Flashes of Panic

For the second time in as many nights, tonight, I had my older iPod open on the table. I used one of my new tiny screwdrivers as a decoy to the cat, and got the circuit board up and got my first view of the firewire jack connectors which are apparently the little brick’s undoing. Iz was put off by the smell of the hot soldering iron and left me alone while I tried to re-stick the contacts. I’ve got a few dozen pictures of the guts of an iPod now, but they’d be of more interest if the operation had been a success.

Unfortunately, I think a steadier hand and more solder is needed here. I took a swing at it, but when I put everything back together and jacked it in to my Mac, it performed the same dance it usually does: it pops up the apple as though ready to mount, but then gives me the “safe to disconnect” check-mark.

I doubt I’ll be able to get the circuit board up again the way I did tonight; I was not using the proper tools (a small Torx bit) and may have lost most of my grip on the four tiny screws. Perhaps with the proper Torx bit I could try again. It’s disappointing; I figured if one journalist could do it, I could too.

Meanwhile, I’ve put off replacing the battery in the newer pod until I get the results of a new charging experiment: is the problem more to do with having it plugged in to another Firewire device and not directly into the Mac?

And the one I can’t put any new music on will, apparently, now play for a full day without a recharge.

Now Playing: Dear Chicago from Demolition by Ryan Adams