g2 knobs (encoders) problem.. help?

[goldenMaster]

One of the encoders (the first, to the very left) on my g2 has started to bug out--the values don't change, or change very slowly when I turn it. Before I crack it open and try messing around with it, I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem and there is a quick solution. I was able to easily fix a suck key a while back by just cleaning out the inside of the keyboard.

From the look of the board, I'm not sure if it's so easy to get at the insides of the encoders to clean them.

Also, my mod wheel has been acting funny... when I turn it too close to the maximum value, it kind of wobbles and switches to the minimum value!

I guess I've been gigging with the g2 too much...

[Estarriol]

Well, dying G2 encoder #1 is normal, it gets used too much. You can NOT disassemble it without soldering it from pcb board -- even if you cut the 4 plastic holder buttons off, you just can not take the bottom off because it is soldered to the pins. So, to repair OR change it you will have to solder.

But good news: if you do it right, you will get your encoder easily replaceable. All you have to do is:
1. order ECW0J-C24-EE0024L or ECW0J-C24-BE0036 at Mouser (I use the latter, because it is more similar to original one).
2. get jumper wires like this: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/single-port-female-to-female-jumper-wire-set-50-pack-20cm-length-55454
3. take a mighty soldering iron

All you have to do is:

1) take off the cap and unscrew the encoder holding nut

2) take the iron and unsolder the pins RIGHT ON THE ENCODER, do not even go close to the PCB. Use vacuum solder remover to get rid of the solder, you will need the pins clean. You will need a mighty iron because you have to get all the solder all through the encoder plate hot and melting, and this is kinda hard if you have 25W iron or something like that. Maybe someone correct me, but I could not unsolder pins from any Bourns encoders I have with 25W iron...

3) So you made pins going from the PCB clear, remove the encoder, and if the pins are clean and smooth, just install any of the beforementioned encoders and connect them with the cables.

There may be some underwater stones: the main idea is do not harm the pcb, so if the soldering iron is too much, it will warm not only the encoder soldering, but all the pins up to the PCB... I think this hardly can happen if you're fast because those pins will tend to get cold fast enough... so be cautios.

Hope it helped.

[goldenMaster]

Thank you!! That was an extremely helpful post. I don't have a powerful soldering iron, but I have a few friends with electronics skills--so this should be an easy fix, with your instructions and some help from one of them! Thanks so much!

[Estarriol]

It recently occured to me that I've misleaded you. Probably you should just CUT the encoder pins as high as possible, so you'll have the pins clear and ready to have cables put on. Soldering is not so covinient and those efforts are no use. Hope you've figured it out by yourself by now.

[JeremyFlagelo]

[Estarriol]

Yes, it does. You can do better than I, though: just cut the pins of the existing encoder with small cutters, then put the cables on them and the new encoder can be rotated so it wouldnt interfere with its pins.

[JeremyFlagelo]

[Electromagnetic Wave]