1. crackbobb's Avatar
    Not that I'm not into the occasional thrill and such, but getting schocked by my Bold was not part of the deal. It seems to be an added benefit that comes with the device. When it's plugged in to the PC via USB, it likes to grab my attention by shocking me whenever I touch a metal piece (like the metal ring around the trackball). The grade of the shock varies and I'm still alive so it's not life threatening yet.

    I'm using an USB hub to connect that has its own power source, but I don't think that that's the reason. It's not as if the USB hub pushes too much voltage through or something - the leak is obviously the device.

    Anyone else have this hidden feature enabled too? lol
    09-22-09 07:20 PM
  2. mickey78's Avatar
    When I first read the title I tought it was a joke!
    09-22-09 07:49 PM
  3. chrischoi's Avatar
    Are you touching the charger cord when this happens? Because I don't think much on the Bold could conduct that much electricity.
    09-22-09 07:53 PM
  4. ecsel1's Avatar
    arent the rings around a trackball plastic how would that conduct electricty
    09-22-09 07:59 PM
  5. xliderider's Avatar
    Are you perhaps touching the charging contacts in the back of the phone?

    A silicone skin that covers the charging contacts will prevent you from touching them while still allowing you to charge the BB, if this is the cause of your shocking problem.

    Or you can just place a few pieces of electrical tape over the charging contacts in the back of the BB.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 08:05 PM
  6. xliderider's Avatar
    arent the rings around a trackball plastic how would that conduct electricty
    It is plastic, but it is chrome plated. I didn't think it is grounded though. I guess it is.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 08:07 PM
  7. crackbobb's Avatar
    It is plastic, but it is chrome plated. I didn't think it is grounded though. I guess it is.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    To be honest, I'm not sure either but it does shock me whenever I use the trackball. I singled it out by holding the phone with two fingers, not touching any metal parts, and scrolling - zzzzapp.

    To clarify - the shocks are not intense at all. It doesn't hit you out of your chair or anything, but it is quite unpleasant nevertheless!
    09-22-09 09:21 PM
  8. 360Challenge's Avatar
    Make sure the outlet is grounded
    09-22-09 09:29 PM
  9. xliderider's Avatar
    It doesn't sound good that the device is giving off current like that.

    Does it do it while on a wall charger as well?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 09:30 PM
  10. crackbobb's Avatar
    Are you perhaps touching the charging contacts in the back of the phone?

    A silicone skin that covers the charging contacts will prevent you from touching them while still allowing you to charge the BB, if this is the cause of your shocking problem.

    Or you can just place a few pieces of electrical tape over the charging contacts in the back of the BB.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I'm not sure if I understand what you mean... Charging contacts in the back? The cable plugs in on the side and goes in completely, i.e. there is no metal left that I could touch between the cable plastic and the bezel.


    I have just managed to narrow it down to four distinct spots on the phone that will shock you upon contact:

    - the small inlets at the very bottom of the left and right sides of the bezel
    - the mini jack right above the USB port
    - the trackball ring.
    09-22-09 09:37 PM
  11. crackbobb's Avatar
    It doesn't sound good that the device is giving off current like that.

    Does it do it while on a wall charger as well?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    No, only on the USB cable.
    09-22-09 09:39 PM
  12. xliderider's Avatar
    Have you tried another usb cable? The one you are using doesn't sound properly grounded.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 10:17 PM
  13. Radius's Avatar
    A shock from a USB cable? I have never heard of such a thing, there isn't enough current running through it. I should know, recently I developed a USB dongle and I can do everything but put the thing in my mouth when it's powered and I can't feel a thing.

    The trackball ring is isolated too, it's not making contact with powered portions of the main board. The whole premise of the trackball is to work using light, not electricity.

    Not calling you a liar, but something else is going on.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 10:46 PM
  14. crackbobb's Avatar
    A shock from a USB cable? I have never heard of such a thing, there isn't enough current running through it. I should know, recently I developed a USB dongle and I can do everything but put the thing in my mouth when it's powered and I can't feel a thing.

    The trackball ring is isolated too, it's not making contact with powered portions of the main board. The whole premise of the trackball is to work using light, not electricity.

    Not calling you a liar, but something else is going on.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I'm glad you're not. It's passing current - sorry to have disillusioned your belief.


    xliderider, that's a good suggestion, thanks - I will try a new cable and post back if that helped
    09-22-09 11:18 PM
  15. xliderider's Avatar
    Radius, how does the TB work on light?

    Electrons, yes, but light? That's a good one.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 11:38 PM
  16. Coruptyed's Avatar
    I think you may have a short in the cord that's causing that its probably not a good thing either

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-22-09 11:41 PM
  17. dagda1's Avatar
    The USB only runs 5VDC so I am amazed you can feel it. I would suggest a new cord too. If there is 110VAC somehow coming to the BB it will damage it so get it fixed.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 12:10 AM
  18. Radius's Avatar
    Radius, how does the TB work on light?

    Electrons, yes, but light? That's a good one.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    I am going by the 83xx trackball design, it uses light as a sensor does It not? I could be wrong but that's how I thought they did it. Or maybe IR instead of visible spectrum?

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 01:24 AM
  19. cdaiscool's Avatar
    I thought they used sensors that touched the ball? Hence the reason they jam so easily...

    OP, I'd have to say you've got a grounding problem, and you're the new ground!
    09-23-09 01:27 AM
  20. Radius's Avatar
    Ok, I just took a trackball apart on a 8320 and figured it out. Magnetic inductance. Therefore there is no current leeching into the trackball from there.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 01:31 AM
  21. Radius's Avatar
    I thought they used sensors that touched the ball? Hence the reason they jam so easily...

    OP, I'd have to say you've got a grounding problem, and you're the new ground!
    The ball connects to some pins that rotate magnets, so if something gets gummed up in there the pins and ultimately the magnets will not rotate. If the magnets do not rotate then no EM field can be generated or detected.

    But this is not a two way street, the magnets cannot pull a current in nor do they generate one sufficient for any living being to detect.

    Additionally the silver ring connects only to the BlackBerry housing which is itself non conductive. I am using a 8320 though, not sure what the OP is using as I can't see that on the mobile site.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    Last edited by Radius; 09-23-09 at 01:37 AM.
    09-23-09 01:33 AM
  22. xliderider's Avatar
    I still think there is a bad ground wire in the usb cable he's using.

    There is no problem when it's charging via wall charger, so it's not the usb port itself.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 01:37 AM
  23. Radius's Avatar
    I still think there is a bad ground wire in the usb cable he's using.

    There is no problem when it's charging via wall charger, so it's not the usb port itself.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    USB cables don't have a ground wire, but the shield is grounded. And if that's broken then the cable won't do anything at all, even charge a device from what I understand. I can easily test that theory at work tomorrow.

    Regardless, getting a shock from a USB port is a sign the whole PC is dead I think, and an easy test is to stand on a piece of wood and see if it shocks him. If it does, it's all in his head.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 01:40 AM
  24. Radius's Avatar
    Wait, sorry, my mistake. I remember there's a ground. It's one of the other pins I was thinking of that's sometimes not connected on certain connectors.

    Regardless, there's not enopugh current to get a real shock though, or I would have felt it by now.

    Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com
    09-23-09 01:47 AM
  25. xliderider's Avatar
    USB cables don't have a ground wire, but the shield is grounded.
    They most certainly do have a ground wire:

    USB pinout and wiring @ pinouts.ru

    Pin #4 in the diagrams.

    And if that's broken then the cable won't do anything at all, even charge a device from what I understand.
    That's what I would think as well. So it most likely isn't a complete break in the ground, but a bad insulation in the ground wire.
    09-23-09 01:49 AM
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