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First, let me say I'm a bit more of a hack than a hacker. My soldering skills are based on a heathkit I built 20 years ago, and my dremel is old an out-of-balance. Still, I'm getting a new car (well, truck, actually) and wanted a good mount to go with my 8525.
Cutting right to the chase, I took an 8125 mount ($35), a martin fields stereo adapter ($10), the dual adapter that came with the kit, an FME male antenna adapter ($10), a radio shack panel mount stereo 1/8" socket ($4), and $1 worth of epoxy, and cut, ground, spliced, soldered, epoxied, and reassembled to get the net result below. Total time was about 2 hours, but most of that was spent running between my office in the house and the workshop to get various tools / drill holes (I have a cheap drill press, which made drilling for certain parts marginally easier).
If I can find another hour, I'll try to write up a step-by-step if anyone is interested, along with a linked list of parts.
I'm very much interested!
Not to burst your bubble but.......
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=15879&cat=2380&page=1
or
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=12660&cat=1801&page=1
And they are only 28.00 bucks
fresh801 said:
Not to burst your bubble but.......
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=15879&cat=2380&page=1
or
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=12660&cat=1801&page=1
And they are only 28.00 bucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
those dont have audio out.. and the 2nd one is for the 8125/wizard, not the 8525/hermes... i am very interested in this project since i have one of those cradles laying around from my 8125... never thought about using the Y adapter.. good call since i dont use it for anything else..
fresh801 said:
Not to burst your bubble but.......
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=15879&cat=2380&page=1
or
http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=12660&cat=1801&page=1
And they are only 28.00 bucks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, aside from the audio out and antenna connector, the more unusual hack in this is the landscape format with the ability to open the keyboard (or, more exactly to leave it open) while it is docked.
Since I'm running short of time this weekend, the key to getting this to work is to open the back of the 8125 cradle and pop off the connector (gently) and remove the glue that holds it in place. You'll need to dremel out the "top" of the cradle to allow the 8525 to fit.
To get the new connector, I just - carefully - stripped the plastic away from the 2-in-1 connector that came with the unit. Of course the connector is in a different place than the 8125, so you have to cut a new one. I used a marble-sized wad of play-doh rolled and flattened into a 1cm x 3cm patty and pushed it gently into the bottom (connector side) of the cradle. Then I gently slid my 8525 into the cradle so that the connector would make an impression in the playdoh. I them removed the 8525 (keeping the playdoh in the cradle) and "marked" the corners of the connector location with a pin (just push thourhg to make a dot). I heated a utility knife (xacto-like) in my gas stove and gently scored from point to point. A dremel with a fine tip then hogged out the area so that the coneector would fit. I also drilled the location for the antenna at this point (same playdoh trick, but just a single pin prick in the center of the hole area).
Now, to secure the conenctors in the right place, I put the 8525 in the cradle, flipped the whole think upside-down, pushed in the connectors into place, and then put epoxy on both connector areas.
***warning*** the epoxy is likely to "leak through" the old connector location, and around the connectors if your holes aren't pretty tight. BEFORE you put the unit in the cradle for the epoxy step, cover the bottom and antenna area with scotch tape, and just cut out the exact connector area with a knife. This will keep any errant epoxy from making the cradle a permanent fixture on you unit!
I did need to use scotch tape to make a "dam" around the usb connector because it was so thin it wouldn't mound up (set too slowly).
Everything else was just connecting up wires (the M-F conenctor was tough to strip cleanle and I broke the ground wire, but just soldered another one on).
Last few days I been debating to Exacto off top two inches of my primes aluminum shell.
Right where the Wifi / GPS antenna are kept.
Of course doing so would VOID the warranty.. lol
But, it would test the theory of rather or not the aluminum back interferes
with anything.
The aluminum back is very thin. You could in theory take a ruler and scar
out a straight line. Go over the line many times with an exacto knife just
enough to break the aluminum shell. Then pull off top piece.
Hopefully it is just a shell and nothing is attached to it.
Anyone else brave enough to attempt such a venture?
My luck the wifi / gps / bluetooth results will be the same.
Good idea? Nuts? What do you guys think?
*** UPDATE ***
When I first got my prime its WIFI was very weak, and its GPS didn't work. I was very fustrated that I spent $500 on a tablet that didn't work! And it had Light bleed. I thought that when ASUS released its ICS update the problems would be fixed. They weren't. My return period had expired from where I purchased the prime originally so I tried to find as much info as I could on the prime's problems. Everything from aluminum backplate interference to pogo pin problems. I was fustrated so my original idea was just to Exacto off the top two inches of the prime. Well, after coming to my sense and realizing this idea was nuts. (sorry one too many beers). I just decided to try and open the unopenable! After seeing Anandtech teardown of the prime http://www.anandtech.com/show/5286/asus-eee-pad-transformer-prime-teardown I made some plastic tools and decided to open it up! To my surprise it was really easy to open!
Pics of opening the prime
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Thanks to XDA member Doktaphex for uploading these Youtube videos of him opening his own prime!
Pic of PCB (printed circuit board) Primary WIFI antenna having a flawed PCB design?
When I opened my prime I found that ASUS included two wifi antenna PCB towards the top of the prime to pickup Wifi / GPS signal.
The secondary wifi pcb was fine. However the primary wifi antenna's pcb had a design flaw. The pcb copper etching on the primary
wifi antenna was not connected! Asus used pogo pins that transfered the wifi / gps signal from one side of the tablet to the other.
These pogo pins would lay flat against the wifi pcb's copper pad. However on the the wifi pcb i pulled out of my tablet the signal
never made its way from these copper pads to the top wifi antenna because the copper etching in the pcb was gapped! I tested
and no conductivity was found!
Is this the reason why ASUS pulled shipments when the prime was launched?
Is this the reason why some peoples WIFI work and others dont?
You be the judge.
*** UPDATE ***
Ok here are the pics of my final mods. I removed both PCB Left and right Wifi/GPS antenna. I removed the pogo pins and drilled holes in the back of the aluminum backpanel. Holes where placed just below where pogo pins use to be. I then inserted some rubber gourmets around the drilled holes. Soldered on some wires to where pogo pins use to be and feed them through the rubber gourmets.
I have a MoKo Slim-Fit case so this mod works perfect for me. I can just tuck the wires behind the prime. And never even see the mod.
Awesome results. 32kbps/5kbps using speedtest for the wifi. Getting 20-30dBM in Wifi Analyzer. I can walk all around my house and get excellent wifi. I can walk out 50 feet in my yard and still pull all bars!
(Using Asus RT-N66U Dual-band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router)
GPS works perfect. Using GPS Test it gets a signal within 5 seconds and 15+ birds, accuracy great!
Light bleed fixed for me. Just messing around with screws on display.
***Update***
I finally got my Tyco Antenna the other day and tried them out. Unfortunately they did not work out. I soldered them to where pogo pins use to be and tried placing them all over in the tablet. I couldn't get any good WIFI results. The only area I had OK results was where the original WIFI PCB where at. (50% of wifi I am now getting from just some external wire antenna.) I then positioned the Tyco Antenna to the back of the prime. The aluminum back of the prime is the problem. It just block/interferes with everything. Whenever you have something even close to the back of the prime it interferes with it. I got fustrated, but maybe someone will have better results.
***Update***
Ok, after all the mods in last week+ I found a little method that work best for external wire antenna. Its called the "Caprisun straw method." lol.
Whenever you place anything close enough behind or back of prime. The aluminum backplate interferes with the signal. Even with external wires when I tucked them behind the prime the signal would degrade some. So what is the "Caprisun straw method." Well my kids drink alot of Caprisun's from COSTCO. While my 8yr old left an empty one out I had an idea with the straw. (see pic).
I decided to place my wires in the straw. As I pulled the straw up and down my WIFI Increased considerable! Why? because I was getting signal away from that darn aluminum backplate. You can use whatever straw or color you want. But the whole idea is now it is pretty quick and easy to adjust your WIFI range with the straw. When I am done playing with my tablet I simply tuck the straw back behind the tablet in case. GPS you can have a straw on as well and just push it up out of case. (GPS results are amazing with this little fake wifi antenna).
***Update***
Ok I finished my final mod. I made myself some mini wifi antenna and placed them in my case. The mini wifi antenna are composed of a thin straw surrounded by heat shrink tubing. Capped with a plastic hole plug. Wires that come out of my tablet are inserted in the straw. Heated with lighter and sealed.
The mini wifi antenna I can pull up or down out of my case to extend the WIFI range. I am pulling three bars at more than 50 feet away. Amazing!!
(Charter Ultra 100mbs connection, ASUS RT-N66U Router : 32kbps / 5.5kbps Speedtest @ 50 feet)
I had to laugh a little because my prime kinda looks like a little android with the antenna stickin out.
**Added 2-19-12 thanks to XDA member pileot and other Modders whom have found out that:**
IF YOU HAVE ANY ANTENNA / WIRE AFFIXED DIRECTLY NEXT TO / ALONG THE BACK CASE THE INTERFERENCE WILL BLOCK NEARLY ALL SIGNAL.
If you have any sort of wire / pigtail / antenna AWAY from the back of the case, you will get amazing reception.
***UPDATE***
lol I finally figured out what this switch was for. Located up above headphone
jack. Its the ON/OFF switch for mobo. So be sure to turn off your mobo power before you solder on any mods.
***UPDATE***
Ok, I just finished up another mod to my prime. My goal was to be able to mount the prime in a vehicle and use it on the road. So i needed the best WIFI and GPS I could get. And I did it!
Meet Optimus Prime!
I replaced the old mod with external SMA male connectors and was able to mount on some external WIFI antenna. Large ones atm. But I have some small 2.4ghz stubby antenna on order.
I still need to mod my leather case to be able to insert the SMA connectors in it. However, I noticed with just the SMA connectors sticking out and NO WIFI antenna attached I still get good WIFI
(Both Factory WIFI PCB removed with soldered connection to SMA's)
The WIFI range on this thing is AMAZING! Full bars every place in my house and even out in my yard! 50+ feet away from my router. I think its limited to the range of my router more than anything now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
removed
10char
I'd say go for it bit first study those tear down pics very hard. Even better blow them up n print them out. I don't think there's a need to do the whole top. Just the area where antennas would be located. Even better find the FCC tear down of it for exact measurements so to lessen your chances of mistake or cutting too much. Good luck n keep up posted. You will be very popular in this section if you do this..lol
I think a more cleaner way is drill tiny holes the size of the speaker holes or slightly larger (just check the speaker holes and are too tiny). Just make sure you dont go too deep that you drill out the antennas. Maybe start of with 2 rows of 4 holes (depending how big the holes you want) on each side and center. I should patent this idea and sue anyone who copies!
I think, no. It doesn't need it. The window is already on the glass panel and just needs a solid connection.
Modded by MBOK
mrokeefe said:
I think, no. It doesn't need it. The window is already on the glass panel and just needs a solid connection.
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. If anything, take the back off and solder some wires on there and remove the pins they are using to make the connection.
mrokeefe said:
I think, no. It doesn't need it. The window is already on the glass panel and just needs a solid connection.
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, I been looking at AnandTech teardown. The pogo pins connect to the
front glass. Now my question is on the front glass there is that where the
antenna for WPS / GPS are at? If so then the aluminum back would have
nothing to interfere with. Antenna is on front glass piece.
Soooo.. pressure point theory of pogo pins not making contact against
copper connectors on front make sense on why some wifi / gps not working
as well. And some have fixed by pressing harder on that region.
Evo_Pimpin said:
I agree. If anything, take the back off and solder some wires on there and remove the pins they are using to make the connection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd fully do it if I knew how to open it properly. The fix is so simple its stupid.
Ifixit.com should do a step by step
Modded by MBOK
Erusman said:
Last few days I been debating to Exacto off top two inches of my primes aluminum shell.
Right where the Wifi / GPS antenna are kept.
Of course doing so would VOID the warranty.. lol
But, it would test the theory of rather or not the aluminum back interferes
with anything.
The aluminum back is very thin. You could in theory take a ruler and scar
out a straight line. Go over the line many times with an exacto knife just
enough to break the aluminum shell. Then pull off top piece.
Hopefully it is just a shell and nothing is attached to it.
Anyone else brave enough to attempt such a venture?
My luck the wifi / gps / bluetooth results will be the same.
Good idea? Nuts? What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really like this idea and think it just might work the key will be to make sure you located the exact right spot. If you do this let us know ASAP how turn by turn GPS navigation works and also if the range of your Wi-Fi increases
How about just taking the back off?
Do a before and after test of signal strength and speed.
(especially at some distance away where the signal seems to fade.)
Ride525 said:
How about just taking the back off?
Do a before and after test of signal strength and speed.
(especially at some distance away where the signal seems to fade.)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
easier said then done and very risky exactoing one spot is a bit safer imo
Lol, I'd heat-gun the back and remove it long before taking an exacto knife to it!
I'll watch the thread, excuse me if I drop in laughing hysterically when you go right through some wires or straight into the antenna's you're attempting to help.
This is just my opinion, but if you're willing to void warranty and physically mod then you should be willing to go a tiny step further and fully disassemble for safer modding. Again, just the opinion of someone who's been waiting very impatiently to do exactly as he advises ^.^
mrokeefe said:
I'd fully do it if I knew how to open it properly. The fix is so simple its stupid.
Ifixit.com should do a step by step
Modded by MBOK
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Someone should submit all the various threads n tear down pix to them. As this is kinda of a big issue. If ifixit got on it, it would generate alot of tech press. Would be good for both of us.
To the op, thinkn about it, might be better to take back plate off, solder connections then run some afterwards test. Then if you want you could still cut out an RF window on backplate n see how much better than just soldering connections that would bring.
I think sending all this info to ifixit would be a great idea.
PrimeTimeBro said:
easier said then done and very risky exactoing one spot is a bit safer imo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep. Teardown shows the prime is separated in two halfs. Front is bezel
containing ips display. Back is where all the guts are at. Connected by
pogo pins. Looks like the bezel lifts out from the shell. The back is
solid. Just appears as if you could just pry around the fine line edge.
too scary for me! I'd think the speaker hole drilling would be less evasive.
Lol... Why dont you just remove the backing, if wifi improves there is your proof. Then drill a few small holes, solder on wired antenae extensions and lead then out of the holes your drilled. Now attach the wire to the back or around the edge of the outer casing. Sounds better to me then slicing apart your backing.
Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using xda premium
cutting the back isn't a smart move. Remove the back would make more sense and test, then if you are going to cut, at least the back is off and you wont slice the wrong thing or part.
I don't think you guys realize how hard it is to take the Prime apart.... why do you think exactly 0 people did it when the Prime first came out and the GPS issue was going crazy at the time and as far as I know no one on these boards has been able to take the Prime apart or has been willing to risk it we have only seen breakdowns from a handful of magazines/online sites.
Just drill a hole and hook up one of these =)
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/photo/v0/259131067/2_4GHz_Wireless_WIFI_Antenna.jpg
The most ridiculous idea that I have ever heard. I realize that already people have pointed out that most of the Prime's gut's are actually attached to the back panel, but regardless.... just plain dumb!
I honestly don't mean to be rude. What the heck have you been smoking dude.
Wondering if anyone has seen or knows of a right angle 40 pin charging connector? Either that or im hacking up a keyboard if i can find one cheap enough. Im dead set on getting this tab in my dash =D
Sent from my Transformer
What do you mean right angle? Do you mean so the cable is lines to to right rather than at the bottom on the sync/charge cable?
In that case - no, never seen. But its not super-hard to do it yourself. It will still stick stick out around 1cm though, because theres a PCB inside.
Although the PCB can be removed as well, but that requires some very fine soldering (we're talking pins that are like 0.7mm, if not less, with like 0.5mm spacing)
I had a hell of a time to just resolder the data cables on the cable, and the points are located on the PCB so theres only 2 'pins' near there. Soldering those cables on the connector itself would be.. ugh... *nightmares*
Lol no, no micro soldering for me. Just wondering if there has been or is or what miss match parts could possible go together to go from the existing 40 pin port down and back. Like a right angle but coming down and away from you. The ipads have em. But we arent comparing that crap here. I want to make a dock of sorts, to have fiberglassed in. Tab slides down and plugs in to charge. Thats why i mentioned hacking up a keyboard if need be.
Sent from my Transformer
Yeah ok. No I dont think theres any such cable.
But if you just want to angle the cable its quite easy, and if youre careful wont require any soldering.
All you need to do is open the cable up, cut a new hole for the cable in the casing, align it and reassemble it (it will probably have to be glued together again, or plastic welded, simple stuff really).
And even if you would manage to rip off the cables, the + and - cables are (relatively) big. ground is just soldered directly onto the shielding, and + is soldered to 3 pins next to each other, and theres only 1 other pin nearby you have to look out for, but that pin is sortof protected by some plastic thing (which will probably melt from the heat of the soldering iron though lol).
The hardest part of all this is actually opening the damn casing without damaging it too much
Hello everyone
The power button of my European Samsung Galaxy S2 broke off when taking out my motherboard. I ordered and received a new power button and am willing to solder it back on, just as they did in this video: ** or in this video for the US version: ** (the motherboards look different for both though, I've got a European one)
Now, the problem is this: there are three connection I need to solder on and despite them being tiny, I'm actually managing well, however only for the middle connection! For some reason, the solder does not stick to the other terminals after trying several times for hours.. the two outer terminals also have a brownish color, unlike the white/silver color of the middle terminal, perhaps that's the reason the solder does not stick? is there rust?? I really have no idea what to do... I am pretty sure there are supposed to be three connection, but really I can only solder the middle one.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated!
EDIT: removed the links, but they're the first and fourth videos when searching "samsung galaxy s2 power button replacement" on youtube.
Too much heat applied to the circuit board for too long will.....
A) burn the solder points away
B) cause heat damage to other components
My advice would be......
A) make sure the solder you are using has a flux core (the flux will help to 'clean' the solder points during soldering)
B) VERY VERY GENTLY use a jewellers screwdriver or other pointed tool to attempt to remove the brown discoloration on the solder point.....too much pressure will remove the solder point entirely.....so be careful......
This might be my S2, or it might be my W...but it's definitely CM
keithross39 said:
Too much heat applied to the circuit board for too long will.....
A) burn the solder points away
B) cause heat damage to other components
My advice would be......
A) make sure the solder you are using has a flux core (the flux will help to 'clean' the solder points during soldering)
B) VERY VERY GENTLY use a jewellers screwdriver or other pointed tool to attempt to remove the brown discoloration on the solder point.....too much pressure will remove the solder point entirely.....so be careful......
This might be my S2, or it might be my W...but it's definitely CM
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use flux core solder, but i have also used additional flux on the terminals, none of it works :/
I've tried scratching off the brown layer with a toothpick, in case it was rust, but it didn't get off.
I still haven't identified why the outer terminals are brown, is it the EU model or is there really some layer of rust?
EthemD said:
I use flux core solder, but i have also used additional flux on the terminals, none of it works :/
I've tried scratching off the brown layer with a toothpick, in case it was rust, but it didn't get off.
I still haven't identified why the outer terminals are brown, is it the EU model or is there really some layer of rust?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno, if you think you have applied flux correctly then try to clean the three points with a toothbrush and alcohol, and a bit of demineralized water. If that works, try soldering again. Otherwise, check you're soldering the right points
EDIT: What's more, there shouldn't be any oxide /rust, since I assume you desoldered/soldered all the points at the same time. Double check you're soldering the right spot, bro
Inviato dal mio GT-I9100
Thank you for the replies!
I have been stuck with this problem for quite some time now, my first replacement button got broken so I ordered a new one and I've been trying to solder it again and again and it still does not work.....
Then today I did something that revealed the underlying problem!
I decided to have a look at my old broken power button. The three power button contact tips still had some solder on their tips.... HOWEVER the left and right contacts (whose corresponding joints on the board were not working as described) appeared to have flat ends... which I found weird.... so I went with my soldering iron on them and tadaaa... the solder melted and two metal stripes appeared on my table, their back having the exact same rusty color as the two dis-functional contacts on the board! These metal stripes are supposed to be on the logic board in place of the contacts, but as the old power button had been removed by force, they ripped or pulled these two stripes off the board.
See the two photos of them (on the first one you see the back of these, and on the second one i turned them over and put them in their correct position at the joints)
As you can see they are tiny and really difficult to handle. I had difficulties placing them on the board with tweezers, they are very light and got sort of stuck to the tips of the tweezers. Now, I don't know how these circuit boards are built... were these stripes part of a thin layer, from which they got teared off, or were they just glued on the layer below? What lies below a layer of metal contact on a logic board? Any help is appreciated a lot :/
Ok....looking at the pictures, and reading your description of what happened, it looks like the solder points have become detached from the board. This is going to be really difficult to repair.
You have to find some way to trace the circuit path from the button contacts to the next available inline solder point, and then find a way to bridge the break. You can attempt this in one of two ways.
1) solder a VERY fine wire to one of the contacts on the button, then solder the other end to the next solder point along the circuit path....then repeat for the other contact.
2) some years ago, I owned a bottle of electrically conductive paint (called liquid solder I think)
You paint it onto the board over the brown areas that are present, then while it is still wet, replace the button and extend the paint track so that it reaches the button contacts.
In theory this should bridge the gap from where the (now missing) solder point met the circuit board to the button contacts......
Option 2 would be the easier option, but unless you can secure the button so that the contacts don't move, it'll turn into a temporary fix as any movement is likely to cause the paint to crack and lose it's conductivity........
Check this link for solder paint...
http://mobile.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?moduleno=36275
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
Thank you Keith Ross, for the effort to help me,
I have watched a video on youtube, showing how PCB's ar manufactured ("How It's Made: Circuit Boards"), in order to come up with more ideas.
After watching that, I decided to scratch a bit more around and on the faulty terminals, in hope that there will be a conducting layer... however using my DMM I could not detect any continuity on or along the edges of these terminals. Besides that, I have tried again and again to get the solder to stick to those surfaces... but it still didn't work.
Using any adhesive or connecting to a different terminal on the logic board is a bit of a big step at the moment, so I decided to give it to a technician (not from samsung) to look at it. Hopefully he will find a way to mend it back. :/
Really disappointed and surprised that this could happen so easily on the logic board of a SGS2. I'm guessing it's the bad material quality samsung has. :/
While my phone is away, I'll be looking at how to turn on recover mode on my phone without a power button, I already read about how to turn it on without a power button...
How did it go? Did you get a repair?
About finding alternatives to a physical power button........it *can* be done, but I'd ALWAYS advise having a functioning button as backup. You can download this.... https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.siriusapplications.quickboot
and use it to reboot into (amongst other things) recovery, but then you will have to find a compatible 'touch' CWM.......
And to be honest......that reboot app is only going to be of any use if you can access it from a normally booting phone......if you're stuck in bootloop, you're stuffed......
At the end of the day, the only REAL option is to get that button fixed.......
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk
I know this is barely the correct thread, but anyway;
I purchased a new head unit that has the same connector on the unit itself as my old unit, but the wires for each pin are different. Is there an easy way to remove the pins on the old harness so I can reuse it, or should I just cut the "car side" of the old one off so I can solder wires from the new harness to the "car side"?
Thanks,
if the pins are the same shape you should be able to remove them from the harness and re-insert them in the location you want. I do that all the time with many connectors.
Find something long and thin, i use picks, long tweezers, needles, etc. there is usually a small plastic tab holding the pins or sockets down and preventing them from pulling out. It should be easy to see once you start messing with them.
That's the problem; I cannot see them and was unable to do anything with the needle I was using. As far as I can tell, there is no good spot to stick a pin and no way for me to even know which side the pins are on.
I guess that's question one; with the power/ground wires on the top of the adapter, which side are the pins on?
This type of harness
http://www.carjoying.com/joying-har...re-wiring-harness-adapter-connector-plug.html
I researched and found that standard size staples can be pushed into the sides of the pins from the non-wire-side on both sides (not top or bottom) of the pins to release the two latches. It takes some effort, wiggling, and luck, but the pins eventually come out.
I'm sure it will be easier when my pin extractor finally arrives, but I don't want to wait.
I've moved pins around before. Trouble seems in not damaging the retention tabs. Not sure you'd save much time vs cutting and resoldering.
What would be the point in moving the wire if there is already a wire present? You can't just repurpose the wire? Move the label?