Ray Allen G403 tear-down

[newt]

I need to replace a faulty pushbutton switch on the top of a Ray Allen G403 stick grip.

I installed it a couple of years ago, so my memory is foggy, but I seem to recall that it was glued together. But I'm not completely sure.

Before I wreck it by pulling it apart, I'm hoping that someone has one they haven't installed yet, and can maybe supply some photos from underneath to show how the pushbuttons on the top are secured in place.

(Any of the other Ray Allen G4xx-series grips are probably the same)

Appreciation in advance,

- mark

 

[jakej]

Hi Mark,
The grip can be disassembled & the push button switch is a very small diameter unit. Maybe Jaycar, RS or Farnell have them - you’ll need to get the dimensions from the switch itself.
I have a spare new 1 but would not be able to get it to you until the 11th.

 

[newt]

Thanks, Jake.

I already have the switches. I was looking for reassurance that it isn't glued together before I started dismantling it, and you've provided that, so thank you!

Regards,

- mark

 

[jakej]

You have probably figured it by now - the switch fits into a recess in the stick grip - it’s not secured any other way.

 

[newt]

Oh no, my dear friend, it's not anywhere near that easy

There's a plastic sub-frame inside the stick grip which contains a small circuit board (which appears to do nothing but GND distribution), bosses for screws which retain the top plate of the grip (where the buttons and top-hats live) and "ears" with holes for the buttons themselves. There's enough space between the ears and the top plate for the half-nut that secures the button switches.

The upshot of the story is that accessing the button switches necessitates disassembling the whole thing.

There are about a dozen tiny screws. Philips head. At least two different lengths and two different gauges. It took two tries to reassemble it because I put some of the wrong screws in the wrong holes the first time, and it wasn't obvious until I finished putting it back together and started wondering why it didn't feel as rigid as it usually does.

So that was a fun fiddly couple of hours, anyway Probably a lot easier on a workbench with an assembly jig than it is when the assembly is dangling on its wire slack over the edge of the stick tube. Needed three hands, only had two until Glenn showed up.

The switches have solder lugs, but the wires aren't in the holes, so they're easy to remove. The ground wires inside the G403 are about an inch and a half long, and would require even more serious disassembly if they were any shorter, so desolder, don't cut, unless you want to remove the PCB and add longer wires.

Anyway, it's all working.

Removing the right side pushbutton on this G403 confirmed what I had been hesitant to believe: The switch itself had failed. Even after pumping half a can of contact cleaner through it, putting a multimeter between the GND and NO contacts and pushing the button doesn't complete the circuit. That almost never happens!

- mark