Blackberry 88xx Custom Color Trackball

This is my first Instructable. RIM (Research In Motion) or Blackberry, whatever you want to call it, found it unnecessary to include the option of having a colored trackball on the 88xx series of Devices.

I am here to show you how you can beat the system by creating a custom colored trackball for your RIM 88xx.

So sit back and relax, lets go!

Step 1 Remove Trim Ring

This is by far the most difficult part of the whole thing. To get this trim ring off, at least in my case, it almost feels like your are going to break it. BUT!! take your time and it will pop off.

You will need to take your fingernail and get it under the trim ring right above the T and Y. Take it slow and it will pop out.

Comments

[bassmonkey]

wow, i tried it on my curve and it looks awesome!

[podup365.com]

Great job on this Instructable. The pictures show extreme detail and the written instructions told me exactly what I needed to know. Thanks! Now my BB sports a blue track ball, too.

[sbgstudios]

Glad you enjoyed it. It was fun doing it.

[bumble22]

I have a Blackberry Pearl. Worked just OK for me when I only colored the LED, then I figured a way to make it a dramatic color change. Be advised though trying my little tidbit may be more permanent than just coloring the LED. Follow the instructable as above but before you reassemble...color the trackball housing plastic the color you want the trackball to show. Then reassemble as shown in the instructable. Coloring the LED only tinged it for me so I figured the housing is actually letting the light through and coloring that piece will add to the effect. I choose red because my phone is red and now it looks more like the result picture as shown in the instructable. Very effect and cool instructable, thank you! P.S. For the Pearl try prying the Trim Ring from the top as in where it meets the screen, thats the easiest way because there is no attachment point there.

[Nick.XIII]

umm, if you just used BlingBall you coulda activated the red, green and blue leds and used those, and for a solid color, just cover the white led with a small piece of electric tape.

[sbgstudios]

Nick.XIII,

ummmmmm... Two things...

1. BlingBall does not work on a 88xx series BB as it only has a WHITE LED. It's not like the Pearl that has different colored LED's built in. And all you need is software to access their functionality.

2. The area is sooooo tight that adding anything (esp. something as thick as Elec Tape), would cause issues during reassembly.

[bluenightweasel]

sbgstudios,

ummm....one thing...

he was replying to a comment about a guy who had a BLACKBERRY PEARL

[jplkeekif]

Also not all the Pearls have the polychromatic LEDs, the 8130 (Verizon's Pearl) doesn't, so this is actually a quick easy and cheap way of taking care of that.

[BPHuntley]

I just did this to my 8310 (single white LED.) Nice!

[bobnonn]

So easy. Awesome idea!

[Orbb]

I would put up a pic, but too lazy ATM lol. I noticed this while looking at other instructables about Wii remotes and stuff, and while reading, I kept looking over at my BlackBerry thinking, "..........................................................................Get over here." Works. LOL. I got kinda worried while trying to pop off the trim, because I wasn't quite sure if my BlackBerry was like yours, but sure enough, one side came up, and the others soon followed. I did mine blue also, and it works just fine.

[sbgstudios]

Cool

[junits15]

wouldn't it be better in the long run to remove the led and replace it with a diffrent one?

[sbgstudios]

I have had very little success removing and replacing anything that small, especially when it was installed by a robot. It is just not designed to be touched by hands.

[berky93]

it would, but it would be much harder. I doubt that sharpie will be a problem, theres really nothing besides dust that will ever touch that diode anyway, so nothing will rub off the marker

[titancore]

diodes are created with pigmented enclosures. if you sharpie the outside, itll fade and dustoff with time because of the light :)

[sbgstudios]

Granted it does not "rub off". But it does loose its deep blue color after time. I think the LED either breaks down the sharpie chemicals or the small amount of heat generated by the LED breaks down the color.

[LuminousObject]

Cool. Now if my dad will let me try this with his.

[BeanGolem]

just "borrow" it secretly, color the LED, then return it before he's even aware anything happened. Although I have noticed that most BB users are attached at the hip to theirs. literally.

[LuminousObject]

Yeah, his is usually with him all the time. I've renamed it the CrackBerry.

[HuggyBear]

There is a program called color pearl that controls the led's electronically. I use it on my blackberry pearl, but im not sure if it will work for yours. It gives you instant control as to what color the ball is, and how bright. Just search it on google

[sbgstudios]

That program does not work on the 88xx series... the LED is only a white LED and cannot be changed by software.

[HuggyBear]

mmmm thought so

[joejoerowley]

It would be really cool to add an self cycling RGB LED in there. Nice instructable!

[sbgstudios]

That would be very cool. Very Difficult, but very cool.

[mweston]

Thats creative!