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Granddad Stinky

Cheap TX Stops Play

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My GT3-C TX has packed up. Under the menu scroll wheel, there's a microscopic little pad switch, which selects from the menu when you push it down. I tried to remove it and solder two wires to the terminals but that just removed the track from the PCB, so it's in the bin.

I've worked out a few options, so I'd appreciate some opinions, because I don't have much cash floating around. I've also used up the ten model pre-sets.

1. Forget running cars for a while and save up for the new GT5, which has twenty model pre-sets. Unfortunately, the receivers I have are for AFHDS. The new unit operates on AFHDS-A2, so I would also have to change all 11 of my receivers at £15 each.

2. Buy another GT3-C to get me going again for £45. Then put any new cars on a GT5 later, as well as moving the better faster cars across.

3. Same as 2, but buy the older GT3-B with the different scroll and click system, for £30, hoping it will be more reliable while I save my pennies.

4. Same as 2 or 3, but slowly change to a different make. As I'm on disability benefits, this would have to be just the next step up in quality, otherwise it'll never happen.

5. Temporarily run cars on my FlySky i6X sticks that I use for boats, while I save for either the GT5 or another make.

6. Any other blatantly obvious solutions that I've completely missed.

Thanks awfully. 👍

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Is it literally in the bin? Or just put to one side for disposal? If the latter, you could send it my way and I'll have our guys in the lab take a look at it over lunch break. We have a few potential solutions that can mend damaged tracks on PCBs.

If you would like to send me some photos of the damage, I can give you a better idea of whether we can fix it before you pay any postage. 

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20 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

Is it literally in the bin? Or just put to one side for disposal? If the latter, you could send it my way and I'll have our guys in the lab take a look at it over lunch break. We have a few potential solutions that can mend damaged tracks on PCBs.

If you would like to send me some photos of the damage, I can give you a better idea of whether we can fix it before you pay any postage. 

That's jolly decent of you, thankyou. I'll load some pics to imgur later and show you. 👍 Where are you? 

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I'm based in Lincolnshire. I'll PM you my address if you want to go ahead. Looking forward to seeing the photos - we love a challenge!

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16 hours ago, TurnipJF said:

I'm based in Lincolnshire. I'll PM you my address if you want to go ahead. Looking forward to seeing the photos - we love a challenge!

pIlV2wd.jpg

Your mission, should you choose to accept it is....

There should be another of those clicky switch pads, in the rectangle where I've put the black dot. You press the scroll wheel down to select (or not).

My intention was to fit an external push switch to the casing and solder wires to it. Having looked at it, that's beyond my eyesight, never mind my soldering. 😖

I've mislaid the little black bit that keeps the scroll wheel spindle in place but I can make something for that.

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That looks fixable.

What we'll probably end up doing is tracing each of the damaged tracks back to another intact solder pad, and soldering a fine wire onto that. Failing that, we will create a new solder pad on a piece of electronically equivalent intact track elsewhere on the PCB. It might look a little less tidy than stock, but the electrons won't know any difference.

Once you have two wires soldered to the board, I take it you can mount and connect up the external switch easily enough? It is probably better to do that than to try and replace the little clicky switch on the PCB as that looks to be a bit of a weak point and might fail again in the not too distant future.

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46 minutes ago, TurnipJF said:

 

That looks fixable.

What we'll probably end up doing is tracing each of the damaged tracks back to another intact solder pad, and soldering a fine wire onto that. Failing that, we will create a new solder pad on a piece of electronically equivalent intact track elsewhere on the PCB. It might look a little less tidy than stock, but the electrons won't know any difference.

 

Yeah, what you said, it sounds more like witchcraft. 😮🤷‍♂️🙄

Yes thanks, I can do the switch bit. 👍

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That's good, feel free to send it along whenever you like. I will PM you my address in a sec. 

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I have that exact same TX the buttons feel ropey at best, hope mine doesn't go down that route! 

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