Hardware & Technical Fixed/modded my TM16000m

[huwthomas]

The trigger switch on my t16000m started to fail after a year's use (been playing since Alpha), perhaps not unreasonable but still disappointing.

On opening the stick up, I found that the switch is a standard 6mm x 6mm button, luckily I had several of these in stock from the batch I ordered for building a couple of EDTrackers. The old switch was a bit of a pig to desolder from the circuit board cleanly; I'm not that great at soldering but I got there in the end

The new switch was taller (at 7mm total height) than the original, which had the desirable side-effect of removing the pseudo-two-stage trigger pull; it feels much more precise/expensive now. I also removed the spring that provides resistance during the first stage of the pull ... I think that spring might be why the switch failed in the first place, since it encourages you to apply more force than is necessary.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend replacing the switch just to eliminate the two-stage pull, but it might be worth removing the spring.

Only thing to watch out for is that apart from the trigger and pov hat, all the switches on this stick consist of conductive pads that sit directly on the circuit board, so if you do disassemble your stick, great care that these pads don't fall out and get lost.

 

[Beowulf Gravenstone]

Thanks for the tip. I fly with twin T16000s (configured for left and right hands) and the trigger on my primary stick is likewise getting flaky (after only about 3 months, which is pretty disappointing; I don't play THAT much!).

I was considering replacing it as you describe, but I wasn't sure what kind of replacement switch to get. The one you are using sounds perfect (I'd also like to eliminate the 2-stage pull - not sure who thought that was a good idea).

Could you post the actual part number and ideally where you got your switches from? I want to make sure I get the exact same kind. As you noted, there are little variations in dimensions between otherwise-equivalent switches. I'd rather avoid the hassle of getting my stick open and then discovering that the switch I bought won't quite fit.

Thanks!

 

[huwthomas]

Here is an ebay link to the kind of button:

6x6mm Momentary Tactile Mini Miniature Push Button Switch PCB Mounted SPST

These switches come with various height buttons, I can't be 100% sure of the height because the purchase was too long ago for the order details still to be on ebay. However the total height of my switch appears to be 7mm, and the button itself is 3mm - 4mm high. The original switch has a lower profile button, allowing space for the 2-stage trigger. With the 7mm high switch there is still a tiny bit of play. If you're not sure you could always insert the switch into the PCB holes without soldering, reassemble, and make sure it clicks when you press the trigger.

edit: it may be worth checking the design lifespan of the switch you buy for this, I've seen various figures with the most being 1 million operations, which might not actually be that much for a fire button in ED! In my next session I plan to capture the number of presses in an hour of play.