Permanent Fix for Saitek x55 Pro Rhino HOTAS
Ok guys... everyone with a Saitek x55 (and the x56 Pro) Rhino has experienced, that huge design stuff up with the wires breaking on the throttle controller is extremely disappointing. Especially because the x55/x56 is a fantastic HOTAS when everything is working. Just enough buttons for anything you might need and extremely functional and ergonomic (except for some extremely minor flaws). But the 1 problem that stands out above all others is the wires breaking at the throttle controller.
For most people, they opt to throw it out and buy another controller. Some try and re-solder the wires only to have them break after 4-6 months.
Well...... Mr PC Fixit, in collaboration with Impulse Audio Visual in Melbourne (www.impulseav.com.au) have found a permanent fix for this problem. Maybe Saitek and Logitech can join the discussion and takes notes as well.
The Problem
The wires that come from the top hand-held part of the throttle controller to the base, are at a very very sharp angle. With the constant up and down motion, it causes the wires to quite literally snap after some usage.
Current Solutions
There are threads and posts online with people saying that you should tape up the wires to form 1 big group which will give it more strength and increase the time needed for this problem to happen again. The problem with this solutions is......it will happen again.
Real Solution.
What you will need.
I went to Jaycar and purchased a 16 Core Rainbow Cable (CAT NO WM4516). This particular cable uses multi-strands per core (unlike the current wires in the HOTAS which are a single copper strand). Also purchase some shrink wrap and zip ties.
If you're going to do this at home, take a photo of everything before you start cutting things for future reference. If you aren't confident with a soldering iron, give the guys at Impulse Audio Visual a call and they happily help (for a small fee). They have all this on record as we developed this fix together.
Next, strip each core from the ribbon until you have single strands of the various colours.
Now pull your Throttle controller apart. Unscrew the million wires at the base along with the million more on the left handle.
There are 2 more on the inside right where the wires pass through from the handle to the base. Might need a torch to see them in dark areas but they are there.
Take note where the wires pass from on the handle so you can pass the new wires from the same spot.
Select 8 wires which match the colours to the existing wires I cut about a 50cm of wires just as a starting point. Pass them through the shrink-wrap (but DO NOT heat it up yet). From the handle part, un-solder the existing wires and re-solder the new ones on there. KEEP THE EXISTING COLOUR WIRES IN THE SAME SPOTS.
Once you've done that, give an extra 5mm of wire into the handle and heat the shrink wrap up until the base of the handle +5cm beyond that. MOST IMPORTANT NOT TO DO THE WHOLE THING YET.
Now, put the handle back into its place and put the extra 2 screws from the inside as well.
On the base, you will see where the wires currently run. You will see some hot-glue holding them down. Slowly with a pair of pointy pliers, break that glue and unwind the 8 wires that we are working on from the thicker Red & White wires that are there.
Follow our 8 wires to where the clip is and just unclip it. It makes it easier to work on.
Looking at the photos on this post (named Wiring Redesign), you'll see where you want the new wires to go. When the throttle is all the way up, you want to have enough wire to still form at arc with no sharp bends. When it is all the way down, you want it to hit the edge of the plastic housing. Unfortunately, I didn't measure it exactly how much cable you'll need but you get the picture.
So... instead of the wires running up the top of the housing and bending sharply, they will now be running towards the bottom of the housing and just arching.
with your hands, hold the wire along the inside of the grooves and place a mark at the end where you can see the hot-glue in the photo Now, cut the end of 1 of the zip ties and run it inside the shrink-wrap making sure it reaches where the hot-glue is. Hold it in place with your hand and use a lighter to heat the remaining shrink-wrap. You put the ziptie in to stop the cable from folding at 1 spot, there-for never have this stupid problem of wires breaking again. It also acts as a guide for how you want the wires to arch, not fold.
Next, I used a paid of pliers to break off a very small part of the slider cross-piece for the cable to sit into. No more than about 5-10mm.
Now, solder the new wiring cables to the existing wires with the clip. Needless to say, keep the colours the same.
Lastly, use hot-glue in the 2 spots that you see in the photo and you're done.
I'm going to stress test this controller for the next 6 months, but for all intents and purposes, this could well be a permanent fix for the Saitek x55 & x56 pro Rhino HOTAS.
*Differences between description and photos*
I mentioned to separate each core from the ribbon, but in the photos they are primarily still together. After I put the whole thing together, I found that the shrink wrap I used was too big and wouldn't allow the handle to clip back into place with the base. Had I separated each strand and used a smaller shrink-wrap, it would have looked neater and made it a lot easier to work on.
Handle Photo 1 - http://i.imgur.com/I16q6jV.jpg
Handle Photo 2 - http://i.imgur.com/sVQJ5rY.jpg
Handle Photo 3 - http://i.imgur.com/7XflGWu.jpg
Handle Photo 4 - http://i.imgur.com/kXm4F5h.jpg
Base Wiring Fix - http://i.imgur.com/zXI3nqn.jpg
Ok guys... everyone with a Saitek x55 (and the x56 Pro) Rhino has experienced, that huge design stuff up with the wires breaking on the throttle controller is extremely disappointing. Especially because the x55/x56 is a fantastic HOTAS when everything is working. Just enough buttons for anything you might need and extremely functional and ergonomic (except for some extremely minor flaws). But the 1 problem that stands out above all others is the wires breaking at the throttle controller.
For most people, they opt to throw it out and buy another controller. Some try and re-solder the wires only to have them break after 4-6 months.
Well...... Mr PC Fixit, in collaboration with Impulse Audio Visual in Melbourne (www.impulseav.com.au) have found a permanent fix for this problem. Maybe Saitek and Logitech can join the discussion and takes notes as well.
The Problem
The wires that come from the top hand-held part of the throttle controller to the base, are at a very very sharp angle. With the constant up and down motion, it causes the wires to quite literally snap after some usage.
Current Solutions
There are threads and posts online with people saying that you should tape up the wires to form 1 big group which will give it more strength and increase the time needed for this problem to happen again. The problem with this solutions is......it will happen again.
Real Solution.
What you will need.
I went to Jaycar and purchased a 16 Core Rainbow Cable (CAT NO WM4516). This particular cable uses multi-strands per core (unlike the current wires in the HOTAS which are a single copper strand). Also purchase some shrink wrap and zip ties.
If you're going to do this at home, take a photo of everything before you start cutting things for future reference. If you aren't confident with a soldering iron, give the guys at Impulse Audio Visual a call and they happily help (for a small fee). They have all this on record as we developed this fix together.
Next, strip each core from the ribbon until you have single strands of the various colours.
Now pull your Throttle controller apart. Unscrew the million wires at the base along with the million more on the left handle.
There are 2 more on the inside right where the wires pass through from the handle to the base. Might need a torch to see them in dark areas but they are there.
Take note where the wires pass from on the handle so you can pass the new wires from the same spot.
Select 8 wires which match the colours to the existing wires I cut about a 50cm of wires just as a starting point. Pass them through the shrink-wrap (but DO NOT heat it up yet). From the handle part, un-solder the existing wires and re-solder the new ones on there. KEEP THE EXISTING COLOUR WIRES IN THE SAME SPOTS.
Once you've done that, give an extra 5mm of wire into the handle and heat the shrink wrap up until the base of the handle +5cm beyond that. MOST IMPORTANT NOT TO DO THE WHOLE THING YET.
Now, put the handle back into its place and put the extra 2 screws from the inside as well.
On the base, you will see where the wires currently run. You will see some hot-glue holding them down. Slowly with a pair of pointy pliers, break that glue and unwind the 8 wires that we are working on from the thicker Red & White wires that are there.
Follow our 8 wires to where the clip is and just unclip it. It makes it easier to work on.
Looking at the photos on this post (named Wiring Redesign), you'll see where you want the new wires to go. When the throttle is all the way up, you want to have enough wire to still form at arc with no sharp bends. When it is all the way down, you want it to hit the edge of the plastic housing. Unfortunately, I didn't measure it exactly how much cable you'll need but you get the picture.
So... instead of the wires running up the top of the housing and bending sharply, they will now be running towards the bottom of the housing and just arching.
with your hands, hold the wire along the inside of the grooves and place a mark at the end where you can see the hot-glue in the photo Now, cut the end of 1 of the zip ties and run it inside the shrink-wrap making sure it reaches where the hot-glue is. Hold it in place with your hand and use a lighter to heat the remaining shrink-wrap. You put the ziptie in to stop the cable from folding at 1 spot, there-for never have this stupid problem of wires breaking again. It also acts as a guide for how you want the wires to arch, not fold.
Next, I used a paid of pliers to break off a very small part of the slider cross-piece for the cable to sit into. No more than about 5-10mm.
Now, solder the new wiring cables to the existing wires with the clip. Needless to say, keep the colours the same.
Lastly, use hot-glue in the 2 spots that you see in the photo and you're done.
I'm going to stress test this controller for the next 6 months, but for all intents and purposes, this could well be a permanent fix for the Saitek x55 & x56 pro Rhino HOTAS.
*Differences between description and photos*
I mentioned to separate each core from the ribbon, but in the photos they are primarily still together. After I put the whole thing together, I found that the shrink wrap I used was too big and wouldn't allow the handle to clip back into place with the base. Had I separated each strand and used a smaller shrink-wrap, it would have looked neater and made it a lot easier to work on.
Handle Photo 1 - http://i.imgur.com/I16q6jV.jpg
Handle Photo 2 - http://i.imgur.com/sVQJ5rY.jpg
Handle Photo 3 - http://i.imgur.com/7XflGWu.jpg
Handle Photo 4 - http://i.imgur.com/kXm4F5h.jpg
Base Wiring Fix - http://i.imgur.com/zXI3nqn.jpg
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