PC Engine pad refurbishment

[GohanX]

If there's one thing I hate, it's a worn, used controller.  It feels like a dead fish in my hands. 

My original system was a US Turbo Duo bought new from TZD not that long ago.  The pad still felt new and crisp when I sold it.  I just today finally got a Duo R, and it came with the normal white Duo pad and a PC Engine shuttle controller.  The Duo pad is just gone, it works but it's hard to hit diagonals, and the buttons barely move when you press them. The shuttle controller is a bit better, but still a tad worn.

My question is this, is there a good way to go about making the pads feel like new again? I was thinking two things- if I can gut another system's controllers and swipe the button contact pads (you know, the rubber piece that the button actually presses) and make it fit it would feel better. Either that, or I could just order a new Turbopad from TZD and swap out the internal components to the white Duo pad.

Of course, I could just replace the cable in the Turbopad, but the yellow and orange of the TG16 controller is a total cock block to the sensuality of the beautiful Duo R.

[nat]

pm sent

[COUNT SMRIFNACK]

When I got my Duo R the white controller's pad and buttons were all loose feeling.  So I took the soft pieces out of my TG controller that is missing a cord. Felt good as new.

[GohanX]

Nat's going to send me the soft bits for the two controllers, so I think I will be good to go. Now I just need to clean the PCE pad to actually make it white again.

[spenoza]

I wish there was an affordable way to make new soft bits for controllers. Can that kind of rubber be poured at home? I mean, it wouldn't be too hard to make a mold, necessarily...

[nat]

I'm not really up on rubber manufacturing, but I have some extra sets of rubber inserts for these pads.

If someone were to figure out how to manufacture new ones, I'd be very interested. I think Nodtveidt was looking into making replacement TurboPads at one point.

[guyjin]

The rubber bits in NES pads are availiable from some electronics stores - if they don't fit out of the box, it shouldn't be too hard to modify them.

[futureman2000]

I can confirm that this works- the NES rubber bit that under B and A fit under II and I on the pc engine pad with no modification required. I'm not sure that it would be as "springy" as a new Pc-Engine pad, but it's working great for me.

[Flare65]

I can confirm that this works- the NES rubber bit that under B and A fit under II and I on the pc engine pad with no modification required. I'm not sure that it would be as "springy" as a new Pc-Engine pad, but it's working great for me.

What about the directional pad?  I'd be curious to know.

[futureman2000]

It looked like the directional pad would require modification, but I think it would be the right size to work on the pc-engine pad contacts.

[GohanX]

Whoa! Blast from the past thread!

[BigusSchmuck]

I wonder how hard it would be to convert an old nes controller to a pc engine... Hmm...

[thesteve]

it would require (1) 4 channel 2 to 1 multiplexer

[MotherGunner]

I wonder how hard it would be to convert an old nes controller to a pc engine... Hmm...

Here you go.  =)

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxwY2Vtb2R6fGd4OjU4Yzc4OGRhNjVlMTFlM2Q

[DragonmasterDan]

I'm not really up on rubber manufacturing, but I have some extra sets of rubber inserts for these pads.

If someone were to figure out how to manufacture new ones, I'd be very interested. I think Nodtveidt was looking into making replacement TurboPads at one point.

I've used ones from an NES repair kit in a PC engine pad before, at least for the D-pad.

[GohanX]

NES pad kits are a dime a dozen, this is good to know.

[DragonmasterDan]

NES pad kits are a dime a dozen, this is good to know.

You may have to clip off one side of it as the hooks aren't in the same place, but it lines up fine and has worked for me.