360 Controller mods (Not SF4 ones)

InvaderGIR

InvaderGIR

InvaderGIR

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Have many people here done any mods to their controllers?

Reason I ask is yesterday I decided to do the LED mod on mine...with the use of a crap soldering iron, some noncey tweezers and me being slightly hamfisted I stuffed the controller (used a spare one that was worn and horrible to test out the mod on). :D

I managed to remove the contact patch that solders the LED onto the PCB, only way I know to redo that is to dip it in solution that applies it (what I had to do when I stuffed up my GCSE Electronics coursework :p)

I also received some black sticks and D-Pad today which I've fitted to my main controller and now it looks much better...

DSC_6359.jpg


I will be spraying the grey bar black too when the weather isn't wet and horrible (can't do it inside really spray can fumes and paint will go everywhere :p) as I really dislike the grey parts.

All the 'special' controllers...Resi, Halo etc. have black sticks and d-pad as well as the bar being black...but you can't buy the shell parts, so I have to spray mine...well, you can buy them, but at £10 for a nasty shell when I only want the bar section, I'd rather spray mine. :p

I will do the LED mod (changing from green to blue) at some point soon, but first I need to get a decent soldering iron (needle point rather than the normal angled one), some decent tweezers and a desk magnifying stand thing.

The LEDs are about 1.5mm long, .5mm wide and 1mm high, which makes it great fun when you drop one on the carpet. :( :p


Anyone else done any form of modifications to their controllers (bar SF4 ones)?
 
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I have some plasti-kote stuff I'll try...simply because I found it in a shop and got it. I have one dead controller now, so will test out spraying on that one, then put the black part into the decent one if it works ok. :)
 
Should be OK if you layer it up nicely, but unless you prime it too then it's quite likely to rub and peel off. Whereas vinyl die soaks into the plastic.
 
After a fresh coat of the paint...

DSC_6364.jpg



...the top of the picture shows basically how it should end up looking when dry, the rest is obviously damp paint. I think I'll put 3 or 4 coats on...so a couple more and I think that'll be enough. Currently it looks like it has enough, but I want to put some more on to make sure. :)
 
Cavallino said:
The LED is in reference to the Green X on the main Xbox button?
Click to expand...

Nah, the 4 light ring, green bores and annoys me. My PC screens both have blue for power, so does my PC tower, so I wanted to give my controller blue for connection/connecting...but I broke it (handy having a spare to break). :p

The black bar won't be as good as the ones you have on limited edition ones (Halo ODST, Resi etc.) but it should make the controller look a whole lot better. It's had 4 coats now, 5th will be just after 4pm then I'll leave it to dry over night and fit tomorrow. :)
 
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InvaderGIR said:
Nah, the 4 light ring, green bores and annoys me. My PC screens both have blue for power, so does my PC tower, so I wanted to give my controller blue for connection/connecting...but I broke it (handy having a spare to break). :p
Click to expand...

Ah bummer.
I think the X doesnt light up green does it? (just the 4 quarter circle lines around the X right?)

How did you break it btw?
 
Cavallino said:
Ah bummer.
I think the X doesnt light up green does it? (just the 4 quarter circle lines around the X right?)

How did you break it btw?
Click to expand...

Yup, there is no light on the X itself, but if you get 4 LEDs and a resistor you can wire it up so it glows too. Although it's an 'always on' light.

Breaking it was easy. :p

The LEDs are tiny little things...

DSC_6371.jpg


...D1 - D4 are the LEDs (although D1&D2 are currently not on the board).

Despite the burns, D4 worked.

D1, D2 and D3 I managed to remove the solder contact patch from the PCB for one leg of the LEDs, this means there was no way to connect the LED to the board on one leg...oops. Now it doesn't turn on.
 
Kreeeee said:
That looks better than any simple part swapping mods I've seen!
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It does look good...but I'm not a fan of the white consoles or controllers...or paying silly prices for one like that. :p

Kreeeee said:
Where's that guy who did a 360 mod so it works as a PS3 pad?
Click to expand...

You mean the one where he put the PS3 guts into a 360 controller? That mod is awesome, enjoyed reading that. :)

Thread is here. :)
 
InvaderGIR said:
Yup, there is no light on the X itself, but if you get 4 LEDs and a resistor you can wire it up so it glows too. Although it's an 'always on' light.

Breaking it was easy. :p

The LEDs are tiny little things...

DSC_6371.jpg


...D1 - D4 are the LEDs (although D1&D2 are currently not on the board).

Despite the burns, D4 worked.

D1, D2 and D3 I managed to remove the solder contact patch from the PCB for one leg of the LEDs, this means there was no way to connect the LED to the board on one leg...oops. Now it doesn't turn on.
Click to expand...

Blimey, you've gone through the PCB there nearly! What you use to de-solder the LEDs?
 
Gone through the PCB? Nope, only the waxy coating (which is what the burns are)...but as I say, they didn't make it not work, the removal of the solder contacts is what killed it. :p

You can actually see where I removed one of them on D2 as it's a little square of brown instead of silver.

Basically you have to poke the ends of the LEDs...ideally you have a mate with an iron too, so you can both desolder an end to remove them.

I can't link to the site but google "Xbox 360 LED Lighted Controller Mod" and you'll find a guide with pics by a llama. :)
 
InvaderGIR said:
Gone through the PCB? Nope, only the waxy coating (which is what the burns are).

Basically you have to poke the ends of the LEDs...ideally you have a mate with an iron too, so you can both desolder an end to remove them.

I can't link to the site but google "Xbox 360 LED Lighted Controller Mod" and you'll find a guide with pics by a llama. :)
Click to expand...

That bottom right one looks pretty bad!

Do you have a heat gun? Not sure the LED would stand up to the heat though!
 
Oh yeah, D4 (bottom right) looks bad, but was working fine...till I broke the other LED connections. :p

I only have a soldering iron from the highstreet...was like £10, need to get one with a point \/ basically, rather than the |/ end I have.
 
InvaderGIR said:
Oh yeah, D4 (bottom right) looks bad, but was working fine...till I broke the other LED connections. :p

I only have a soldering iron from the highstreet...was like £10, need to get one with a point \/ basically, rather than the |/ end I have.
Click to expand...

Ahh gotcha!
Well nevermind :D sell it on ebay and put a few more quid towards another one?
 
5th coat done, I'll leave it to dry fully over night, but here are some shots of it whilst the paint is surface dry...

DSC_6373.jpg


DSC_6374.jpg



Should look something like so...

DSC_6375.jpg


DSC_6376.jpg



It's come out surprisingly well and fits with the black of the controller originally which is nice. How well it wears/lasts time will tell though...I have a feeling it won't last too well, but we'll see. :)


As for the soldering iron...it can wait till I have a few more spare controllers and a fair bit of spare cash. :p
 
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