Soldering help

leowyatt · 14-03-2007, 21:01

Have just put a new HD and DVDRW drive in the ibook and gone to power it up and nothing

It seems the connector for the power button and speakers has broken a soldered connection. I can see the exact part that needs fixing but don't have any means of soldering anything and the parts bits that need doing are extremely small.

Does anyone have any ideas of the best way to get it sorted other than buy a new board

Anyone think a yellow pages company could do it for me?

Cheers

Leo

Dr. Z · 14-03-2007, 22:09

How small is extremely small? take a photo - it may well be the case that someone could solder it for you in return for a beverage or two

Will · 14-03-2007, 22:47

If you lived closer I'd do it for you in seconds (what's the point in being an almost professionally certfied engineer if I can't be of use

). I know DRZ is an electronic-y type of person so I'm sure he'd be more than able to do it for you - but as he said take a pic so at least we can see. I have some micro irons I can lend if required (though they're seldom required even on tiny circuit boards).

leowyatt · 14-03-2007, 22:49

I've actually just put the bloody thing back together but am searching for a pic on the web

the connections are probably less than a mil wide and around a mil in length. From what I can see one has split

Sorry for the huge images guys!

That is the clearest picture I can get at the minute and it's the socket with the yellow box around it.

If you look at around 11 o'clock from the modem socket you can see it.

In this one the model socket is removed and you can see it better

Will · 14-03-2007, 23:11

So it's one of the pins of that connector that's broken off? That is actually quite a fiddly thing to fix, best way IMO of doing it is to put a new socket on - i.e. remove the socket altogether and solder on a new socket - if that is indeed what is broken.

Or do a ghetto fix, by sticking a new piece of copper of roughly or exactly the same diameter through the circuit board and clipping it to the correct length.

Zirax · 14-03-2007, 23:32

I've had a think and looked at some old gfx cards I have lying around with that connection size (for the fan). I agree with Cliff's

suggestion of taking the connector off the board just by melting the solder. If you take the board out of your laptop it shouldn't be too hard to do.

It looks like just the power on button wire is gone. I would suggest an even more ghetto fix of finding a single core piece of wire and soldering that into the board, then solder the existing power wire onto that. Alternatively be electrically safer and solder in a new socket

leowyatt · 15-03-2007, 08:40

Ideally I'd want a new socket soldered on as if I was to sell the iBook on and the person had work done on it it would all be correct. Any ideas what size and type the socket is likely to be?

DRZ do you think you could repair the current part without having to replace it?

Will · 15-03-2007, 12:20

You can get that sort of connector from RS or CPC. What they are called are PCB mounting headers - obviously you need the correct size etc... I haven't got an RS book to hand but the website is generally good.

leowyatt · 15-03-2007, 14:48

Just updated the photos with a red circle to show the part

Hope it makes better sense now.

Will · 15-03-2007, 15:40

It's still called a pcb mounting header

14-03-2007, 21:01	#1
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	Soldering help Have just put a new HD and DVDRW drive in the ibook and gone to power it up and nothing It seems the connector for the power button and speakers has broken a soldered connection. I can see the exact part that needs fixing but don't have any means of soldering anything and the parts bits that need doing are extremely small. Does anyone have any ideas of the best way to get it sorted other than buy a new board Anyone think a yellow pages company could do it for me? Cheers Leo __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"

14-03-2007, 22:09	#2
Dr. Z I'm going for a scuttle... Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,021	How small is extremely small? take a photo - it may well be the case that someone could solder it for you in return for a beverage or two __________________

14-03-2007, 22:47	#3
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	If you lived closer I'd do it for you in seconds (what's the point in being an almost professionally certfied engineer if I can't be of use ). I know DRZ is an electronic-y type of person so I'm sure he'd be more than able to do it for you - but as he said take a pic so at least we can see. I have some micro irons I can lend if required (though they're seldom required even on tiny circuit boards). __________________ *No No!*

14-03-2007, 22:49	#4
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	I've actually just put the bloody thing back together but am searching for a pic on the web the connections are probably less than a mil wide and around a mil in length. From what I can see one has split Sorry for the huge images guys! That is the clearest picture I can get at the minute and it's the socket with the yellow box around it. If you look at around 11 o'clock from the modem socket you can see it. In this one the model socket is removed and you can see it better __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!" Last edited by leowyatt; 15-03-2007 at 14:48.

14-03-2007, 23:11	#5
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	So it's one of the pins of that connector that's broken off? That is actually quite a fiddly thing to fix, best way IMO of doing it is to put a new socket on - i.e. remove the socket altogether and solder on a new socket - if that is indeed what is broken. Or do a ghetto fix, by sticking a new piece of copper of roughly or exactly the same diameter through the circuit board and clipping it to the correct length. __________________ *No No!*

14-03-2007, 23:32	#6
Zirax Goes up to 11! Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 4,577	I've had a think and looked at some old gfx cards I have lying around with that connection size (for the fan). I agree with Cliff's suggestion of taking the connector off the board just by melting the solder. If you take the board out of your laptop it shouldn't be too hard to do. It looks like just the power on button wire is gone. I would suggest an even more ghetto fix of finding a single core piece of wire and soldering that into the board, then solder the existing power wire onto that. Alternatively be electrically safer and solder in a new socket

15-03-2007, 08:40	#7
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	Ideally I'd want a new socket soldered on as if I was to sell the iBook on and the person had work done on it it would all be correct. Any ideas what size and type the socket is likely to be? DRZ do you think you could repair the current part without having to replace it? __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"

15-03-2007, 12:20	#8
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	You can get that sort of connector from RS or CPC. What they are called are PCB mounting headers - obviously you need the correct size etc... I haven't got an RS book to hand but the website is generally good. __________________ *No No!*

15-03-2007, 14:48	#9
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	Just updated the photos with a red circle to show the part Hope it makes better sense now. __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"

15-03-2007, 15:40	#10
Will BBx woz 'ere :P Join Date: Jan 1970 Posts: 2,147,487,208	It's still called a pcb mounting header __________________ *No No!*