HELP! My button broke.

[Lance Boyle]

I was playing OutZone on my HRAP EX-SE, which I've owned for a couple years, and as I was getting enthusiastic mashing the A button (fire) it suddenly became stuck.

I opened it up and inside the hollow chassis a golden ball and a spring were loose.

(Apology for poor image quality; I can't take better pictures with what I have.)



The back connector for the button had popped off. The golden ball and the spring were formerly contained within the slot.





How do I reinsert the spring and ball, and how is the connector affixed? The other connectors seem solidly in place with no way to remove them. I've tried reinserting the spring and ball, in both orders (spring first; ball first), but I can't center them and the connector has nothing to catch on to fix it in place.

Help?

(mod edit - moved to hardware forum)

[shmuppyLove]

Just buy a new button? They're like $3.

[Lance Boyle]

I don't think that'd be necessary just because the connector popped off and a couple intact innards got loose.

[shmuppyLove]

I dunno I've never seen a switch explode like that ... they're not really designed to come apart, so it's possible that whatever was holding the bottom piece on has broken and you won't be able to fit it back in properly without maybe some super glue.

From slagcoin.com:

...centered switches containing a metal ball resting on a small spring that smoothly moves in and out of two metal plates.

I've never taken apart a switch before so I don't know what they look like inside. Maybe try to carefully take apart another one to see how it's supposed to go together?

[Lance Boyle]

Where would you recommend buying a new Seimitsu PS-14-G button?

Apparently the spring goes first, and then the ball. The ball contacting the panel causes the input to register. I just have no idea how to affix the spring inside the switch, and keep the ball attached to the spring.

[emphatic]

For now, move one of your lesser used buttons into the place of the broken button.

[moh]

I've never seen a switch explode like that ...

I have. Just last night.

And now I know how a button works

[shmuppyLove]

How are you guys destroying buttons?



Ah, ok ...

[5tranger]

Funny, the same thing happened to my Seimitsu button a week ago too. I think that it might not be possible to attach it back unless you somehow manage to precisely glue back the corners. It looks to be secured by the 4 corner ball looking pieces.

Aside from buying a new button, you could also just buy a replacement microswitch:
http://www.focusattack.com/seimitsu-ps- ... ro-switch/