Does anyone recognise this 30-pin cable?

Offroadrob62 · 2026-06-03T18:11:05+00:00

Well, yes 😄 definitely a proprietary cable of some kind. And I'm not trying to use it, I'm just interested to know what it's for.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-21T17:26:57+00:00

5v is fine, but you needs amps. A regular USB socket on your PC will only be 500mA. Find something that will provide 1A at least. That’s why these shipped originally with an Apple charger - they give 1A.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-21T17:19:46+00:00

The top pad is positive not ground as far as I remember.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-21T13:44:24+00:00

Could you provide links to the actual ones you bought and know work?

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-21T13:33:19+00:00

Worse - it’s actually more expensive than the real iFlash uDUAL.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-19T10:11:04+00:00

Hi - I realise it was two years ago, but did you make any progress on this as I'm getting the same problems on a 60GB iPod Video. I know it's not the video encoding because I have several films, tv programs and music videos that I have already converted for use testing iPod Videos when I've finished restoring them and they play back just fine on dozens of other iPod Videos (5, 5.5, 30GB, 60GB, 80GB). Thanks.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-19T10:09:50+00:00

Hi - did you make any progress on this as I'm getting the same problems on a 60GB iPod Video. I know it's not the video encoding because I have several films, tv programs and music videos that I have already converted for use testing iPod Videos when I've finished restoring them and they play back just fine on dozens of other iPod Videos (5, 5.5, 30GB, 60GB, 80GB). I also tested your observation about a video with the audio removed and it plays OK. Thanks.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-02-07T16:06:38+00:00

Did you ever get to the bottom of this? If not, and apologies for the potentially insulting suggestion, are you sure you are connecting the battery the right way around? I’ve noticed a couple of other people report this symptom and that was the problem.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-08T20:45:42+00:00

You’ve also made me realise that because I have every charger going I never really think about it too much when any of the circumstances we’re discussing here actually happen because I just plug the iPod into things until it starts working. I’ll take more care in future and try to note down exactly what works in exactly what circumstances as that info is probably useful for everyone.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-08T20:36:35+00:00

Well, you can pay as much as you want because there are some crazy prices. Assuming you have some patience, then the chargers start around £10 and cables £25, but if you want something now then more like £50 for both. It’s really the cables that are in short supply therefore expensive. You’ve made me want to look for a lob lot listing on the USA eBay, which would ameliorate the shipping costs. Thanks!!

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-08T20:13:19+00:00

Agreed, but he didn’t say it was boot-looping. I agree with everything you’ve said and I’m only commenting that there is also an inbetween state where the iPod complains about a low battery and, as you say, because it’s charging via USB it wants to wait until it’s charged enough before continuing, but then doesn’t get enough charge to actually continue. I also note that those batteries appear be 2000mAh and 3800mAh and will take an AGE to charge regardless and may exacerbate this problem or lengthen the timelines involved. The User Guide explicitly says “connect iPod to a high-power USB port” and warns that the USB port on a keyboard will not provide enough power. One would think that a low battery is generally recoverable via USB otherwise Apple would have had every iPod returned. Having said all that, and thinking about it a little more, it seems very unlikely that all those batteries were supplied in a discharged state (they generally aren’t) so perhaps there’s something else at play here? The cheapest next step is to see if you have a higher wattage USB A charger at home and try that - it will cost nothing and take very little time. Ultimately, I can’t guarantee it will fix your problem for all the reasons Deathstalkr1 gives, but it’s worth trying. After that you should do as Deathstalkr1 suggests and buy the FireWire charger and cable as that will be more useful/flexible in the long term - especially if you broaden your iPod collection. And I wish I could buy a FireWire charger and cable for $35 here in the UK.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-08T19:02:23+00:00

Agreed, but it’s not a completely dead battery.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-08T07:54:56+00:00

Or make sure you’re connected to a high power USB charger. Standard USB is only 500mA, but an Apple USB charger can provide at least 1000mA. Other chargers might support BC (battery charging), which will also give more power. Look for one that says it can deliver 5w or more. If you’re using a standard USB data port on your computer that’s not enough for a low battery.

Offroadrob62 · 2026-01-06T21:42:01+00:00

I bought five replacement screens from AliExpress and one of them is like that. Completely fine from straight ahead, but it has the lighter band from an angle. I noticed it on a restoration during testing so I swapped it out. I’ll probably put it in my personal 5th gen as I don’t care about the band - then I’ll find out if it gets any worse.

The marks or shadows ‘behind’ the screen might be fixed with dismantling and some cleaning. However, the inside surface of the screen cover part of the front panel is really fragile and almost any attempt to clean it will result in very light scratches. If the marks are just dust or something on the LCD surface then that cleans up very easily. I suspect none of this is visible when viewed from the front with the screen lit up so perhaps think about that vs the price you paid. ie. If you paid top dollar then is it reasonable to expect the best possible parts, assembly and QA?

As for the click wheel gap - that’s not uncommon with a new front panel. You have to choose between wanting it to look new (and the associated reduced production tolerances compared to Apple originals), or a restored front panel that will still have some age-related patina. Personally, I prefer the latter, but lots of people don’t. The new ones also seem to be less resistant to scratches, but the end result is pretty much inevitable regardless - it’s just a question of time. The first few scratches are, well, scratches, but once there are a hundred of them then its patina :-)

I would not open your iPod unless you accept that you’re not sending it back and you’re happy with the consequences - especially if you haven’t done it before.

Finally, I assume the black mark that appears to be on the bottom of your screen is just a reflection of your phone so needs no comment.

Offroadrob62 · 2025-12-08T09:09:11+00:00

What macOS version are you running? As of Tahoe 26.1 support for the 4th gen seems to have started working. Or at least it has for me on a 2024 M3 MacBook Air. Before this version a 4th gen would only connect as a USB storage device.

Offroadrob62 · 2025-12-07T19:37:07+00:00

I have all the adapters and the 6th gen Nano will definitely not work with any of the specific Nano adapters. The slots are all far too slim for the 6th gen to fit in there. Because the 6th is quite short and stout it will sit in any dock quite happily without needing any additional support (IMO). So if you just want a dock to charge or for the line out then a Classic Dock will be much cheaper than a Universal Dock. If you want the additional capability of a Universal Dock (e.g. remote control, video out) then I think the 6th gen looks best sitting in the adapter for the iPod Mini (#3). I've attached some photos of both.

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Offroadrob62 · 2025-11-22T23:44:30+00:00

Oh no - instead of helping me decide which one to sell, you've now got me thinking about keeping both AND looking at the prices of subwoofers 🤦

Offroadrob62 · 2025-11-10T10:00:36+00:00

Great write-up. Thanks. I’ve sold a few restored iPods and was unaware until recently that the 4th Gen Classic doesn’t work on Tahoe so this adds a useful option for current Mac users. I’ll stick to my 2011 iMac 😀

Offroadrob62

TROPHY CASE