Who makes the best SNES replacement controller membranes?

[SuperDerpBro]

In a recent MLIG episode they said they liked the ones from Console5. Has anyone tried them? Are there better ones out there?

I have a Super Famicom controller that im converting to Bluetooth that could possibly use some.

https://console5.com/store/snes-replace ... -pads.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko9Y79TUHG8

[samsonlonghair]

Hey, I just watched that episode. It must be a new thing, because today is the first time I've ever heard of a company making replacement membranes.

[SuperDerpBro]

China always has.. but i've not bothered to try them. There is another company that makes them (Mortoff). I heard they USED to be really good but the recent ones are not anymore. *shrugs*

[Ziggy]

I've purchased a few replacement membranes from Amazon, they're likely the same ones that Console5 stocks, but I haven't gotten around to trying them yet.

What I did recently try is this product from ButtonWorx.

https://www.amazon.com/ButtonWorx-Remot ... 8NVRUHLKA7

I was very skeptical about this, but I went ahead a gave it a try. See pics in the Amazon reviews to get the idea of how you use them. Basically, they sit on the PCB and hover over the button carbon. So you're not repairing the membrane, instead your basically using a new one. The volume up/down on my AVR remote has been wonky for a year or two now, and recently it stopped worked all together. I used this and now it works perfectly. Not only do button presses register without any issue, but it also feels very clicky. So I used some on a worn out PC Engine controller, and it also worked very well. Buttons all register, and feel very clicky now.

As far as repairing, there's other products that are a sort of conductive paint...

https://www.amazon.com/CaiKot-Conductiv ... 8NVRUHLKA7

https://www.amazon.com/Keypad-Restore-C ... 8NVRUHLKA7

I've purchased the above two products, but haven't gotten around to trying either of them yet. The idea is that you put a new conductive layer on the membrane. This has mixed results, which may or may not have more to do with the application than the actual product itself. But even when it works, it does nothing to restore the clickly feeling like the above ButtonWorx product does.

And on the note, Voltar has a video of him restoring a NES control. He claims the replacement membranes are all shit and that you should just restore the original ones. He says that cleaning them will alcohol is all you need, but in my experience that will make them WORSE once you start removing carbon material with the alcohol. He also says that dropping a membrane in boiling water for about 60 seconds restores the clicky feeling to them. I haven't tried that yet.

[SuperDerpBro]

Thanks for the info.

I'm gonna STRAP ON and watch that Voltar vid

[Ziggy]

I'm gonna STRAP ON and watch that Voltar vid

LOL, yep, that Voltar!

But let me just stress, that ButtonWorx product works really well!

[marurun]

Boiling a rubber membrane is not going to magically restore it. Those materials naturally degrade. Eventually you just have to replace them. That's just the nature of such things.

[samsonlonghair]

I've purchased a few replacement membranes from Amazon, they're likely the same ones that Console5 stocks, but I haven't gotten around to trying them yet.

What I did recently try is this product from ButtonWorx.

https://www.amazon.com/ButtonWorx-Remot ... 8NVRUHLKA7

I was very skeptical about this, but I went ahead a gave it a try. See pics in the Amazon reviews to get the idea of how you use them. Basically, they sit on the PCB and hover over the button carbon. So you're not repairing the membrane, instead your basically using a new one. The volume up/down on my AVR remote has been wonky for a year or two now, and recently it stopped worked all together. I used this and now it works perfectly. Not only do button presses register without any issue, but it also feels very clicky. So I used some on a worn out PC Engine controller, and it also worked very well. Buttons all register, and feel very clicky now.

As far as repairing, there's other products that are a sort of conductive paint...

https://www.amazon.com/CaiKot-Conductiv ... 8NVRUHLKA7

https://www.amazon.com/Keypad-Restore-C ... 8NVRUHLKA7

I've purchased the above two products, but haven't gotten around to trying either of them yet. The idea is that you put a new conductive layer on the membrane. This has mixed results, which may or may not have more to do with the application than the actual product itself. But even when it works, it does nothing to restore the clickly feeling like the above ButtonWorx product does.

And on the note, Voltar has a video of him restoring a NES control. He claims the replacement membranes are all shit and that you should just restore the original ones. He says that cleaning them will alcohol is all you need, but in my experience that will make them WORSE once you start removing carbon material with the alcohol. He also says that dropping a membrane in boiling water for about 60 seconds restores the clicky feeling to them. I haven't tried that yet.

I'm familiar with the conductive paint. I find that stuff fascinating. The ButtonWorx is unfamiliar to me. So help me wrap my head around this one. It's a carbon pad, right. If you sit the carbon pad directly on the button contact, then wouldn't that mean the contact is always bridged? Does the ButtonWorx have its own little rubber dome?

[Ziggy]

I'm familiar with the conductive paint. I find that stuff fascinating. The ButtonWorx is unfamiliar to me. So help me wrap my head around this one. It's a carbon pad, right. If you sit the carbon pad directly on the button contact, then wouldn't that mean the contact is always bridged? Does the ButtonWorx have its own little rubber dome?

Yes, you place the ButtonWorx button directly over the button contact on the PCB, but it hovers *just* over the PCB and is not making contact until you press the membrane button down. So once you reassemble the controller (or whatever) it sits in between the membrane and the PCB. It effectively acts as a new membrane button, but without having to actually repair or replace the existing membrane. That's why it should work to repair virtually ANY worn out membrane button.

My favorite part about it is how it restores the tactile feeling. Cleaning or using conductive paint can restore conductivity, but a worn out membrane will still feel mushy. And from the feedback that I've read, they seem to last pretty long. But even if they eventually wear out, you can simply peel it off the PCB and stick another one on! Better than dealing with the caveats of conductive paint, in my own opinion.