[Rex32]

Hey Guys,

As the title says, my trackball stopped clicking on my Bold about a month ago. I couldn't justify an insurance claim and a $150 deductible so I figured I'd just wait it out and get the 9700... Well I did that and now have the 9700, but I would like to fix the trackball on my Bold so I can have a good backup phone should something happen to my 9700.

Can anyone recommend a good place to order a new trackball setup for the Bold? I'd really like to get an OEM setup rather than some cheap knock-off.



Thanks,

Mike

[xamdam]

Did you try and buy some precision oil for the tackball.

I bough some from radio shack it is the oil for computer componets which is NON CONDUCTIVE ..... make sure you get non conductive.

Then just put a little Dab on top of the ball and roll it around and see if that fixes it for you as it did for me and mayeb after a few weeks or so it will do it again, so i lube it up again.

Clean excess off with you finger, not with a towel or tissue paper.

The trackballs are pre lube from the factory and once they dry out, sticking will occur. This is the only minor downfall of a trackball, but if people knew about this little trick i just posted about, many would not be complaining....

Now if you actually wish to replace the trackball, then it can be done of course by taking the phone apart and replacing it and trackball mounting house as well (thats where it sits in) just for good measure as sometimes that wears and it will do the samething as it is now even with a NEW ball in the Old Socket Housing.

As for places to buy from, its a gamble .... i never purchased from any place yet as i don't require to do so yet, so i can't recommend anywhere.

[fabuloso]

Trackballs are cheap from Cellular Nationwide Network - 3G, Sony, Panasonic, LG, SonyEricsson, Nokia, Tools, BlackBerry,

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[JDMEVOIXMR]

My trackball from sw-box.com works just like OEM, other people have not experienced the same thing, I guess I'm lucky

[JMDBERRY]

...does the 9700 comes with a "trackball",...or just the "trackpad"?

[calikev]

A new trackball will not help... that only fixes scrolling issues. you need to change the track dome... This will probably fix your problem. If that doesn, you will have to change the dome module which will require soldering
from cnn.cn search: BlackBerry OEM trackball dome

You can buy these on ebay as well.

[ajwoodwpg]

I have been having this problem as well. Lubing up the ball (that's what she said) does the trick on occasion, but doesn't solve the problem completely. What I found that DOES do the trick is to hold the blackberry between the two palms of my hand lengthwise. I then push firmly together. I was having problems after a bit of water damage and I guess the contact is a little messed up. Physically squishing the device a bit seems to fix it 9 out of 10 tries without going into the device to replace parts.

[MusicLaw]

The only way to resolve the problem is either replace the entire trackball unit, or, clean it properly.

Using any type of lubrication will only make the situation worse!!!

If you correctly disassemble the unit you will find the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) beneath the trackball unit is dimpled. It has a bit of give to it that is designed into the surface of the contact beneath the trackball unit.

This concave area is notorious for collecting fine grit, dust, lint, etc. This accumulated debris creates a pillow effect very similar to a tiny bird's nest of lint. Over time the trackball begins to sit higher and higher on top of this debris and consequently also begins to loose intimate contact with one or several of the four directional rollers, as well as compromising the click effect of depressing the trackball on it's Z-Axis (for those that understand geometry). If you put any sort of lubricant on your trackball you will effectively be cementing the lint into a more mud packed pile. Think of it as adding a bit of fluid to a mound of dust. The result isn't good.

The process of cleaning the trackball assembly is very straightforward if you carefully follow the disassembly video instructions out there on the Internet. A thin guitar pick helps to facilitate disassembling the casing, and a tiny forceps, tweezer, or other fine tool is handy to remove the trackball frame and release its metal retention clips. A high powered magnifying glass or jewelers loupe is strongly recommended to clearly see what you are doing. Once opened and clearly visible, just use a small brush or other delicate tip such as a toothpick to dislodge the clog and blow it away with some canned air or use a (dry) soda straw and carefully blow the area clear.

After removing the lint bird's nest you will find your trackball works flawlessly once again, and that it noticeably sits lower in the device, just as it did when it was brand new.