[Ninjacoder]

Hey All, loving my Sprint minus again, but, it really is rather slow. Wanted to clarify before I purchase a Pre 2, that an ATT Unlocked GSM Phone will work fine or if I need a Verizon Pre 2.

Just wanted to clarify before I purchase anything. Thanks!

[ArchonAdvisors]

Hey All, loving my Sprint minus again, but, it really is rather slow. Wanted to clarify before I purchase a Pre 2, that an ATT Unlocked GSM Phone will work fine or if I need a Verizon Pre 2.

Just wanted to clarify before I purchase anything. Thanks!

The short answer is that any Pre 2 can work. You just have to be sure to create the right custom webOS Doctor for your hardware combination [ie- Sprint/ATT, Sprint/Verizon, or Sprint/("WR" aka Unlocked GSM)] using the Metadoctor tools.

Fire away with any more questions to the forum as you go.

[Ninjacoder]

Thanks Archon! Is the process pretty similar to the Pre Plus conversion? I was able to do that a few years back. Since there don't seem to be many videos readily available for a Pre 2 conversion, only pre plus, are the differences vast or are the instructions mostly the same (As in, I can follow a pre plus conversion video with minor differences)?

I did read the step by step on webos internals, just want as much info as possible before I dive in when I get the Pre 2.

Thank you everyone!

[Grabber5.0]

It is less work to use a Verizon phone, because there is no need to swap the back of the phone. The GSM phone has a different antenna layout, so if you use a GSM Pre2 like I did, you have to swap the back, which involves separating the volume control ribbon without breaking it. Not difficult, just requires precision and care. Other than that, the rest of the process is the same, other than the specific meta doctor script to run.

[ArchonAdvisors]

Thanks Archon! Is the process pretty similar to the Pre Plus conversion? I was able to do that a few years back. Since there don't seem to be many videos readily available for a Pre 2 conversion, only pre plus, are the differences vast or are the instructions mostly the same (As in, I can follow a pre plus conversion video with minor differences)?

I did read the step by step on webos internals, just want as much info as possible before I dive in when I get the Pre 2.

Thank you everyone!

You're most welcome! The hardware swap is essentially identical to using a Pre Plus. Everything is in the same place. Grabber5.0 added a very good note about the antenna. If you get a non-Verizon Pre2, you would want to make sure you also keep and reuse the antenna from the Sprint Pre, not just the comm board. The antenna is the whole rear perimeter plastic bezel piece with the gold colored traces around it in this picture:
http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Pa...-removal-1.jpg
and in this picture (from the reverse side showing the black/white antenna wires that connect to the comm board): https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.ne...WBEEg.standard

It's a few extra minutes work, and if you've done a Pre Plus conversion before, you already know to be very gentle taking things apart.

The gold colored traces are the antennas. You might notice they look slightly different on ATT/Unlocked-GSM Pres vs. Sprint and Verizon Pres. Since the GSM Pres use different frequencies than the CDMA Pres, you would notice crummy reception right away with the wrong antenna.

[TJs11thPre]

2014 and people are still building these. Heck yeah!

[Ninjacoder]

Thanks Guys!

2014 and people are still building these. Heck yeah!

I have been using android nearly 2 years, going back to webos was such a breath of fresh air, even on a laggy slow sprint pre. Its so sad that webos never took off. If the Pre 2 can give me a fast webos experience, I'm all in!

[Ninjacoder]

Another question, will be doing the surgery tonight. If I am currently on 2.1 on my pre-, should I delete my backups before going to 2.2.4 or should it all work fine once I switch over?

Thanks again for the clarifications!

[John Steffes]

Another question, will be doing the surgery tonight. If I am currently on 2.1 on my pre-, should I delete my backups before going to 2.2.4 or should it all work fine once I switch over?

Thanks again for the clarifications!

When I went from webOS 1.4.5 to webOS 2.1.0, to webOS 2.2.4, all Palm Profile info was preserved.

However, one can not downgrade meaning if you are on a Pre2 at webOS 2.2.4 and want to go back to webOS 2.1.0, then you must remove your backups.

But going forward has always worked for me. (YMMV)

[Ninjacoder]

Ok, so I did the conversion, and I have run into a few snags...Maybe its my own fault, I may have put my flathead in the wrong spot.

1) My P and O keys seem to be sticky and not clicky.

2) I cant seem to activate, it sits at Phone Offline and finally gets a lock on Sprint and freezes when I try to enter my login for palm (activation says success, if that means anything).

Did I mess something up somewhere?

[Ninjacoder]

Nevermind, I think I seriously did something to bork my device up, keys are repeating when I try to enter my username/password now....Ugh, crap. Leave it to me.

[Ninjacoder]

Ok, whew, I fixed the issue with the keyboard, there was some crud that got under the keyboard itself. Now I am stuck on getting an EV signal, are there any tricks to this?

[Grabber5.0]

The Sprint comm board was already active on your account before you did the swap right? (I suspect so, or you would not have gotten the activation successful message). If I remember right, the only time I have failed to get an EV connection was when trying to activate a device (in this case referring to the comm board) that had been active on a different account.

[Ninjacoder]

Yea it was activated, and reactivated as I did a stupid thing lastnight and reset my msl stupidly thinking it would help (which it reset my activation) So, I reactivated on 1.4.5 on the Pre - and it got a data signal just fine.

Back in the Pre 2, it sits at Phone Offline and spins, and when it finally gets a connection to the service it wont sign in, and no EV....May have to go back to Android

[Ninjacoder]

Looks like I messed something up somehow, so I am heading back to Android. I don't think I trashed the Sprint Pre com board since its able to get a EV connection on the sprint phone, I think its the Pre 2. Oh well, I will return at a later date and try again, will put the pre in a safe place for now..Live and learn.

Thanks all for the help, I will return

[TJs11thPre]

Aw I'm sorry you were not initially successful. My attempts usually failed on first too. That's how i got so good at disassembly! Ha

Did you confirm data was enabled in the phone app preferences? Did you do ##debug# to see if it was using a sprint pcs username?

If you reattempt:

Redoctor Pre to 1.4.5 as all original. Phone must work on sprint before any changes. You cannot do the reset that Sprint CS suggests once it's in the Pre2. That dumps the info you carry in the physical swap. They did it to me too! I have a thread outlining my last surgery. Refer to it if you need to.

[Ninjacoder]

Aw I'm sorry you were not initially successful. My attempts usually failed on first too. That's how i got so good at disassembly! Ha

Did you confirm data was enabled in the phone app preferences? Did you do ##debug# to see if it was using a sprint pcs username?

If you reattempt:

Redoctor Pre to 1.4.5 as all original. Phone must work on sprint before any changes. You cannot do the reset that Sprint CS suggests once it's in the Pre2. That dumps the info you carry in the physical swap. They did it to me too! I have a thread outlining my last surgery. Refer to it if you need to.

Well, I was able to do it with no issues this time, well except the fact that the new pre 2 I got had a brittle volume piece that was cemented onto the case and snapped while I was trying to get it off. Totally not flexible at all haha. Everything works with this one though besides not having volume buttons. I can live with that though since there are apps for that. (Volume control) Just a minor annoyance...I will get another Pre 2 someday but my wife will KILL ME if I get another right now.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[laingman]

Well, I was able to do it with no issues this time, well except the fact that the new pre 2 I got had a brittle volume piece that was cemented onto the case and snapped while I was trying to get it off. Totally not flexible at all haha. Everything works with this one though besides not having volume buttons. I can live with that though since there are apps for that. (Volume control) Just a minor annoyance...I will get another Pre 2 someday but my wife will KILL ME if I get another right now.

Thanks for the help everyone!

There is an app called "speaker phone" in preware for volume control

[TJs11thPre]

Well, I was able to do it with no issues this time, well except the fact that the new pre 2 I got had a brittle volume piece that was cemented onto the case and snapped while I was trying to get it off. Totally not flexible at all haha. Everything works with this one though besides not having volume buttons. I can live with that though since there are apps for that. (Volume control) Just a minor annoyance...I will get another Pre 2 someday but my wife will KILL ME if I get another right now.

Thanks for the help everyone!

That volume rocker is a turd for sure.

Did you break just the rocker or the ribbon behind it? You can test if the ribbon still works if you positioned it properly. Just poke the button with a toothpick or similar.

Remember the rocker can be inserted with the phone assembled. So if you see some 99 cent Pre- on fleabay for parts, you can buy just that and swap the rocker in. Again, use a toothpick as a fulcrum at the center to slightly bend the rocker and insert the upper end with the little tab that breaks easily. Bottom end goes in first tho.

Otherwise, congrats on the build!

[Grabber5.0]

If it's just the plastic rocker and not the ribbon, I know I've got a spare I'd be happy to send you. (then I suppose if it was just that, you should already have a spare from the donor. )