Huge Screen Issue

[pmo5]

Hey guys I've had my pandora for about a week and it's been great up until today. When I open my pandora to the open position the whole tint and color completely change. If I only put the screen out about a little less then halfway it works perfectly fine. I've tried to reflash and it did not help. On top of that my number 8 key has never worked. Please Craig or someone tell me what I can do from here. It's a tough situation since I live in the United States and I am not paying to ship my pandora back and get a new one as it's simply not right for me to have to do that.

Thanks in advance

P.s bought it from the GBAX store.

 

[Iorgy77]

Sorry to hear about your situation. You really should try to contact them directly.

 

[pmo5]

Well I have tried contacting them on several occasions only to never get a response. My email address is parsamoshiri@yahoo.com

I will also have a video and/or pictures of the problem later tonight.

 

[DaveC]

Sounds like a bad LCD ribbon cable or it came loose in shipping.

Contact Craig is all I can say.

 

[fischju2000]

I hear the bottom is very easy to remove, you could theoretically check the connection of the LCD ribbon cable yourself. I've had the same problem on a DS that had a broken ribbon cable.

 

[WizardStan]

I hear the bottom is very easy to remove, you could theoretically check the connection of the LCD ribbon cable yourself.

If it's broken, he'll need to send it in to have it fixed. If it's not broken then that wasn't the problem so there's probably a different, unidentifiable problem, so he'll need to send it in to have it fixed.
Either way it needs to go back, so just send it back.

 

[fischju2000]

Or it's loose and he can lift the lock, reposition the cable, close it, and be happy. If he knows what he's doing, no reason not to try.

 

[pmo5]

If it only involved taking apart the bottom half then I'll do it. If I'm not mistaken I read somewhere that the top half is completely off limits and will void warranty. I may be wrong though. I will shoot them an email and hopefully someone will respond. I'm sure they will

 

[EvilDragon]

They are really busy at the moment - so it might take a while until a response takes place.
It might be as easy as that the connector opened itself up - which means, repairing it involves only opening up the bottom part, nothing else (no need to put the board out, etc.)

 

[pmo5]

Hmm tried your suggestion but it made no difference. Both my 8 key and screen were the same. Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

 

[Penix]

Hmm tried your suggestion but it made no difference. Both my 8 key and screen were the same. Let's hope for a speedy recovery.

Have you tried what MWeston suggests here on your No. 8 button yet? Might be an easy fix.

 

[tsh]

Any pics anywhere of how the screen connector opens? I couldn't persuade mine to come apart when I was inspecting my nubs.

 

[mali]

It might be worth considering to redesign the LCD ribbons to pass CE without having to use that copper tape. You'd get rid of the bulge in the bezel and reduce the stress on the cable/connection. I'll hold off with my order till the problems with the nubs, flat batteries and the ribbon are sorted out. I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything like that, but letting the batteries and nubs rotting in some boxes for over a year, without maintaining/testing them is kind of un-smart. The wonky shoulder buttons and non-working keys are a bit of annoying but seriously, when I drill a hole off center and build the unit I _see_ the problem immediately. Checking a keymat for talcum takes about 10 seconds if you are slow. I realize that I sound like an ass, but I'm a self-employed craftsman and thus a bit more strict. What we see here is what happens if a bunch of office workers tries to manufacture something without having educated themselves enough beforehand.

Last but not least, write the idea of an own injection moulding machine on a small piece of paper and throw it in the next best active vulcano.

I'm really sorry for this harsh post, as I'm a supporter of this project, but it had to be said. Go to you local industrial area, find some factories and ask for information.

 

[fusion_power]

It might be worth considering to redesign the LCD ribbons to pass CE without having to use that copper tape. You'd get rid of the bulge in the bezel and reduce the stress on the cable/connection.

Uh, is it confirmed, that the bezel bulge is caused by the LCD ribbon?

Somehow the Case seems so tight designed, that nothing additional can be put on/in (ribbon-shield, paint...) without loosing the fitting :lol:

 

[mali]

Uh, is it confirmed, that the bezel bulge is caused by the LCD ribbon?

It has been mentioned.

 

[mvickers03]

It might be worth considering to redesign the LCD ribbons to pass CE without having to use that copper tape. You'd get rid of the bulge in the bezel and reduce the stress on the cable/connection. I'll hold off with my order till the problems with the nubs, flat batteries and the ribbon are sorted out. I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything like that, but letting the batteries and nubs rotting in some boxes for over a year, without maintaining/testing them is kind of un-smart. The wonky shoulder buttons and non-working keys are a bit of annoying but seriously, when I drill a hole off center and build the unit I _see_ the problem immediately. Checking a keymat for talcum takes about 10 seconds if you are slow. I realize that I sound like an ass, but I'm a self-employed craftsman and thus a bit more strict. What we see here is what happens if a bunch of office workers tries to manufacture something without having educated themselves enough beforehand.

Last but not least, write the idea of an own injection moulding machine on a small piece of paper and throw it in the next best active vulcano.

I'm really sorry for this harsh post, as I'm a supporter of this project, but it had to be said. Go to you local industrial area, find some factories and ask for information.

I think your getting a bit carried away with a few isolated cases Mali, most people's units are just fine, and the few that have slipped through will be replaced.

I couldn't be happier with mine, I love the little bugger. oh yeah I think they sold out now so you probably couldn't buy one even if you wanted to,

 

[mali]

^ Yep, I know every single case that has been posted here and on the German boards
The problem with the nubs seems to be a general problem, as far as I can see, many devices are affected by pieces of plastic clogging up the inside. This might be a problem with the mould that leaves too much burr on the parts that fall off and get stuck between the moving parts. The copper tape is a quick workaround which should be replaced with a better solution, imo. I wonder if Craig did the hinge testing with or without this fix.

 

[skeezix]

Ask the store (Craig, ED) about warranty and fiddling in there yourself.

As to actually opening up the _bottom_ part, it is not hard at all, but theres a few things to watch for (ie: the power slider switch is 'free', held in place by the sandwhiching of the case bottom and top; so when you pry them apart, the power slider switch may fall out; not hard to get on, but it is a piece you have to be careful with to avoid breaking it. And the shoudler buttons will fall off their pivot, but easy to set htem in place when you sandwhich it back together.

The ribbon cable goes into a little pair of jaws; if its slipped out or gotten misalligned there, its pretty easy to use a mega-tiny 'tv style' screwdriver to pry open the jaws, fiddle with the ribbon, and close the jaws back on there (being mega gentle the whole time, no focing anything.)

If the problem is up the cable and into the hinge -- don't go there; its a complex mush up in there. (And ED/etc could answer if theres tape or glue or foam or anytrhign up in there; in my prototype, it was ugly to get around in there being a noob like me, but it had no glue or anything.)

jeff

 

[mvickers03]

^ Yep, I know every single case that has been posted here and on the German boards
The problem with the nubs seems to be a general problem, as far as I can see, many devices are affected by pieces of plastic clogging up the inside. This might be a problem with the mould that leaves too much burr on the parts that fall off and get stuck between the moving parts. The copper tape is a quick workaround which should be replaced with a better solution, imo. I wonder if Craig did the hinge testing with or without this fix.

Hmmm not noticed anything funny about the nubs here, they work great. Quake 2 is a very good, both are smooth and equal, no grinding and spring back to the centre just as i'd imagine they would. I noticed paddy had an issue with his, and the boys in the one nub club which is understandable. I didn't think it was a mojor problem.

I hope other people have such a great experiance that I am having with mine it is a pleasure to play/work on.

 

[mali]

^ It makes me happy to see that you are happy with your device Things will improve for everyone, I'm sure. Let's just not forget the areas that can be improved further, so to say