Notes from installing Best Electronics' Proline Joystick Upgrade Kit

[+x=usr(1536)]

Both of the CX24 Proline joysticks that came with my 7800 years ago started showing signs of failure a few months back.  Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I ended up with two sticks that were in varying degrees of being on their last legs.  Some quick testing with the multimeter later, it was apparent that the joystick wiring was fine, but the PCBs had gone the way of all flesh.

 

Anyway, I ordered a pair of CB103154 CX24 upgraded PCB replacement sets from Best Electronics.  They arrived today and I installed them this evening; the following are notes from the installation, otherwise known as 'lessons I learned from doing this the hard way on the first joystick'.

 

Tools: Philips screwdriver, long tweezers, Vise-Grips.

 

1. Pretty much all of the work is going to be done inside the upper half of the casing.
2. Remove the lower screw on the back of the joystick first, then the upper.  Be sure to hold the case together as you do this.
3. Separate the case halves carefully so that the fire buttons don't go springing off into never-never land.
4. RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE PCBs AFTER CRACKING THE CASE OPEN.  NO NO NO NO NO DON'T DO IT BAD BAD BAD.
5. Now go ahead and replace the fire button PCBs one at a time to avoid confusing which one is the left button and which one is the right button.
6. Don't pull the joystick PCB out completely to remove the wiring; do it with the PCB in-situ.  This helps with avoiding the really fun time you'll have later with recreating the braid they were twisted into to route them correctly if you should happen to untwist it, and also leaves the terminals routed to where they need to be anyway.
7. Separating the joystick from the shaft: grab the ball end of the shaft with a pair of Vise-Grips, doing your best to not crush it.  Twist the Vise-Grips and joystick knob back and forth in opposite directions until you feel the joystick start to free up from the shaft and begin to twist easily.  Now pull them apart, putting the pulling force on the joystick knob, not the Vise-Grips.
8. Pride yourself on avoiding making double entendres involving all of the equipment (fnarr!) mentioned in the previous step.
9. Swap out the joystick PCB.
10. Reinstall the joystick, but don't put the knob back on yet.
11. Making sure that you're not pinching any wiring (the long tweezers come in handy here), reassemble the two halves of the casing.  The fire buttons can be fiddly to keep in place during this process.
12. Go play with your rejuvenated stick to make sure it works properly.  If it does, you can put the knob back: just slide it over the shaft until it feels like it won't go any further, then give it a good press straight down through the shaft.  You'll know for sure when it's in there all the way, and it'll be ready for hours and hours of fun.

 

[CPUWIZ]

I can't read, picture FAIL.

[+x=usr(1536)]

Good point.  Here it is with the upgrades installed:

 

 

Aaaaand here's the other one:

 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by x=usr(1536)

[+5-11under]

Good job on the second one.

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 minutes ago, 5-11under said:

Good job on the second one.

 

Thanks! Weirdly enough, that one was actually harder than the first one.  It's like everything on it was bass-ackwards for some reason.

Edited November 28, 2020 by x=usr(1536)