USB Cable Soldering

Feb 19, 2005 3 Replies

My bunny chewed through my USB cable on my Wacom tablet, is it possible to solder it back together so that it will work? I have never soldered anything before, but it seems likely. It costs 48.50 to send it back to the manufacturer and have them replace the USB connector so it seems cheaper to have it soldered or do it myself.



Thanks!



Kimberly


Probably be simpler (and look cleaner) to just get an off-the-shelf USB cable and whack off one end. Strip back the outer sheath (an inch?) and enough insulation from the conductors (prob about 3/8 inch). Pop open the Wacom and replace the (remains) of the original cable. You can use electrical tape around the cable where it leaves the case for a chafing barrier and a tie wrap around the cable on the inside to act as a pull stop.

If the repair is in the middle of the cable then it's exposed to flexing, being stepped on, etc. and is more likely to fail in the future.

Rich Webb Norfolk, VA

$48.00 for a cable? That's a ripoff. Go to a cable web site and get a new one.

The suggestion someone made of getting another USB and attaching to the tablet is fine.

If you never soldered before, and the wires are very thin, this is rather unlikely you can do a good job easily. You also need the right tools. For example, some kid's game toy's wire was chewed through. So I resoldered it for him but I used an adjustable low-wattage soldering iron with an extremely small tip and even with a good bit of experience, it was dicey because I did it in his home. In a shop, it would have been somewhat easier. The wires were thin and cheesy and easy to break.

I would think any real TV repair shop, local, might be able to do it for half that amount if you asked nicely. It depends, seems $40 is the minimum charge now but you might get lucky. A good experienced tech could do this. They could easily outfit a new cord unless there is something very strange about the tablet. I have not handled one of those tablet in years so I cannot remember much how they were assembled. TV repair shops and such seem to charge less than computer repair shops.

In theory, you're 100% right.

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