My screen has developed a fault - purple colours

[aholmes]

Hi everyone


I'm new to the Pandora scene for only 2 weeks or so. Really love playing PS1 games at near full speed and Mario 64 as well as others. Thats the reason why I bought it. However, my lcd screen has developed a fault where the colours have darkened to a purple tint. This happens when I flip the Pandora screen all the way up but when the screen is half way down the colours comes back to normal. My Pandora is the first batch if that helps.


Could I get this repaired at all and where could I send it to? Do I have to get a RMA number first?


I'm from the UK.


A Holmes

 

[craigix]

You say you have only had the unit for 2 weeks, where did you get it from? As the fault you mention, while easily fixed (for good) would suggest a unit about 5-6 months old at the newest.

 

[mcobit]

He said its a first batch unit, so I bet its from Ebay.

 

[aholmes]

yes, i bought it from ebay a couple of weeks ago. The previous guy owned it for two years so i guess he received it sometime in 2010.


Can i still get this repaired and how much would it cost me? Or do i order a new case and lcd and just pop my old pcb in, but i dont fancy the silver case.


I've been looking around on this forum and it appears its a common issue with these first batches of Pandora


pleaseeeeeeeeeee help anyone

 

[Nintendo]

The dreaded PToD.

 

[Binky]

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l8GfjAsbmK8?feature=oembed
If you are confident with tech, buy some spare new cables (most people break one when fitting the hinge) and replace it yourself.


You could also send your Pandora in to repairs (which you might have to pay for)


Don't buy a new case or lcd unless either is broken - the 'purple tint of death' is caused by the (old, poorly designed lcd cables) failing

 

[relliker]

If you're up to changing the lcd cable yourself, just buy the cable and follow the instructions in Evildragon's

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l8GfjAsbmK8?feature=oembed

- ninja'd by Binky

 

[aholmes]

i've seen the video but i dont feel too confident in doing it. I would rather leave it to the pros.


where is edd. can i send it to him instead

 

[Binky]

where is edd

OpenPandora GmbH


CEO: Michael Mrozek


Schaeffbraeustr. 11


85049 Ingolstadt


Germany


I think there may be some official procedure for shipping repairs - email/PM him before shipping it

 

[huniper]

i've seen the video but i dont feel too confident in doing it. I would rather leave it to the pros.


where is edd. can i send it to him instead

But then you'll never know the joy of taking something apart, fixing it, putting it back together and having it work!


It really is a nice feeling. :rolleyes:

 

[slaeshjag]

Yeah, but most of us don't like the feeling of making something worse


I still remember the feeling after dropping my Pandora's PCB on the floor. I got away cheaply with only a broken powerswitch

 

[huniper]

Yeah, but most of us don't like the feeling of making something worse


I still remember the feeling after dropping my Pandora's PCB on the floor. I got away cheaply with only a broken powerswitch

That is a scary situation. I could see why you wouldn't want to chance your $500 Pandora. However you can learn to fix much cheaper things. If any of your friends/family have something broken that they were not going to use any more or throw away. Example: a Wii that won't read discs, a smartphone with a broken LCD, or a RROD 360. Try and fix them on your own, you won't be so worried about breaking things, and once you get rid of that worry the whole process becomes much easier


All you need is a little patience, a clean working area, good instruction following skills, and the most basic hand tools. Look up the disassembly videos for whatever device on youtube and go to town! Once you practice on a couple cheapo devices you'll realize how easy many things are to fix! Just don't let your friends know that you can fix stuff or they will be constantly bugging you to fix their things

 

[slaeshjag]

Yeah, I reflowed solder on my cellphone several times, changed LCD on it etc.. But the pandora is a completely different beast. I tried to open up the LCD-part, but it really felt like I was going to crack the LCD. The pandora is way too difficult to work with for me to be comfortable messing with it.

 

[huniper]

That's the trickiest part of the whole deal, It is possible to crack the LCD if you don't pry in the correct place. I wouldn't have been able to do it without ED's video, he does a good job of explaining that part.


I actually find the Pandora much easier to take completely apart than an iPhone, droid, or most regular flip phones. I worked as a repair tech at a sprint store for many years and replacing LCD cables in many feature phones was damn near impossible so they would actually ship us whole brand new flip assembly with everything installed.

 

[chame]

hi,


i had same problem one year ago, fisrt batch pandora. I bought from evil dragon one of the "new" cables and made the repair by myself. everything worked like a charm


but...


after one year I have the exact same problem. I am sure there is something wrong with the new cables also. now I have the purple screen again, so I wonder what should I do, to buy one cable every year?


I need an advice about this

 

[EvilDragon]

I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with the new cables, as I even had a third party company in Germany checked them and they could confirm me they will work fine.


However, it could be you damaged the cable while assembling it (still happens sometimes when I do it).


Maybe it got slightly crushed - and as the cable is very robust, it took a while before it broke.


What's weird though is that I've never seen a purple tint with the new cables... when they break, it looks different.

 

[chame]

ok, I know its difficult to believe me. but im pretty sure I didnt damaged the cable, and it worked for 1 year without problems. at least consider the posibility that the problem may still remain in the new design


anyway I wrote an email to you yesterday asking, please could give me price (incl shipping) to a new (again) cable. last time it was 15 eur total


thanks

 

[craigix]

hi,


i had same problem one year ago, fisrt batch pandora. I bought from evil dragon one of the "new" cables and made the repair by myself. everything worked like a charm


but...


after one year I have the exact same problem. I am sure there is something wrong with the new cables also. now I have the purple screen again, so I wonder what should I do, to buy one cable every year?


I need an advice about this

Did we have the new cables a year ago? It sounds like you may have actually bought one of the old ones.


The new ones look and feel quite different.


The old ones also sometimes won't fail at all, for example my original Pandora has one and still works fine.

 

[chame]

the cable was different than the old one. anyway I thought I was buying the new cable, as I remarked in my email:


Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 17:58:49 +0200


Delivered-To: sebxxxxxx@gmail.com


Message-ID: <BANLkTik8Xhq=Zebj0OsdYHQXLdGAgsvArQ@mail.gmail.com>


Subject: LCD CABLE dying


Hello EvilDragon,


My LCD cable is broken already showing the purple screen or just black screen.


My warranty is void due to my HD-hacking, so I want to ask if its possible to get (paying for it) the LCD cable (the new design/factory) and receive it by mail.


Yours,


Sebxxxx xxxxxx


Am Fri, 27 May 2011 17:58:49 +0200 hat Sebxxx xxxx


<xxxxxxx geschrieben:


Hi,


of course you can get one.


Have you seen the video of how to replace the cable?


I just made one last week, that might be of help.


If you don't want to do it, I could also replace it for you (no worries


about the warranty).


Anyway, cable + shipping costs would be about 15 EUR, all I need would


be your address.

 

[EvilDragon]

hi,


i had same problem one year ago, fisrt batch pandora. I bought from evil dragon one of the "new" cables and made the repair by myself. everything worked like a charm


but...


after one year I have the exact same problem. I am sure there is something wrong with the new cables also. now I have the purple screen again, so I wonder what should I do, to buy one cable every year?


I need an advice about this

Did we have the new cables a year ago? It sounds like you may have actually bought one of the old ones.

Yes... we got the first samples in April 2011.


So he got one of the first samples probably.