Thinking of Repairing my Pandora


shadow.8

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Joined
Mar 5, 2008
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First off, I hope this is in the right place. Doesn't really feel like a support question but I've been away from these boards too long to be sure.

I recently received Craig's email about upgrading my Pandora to a 1Ghz Pandora (I have the old 256MB one) and I simply can't afford it right now. My Pandora is gathering dust because there are a few things wrong with it.

  • Purple Tint of Death (or whatever it's called, unless I hold the screen a certain way, the whole thing has purple tint). This is the number one reason I haven't used it recently, I can't stand the purple tint.
  • One of the back screws is stripped. Long story short, I took it apart to see if I could make the shoulder buttons more responsive and screwed it back on too tight. Now I can't get the screw out. If you flip over the Pandora, it's the bottom left screw, which I understand doesn't fully come out anyway.
  • One of the SD card slots works sporadically. I can (usually) use the slot if I have something in it when it boots. Sometimes it simply won't work and will only work after a few reboots. IIRC it's the right SD card slot, near the stripped screw. 
  • There are a couple of small cracks at the top of the lid, probably due to stress. I don't remember how these happened but I would like a stronger case.
  • Sometimes it won't boot at all but taking the battery in and out will, eventually, make it work. I'm willing to bet the stripped screw has warped the case just enough that the battery doesn't contact the pins just right. 
I'm convinced I can't repair the SD card slot without a new board so I'm not even going to look into that. I did notice that ED is selling spare cases and LCD cables so I was considering buying those and replacing them myself. I feel fairly confident I can do it but had a couple of questions.

  1. Any ideas on how to remove the old case? The screw is very stripped and I can't think of a good way to get it off. The hole is too small to cut the screw head off. I could break the whole case but I'm worried I would ruin the board or the LCD in the process. 
  2. I truly do not want a silver Pandora case but I've heard they are stronger than the black cases. Is this true? Has anyone tried painting the silver cases black? Would it be worth buying a black, scratched case from ED's shop?
  3. Does Link's store (http://ithic.com) ever carry spare parts? I didn't see anything on his website but maybe they are just out of stock?
  4. Is there someone/somewhere in the US I can send it to for repair? It is way out of the year warranty (I got it May 2011) but would be willing to pay somebody trustworthy to repair it, if the price is right. Or maybe ED will do a repair? That might be a better option.
  5. If I repair it myself, are there videos I can refer to? Anyone tried this before?
 
well on the screw being striped only safe thing i can think of atm is maybe try and superglue the end of a paperclip into the striped screw and back it out slowly.

i do know link does do repairs in the us but not sure on what he can do or what parts he sells but he is very trustworthy and bends over backwards for us customers here in the usa. and if he doesn't respond here drop him email on his site sure he will get back to you asap

as for the case i have a black rebirth case and never had any cracks or probelms with it. not sure where you could pick one up i wouldn't want a silver case myself. well good luck too you and hope get it working again
 
Ah, I didn't know that... I might have to shoot him and email or PM. Thanks for the info. Any idea where he's located?

I might try that idea with the screw... I mostly got frustrated with it and put it down for a few months. 
 
Currently he's living in Bridport, Vermont.. Practically a neighbor to me, I still need to meet him in person. 
 
He's a pretty cool guy , can be trusted ... Contact the man .
 
I feel bad for you and your pandora.  Actually it's not too bad repairing yourself.  You can watch ED's video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l8GfjAsbmK8?feature=oembed to see how he took the whole thing apart and put it back together.  Yes, the platinum case is stronger than black.  But if you don't like all platinum and fear that all black case will crack again, then I suggest you buy the platinum and black parts and mix them up like this.  The platinum case is more crack-resistant than the black case so it is better to use the platinum parts where it can get scratched easily like the top, etc.  You can buy all the parts from ED's shop at DragonBox Shop.
 
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I feel bad for you and your pandora.  Actually it's not too bad repairing yourself.  You can watch ED's video

https://www.youtube.com/embed/l8GfjAsbmK8?feature=oembed
Thanks. I've resolved to contact Link and see what he might charge for something like this. As much as I would enjoy repairing my Pandora, I simply don't have the time or the energy. 

Thanks for the links, especially of your Pandora. I like the look and I just might give it a shot. I would rather have a plain black case but this is an interesting alternative. :)
 
Oh stripped screws are so much fun. 

The only parts I keep on hand are for repairs, RMA, & refurb.  If anyone wants to buy spare parts, order from Dragonbox.de 

@Trashy, we do need to meet soon. 
 
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