Well, this is fun...

[iamderek]

I'm building my first controls as we speak, everything is done except wiring.

It started out as a GameCube stick (for Ikaruga and SCII, basically), but after two fried circuit boards, I decided to change my console to PS/PS2 (just bought Virtua Fighter 4, after all).

Attempted it today, it looked easy, but...nope. Oh well, only five dollars wasted. Tomorrow I'll try again!

[hyiu]

well... when you get tired of firing your pads...

maybe you can bcast a msg here....

snaaake and others might be able to help you solder a pad with some little "handling fee"....

good luck....    

[tmasman]

I've soldered to a few PCBs before (including a couple of keyboard hacks) and I haven't yet "fried" anything.  When you guys mention that you fried a PCB, did you actually burn it, or just miss something & plug it in untested (causing it to be fried by the current when plugged in.).

I just want to know because I'm planning on hacking a few game-pads (maybe PS or gravis) and I don't have the money to burn, if you know what I mean.

Thanks!

[Aceldamor]

I don't know how much you know about soldering, but here is a nice website...

http://www.kingbass.com/soldering101.html

...it's fantastic and has a lot of tips and how-to pics showing you what you may not be doing.  

Lots of things to consider...

[iamderek]

No help needed, I got it working today! I'm so glad to be playing Virtua Fighter and Street Fighter with it finally...pics will be coming soon, if anyone cares!

[Generic Eric]

...I care

[iamderek]

Ehhh...I shouldn't have celebrated. I think I shorted something on it. Bleh!

[hyiu]

well.... if you have digicam... maybe you should still take a few pics on your fried pads.... and maybe equipments...

we might be able to help pin-point your pblm in soldering...

example... are you using a "fine tip" soldering iron ??...
are you using those solders that are finer type and already have those "rosin" (?? or whatever they're called... they help solder to stick to the board....)
or are you simply picking a bad place to solder

or go to a website and read over the instructions on soldering... (I mean... you might be doing something wrong...)

not to pick on you... but spending time and $$ getting 1 pad after another and then fried them..... it might be worthed to go over the details and find out what's wrong before wasting time and $$....

good luck...  

[SNAAAKE]

well... when you get tired of firing your pads...

maybe you can bcast a msg here....

snaaake and others might be able to help you solder a pad with some little "handling fee"....

good luck....    

Yup always up for it.takes me less then 15 min.

[iamderek]

Eh, I'll get it eventually, I'm just using horrible PSX controllers (>$5 each) so I'm just going to keep trying.