DonJohe
05-05-2006, 11:27 PM
50.000 plus km of motorcycle navigating (using Navigon) - so of that in hard rain with the BA "slightly" unprotected ....
So it doesn't like rain or vibration ...
Besides losing the two screws visible on the left and right top edges of the phone, another problem cropped up.
On a recent 6 hour ride, the main connector suddenly became intermittent. I have always hated that connector and I believe it's one of the weaker points on an otherwise less than quality device -but I digress.
I know how quickly the battery will empty using BT and the backlight all the time so I tried to jiggle the cable to get it to work while I was driving. It was not possible, and to add insult to injury, the intermittent connection kept interrupting the MP3s playing and would sometimes cause the SD card to crash, requiring a hard reset. Ugh.
In the hotel I was able to rig the connector so that the device would charge and the next day while at work I figured the device was toast anyway so I took a look inside.
4 screws out from under the battery compartment, and another three screws to get the mainboard loose enough so I could see the connection.
I found the connector so loose that with the slightest touch it fell out in my hands.
Apparently, all of the solder joints had been loosened by the rainwater.
I think this should be a caveat here for all devices left in the rain. I understand that rain water or distilled water is very "agressive". You may be able to get your device to work again. For a while.
I don't think toilet water or moisture from tap water is as bad.
- but again I digress.
Before I went any further, I went out and got an OČ XDA-III. HAving safely restored my ability to communicate, I proceeded with the fiddeling.
I was actually able to get the connector resoldered onto the board using a 25+ (pre SMD) year old soldering iron. I actually don't believe it myself but it still works.
I was also able to correct an annoying rattle the phone had almost since I bought it.
The telephone antenna is a raised plastic piece on the back of the board. That raised piece forms a box in which one of the screws for the board onto the frame was "stored". Don't know how it got there but I guess the production people at HTC should listen up.
Well I thought it was fun. anyway.
So it doesn't like rain or vibration ...
Besides losing the two screws visible on the left and right top edges of the phone, another problem cropped up.
On a recent 6 hour ride, the main connector suddenly became intermittent. I have always hated that connector and I believe it's one of the weaker points on an otherwise less than quality device -but I digress.
I know how quickly the battery will empty using BT and the backlight all the time so I tried to jiggle the cable to get it to work while I was driving. It was not possible, and to add insult to injury, the intermittent connection kept interrupting the MP3s playing and would sometimes cause the SD card to crash, requiring a hard reset. Ugh.
In the hotel I was able to rig the connector so that the device would charge and the next day while at work I figured the device was toast anyway so I took a look inside.
4 screws out from under the battery compartment, and another three screws to get the mainboard loose enough so I could see the connection.
I found the connector so loose that with the slightest touch it fell out in my hands.
Apparently, all of the solder joints had been loosened by the rainwater.
I think this should be a caveat here for all devices left in the rain. I understand that rain water or distilled water is very "agressive". You may be able to get your device to work again. For a while.
I don't think toilet water or moisture from tap water is as bad.
- but again I digress.
Before I went any further, I went out and got an OČ XDA-III. HAving safely restored my ability to communicate, I proceeded with the fiddeling.
I was actually able to get the connector resoldered onto the board using a 25+ (pre SMD) year old soldering iron. I actually don't believe it myself but it still works.
I was also able to correct an annoying rattle the phone had almost since I bought it.
The telephone antenna is a raised plastic piece on the back of the board. That raised piece forms a box in which one of the screws for the board onto the frame was "stored". Don't know how it got there but I guess the production people at HTC should listen up.
Well I thought it was fun. anyway.