Several questions and issues

[singe8]

So I just got my pandora a few days ago, and I need some help with a few things.


First off, my left nub seems to be having problems. When I start up the pandora, it is working fine as long as I don't touch the nub while it is starting, it seems like that has caused some problems. Then after I use it for a few minutes it almost no longer registers the upper right hand corner at all, and the other corners are also a little weak. I attached a representation of what it is doing. Not only that, but it also gets really twitchy and messed up, for example if I press up slightly it goes down slightly.


I have heard of the nub dance, but it never seems to work, and almost always makes them worse. I am probably doing it wrong, mainly because I don't know how to do it. When do you do the dance? Does it matter how long you hold them against the edge? A video would be extremely helpful, but not necessary as long as the description is good.


Unrelated to the nubs I have a another question. How do you get Quake3 Working? I first tried making the folders and putting the files in them, but that didn't work. Then I deleted those files and let quake3 make them for me, then put the files in those folders. It doesn't do anything when I start it. In fact I have no idea I even pressed it.

 

[FaeMinx]

Don't worry.


Pop the battery out for 20min.

 

[singe8]

Thanks for the suggestion. I took out the battery for 20 minutes, and it did not help at all. I really think its a calibration problem, because it works for a few seconds of use, then messes up.

 

[FaeMinx]

pop the battery out again, and then while booting up into XFCE, coninuously rotate the nubs. Clockwise or counter-clockwise it doesn't matter *I think*.

 

[Nintendo]

a.k.a. The Nub Dance

 

[singe8]

pop the battery out again, and then while booting up into XFCE, coninuously rotate the nubs. Clockwise or counter-clockwise it doesn't matter *I think*.

Ok, assuming you meant do this while the battery is out and the charger is in, I did that, but again nothing changed. The right one still works a lot better than the left one, and it always loses the ability to go up and right. Also, I did a lot of things that people said on several different forums. I tried wiggling around the Nub, in case it had dirt, although I didn't think it did. I tried what I think is the nub dance, but I am not really sure. I tried it at different times at start up, I tried a few minutes after start up. None of those things worked.

 

[Prometheus]

The traditional "nub-dance", if your nubs need it (and not all do), is pushing the nub up and holding it for a moment (for some nubs, this can be as short as half a second, even), releasing it, pushing it down and again holding it for a moment, releasing it, pushing it left and holding it, releasing it, and pushing it right and holding it. It's best done during boot-up, once you've seen the Pandora logo that appears at power-on.


My experience has been that some units prefer this repeated a few times during boot-up, whilst others either don't need it at all, or only need it to be done once during boot. Others still, though I haven't observed this myself, apparently do better if you rotate them a few times and then release them and wait for booting-up to finish.

 

[singe8]

Your nub dance explanation was very good, it just doesn't seem to work for me, not only that but sometimes the nub dance screws it up even more. One time I tried it and it worked, but lost it after two minutes of mario 64 (its not the emulator because I tested it in the input tester afterward). Another time it refused to measure any upward movement. Also, does the nub dance work in the tester? I have seen several times while messing around with it it change from like 24 to 32 instantly with no additional pressure. It seems like if I leave the nub alone in the start it consistently works, it just calibrates incorrectly very fast.

 

[Prometheus]

I'm afraid I don't know whether the nub-dance works in the tester, as I've never actually used the tester (my main purpose for the nubs is mousing, rather than gaming use). Sorry about that.


That said, I don't know of any reason why doing it there would be an issue. The nubs are constantly recalibrating, after all.

 

[EvilDragon]

Check if the nub disc hits the case when moving (you can feel some resistance if this is the case), as that messes up calibration after a while.


If that's the case, push down the case around the nubs. This should help.

 

[FaeMinx]

pop the battery out again, and then while booting up into XFCE, continuously rotate the nubs. Clockwise or counter-clockwise it doesn't matter *I think*.

Ok, assuming you meant do this while the battery is out and the charger is in, I did that, but again nothing changed.

I actually meant pop the battery out and do not plug in the charger - the Pandora must be off for some time... and THEN when the battery is in again and XFCE is booting up, rotate the offending nub smoothly and continuously. I'm not sure if it's necessary to rotate both nubs... but...


wash, rinse, repeat


wash, rinse, repeat


Try different things. It took a while for my nub to come right and I'm sure yours will as well - you just have to find the method that works for you. It seems our nubs all have different personalities.

 

[ChaosWarmech]

My nubs have always been wonky... Normally I have one or two directions that only register 1/2 to 1/4 of the way. Generally down left, but it varies. Happens with both nubs.


I've tried doing the nub dance various ways, but it doesn't help and sometimes it hurts! A couple times after doing the nub dance a direction would be opposite. Right would go left, but left would still go left. Really bizarre.


I really wish there was a better way.

 

[singe8]

Check if the nub disc hits the case when moving (you can feel some resistance if this is the case), as that messes up calibration after a while.


If that's the case, push down the case around the nubs. This should help.

The thing is I don't know what is normal with the Pandora, I mean my right nub feels less stiff than the left one, but not so much that it should cause such a big problem. I have tried pushing the case and nub area in before I posted because it was suggested in a post. I don't know what else to say.