Broken special controller makes bargora cry

[bargora]

My Steel Battalion footpedals gave it up today. :bawling:

Details: Each footpedal set has three pedals, and each pedal comes from the factory with two torsion springs. Almost like clockwork, after every hundred hours of play I would break one of the springs in the accelerator. Since you only need one spring per pedal, I took the thing apart and redistributed the springs when the second accelerator spring broke, and then again two nights ago when a third spring in the accelerator pedal broke.

Today the spring holding up the "slidestep" pedal gave way. :bawling:

It's not the end, really, because I can get a replacement footpedal assembly from Sammy USA for $40 (plus $10 shipping, at the least). It just seems like a waste when all I need is a couple dollars worth of springs. But the last time I tried to get Sammy to send me springs I was denied. Fascists.

I suppose I can't complain too much, since I've gotten somewhere over 300 hours of play out of the controller (holy crap--I'm down below the magic "$1 per hour" entertainment rate), but that doesn't mean I'm happy about things.

Which brings up my question. There have been other specialized controllers released from time to time. The Virtual On twinsticks come to mind, for example. How durable have they been for you? If they broke, were you able to fix them? And if not, were you able to replace them?

I'm going to go into the corner and whimper for a while now. I'll check back for responses later.

[tholly]

im not familiar with the controller, but cant you just take the spring to some sort of hardware or electronics store and get a replacement or are the springs special to this item??

[bargora]

im not familiar with the controller, but cant you just take the spring to some sort of hardware or electronics store and get a replacement or are the springs special to this item??
Thank you. Good question. The answer is that I haven't seen torsion springs available at all in hardwares stores. (Torsion springs are designed to deliver torque about their coil axis. These are not the more common compression springs that you usually think of when someone says "spring", like in a pogo stick.) While they are used in applications other than SB controllers, they are somewhat specialized. Maybe if I measured the springs and somehow determined their spring constant I could order them from a purveyor of such items somewhere. Anybody want to give me a lead?

[Funk Buddy]

Are they made out of spring steel or something? Or, are you saying it's the type that gets tight the un-coils to return the pedal?

[xertcev]

You might try McMaster-Carr. They have Torsion Springs.
I too, am not really clear on what you need exactly.
I can't provide a direct link, but search for Torsion Springs and
they come right up.
http://www.mcmaster.com/

[JJNova]

When I managed Ace Hardware, they have fairly decent sized books to place orders from. The nice part about Ace Hardware is that they don't have a minimum to buy. So you can order the number of springs you want (unless they come in two packs and you need three, then you must buy two packs = 4).

They'll take your information, and when the product comes in, it'll be coded. Each Ace Hardware's recieving must "check in" the items, so when yours get scanned, it's set to the side and you are given a call to pick it up.

Remember though, Ace Hardware is fairly small, so you must pay in advance, then just walk in when you get your call, and walk out.

Just a recommendation. They'll skim through the catalogs with you, and you can visually pick out what you need, or see if they dont have your specific need.

Hope it helps.


PS- TruValue Hardware stores are using Ace Hardware Distribution centers these days, so they might be able to do the same thing.

[puxley]

Mighty bargora, I feel the pain.

Congratulations on so many successful battles, that's one hell of a game.

How I wish the Colony Wars series would be revived for the next generation of consoles, with a fighter cockpit controller like Steel Battalion's.
Sigh.

G'luck with the repairs.