Some broken phones.
Some broken phones.
I tackled the T39m first. This is the one I rode over once too many times on my Schwinn. The flip came off and I stupidly jammed it back on. Big mistake, don't do this. There are two tiny gold fingers that connect the microphone. If you jam the flip back on like I did, you will just bend them over. At this point the phone worked but the microphone didn't.
I found a post on Howard Forums from "guncollector" that described how to take the phone apart. Search for "T39m/T39mc Disassembly Reference (with pics)." Essentially you pull off the antenna and it just splits open, no special tools required. After that I straightened the pins that I had bent. The trick to getting the microphone connector back on is that the connector has two pins and two alignment nubs that are fixed in position. The connector on the flip has fixed nubs but rotating pins. So you have to open the flip about halfway to get the pins and nubs to align.
After that, reassembly was easy and the phone worked fine. I could get a new faceplate but I kind of like the shattered window effect. Thank you "guncollector" whoever you are.
The T39m background picture format is 73x26 gif, 2-bit (4 levels) gray.
You can send it via IR or Bluetooth.
Here's one that I used for a while.
Next, the T610, run over by a car. It worked fine except for the cracked screen.
So I ordered a new screen and housing for $30. Disassembly instructions are easy to find so I won't go into that here. You need a T-6 Torx bit. I had to tape a piece of cardboard on the inside of the battery cover to keep it secure.
After a bit of futzing with the delicate screen "connector" (really just a flexible pcb), I got it working just fine and use it every day.
The T610 screen is divided into three sections:
statusbar 128x14
wallpaper/desktop 128x127
softkeys 128x19
I use 5-bit gif, other formats may work too.
To get any Sony/Ericsson phone into service mode: R*LL*L*
On Saturday I finished the Google terms of service and the Google privacy policy. At this point the phone appeared to be usable and I was able to make calls. I tried to use Maps but it wanted me to read the Google Chrome terms of service and privacy policy, and I didn't really need Maps right that minute so I skipped this and tried to run Whatsapp instead.
So then I read the Google Play terms of service and privacy policy. Next I needed to log in to my Google account (why?). Fortunately I already had a Google account. I installed Whatsapp and tried to open it. It wanted me to agree to the Whatsapp terms of service and privacy policy but it had been a long day so I put that off for tomorrow.
On Sunday I read the Whatsapp terms of service and privacy policy and was able to use Whatsapp.
Jim Rees