CH Products Combatstick Hat Switch

[Pudgie]

Hi All,

Well the hat switch has finally gone kaput in my 10 yr old Combatstick 568 (have already tried reaming out the ring stop to increase the press travel to the front button to no avail....the button itself is going out.....works sometimes, sometimes it doesn't).

Wanting to know if anyone has used contact cleaner w\ the hat switch inner buttons.....if you can do this at all? If so how to go about it and did it work...........

Also would like to know if it is possible to rotate the hat switch on the PCB 180* to put the bad button to the dead 6 view to essentially dry dock it?

Have already ordered a new replacement from Amazon......should be here on 2-22-17 but I would like to fix this 1 to keep it as a spare as this is the only issue w\ it.

Kicking myself in the butt for not ordering all the spare parts (have bought spare pots for my Combatstick, ProThrottle & Pro Pedals along w\ spare springs but didn't think to buy all the spare buttons\PCB boards\gimbals when CH was selling these............). In all the years of hard simming I've never had to replace or even had to clean a pot.....only had to tighten up a couple of toe brake pot wire connectors that were not connecting secure enough in a set of Pro Pedals causing spiking.....some 14 yrs back.

Appreciate any feedback on this.......................

 

[The Fugitive]

got to ebay and buy a couple old analog CH sticks. All the switches are the same. I replaced a couple on mine when I had issues. I have also swapped out the hats. I have never reamed out the ring as I think that would do more damage, but I have seen some people use epoxy to fill in the worn area of the hat's post so that it makes solid contact again.

[Drano]

What Fugi says. The used sticks are available on ebay and are a good source for parts. Also check the CH Hangar forums. While the parts are not obtainable generally from CH, the guides for repairing stuff from the times they were are on there. Some minor mechanical and soldering skills might be needed but it's do-able.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Pudgie]

got to ebay and buy a couple old analog CH sticks. All the switches are the same. I replaced a couple on mine when I had issues. I have also swapped out the hats. I have never reamed out the ring as I think that would do more damage, but I have seen some people use epoxy to fill in the worn area of the hat's post so that it makes solid contact again.

I tried reaming the ring as a last resort due to the hat post not showing any signs of wear on it at all. I only removed 1\64" off the ring....wasn't gonna remove any more than that. In the meantime I reprogrammed the button just below the hat switch to provide the front up view so that I can continue to play until the new Combatstick 568 gets here. Then I'll have the wife (she lives on EBay) to get a couple of old CH sticks for parts & fix this one later.

BTW this didn't solve it so the 1 front button inside the hat switch is going out (but it will still work when used in front\left or front\right views....just not in direct front position.

This is why I asked about using contact cleaner in the hat switch..........

What Fugi says. The used sticks are available on ebay and are a good source for parts. Also check the CH Hangar forums. While the parts are not obtainable generally from CH, the guides for repairing stuff from the times they were are on there. Some minor mechanical and soldering skills might be needed but it's do-able.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Got all the skills covered........been here before in the past on a set of Pro Pedals before CH redesigned the wiring layout to stop pinching the wiring causing wiring breaks.....I rewired this set of Pro Pedals using 18ga wire and modified the wire mounts to allow the wires to move thru them then set the amount of distance to flex using small tie wraps.....worked like a charm until I completely wore out the slide assembly in them so I replaced them w\ a new set of the redesigned CH Pro Pedals along when I bought the CH Combatstick 568 that I'm using now (I had broke the gimbal in the other CH Combatstick that I was using at that time some 10 yrs ago).

Yes I was a little more, shall we say, involved in my simming in them days.................
  

Have since learned that even as good as CH stuff is, it will still break if put under a certain type of "use".

I'm much more finessed now................

  

 

[Pudgie]

Well I'm gonna shut her down until the new Combatstick gets here as I just can't STAND playing w\ my hat switch broke........................

Need a little break from the game anyway..................at least my wife thinks so.

 

 

[Pudgie]

Stick got here a day early..........gotta like Amazon Prime..............

 

Set all up & so far unit is working as I know CH Products have always worked for me in times past........didn't even need to recalibrate it.

All is swell so I'm back in the saddle....................... ...

 

 

[AKIron]

Amazon Prime is great but a 10 year old joystick? Where's your sense of adventure? 

[Pudgie]

Amazon Prime is great but a 10 year old joystick? Where's your sense of adventure? 

Been looking for it after all this time............may take another 10 yrs for me to run across it....................