4 ways instaid of 8 ways
- Thread starter kamiel
- Start date
This topic has been discussed several times on the board, try searching on "diagonals". I don't recall there's a guide on it. So here's one, may it be a short one. The problem is caused by the fact that when using diagonals, the two direction buttons, for example up and right are not pressed hard enough. However, you can press as hard as you want, but due to the shape of the shell and the thickness of the control stick, you won't be able to press 'em any harder. You shall notice that when you pull your control stick off (it can be done without to much force), you can, by steering with your thumb, perform these diagonals. To summarize, there are I believe 4 solutions.
1. Send your GP back to Gamepark, the most safe solution. They will send you a new one.
2. Pull out your control stick a little bit. For some people, this proved to work. For me, however, it didn't do shit.
3. Open your GP, cut loose the white cross with a Stanley knife (the plastic is burned to the print layer, so you really have to cut it) and use something (thin foam or something) to put between the cross and the control stick. This way the control stick can press both buttons (up & right, for example) at the same time, and the problem is gone.
4. Largen the hole (the one where your control stick comes out) in your shell a bit, by sanding it with a drill or whatever. With a bigger hole, the stick can be pressed further thus allowing you to simultaneously press two control directions at the same time.
Search the board, all solutions have actually been performed by someone. Although I haven't fixed the problem myself yet, I intend to go for the last solution, cause this will spare me the two months it will cost to send my GP to bloody Korea and back, and will do the least harm to my GP, only to the shell a bit. Good luck.
1. Send your GP back to Gamepark, the most safe solution. They will send you a new one.
2. Pull out your control stick a little bit. For some people, this proved to work. For me, however, it didn't do shit.
3. Open your GP, cut loose the white cross with a Stanley knife (the plastic is burned to the print layer, so you really have to cut it) and use something (thin foam or something) to put between the cross and the control stick. This way the control stick can press both buttons (up & right, for example) at the same time, and the problem is gone.
4. Largen the hole (the one where your control stick comes out) in your shell a bit, by sanding it with a drill or whatever. With a bigger hole, the stick can be pressed further thus allowing you to simultaneously press two control directions at the same time.
Search the board, all solutions have actually been performed by someone. Although I haven't fixed the problem myself yet, I intend to go for the last solution, cause this will spare me the two months it will cost to send my GP to bloody Korea and back, and will do the least harm to my GP, only to the shell a bit. Good luck.
i just fixed mine last weekend (im playing hours daily now 
).
i used a layer of film from an overhead-projector. i used super-glue and stuck it onto the cross at the end of the controller-stick (if you dont know what i mean, open the gp case and the white box over the controller buttons, then youll know, what i mean).
maybe you have to use a thicker film, i originally couldnt just move up-left.
and be careful: if you use a film thats too thick (a button you pressed will stay pressed until you press a new one...), you have to remove it, but if you also used super-glue to stick the white box over the controller unit, youll maybe just cant open it anymore (i myself made this expirience and i had to melt the parts with glue with a soldering iron. that was really dangerous, i guess).
good luck
).i used a layer of film from an overhead-projector. i used super-glue and stuck it onto the cross at the end of the controller-stick (if you dont know what i mean, open the gp case and the white box over the controller buttons, then youll know, what i mean).
maybe you have to use a thicker film, i originally couldnt just move up-left.
and be careful: if you use a film thats too thick (a button you pressed will stay pressed until you press a new one...), you have to remove it, but if you also used super-glue to stick the white box over the controller unit, youll maybe just cant open it anymore (i myself made this expirience and i had to melt the parts with glue with a soldering iron. that was really dangerous, i guess).
good luck
hm, i also thought to enlarge the hole, but that wont solve the prob in my opinion, because
1. the stick will become less sensitive (you have to move your thumb over a to long distance)
2. by moving diagonally then, youll push a vertical or horizontal direction first before pushing both of them to go diagonal.
i really thing "my" method is the best, but you must be prepared for it. means: having different sort of films and test the stick enough, before sticking the box over permanently.
and now, my stick is very sensitive and i can react very fast.
ah..and i guess, by enlarging the hole you can do really more damage to your gp32, because you have to use force (more or less) and i couldnt take away the display/front unit from the board. (i didnt know how to take the display cable off the board. it looks very similar to the gba, and i had no prob to detach the display when i installed my afterburner. but the gp32 seems to be different, but maybe i didnt used enough force). so there might be danger to damage the display or the cable, which is in a plastic film.
1. the stick will become less sensitive (you have to move your thumb over a to long distance)
2. by moving diagonally then, youll push a vertical or horizontal direction first before pushing both of them to go diagonal.
i really thing "my" method is the best, but you must be prepared for it. means: having different sort of films and test the stick enough, before sticking the box over permanently.
and now, my stick is very sensitive and i can react very fast.
ah..and i guess, by enlarging the hole you can do really more damage to your gp32, because you have to use force (more or less) and i couldnt take away the display/front unit from the board. (i didnt know how to take the display cable off the board. it looks very similar to the gba, and i had no prob to detach the display when i installed my afterburner. but the gp32 seems to be different, but maybe i didnt used enough force). so there might be danger to damage the display or the cable, which is in a plastic film.
The Wub
no talent, silly haircut
I think I may have hit apon a very simple way of fixing this.
My gp can't do any diagonals at all and it has caused me no end of grief while trying to test my llamatron clone
I'll know tomorrow........
My gp can't do any diagonals at all and it has caused me no end of grief while trying to test my llamatron clone
I'll know tomorrow........
Arda
Member
yes, my gp32 cannot do diagonals too.. And enlarging the hole will not solve the problem because stick can't do diagonals good enough without the shell too..
Best way to make it work again is to open the stick holder thing (whish o-bake calls it white box), and stick something bottom of the stick. But it's really bad thing that you have to break the white box, and it looks hard to stick it back.
I'll try to repair it tonight. wish me luck!
Best way to make it work again is to open the stick holder thing (whish o-bake calls it white box), and stick something bottom of the stick. But it's really bad thing that you have to break the white box, and it looks hard to stick it back.
I'll try to repair it tonight. wish me luck!
Dozer
Efram the retarded rabbit
I sent mine back 4 repair for the diagonals. and it takes a week 2 get to play asia, then they mail it to gamepark, then it takes up 2 4 weeks to repair it (!!!!!) then they mail it back to play asia who mail it to me! ARGH! It could take up 2 2 fucking months to get diagonals working when loads of people are suggesting ways to fix it urself!!!!
hm, i dont know, if you can put something in the white box, theoretically yes, but the question is, if the stick can move as easy as before...
another way i thought about is to cut of a little bit of the white box (or stickholder..), but its more complicated than putting some plasic film on that cross, eh?
anyway, good luck
another way i thought about is to cut of a little bit of the white box (or stickholder..), but its more complicated than putting some plasic film on that cross, eh?
anyway, good luck
dazmanultra
Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2003
- Messages
- 232
Should I send mine back to gbax?
I can't see why the sanding part looks problematic to some of you. Chechk phoda's post on this: http://www.gp32x.de/board/index.php?showt...t=15&hl=sanding
When using a dremel, this, in my opinion, should definitely cause the least risk of all. Phoda did it and it proved a success, logically, because you are actually widening a hole that should have been wider from the beginning, because than no problems would have occured.
I'll try to do this method tomorrow and I'll keep you posted. I don't except too many troubles, however, else I wouldn't do it.
When using a dremel, this, in my opinion, should definitely cause the least risk of all. Phoda did it and it proved a success, logically, because you are actually widening a hole that should have been wider from the beginning, because than no problems would have occured.
I'll try to do this method tomorrow and I'll keep you posted. I don't except too many troubles, however, else I wouldn't do it.
Last edited by a moderator:
The Wub
no talent, silly haircut
I think it's possible that for some, simply widening the hole will not solve it.
On mine it appears to be the thumb pad part that is preventing further movement, not the shaft (oo-er)
I thought a couple of seconds work with a needle file would do it but I've only improved one direction, a little. It looks like the design requires all the parts involved to be well within tolerance which they obviously are not, not consistently anyway...
I'm gonna persevere with my filing, but I think a one-size-fits-all solution will require a bit more thought.
forget that last bit! I think I've done it, and it is simple
On mine it appears to be the thumb pad part that is preventing further movement, not the shaft (oo-er)
I thought a couple of seconds work with a needle file would do it but I've only improved one direction, a little. It looks like the design requires all the parts involved to be well within tolerance which they obviously are not, not consistently anyway...
I'm gonna persevere with my filing, but I think a one-size-fits-all solution will require a bit more thought.
forget that last bit! I think I've done it, and it is simple
The Wub
no talent, silly haircut
Ok
All you need to do is file a flat face on to the back of the thumb pad, directly between whichever direction you are trying to restore. The worse your particular pad, the more material you will need to remove.
I also found that filing away the edge that protrudes just a little beyond the raised direction arrows helped a bit.
I have only done two of my diagonals so far, I want to take before after photos to show exaclty what I mean.
As soon as my flatmate finds the charger for his camera I'll take pictures of what I have done.
All you need to do is file a flat face on to the back of the thumb pad, directly between whichever direction you are trying to restore. The worse your particular pad, the more material you will need to remove.
I also found that filing away the edge that protrudes just a little beyond the raised direction arrows helped a bit.
I have only done two of my diagonals so far, I want to take before after photos to show exaclty what I mean.
As soon as my flatmate finds the charger for his camera I'll take pictures of what I have done.
Arda
Member
I succesfully repair my stick now. That's what I do:
I removed the shell and removed the stickholder thingy (I used a solder to melt the stickholder's plastic pins, carefully, made the repair and I melt them back when I'm finished.)
I cut two + shaped film from a standard 35mm negative film, and made a hole at the center of the + shaped films, and put them among stick and switches.. The films were 0,25mm thick, two films together makes 0.5 mm thick.
I put everything back together and YAY! it works like charm!
It really really works better than new, the question is, how long the negative film resist to the pressure of the stick. I don't know.
I took pictures of all of the process.. I can put them on web if anyone needs them.. just send me an e-mail.
I wrote a small program to test joystick and buttons, and it includes small space shooter game, and before you say it I know it's lame
here is the zipped file: Startest.zip 46kb
I removed the shell and removed the stickholder thingy (I used a solder to melt the stickholder's plastic pins, carefully, made the repair and I melt them back when I'm finished.)
I cut two + shaped film from a standard 35mm negative film, and made a hole at the center of the + shaped films, and put them among stick and switches.. The films were 0,25mm thick, two films together makes 0.5 mm thick.
I put everything back together and YAY! it works like charm!
It really really works better than new, the question is, how long the negative film resist to the pressure of the stick. I don't know.
I took pictures of all of the process.. I can put them on web if anyone needs them.. just send me an e-mail.
I wrote a small program to test joystick and buttons, and it includes small space shooter game, and before you say it I know it's lame
here is the zipped file: Startest.zip 46kb
The Wub
no talent, silly haircut
Well, it seems we have all been clever bunnies then
I think I prefer my method as it doesn't involve taking the gp apart, too scarey for me
Now we'll all be ready for the pdroms.com compo entries....
I think I prefer my method as it doesn't involve taking the gp apart, too scarey for me
Now we'll all be ready for the pdroms.com compo entries....
Wub, I still haven't done anything, but I don't understand shit of what you are saying. However, if you have done it without opening the GP, it sounds quite interesting. Could you take pictures of it when your roommate has found his charger?
The Wub
no talent, silly haircut
The charger has been found, so I'll take some pics in a bit.
I'll try and explain better though, sorry for being unclear.
You'll need a needle file for this operation. You could possibly use some fine sand paper but you'll have far less control over where you're filing, so be careful!
If you push the thumb pad into a non-working diagonal position you should be able to find a spot where neither microswitch clicks.
This is a dead spot where the stick cannot move far enough in that direction.
Sometimes you can hold left or right and then slide towards up or down and it will tickle both the switches enough to make the diagonal. In this case, less material needs to be filed away.
The first thing I did was to pull the thumb pad out and mark it so I knew which way up it should go. I find that when you pull it out it kind of flies off and it's easy to forget which corner you were looking at.
So, I started with top left. It didn't work at all, a dead spot.
I pulled out the thumb pad and under it, between the up and left arrows, I filed a flat face. I realise that a picture will help here but that's the best I can do with words.
The trick is not to file to much off in one go. Keep checking to see if it's getting better. I found that I needed to remove quite a bit of plastic for top-left in the end.
For up-right I found that I had to do some filing on the shaft of the thumb pad as well. For this I again filed a flat face in line with that diagonal.
In the picture you'll see how the corner of the hole that the white control stick fits into points to this flat face nicely making it impossible to file in the wrong place.
You'll know if you need to do some filing on the shaft because you'll see a gap between the thumb pad and the gp case even when fully pressed into the diagonal.
I did all that for all four diagonals and now I can press straight into any corner and hit both micro swithes at once without having to hold left or up first and then slide into the up-left.
I'm doing the pics right now, they'll be up in half an hour. (presuming I have no probs ataching them to this post.
I have taken the pics, they came out fairly ok although my friends camera struggled a bit as you'll see.
I have a few probs uploading the pic so if you want them before they appear here drop me a 'mail and I'll post them to anyone who wants them.
thewub@hotmail.com
I'll try and explain better though, sorry for being unclear.
You'll need a needle file for this operation. You could possibly use some fine sand paper but you'll have far less control over where you're filing, so be careful!
If you push the thumb pad into a non-working diagonal position you should be able to find a spot where neither microswitch clicks.
This is a dead spot where the stick cannot move far enough in that direction.
Sometimes you can hold left or right and then slide towards up or down and it will tickle both the switches enough to make the diagonal. In this case, less material needs to be filed away.
The first thing I did was to pull the thumb pad out and mark it so I knew which way up it should go. I find that when you pull it out it kind of flies off and it's easy to forget which corner you were looking at.
So, I started with top left. It didn't work at all, a dead spot.
I pulled out the thumb pad and under it, between the up and left arrows, I filed a flat face. I realise that a picture will help here but that's the best I can do with words.
The trick is not to file to much off in one go. Keep checking to see if it's getting better. I found that I needed to remove quite a bit of plastic for top-left in the end.
For up-right I found that I had to do some filing on the shaft of the thumb pad as well. For this I again filed a flat face in line with that diagonal.
In the picture you'll see how the corner of the hole that the white control stick fits into points to this flat face nicely making it impossible to file in the wrong place.
You'll know if you need to do some filing on the shaft because you'll see a gap between the thumb pad and the gp case even when fully pressed into the diagonal.
I did all that for all four diagonals and now I can press straight into any corner and hit both micro swithes at once without having to hold left or up first and then slide into the up-left.
I'm doing the pics right now, they'll be up in half an hour. (presuming I have no probs ataching them to this post.
I have taken the pics, they came out fairly ok although my friends camera struggled a bit as you'll see.
I have a few probs uploading the pic so if you want them before they appear here drop me a 'mail and I'll post them to anyone who wants them.
thewub@hotmail.com
