Button not always working on MCG grip

[Bigdumb]

I have a Gunfighter Mk2 MCG pro grip that has worked well since 2018. Now though, one of the buttons doesn't work sometimes. It's the gray thumb button that I use continually ( button #s 9-13 in VKBDevcfg.) It will work reliably most of the time & then suddenly fail to be recognized at all. When this happens, it's only this button, not any of the others. After failing like this, it will most likely go back to working the next time I use the stick. I hate to take the grip apart because it's so hard to get all the very small screws out & then back in (I think I need to order a magnifying glass with a light first), but if I do, I'm not sure how to identify the problem. Would I be likely to find a loose connector or is it more likely a circuit board that's going bad? Is there anything else I should be considering?

[1sascha]

Might be a connection problem between the grip and the gimbal.

See this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=8147

You might want to start by checking that your grip fastener is tightened down properly. Also check VKB Config for the quality of your connection. Ron describes how to do that in the thread I linked.


S.

[Bigdumb]

The grip & the base both show they have a good connection, but if they didn't have a good connection wouldn't all of the buttons be affected , not just the gray button? That's what makes me think something is faulty with just that button, still not sure though.

[1sascha]

You never know...

I've had connection issues with my original grip (MCGP), which went away after I had received a new fastener from VKB and started to *really* tighten down that fastener with a good quality t-handle hex-key. Then I bought the MCGU-grip a week ago and when I mounted it on the gimbal, the problems came back. My pad was pretty scratched up, with no real "clean spots" left, no matter in what position (grip rotation) I mounted the grip. I also checked my connection quality and it never went yellow or red and always stayed at zero with the occasional 1, 2, 5 or very rarely 10% spike. I replaced my contact pad yesterday with a fresh one, but that doesn't seem to have cured the problem completely - so I suspect it might be another issue with a grip fastener not doing its job 100% reliably.


I do remember fallout suspecting my grip-fastener being at fault when I described what was going on to him on my first try to nail down the problem with my MCGP. And replacing the fastener with a fresh one did cure the behavior for me (until it resurfaced just a few days ago after I had mounted the new grip). I would suggest you check your fasteners thusly: Tighten those things down real good, then move the stick around for a while and after that, check to see if the fastener is still on as tightly as you had set it at. I found that mine would come slightly undone even after a short while which would eventually lead to the fastener "letting go" more and more over time and thus the grip coming loose. And in my experience, the first indication that the fastener is not on as tight as it should be is those random "misfires" of the brake-axis. If the brand new fastener that came with the MCGU is any indication, those things should keep the level of tightness you initially set them at. It could be a simple matter of the spring washer that sits on the fasteners screw being faulty and/or worn out.

BTW: I did find other users who reported the exact same behavior on their MCGP, so there does seem to be some sort of pattern here, but there probably is a difference in "level of malfunctions" between a slightly shoddy connection and a slightly more shoddy connection.. Perhaps you are just suffering from a slightly different kind of shoddy connection than I am...


S.

[fallout9]

Try to reflash at the latest firmware, if you haven't updated in a long time, following the guide. Calibrate afterwards. If the other buttons work, leave the grip on the base as it is - it's not a connection issue.
If you're still facing the issue go for a ticket service please.