@@559925 I have no problem from them. My nephew has been playing with them for over a month and won’t go back to his regular controller. I use the Ginful he recommends on a previous video.
Great advice for those new to solder rework! A lot of tutorials gloss over that or say to "just Google for it." Mark of an educator vs content creator!
Honestly is, so happy I found this channe.l ordered alot of parts you put in the description to better help with my tinkering of all electronic thank you again
I installed some TMR sticks in an xbox controller this weekend and destroyed my fingers in the process. There are a lot of techniques and useful knowledge in this video that would have saved be a huge headache. I'm hopeful that many people find this video because it is extremely helpful!
@@tiagodias3325 I did the whole module. I wasn’t successful as the board no longer works, but it was a parts controller that was already broken. I’m going to try to harvest the sticks and try again on another controller some time soon.
@@poobalu A shame it didn't work. I would like to try replacing just the sensor on my xbox controller, it seems easier that way and doesn't require other fancy equipment like a hot air station.
I love this channel, so much info. For me, it basically leads to me believe just straight up replacing alps for TMR would be less hassle than replacing sensors alone. It really does tell you that each "hall" is better with their own stick vs another. we may get truly swappable one's sooner or later but as of now, it just isn't worth it
I love your videos on these replacement sticks, I've watched several and finally felt I understood how to remove my Dualsense sticks. As someone with no prior soldering experience, all I can say is you make it look so simple! I tried for hours to remove the solder, using all of the techniques you've gone over, but I just couldn't remove it. Now, bad workmen blame their tools, so I'm going to blame my cheap soldering iron for maybe not heating up enough but, in my heart, I know I'm just not very good at this..!
Sony uses lead free solder so it could very well be that you need more heat. It needs to heat up to 317 c for solder work. That means that your station has to heat up to 600 Fahrenheit and if the one you bought only heats up to 500 (common for leaded soldering) then your station isn’t getting hot enough.
@@originsmaster8140 Many thanks for the info, very useful. I might buy a new soldering iron - although, I could have easily already bought a new Dualsense with the cash I've thrown at this project so far..!
@@Willy_Elres it shouldn’t have been that much. I had never soldered before the videos MPE has put out but I bought a $20 soldering kit with the pump (made sure it heated up to 900 degrees) and $12 for the 10 pack of Ginfull v5 sensors. I did all 5 of my controllers.
I really love what you're doing here. I am a professional repair tech, so I have many a tools at my disposal but your tutorials will help so many newbies who are interested in repairing their electronics. Your videos are very simple to follow and so much detail in them to help folks out. Keep up the good work Sir.
another great video. I have not installed hall effect sensors on three controllers and still planning on doing a couple more from my controller graveyard. I play a ton of FPS games and stick drift + jitter was my biggest enemy. Now all of my old controllers are usable again. By the way, you make it look easy to remove the solder. It has never been that easy for me and I tried all of the same tricks you mentioned.
Thanks for the soldering tips. Didn't realize there's an easier way to remove multiple contacts even without a soldering pump. I destroyed one controller just because I used a big heat gun. Maybe it destroyed more of the controller than I realized.
Great video. I can tell you the tmr joystick naturally sit higher then the base dualsense joysticks. So if you want like for like. It's best to stick to the stock dualsense joystick. I also find the tmr joystick tips to have less grip then the stock dualsense ones.
Do the Gullikit TMR sensors fit and perform well on the Ginful stick housings? On the topic of fit and finish for different housings, have you got any information on which other joystick housings the Gullikit TMR sensors fit best? I've really liked the Ginful housings as they're mega smooth. I became acquainted with the Jun Zheng mod kits when they were sold by the man himself back when he used to sell to europe and UK from his own AliExpress store. He used to ship his kits with extra Ginful stick boxes to which you can transfer the K-silver sensors over to after clipping away some plastic.
The Ginfull housing uses small alignment holes and the GuliKit uses large holes. You could cut off the alignment pins. Then I believe the sensor would fit. There might be a little play in the shaft to magnet holder. I would wait a bit. It wouldn't surprise me if all the Hall effect joystick makers switched to TMR.
@metalplasticelectronics354 thanks. That's the vibe I'm starting to get was well with other manufacturers eventually adopting TMR technology into their sticks and the calibration tools eventually becoming even more comprehensive. Yeah, the Jun Zheng mod involve removal of the K-Silver sensors' 3 retention pegs in order to fit the Ginful boxes as well. If there's play, I'll be steering well clear unless I can reliably make a shim piece or something, lol. Funny thing about play on a wiper holder piece or it's equivalent: That in and of itself caused a really esoteric version of stick drift I fixed on my first Dualsense controller which had Alps film potentiometer sticks I'd bought 3 years ago 2nd hand for a massive discount listed as "spare parts" on ebay. The play meant the left stick x axis wouldn't centre properly unless I overcompenstated the left stick input and forced everthing back to centre. Thankfully at the time all that was needed was to re-tention the white wiper holder piece's little arm hole retention piece to make things sit flush again and remove the play... still ended up getting the classic damaged graphite track stick drift last June anyway about a month after I finally got my own PS5.
I finally got to put these in, after waiting 3 weeks for them to arrive. I decided on replacing just the pots and using the new caps on the old frame. really glad I did, cause getting the solder out of the holes was the hardest part for me. I dont think I could of done all the joints. I got it all back together and the new caps were rubbing on the frame and sticking in directions... my solution was to not tighten the screws 100%. That seemed to keep the joystick caps from rubbing and sticking in a direction. After getting it dialed in, I was a little bummed that they had some slop in the dead zone, It sometimes sticks a little off center at times. but the deadzone setting in games seems to fix this. usable for sure. just dont expect 0% deadzone.
Do you know what the thumb knob is rubbing on? There was a slight difference in height between the Alps joystick module and the GuliKit joystick module.
If you look closely at the flat sides of the joystick shaft you will see the stops for the knob. You can cut those stops down a bit and the knob will fit lower on the joystick. I would remove a tiny amount at a time and a craft knife will work well. That way you can fully install the board.
Can I ask why you didn't use the calibration website in this test? And could calibration correct any errors in centering and circularity as expected like they would for the stock gullikit TMR and Favour Union sticks? I've previously gone all in on the Jun Zheng hall effect sensor kits with the calibration/correction board for my dualsense but those involve a LOT of work to get going and some pretty skillful solder work. They weren't very cost effective as far a labor and cost investment, but the calibration options are really robust. I'm looking to make a leap to simply using the website calibration tools since they've come a long way and can potentially save a lot of time and effort.
I didn't show it in the video but the results are after calibration from the website. I try not to repeat myself so much but I guess I should always put the calibrations step in.
Thank you for the great explanation. I'm approaching to fix my dualsense (BDM 030) because of the drift issue and i'm waiting Gulikit TMR sensors to arrive thus i'm trying to understand what would be the best way to act. I was convinced that it was necessary to replace the entire modul but from this video I understand that it is sufficient to replace the ALPS potentiometers with Gulikit TMR "potentiometers". Can you confirm that there are no contraindications in simply replacing the potentiometers?
I tried this and it the sticks would not return to center point right. It would always change position around the middle point depending on where I released the stick from. Instead I installed TMR and favor union sticks with their corresponding sensors on my controller and those work fine
Thanks for making this..could I ask for some advice with desoldering? I'm really struggling to clean up the PCB and holes using MG Chemicals lead-free wick (also tried a Towot wick) to absorb the lead-free solder. I've tried adding extra solder (also lead-free) like suggested here, and also extra flux to both wicks, and ranging temps between 300c and 400c. I also find the wick tends to get stuck in the solder, it solidifies. Am I holding it in place too long? It's my first time soldering so I'm really new, and not sure where I'm going wrong. Testing this on an old DS4 before attempting to replace my DualSense sticks with TMRs. Thank you
If your solder wick gets stuck in the solder, it probably means the soldering iron is not supplying enough heat. The MG chemicals solder wick is of excellent quality, it's my 2nd favorite. I would dump the lead-free solder and get some 63/37 tin-lead, it will have a lower melting point. What kind of soldering iron are you using and do you know the wattage of it?
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Hey, thanks for the reply! Yeah, when I saw your video comparing wicks, I tried the MG Chemicals wick and had trouble, I figured it's user error and I was doing something wrong. I also heard it's best not to mix solder types and to have different tips for leaded and lead-free solder. Since the controllers used lead-free I stuck with that type. Is that true or is it fine to mix and match? Iron is a Pinecil V2, google says it's up to 88 watts. I'm powering it via USB-C with a 65W GaN PD3.0 charger and PD3.1 supported USB-C cable. Using a cone tip but recently ordered a D.24 as I heard that's more effective at heat transfer.
I try to get rid of all the old lead-free solder. Flood the joint with leaded solder, wick it off, and most of the lead-free will be gone. I've never used the Pinecil iron. But if you power it with a 65-watt supply, I would expect less than 60 watts of heat from the tip. The bigger tip should help, but you might want a bigger power supply if the iron can handle up to 88 watts.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Alright, I'll try that. Thank you. The power supply in terms of spec, matches what Pinecil recommend. I did use the bigger tip earlier today and it was a lot better, still got stuck but as I practiced more it was getting stuck less. I'll keep practice and learning, and try some leaded solder. Thank you for the help and all the videos as well!
Great information, always a fan of this channel! However, I tried but messed up my board due to my own poor skill. After desoldering the potentiometer out, I realised that a little capacitor at the bottom right of the left stick (looking from the top of the board) disappeared. Is there anyway to find and replace it? The board is a BDM-020 and the little capacitor (I suspect) is right next to the bottom right pin on the board from the top. Thanks!
I believe that is just a bypass capacitor, if it is the one I'm thinking about it goes to the 1.8-volt line to the joystick. I would try without it. If you want to replace it I would go with a 100nf and see. If you replace the potentiometers with Hall or TMR sensors quite a few have bypass caps built in.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 thanks for the quick reply! Honestly I'm not even sure if the original had it, or it has always been empty. I'll give it a try. Thanks, again!
I changed my joystick with the tmr , it feel great but the only problem I have is the left joystick sometimes not responding correctly . For example , if I move the joystick all the way up to move faster but my character in game just walk slowly . I have to put more pressure on the joystick to make she run faster .
@@metalplasticelectronics354 the black point in the center , avg error is 5.2% . When I move the joystick around I see that it is out of range a little bit at the left bottom corner
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Yes, they have a version for the Xbox series. However, I would like to know if it is possible to exchange just the xbox's ALPS sensor for the gulikit's TMR because replacing the entire analogue is more complex and requires more experience. It would be great if the TMR sensor was compatible with the original Xbox analogue frame.
If i have a fancy desoldering gun, do you think it makes more sense to remove the entire joystick and then swap the potentiometers, which would avoid bending pins and inserting the sensors at an angle? Are there downsides to fully removing the joystick to do the sensor swap other than the effort involved in desoldering?
@@craftkiller9627 as someone who has removed the whole sensor, I would say there is no downside ESPECIALLY if you have the fancy gun. I did the swap to whole new joysticks before I found out that could just switch the sensors themselves. And I saw absolutely no dip in performance. Good luck :D
I usually run at 700 to 750 F and it seems to work fine. At that temperature, you don't want to hold the iron on the solder wick for much more than 5 seconds though.
Great work you make it look so easy i have a question I have 2 ps5 controllers with ginful v5s inside i like them but i can feel the 'smoothing' on fps shooter on pc which i never really felt on alps, my question is because tmr sticks are not that cheap could i not buy 1 pair and just use one stick in each controller for the right stick on each as thats where the aiming is done and then leave both left sticks with ginfull v5s as you only run with left but would this be fine or would there any weird behaviour or issues with voltage
Does the tmr joystick sit lower compared to the apls joystick ? seen reviews that it does if you use the stock caps that go onto the analog stick besides the ones that come with tmr joysticks.
The GuliKit TMR is my favorite for almost everything, Though I haven't played Call of Duty I believe this is a very good replacement for a potentiometer-based joystick.
Hi, Changed my potentiometer (left joystick) and it works great after the GUI installation. BUT, the toggle on the L3 does not work. I can’t sprint, and I have disassembled the controller 10 times, can’t see anything wrong. I really think I did a great job! What to do here?
Can you feel a click when pushing in on the left stick? The switch for it is opposite the left-right axis potentiometer. Make sure the button for the switch can move.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 that’s fine. Both their insides are the same but the TMR’s button wears out faster than the alps I believe and the alps is less lubricated than the TMR
Hi! What I don’t understand (I’m just getting into the topic of learning soldering and am thinking about first soldering iron) is this: if you have entire joystick module why limit the work to exchange only sensors? Is it that much more desoldering and soldering work for entire joystick compared to together 6 pins of 2 sensors? What I would worry is also the fact that you need to unclip and clip these sensors from one joystick to another. There’s some force and wear and tear possible or even damage in a little bit shaky hands I suppose which would make sensor unusable anymore? Please explain and correct me as clearly I don’t know exactly the matter but I am wondering. My aim is to replace all my joysticks with Hall effect/TMR joysticks but first I need to learn and practice. I wasn’t aware that pads on board shouldn’t be touched by soldering iron 😱 what can happen? If not instantly then what can happen in long run if too frequent? Your videos are great and I really appreciate your work! Thanks!
There is a lot more work replacing the entire joystick. Replacing just the 2 sensors is quite easy. You can touch the pads with the solder iron and not hurt them. But if you rub the iron tip on them at high temperatures they can become delaminated. It doesn't hurt anything to unclip and clip the sensors. the plastic on the joystick and sensors is quite tough.
The joystick frame is a lot more difficult to remove. The 4 pins of the frame are all soldered into holes connected to the ground plane. So without the proper equipment, it's very easy to damage the PCB. The frame can be cut apart and removed one pin at a time. Takes a bit of time but greatly reduces the chance of damage.
I've installed the Gulikit TMR in my Dualsense BDM-040 but the included Gulikit thumbsticks feel scratchy and seems to be being blocked by the controller. I've set the modules flush in the pcb so I can confirm it's snuggly fit but any idea what might be causing this? I've instead used the Dualsense thumbsticks in the meantime as those work without any issues and it's super smooth.
It does sound like they are rubbing on something. Is there any mold flash that is sticking out from the knobs? The GuliKit knobs do seem to be a bit tighter pushing on. The latest version of the DualSense I have is the BDM-020.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 there isn’t any mold flash or plastic sticking out. I’ve pushed the thumbstick down but it feels the dome shape is rubbing against the controller shell. Might be worth testing if you ever have the BDM-040 in the future! Great video as always 💯
It uses magnetic sensors instead, so there are less physical parts to get clogged up or worn down. You can adjust and clean potentiometers to correct them, but it's not always viable. Hall effect and TMR sensors will last much much longer as a result.
I've never tried a Ryobi soldering iron, but 45 watts is pretty low. 60 Watts for a brand name should work. I'm testing some cheap irons from Amazon now. And 60 watts is not all the same that's for sure. If you can't make a solder puddle in less than a second on one of the joystick frame leads I don't think the soldering iron is supplying enough heat.
@@shaennaidoo9165 Which goes to show that this is a widespread problem that should have been a recall from Sony. I played Astro and Forbidden West and my right stick started drifting while my PS3 controller has thousands of hours on them and still work perfectly fine. I can't imagine how many PS5 controllers have been thrown in the trash since so many people will not even know they are repairable and will also not have the ability and time to repair them.
To change potentiometers on native mechanisms does not make sense because of the loose mechanism zero point will not be stable. If you soldering it already make it normal reinforced Ginfull, all the rest is dabbling.
That technique with the copper wire is genious. I love it!
Glad you like it!
after struggling to remove my pots, I literally had my jaw dropped
This channel is why I chose to go with all Hall effect sticks. 100% worth it.
They have been available for years
@@n64slayer I’ve only begun repairing controllers the past couple months. I know they’ve been around since the days of Dreamcast
But are they as precise/accurate as the stock ones?
@@559925 I have no problem from them. My nephew has been playing with them for over a month and won’t go back to his regular controller. I use the Ginful he recommends on a previous video.
So you don't like the TMRs?
Great advice for those new to solder rework! A lot of tutorials gloss over that or say to "just Google for it." Mark of an educator vs content creator!
A gold mine of soldering and assembly/disassembly techniques for the all of us tinkerers out there!
Thanks
Honestly is, so happy I found this channe.l ordered alot of parts you put in the description to better help with my tinkering of all electronic thank you again
I installed some TMR sticks in an xbox controller this weekend and destroyed my fingers in the process. There are a lot of techniques and useful knowledge in this video that would have saved be a huge headache. I'm hopeful that many people find this video because it is extremely helpful!
Thanks.
@@poobalu did you replace the entire joystick on Xbox? Or Just The sensor?
@@tiagodias3325 I did the whole module. I wasn’t successful as the board no longer works, but it was a parts controller that was already broken. I’m going to try to harvest the sticks and try again on another controller some time soon.
@@poobalu A shame it didn't work. I would like to try replacing just the sensor on my xbox controller, it seems easier that way and doesn't require other fancy equipment like a hot air station.
This is a really great video and I appreciate you showing what to do when everything doesn't go perfectly.
Glad it was helpful!
I love this channel, so much info. For me, it basically leads to me believe just straight up replacing alps for TMR would be less hassle than replacing sensors alone. It really does tell you that each "hall" is better with their own stick vs another. we may get truly swappable one's sooner or later but as of now, it just isn't worth it
I love your videos on these replacement sticks, I've watched several and finally felt I understood how to remove my Dualsense sticks. As someone with no prior soldering experience, all I can say is you make it look so simple! I tried for hours to remove the solder, using all of the techniques you've gone over, but I just couldn't remove it. Now, bad workmen blame their tools, so I'm going to blame my cheap soldering iron for maybe not heating up enough but, in my heart, I know I'm just not very good at this..!
I too struggle removing the solder from the sticks. I use a heat gun now but that usually ends with me burning the sensor I am removing
Sony uses lead free solder so it could very well be that you need more heat. It needs to heat up to 317 c for solder work. That means that your station has to heat up to 600 Fahrenheit and if the one you bought only heats up to 500 (common for leaded soldering) then your station isn’t getting hot enough.
@@originsmaster8140 Many thanks for the info, very useful. I might buy a new soldering iron - although, I could have easily already bought a new Dualsense with the cash I've thrown at this project so far..!
@@originsmaster8140 I have one that gets to 500 degrees Celsius. It is probably just me and/or the soldering wick I am using
@@Willy_Elres it shouldn’t have been that much. I had never soldered before the videos MPE has put out but I bought a $20 soldering kit with the pump (made sure it heated up to 900 degrees) and $12 for the 10 pack of Ginfull v5 sensors. I did all 5 of my controllers.
I really love what you're doing here. I am a professional repair tech, so I have many a tools at my disposal but your tutorials will help so many newbies who are interested in repairing their electronics. Your videos are very simple to follow and so much detail in them to help folks out. Keep up the good work Sir.
Thank you very much!
another great video. I have not installed hall effect sensors on three controllers and still planning on doing a couple more from my controller graveyard. I play a ton of FPS games and stick drift + jitter was my biggest enemy. Now all of my old controllers are usable again. By the way, you make it look easy to remove the solder. It has never been that easy for me and I tried all of the same tricks you mentioned.
Thanks. You may need a soldering iron that can supply a bit more heat. Do you know how many watts your iron is?
@@metalplasticelectronics354 110 volts 60 watts
Thanks for the soldering tips. Didn't realize there's an easier way to remove multiple contacts even without a soldering pump.
I destroyed one controller just because I used a big heat gun. Maybe it destroyed more of the controller than I realized.
It's a tricky balance, too much heat can destroy a lot and too little heat increased the change of damaging the pads and traces.
Love your videos, but my favorite part is the way do the narration. I got this tmr modules because of the information you have provided here.
I don't see joysticks getting much better than the GuliKit TMR sticks. Hopefully, the replacement will go smoothly.
Thank you so much for making this video and showing us your techniques. I mustve watched it hundred times before I attempted to swap them out. 👍👍🤘🤘
Great video. I can tell you the tmr joystick naturally sit higher then the base dualsense joysticks. So if you want like for like. It's best to stick to the stock dualsense joystick. I also find the tmr joystick tips to have less grip then the stock dualsense ones.
Nice soldering and camera view 😁
I put halleffect on Xbox Series X controler, now it pulls up every time I press LT. How to fix that? This new Gulikit TMR will fix that?
The best way to desolder is to use the Engineer Solder sucker it's amazing
this way is easier.. i have a good one and this waaay is faster too
Bonjour, je suis français et je répare des manettes et j’avoue que certaines techniques que tu utilises sont vraiment bien. Merci à toi. 😮
You are very welcome.
@ thank you
always good content
Dang, got some hakko equipment. Congrats on hitting 4k subs.
Thanks. They have been my favorite solder iron brand for decades now. And the FX-951 has been the best soldering iron I've ever used.
Do the Gullikit TMR sensors fit and perform well on the Ginful stick housings?
On the topic of fit and finish for different housings, have you got any information on which other joystick housings the Gullikit TMR sensors fit best?
I've really liked the Ginful housings as they're mega smooth. I became acquainted with the Jun Zheng mod kits when they were sold by the man himself back when he used to sell to europe and UK from his own AliExpress store. He used to ship his kits with extra Ginful stick boxes to which you can transfer the K-silver sensors over to after clipping away some plastic.
The Ginfull housing uses small alignment holes and the GuliKit uses large holes. You could cut off the alignment pins. Then I believe the sensor would fit. There might be a little play in the shaft to magnet holder. I would wait a bit. It wouldn't surprise me if all the Hall effect joystick makers switched to TMR.
@metalplasticelectronics354 thanks.
That's the vibe I'm starting to get was well with other manufacturers eventually adopting TMR technology into their sticks and the calibration tools eventually becoming even more comprehensive.
Yeah, the Jun Zheng mod involve removal of the K-Silver sensors' 3 retention pegs in order to fit the Ginful boxes as well.
If there's play, I'll be steering well clear unless I can reliably make a shim piece or something, lol. Funny thing about play on a wiper holder piece or it's equivalent: That in and of itself caused a really esoteric version of stick drift I fixed on my first Dualsense controller which had Alps film potentiometer sticks I'd bought 3 years ago 2nd hand for a massive discount listed as "spare parts" on ebay. The play meant the left stick x axis wouldn't centre properly unless I overcompenstated the left stick input and forced everthing back to centre. Thankfully at the time all that was needed was to re-tention the white wiper holder piece's little arm hole retention piece to make things sit flush again and remove the play... still ended up getting the classic damaged graphite track stick drift last June anyway about a month after I finally got my own PS5.
I finally got to put these in, after waiting 3 weeks for them to arrive. I decided on replacing just the pots and using the new caps on the old frame. really glad I did, cause getting the solder out of the holes was the hardest part for me. I dont think I could of done all the joints. I got it all back together and the new caps were rubbing on the frame and sticking in directions... my solution was to not tighten the screws 100%. That seemed to keep the joystick caps from rubbing and sticking in a direction. After getting it dialed in, I was a little bummed that they had some slop in the dead zone, It sometimes sticks a little off center at times. but the deadzone setting in games seems to fix this. usable for sure. just dont expect 0% deadzone.
Do you know what the thumb knob is rubbing on? There was a slight difference in height between the Alps joystick module and the GuliKit joystick module.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 It was rubbing on the top of the housing. the dust cover thing was pushed up into the roof
If you look closely at the flat sides of the joystick shaft you will see the stops for the knob. You can cut those stops down a bit and the knob will fit lower on the joystick. I would remove a tiny amount at a time and a craft knife will work well. That way you can fully install the board.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 good idea. thanks for the tip!
Can I ask why you didn't use the calibration website in this test? And could calibration correct any errors in centering and circularity as expected like they would for the stock gullikit TMR and Favour Union sticks?
I've previously gone all in on the Jun Zheng hall effect sensor kits with the calibration/correction board for my dualsense but those involve a LOT of work to get going and some pretty skillful solder work. They weren't very cost effective as far a labor and cost investment, but the calibration options are really robust. I'm looking to make a leap to simply using the website calibration tools since they've come a long way and can potentially save a lot of time and effort.
I didn't show it in the video but the results are after calibration from the website. I try not to repeat myself so much but I guess I should always put the calibrations step in.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 thank you for clarifying. This is a really useful video!
Hi, could you try xbox comtroller hall effect analogs? Xbox has a hall effect trigger so left hall effect analog could be a problem i think.
I don't have an Xbox.
I just replace my stick with gulikit TMR. I really love it.
Bought all the soldering tools just try to do it myself. 😂
It's a good feeling, isn't it?
What is the solder head called? That works so easy
The only soldering iron used in this video is the Hakko FX-951.
Thank you for the great explanation. I'm approaching to fix my dualsense (BDM 030) because of the drift issue and i'm waiting Gulikit TMR sensors to arrive thus i'm trying to understand what would be the best way to act.
I was convinced that it was necessary to replace the entire modul but from this video I understand that it is sufficient to replace the ALPS potentiometers with Gulikit TMR "potentiometers". Can you confirm that there are no contraindications in simply replacing the potentiometers?
You get better circularity replacing the entire joystick but it works fine replacing only the potentiometers.
I tried this and it the sticks would not return to center point right. It would always change position around the middle point depending on where I released the stick from. Instead I installed TMR and favor union sticks with their corresponding sensors on my controller and those work fine
Amazing video!
Thanks!
Thanks for making this..could I ask for some advice with desoldering?
I'm really struggling to clean up the PCB and holes using MG Chemicals lead-free wick (also tried a Towot wick) to absorb the lead-free solder. I've tried adding extra solder (also lead-free) like suggested here, and also extra flux to both wicks, and ranging temps between 300c and 400c. I also find the wick tends to get stuck in the solder, it solidifies. Am I holding it in place too long? It's my first time soldering so I'm really new, and not sure where I'm going wrong. Testing this on an old DS4 before attempting to replace my DualSense sticks with TMRs. Thank you
If your solder wick gets stuck in the solder, it probably means the soldering iron is not supplying enough heat. The MG chemicals solder wick is of excellent quality, it's my 2nd favorite. I would dump the lead-free solder and get some 63/37 tin-lead, it will have a lower melting point. What kind of soldering iron are you using and do you know the wattage of it?
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Hey, thanks for the reply! Yeah, when I saw your video comparing wicks, I tried the MG Chemicals wick and had trouble, I figured it's user error and I was doing something wrong. I also heard it's best not to mix solder types and to have different tips for leaded and lead-free solder. Since the controllers used lead-free I stuck with that type. Is that true or is it fine to mix and match?
Iron is a Pinecil V2, google says it's up to 88 watts. I'm powering it via USB-C with a 65W GaN PD3.0 charger and PD3.1 supported USB-C cable. Using a cone tip but recently ordered a D.24 as I heard that's more effective at heat transfer.
I try to get rid of all the old lead-free solder. Flood the joint with leaded solder, wick it off, and most of the lead-free will be gone. I've never used the Pinecil iron. But if you power it with a 65-watt supply, I would expect less than 60 watts of heat from the tip. The bigger tip should help, but you might want a bigger power supply if the iron can handle up to 88 watts.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Alright, I'll try that. Thank you. The power supply in terms of spec, matches what Pinecil recommend. I did use the bigger tip earlier today and it was a lot better, still got stuck but as I practiced more it was getting stuck less. I'll keep practice and learning, and try some leaded solder. Thank you for the help and all the videos as well!
The leaded solder will help with the sticking part. Good luck.
Great information, always a fan of this channel! However, I tried but messed up my board due to my own poor skill. After desoldering the potentiometer out, I realised that a little capacitor at the bottom right of the left stick (looking from the top of the board) disappeared. Is there anyway to find and replace it? The board is a BDM-020 and the little capacitor (I suspect) is right next to the bottom right pin on the board from the top. Thanks!
I believe that is just a bypass capacitor, if it is the one I'm thinking about it goes to the 1.8-volt line to the joystick. I would try without it. If you want to replace it I would go with a 100nf and see. If you replace the potentiometers with Hall or TMR sensors quite a few have bypass caps built in.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 thanks for the quick reply! Honestly I'm not even sure if the original had it, or it has always been empty. I'll give it a try. Thanks, again!
I changed my joystick with the tmr , it feel great but the only problem I have is the left joystick sometimes not responding correctly . For example , if I move the joystick all the way up to move faster but my character in game just walk slowly . I have to put more pressure on the joystick to make she run faster .
What does the joystick look like on the Gamepad tester website?
@@metalplasticelectronics354 the black point in the center , avg error is 5.2% . When I move the joystick around I see that it is out of range a little bit at the left bottom corner
That is good circularity. You might try doing a hardware reset on the controller.
New sub here. Nice job by the way! What macro lens you use for the closer shots? Thanks and take care!
It's a Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED lense. And thanks for the sub.
Its possible on series controller? i dont want replace The entire joystick frame, Just The sensors.
I think GuliKit was working on a joystick for the Xbox controllers.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 Yes, they have a version for the Xbox series. However, I would like to know if it is possible to exchange just the xbox's ALPS sensor for the gulikit's TMR because replacing the entire analogue is more complex and requires more experience. It would be great if the TMR sensor was compatible with the original Xbox analogue frame.
If i have a fancy desoldering gun, do you think it makes more sense to remove the entire joystick and then swap the potentiometers, which would avoid bending pins and inserting the sensors at an angle? Are there downsides to fully removing the joystick to do the sensor swap other than the effort involved in desoldering?
@@craftkiller9627 as someone who has removed the whole sensor, I would say there is no downside ESPECIALLY if you have the fancy gun. I did the swap to whole new joysticks before I found out that could just switch the sensors themselves. And I saw absolutely no dip in performance. Good luck :D
@@originsmaster8140 awesome, thanks! In that case, I'll remove the whole joystick when I do the swap this weekend.
Can you use it for the scuf envision pro and calibrate it with software?
What kind of clamp holder is that?
A cheap one from Amazon. If you search PCB holder, you should see some that look just like it.
What is the appropriate temperature for gout weak ?
I usually run at 700 to 750 F and it seems to work fine. At that temperature, you don't want to hold the iron on the solder wick for much more than 5 seconds though.
@ thank you so much 👍🏽
Great work you make it look so easy i have a question I have 2 ps5 controllers with ginful v5s inside i like them but i can feel the 'smoothing' on fps shooter on pc which i never really felt on alps, my question is because tmr sticks are not that cheap could i not buy 1 pair and just use one stick in each controller for the right stick on each as thats where the aiming is done and then leave both left sticks with ginfull v5s as you only run with left but would this be fine or would there any weird behaviour or issues with voltage
That should work fine. The GuliKit will feel like the Alps.
Does the tmr joystick sit lower compared to the apls joystick ? seen reviews that it does if you use the stock caps that go onto the analog stick besides the ones that come with tmr joysticks.
The TMR seems to be 0.01 to 0.015 inches shorter than the Alps.
Would you say these are the best joysticks for competing in call of duty or do you suggest another Hall effect?
The GuliKit TMR is my favorite for almost everything, Though I haven't played Call of Duty I believe this is a very good replacement for a potentiometer-based joystick.
Hi,
Changed my potentiometer (left joystick) and it works great after the GUI installation. BUT, the toggle on the L3 does not work. I can’t sprint, and I have disassembled the controller 10 times, can’t see anything wrong. I really think I did a great job!
What to do here?
Can you feel a click when pushing in on the left stick? The switch for it is opposite the left-right axis potentiometer. Make sure the button for the switch can move.
Are there any downsides to this compared to just replacing the entire stick besides the circularity error rate which can be fixed?
The only things I can think of are circularity and the fact that you still have the old joystick mechanical parts.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 that’s fine. Both their insides are the same but the TMR’s button wears out faster than the alps I believe and the alps is less lubricated than the TMR
What are the best temps for soldering and desoldering with an iron?
Had the iron set at 730F.
Do the haptic magnets have any effect on the hall sensors?
Not that I have noticed.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 thx. read up on the TMR vs. traditional hall effect, looks like they’re all around a better technology.
Hi! What I don’t understand (I’m just getting into the topic of learning soldering and am thinking about first soldering iron) is this: if you have entire joystick module why limit the work to exchange only sensors? Is it that much more desoldering and soldering work for entire joystick compared to together 6 pins of 2 sensors? What I would worry is also the fact that you need to unclip and clip these sensors from one joystick to another. There’s some force and wear and tear possible or even damage in a little bit shaky hands I suppose which would make sensor unusable anymore? Please explain and correct me as clearly I don’t know exactly the matter but I am wondering. My aim is to replace all my joysticks with Hall effect/TMR joysticks but first I need to learn and practice. I wasn’t aware that pads on board shouldn’t be touched by soldering iron 😱 what can happen? If not instantly then what can happen in long run if too frequent?
Your videos are great and I really appreciate your work! Thanks!
There is a lot more work replacing the entire joystick. Replacing just the 2 sensors is quite easy. You can touch the pads with the solder iron and not hurt them. But if you rub the iron tip on them at high temperatures they can become delaminated. It doesn't hurt anything to unclip and clip the sensors. the plastic on the joystick and sensors is quite tough.
@@metalplasticelectronics354a lot meaning more points to desolder or there are other things too?
The joystick frame is a lot more difficult to remove. The 4 pins of the frame are all soldered into holes connected to the ground plane. So without the proper equipment, it's very easy to damage the PCB. The frame can be cut apart and removed one pin at a time. Takes a bit of time but greatly reduces the chance of damage.
I've installed the Gulikit TMR in my Dualsense BDM-040 but the included Gulikit thumbsticks feel scratchy and seems to be being blocked by the controller. I've set the modules flush in the pcb so I can confirm it's snuggly fit but any idea what might be causing this? I've instead used the Dualsense thumbsticks in the meantime as those work without any issues and it's super smooth.
It does sound like they are rubbing on something. Is there any mold flash that is sticking out from the knobs? The GuliKit knobs do seem to be a bit tighter pushing on. The latest version of the DualSense I have is the BDM-020.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 there isn’t any mold flash or plastic sticking out. I’ve pushed the thumbstick down but it feels the dome shape is rubbing against the controller shell. Might be worth testing if you ever have the BDM-040 in the future! Great video as always 💯
how does the TMR joystick prevent eventual wear and tear? in comparison to potentiometer
There is no contact so no friction and wear.
It uses magnetic sensors instead, so there are less physical parts to get clogged up or worn down. You can adjust and clean potentiometers to correct them, but it's not always viable. Hall effect and TMR sensors will last much much longer as a result.
What temp are you using. I have a hard time with the PS5 controllers.
750F
I must be doing something wrong I used 900 and still couldn’t get the solder out.
What brand of soldering iron are you using and do you know how many Watts it is?
Do u guys think its worth it to install the gulikit tmr sensors on the dualsense edge even if the calibration software doesnt work on the edge?
Probably not. Give it a bit and maybe the information will get out on the codes for the Edge.
@@metalplasticelectronics354 oke cool, thanks for the respond
Nice video, thanks :)
Glad you liked it!
why not use solder sucker to suck the lead?
I don't have one that works. And solder wick is easier for people who don't do this very much.
It’s a Ryobi and it’s 45 watts
I've never tried a Ryobi soldering iron, but 45 watts is pretty low. 60 Watts for a brand name should work. I'm testing some cheap irons from Amazon now. And 60 watts is not all the same that's for sure. If you can't make a solder puddle in less than a second on one of the joystick frame leads I don't think the soldering iron is supplying enough heat.
I mean if I'm going to open the controller I better replace the entire joystick.
It's crazy how even their super overpriced controllers don't have hall effect sticks but random $40 chinese controllers do.
Looking forward to when you are over this obsession with game controllers.
Look at his views for his other videos compared to the controller videos. I hope he keeps making controller videos as long as he enjoys it.
@@shaennaidoo9165 Which goes to show that this is a widespread problem that should have been a recall from Sony. I played Astro and Forbidden West and my right stick started drifting while my PS3 controller has thousands of hours on them and still work perfectly fine. I can't imagine how many PS5 controllers have been thrown in the trash since so many people will not even know they are repairable and will also not have the ability and time to repair them.
I do hope to get to some other projects soon. There's just not enough time in the day.
To change potentiometers on native mechanisms does not make sense because of the loose mechanism zero point will not be stable. If you soldering it already make it normal reinforced Ginfull, all the rest is dabbling.
Thank you!!!
You're welcome!