Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

oh thats a serious typo on my end:D

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

sorry I don't understand, which word do you mean?

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone could recommend somewhere in Melbourne, Australia to have the gsm modem reballed or reflowed?

Also, any ideas how much it might cost?

Thanks very much,

Justin.

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Not sure. Ask your local mobile phone repairers. If one of them says he can do it, look up online the feedback people give about him: reliability and such.

It's said that you just need to "hot air" the chip, or something. But I have never done it, or seen it done.

Thank you. Best wishes.

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Could someone point me to the exact one of four chips, which needs reballing?

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

AFAIK, that should be your best bet.

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Disassembled an N900, put it in the oven at 190 degrees Celsius for five minutes, removed all plastic parts and camera.

I can CONFIRM that reballing with hot air in my oven has made it able to call again, after years! I had written it off.

After trying this to fix an old macbook pro, reading on threads about it being able to fix the ati radeon graphics card, I tried it as a last resort.
It worked. I was stunned. And gained confidence.

And now my 'dead' first N900 has been brought to life again.
Made sure to put it on aluminium tinfoil balls to keep it from burning on the grill.

https://youtu.be/Ztzv2OlQJuU

I would prefer doing it with a heat gun in the future tho, localize the heat..

Warning reminder : plastic melts!!

Edit: updated video with the correct one

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Hi Dongle Fongle - is your phone still working after this fix? I am thinking about trying it on one of my N900's as well.
This seems to be the only permanent 'low tech' solution I have seen.

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

Just disassembled one of my N900's with the telephony functions issue. So far so good, but I wonder how you can remove all plastic parts without damaging the motherboard.
See pic for the most obvious ones (1/2/3)

I assume more advanced soldering skills are needed to remove those parts?

BTW - I assume these are all plastic parts and need to be removed.. but maybe some of those can handle 190 degrees.

Re: N900 Problem: SIM Card Not Recognized
 

some hard plastics can handle temps at the 190 degree mark for a moment ...
but I wouldn`t push it too long...
I have never roasted delicate electronics in an oven...
hope never to...
but I have messed with temperature and plastics...
so theory is sound...
and a number of members have done such trials before with success (some not so successful...definitely keep in mind what they did wrong)...
a heat gun and experience makes more sense to me though...
rather than an oven...