broken usb replacement
 

can anyone help me? my usb port became detached from mother board. can only use pone by charging bateries in cradle and swapping them out. had a friend try to re-solder it but he couldnt get it. any ideas on where to take it?

Re: broken usb replacement
 

No where to send it other than the trash can or assurion after filing an insurance claim. Sry.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

Are the actual copper pads ripped off of the board? If the connector came off without damaging the pads, it shouldn't be too hard to solder back on.

If the pads are destroyed, you may or may not be able to trace each pin back to a via or IC pin and white wire it back together. I will tear my Apache apart later and see where the pads on the board go. I've fixed worse problems before.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

I wouldn't even mess with it. Be sure to cover up the tracks of taking the phone apart and send it back.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

I agree... If you have insurance, just get a replacement... If not, here is some more info.

I looked at my Apache USB connector and here is what I found:

You need pins 1,4, and 5 to charge the battery.
Pinout is as follows: (numbers 1 and 5 are labeled on the board)

1 +5V
2 DATA –
3 DATA+
4 ID PIN (allows charger to be recognized)
5 GND


I am guessing pads for 1 and 5 are not damaged. If the other pads or traces are damaged, you can use wire wrap wire(30AWG I think Radio Shack actually sells it) to bridge the gap between the pin and the resistors(little black rectangles that the traces on the board lead to).

Pins 2 and 3 are for USB data. You should be able to charge the battery without these.

I believe a suitable USB connector replacement is Molex part 54819-0572. It is available through distributors such as Mouser and Digikey. I haven’t verified that this is an exact match so purchase at your own risk.


As far as where to take it, I couldn't tell you as almost all repair shops anymore don't do real repair, they just replace boards.

If you're desperate, PM me and maybe we can work something out.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

I came across ppctechs.com when I ripped the wire out of the speaker on accident. I didn't send my phone in, just ordered the part from them, but it shows on their site you can send in your phone and they will replace the usb port for $60. I cannot vouch for the quality of their work though.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

Take it to a REAL computer shop where they solder components. My co-worker ROCKS at soldering laptop mainboards. I had to solder the USB jacks back into my two Apaches. One broke off again 3 days later, the other is still holding strong. It flat out SUCKS working with those tiny pins. lol

BTW, if you trash it I'll pay shipping for it. I'm always down for parts to tinker with.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

Stupid speaker, had that happen to me too. $60 is a fair price, it takes 45 seconds to get the board out of the phone and little time soldering for a pro.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

no insurance. phone is flashed to cricket. would not insure. here are pics. im not too savy with hardware.

Re: broken usb replacement
 

I have a apache cracked screen everything works except the stupid center button if it helps?