Headphone Jack def

Question

<SPAN>Got a Zen Micro with a headphone jack problem?<SPAN> I fixed mine very easily.<SPAN> This could also help with other models too.<SPAN> Here?s how:
<SPAN>Note: disassembling your unit will void any remaining warrantee.
<SPAN>Problem: The headphone jack solder joints get cracked from the prying force of the headphone plug.<SPAN> This force could be especially severe if you carry your player in your pocket and you?re not careful. It is an engineering problem but unfortuanately hard to prevent on any pocket device due to the design of the industry standard mini-phono headphone plug exerting prying force on the jack.
<SPAN>You?ll need a tiny Phillips screwdriver, a small pocket knife or small flat screwdriver, a fine soldering iron and some rosin-core solder, and a hot-melt glue gun.
<SPAN>Begin by sliding the on/off/lock switch to the locked position. Pry up the plastic jack face plate cover.<SPAN> It?s just stuck on with glue. You can replace it again when finished. This exposes two tiny Phillips-head screws. Remove them.
<SPAN>Slide the battery cover door off.<SPAN> Remove the battery.<SPAN> You?ll notice a metal plate under the battery that serves among other things, to secure the white plastic back cover to the main chassis of the player, and that the metal plate has two tabs that are inserted into slots at the top by the three gold battery contacts.<SPAN> Using your fingernail, slide the metal plate downward away from<SPAN> the battery contacts end. This will disengage the chassis from the back cover.
<SPAN>Use a small screwdriver to gently pry the bottom of the case out away from the chassis. This disengages a catch holding the chassis to the body. With the bottom of the case pried out, press on the metal plate down a the bottom at the small white circular Creative Labs warrantee seal to swing the chassis out from the white plastic back cover. Gently remove it all the way and set the player chassis aside in a safe place.
<SPAN>You?ll notice a small circuit board with the jacks and switch in the top of the back cover. <SPAN> It is held to the cover by two tiny Phillips-head screws. Remove them.<SPAN> Remove the circuit board from the back cover. The screws also hold a small metal cover over the jacks. Remove it.<SPAN>
<SPAN>Carefull remove the existing hot-melt glue from the factory. Take special care not to knick anything with your knife and don?t simply rip the hot melt off, but carefully cut and/or peel it off gently so as not to damage anything.
<SPAN>Notice 4 leads from the headphone jack are soldered onto the circuit board. If you look closely you?ll probably see that one or more are loose. It's usually the top right one between the headphone and USB jacks. * Solder them again, using more solder than was previously used, but don?t put too much on the top left one as it could come into contact with the little metal jack cover when it is replaced.<SPAN> Solder the 4 USB jack leads (outer cover ones) and the 4 on/off/lock switch leads while you?re at it. Replace the small metal cover to make sure the solder joints for the headphone jack don't come into contact with it.
<SPAN>Now you?ll want to secure the jacks so that the newly repaired solder joints are not stressed and broken again... If you have any doubts about your re-soldering job you might want to take a few minutes and reassemble and test the repair before using the hot melt. When ready, apply a generous amount of hot-melt adhesi've to the sides, backs and tops of the jacks and IMMEDIATELY replace the small metal cover pressing it quickly down until the mounting holes align. Very carfully remove any excess, taking extreme care not to knick anything.
<SPAN>Replace the circuit board into the back cover and replace the screws. Pay special attention to the fit.<SPAN> Make sure any extra hot-melt you may have missed removing isn?t interfering with the fit.
<SPAN>Carefully reassemble the chassis into the back cover, paying special attention to properly align and connect the two socket connectors on either side of the boards, and pressing firmly to ensure proper connectivity. Check the fit.<SPAN> Make sure the top of the display face is exactly aligned flush with the cover when reassembled.<SPAN> Check all the edges of the front face to ensure they are all aligned flush with their corresponding sides of the back cover.
<SPAN>Replace the small screws on the top by the jacks that attach the back cover to the chassis. <SPAN>
<SPAN>Replace the stick-on plastic top-end face plate.<SPAN> Slide the metal plate in the battery compartment back up into the locked position. Make sure the 4 tabs on the sides of the plate lock over the corresponding tabs in the sides of the back cover (you can see through 4 holes in the sides)
<SPAN>Replace the battery and battery cover. Turn the power on.<SPAN> If successful, have a listen. You should hear both sides of the audio while wiggling the headphone plug.
<SPAN>It?s too bad you have to go through this but your Zen Micro is definitely worth the effort to fix, which you will agree having done it, is easier than it seemed like it would be. You shouldn?t have to do it again, but with the hot-melt for adhesi've, you can, using a little heat.
<SPAN>* Alternately you can use epoxy cement instead of hotmelt. I personally perefer this method but you have to be competent at electronics rework technicques, in particular, de-soldering of the jack. If you're not comfortable with this then just use the hot-melt. You'll need to de-solder the four jack leads from the circuit board pads and remove the jack. Make sure the leads are straight. Dry-fit the jack to make sure the leads aren't bent from the removal process and dry-test on the pcb to make sure the leads line up with the pads. Mix a pea-sized blob of epoxy cement and apply some on the bottom of the jack, but not enough that it will squish out and interfere with the cover, and position it back on the pcb. Place the jack on the board and line up the leads again on the pads. Re-solder the leads, replace the metal cover, and screw down the cover right away. (don't over-tighten) Reassemble and enjoy.
Message Edited by watcher on 04-27-2006 0:46 PM

Answer 1

Very nice.. I didn't need to bother with all those words. Thanks!
I noticed when I looked at the site above mentioned by SSR that I missed the step about releasing the catch at the bottom of the unit that holds the chassis with the back cover. Hopefully I didn't cause anyone to bust off the tab by leaving this step out.
Still I think it's a good idea to use the glue or it will likely happen again. The solder pads are pretty small so they might not hold on their own... Still it's easy to take it apart and do it again... but the fewer times you have to do that the better, and also, the pads have been known to delaminate.. then you're stuck with having to use wires AND then you'll HAVE to use glue to hold the jack in place..
Message Edited by watcher on 2-22-2005 07:00 PM