So if you do a clean lift when you pull the halves apart you can not reuse the factor solder balls? Do you every put a couple of little weights on the top board while its cooling to ensure that all those balls are making good contact between both boards?
I've been experimenting with a few different methods. Up to the 11 it's almost always okay in my experience. With the 12 forward, it seems to be slightly different for the larger boards presumably because they absorb more heat in general. When re-using the old solder, I of course leave the spacers on the board as it allows manual application of pressure to a certain extent. So instead of trying to figure out how many coins to use and where, I would push down a bit with the tweezers in the areas where it seems to be sticking up. This is after the heat has been off for a bit and I add hot air at about 340° on the edge briefly to warm up a bit to melt. This is almost always in the case of a slightly bent board. Otherwise, the reballing process seems safest as I have had a baseband IC die likely due to excessive/prolonged heat. Fortunately that was a practice board so no repercussions. With 138° C solder, a straight board seems to go into position pretty easily.
Hey man I just came across your video “Forgot IPod password: how to fix without a restore” from 11 years ago. I recently found my 4th gen iPod and cannot remember the password for the life of me. It’s like a time capsule at this point and I’d love to see what’s on it. Any chance you’d be able to share some updated advice on how I could bypass or figure out the password?
The method shown in the video still works. I've had a couple sent in to me recently for recovery. The only way that I know of for sure is using a Windows 7 32-bit machine. For that reason, I keep a HDD on hand with the correct configuration.
If it was for data recovery only, wouldn't you be just fine with just removing the capacitor and leave it off? Was this repair to remain using the device for the owner of the device? Because I wouldn't trust the device anylonger myself, if this happened to me, and would seek to replace it immediately.
Yes. In the case of data recovery you could remove the capacitor, set the phone on a jig and make a backup from that point. No need to even fully re-assemble the device. In tis case, the customer simply wanted the phone to be repaired. Replacement is certainly another option. Ironically, the new capacitor likely has a longer expected lifespan than others in the phone given that it is brand new. Also, a refurbished or warranty replacement unit may very well have already undergone a similar process.
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So if you do a clean lift when you pull the halves apart you can not reuse the factor solder balls? Do you every put a couple of little weights on the top board while its cooling to ensure that all those balls are making good contact between both boards?
I've been experimenting with a few different methods. Up to the 11 it's almost always okay in my experience. With the 12 forward, it seems to be slightly different for the larger boards presumably because they absorb more heat in general. When re-using the old solder, I of course leave the spacers on the board as it allows manual application of pressure to a certain extent. So instead of trying to figure out how many coins to use and where, I would push down a bit with the tweezers in the areas where it seems to be sticking up. This is after the heat has been off for a bit and I add hot air at about 340° on the edge briefly to warm up a bit to melt. This is almost always in the case of a slightly bent board. Otherwise, the reballing process seems safest as I have had a baseband IC die likely due to excessive/prolonged heat. Fortunately that was a practice board so no repercussions. With 138° C solder, a straight board seems to go into position pretty easily.
Hey man I just came across your video “Forgot IPod password: how to fix without a restore” from 11 years ago. I recently found my 4th gen iPod and cannot remember the password for the life of me. It’s like a time capsule at this point and I’d love to see what’s on it. Any chance you’d be able to share some updated advice on how I could bypass or figure out the password?
The method shown in the video still works. I've had a couple sent in to me recently for recovery. The only way that I know of for sure is using a Windows 7 32-bit machine. For that reason, I keep a HDD on hand with the correct configuration.
If it was for data recovery only, wouldn't you be just fine with just removing the capacitor and leave it off? Was this repair to remain using the device for the owner of the device? Because I wouldn't trust the device anylonger myself, if this happened to me, and would seek to replace it immediately.
Yes. In the case of data recovery you could remove the capacitor, set the phone on a jig and make a backup from that point. No need to even fully re-assemble the device. In tis case, the customer simply wanted the phone to be repaired. Replacement is certainly another option. Ironically, the new capacitor likely has a longer expected lifespan than others in the phone given that it is brand new. Also, a refurbished or warranty replacement unit may very well have already undergone a similar process.