I know its a bit late now, but CPC\Farnell are doing these ESD diodes for 24p each, min order quantity 2. The USB sockets cost £1.20, You dont need a trade account either.
28:20 - "Oh I think I just killed a man. Yep I just killed a man. Sorry that dude back there. You shouldn't have been standing there if I'm honest." LOL, best outro I can recall in many episodes.
I reckon most shops or DIYers would totally miss that broken diode and wonder why their usb port still doesn't work. Really good stuff Graham well done.
It would actually work without the TVS diode package, it is there just as a protection device. But it would leave the microcontroller open to damage if there were any spikes on the USB data lines.
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the customer would want to pay the extra 20 bucks and get the wheel back a couple of weeks earlier. Or maybe the owner made it clear they were not in a hurry to get it back.
One way to keep from breaking a USB port is to plug in a little/short adaptor cable into the port and then just use the other end of the cable to be the "business" end.
I'm a big fan of the desoldering guns. When I first got one, I tried it, and didn't think much of it, but left it sit. Coming back to it after a while to try again, it clicked, and now I love them. They don't work with everything, but the make a lot of desoldering so easy!
Thanks a lot for this video, it's one of the only ones I can find that gives a good look at my wheelbase that has, unfortunately, just stopped working. Although I don't have experience with soldering and don't own any of the equipment, this video has at least allowed me to diagnose the problem so that I can find the right parts myself and hopefully find somebody like you to repair it for me! On top of whatever money you've saved this wheel's fortunate owner, you've probably saved me hundreds of dollars as well.
For the TVS package, since it's pretty common to protect USB devices, you could probably reclaim one from a broken donor board. (Assuming customer is okay with that.) Since it's just diodes, you could check that the package works using a multimeter. Thanks for another great video. Always interesting and usually learn something.
5:35 "look at all these mosfets" and I'm like what mosfets? expecting, for some reason, smaller ones, before realising that the massive black chunks at the top of the board are all the mosfets Graham was referring to ;)
One of the issues I run into in waiting for parts is remembering how all the parts go back together!!!!! Also, invariably something will go missing!!! A screw, a cable, some little something, etc!
Graham! I can't believe you don't have a business account with RS components yet! It's so easy to apply for one (i did as a sole trader) and it gets you free next day delivery with no minimum order. It's honestly brilliant, highly recommend doing it asap
How much does the business account cost though? 🤔 I want to be able to use these suppliers, but the pricing just never makes sense when you only ever need single quantity stuff...
Not having any experience with racing simulator stuff, the title of the video on first glance had me thinking this was a very different kind of machine......lol
Another toy that can make your life better is Hot Tweezers. They have saved my life many times. Thank you for such great vids. I learn something new each time i view your shows even the ones 5 years old lol.
I have a TS-XW that took some lightning damage through USB. Still powers on and stops midway through the calibration cycle and is also not detected anymore. I guess the main controller is fried, Thrustmaster don't supply replacement boards, I wonder if the main controller chip can be replaced? Here, the electronics guys aren't willing to dig deeper into repairing this wheel base. Seems a shame to just throw it into a landfill, it has less than 20Hrs use. Doesn't seem to be much info around on repair, would be great if we had guys like you who really want to fix these things.
I use Pro'sKit SS-331H from Aiexpress. Pretty decent one for its price, just needs some rust-free metal sponge loosely fit into the glass tube to help dissipate molten soder and flux.
"Jog the board" ( 20:21 ) makes me think of someone really tiny jogging around the circuit board inspecting the traces and components with magnifying glass and some small tools.
Went round a mate's place the other day and he has the standard logitec G923 one and that too was an absolute experience to drive and that is nowhere near as good a system than this one is. Good fix.
Price of these wheels is insane. I thought I was mad buying a Logitech Driving Force GT back in the day for a hundred bucks. It's a great set up though I wish the shifter would be on the left being from the UK.
Thanks for great content. And I really do like your methodical approach to repair, but your soldering would really be easier on the eyes with a beefy, adjustable soldiering station and use of hot air for SMDs.
owning both a xbox and ps version of the wheels what might a intermittent fault might be the power cable itself they can be a tight fit at the best of times..
An instructive repair. Thank you. Did you get any help from Thrustmaster? I remember them being very helpful when I had an issue with their Cougar HOTAS (still going strong!) way back when. With regards to over-ordering parts, as I'm sure you are acutely aware - but your audience may not be - storage space costs money as does time, so not only are you spending more on acquiring the components but you're also spending money to keep the parts you don't immediately use and money on the time to store them and find them when next needed and to inventory them.
The problem with ebay crap is that it's crap. Just look at those capacitor kits you can get for cheap. They all come from factory dumpsters. You get what you pay for.
i have this wheel it is very good mid range wheel, however i know the USB has gone on this one, but i am always paranoid about breaking the power cable port its kinda loose fitting and easy to rip out if you move the unit alot, interesting to see inside it though
@ProudOfYourRoots I've had the wheel for a few years. cheap DD options wernt available then. It was when DD was starting to come in but they were all very expensive well over £1000. Plus I sold my t300 and bought this one 2nd hand on ebay so it cost me less than 300 for it as a package
@ProudOfYourRoots yeh the price does seem high but you also have to remember your getting pedals and good wheel as well. Alot of the DD wheels are the base only no pedals or actual wheel. So by the time you have bought the whole package it ends up much more. Plus the rig you need for a DD wheels need to be strong. If I was buying again now I would by a DD wheel. But tbh this is more than good enough for a casual sim racer
@ProudOfYourRoots yeh I'd deffo go DD if I was buying again now. I'd advise you to if you are buying. To be honest I don't play sim games as much as I used to or I would look to upgrade. I'm not an online racer and I find that a lot of sim racing games get a bit boring offline as there is no real career modes or progression it's more like doing a race for fun which is fine and I do it but I'm not sat for hours at my rig like some do
I guess it depends on the customer, Im the type of customer that would be like "ummmm £15 difference pfffft I dont care just do it, get it done ASAP" but I live in Yorkshire lol and the people here would be like "WHAT???!!!!!! £0.01 cheaper I would rather wait 5 years for the cheaper parts to arrive!" lol You may think its an exaggerated expression but trust me it isnt. One customer had their 30 year old TV aerial eventually blow off the roof and they came to our store and they actually tried to argue because they thought it was still under guarantee! Yorkshire folks have their reputation for a reason!! Fortunately I come from another part of the world.
I enjoy your content. You don't experimenting. If you could please, repair a Logitech Z906 with failing power supply. It seems to be common on the internet.
Would it be possible to replace the USB port with another one, like a mini USB or even USB C port? I guess you'd have to fill in the gap in the case with something, but I'm just wondering if that's an "upgrade" that's possible to do.
I have a solder spool since 1980 ! Just one question, I can see your orange solder spool like mine, can you tell me what brand and model it is (mine is so broken I cannot see the brand) ?
I have a TS-XW Sparco wheel that lost power and will not power back up at all. It was working fine. Please help me solve this. I am befuddled as to what to do.
I'd start by making sure that power is making it all the way into the controller board. Once it gets to all those mosfets, I'm not sure how to navigate that maze, but checking the power jack connections and stuff is a good place to start.
I know its a bit late now, but CPC\Farnell are doing these ESD diodes for 24p each, min order quantity 2. The USB sockets cost £1.20, You dont need a trade account either.
haha, i just looked at cpc as well 😀
Yes I was thinking Farnell as well.
28:20 - "Oh I think I just killed a man. Yep I just killed a man. Sorry that dude back there. You shouldn't have been standing there if I'm honest."
LOL, best outro I can recall in many episodes.
I reckon most shops or DIYers would totally miss that broken diode and wonder why their usb port still doesn't work. Really good stuff Graham well done.
It would actually work without the TVS diode package, it is there just as a protection device. But it would leave the microcontroller open to damage if there were any spikes on the USB data lines.
at $750 for the unit, I think a parts cost of $30 is not unreasonable. I mean, you'll be charging Ferrari servicing rates anyway right?
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the customer would want to pay the extra 20 bucks and get the wheel back a couple of weeks earlier. Or maybe the owner made it clear they were not in a hurry to get it back.
20:27
Giggity
One way to keep from breaking a USB port is to plug in a little/short adaptor cable into the port and then just use the other end of the cable to be the "business" end.
Any links to where you get one of those adapters
@@Jono_82 - I just get any adaptor that has the correct connectors from the local pc store, Amazon, etc.
@@Jono_82I've searched and there doesn't seem to be one available.
I would advise the owner to leave it in the shop to be tested properly. Like 8-hours nurburgring properly.
I'm a big fan of the desoldering guns. When I first got one, I tried it, and didn't think much of it, but left it sit. Coming back to it after a while to try again, it clicked, and now I love them. They don't work with everything, but the make a lot of desoldering so easy!
Thanks a lot for this video, it's one of the only ones I can find that gives a good look at my wheelbase that has, unfortunately, just stopped working. Although I don't have experience with soldering and don't own any of the equipment, this video has at least allowed me to diagnose the problem so that I can find the right parts myself and hopefully find somebody like you to repair it for me! On top of whatever money you've saved this wheel's fortunate owner, you've probably saved me hundreds of dollars as well.
Just went back to Jan 22, 2013 and watch your first video and you have certainly come a long way Brother Well Done. Greetings from Phelps KY
For the TVS package, since it's pretty common to protect USB devices, you could probably reclaim one from a broken donor board. (Assuming customer is okay with that.) Since it's just diodes, you could check that the package works using a multimeter.
Thanks for another great video. Always interesting and usually learn something.
That's a good £600-700 wheel and servo base...well worth it!
"Like a bought one!" Well, it was bought, we watched you buy it from eBay! 😛😂
«Samir, you're breaking the car». Nice fix!
5:35 "look at all these mosfets" and I'm like what mosfets? expecting, for some reason, smaller ones, before realising that the massive black chunks at the top of the board are all the mosfets Graham was referring to ;)
About as good as me at these driving games :) great video graham really enjoyed that :)
One of the issues I run into in waiting for parts is remembering how all the parts go back together!!!!! Also, invariably something will go missing!!! A screw, a cable, some little something, etc!
Graham! I can't believe you don't have a business account with RS components yet! It's so easy to apply for one (i did as a sole trader) and it gets you free next day delivery with no minimum order. It's honestly brilliant, highly recommend doing it asap
How much does the business account cost though? 🤔
I want to be able to use these suppliers, but the pricing just never makes sense when you only ever need single quantity stuff...
@@Adamant_IT Business account is free.
@@Adamant_IT account is completely free, get one. i replied before but I think maybe it got auto-deleted because I linked to the RS page.
Not having any experience with racing simulator stuff, the title of the video on first glance had me thinking this was a very different kind of machine......lol
Another toy that can make your life better is Hot Tweezers. They have saved my life many times. Thank you for such great vids. I learn something new each time i view your shows even the ones 5 years old lol.
$948 on Amazon.... thats before the upgrades.... Nice piece of kit!
Graham, great detective work. Keep repairing.
what a delight to see this kind of exotic reparations!
My friend. You seriously need to buy a fume extractor
I have a TS-XW that took some lightning damage through USB. Still powers on and stops midway through the calibration cycle and is also not detected anymore. I guess the main controller is fried, Thrustmaster don't supply replacement boards, I wonder if the main controller chip can be replaced? Here, the electronics guys aren't willing to dig deeper into repairing this wheel base. Seems a shame to just throw it into a landfill, it has less than 20Hrs use. Doesn't seem to be much info around on repair, would be great if we had guys like you who really want to fix these things.
Good job bringing it back to life.
Dang nice gear there and I learned a bit about finding replacement parts to boot!
Sherlock Holmes of board repair ;)
Fantastic job bud,well done
Sorry my dude. Shouldn't have been standing there, if I'm honest. classic racing line
17:05 “De-soldering gun go brrr.” 😂 I want to get a desoldering gun for my workshop, any recommendations?
I use Pro'sKit SS-331H from Aiexpress. Pretty decent one for its price, just needs some rust-free metal sponge loosely fit into the glass tube to help dissipate molten soder and flux.
All the "ZD-915" clones out there are ususally good.
"Jog the board" ( 20:21 ) makes me think of someone really tiny jogging around the circuit board inspecting the traces and components with magnifying glass and some small tools.
Went round a mate's place the other day and he has the standard logitec G923 one and that too was an absolute experience to drive and that is nowhere near as good a system than this one is. Good fix.
Great to watch this... :)
"It's fine. It's not fine!"
Price of these wheels is insane. I thought I was mad buying a Logitech Driving Force GT back in the day for a hundred bucks. It's a great set up though I wish the shifter would be on the left being from the UK.
Thanks for great content. And I really do like your methodical approach to repair, but your soldering would really be easier on the eyes with a beefy, adjustable soldiering station and use of hot air for SMDs.
owning both a xbox and ps version of the wheels what might a intermittent fault might be the power cable itself they can be a tight fit at the best of times..
I've seen solder suckers before but the desoldering gun is neat.
Graham: better spend your time with electronics rather than driving...hahahahaaaaa!!!!
Very interesting. Simulations have come a long way. And expensive..
An instructive repair. Thank you. Did you get any help from Thrustmaster? I remember them being very helpful when I had an issue with their Cougar HOTAS (still going strong!) way back when.
With regards to over-ordering parts, as I'm sure you are acutely aware - but your audience may not be - storage space costs money as does time, so not only are you spending more on acquiring the components but you're also spending money to keep the parts you don't immediately use and money on the time to store them and find them when next needed and to inventory them.
He didn't need their help.
I have Airbus throttle controler with dead microcontroller. I'm wondering if thrustmaster would sell programmed chip, or I need to get entire pcb.
@@Dmiliunas You have nothing to lose by asking - but check the warranty first!
New to the channel.....love your content
Keep it up.
your awesome that was amazing great work
Thats the wheel i want to upgrade to. Great for Assetto Corsa apparently. Direct drive seems too much power, this wheel would be perfect.
one of the things i would have done is check RUclips for someone who actually disassembled it before ..at least it give you an idea
27:45 Remember, you can't keep it!
Colin McCrash would be proud of you.
This is crazy has it got a airbag with it too?
I would have it fixed cause here in nz its $1600 to replace or can replace the servo for $1000 so yeah fixing good. not sure of price in UK
The problem with ebay crap is that it's crap. Just look at those capacitor kits you can get for cheap. They all come from factory dumpsters. You get what you pay for.
i have this wheel it is very good mid range wheel, however i know the USB has gone on this one, but i am always paranoid about breaking the power cable port its kinda loose fitting and easy to rip out if you move the unit alot, interesting to see inside it though
@ProudOfYourRoots I've had the wheel for a few years. cheap DD options wernt available then. It was when DD was starting to come in but they were all very expensive well over £1000. Plus I sold my t300 and bought this one 2nd hand on ebay so it cost me less than 300 for it as a package
@ProudOfYourRoots yeh the price does seem high but you also have to remember your getting pedals and good wheel as well. Alot of the DD wheels are the base only no pedals or actual wheel. So by the time you have bought the whole package it ends up much more. Plus the rig you need for a DD wheels need to be strong. If I was buying again now I would by a DD wheel. But tbh this is more than good enough for a casual sim racer
@ProudOfYourRoots yeh I'd deffo go DD if I was buying again now. I'd advise you to if you are buying. To be honest I don't play sim games as much as I used to or I would look to upgrade. I'm not an online racer and I find that a lot of sim racing games get a bit boring offline as there is no real career modes or progression it's more like doing a race for fun which is fine and I do it but I'm not sat for hours at my rig like some do
I guess it depends on the customer, Im the type of customer that would be like "ummmm £15 difference pfffft I dont care just do it, get it done ASAP" but I live in Yorkshire lol and the people here would be like "WHAT???!!!!!! £0.01 cheaper I would rather wait 5 years for the cheaper parts to arrive!" lol You may think its an exaggerated expression but trust me it isnt. One customer had their 30 year old TV aerial eventually blow off the roof and they came to our store and they actually tried to argue because they thought it was still under guarantee! Yorkshire folks have their reputation for a reason!! Fortunately I come from another part of the world.
Stereotypes don't appear out of nowhere. There's usually a basis of truth in them.
Regarding cost vs time. Do you give the customer the option?
Amazing wheel indeed!
NZD$1781.12 here
Nice video and game.
Your solder wick is atrocious and defintely dont fan it out. Use a high quality flux also.
I enjoy your content. You don't experimenting. If you could please, repair a Logitech Z906 with failing power supply. It seems to be common on the internet.
nice fix
My father offered me a yoke one for flight sims, years ago and i turned him down... now i regret it everyday
to bad u didnt have some old printers laying around u could have pulled the usb port from one of those
Nice gaming dude 👍
to be honest you say the value for the repair but unless you're charging over £150 it's cheaper than replacing my driving sim setup
It's definitely not the tip of the iceberg 😁
that is no where near the tip of the ice berg.
Maybe buy a PCB holder as well Graham? 😀
You should really get a farnell account. You would have save a little bit of money vs RS
Looks like a good excuse to replace with a usbc port
Why?!
@@No_soup_for_you it’s superior, why not
@@lesthelegendofficial It won’t add any benefit to the setup whatsoever, apart from a more complex port install. Oh, and a new cable purchase.
@@No_soup_for_you it’s more convenient and most people have a usbc cable hanging around
Nice video, but where have you found low melt solder. I have looked for it on aliexpress and ebay but newer found it?
Would it be possible to replace the USB port with another one, like a mini USB or even USB C port? I guess you'd have to fill in the gap in the case with something, but I'm just wondering if that's an "upgrade" that's possible to do.
Wonder if those ESD protection chips come in Dell laptops🤔
My ex used to call me the Thrustmaster.
You have no ex, and nobody calls you.
Graham where did you get a white Keychron?
It's a Royal Kludge RK100, very similar to the Keychron.
I have a solder spool since 1980 !
Just one question, I can see your orange solder spool like mine, can you tell me what brand and model it is (mine is so broken I cannot see the brand) ?
Mine's also unlabelled!
I have a difficult time when I have a missing component on the board that I do not know what it is, any tips for that?
the prices are peanuts , unless you want to wait from china
👍👍👍👍👍
By any chance would you be interested in looking at my ts xw??
Thrustmaster want crazy money just to ship it too them, how much do you charge?
I have this base and wheel and it keeps randomly turning its self off can anyone help
Anyone know a good replacement for the turbo power supply? They don’t sell them as stand some parts.
did you get something?
I have a TS-XW Sparco wheel that lost power and will not power back up at all. It was working fine. Please help me solve this. I am befuddled as to what to do.
I'd start by making sure that power is making it all the way into the controller board. Once it gets to all those mosfets, I'm not sure how to navigate that maze, but checking the power jack connections and stuff is a good place to start.
Thrust Master 🤣🤣
No doubt you'll also go into paroxysms of sniggering if I tell you that one of their biggest sellers is a HOTAS controller ... 🙄
So, are you gonna go buy one of those for yourself now? 😛
€ 599,00 daimmmmmmmm
Thrust master sounds like a sex toy 😂😂😂😆. I can just imagine how much the creators were trolling when they named it.
They're old school! They were making flight sim joysticks in the 90s, hence 'engine thrust' ;)
Just wanted to say that it's painful to watch you solder. You need to work on that. Cheers!
I like your videos, but your cringy beard just creeps me out.