HELP!!! Bootloader reboot cycle!

[Computerman897]

I've used PPCKitchen for quite some time now, and have cooked countless custom ROMs for my first Apache, my later Titan, and most recently my week-old Rhodium_W TP2 (Verizon), so I consider myself no longer a noob, but still nowhere near some of the advanced users of the wonderful plethora of software available to customize PPCs to the level we wish them too. I find myself; however, frantically trying to figure out what has happened durning my most recent flash of my TP2, and was hoping someone could help.

About 2 days ago I flashed a custom ROM to my device, let it load, run through the first-boot customizations (Calibrate the screen, set the time zone, etc...), and finally it presented me with a message resembling something like "Your phone is being customized, it will reboot in 10 seconds." amist a windows logo background. Upon restarting, the phone sat at the BootSplash "TouchPro2" Screen until finally I believe it died, even though it was plugged in. From there, it entered a Bootloader cycle. Where it loads the bootloader, keeps it up for a few seconds, and then shuts off, the charging light kicks on, charges for a few minutes and repeats the process. I've tried flashing new ROMs onto it, but it dies again before the process can complete, and now there's a persistent message behind the HSPL standard text that says something about "Upgrade ROM Error."

Thinking that I'd somehow corrupted the HSPL in some way, I've used the .nbh file that's found in the HSPL unlocker package to reflash it, and surprisingly that's the only .nbh file that it will fully process before dieing again. The message about the "Upgrade ROM error" is still present however, and I'm really beginning to think that I've bricked my brand new phone.

Following some advice I got on PPCKitchen.org's live support from JooJooBee666, who said he's had the same problem, in order to stop the phone booting and draining what little charge the battery has running the bootloader for 15seconds or so, I've covered the two inside pins of the battery, and left it to charge for quite awhile, only now the charging light stays on for a little while, then kicks off for a few seconds, and kicks back on.

Can anyone help me? Or am i going to have to use my insurance policy a week into owning the phone?