how do people get into fixing consoles/old tech?

[fairyrune]

hello everyone!

i am someone who has almost no experience with small electronics. i always wonder where people start when they begin refurbishing old devices, though... it's expensive to buy something in, fix it, and then find out you've been messing it up how do people typically begin doing this? what skills are needed? do people often train, or is it something you learn on the job?

i like the idea of the practice, but i have no idea where to start!

[TheFrugalGamer]

I started out by fixing older controllers--not ones for the newer consoles that have bluetooth and other complicated bits, but more analog controllers for the N64, Sega, Super Nintendo, etc. I'd take them apart and clean them, and if they still didn't work, I used Youtube to look up how to do basic fixes. After that I moved on to more complicated things, as I felt comfortable with them. Searching for tutorials and info on the internet is always a good place to start. Just read things, watch videos of other repairs, and look up stuff you don't understand, and read until you do.

Having a screwdriver set is a basic prerequisite (here's one I picked up, as well as having some rubbing alcohol on hand. Other tools will be governed by exactly what types of devices you gravitate towards, and you'll pick them up over time.

[fairyrune]

I started out by fixing older controllers--not ones for the newer consoles that have bluetooth and other complicated bits, but more analog controllers for the N64, Sega, Super Nintendo, etc.

controllers are a really good idea actually! thank you! i've taken apart some joycons as something more modern - both to fix and customize them - but i never got into anything deeper. i've always really enjoyed stuff like soldering and other seemingly-unrelated things like sewing... i think i just like working with fine details.

from those joycon dismantlings, i do have a set of tools, and a bunch of screwdrivers on hand of various sizes, so i'm good to go in that department (though... no spare screws of the correct sizes!). i imagine controllers, especially broken ones, will probably be fairly cheap, which is good if i mess things up!

[rhyswynne]

+1 to fixing up old joypads as it's a gateway. My kit is a screwdriver that can open up old controllers, most old tech uses a 3bit screwhead so you will need to find one online - eBay has millions of things.

A good rubbing alcohol and some cotton buds will do the trick. Controllers are cheap and easy to fix, even if they're just "sticky".

The next task I'd tend to look at after that is replacing batteries on games, it's a quick and easy thing to do, but will begin with soldering.

[larvapuppy]

My partner is a whiz at this sort of thing. From observing her, I can tell you that soldering is a really important skill to have when fixing electronics.

You need to be willing to troubleshoot. I've noticed that she gives up when frustrated but will usually end up fixing her issue when she comes back to the project later. A willingness to stop, take a break, and try again tomorrow is important.

If you're worried about expenses, I would suggest searching for a cheap lot of broken items, fixing them all up, and selling the ones you won't use. Thrift stores, eBay, pawn shops, and online classifieds are good places to find them.

Look into aftermarket parts when you need a replacement. Obviously looking at reviews is important but oftentimes the off-brand parts are just as good (or better! you can get cute colours for shells and buttons!).

Also, echoing what other people said about cleaning your electronics- a lot of the time items aren't broken, just dirty, so get in there and clean things up.

Edit: Also, start with older/vintage items if you can. The newer stuff is packed very tightly and oftentimes companies intentionally implement measures that make it harder for you to fix them.

[navi]

Find things to solve per say fix, around your house. Tinker with it - find resources online to tear it down. Thats how I started and got comfortable with complex electronics.

But I would say most encouraging people was my Dad who allowed be to f**k around with industrial level machines (Vacuums pumps, generators, grinders, domino ink printers & pneumatic presses) and my grandad is also a collector so naturally he had some old tech (British India) machines with him on what I had done some repair work as well. Then for time being I shifted to commercial vehicle.

  

[fairyrune]

thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!! it seems like a silly question to ask now, but sometimes it's not something you can really search up - nothing beats asking a fellow human and by doing so i've learned a lot more than i might have otherwise, and i know it's all tried and true!

i really hate more modern tech's insistence on being "unfixable". right to repair is something i do believe strongly in... even the joycons i have, which have screws on the back, were a bit tricky to tear down. i think the hardest thing i've had to do is the tamagotchi uni; i was customizing it a while back and there are caps over the screws that are flush with the casing, and you have to pull them off with the end of a melted glue gun rod, or a really strong suction cup. it blows.

but that just means starting on older consoles and controllers will be, in theory, a bit easier

[MediocreMetastasis]

For equipment. The two most important items are probably a screwdriver and a soldering iron (as well as some solder and some soldering flux). You can use a screwdriver to unscrew tech (tho some will require special screwdrivers as they don't want you looking at stuff) and also pry at things. Soldering iron is used to connect wires together or onto motherboards, basically what you use as glue in electronics. You may need more stuff but you'll be using those two items in almost all repairs.

For learning how to fix stuff. I recommend watching how videos of just people tinkering with things. Stuff like just people repairing broken electronics. James Channel has some videos of him frankenstining circuits together to make stuff like a Portable snes.

Another thing is learning stuff like what a resistor, capacitor, transistor, diode, and what other electronic parts are.

[virtuamachina]

this is something i'm also trying to get into ! i bought a bunch of old portable CD players and got some tinkering projects.. soldering kit on the way !

i've been mostly using youtube, there's tons of passionate people sharing all their wisdom for free. a great tip ive heard: whenever you're cracking something open, take pictures or film it so you know how to put it back together again !!