost_dk's Avatar
Posts: 1,503 | Thanked: 2,688 times | Joined on Oct 2010 @ Denmark
#13
Just throwing a quote inhere that is not 24 hours old (less time then this thread has been here)

Originally Posted by Hootenholler View Post
Another one bites the dust... my USB just fell out and I am as gutted as my phone. I have it insured so I will get on to them tomorrow - what next, I do not know. Not thrilled with the idea of an N8 or similar at all. Need to get a battery off someone so I can get hold of all my photos etc. as I have not transferred any for a while, although I did manage to shoot an email to myself with a BackUp file attached before the battery died though. Fingers crossed that a store round here still has an N900 in stock.
Everybody please try to see that if you want your N900 to survive then please do the solder down, or have someone you know do it for you
 

The Following User Says Thank You to dr_frost_dk For This Useful Post:
Posts: 44 | Thanked: 7 times | Joined on Sep 2010
#14
i dont trust myself to open up my n900 and solder down the usb port and stuff and obviously i cant trust others to do the perfect job. but still when u say it will break down and will start giving problems, i started worrying about this. are there any other ways to fix this problem?
 
Posts: 244 | Thanked: 354 times | Joined on Jul 2010 @ Scotland
#15
Wonko's Powermat mod is well worth following too: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=72753
 
Banned | Posts: 3,412 | Thanked: 1,043 times | Joined on Feb 2010
#16
For this thread to explain everything properly there has to be a picture step by step from taking the N900 apart to the actual job of soldering down the jacket to the earthplain.

I have now got a device with a broken lcd and i will use this to provide pics step by step but please allow me a few days for this and i will talk to dr_frost_dk about putting the pics in the relevent place on this thread, work this as a team effort so to speak.

Please understand that to do the PREVENTATIVE repair your not dealing with any small components as the jacket of the usb port is actually big enough to see and work on with normal soldering iron so please realise this as it is a very simple mod to do, the hardest part is actually taking apart and putting back together the N900.
 
dr_frost_dk's Avatar
Posts: 1,503 | Thanked: 2,688 times | Joined on Oct 2010 @ Denmark
#17
Originally Posted by gregoranderson View Post
Wonko's Powermat mod is well worth following too: http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=72753
The power mat takes care of charging, but not USB data (in case of broken USB), you can glue the USB down, it works like soldering down

Solder down:
- pros
REALLY gives all the strength to the USB by having a massive "support" that goes down to the giant GROUND copper around it
- cons
You have to scrape of some paint (not dangerous, really hard to mess up)
You have to apply a lot of heat the the USB casing to insure that the solder is not 'cold' soldered, rendering it useless

Glue down: (2 component glue)
- pros
If cleaned around the USB (where soldered would be used in the solder mod) then this should by all accounts give the same strength as the solder down
- cons
If not very careful where the glue is applied, and notice is taken for glue running (since it is a "liquid"), if it gets inside the USB then well your worse for where, you wont be able to use that USB ever again.
 
dr_frost_dk's Avatar
Posts: 1,503 | Thanked: 2,688 times | Joined on Oct 2010 @ Denmark
#18
Originally Posted by abill_uk View Post
For this thread to explain everything properly there has to be a picture step by step from taking the N900 apart to the actual job of soldering down the jacket to the earthplain.

I have now got a device with a broken lcd and i will use this to provide pics step by step but please allow me a few days for this and i will talk to dr_frost_dk about putting the pics in the relevent place on this thread, work this as a team effort so to speak.

Please understand that to do the PREVENTATIVE repair your not dealing with any small components as the jacket of the usb port is actually big enough to see and work on with normal soldering iron so please realise this as it is a very simple mod to do, the hardest part is actually taking apart and putting back together the N900.
Thank you very much abill, i "unfortunately" have already done all the N900 i have in my proximity.....
I would make a better guide but it is kinda hard when it has already been done....
 
Posts: 167 | Thanked: 204 times | Joined on Jul 2010
#19
Originally Posted by abill_uk View Post
For this thread to explain everything properly there has to be a picture step by step from taking the N900 apart to the actual job of soldering down the jacket to the earthplain.
Or a link to the Nokia RX-51/N900 Service Manuals for detailed information on disassembly; combine that with whichever approach to the USB port fix takes your fancy. The L1/L2 service manual should hopefully give some confidence that it's not rocket science and will be doable with a bit of care.

I'm about to do this on one, maybe two N900s, and think I favour using a thin "worm" of epoxy putty around the sides and the back of the port, reinforcing the pads and at the same time filling in the space under each side of the USB port. In theory (I haven't done it yet), this should adhere to more surface area than solder and will physically fill up the triangular prism shaped spaces under each side of the jacket to provide a mechanical buttress against movement. We shall see.

Update: as of September 2011, the epoxy putty in question is available for £2.19 delivered via eBay, a precision screwdriver set containing PH0 and T6 bits (among others) in a pen-style barrel is £4.00 delivered, and a pair of plastic pry tools - straight and angled - is 99p delivered. I mention this for the benefit of those lacking the confidence to pull their beloved N900 apart and find out what's inside - the knowledge you need is contained in the L1/L2 service manual plus the guides on this forum, and the tools you need come to all of £7.18, incl. delivery.

Last edited by magick777; 2011-09-12 at 12:21.
 
dr_frost_dk's Avatar
Posts: 1,503 | Thanked: 2,688 times | Joined on Oct 2010 @ Denmark
#20
Originally Posted by magick777 View Post
Or a link to the Nokia RX-51/N900 Service Manuals for detailed information on disassembly; combine that with whichever approach to the USB port fix takes your fancy.

I'm about to do this on one, maybe two N900s, and think I favour using a thin "worm" of epoxy putty around the sides and the back of the port, reinforcing the pads and at the same time filling in the space under each side of the USB port. In theory (I haven't done it yet), this should adhere to more surface area than solder and will physically fill up the "triangular prism" spaces under each side of the USB port to provide a mechanical buttress against movement. We shall see...
No it won't, why, well you will apply glue from the USB to the circuit board, now you are just gluing the metal down to paint that doesn't stick to well (easy to scrape of to prepared for soldering) and if you glue it then the day will come that you find a USB that is broken off with a base of green paint hanging on to it.


Why don't you out there listen to people that actually KNOW how stuff works, i to thought about gluing mine, until i opened it up an looked at it, then i concluded that it would be a waste of time when considering that the glue will just rip the paint up with it or the worse possibility that the glue gets inside and you can't use the USB at all.


REMEMBER i have already done the soldering to 3x N900 without any problems at all.
 

The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to dr_frost_dk For This Useful Post:
Reply

Thread Tools

 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:56.