Lovely pandora! With slight flaw...


moxie

The voice of reason, sense and exasperation
Staff member
Joined
Aug 15, 2006
Messages
2,707
Age
51
Location
South of Sweden
Hi all! I have not been very active since, uh...The forum split, basically, since I got tired of the bickering. Anyways, now the pandoras have started shipping again, everybody is happy, and most of all me since mine has arrived! Yay! However, it isn't all perfect (only mostly).


The right shoulderbutton is not registering, at all. The left is fine and has a nice positive feeling to it, but the right one is completely dead. I ran the op_test_inputs to verify it, and then noted that to exit that, you should press the shoulder buttons... :blink: :lol: Anyways, the feeling I get from pressing on the right side is that there isn't anything to be pressed - The button moves, but nothing registers, and I can feel neither spring nor contact. It is as if the bit with the spring and the switch is simply missing.


Questions:


1: I seem to have heard something like this before. Does anyone recognize it, and/or is it possible that my description above (switch/spring assembly missing or has somehow moved) is accurate?


2: How difficult is it to open up, check, and reassemble? Is it recommended that I try that, or should I just send it back to Craig et al and say "Fix it"? I consider myself fairly experienced in the taking apart and putting back together business - I have installed mod chips in a Saturn and a Playstation, and regularly pokes around inside computers and synths, so it is more a question of how cramped it is and how "deep" into the pandora I need to go to get to the shoulder button bits.


I'm not primarily going to attempt to fix it (except if I actually find a missing switch assembly inside that has obviously been knocked out of alignment somehow), it is more about understanding what the problem is.


Apart from that - Wonderful thingie! I haven't gotten around to really poke it into shape yet (specifically I need to poke around a bit in the wifi department) but the feeling of actually blowing up mako reactor number 8 in my hands is a dream come true. This is what I expected and hoped for - Thanks, guys!
 
I have to admit that it will be extremely difficult *not* to open up my Pandora when I get it if there is anything wrong with one (or more) of the buttons.


To have to send it back for something as simple as a bit of excess plastic or something that's slipped out of alignment and could easily be fixed by someone with a steady hand, some common sense and a touch of OCD just because you would void the warrantee seems unfair.


There seems a remarkably high number of *slightly* defective units going out. Most of which I feel just need a bit of TLC. I'm concerned that I would be prohibited from administering the TLC myself.


I guess if I was 100% sold on my own abilities this wouldn't be an issue and I would just go ahead with it. :p
 
There seems a remarkably high number of *slightly* defective units going out.

No there bloody well isn't. I don't see dozens of people complaining and 550 went out in the last 2 weeks.


Is the shoulder button moving? Or is it stuck? It could be that the case is a little tight, the other possibility is that the foam pad on the shoulder button is too far up or down.


Carefully take out the 5 rear screws and have a look at it. Nothing but the back has to come off to access the shoulder buttons and they are very simple to fix/see how they work.


-Craig
 
Open a pandora is very easy, as far as I remember there was nothing that "clickes". Just unscrew it and open it: voila, the shoulderbuttons, you haven't even to touch the board. Much easier than WiZ or Caanoo.


Thats how my looked after I opened it :D , but I guess they got better in building now:





 
Last edited by a moderator:
No there bloody well isn't. I don't see dozens of people complaining and 550 went out in the last 2 weeks.


Is the shoulder button moving? Or is it stuck? It could be that the case is a little tight, the other possibility is that the foam pad on the shoulder button is too far up or down.


Carefully take out the 5 rear screws and have a look at it. Nothing but the back has to come off to access the shoulder buttons and they are very simple to fix/see how they work.


-Craig


My apologies. of course everyone who has a problem would post something and simply looking at the forums would give one a very skew impression. I didn't think of that before I posted.


If what you suggest (I.e. having a look yourself) is acceptable under warranty then that *completely* alleviates all my concerns. :)


Perhaps it should be noted that communicating your issue *before* opening your Pandora is recommended. Even that opening your Pandora should only be undertaken once given the go-ahead.


I'm all fine with that


I just don't want to send my unit back needlessly if it can be helped.
 
my left shoulder button does not work properly, it feels like it a little bit stuck but it


does work but it doesn't have the "click" sound that the right shoulder button has. I would like to have a look but for I just want to play with my pandora before I break something.


I also had some problems with my stylus I couldn´t get it out I have got it out but need to get it fixed with some sandpaper.


grtz


sigma


(this message was send from my pandora)
 
I'm with Sigma; the left shoulder button on my (recent eBay refurb) Pandora barely works. It feels pushed-in all the time, like it has no spring pushing it out. It doesn't register if you press it on the corner, but you can get it to register if you press it on the other side nearer to the center. Apart from that I have observed the fit and finish of my device to be excellent!


Craig: will opening it / examining it void my warranty? Will attempting to fix it myself void my warranty?


(edit: improved description of the button's problem)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Is the shoulder button moving? Or is it stuck? It could be that the case is a little tight, the other possibility is that the foam pad on the shoulder button is too far up or down.

It is moving, as far as I can gather about the same amount as the other one. It just seems to lack the counter-resistance, so to speak. I guess to take a look at the foam pad, then,

Carefully take out the 5 rear screws and have a look at it. Nothing but the back has to come off to access the shoulder buttons and they are very simple to fix/see how they work.

Excellent! That will be the project for tomorrow night, then...
 
When you do that, Moxie, could you please take some pics of the inside of the shoulder buttons (macro if possible)? I might be interested in adding similar pads to mine.


(Congrats on the arrival, by the way. So good to see the remaining Day One crew getting their deliveries.)
 
When you do that, Moxie, could you please take some pics of the inside of the shoulder buttons

Will do. I have a decent camera, so there is a possibility of sharpness, even. :)
 
Had mine delivered yesterday with the following:


A scratch on the lid


A squishy B button,


A lid that does not fully close, (raised at one end slightly)


Part of the volume button has been melted, (possibly with a soldering iron?)
 
Is fixing a face button similarly easy? My Y button doesn't work.


I kind of doubt it, though. And if it isn't, I'm not sure it's worth the risk of 1) Voiding my warranty, and 2) possibly breaking something else.
 
Is fixing a face button similarly easy? My Y button doesn't work.


I kind of doubt it, though. And if it isn't, I'm not sure it's worth the risk of 1) Voiding my warranty, and 2) possibly breaking something else.
Could be tricky id say.
 
Is fixing a face button similarly easy? My Y button doesn't work.


I kind of doubt it, though. And if it isn't, I'm not sure it's worth the risk of 1) Voiding my warranty, and 2) possibly breaking something else.
Fixing the shoulder button requires taking the back of the case off, and adjusting the button as needed. Fixing the face buttons requires lifting out the board to get at the keyboard mat: a lot more can go wrong.
 
Alex, can you elaborate on the Y button problem? For example,


- Stuck in


- Won't press in


- Off centre


- Squidgey


- Feels ok to press but does nothing


If it's the last one, try pushing it in quite hard, moving it in circles, tapping it lots. There is some white powder stuff that is used in the factory (no idea what it is) that is cleaned out before assembly. Sometimes though, a little residue can remain, preventing good contact under a button. Giving it a good workout can clear the gunk and restore contact. It's happened to a couple of people.
 
Alex, can you elaborate on the Y button problem? For example,


- Stuck in


- Won't press in


- Off centre


- Squidgey


- Feels ok to press but does nothing


If it's the last one, try pushing it in quite hard, moving it in circles, tapping it lots. There is some white powder stuff that is used in the factory (no idea what it is) that is cleaned out before assembly. Sometimes though, a little residue can remain, preventing good contact under a button. Giving it a good workout can clear the gunk and restore contact. It's happened to a couple of people.

Good advice. Think I'll try this with my squishy B button.
 
My right shoulder button is awful, took the back off and the left one has sponge stuck to it but the right one has nothing!


Will try and find some sticky sponge to sort it but i think mine is going back as whoever did the screws up in assembly has overtightened and made a bump in my case :(


EDIT, i also have a burnt/melted volume button :(
 
Last edited by a moderator:
A lid that does not fully close, (raised at one end slightly)
I bet you're talking about the standard Pandora case design flaw. Even when fully closed the left corner is a little open. Yeah, everybody has that. So at least you've got company ;)
 
Alex, can you elaborate on the Y button problem? For example,


- Stuck in


- Won't press in


- Off centre


- Squidgey


- Feels ok to press but does nothing


If it's the last one, try pushing it in quite hard, moving it in circles, tapping it lots. There is some white powder stuff that is used in the factory (no idea what it is) that is cleaned out before assembly. Sometimes though, a little residue can remain, preventing good contact under a button. Giving it a good workout can clear the gunk and restore contact. It's happened to a couple of people.
Squidgey is how I'd describe it. You can press it, but it feels almost like there's something in there gunking it up. I suppose it could be that powder, but "working it out" doesn't appear to have made a difference.


Actually, as I was typing this post, it just started working! :lol: At first, you had press it a certain way, but after working it a little more, a normal press will do the job.
 
I guess I need to update the button tester for Craig so that it clearly indicates if all keys were tested or not.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top