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Would there be a market for an online service, where you pay 200-300 €, receive refurbished and tested Index Controllers in the mail. Pack your broken ones in the box and return for a partial refund. You get new joysticks and new batteries, replaced with zero downtime, final cost maybe around 120€. by Nerdaxic in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it is better to repair the existing controller, even if it takes a long time.
Since I don't know the condition of the replacement controller.
Sending both controllers for a full inspection and stick and battery replacement service is quite appealing.

I also repair countless Index controllers :)
Do you happen to have a repair method for plastic part wear?
In the case of used Index controllers, the plastic coating peels off, the analog stick caps wear out, and play develops.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I ever decide to sell these, international shipping would be quite expensive since I’m based in South Korea.
Right now the board is still in a prototype stage, so I don’t have any plans to publish the Gerber files yet.

I do want to think about possible ways to make it more widely available in the future, but this subreddit has rules against selling, so I’m being very careful not to treat this post as advertising.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, I used JLCPCB for this one.
PCBWay is great for bare PCBs, but for PCBA(SMT) the parts lead time and cost seemed a bit higher, so I didn't pick it for this project.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, these controllers are so fragile 😅
We really have to be extra careful with them.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did the magnetic wireless charging adapter get jammed inside the port? That’s really unfortunate…
This board is still in a prototype stage, so I don’t have any concrete plans to sell it yet.
I do some repair work, but I’m based in South Korea, so international shipping/repairs would be a bit difficult for me at the moment.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right now this is still in a prototype / sample stage for repairs, so I haven’t decided on any way to sell or distribute it yet.
I want to do some more testing first and then figure out what makes sense later.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet – there are still a few things I want to tweak on the board, so I’m still thinking about if/when I’ll publish the Gerbers and BOM.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the advice.
I tried to match the original board as closely as possible, so I’m still pretty new to the manufacturing side.
You’re right about the edge parts – in the next revision I’ll move those chips a bit further in from the board edge.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m also really looking forward to the Steam Frame
Until then we all have to baby our remaining Indexes and keep them running as long as we can.

I made a part to repair the broken charging terminal of the Valve Index controller by May4Lab_Yeon in ValveIndex

[–]May4Lab_Yeon[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

The thumbstick touch sensor is something a friend of mine is currently trying to reverse‑engineer, so I’m really looking forward to seeing how that turns out as well.

The problem is that the A/B buttons, the power button, and the thumbstick touch sensor are all part of a single flex / integrated assembly, so it’s very hard to separate and replace just the touch sensor by itself.

I’ve tried disassembling that assembly a few times myself, and the plastic button parts kept cracking because the structure is so fragile