Beer + Controller = No

Hello,

During a freak holiday accident, I spilled some Jubelale winter ale (Deschutes Brewing Company) on my Saitek P880 Dual Analog USB PC Gamepad. Luckily, most of the beer was saved. I wiped it off as best I could but now the number 1 button sticks all of the time. It’s since been downgraded to number 2 in my book and I’m having a hell of a time playing Rush ‘N’ Attack. Any suggestions on how to unstuck this Saitek P880 Dual Analog USB PC Gamepad Button 1 without having to crack the whole thing open and get in there with a straw?

thanks,
kentdog

I think you’re probably screwed, but you could try swabbing it with rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip, I guess.

But mainly I just wanted to give you a big thumbs up for playing Rush ‘N’ Attack.

Yup. Get some alcohol in there.

I usually dribble in a little, then use the dry Q-Tip to draw it out.

I’ve read accounts of Korean War soldiers urinating on the actions of their M1 rifles to keep the rifles working in the cold temperatures. You could try that.

Should I use the same “dribble and Q-tip” ™ technique for that, as well?

-kentdog

Call me crazy, but how about taking out the batteries, immersing the thing in a tub of water for about 5 minutes, then let it dry for about 48 hours?

Thing is that the Alcohol will fully evaporate. It also won’t soak into the circuit boards, and/or cause shorts across any capacitors that might still be charged.

5 minutes? More like, 2 days. You have to give the water time to rehydrate and dilute the beer residue.

Also, because of capillary action, It might take WEEKS to air dry it closed.

Best bet is to open it up, rinse it, dry it, then reseal it with superglue.

My 18 month old daughter has her own mouse and keyboard to play with, but they aren’t as interesting as the “real” ones. A few days ago she picked up my Wireless Intellimouse Explorer and laughed at it for a minute, then dropped it into a glass of coke…

I haven’t been able to bring myself to clean it up yet, but I don’t think a simple soaking is going to take care of a problem like this.

The problem seems to have cleared up all by itself. Perhaps the alcohol already in the beer finished evaporating or maybe it was that furious game of Track ‘N’ Field I just played.

Good luck with that sugary Coke filled mouse. That sounds like it may never recover. I too suffer the destruction of a 1 year and a quarter daughter always running off with my mouse. The biggest problem, though, is the damn eject buttons on the CD drives…

-kentdog

2 words…

pungi sticks.

That’ll straighten those kids out.

Somehow I don’t think the salinated urine would be great for electrical components, due to the whole conducting liquid thing…