WTB - Someones elite fine soldering skills

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CokemonZ

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#318111 16-Dec-2024 14:09

I have 4 xbox one controllers experiencing controller drift.

Through watching some youtube it appears to be the potentiometers associated with the sticks.

I've sourced replacement potentiometers but the soldering skills required are beyond me.

Anyone capable?

Prefer Auckland based and happy to pay a reasonable fee.

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#3321282 16-Dec-2024 15:17

I'm located central North Shore. I have one controller I was going to do the same for, just haven't got around to it yet. Pretty sure I could help.

neb

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#3321283 16-Dec-2024 15:17

It's not actually that tricky, with the subject line I was expecting 0805 SMD devices but that's standard through-hole. The trick isn't the soldering, it's de-soldering without damaging anything, it looks like there's a bunch of 0402s or something (C24, C26, ...) fairly close to where you'd be applying heat to the pot so you may need someone with a desoldering gun to get the solder off quickly without heating the surrounding area too much.

MadEngineer

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#3321284 16-Dec-2024 15:21

I’m Whanganui based if you can’t get hold of someone in AK

Just cover freight.

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cshaun

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#3321286 16-Dec-2024 15:23

LOL yes. I thought the same from the subject line. Then looked, and realized it's pretty easy/standard stuff.
Just probably 3x2x4=24 points to de-solder and re-solder. Often just one stick that gets used more than the other that develops drift.

Gordy7

gordy7
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#3321287 16-Dec-2024 15:26

Looks like a classic manufacturing solder joint fracture issue.

Gordy

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neb

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#3321291 16-Dec-2024 15:31

Gordy7:

Looks like a classic manufacturing solder joint fracture issue.

Well spotted! Maybe initially just apply some heat to reflow the solder?

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toejam316

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#3321293 16-Dec-2024 15:35

Yeah I was doing some repairs on a blue yeti mic and have realized I need a desoldering gun :D

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neb

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#3321344 16-Dec-2024 15:46

I had a (very) quick look on Ali to see if you could get something to plug into the near-universal T12 controllers since it seems pretty trivial, but haven't found anything from a quick scan, just very pricey dedicated stations.

Edited to add: It looks like you can get fairly cheap standalone units which are just a desolder pump with a heating element, e.g. this or this, but I'm not sure how much I'd trust those in terms of having 240V close to an exposed metal rod that you're putting onto circuit elements. With 2-pin plugs it's definitely not earthed.

Second edit: Here's a review and teardown (there's a few others as well who rate the performance positively), performance seems to be OK but the design is as spartan as you'd expect, unfortunately he never checks for electrical isolation in the linked review.

Gordy7

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#3321350 16-Dec-2024 16:04

neb:

Gordy7:

Looks like a classic manufacturing solder joint fracture issue.

Well spotted! Maybe initially just apply some heat to reflow the solder?

Heat and reflow (with solder and flux) would be my initial thoughts - but I don't know what other stresses occur on these pots when in use.

Gordy

My first ever AM radio network connection was with a 1MHz AM crystal(OA91) radio receiver.

Jaxson

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#3321354 16-Dec-2024 16:15

Yeah I've had a play with this and it's a pain in the on the desoldering side.

Having a tool to assist with this is important.

Scotdownunder

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#3321381 16-Dec-2024 17:24

Back in the day I used a desoldering wick which was a narrow strip of copper braid 😀

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Radiotron

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#3321397 16-Dec-2024 18:56

If you're still stuck, PM me, I'm in the northwest of the Auck, I have desoldering tools, I don't mind doing small job if you can get the bits to me and collect.

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Technofreak

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#3321424 16-Dec-2024 21:40

I'd go with Gordy's suggestion first. Looks like there is a dry joint in the photo. Very often these sorts of problems have simple solutions.

Otherwise I just use a temperature controlled iron and a solder sucker on jobs like this.

https://www.thetoolshed.co.nz/product/15555-toolshed-solder-sucker

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johno1234

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#3321455 17-Dec-2024 07:13

Scotdownunder:
Back in the day I used a desoldering wick which was a narrow strip of copper braid 😀

^ this.
Very effective and easy.

CokemonZ

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#3321456 17-Dec-2024 07:16

Thanks all.

The issue with solder on the controller above I think is because I've bent it open, prior to that was working, just with drift.

I've pm'd @cshaun and he's going to give them a crack.

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