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

[Xyzz]

Most likely your potentiometers are ****ed up. Open the controllelr and check the plastic things on the sides of your stick-box. Open them, clean them (coincidentally I just did that to some controllers of mine, using some q-tips. Might remember to tell you about the results later lol) and hope stuff will work out again :D.

 

[Oasys17]

I'm sure this question has been asked before, but does anyone know of a good place to go to get an old cube restored/checked out? Mine doesn't seem to like reading discs all the way through =\

 

[iRobinhoood]

Would an A/V amplifier such as http://gizmosforlife.store.rakuten....ifiers-4-out/90117505.html?listingId=10083265 that one cause any lag? Wii/GC -> amplifier -> TV.

 

[pokemongeof]

A few questions.

Is it bad that Im recording with component cables, an HDTV, and a Roxio?

Also, how do I get VirtualDub to Record perfectly. When it records the footage is messed up with lines in it and the audio is desynced.

 

[Kadano]

component: Good, unless you confused that with composite (yellow-white-red; component is red-green-blue)

HDTV: Bad

Roxio: Be more specific. Roxio is a company that makes more than one product suitable for recording.

The lines are normal, unless you play Melee in progressive mode (requires a component cable). You need to deinterlace them. The easiest way is by applying Virtualdub's Yadif filter.
Audio desyncs might be fixed by trying different sync options, but I won't get into detail as I've never managed to get Vdub to stay in sync through long sessions on my PC. I use DScaler now and have no desync issues with it.

 

[pokemongeof]

Thanks for the info.

B4 I had a CRT to play on but my mom replaced it with an HDTV.

Im using a Roxio Game Capture. The regular one

 

[4 Aces]

If a Melee disc becomes unreadable, is there a way to make it work again? The disc specifically; I believe the Wii is working fine.

 

[pokemongeof]

Another question.

My FIRST Party Gamecube controller randomly light shields or shields. I think it maybe the R trigger.

Any advice or help?

 

[Xyzz]

Same as always:
Get a triwing screw driver (no, I don't care how hard it is to get one of those as a thirteen year old luigi player), open the controller and clean everything that might need cleaning. In your case that'd be the springs in the triggers.
And because Kadano is such an awesome guy (I really need to visit Austria for some Smash again... :D) there even is a thread on that: http://smashboards.com/threads/tech...n-gamecubes-controllers-tvs-recording.335040/

 

[pokemongeof]

thanks for the advice. I shall try to get it fixed

 

[pokemongeof]

Sorry for double post.

My random shielding was less 2day. in fact, it even helped me when i couldn't shield fast enough!

I hope that isn't counted as a controller mod

 

[4 Aces]

If a Melee disc becomes unreadable, is there a way to make it work again? The disc specifically; I believe the Wii is working fine.

Anyone know how to fix this?

 

[Kadano]

See section 1.1 in the thread linked both in the OP and Xyzz’ last post. If that doesn’t help, there is a trick that involves rubbing toothpaste on it … just Google it.

 

[Elyssa Xey Hexen]

Is there any way to determine how much lag a TV has? I am using an LD-2240 Westinghouse and I honestly cannot tell if there is lag or not.

 

[Xyzz]

Hold a super slow-mo camera to it and a controller, and watch the footage. (of e.g. a finger pressing the b button and how many frames later a shine happens)

Probably not helpful, since few people have those lying around (although they aren't really expensive anymore) ... but that's what we did :D

 

[Jayk]

My Melee disc is slightly scratched preventing me from playing a couple of stages (Pokemon Stadium and Dreamland are the relevant ones). Does anyone know how to fix this? I've heard toothpaste works or something?

 

[Kadano]

Yeah, it might help. http://www.wikihow.com/Repair-a-CD-With-Toothpaste

 

[Near²]

The toothpaste method works if the scratches are very superficial.

 

[Jayk]

Thanks. Will try it out. I believe it should work, the scratches don't look like anything serious.

 

[MaPow]

I found an old controller from my youth, and the stick feels amazing, and everything else feels great. Although, the A button doesn't work at all. So I took it apart, nothing looked wrong, but the button still doesn't work. Does anyone know if this is possible to fix?

 

[Moy]

Just a couple days ago, I was practicing and notice that my controller's control stick started making these faint clicking noises that I hadn't picked up on before. It's easiest to hear when I move my control stick all the way up, then bring it down slowly past the halfway mark of the octagonal region. I've had three controllers before this one and have never noticed it; I've been using this one for the past 3 years or so with no problems (it's an orange spice). Could it have something to do with me disconnecting something in the stick itself? It's kind of annoying.

 

[Kadano]

http://smashboards.com/threads/tech...n-gamecubes-controllers-tvs-recording.335040/ (linked in the op of this thread)
Section 2.5, you probably have design 1. Because of its low modularity, it’s impossible to repair it unless the cause is just dirt. If it really bothers you, you’ll have to open it up.

 

[Moy]

http://smashboards.com/threads/tech...n-gamecubes-controllers-tvs-recording.335040/ (linked in the op of this thread)
Section 2.5, you probably have design 1. Because of its low modularity, it’s impossible to repair it unless the cause is just dirt. If it really bothers you, you’ll have to open it up.

I opened it up and found that whenever I bring the stick down from it's highest position, the little white circular piece on top of the metal box (not sure what it's called) seems pop up just slightly; is that what is making the noise? I'm really not sure if there's anything at all I could do to keep it from doing that.

Also, I've read your guide; really helpful stuff man. Was the only reason i was able to identify this in the first place.

 

[Kadano]

I opened it up and found that whenever I bring the stick down from it's highest position, the little white circular piece on top of the metal box (not sure what it's called) seems pop up just slightly; is that what is making the noise? I'm really not sure if there's anything at all I could do to keep it from doing that.

I take it you only opened the controller, but not the potentiometer box? You have to to find out the real cause. Section 2.3 covers taking it apart.
Also, in the pics in 2.5, I assigned letters to the parts so you can refer to them more easily.

 

[Moy]

I take it you only opened the controller, but not the potentiometer box? You have to to find out the real cause. Section 2.3 covers taking it apart.
Also, in the pics in 2.5, I assigned letters to the parts so you can refer to them more easily.

Part F is the piece that seems to be popping up for some reason. I guess my question is whether or not parts D or E would be doing something to affect F's behavior in any way. My only fear is that if i am to take it apart, I wouldn't be able to put it back together.

 

[Kadano]

Part F is the piece that seems to be popping up for some reason.

Now I understand your problem, I also encountered it once or twice.
Parts F has thinned out by rubbing against G so much that there is space between F and G. Now if F is pressed in one direction, it can slide in and get stuck temporarily. Moving it in the other direction pushes it out again, resulting in that clicking sound and feel.
The best solutions are 2.6/3 and 2.6/4. Don’t be afraid of taking it apart, putting it back together is really easy.

 

[Moy]

Now I understand your problem, I also encountered it once or twice.
Parts F has thinned out by rubbing against G so much that there is space between F and G. Now if F is pressed in one direction, it can slide in and get stuck temporarily. Moving it in the other direction pushes it out again, resulting in that clicking sound and feel.
The best solutions are 2.6/3 and 2.6/4. Don’t be afraid of taking it apart, putting it back together is really easy.

Ahh, that makes sense; i'll have to go out and buy the glue and grease. It's not a huge deal, as it isn't affecting my play at all, but thanks a heap for the help.

 

[Qvando]

Hi, is there anyway to make the buttons on your controller less clicky and more squishy or anyway to break the controller in faster?

 

[Heero Yuy]

Why whenever I plug in one of my (old) controllers, the pointer hand keeps moving up even though I leave it perfectly idle? It happens even when I'm just tech practicing - almost as if there's a magical hand pressing upward on my idle GC controller.

 

[danieljosebatista]

Hey guys, I popped out my gamecube controller joystick and replaced it with a Wii nunchuk joystick. Would there be anything against the rules about this in tournament?

 

[Kadano]

Hey guys, I popped out my gamecube controller joystick and replaced it with a Wii nunchuk joystick. Would there be anything against the rules about this in tournament?

No. That rule will only be enforced against functional improvements like a waveshine button.

By the way, did you use an original Wii nunchuk? If yes, what did the stick box look like? Did it have a metal or a plastic housing?

 

[danieljosebatista]

No. That rule will only be enforced against functional improvements like a waveshine button.

By the way, did you use an original Wii nunchuk? If yes, what did the stick box look like? Did it have a metal or a plastic housing?

Thanks! The stick box is basically identical to the one in the gamecube controller. It's a metal box with (I think?) a plastic stick.

 

[Kadano]

Thanks! The stick box is basically identical to the one in the gamecube controller. It's a metal box with (I think?) a plastic stick.

Thanks. Well, there are 3 different types of stick boxes in GCCs. Type 1 and 2 have a metal housing and type 3 has a plastic housing. 1 and 2 are fairly easy to replace, but for 3 I don’t know any cheap replacements. (For more info, see the thread linked at the top of the op in this thread)

 

[Deathconsciousness]

how do I loosen up the analog stick on my GC controller? It's stiff as hell; makes for very awkward play. :/

 

[Deathconsciousness]

how do I loosen up the analog stick on my GC controller? It's stiff as hell; makes for very awkward play. I can't dash all the time when I want to.

 

[Kadano]

how do I loosen up the analog stick on my GC controller? It's stiff as hell; makes for very awkward play. :/

Is it an original controller? If not, get one.
If yes: Open it up and put grease (silicon grease if you want to be on the safe side) in the stick box (refer to the link at the top of the op for further instructions). If you have a type 1 or 2 pot, you can also cut off a bit of the spring, but I don’t recommend this. If the controller is new, it will eventually get better after playing.

The edit button is at the left side on the bottom end of your post.

 

[DRGN]

You don't want to put grease in the potentiometers. You want to put it in the box that houses the mechanical parts of the joystick.

 

[Kadano]

You don't want to put grease in the potentiometers. You want to put it in the box that houses the mechanical parts of the joystick.

So far, I’ve understood that box to be an extension of the two potentiometers, but I guess you’re right that potentiometer is not a correct term here. Do you know a better specific one?

 

[DRGN]

I'm not sure what to call it either. I usually just describe it as 'the mechanical parts of the joystick' or 'joystick box' when I'm talking about it.

I think I would call the pots extensions of the joystick box if anything, just because they're attached to the outside of the box, plus the box is what's mounted. Sure, the pots are attached to the board too, but just for conductivity, the joystick box is what really gives everything stability.

Anyway.... Hmm, I guess the term "joystick box" seems to work. lol

 

[Deathconsciousness]

Thanks guys, much appreciated!