Acquired broken tablet to fix - Capacitive 7" A13 Android 4.0 tablet - help?

[ABZ]

sixth image - again, I originally believed this to be the recessed volume controls, but now I suspect that, like the power button, this is where the missing volume control button had broken off when this unit took its plunge.

What's your opinion about all of what I've said about these images?

Did I use the correct tool/pry blade to open the shell, should I have used a different tool?

EDIT - and from the foreign characters that were written on the li-ion battery label of this unit, I suspect that these units were made in China (cheap, so that's maybe why buttons broke off).

But because I'm thinking of buying more of these units on ebay to fix, I don't care if they're made in china, as I'm only going to set these up as video players after loading a movie on them after wiping all other apps off (but this is a story for another place, another time).

 

[FoxKat]

I think you've got a pretty good handle on it from what I've read. Only thing I would recommend is to leave the metal spudger (pry tool) in your tool box for when you need to pry apart heavier casings, and especially non-electronic ones. Plastic spudgers (see link below), are highly recommended for opening of electronic devices. It may have even saved one or more of the casing clips, but that's just a possibility. Those clips look as though they weren't designed to be re-opened easily, hence the more likely reason they broke off.

http://qurl.org/jj1

 

[ABZ]

I think you've got a pretty good handle on it from what I've read. Only thing I would recommend is to leave the metal spudger (pry tool) in your tool box for when you need to pry apart heavier casings, and especially non-electronic ones. Plastic spudgers (see link below), are highly recommended for opening of electronic devices. It may have even saved one or more of the casing clips, but that's just a possibility. Those clips look as though they weren't designed to be re-opened easily, hence the more likely reason they broke off.

OWC NWTTOOLR2SP 2 Piece Pry Tool Kit aka in stock at OWC

View attachment 64709

Well, with my ipod tool kit, included were 1 - 2 guitar picks and a plastic spudger.

EDIT - just checked my archived ebay page, in my tool kit were/are 2 guitar picks, one smaller, the other larger, and precision screwdrivers (plus spudger, metal pry tool).

EDIT 2 - but what's the difference whether I use the metal pry tool vs the plastic spudger/guitar picks to open the plastic case?

 

[FoxKat]

EDIT 2 - but what's the difference whether I use the metal pry tool vs the plastic spudger/guitar picks to open the plastic case?

Well, considering that metal is far less forgiving than plastic, there's the possibility that instead of breaking the tabs off, it might have bent and given enough play to allow the clips time to bend and release rather than snapping off.

Still more importantly, a slip with a plastic spudger isn't going to short out board contacts (although it may do damage by breaking components off none the less), however a slip with a metal spudger is very much likely to short out contacts, and for certain will break off board components far sooner than a plastic one will.

 

[ABZ]

What's your opinion on all these images/captions that I've uploaded about the first android unit?

 

[FoxKat]

Like I said, it seems like you have a pretty good view on it. I must admit it's not as easy to put it together in my mind from pics as it would be if I had disassembled it myself. Still, I'm sure you've got it under control.

 

[ABZ]

What's your opinion of what I said about how I'm thinking of cutting/splicing and soldering together the red & black wires/display cable ends to join them after I swap the mobo from the 2nd unit to the display of the first unit?

I've a 60 watt soldering iron in my tech toolbox.

 

[ABZ]

Now I'm thinking of somehow replacing the original video display cable (rigid, straight wire running alongside the display unit inside the plastic casing) with some kind of flexible display cable that can be soldered onto the ends of the original remaining ends of the original display cable when I swap the mobo from the second unit onto the display unit of the first unit - can anyone give me any suggestions of what type of such cabling I'll have to buy (and where/price)?

 

[ABZ]

edit - tried to use the delete button to delete post, it didn't work. so i highlighted entire message, and hit delete button - poof, post gone.

@FoxKat, I left a PM for you.

thanks.

 

[ABZ]

Ok, now I'm ready to swap mobo's and display screen from one tablet to the other one (the mobo from the 2nd tablet onto the display unit of the 1st tablet), so here are the tools/materials I have to work with:



The pliers are to cut the black & red wires,

the heat shrink tubing is to shield the wires (after they're soldered) from touching and causing a short,

heat gun I got to shrink the shrink tubing

before I do anything, I have questions:

and I have 2 kinds of solder - the coil and the tube, which should I use to solder the wires?

and the bare rigid display cable (running alongside the display unit), should I cut it with these pliers?

At what area/place should I cut wires/display cable to ensure easy overlap placement/soldering before the mobo has been removed and swapped?

How to I apply the solder?

which type of solder should I use, the coil or the tube?

how much solder should I use to join the ends of the wires and the display cable?

do I have to put a support under the wires and the display cable while applying solder so the wires/display cable won't get bond to the back (silver part) of the display unit?

how/what type of supports am I supposed to use for the wires?

how to I insert a support under the display cable?

what setting do I put the heat gun on to shrink the shrink tubing (temperature)?

how am I supposed (haven't a clue/never used a heat gun before) to use this heat gun to shrink the tubing without exposing myself/any loose paper, etc laying around to harm from the heat?

how long am I supposed to blow the heat gun on this shrink tubing so it'll be properly shrink?

how do I test the tablet after I've soldered everything to ensure I've soldered correctly before applying the shrink tubing?

am I supposed to apply shrink tubing on the display cable after it's soldered (once the swap is completed)?

this is all very new to me, hence all these questions.

I think I've asked all the questions I have to know, this is all I can think of at the moment.

 

[ABZ]

Oh, I forgot a question:

what size shrink tubing am I supposed to use on these red/black wires and possibly the display cable?

I got the solder, and the shrink tubing from the local Radio Shack.

EDIT - I'm going to forgo the flexible display cabling, going to stick with the tablet's original display cables during the mobo swap.

also after I've repaired this particular tablet brand, I'm no longer going to buy this brand from ebay, I'm thinking of now getting broken Nook Color's to work on instead, and today I bought what I thought was a bargain (3 non-working nook color LCD screens @ $5.99 ea, listed on ebay for parts/repair, thus I believe that I'll be able to repair these screens and get them working some time down the road in future) - may I please have your opinions on this purchase?

 

[bweN diorD]

Ok, now I'm ready to swap mobo's and display screen from one tablet to the other one (the mobo from the 2nd tablet onto the display unit of the 1st tablet), so here are the tools/materials I have to work with:



The pliers are to cut the black & red wires,

the heat shrink tubing is to shield the wires (after they're soldered) from touching and causing a short,

heat gun I got to shrink the shrink tubing

before I do anything, I have questions:

and I have 2 kinds of solder - the coil and the tube, which should I use to solder the wires?
you need flux core or some flux, otherwise the solder wont stick to the wires

and the bare rigid display cable (running alongside the display unit), should I cut it with these pliers?
dont know

At what area/place should I cut it to ensure easy placement/soldering once the mobo has been swapped?
dont know

How to I apply the solder?
i always heat the gun then apply the solder to the tip

which type of solder should I use, the coil or the tube?
already answered

how much solder should I use to join the ends of the wires and the display cable?
as little as possible to firmly join the wires, you dont want a big glob or ball hanging off. wont hurt anything its just too much.
also, just touch the solder on the tip of the gun to the wires for a few seconds at most, it should draw right into the wire almost as soon as you touch it

do I have to put a support under the wires and the display cable while applying solder so the wires/display cable won't get bond to the back (silver part) of the display unit?
i would try and find a small piece of dense plastic to put under the wires, to protect the display

how/what type of supports am I supposed to use for the wires?
^^^

how to I insert a support under the display cable?
not sure without seeing the situation

what setting do I put the heat gun on to shrink the shrink tubing (temperature)?
that heat gun is way too big for what you are doing. i would be scared of heat damage to the components.
if there is room, i would just try to get the smallest shrink possible and not shrink it. use a small piece of tape to hold it over the joint.
if you must shrink it, i would get one of those crack lighters (i dont know what there called really), this way you have a small concentrated heat source that you can easily direct onto the shrink.

how am I supposed (haven't a clue/never used a heat gun before) to use this heat gun to shrink the tubing?
answered

how long am I supposed to blow the heat gun on this shrink tubing so it'll be properly shrink?
you should see the tube shrinking, do it just long enough that the tube is small enough so it wont easily slide on the wires any more.
also, after soldering, before sliding the tube over the joint, try to wipe any excess flux off the wires otherwise the tube may slide around easily after shrunk.

how do I test the tablet after I've soldered everything to ensure I've soldered correctly before applying the shrink tubing?
not sure, but as long as the wires are connected firmly any issue you have wont be from the joint.

am I supposed to apply shrink tubing on the display cable after it's soldered (once the swap is completed)?
i cant say without seeing it. if it is an insulated cable then yes.
if its not insulated then no, although some cables may appear to be bare but actually are not. some wires are coated with an insulating coating, i would almost have to see it in person to determine if thats the case. if your cable has this coating, that causes another problem. the coating will need to be burned off first or the connection will never be good. again something i would need to see, but i usually use a lighter to burn it off, assuming you can do it without damaging any components.
hopefully you dont have that type of wire and none of that will apply to you.

this is all very new to me, hence all these questions.

I think I've asked all the questions I have to know, this is all I can think of at the moment.

i think that covers most of it

 

[ABZ]

seeking clarification -

and I have 2 kinds of solder - the coil and the tube, which should I use to solder the wires?

you need flux core or some flux, otherwise the solder wont stick to the wires

I did a search of radio shack's website, found this

search of flux core gave me this

and I found some flux pens, now I'm more confused, look

various kinds of flux pens, etc

so which flux should I buy?

and as for the electrical tape, i found this

various kinds of electrical tape

in my (indirect) experience with electrical tape, I'd often see my dad's electrical wiring projects sitting on his workbench in our basement (before we moved 23 years ago) when I was younger, dad used the black electrical tape to wrap it around the exposed metal ends of the wiring that he'd join together, and eventually the tape'd (at least when I handled one of dad's projects in order to move it to clear space on the workbench so I could try to do something or other in my childhood play time) come loose in my hands and it would sort of fall off of where it was supposed to be wrapped around, this is what I have against using black electrical tape (this is the kind dad used) b/c i'm thinking that once it's wrapped around the metal ends of the wiring, after the wiring heats up a few times from use (i don't think dad used shrink tubing, this black tape was applied directly on top of the metal wiring) the adhesive on the tape dries out, the tape gets loose and falls off - am i correct in assuming this?

in the event that my assumption about this black electrical tape is incorrect, could you guys please correct me regarding this?

however, about 10 - 20 years ago i think i remember seeing a few of my brother in law's electrical wiring projects in either his basement or garage, and I think he used this kind of electrical tape

the better tape brother in law used

which holds a lot better than the kind of tape dad used so I believe this tape would be the better buy since I think its adhesive is very heat resistant - again, am I correct in assuming this?


actually, I've no problems with using electrical tape for my tablet repair projects - i just don't want it to come loose from the wiring like dad's did, especially after I use it to tape the heat shrink tubing in place.

 

[bweN diorD]

seeking clarification -

and I have 2 kinds of solder - the coil and the tube, which should I use to solder the wires?
i have always used coils, honestly i dont know whats in that tube but it doesnt matter


I did a search of radio shack's website, found this

search of flux core gave me this

and I found some flux pens, now I'm more confused, look

various kinds of flux pens, etc

so which flux should I buy?
i use something comparable to this http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049774
its waaay more than you need, so if you see something similar in a smaller container get that.
applying the flux: just put a very small amount on the ends of the wires you are joining before you join them with the solder

and as for the electrical tape, i found this

various kinds of electrical tape

in my (indirect) experience with electrical tape, I'd often see my dad's electrical wiring projects sitting on his workbench in our basement (before we moved 23 years ago) when I was younger, dad used the black electrical tape to wrap it around the exposed metal ends of the wiring that he'd join together, and eventually the tape'd (at least when I handled one of dad's projects in order to move it to clear space on the workbench so I could try to do something or other in my childhood play time) come loose in my hands and it would sort of fall off of where it was supposed to be wrapped around, this is what I have against using black electrical tape (this is the kind dad used) b/c i'm thinking that once it's wrapped around the metal ends of the wiring, after the wiring heats up a few times from use (i don't think dad used shrink tubing, this black tape was applied directly on top of the metal wiring) the adhesive on the tape dries out, the tape gets loose and falls off - am i correct in assuming this?

in the event that my assumption about this black electrical tape is incorrect, could you guys please correct me regarding this?

however, about 10 - 20 years ago i think i remember seeing a few of my brother in law's electrical wiring projects in either his basement or garage, and I think he used this kind of electrical tape

the better tape brother in law used

which holds a lot better than the kind of tape dad used so I believe this tape would be the better buy since I think its adhesive is very heat resistant - again, am I correct in assuming this?


actually, I've no problems with using electrical tape for my tablet repair projects - i just don't want it to come loose from the wiring like dad's did.
ok, how about we forgo the tape for some crazy glue gel? http://www.krazyglue.com/products/product.aspx?pc=KG484
after you solder the wires, put some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel or small cloth then gently wipe the wires off with it. this will remove any excess flux which will keep the glue from bonding. next just slide the tube over the joint and use a small amount of glue at each end to hold it in place. wait a good 6-12 hours for it to dry and your done.

that should cover it.

 

[ABZ]

actually, I've no problems with using electrical tape for my tablet repair projects - i just don't want it to come loose from the wiring like dad's did.

ok, how about we forgo the tape for some crazy glue gel? Krazy Glue | Product Details
after you solder the wires, put some rubbing alcohol on a paper towel or small cloth then gently wipe the wires off with it. this will remove any excess flux which will keep the glue from bonding. next just slide the tube over the joint and use a small amount of glue at each end to hold it in place. wait a good 6-12 hours for it to dry and your done.

What if I used this crazy glue gel on that electrical tape (I bought the better tape, a 5 - piece/color roll that brother in law used) and then applied the tape onto the shrink tubing to seal it onto the soldered wires?

EDIT - look

will this fulfill my needs?