Q&A The Official Technical Issues Q&A thread (TV's, Controllers, gamecubes, etc)

[DRGN]

I got that off-brand classic controller I mentioned above and installed one of its new sticks into my controller a few days ago. I only replaced the mechanical parts; I didn't use the potentiometers that came with it, and instead used some spare official pots I had (they looked like they were better quality).

The new sticks in that classic controller are the old style -metal casing (I can post a picture of them if you'd like). Moving the stick from neutral to half way in any direction feels completely normal, but beyond that it feels like it has a little more resistance than original GC sticks (in particular, at least with the one I pulled out for my left stick, moving to the right beyond the half-way point feels like it's less smooth). But this feeling is very slight, and unnoticeable during play. I can't say that any technical mistakes while I've played with it were because of the joystick. A few rare times I've noticed that when trying to dashdance or run I've instead turned around or walked, but I can't be sure whether it's the stick, the used pots (though appearing to be in good condition (non-worn tracks)) I used, or just me. Ultimately I'd say those sticks are a good cheap fix.

However, to my great surprise, I've also found a shop that actually sells individual Wii/GC replacement joysticks! (It's a surprise to me because I've looked more than once before and have never found them.) They're here. They also sell replacement knobs.

 

[Bing]

Okay so at the last tournament I went to last weekend my control stick basically died, my c-stick and y button are now almost completely non-responsive and yeah.

Now I have a spare controller with a good c-stick, y button and control stick is fine, however theres no rubber.

So Im just wondering if its possible to switch the boxes but use my current stick.

aka switch to the spare box, but put my stick into the spare box.

 

[VietGeek]

Just dissemble both, and pull on the rubber thumbstick until they pop out. Replace and enjoy.

 

[Bing]

Im so pissed, it started acting up like this during pools at an Out of Province tournament. It completely shut down during friendlies the next day.

 

[VietGeek]

Huh, reading it again, you want your analog stick put into the spare controller. You'll need to de-solder both sticks, then solder back the desired stick onto the spare. A lot more work if you haven't done so before, but it's not necessarily hard.

 

[Bing]

Well, I want to take parts from the spare controller and put them into my current controller. However the stick from my spare has no rubber and is in rough shape itself, So Im looking to take my current control stick and put it into my spare box, then stick that whole rigged up piece into the current controller.

 

[VietGeek]

Well to be honest, I feel like all you need to do is take the spare C-stick and solder it onto the current controller. I think the Y-button probably has a bunch of dirt and grime on the plastic contact and that's why it's -currently- dead (until you clean the contacts and stuff). Of course there's no way to tell for sure without opening it up.

As for the rubber, I believe you know you can pull the rubber thumbstick off once you open the controller shell? So if the spare analog stick wasn't suffering from issues itself, you could have also swapped the rubber and go ahead with using your spare controller instead.

 

[Bing]

Okay yeah, I dont really need the y-button, I only used it for waveshines, and I can still do it with X. As for the rubber, I knew that but its like chewed and mangled :S

 

[DRGN]

Ha, that's actually what I was just talking about above your post: replacing sticks.

I'm not sure why it matters that the rubber is chewed up (unless they're ALL chewed up). What VietGeek is saying is that the thumb pad or knob that your thumb touches when you're playing is a separate piece from the inside "mechanics" of the joystick. So if you open up both controllers, the knob or "rubber" is easily swappable, individually from the rest of it.

And the A, B, X, Y, and Start buttons -even when dirt isn't the problem- are almost always very easy to fix as well.

 

[Bing]

I switched sticks and c-stick last night. The stick is meh, the y-button doesnt work(I cleaned it) and the c-stick works fine.

 

[odinNJ]

my l button is really sticky, like whenever i click it it takes a second to slide backup, when i wavedash it light shields automatically, help?

 

[VietGeek]

So is it physically "sticky" or do you mean the input is sticky?

If it's physically sticky, just take it apart, dissemble the L-trigger and clean everything with alcohol, including the area of the controller shell that the L-trigger juts out of.

If the input is sticky, still do everything above, and use some rubbing alcohol on the contact point where the L signal registers.

If this still doesn't work, then the L-trigger potentiometer (the "slider" so to speak) is bad and you'll need to do some soldering work as well as steal a good potentiometer from another GC pad, resolder it onto your preferred pad, and call it a day.

 

[ViperGold42]

yeah I have a problem with my GC controller, my C-stick does not work, Z button too but the rest of the controller works fine, any help?

 

[VietGeek]

If the Z-button no longer works, I'd pretty much say the pad is "dead" simply because it's such a pain to desolder the microswitch, let alone frankenstein one back on.

If the C-stick absolutely is unresponsive, either the daughterboard (the dangling board the C-stick exclusively rests on) is dead or the switches are dead. Either way, the solution will require soldering (as well as finding/procuring the proper replacement parts).

 

[standardtoaster]

DRGN, do you know of any other sites that sell replacement knobs?

 

[VietGeek]

I think other sites would get the knobs from the same supplier though. :/

Those knobs are honestly horrible if the stock picture is true to the item. There's no rubber; it's molded entirely from plastic, and it isn't sanded down properly like the official Nintendo knobs, so there is resistance in movement. The C-stick replacements are not much better (but for most games aside from Smash, they're much more tolerable).

 

[standardtoaster]

Do you know of any places where I could get a proper replacement knob? I don't want to have to buy a new controller just for it.

 

[Shai Hulud]

They are certainly individually replaceable, I've done so on multiple controllers. Requires soldering; but it's not very difficult once you learn how.

The problem I usually have is getting good replacement sticks to put in in the first place. It's easy to find replacement sticks for PS/360 controllers, but not so much GC. The other day I ordered an off-brand classic controller, to open it up and see what kind of sticks it has. I know people talk about how bad anything non-nintendo is, but I figured for 5 bucks it was worth a shot. Also I'm not really entirely impressed by Nintendo's sticks; I think they could be better (they're made of plastic after all >_>). Also, I recently found these, which seem to be GC size. My main concern is the size/shape of the post that the thumbstick slides onto and whether a GC knob could easily be put on there (though, albeit possibly better quality, they're $7 for one, as opposed to $5 for two).

You can put sticks from Wii classic controllers onto GCs. I have done this and it's always been considered legal at tourneys I've been to. There are advantages and disadvantages to using Wii sticks, due to them being longer. Advantages: Tilts are significantly easier. Harder to accidentally jump, etc. Easier to distinguish between angles when aiming Firefox and similar moves. Perfect wavedashes might be slightly easier. Disadvantages: Rapid SHFFls, SHL, etc., somewhat harder, especially for Fox. Rapid dash dancing more difficult. Takes slightly longer to Smash DI. Pivoting is slightly more difficult, if using DA dash method. Overall I don't think Wii sticks confer an advantage, and ultimately I went back to GC sticks, but if you are having trouble finding GC sticks it might be worth looking into.

 

[Shai Hulud]

my l button is really sticky, like whenever i click it it takes a second to slide backup, when i wavedash it light shields automatically, help?

If you have spare controllers you can easily replace the entire L trigger with one from another controller. There are a few different trigger designs in different versions of GC controllers though, and they may not all be completely interchangeable, but I think they are. The feel of the triggers varies from design to design though. Some of them are "sturdier" than others and take more force to depress. In general, more recent controllers like the grey ones are easier to depress, which could be good or bad depending on your preferences.

 

[odinNJ]

so it looks like i should clean everything, ok, also where do i get one of the hax screwdrivers with three prongs needed to open a gc controller

 

[VietGeek]

They're called Tri-wing screwdrivers. You could buy one from eBay or whatever for cheap, just be aware that economy shipping from Hong Kong takes at least a month usually.

You could buy domestically, and pay a little bit more upfront. In the end you'll be getting the same product.

 

[odinNJ]

sick thank you, also, i have one controller that has a c stick that works left and right, but not up or down.
Idea's?

 

[Bing]

I bought one off my friend for 15$ this morning. I also got a whole new circuit board for my controller, So I swapped the whole thing out. Unfortunately Now I have to break it in, Tournament next weekend, Impulse at the end of the month.

It was a used board but Its not to my liking so Im trying my best to break it in better.

 

[VietGeek]

sick thank you, also, i have one controller that has a c stick that works left and right, but not up or down.
Idea's?

One of the potentiometers (the black clips on the sides of the stick) is dead. Try picking one up from another GC pad I guess.

Unfortunately Now I have to break it in, Tournament next weekend, Impulse at the end of the month.

It was a used board but Its not to my liking so Im trying my best to break it in better.

Yeah, that's what I hate about pads - each one feels different. Nowadays I try to solder on my old stick to any new board I have to go through. My analog stick is so loose that it shakes when rumble is turned on, but the direction potentiometers don't go off so it's all good lol.

If I played Fox this would probably be near mythic "Fox controller" loose. So loose I can't even do aerials in Project:M, so Melee only, haha.

obv

 

[Bing]

Yeah Its too stiff to use Fox well at all, I feel like everything is off, I can barely wavedash and I cant waveshine.

The rest of my characters, even Falco are fine though :S

 

[DRGN]

If the Z-button no longer works, I'd pretty much say the pad is "dead" simply because it's such a pain to desolder the microswitch, let alone frankenstein one back on.

If the C-stick absolutely is unresponsive, either the daughterboard (the dangling board the C-stick exclusively rests on) is dead or the switches are dead. Either way, the solution will require soldering (as well as finding/procuring the proper replacement parts).

Wait, you solder/desolder joysticks on boards, but not z-buttons? I find z-buttons much easier! (Simply since there are less points to solder.) Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you mean by "pad".

There aren't any components on the daughterboard, so I don't see how one could fail.

DRGN, do you know of any other sites that sell replacement knobs?

Nope, unfortunately. I'm hoping that site restocks those so I can order a few. I'll let you know if I find them elsewhere though.

Those knobs are honestly horrible if the stock picture is true to the item. There's no rubber; it's molded entirely from plastic, and it isn't sanded down properly like the official Nintendo knobs, so there is resistance in movement. The C-stick replacements are not much better (but for most games aside from Smash, they're much more tolerable).

Have you bought these particular ones before? It's hard to tell, but it kind of looks to me like the sheath and pad are made of different materials.


Btw, anyone notice how two of the pictures for those knobs are inconsistent? The slot that slides onto the rest of the stick is different. lol So those pics might not be too reliable.

You can put sticks from Wii classic controllers onto GCs. I have done this and it's always been considered legal at tourneys I've been to. There are advantages and disadvantages to using Wii sticks, due to them being longer. Advantages: Tilts are significantly easier. Harder to accidentally jump, etc. Easier to distinguish between angles when aiming Firefox and similar moves. Perfect wavedashes might be slightly easier. Disadvantages: Rapid SHFFls, SHL, etc., somewhat harder, especially for Fox. Rapid dash dancing more difficult. Takes slightly longer to Smash DI. Pivoting is slightly more difficult, if using DA dash method. Overall I don't think Wii sticks confer an advantage, and ultimately I went back to GC sticks, but if you are having trouble finding GC sticks it might be worth looking into.

Lol, yeah, I know. A few posts back (after the post that you quoted) I posted about how I just did that and reviewed the sticks that I got from a cheap 3rd party Classic Controller.

Though reading your post again it seems like you were actually referring to the knobs/pads that come off on top of the joysticks. The mechanical part that attaches onto the circuit board is what I was talking about that I replaced.

 

[VietGeek]

Wait, you solder/desolder joysticks on boards, but not z-buttons? I find z-buttons much easier! (Simply since there are less points to solder.) Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you mean by "pad".

There aren't any components on the daughterboard, so I don't see how one could fail.

I don't know, I find sticks easier simply because they have prongs that "lock" down onto the board once you solder, while my few experiences with the Z-button microswitch were less than stellar. I'd rather solder something easier with a few more solder points than something that is more prone to positioning errors. That's just me though - I'll probably warm up to the idea if a Z-switch dies on me in recent time.

There's the C-stick potentiometers (if that's the proper term), which could malfunction, but I've also had a daughterboard cause shorts on the console before, so I surmised it dying is also a possibility (or the wires are damaged).

Have you bought these particular ones before? It's hard to tell, but it kind of looks to me like the sheath and pad are made of different materials.

Btw, anyone notice how two of the pictures for those knobs are inconsistent? The slot that slides onto the rest of the stick is different. lol So those pics might not be too reliable.

No, not the particular ones from that shop, but there's a tendency for 3rd party goods to originate from the same supplier. But yeah, the pictures aren't consistent so it's fair game to take a shot at them if one really needs a new knob.

P.S: I think if one sands the knock-off knob's "hemisphere" area to a finer degree, I think it could pass off as a replacement. Haven't tried it though, but someone with high-grit sandpaper could. I dunno.

 

[DRGN]

Oh I see. I usually consider the potentiometers (yeah, that's the proper term. or "pots" for short) as part of the stick. Probably because I usually replace them together. Do you? (Maybe that's why I consider z-buttons easier. ) The shorting must have been from the wires or the stick's pots.

Lol reading through your post is like a jaunt in the Safari Zone. :D

 

[VietGeek]

Well, I have quite a few 1st-party stick potentiometers lying around, and they all seem to work fine, so I tend to keep using a set and just switch out the analog stick.

I believe the shorting was caused by a nick in the daughterboard that probably interrupted a line. Oh well, so as long as I have my "Fox controller," I'm content. Haha.

On a side note, I would love to own the Char Gundam controller shell.

 

[Bing]

I want the Gundam shell so bad!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have the Emerald one, but I dont use it. I use the Gold one I won at Apex, not touching the emerald one lol.

 

[Soft Serve]

So i'm looking for a good quality capture card to record smash, and I was wondering if there is a definitive best device to record with. All the ones I have found have said it's video system is 30fps, would that mean it would only record half of all the frames in a melee match? I know it's a stupid question but some clarification would be nice.
Some people in this thread said dazzle sucks while others swear by it, while those easy caps look too cheap to work well and haupaugges (sp?) are far to expensive.

 

[Shai Hulud]

so it looks like i should clean everything, ok, also where do i get one of the hax screwdrivers with three prongs needed to open a gc controller

You actually don't need a triwing, a 2mm flathead will work, and these are easier to find locally. Though if I were you I'd just buy a triwing on amazon, you can get one for $5 - $10 including shipping.

Soft-Serve, it probably won't matter if it's 30FPS, supposedly the human eye can't detect more than that, so I doubt you would even notice the difference between a 30FPS and 60FPS recorder. Though I could be wrong...

 

[KrIsP!]

So i'm looking for a good quality capture card to record smash, and I was wondering if there is a definitive best device to record with. All the ones I have found have said it's video system is 30fps, would that mean it would only record half of all the frames in a melee match? I know it's a stupid question but some clarification would be nice.
Some people in this thread said dazzle sucks while others swear by it, while those easy caps look too cheap to work well and haupaugges (sp?) are far to expensive.

AFAIK Melee plays at 24 FPS and 30FPS is good anyways. Just because our eyes are able to see up to 60 FPS doesn't mean that is a 100% in which 30 FPS would be missing half of what's happening, besides, day to day your eyes only see 20 FPS or something.

Edit: It just won't be HD.

 

[VietGeek]

I hope you mean most Melee videos play within the 24-30 FPS range. Melee runs at 60 FPS. At 24 FPS it would be an unplayable experience lol.

 

[KrIsP!]

I hope you mean most Melee videos play within the 24-30 FPS range. Melee runs at 60 FPS. At 24 FPS it would be an unplayable experience lol.

oh no lol. I'd like to see someone triple shine if it ran in 24 fps.

 

[AceDudeyeah]

Edit: Nevermind

 

[Anth0ny]

I'm interested in picking up an ASUS VH236H, which is famous for being the monitor used for Evo.

As great as it will be for my MVC3 practice, it only accepts HDMI input. Is there any chance I can use it with Melee (or non HDMI consoles in general) with a small amount of lag? Is there a way to hook up my Cube? I've seen Melee played lagless on LCD monitors before.

 

[odinNJ]

ive seen melee played on an lcd monitor with no lag.

the shocking secret,

plug in the cords and turn it on

 

[Anth0ny]

ive seen melee played on an lcd monitor with no lag.

the shocking secret,

plug in the cords and turn it on

I'd love to know where you bought your magical HDMI Gamecube!

 

[odinNJ]

I was kidding, i am relatively sure he had some funky adaptor, no lag too, it was pretty cool.
i wish i had a link for though, sorry.