Completed Guides

Questions

  • unbalanced RAM (e.g. 3gb, 6gb)

    does the use of 2 different 'stick' sizes really cause problems or is it an urban myth? Does anybody have the evidence, is th...

  • silent switch and 'volume up' not working

    Is there a way (that has a chance of success) to get the switch and 'volume up' button working without having to disassemble ...

  • What is the best way to dry used desiccant?

    I like to keep gadgets together with the accessories - an ideal way to store is a ziploc bag. Condensation is a worry with al...

  • LED backlit LCD - will it last forever?

    I saw the question about a 'dimming display' and the responses made me think - will LED lit LCDs last longer - or are the cry...

  • Battery life less than expected

    My trusty iPhone, just upgraded to iPhone OS 3.1, is losing battery life fast. I replaced the battery with a new item from iF...

  • An alternative to a dental pick?

    I am trying to replace the battery in my iPhone - but I don't have the steel dental pick suggested in the teardown. Any ideas...

Answers

  • Answer to: Can a bad SIM drain battery in 90 minutes?

    I found that using a sim that does not get service (overseas carrier, no roaming agreements..) caused my phone to keep searching for a usable carrier, and drained my mobile quite quickly. This was before iPhone, but still an observation - that maybe still holds true

  • Answer to: My MacBook battery is swelling. Should I worry?

    Very likely caused by overheating. Your battery is most likely 'on the way out'. just keep an eye on it in case it gets too bad, and be prepared to buy a replacement. How is the capacity going?

  • Answer to: Why is my dishwasher not cleaning the dishes? what's the fix?

    Does it heat up? I have seen dishwashers not cleaning and the heater coil was broken. Check if it heats up, and check the heater coil for continuity with an ohm-meter cheers

  • Answer to: cannot take photo there is not enough disk

    Hard to tell what actually happened to cause that. As you say it's empty, have you tried to do a 'factory restore / initialization'? That is what I'd try -looks like the file system is somehow corrupted, and hopefully the init will restore it

  • Answer to: Why is my volume up button switch not working?

    well, - this - is the part and the instructions are here You need to relace the ribbon cable as the volume buttons/switches are attached to it all the best

  • Answer to: Why doesn't my silence button work anymore?

    You need to replace the headphone/silent switch/ volume control cable. I had the same problem. First it was the silent switch becoming very intermittant, then the volume control worked only down ... this is when I HAD to fix it. Following this guide will work. I found the hardest bit to remove the rear cover without damaging it. the cable and switch comes in 2 varieties, make sure you get the correct one for your phone.

  • Answer to: ring/vibrate switch replace now no video

    Best to totally retrace your steps. Hopefully you have not assembled it completely (but that is too much to hope for) You most likely have disconnected the display unit or damaged the ribbon cable for it - the only way to find out is to visual inspect it. The connector may just have come off the logic board. Good Luck

  • Answer to: How to recharge a dead iPod?

    this looks like a connection has broken inside because of the drop. you may have to open it to check if you are comfortable doing so, or have it repaired (quoted) by a professional

  • Answer to: Help repairing power supply PCB

    MOV - a varistor to protect the other components. when you say failed - does it present a 'short'? If it is really the only faulty component (could be dameged by a voltage spike, like lightning strike) just removing it should allow the PSU to work again. good for testing see also here: http://www2.electronicproducts.com/Circu...-article-littelfuse-aug2006-html.aspx

  • Answer to: tried to upload new software

    if it was unlocked, and you were using a non at&t sim card - a software upgrade could have upgraded the baseband, and locked the phone to the official at&t sim card

Notes

  • RCA Studio II Teardown

    The ground and Vcc planes / traces were very big in 'those days' .... and why not. The weird thing is that the worse my eyeight gets, the smaller the traces and components become. THEN at least we could easily fix broken PCBs an replace components in the field - try that today!

  • RCA Studio II Teardown

    Those were the days!

    I hope you get your hands on a colecovision - I earened my living fixing them!

    and never payed a single game of Donkey Kong! :(

  • Installing iPhone 1st Generation Case

    Like others - this is where I am stuck. No dental pick, so I search for alternatives. Good the get reminded - if I mangle the case too, hey, my speck cover will hide the scars!