GX4000 broken pins on Joystick port 2

[reno]

Hi,

I've just bought a used GX4000 and unfortunately 2 pins (7 and 8 ) are broken on joy port 2 (I found them in the female gamepad connector)
I wonder how easy this would be to repair ?

- Should I even try soldering the pins back into the connector (I predict a lot of melted plastic and frustration !)
- If not, can I buy any standard DB9 male connector to replace it, such as this one ?

There seems to be two very small diodes soldered to pins 6 & 7 on the PCB. They go over other pins so they need to be removed in order to desolder them.
I can do easy solders but I'm clearly not the best with a soldering iron, I'm a bit worried about destroying them with heat or not being able to put them back in.
What would you do in my shoes ?

[reno]

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[Bryce]

The sockets used on the GX4000 were the cheapest crap they could find. They are often broken on these machines. First off, forget about soldering the pins back in. It won't work for more than a week and it will be messy to do. You need to replace the entire connector. As for the diodes, you only need to unsolder the side at the connector, then you can bend the diode away, replace the connector and then solder them back in place to the new connector. However, the connectors are relatively difficult to remove/replace because they have soldered rivets on both sides that are a real pain in the arse to remove without destroying the PCB. If you don't think you are up to this, then find someone who has more soldering experience. It's not an easy job.

Bryce.

[TotO]

However, the connectors are relatively difficult to remove/replace because they have soldered rivets on both sides that are a real pain in the arse to remove without destroying the PCB.

I suggest to drill the rivets and next unsolder the pins.

[Bryce]

They're not actual rivets (the round one's you can normally drill out). They are 4 hard metal flared pins that have been filled in the centre with solder. They could possibly be drilled out, but it would be difficult and I'd definitely recommend safety glasses while doing it.

Bryce.

[reno]

The sockets used on the GX4000 were the cheapest crap they could find. They are often broken on these machines. First off, forget about soldering the pins back in. It won't work for more than a week and it will be messy to do. You need to replace the entire connector. As for the diodes, you only need to unsolder the side at the connector, then you can bend the diode away, replace the connector and then solder them back in place to the new connector. However, the connectors are relatively difficult to remove/replace because they have soldered rivets on both sides that are a real pain in the arse to remove without destroying the PCB. If you don't think you are up to this, then find someone who has more soldering experience. It's not an easy job.

Bryce.

Thanks,


I definitely trust your judgment with hardware repairs, but from your description I don't quite understand what makes the rivets difficult to remove, so I can't judge if I'm up for the job. Once you've removed as much solder as possible from the rivets, what are the next steps ?

If anyone has the same problem : I have found the datasheet for the original part, it's #177028-2 from the "AMPLIMITE HD-20 series" range.




I have found a few modern equivalents at Farnell here, but I'm not sure which ones in this list will definitely work.


I might just sell the console. Is it possible at least to use a joystick doubler in port 1 on the GX4000 ?

[Bryce]

Ok. What you need to do is remove as much solder as possible from inside the rivet. Then while it's still hot you need to push the 4 "claws" into the middle of the hole. Removing the solder is the difficult bit (as you'll find out). Especially as they are soldered to the ground plane.


Bryce.

[reno]

Ok. What you need to do is remove as much solder as possible from inside the rivet. Then while it's still hot you need to push the 4 "claws" into the middle of the hole. Removing the solder is the difficult bit (as you'll find out). Especially as they are soldered to the ground plane.

Ok I understand, so you need tweezers I guess to squeeze the claws inside the hole, while holding the iron at the same time. Sounds like a bit of a nightmare. 


What about using a joystick doubler in port 1, would that work ?

[Bryce]

The claws are pretty stiff metal, you'll need to use a pliers, not a tweezers. I'm not sure all the signals are wired up for doubler, you'd have to check.

Bryce.

[gerald]

The claws are pretty stiff metal, you'll need to use a pliers, not a tweezers. I'm not sure all the signals are wired up for doubler, you'd have to check.

Bryce.

According to the schematics, port 1 is wired for doubler, port 2 is not.

[reno]

I've found this video which is helpful :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J60edbOd0GU

This one doesn't have diodes on pins 6 & 7, oddly enough.
In the end he has to use a Dremel to destroy the old connector so he can remove the rivets one by one instead of both together.
So, I'm not gonna do this. Console is going to eBay.