Broken charging hole

[patatan]

A piece from the charging hole has loosened and now I cannot charge the DR1000S. I have already submitted a ticket to IREX. Last September, my cybook screen broke, so I treated this device with extra care. But it seems that to no avail.

[Kent Walters]

Ouch!!!

You have managed to dislodge your mini B USB socket; wait to hear from iRex: if their price is too high for you, it should be repairable--if you or anyone you know has experience soldering circuit boards (the most difficult part will be removing the back cover without damaging anything, and it isn’t easy to do).

Let us know what iRex says, and what you decide.

Good Luck,
Kent Walters

[pthwaite]

Wow, How did you manage that. These ports are usually quite well soldered onto the motherboard?
As Kent says, wait to hear from iRex, but you'd have to check the motherboard to see if it hasn't been damaged when the USB port came off,otherwise re-soldering it would be possible, though not easy with domestic soldering irons in my experience.
Best wishes, Howard

[patatan]

iRex has answered very quickly:

"I'll send you a return box to picking up your defective device for our repair."

I asked then how much it would cost:

"We have to investigate this, for the investigation we require prepaid 75 service credits,
this service credits you can purchase in our web shop:
https://www.irexshop.com/index.php?cPath=23_32
After we received the order we'll send you a return box to pick-up the device for our repair center.

In the worst case (When the PCB must be replace) 225 service credits extra. But in case of manufacture fault we'll refund you all the prepaid cost and repair the device under warranty."

1 credit=1€ so in the worse case 300€ (plus shipping fees?)

Very correct but not very definite.

I have experience soldering but did not want to risk damaging the device. As Kent Walters said "the most difficult part will be removing the back cover without damaging anything". I risked instead the aesthetics and here is the DR100S after the operation: with a scar, but fully working.

I sawed a little square of the plastic cover over the charging hole, soldered the "mini B USB socket" (thank you, Kent Walters) and put again the little cover.

[patatan]

I have not upload the pictures of the "operation". I do it now.

[pthwaite]

Delighted you managed to fix it, & Well done on the soldering.

regards

[patatan]

Thank you, Kent Walters and pthwaite for your advice. It really helped.

[Grimulkan]

BTW, just pointing out that this did happen before. Good you managed to fix it!

[Kent Walters]

patatan,

I’m glad that you were able to repair your board, but I’m concerned that you have weakened your DR’s case, wich might contribute to a screen break. Please read Grimulkan’s Broken DR thread, and consider my suggestions there:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=55774

I hope you don’t have any more problems.
Kent Walters

[patatan]

Originally Posted by Grimulkan

BTW, just pointing out that this did happen before. Good you managed to fix it!

Thank you. I looked for something like that but was not able to find it.

Originally Posted by Kleykenb;

iRex let me know this is not under warranty and it would cost 300Euro to repair.

Uff, close escape...

Kent Walters:
I assure you that I am very aware of the fragility of the screen, having had a broken cybook gen 3 screen, which for its size, is supposed to be less fragil than the DR1000S. I have been treating it very carefully: I have the luxury cover and always use it inside. I have too a rigid case for carrying it around. But of course, your idea of reinforcing the case, is a good one. I had not think about that one... And I did not applied any force to the usb port. It simply fell when I was trying to plug in the charger.

[kleykenb]

Originally Posted by patatan

.... And I did not applied any force to the usb port. It simply fell when I was trying to plug in the charger.

Yep, my USB port came off pretty easily too : I was charging it while I was laying on my back, with the DR1000 angled up from my chest into my vision so I could read.
It may even be the protective cover (that I had on for the first time while reading like that) that contributed to the port getting broken off, couldn't take the extra weight.
The reality of it is that the USB port should be a LOT firmer or at a very different spot on the device !!!

[Shaggy]

Originally Posted by kleykenb

The reality of it is that the USB port should be a LOT firmer or at a very different spot on the device !!!

I agree. I think resting the weight of the device on that port is probably what is causing these problems. It would have been nice if it were on the side, rather than on the bottom, but users need to be careful about not putting too much weight on it.

[Kent Walters]

Shaggy,

I believe the fault lies in the fact that the DR1000 demands almost constant recharging, due to faulty design choices made by iRex. I cannot believe that iRex’s pre-release testing did not reveal the design shortcomings that have caused so many user complaints and grief, or that these were not apparent in time to be addressed; iRex chose to let them go. I have addressed these hardware issues elsewhere, but I will recap here, and ask you or anyone to respond:

Cap sense switches--a constant power drain, even while the device is turned off. These switches provide no advantage over conventional switches, and are distracting in use.--Bad design choice.

Case/frame flexibility--the case seems to derive much of it’s resistance to flexing from the glass screen itself, rather than protecting the screen from flexing. The extra cost of a more rigid frame could have been (at least partly) offset by using conventional switches. Terrible design choice.

Mini USB port--the use of a surface mount socket was the worst choice iRex could have made, in light of the DR’s charging needs. A captive USB cable would have been my own choice, but even a thru-hole mounting would have been much more resistant to dislodging. I do submit that iRex knew that Users would need to use this port heavily. Bad design, but perhaps an oversight.

An under powered battery. Surely, they knew...

Shaggy, I’m beginning to think that you are an iRex employee; Don’t blame User’s for bad design! Whether these design choices were made by the design team, investor demands for immediate 'signs of progress,' or bone-headed executive decisions, is something we may never know, but I know this: the User is not responsible for bad design!

Kent Walters

[Shaggy]

I didn't blame the users. I just said they need to be careful with how they use it to help avoid the problem. I never said it was their fault.

[Kent Walters]

Shaggy,

Yes, you are right; I stand corrected, and offer my sincere apology.

Agreeing with Mr. Franklin that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” I will go further than recommending caution to those who use their DR’s with the cable attached. The mini USB plug that comes with the DR affords too much leverage against the socket in the event of any mishap; I have strained mine while shifting my position in my chair. I think it is not just mishaps, but repeated insertions and removal, with the associated wiggling, that takes a toll on the solder joints. I have recommended elsewhere using a 12” left-angled Mini B USB extension cable; If one of these is installed around the DR, under the corners, so that it exits at top, it will provide effective strain relief, and keep the DR’s port from being damaged. It need never be removed. I hacked my own, but a commercial one can be found here. (The links here seem to change, if it doesn’t work, just go to http://www.usbfirewire.com/ and search for ‘Left angle mini B 12’ extension cable.’)

As another precautionary note:
I have iRex’s Deluxe Leather Case, and after first reading of Grimulkin’s cracked screen, I checked the flexibility of my cover, and I found it to be quite flexible. I have since installed an 8 1/2 x 10 inch piece of .060 inch 6061 T-6 aluminum behind the DR for additional support. I have made alternative suggestions here, post # 24

I would like to propose a boycott against damaging DR1000Ss.

Kent Walters