Cellphone connector

On 9/2/2009 9:37 AM isw spake thus:

Hmm; aren't you the one who said, in a thread up yonder, "I doubt any are made to be repaired these days" in reference to cellphones?

(However, if you want to try to repair yours anyway, that seems admirable to me. More power to you, so to speak.)

I don't recall saying something like that. But in any case, the fact that a thing is not *made* to be repaired does not mean that it

Thanks. But what I really need is one of those connectors. Any idea where I can get one?

Isaac

If it is a mini USB connector, snag one out of something else that uses one.

Or open the phone and under magnification inspect the connection to the board. It may have damaged solder connections that you could repair provided you have the right iron and motor skills.

I guess you didn't read my original description of the connector in question; see above.

I have those skills in spades, but (again, as I originally stated) the connector isn't soldered; it just pushes over the edge of the PCWB, where it's little springy fingers are *supposed* to mate with some little gold-plated pads etched onto the board.

I've had the thing apart four times now, trying without success to bend the one offending connection so it's not intermittent. I'm pretty convinced that the problem is that the plastic parts of the connector are not made of stiff enough material, because it's sort of warped up in the middle. Although I can get it to work by pressing down on the connector to remove the warp, there's no room in there for any sort of stiffener.

I'm contemplating a very careful soldering job, attaching a single fine strand of copper from the connector to the proper pad on the board. It'll involve some cutting of plastic to provide clearance, and once there's solder on the gold, there's no going back to a gold-gold pressure connection, so I'm still thinking about it. Getting a connector from a broken phone would work, but even pretty badly damaged ones go for over $30 on eBay.

I can get it to work by wedging the exterior "plug" to one side with a piece of popsicle stick, but that's a bit inelegant.

Isaac

Couldn't picture a row of little gold squares in my mind.

Good luck.

tor

Try the manufacturer of the phone, or take it to the location where you signed up for service and see if they will replaceor repair the phone.