{"id":4252,"date":"2022-10-12T15:08:37","date_gmt":"2022-10-12T23:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wonghoi.humgar.com\/blog\/?p=4252"},"modified":"2025-11-30T23:50:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T07:50:05","slug":"all-in-1-mini-card-reader-manufacturing-flaw-bad-usb-connector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wonghoi.humgar.com\/blog\/2022\/10\/12\/all-in-1-mini-card-reader-manufacturing-flaw-bad-usb-connector\/","title":{"rendered":"All in 1 Mini Card Reader Manufacturing Flaw (Bad USB connector)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recently, I’ve bought this CF card reader<\/a> on eBay but it doesn’t detect at all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I looked closely into the connector with a loupe and realized that the mini USB conductor was molded incorrectly. The center middle pin was pushed down because extra plastic was deposited above it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The seller refunded in full but I figured that if the connector is malformed at the molding stage, buying it from another seller is not going to make it work, and the other form factors\/connector configurations are inconvenient, so I tried my luck and see if there are exact matches for the connector they’ve used. Turns out it’s a 56 cents connector (price for 1 piece) available in Mouser (UJ2-MBH-1-SMT-TR):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In bulk, this connector can be bought for $0.22. For something that’s selling for $5\/pc, the Red Chinese manufacturing had to go cheap to shave a few cents that ended up turning finished products into total trash. Most people are not electronics\/troubleshooting savvy enough to figure this out, and the labor cracking the piece up and the SMD rework can easily buy 20pcs new. I just happened to have the tools (Metcal hot tweezers) so I can desolder the bad connector in seconds, but average users do not have that luxury so the neutered USB card readers go straight into trash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need more products NOT made in China! <\/p>\n

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Recently, I’ve bought this CF card reader on eBay but it doesn’t detect at all. I looked closely into the connector with a loupe and realized that the mini USB conductor was molded incorrectly. The center middle pin was pushed … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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