Flashes of Panic

Last night, after starting two loaves of bread, I popped the back off my 10GB 3rd generation (3G) iPod and replaced its battery, following the instructions provided with the new battery. This was a step or two more challenging than the battery replacement on the older iPod, in November, partly because the 2G to 3G transition (when the dock connector was added) involved incorporating the audio jack and lock switch with the stainless-steel back of the unit. So instead of popping an otherwise unconnected stainless soap-dish off the back of the unit, you have to be careful of a ribbon cable which keeps the soap-dish connected to the main circuit board. And the notably smaller soap-dish is harder to get off than it was on the 1G unit. The instructions correctly noted that this would be the toughest and most frustrating part; I think I was more frustrated because I had learned how to pop the back off the 1G unit quite quickly.

Once the back was off, the principal difference between the 1G and 3G models is the configuration of the major components inside the shell. The interior of the iPod is a tightly packed sandwich; when it is face down on the table, you have to carefully peel off layers to reach the bit you’re looking for. The 1G iPod has the battery on top, followed by the hard disk, the main circuit board, the screen and controls, then the white faceplate. Replacing the battery is simple; just pop off the back, unplug the battery and un-stick it from the hard disk, plug in a new one and stick it on, and put the back on.

On the 3G iPod, the first layer of the sandwich under the stainless-steel back is the hard disk, with a slightly-sticky edge of padding keeping it off the case. Under the drive is a another layer of this sticky-foamy stuff, edging a sheet of shiny plastic apparently meant to isolate the drive from the circuit board electronically.

With that sheet peeled back, the main circuit board is exposed. The battery is much smaller in the 3G models, about the size of a small sticky-note and about as thick as two quarters, and it fits in a section of the circuit board cut out to accommodate it. Removing and unplugging the battery, and replacing it with the Newer Tech substitute which is ever so slightly larger, is tricky but possible with patience. I didn’t attempt to remove the circuit board from the front panel, as I did with for the 1G unit (looking for the Firewire connector,) so my appreciation of the differences ends there.

Once reassembled, the unit booted and responded to all controls. I plugged it in to a wall socket and charged it overnight, then took it to the gym with me this morning. Now, at work, I have the speakers plugged right in to it, and it has been going for an hour and a half (probably closer to two and a half total, today) and still shows significant charge in the indicator. I’m going to rebuild the drive (which improves the battery life but also wipes all the music) before handing it over to A. in exchange for “20”.

In other good iPod news, my brother reports that he has precision soldering equipment at work (he’s a manufacturing engineer for a company that makes sensors for car companies,) so he thinks he can fix the soldering problem with my 1G iPod, then put a blob of epoxy over the connectors to keep them from breaking again.

I have a slew of photos of both surgeries which I will post in an extended entry later.

Now Playing: Once in a Lifetime from Remain in Light by Talking Heads