Hello,
I have the Madcatz MvC stick (xbox 360). It has quite a few functional and cosmetic mods: Seimitsu buttons, 8 way gate, Seimitsu spring, ball top, plexi, dust washer, and art.
Before I modded it and randomly after, there has been a problem with the buttons just dying in the middle of playing. Unplugging it and replugging it in resumes normal functionality. It is seemingly random. I can play for twelve hours straight without an issue or it could fault anywhere within ten minutes to several hours of playing.
I called Madcatz after it happened a few times and they seem to have known about the issue. Even though it was out of warranty and modded, they agreed to fix it for no cost if I had the receipt. Problem was that it was a Christmas gift from the woman and she didnt hold onto the receipt for that 8 months.
The thing sort of has sentimental value. Like a good worn in baseball glove. So I don’t just want to junk it and buy another one. I can only assume that the problems are a fault with the PCB.
What options are out there for a replacement? I tried doing a basic search for replacement or after market PCBs and didnt come up with much. I could really use some names, model numbers, and link to the shop where I could get one. Some sort of guide on how to do the swap it out would be handy also if anyone knows of one on Shoryuken or elsewhere.
Thanks in advance.
Did you ask Madcatz if they where willing to send you a replacement PCB at cost to you? You could try to swap it with a PCB from a SE stick, the problem is that the right 4 face buttons are mapped differently so I don’t know what will happen.
It is possible to just hack a Madcatz fightpad PCB if you have wire and a soldering iron. Slagcoin.com has all the info you need on padhacking.
Joystick Controller - PCB and Wiring
Did you ask Madcatz if they where willing to send you a replacement PCB at cost to you? You could try to swap it with a PCB from a SE stick, the problem is that the right 4 face buttons are mapped differently so I don’t know what will happen.
It is possible to just hack a Madcatz fightpad PCB if you have wire and a soldering iron. Slagcoin.com has all the info you need on padhacking.
Joystick Controller - PCB and Wiring
Actually, true to form, as soon as I posted this I found a PCB from Akishop for my exact stick, that replaces the original, makes it dual modded and doesn’t require soldering.
Does anyone have any experience with the Akishop PS360 Tri Mod PCB (2ND WAVE)? I actually havent even heard of Akishop, so I don’t know if they are a reputable dealer. The only place I have gotten parts from before is Lizardlick.
For reference here is a link to the PCB. Akishop PS360 Tri Mod Joystick PCB (2nd Wave)
In the description there is also a step by step video on how to install it.
I would like some input from some more experienced modders on it before I make a purchase though.
AFAIK, Akishop is a very respectable dealer. This thread is full of folks who have ordered from Aki and had positive results.
Also IIRC, the first gen of Madcatz TE sticks (Rd 1, 2, and the special editions) before the redesign are prone to PCB failure. I am thinking this is due to a grounding issue, and if you could solder, you could even try re-soldering the points (I’ve seen that response).
For standard shipping though, it might hurt because they are overseas. You might even try to make a WTB/WTT thread in the trading outlet, give it a day or so and see if someone has something for you. You might be able to buy a 360 pcb or even a PS360 off of someone that lives closer, and you might be able to save on price/shipping as well being able to returning to play sooner. You have some options at least though.
Which buttons specifically stop working, or is it random?
@ SmokeMaxX, All of the buttons stop working. Cant do anything other than unplug it from the console and plug it back in. The lights around the xbox guide button stay lit up, so the stick is still getting power.
I ordered the PS360 PCB that I linked to earlier from the focusAttack store I seen mentioned in a few other threads. Once it gets here and I get it installed, i’ll get a good weekend of play time on the thing and update whether or not the problem persists.
@BigBoss, thanks for input. I ordered that board from another re-seller on the forums to save a bit on shipping and get it faster.