Things are looking up!
For the longest time, I've been having trouble with the front audio ports on my computer. Particularly the headphone jack. It wiggles too much and breaks connection, sometimes leaving me with echo-y audio. The other day I took it out to investigate.
I didn't realize it at the time, but you have to close the connection with a jumper when you do that, so now my PC has absolutely no audio. Oh well...
I got the thing out, thinking it might just need to be resoldered. No... all of the solder joints are holding except for one, and that one isn't even connected to anything. It's just an anchor point. The connector itself is actually damaged. EDIT: Not so much damaged, I think, as just worn out.
I go out looking for the part itself. I find it on mouser for $1.53 (this is for the one with the green accent, or if I wanted, the pink one). Not in stock. The black one, however, sells for $1.05. So I consider... how much is shipping? They want $6.88 for any parcel up to, but not more than one pound. Fat chance.
Then I see that the connector company has a branch office in San Jose. I called them up today.
The lady on the phone was very nice. After looking at the parts in stock (the green and pink ones are actually discontinued), she offers to send me not one but two engineering samples. For free!
Not only that, but I ask her to send me a product catalog, too. It's all coming UPS Orange (three-day service). And all gratis.
Now, I'd like to name this company, but I have this grating fear that they'll get tons of calls for free stuff... so... Thank you !
Nice. This after looking at my lottery ticket and finding that I'd matched three of six, netting me back $3.
I didn't realize it at the time, but you have to close the connection with a jumper when you do that, so now my PC has absolutely no audio. Oh well...
I got the thing out, thinking it might just need to be resoldered. No... all of the solder joints are holding except for one, and that one isn't even connected to anything. It's just an anchor point. The connector itself is actually damaged. EDIT: Not so much damaged, I think, as just worn out.
I go out looking for the part itself. I find it on mouser for $1.53 (this is for the one with the green accent, or if I wanted, the pink one). Not in stock. The black one, however, sells for $1.05. So I consider... how much is shipping? They want $6.88 for any parcel up to, but not more than one pound. Fat chance.
Then I see that the connector company has a branch office in San Jose. I called them up today.
The lady on the phone was very nice. After looking at the parts in stock (the green and pink ones are actually discontinued), she offers to send me not one but two engineering samples. For free!
Not only that, but I ask her to send me a product catalog, too. It's all coming UPS Orange (three-day service). And all gratis.
Now, I'd like to name this company, but I have this grating fear that they'll get tons of calls for free stuff... so... Thank you !
Nice. This after looking at my lottery ticket and finding that I'd matched three of six, netting me back $3.