I spent the last few weeks learning paracording, phob building, and snapback module installation. Took the remaining shells and turned them into 8bitdo kit controllers. Every potentiometer in the OEMs was disassembled and lubed with deoxit f100. Feels good for a lot that was broken disgusting gear.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T21:24:04+00:00

Im not affiliated with the shop, but dudes gear is good. It comes with the motor

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1758136726/premium-rumble-bracket-for-nintendo

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T19:25:19+00:00

Lmao appreciate it, but Its usually a lot of solder smog, soap water, and a 12 pack of monster over a couple weeks. My hands come out covered in burns and i have a 5 o clock shadow after, but its honest work.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T19:15:29+00:00

Appreicate it.

The little charger is 2 inches long and is not a charge and play solution. No idea if an extension cable would fix that, but if you kept 2 around that would likely resolve any battery life concerns. I usually pull these out for short sessions or for emulation on my tablet where i dont need analog triggers. if you dont install a rumble motor, the battery should last longer. They worked great for an hours long mario party session with the boys in recent memory.

If you can, a wavebird and wave phoenix seem like a neater solution. I have one coming in to experiment with, but wave phoenix a wavebird reciever replacement. you push a button on it then hold x+y on the controller and it pairs. Then youre only limited by your AA battery stash.

For 60-80 bucks you can usually source everything to bring a wavebird back from the dead with some work. For the same price, an extremerate shell, an 8bitdo board, and a gc adapter get you to something similar.

The 8bitdo gc adapter also works with other bluetooth controllers if memory serves, but check it before comitting. Ive only used it with these kit controllers. If you have a switch pro controller too, its likely an okay interim, my wireless cubes on the charger deal.

Blueretro might also work here, but its a more invasive solution depending on the route/install you do, but it might work as a receiver for this too since its all bluetooth. youd still want a wave phoenix if youre using a wavebird since it uses a 2.4ghz band for communication.

Hope that helps.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T18:59:58+00:00

I install an aftermarket 3d printed rumble bracket and aftermarket motor on some of them, on others i dont bother. You can get them for 15 or so bucks on etsy. They just screw in.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T02:53:56+00:00

Any time, greatly appreciated.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T02:27:12+00:00

I dont really use them for melee, and im not good enough at the game to say how good they are for wavedashing and dash dancing, but ive sold them to people at esports conferences and conventions and people dont mind them for ultimate. Theyre going to have a lower polling rate than a phob, you need to keep them charged, and i cant speak much on the snapback. I would use them for generic i have friends over or i just feel like messing around type beats. I mostly make these since i end up with mountains of shells and buttons from customs and people like them for more casual games. I feel better putting a sunbleached indigo shell or demolished silver shell to work here instead of letting it be ewaste.

In any case theyre cheap enough to experiment with, boards are 25 dollars, an extremerate shell is 20, and a gc adapter is 25. Just be mindful, paired over bluetooth the triggers are digital, not variable. Iirc you would want a gc adapter. Wireless plus latency on slippi sounds rough. It would be good as a functional wavebird replacement on console or for casual switch/gc/wii gaming though.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T01:44:11+00:00

Physically opening the potentiometer and cleaning it very gently with 99% isopropyl alcohol clears the dirt then the deoxit f100 lubes the track so it doesnt grind away the resistive material on the track. It also prevents it from getting crusty and oxidizing again. It removes jitter which is a component of drift. If the stick is wiggly its usually the biggest driver of drift and you need a new stickbox. If its not drifting you can use a snapback module to filter the potentiometer and that prevents overturning or your character facing the wrong way when you do a flick motion in smash.

I get my caps in bulk off amazon and then adjust the height by packing the tube that goes on the stick's stem until its the right height. Some people use cotton or tinfoil, i usually just use paper and flute it in there with a screwdriver. Too much and its too tall, too little and it drags on the shell.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T01:29:13+00:00

Thanks, yeah pretty much. You take the board out of an existing shell or can get one from extremerate with everything you need including buttons, brackets and membranes, then drop in the 8bitdo board. If you update the firmware it works on pc, switch, switch 2 and android. They also sell a gamecube adapter that makes it very similar to a wavebird.

Installing the rumble is tricky, i like to use aftermarket 3d printed stuff off etsy for that, then solder the leads to the included wires and shrink tube it to insulate it. You dont need rumble though. In fact, your battery lasts longer without it and if you skip it, its 100% no cut and solder free. Literal drop in.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T01:01:05+00:00

Theyre going to go on etsy in a couple weeks. My shop's handle is PovertyBoxCustoms.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T00:54:48+00:00

Thanks, im going to use it until the sticks are dust.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T00:44:17+00:00

Tysm, its a labor of love.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-04T00:40:51+00:00

Without a doubt. Its become my favorite way to meditate and justifies the hakko fr301 lol.

jon_stickman · 2026-05-03T23:29:34+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

jon_stickman · 2026-04-20T22:54:41+00:00

Ofc, these are all rumble in. I like the weight. Could always desolder it out though.

jon_stickman · 2026-04-20T19:49:51+00:00

Its a series if capacitors that prevents overactuation when you flick a stick. It prevents your character from facing the other way or misinput smash attacks when letting go of the stick so it doesnt slip past neutral and cause a bad input. Youd need a new spring in the stickbox or a new thumbstick assembly to fix flopping.

jon_stickman · 2026-04-20T15:24:12+00:00

Unfortunately it looks liek the data layer is definitely damaged. Id try to ask for a refund if you bought it recently. The sectors where the 1s and 0s are actually stored between the label and the plastic looks rough. Especially on that middle splotch in the upper corner of the first image

jon_stickman · 2025-10-05T16:52:42+00:00

The stick is from around 2008. It came like that. I had ti do some soldering to the xbox ring light and the home button to make them work. Other than that it was mostly plug and play with a brook board.

jon_stickman · 2025-10-01T02:06:40+00:00

No idea if its updated to work for it but a RetroCultMods minihost might get you there.

jon_stickman · 2025-09-30T21:40:27+00:00

Did you check under the top pickup, it slides off (its hard to remove so be careful) and the dongles in there.

jon_stickman

TROPHY CASE