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If anyone out there manages to drop, break, crack or otherwise completely screw up their tablet, please get in touch with me. I don't want one that's "bricked" by software, I want a physically DEAD unit.
I would like to do a complete teardown of the hardware, and at this point can't afford to just buy another table to tear apart. (And who would want to do that to a perfectly good, running unit?) Isuppli has a teardown for the Galaxy Tab, but I don't think it's remotely close to our hardware since it's based on Snapdragon and not Tegra.
I want one that is beyond repair for the greater good of accessories. We are making a lot of speculations about what the hardware can and can't do. I have a feeling that there are ways to accomplish some of the things we would like to see.
bnovak said:
If anyone out there manages to drop, break, crack or otherwise completely screw up their tablet, please get in touch with me. I don't want one that's "bricked" by software, I want a physically DEAD unit.
I would like to do a complete teardown of the hardware, and at this point can't afford to just buy another table to tear apart. (And who would want to do that to a perfectly good, running unit?) Isuppli has a teardown for the Galaxy Tab, but I don't think it's remotely close to our hardware since it's based on Snapdragon and not Tegra.
I want one that is beyond repair for the greater good of accessories. We are making a lot of speculations about what the hardware can and can't do. I have a feeling that there are ways to accomplish some of the things we would like to see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here is one that's already been done:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=842354&highlight=breakdown+pictures
That's not exactly a "teardown" writeup. More of a "I took the back off and this is what I saw"
highlights that are missing.....
There is no trace routing.
There is no detail on the ancillary chips on the board.
There is no BOM, let alone any part numbers (other than the LCD)
The OP says "there's nothing interesting on the backside of the board" - Yeah, except there's at least 8 chunks of silicon on there, not including the 3 pin linear regulator.
There is space on the backside of the board for more memory, but the OP didn't even put the part numbers of the memory from the front side.
The only technical detail in that thread is what the LCD panel # is.
Sorry, I'm not trying to flame the person who did the original post, but teardowns need to be detailed and accurate or they aren't worth doing.
here's a good example of the documentation of a decent teardown
Any luck
may be a little to soon to ask but have you had any luck yet? id like to get my hands on just the shell of one so i can make a negative mold> dont want to risk ruining my tablet. this thing is goung to look sweet in my dash.
Subscribed.
I would love to see a teardown of the gTablet. I might also be interested in said broken tablet once the teardown is finished.
I broke my tablet this weekend trying to put a heat sink on the processor. Now it won't turn on. I haven't given up on it yet, I just haven't had time to debug it further. If I can't get it working again, i was hoping to get together with someone who dropped it and broke their screen. Otherwise the large battery could always be useful for other projects.
But, it also means I have taken mine apart and will do so again. I can take some high res (18MP) pictures of everything if you want. I took some while I was doing the heat sink, but I was only concerned about keeping that in focus.
Out of curiosity why were you trying to put a heat sink the processor?
skotter said:
Out of curiosity why were you trying to put a heat sink the processor?
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lol i was wondering the same thing...dont fix it if it aint broke right?
So, I've been spending the better part of an hour scouring over the Anandtech teardown gallery of the prime trying to get a decent understanding of the GPS/WiFi antennas and the underlying design flaws which contribute to these features messing up; namely the giant metal shield of a cover and the placement of the antennas. They're not exactly in a bad place, but I guess Asus assumed that if you were using WiFi/GPS with your tablet then you would always do so with the screen facing the AP/satellites. In reality, mine at least, it's the back of the device generally pointing to these things. Maybe I place my network hubs in strange places and enjoy astronomy apps too much?
Now on to the actual question, especially to any of you who have gotten the device and been brave enough to peek inside it yourself; would creating my own plastic windows/metal grates within the aluminum backing actually help anything? Do these antennas broadcast a 360 degree signal or are they directional? The motherboard itself would allow decent signal to get to the transmitter wouldn't it, so long as the case does?
My order isn't set to ship for another month, but I think I'll be getting this tablet regardless of the known issues, though the audio/video problems with the miniHDMI port make me a bit nervous. This thing will still be a power-house even as better spec'd tablets come out, just like my single-core Desire Z is still pretty relevant and decent. Just not top-of-the-line, and it wasn't for any real amount of time, but that's just how these things go.
Ideally, the antenna would couple to the whole backplate, making a big slot antenna (but then it starts to risk being too directional). It's just as probably that the issue is noise or feeble pogo-pin connectors.
If you do make a cut-out, it needs to be about 1 wavelength larger than the outline of the antenna (and you risk de-tuning the antenna if it was designed to operate in close proximity to a groundplane)
tshoulihane said:
Ideally, the antenna would couple to the whole backplate, making a big slot antenna (but then it starts to risk being too directional). It's just as probably that the issue is noise or feeble pogo-pin connectors.
If you do make a cut-out, it needs to be about 1 wavelength larger than the outline of the antenna (and you risk de-tuning the antenna if it was designed to operate in close proximity to a groundplane)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Coupling to the backplate, though increasing power decreases accuracy doesn't it?
I hadn't thought of the pogo-pins as a possible culprit, that's certainly possible.
Couldn't I make a couple windows and retro-fit either some plastic or plexi-glass into the design? Would that help keep from de-tuning, especially if kept to a small size with accurate positioning?
Thank you for the response, I know nothing of the finer details on GPS and other wireless signals.
*Edit: After re-reading and thinking, I actually understand what you're saying. Plastic or no, any cutout would need to be a very specific size larger than the antenna itself which would take more than I would be able to do I'm sure. Oh well, I know I'll still love this thing, so long as the miniHDMI works properly, I'll be happy. Phone's GPS works like a dream.
And now I apologize. I found it odd not finding topics on this, but now I've found them and have a bit more of an understanding on the matter. Namely that the cpu seems to have a strong possibility of creating interference for the chip. The casing apparently just worsens the issue.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
buxtahuda said:
And now I apologize. I found it odd not finding topics on this, but now I've found them and have a bit more of an understanding on the matter. Namely that the cpu seems to have a strong possibility of creating interference for the chip. The casing apparently just worsens the issue.
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
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How sure are we about this? I've read that Apple puts their WiFi antenna behind the black plastic logo on their WiFi-only models for exactly this reason. Not only that, but on the 3g models they simply have all the wireless modules placed on top of the device where they are covered with black plastic as well.
It seems to me that a stupid plastic apple cutout - a complex geometric shape - is not likely capable of being as "tuned" as a rectangular cutout. Yet, I think it's safe to say that the 3G and WiFi versions of the iPad have similar if not identical WiFi performance. That is to say, I don't think manufactures are using the aluminum back for anything other than looking pretty. I think it's safe to hack away at.
Thoughts?
JazzMac251 said:
I don't think manufactures are using the aluminum back for anything other than looking pretty.
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Maybe for some heat dispersion too?
I wish they would start selling the back plate only (like they do with ipods etc)
That way i'm sure someone could cutout a shape and try the antenna behind a plastic window etc, but youd always have the option to put the original back.
I wouldnt mind modding mine after the garantee has ran out.
I think Asus might consider making an after-market backplate that they would fit to your Prime after they have fully tested the issues.
Docaroo said:
I think Asus might consider making an after-market backplate that they would fit to your Prime after they have fully tested the issues.
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I've been thinking that even if Asus didn't some third party will. And I'm willing to get to cutting the day it arrives if I can determine it'll help. However, I don't want just an open grate for dust and junk to get into. Maybe just a thin fabric filter, or should I close it up with some plastic/plexiglass and epoxy?
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
buxtahuda said:
I've been thinking that even if Asus didn't some third party will. And I'm willing to get to cutting the day it arrives if I can determine it'll help. However, I don't want just an open grate for dust and junk to get into. Maybe just a thin fabric filter, or should I close it up with some plastic/plexiglass and epoxy?
Sent from my HTC Vision using xda premium
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Click to collapse
I don't see why plastic wouldn't work. It's what the iPad has and it seems to work out in that case.
You should consider cross-posting this in the "General" forum. It is a "question", but the General forum gets a LOT more eyeballs.
JazzMac251 said:
I don't see why plastic wouldn't work. It's what the iPad has and it seems to work out in that case.
You should consider cross-posting this in the "General" forum. It is a "question", but the General forum gets a LOT more eyeballs.
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Click to collapse
i agree, this post should be on general... this would be a great solution, a homemade plastic ipad-like hole... we need it, and if third party doesnt do this, we will have to do it...
well, but anyone tested the device without the case to see the real power of the wifi-gps-bt ?
Yakandu said:
i agree, this post should be on general... this would be a great solution, a homemade plastic ipad-like hole... we need it, and if third party doesnt do this, we will have to do it...
well, but anyone tested the device without the case to see the real power of the wifi-gps-bt ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will be, but it's still a good two-four weeks before I have mine. All mentions of it I've seen in general never get answered, I haven't seen anyone comment on whether or not they've tried without the backing. Probably because most aren't willing to try and heat up the glue to do so or damage the thing in the process...
Some expertise required
Does the aluminium back plate attenuate both wifi and gps signals? From what I have read it seems to be confirmed that this is the situation, although other factors such as internal interference have NOT been discounted, nor has the connection method (gold pogo pin) between motherboard and the antennae (blackened out pcb strip). I have noted on the TF101 Transformer teardown, a very similar placement of both WIFI and GPS antennae to that on the TF201 Transformer Prime - near the top edge and adjacent each other. Looking at similarities between models, an obvious and perhaps too simple explination would be the aluminium back plate. There does seem to be some interest in experimenting with making some holes (similar to the speaker grill), on the back plate in front of the antennae in the hope that it MAY improve reception. I have read numerous posts and was hoping that someone may have tried this. I don't want to hear about the merits of having or not having a GPS and how it matters to them personaly etc - lets focus people, but whether someone has had the ability and knowledge to try it. I am unsure given the wavelength of both GPS and WIFI (1.2 / 1.5 Ghz) whether mutliple small holes would do it. I feel that a transparent plastic window may be required. I do not believe the back plate is used a coupled ground plate etc. and it is used purely as the chasis. Come on - there has to be some smart engineering graduates/professionals who are willing to give this a go...it would have been nice if they were paid by ASUS but that seems unlikely. Point to note - that the GPS and WIFI antennas (there are two for the WIFI on the TF201) would be obtaining some reception through the front gorilla glass and plastic (on which the antennae are mounted). My question is - what and IF modifications are necessary to the back plate to obtain better reception. Any ideas?
I have not seen a single test where anyone proved it was the back plate. Anyone have a link to a test that shows the prime navigating successfully without the back plate?
Hello,
So, I received my Prime on 2/8/12 and I absolutely adore it. However, I have noticed that on the right side of my screen near the bottom, the very edges seem to be able to be depressed just slightly. The best word I can come up with is Spongy. If I press quickly I can hear where the case and the screen come together and click softly. There is no Creaking or anything.
Is this a known defect or is it just a soft spot on the case and there is nothing to worry about? So far I have not received a straight answer on it. It certainly doesn't effect anything. I have decent wifi connectivity in an old Cement Style Apartment and the screen is perfect. I walked in knowing the GPS wasn't going to work and had very little worry or interest in GPS in a tablet.
Thanks for your help!
Miles
I know exactly what you're saying...but I'm almost 100% sure that there's no issue here. It just happens to be a place where there's no clip to fully secure it and it doesn't come together exactly in that location, but it's not going to cause an issue.
That is what I was assuming as well. I wanted to make sure. I am so happy with this tablet thus far, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't looking at a defect. Takes a huge load off my mind and my wife's as well. For as much as we paid for it I would hate to see something small be the cause of some major flaw.
Thank you so much!
Hmm, It seems I have a Spongy spot on all sides of my tablet. Right side on the bottom (near where you would hold it in Landscape), On the top near the camera (I can actually feel alot of give here and hear the case clack against it when I even just hold it in Portrait mode), Just below the volume rocker and another beside the Power adapter area.
Sadly I am starting to think this isn't exactly normal. Am I the only one thinking it might be time to head back to office depot?
MilesAeon said:
Hmm, It seems I have a Spongy spot on all sides of my tablet. Right side on the bottom (near where you would hold it in Landscape), On the top near the camera (I can actually feel alot of give here and hear the case clack against it when I even just hold it in Portrait mode), Just below the volume rocker and another beside the Power adapter area.
Sadly I am starting to think this isn't exactly normal. Am I the only one thinking it might be time to head back to office depot?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
After reading this, I checked the spot by the camera, and I have that too. You really shouldn't worry about it though...they're WAY within tolerances for devices of this kind...I mean, it moves like what, 0.001mm?
My first one was the same way as it the one I just got as a replacement (I sent the first one in for an unrelated problem). I wouldn't worry too much about it.
So everyone says not to worry. I am really glad to hear that More people are having this problem than just myself. Yes it is a very slight movement, however, I was worried about it hindering the screen. I called office depot today and they said they would refund me if I wished. I think I will probably call off the refund. It is an amazing tablet and I love it to death. Hopefully nothing worse comes of it as time goes on.
I have a lot of thinking to do I suppose. I kind of feel like if I take the refund I am going to have to take a step backwards, due to the loss of the quad core. Though, between my wifes Dual core and my quad core I see very little difference between the two.
So it happened this morning when my alarm went off and it vibrated. I heard a plastic part vibrating also. The sharp loud noise was disgusting. I shut off my alarm thikning it was my cheap SGP case.
Later today I played around trying to find out if the silicone had a hole or something where the plastic frame was touching the SGS2 phone itself. Nope. I took the whole case off. Each time it vibrates it sounds like... ahh what the hell. I will film it for you guys now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GoIrBmMC1U
WTF is that? I took the cover off. I took the SIM card out on another occasion too. It sounds like something on the upper left. If I push my finger down on the panel, it stops. If you notice the few seconds it is sitting on the table flat, it's fine. Just a little weight seems to calm it down. Not sure if its the vibrating motor itself because it is vibrating properly. Sounds like something is loose inside though...
Anyone experienced this before? Should I go for RMA?
Second part of the question:
Obviously being an XDA-er I'm rooted. I will flash back to stock and unroot. I bought this off of Expansys-USA so I should get *some* reasonable attempt by them to send it back. What are the chances that my warranty gets denied? I don't have a USB jig to reset the counter, but I'll of course get rid of the yellow triangle.
*grrrr... I need to dig up my Nexus S now if I have to go through warranty... I'm guessing I'll be phoneless for weeks*
I don't know if it would invalidate the warrenty or not (technically rooting/custom roms is supposed to), but when I had a problem with my stereo jack not working rather than risking it I just replaced the part myself.
The vibration motor, stereo jack and earphone speaker are all on the same part.
(I got it from this guy on ebay for about $7 if you're curious.)
Random6 said:
I don't know if it would invalidate the warrenty or not (technically rooting/custom roms is supposed to), but when I had a problem with my stereo jack not working rather than risking it I just replaced the part myself.
The vibration motor, stereo jack and call speaker are all on the same part.
(I got it from this guy on ebay for about $7 if you're curious.)
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Click to collapse
I see. I'm not sure whats broken really. When I shake my SGS2 I hear something rattling inside. I'm just afraid to open the thing up... is it difficult?
Just watched your video. It sort of sounds as if somehow the vibration motor came loose from its proper spot and is now moving around vibrating against the plastic. Its normally held in with some adhesive (basically double sided tape) within a cutout area.
When I had mine apart I actually took a photo, http://i.imgur.com/fgN9F.jpg, if that makes it any more clear.
I actually recorded the process of me reinstalling the new part (excluding the disassembly, there are lots of clips of that from other people on youtube) but havent gotten around to uploading it yet since my internet connection sucks and the file is nearly 2GB.
Edit to add:
No it wasn't really all that difficult to dissassemble, it was actually pretty easy. That said I enjoy taking things apart and trying to fix them. This was the first time I've dissassembled anything as small as a cell phone, but I'm used to taking things apart and trying to fix them when they break. If you don't have any experience taking apart electronics you might want to think twice or just pay someone who fix's cell phones to do it.
If you're thinking about it, heres a video where someone shows taking it apart to get a rough idea of whats involved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKztg1ra4-0
I decided to try and upload the video I took, once it finishes (in about 2.5 hours) it should be viewable here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ud1upGzLBs
Random6 said:
I decided to try and upload the video I took, once it finishes (in about 2.5 hours) it should be viewable here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ud1upGzLBs
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thank you for your detailed writeup. im going to try this. ive taken apart my macbook pro to install an SSD before, and a few other electronics, but i'm not the very best (i feel clumsy sometimes), but i'm willing to give this a shot.
The only thing I'm worried about is that I could potentially mess up the phone in other ways in disassembly such that my warranty won't be honored if I need to resort to that... We'll see tonight. It looks like you used two screwdrivers? Which ones will I need? I have a #000 that I see will be needed for the back plate at least...
k. opened my phone up.
i just took the screws out and the backplate. i pushd around to make sure things are tight, and they seem to be.
put it together and the vibrate thing happens VERY rarely now..
I shook my phone around and still heard something shaking (please tell me if this happens).
I opened up my phone and the camera module seems to be loose. Is it supposed to be glued down?
Just to let you know, you say you don't have a USB jig so your Flash counter may make your warranty void, but, if you flash to an ice cream sandwich ROM (Cyanogenmod 9) you can install an app called 'Triangle Away' which will basically get rid of the Flash count and yellow triangle - it needs root by the way. (search it up on XDA, it's by chainfire')
Then you can flash stock and send in for warranty.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA
dmo580 said:
k. opened my phone up.
I shook my phone around and still heard something shaking (please tell me if this happens).
I opened up my phone and the camera module seems to be loose. Is it supposed to be glued down?
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Click to collapse
I don't remember it being glued down. Its been a few month since I fixed mine but if I recall correctly it just fit snugly in place between some plastic fitted walls.
This is the camera module you mean right?
Edit: I also don't hear anything shaking with mine, did you mabe leave a screw loose inside?
Random6 said:
I don't remember it being glued down. Its been a few month since I fixed mine but if I recall correctly it just fit snugly in place between some plastic fitted walls.
This is the camera module you mean right?
Edit: I also don't hear anything shaking with mine, did you mabe leave a screw loose inside?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah. Camera module. That's the one. The main 8MP shooter. It's not glued down or anything. It shakes around inside. I definitely did not leave a screw inside because I only opened the back panel and I put all the screws back in.
It's weird because something making noise while shaking the phone has been documented here:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1254520
And I noticed that when you activate camera it goes away. Quite strange but as an engineer this makes me wonder HOW that even happens? Shrug.
I'm waiting for my Samsung Focus S phone to come from the Windows Phone challenge and I'm contemplating using that for a month while my i9100 goes out for warranty. Of course I can always use my Nexus S as a backup, but part of me wants to force myself on a new platform for a month and see how that goes... Hahahaha.
Random6 said:
No it wasn't really all that difficult to dissassemble, it was actually pretty easy.
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Click to collapse
Hey Random6, did you happen to find that after replacing the vibrator motor with a new one, the intensity is now less than when new? I used double sided tape, but with 1.5mm, I guess the motor won't vibrate AT ALL.
Also I found that if I don't screw the one that seems to be closest to the vibrator motor all the way in, it obviously vibrates harder, but not hard enough.
I also used two very thin copper plates to sandwich the motor between the plastic plates, but once again, that was too much and the vibrations were not transfered to the phone's body, but I could hear it doing its job.
Any suggestions?
Thanks!
asd
The small top hole is one of the microphones. There's an identical one on the bottom of the phone. So, you can make stereo recordings.
https://goo.gl/images/VqxsYw
The earpiece actually turns into a 3rd microphone for high decibel environments, like live concerts.
But that top one is one of the two "regular" microphones.
Thanks, I thought so. Is it only for recording, or for noise reduction too? Recording I don't care about. Also, should I plug it with glue?
Mastiff said:
On autopilot I was going to put in a SIM card in my brand new phone and pressed where the hole was on my previous phone. Bad mistake, I guess... I probably put it right through something vital. Because I used the small hole at the top of the phone. Not the side. The light wasn't all that good, so I didn't notice that there was no SIM holder there. My guess is that it is a mike of some sorts, but I tried to record sound and had no problems with that. And it seems like there's a mike at the bottom of the thing too. So what did I mess up this time?
Edit: And does this mean that the phone isn't water resistant anymore? Can I stuff a bit of black silicone glue (the type used in bathroooms) in there with the pointy tool to make it water resistant again?
Edit 2: Oh, please drop the idiot jokes. I know it! Googling I have seen that I am far from the only one that has done that, I just would like to know exactly what it is on this phone, and if I should plug the hole to keep i waterproof. That's rather important for me, because I am an avid hobby crawfish and crab fisher and will probably get water splashing over this.
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Aren't there barometer measuring apps for that ?
I read that by checking on pressure you can find out if your phone is still water resistant
Mastiff said:
Thanks, I thought so. Is it only for recording, or for noise reduction too? Recording I don't care about. Also, should I plug it with glue?
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Click to collapse
How about fixing it?
LG V30 Microphone Replacement
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/LG+V30+Microphone+Replacement/104093
If you don't want to tackle it, cell phone repair shop can.
That top mic is probably used for noise reduction during phone calls (since it's the top mic and you would speak into the bottom one), but used for recording stereo when actually recording? I'm sort of guessing on this.
If someone who is audio has better answer, jump in.
zacharias.maladroit, I have also read that. But I have read that it doesn't work as well, since the holes "breathe", they are mes of goretex or similar material. But I'll try anyway, thanks.
ChazzMatt, Interesting, thanks! Looking at that video at around 4:55 it may seem like the pin must have penetrated to the side of the microphone! I think I see the pinhole to the right of where the actual microphone is. As for fixing it, I am far to clumsy. But using a shop is of course an option, the only thing is that the phone is brand new and I'm guessing I'll loose the warranty for that. But I think I will first of all find out if the microphone isn't damaged, and then I will see what happens when I cover the hole. If it doesn't change the call qualty I will probably choose (at least for now) to glue shut that pinhole. If it is a problem for call quality I can maybe live with that using a silicone case and a piece of electrical tape over the pinhole when I go out to fish.
ChazzMatt said:
How about fixing it?
LG V30 Microphone Replacement
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/LG+V30+Microphone+Replacement/104093
If you don't want to tackle it, cell phone repair shop can.
That top mic is probably used for noise reduction during phone calls (since it's the top mic and you would speak into the bottom one), but used for recording stereo when actually recording? I'm sort of guessing on this.
If someone who is audio has better answer, jump in.
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Click to collapse
Mastiff said:
ChazzMatt, Interesting, thanks! Looking at that video at around 4:55 it may seem like the pin must have penetrated to the side of the microphone!
think I see the pinhole to the right of where the actual microphone is. As for fixing it, I am far to clumsy. But using a shop is of course an option, the only thing is that the phone is brand new and I'm guessing I'll loose the warranty for that. But I think I will first of all find out if the microphone isn't damaged, and then I will see what happens when I cover the hole. If it doesn't change the call qualty I will probably choose (at least for now) to glue shut that pinhole. If it is a problem for call quality I can maybe live with that using a silicone case and a piece of electrical tape over the pinhole when I go out to fish.
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Yeah, 4:55 - 5:30 on that video shows taking out the old mic and putting in the new, for anyone else who needs to do it.
I thought it was the portal through which the Little Green men inVariably came out 30 times each night to hide your car keys, TV remote, and generally turn your life into a living hell?
Thread Owner request.
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