Hacking How easy is it to break pin 10 with a paperclip jig?

[cmsj]

I am currently shorting pin 10 to pin 9 using a small screwdriver which seems to have nearly 100% success when it comes to booting into RCM mode, but I ordered a red paperclip RCM jig off eBay.

Should I stop using my screwdriver? Is the jig safer or is it actually more likely to break a pin?
I read in an older topic the paperclip jigs were unsafe, but I just wanted to make sure.

Thank you.

Whatever option you go for, just be careful. Think about how easily the joycon slides into the connector. If you find yourself forcing things, you will break a pin in the Switch (I did it when I tried the ridiculous pin bending mod).

The good news though is that the Switch rails are very cheap to buy replacements for, and replacing a rail is not very hard.

Edit: I have to say that I'm not thrilled with any of the jigs I've ordered from eBay or 3D print houses so far - the wires never seem to stay in place, and the print quality is often pretty low.

 

[skypirate123]

Tiny piece of tin foil rolled up/folded over the edge with a bit of tape bridging pins 9 & 10. Works well for me and costs less than a paperclip

 

[MasterJ360]

Whatever option you go for, just be careful. Think about how easily the joycon slides into the connector. If you find yourself forcing things, you will break a pin in the Switch (I did it when I tried the ridiculous pin bending mod).

The good news though is that the Switch rails are very cheap to buy replacements for, and replacing a rail is not very hard.

Edit: I have to say that I'm not thrilled with any of the jigs I've ordered from eBay or 3D print houses so far - the wires never seem to stay in place, and the print quality is often pretty low.

Hmm now im actually a little worried after ordering one from Ebay. Tho I have paper clips but I have nothing to put them in perfect shape jigs.

 

[cybrian]

Well… don't pick a stray ground from something else without your Switch plugged (via USB-C) into the same thing you're getting ground from… Seriously. It might not work, and it might hurt your Switch. If it has worked a few times, that doesn't mean it won't hurt your Switch.

The heatsink is fine, because it's attached to the chassis ground.

"Ground" is really just a reference, and voltage is measured as the "distance" from another conductor, so to speak, that just happens to usually be called "ground". In other words, if the two grounds (that is, the internal ground inside the Switch, which is attached to pins 1, 2, and 7 in the Joy-Con rail connector as well as most metal parts of the chassis and the heat sink; and the "ground" that you are attaching the other end of the wire to) are at a far enough potential difference (i.e., voltage) from one another, you're actually connecting the Switch to voltage.

Without connecting your reference voltages together, a simple static charge could literally burn a chip, and you really don't want that to happen.

 

[natinusala]

@cherryduck thoughts on the jig you made ?

 

[cherryduck]

@cherryduck thoughts on the jig you made ?

Not had any problems with mine. I stay away from the paperclip ones as they're bulkier with less give than wire so potentially more likely to cause damage.

 

[natinusala]

But isn't it made with a paperclip in a 3d printed casing ?

 

[DarkOrb]

I think the aluminium foil method is still the easiest, cheapest and safest method.

 

[natinusala]

I think the aluminium foil method is still the easiest, cheapest and safest method.

Be careful as it can get stuck, short the wrong things and be difficult to remove if it's shoved deep into the rail. I read that shorting the joy-con power pin with some other will blow the console, I don't know if it's actually true but I wouldn't take this risk.

 

[DarkenSX]

It can still put stress on the pins leading to them breaking.

I filed my paperclip ends so almost 0.3mm - 0.5mm thin puts zero stress pressure on pins 1 and 10 and rcm works 99% of time

 

[DarkOrb]

Be careful as it can get stuck, short the wrong things and be difficult to remove if it's shoved deep into the rail. I read that shorting the joy-con power pin with some other will blow the console, I don't know if it's actually true but I wouldn't take this risk.

I see, thanks for the heads-up.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I filed my paperclip ends so almost 0.3mm - 0.5mm thin puts zero stress pressure on pins 1 and 10 and rcm works 99% of time

That's probably fine. Not everyone will bother doing that though.

 

[DJravingMonkey]

Very easy, managed to it on first try... damn... the pin fell out of the tray right when i pulled the clip out again. openened the console and saw that i did a great job, nothing usable left of this pin... i just ordered a replacement part on ebay. The pin most far away from the display... is it 10 or 1?

Damn also the switch does not recognise the joycon being docked anymore. But it is getting charged... I should not have opened the console to let nintendo repair it... now i will have to do it on my own i think. I hope the replacement of the rail wont be too difficult.

 

[natinusala]

Very easy, managed to it on first try... damn... the pin fell out of the tray right when i pulled the clip out again. openened the console and saw that i did a great job, nothing usable left of this pin... i just ordered a replacement part on ebay. The pin most far away from the display... is it 10 or 1?

Damn also the switch does not recognise the joycon being docked anymore. But it is getting charged... I should not have opened the console to let nintendo repair it... now i will have to do it on my own i think. I hope the replacement of the rail wont be too difficult.

Man that sucks. How much did the repair parts cost ?

 

[DJravingMonkey]

Man that sucks. How much did the repair parts cost ?

I found a very cheap offer on ebay. A pair of joycon rails for about 8 euros including the shipment from hongkong. I hope the parts are ok.
It will take 2 to four weeks until they arrive... Then i can report back if they are OK and how difficult the replacement was.

I guess there will be more people having this problem soon.

I will do a mod to my right joycon when my switch is working again to prevent another joycon rail damage.