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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:14:57 PM

Title: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:14:57 PM
Almost like my dog eating my homework excuse, but my newer dog ended up eating my TrackIR cable, splitting it in half:(  Not that I am a good flight/sim player, but after using that device, can't imagine playing those games without it anymore.  I am guessing there really isn't a good way to repair a completely severed TrackIR cable, at least I am not that mechanically inclined:)  I will have to save up again to purchase another one...simming officially on hold:(
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Nefaro on February 28, 2012, 07:20:00 PM
Eat the dog.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.flickr.com%2F55%2F136212628_2bd8f126eb_o.jpg&hash=fa27eb9810b2bd1b275ad8255a3129b7d90b4dff)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:20:24 PM
Trust me....something like that crossed my mind:)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Barthheart on February 28, 2012, 07:24:47 PM
You should be able to just splice the wires together again with a little solder.

If you don't know how , maybe you know someone with a little electrical experience.

Shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes to fix up.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:29:02 PM
Thanks.....probably beyond my skill set, but I do have some folks in the family good with that stuff.  I'll have to give that a try.  I just thought with the dog chewing threw it, might have damaged the cables beyond repair....but maybe some hope.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Barthheart on February 28, 2012, 07:31:55 PM
Yer welcome. The cable may end up a few inches shorter but it's worth a shot.  8)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:35:48 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on February 28, 2012, 07:31:55 PM
Yer welcome. The cable may end up a few inches shorter but it's worth a shot.  8)

Agreed....better than another $150 :)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Slick Wilhelm on February 29, 2012, 10:43:23 AM
Sorry to hear that, Grim. I've got a Beagle puppy myself, and so far she's chewed up three pairs of shoes, 3/4 of a DirecTV remote control and nibbled a corner of my CH Fighterstick. Thankfully, no fatalities in gaming hardware yet.

Dogs are great, but they can be trying at times.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: LongBlade on February 29, 2012, 10:46:24 AM
Sorry, Grim. I think anyone with pets runs the risk of losing something.

A new addition to our house chewed through a power cord for a laptop recently (come to think of it, this has happened a couple of times).

And a few years ago one of my dogs sprinted through the door and get his foot tangled in a mouse cord, destroying a Razer Mamba's left mouse button. They know not what they do, but man can they task your patience when something like that happens.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM
I know exactly how you feel...so far my cat Penelope has killed one X52Pro HOTAS, three keyboards, one mouse, three ipod chargers, two blackberry chargers, two telephone lines, one speaker system and at least four headphones/mics.

She is just deadly. 
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: LongBlade on February 29, 2012, 10:54:29 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM
I know exactly how you feel...so far my cat Penelope has killed one X52Pro HOTAS, three keyboards, one mouse, three ipod chargers, two blackberry chargers, two telephone lines, one speaker system and at least four headphones/mics.

She is just deadly.

Man, that is like Stalingrad at your house for electronics.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Martok on February 29, 2012, 01:12:22 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM
I know exactly how you feel...so far my cat Penelope has killed one X52Pro HOTAS, three keyboards, one mouse, three ipod chargers, two blackberry chargers, two telephone lines, one speaker system and at least four headphones/mics.

She is just deadly.
Good gravy!  She's like a serial killer, except with tech/gadgets. 

Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: MikeGER on February 29, 2012, 02:07:46 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on February 28, 2012, 07:29:02 PM
Thanks.....probably beyond my skill set, but I do have some folks in the family good with that stuff.  I'll have to give that a try.  I just thought with the dog chewing threw it, might have damaged the cables beyond repair....but maybe some hope.

IIRC its just an USB cable with 4 (or sometimes nowadays 5 wires), colorcoded
if your cable got chewed up in several places, you can get an USB cable (not longer then the original TrackIR) cut off the not need plug on one side and splice it to the short ending (maybe a few good inches are left) coming out of the TrackIR device.

or you can get a USB 'female jack' and solder the wires from the short end to the connectors inside the jack and use a standart USB-cable for the connection between the TrackIR with new female jack on a verry short cable and your PC
(i think i would prefer the later, cause those wires are very tiny and its easier to solder them on connector-pins inside a opened jack-casing)   
   


   
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Slick Wilhelm on February 29, 2012, 05:45:19 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM

She is just deadly.

Are you sure Penelope is a cat and not a mountain lion?  ;D
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 05:55:10 PM
Quote from: Slick Wilhelm on February 29, 2012, 05:45:19 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM

She is just deadly.

Are you sure Penelope is a cat and not a mountain lion?  ;D

Penelope...destroyer of worlds.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F425350_10150603523212702_532207701_9152490_434925481_n.jpg&hash=33514621439b43c779e09e30acd3e2b6f48cfe59)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on February 29, 2012, 06:33:51 PM
Thanks everyone for sharing your pet stories....glad I am not the only victim:)  Beyond the TrackIR, also lost a pair of shoes so far.  Hoping the carnage stops there:)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Slick Wilhelm on March 01, 2012, 10:06:11 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 05:55:10 PM

Penelope...destroyer of worlds.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ak-ash4%2F425350_10150603523212702_532207701_9152490_434925481_n.jpg&hash=33514621439b43c779e09e30acd3e2b6f48cfe59)

Aw, she's cute. Penelope, LOL. That's an awesome name for a female cat.

The only time my cat ever destroyed anything was when I left a pair of rubber gloves out after doing dishes. I came home from work and they were in shreds. I wish I would've had a video of that.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Jarhead0331 on March 01, 2012, 10:24:10 AM
^She sleeps in that position at night.  Its the strangest thing. I'll wake up at 3:00 a.m. to get a drink of water and see her in the middle of the floor like this.  I'm so tempted to take masking tape and make an outline of her body on the floor like you'd see at a crime scene.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2Fs320x320%2F423760_10150604607062702_532207701_9156009_1352545639_n.jpg&hash=147765ec13f49e0341cda8ea3d2cb2d19e571be7)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: LongBlade on March 01, 2012, 10:40:31 AM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on March 01, 2012, 10:24:10 AM
^She sleeps in that position at night.  Its the strangest thing. I'll wake up at 3:00 a.m. to get a drink of water and see her in the middle of the floor like this.  I'm so tempted to take masking tape and make an outline of her body on the floor like you'd see at a crime scene.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2Fs320x320%2F423760_10150604607062702_532207701_9156009_1352545639_n.jpg&hash=147765ec13f49e0341cda8ea3d2cb2d19e571be7)

OK, that would be hilarious.

But tear off small segments the night before as I doubt even the most trusting of animals will hold that position when you start that ripping sound as you roll the tape off.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 05:43:38 PM
Back in business!!!  Soldering the wires worked.  I guess my dog gets to live:)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: LongBlade on March 01, 2012, 05:57:48 PM
<chuckle>

Glad to hear it.
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Barthheart on March 01, 2012, 06:42:09 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 05:43:38 PM
Back in business!!!  Soldering the wires worked.  I guess my dog gets to live:)

Congrats.... and to your little dog too! 8)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 06:51:27 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on March 01, 2012, 06:42:09 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 05:43:38 PM
Back in business!!!  Soldering the wires worked.  I guess my dog gets to live:)

Congrats.... and to your little dog too! 8)

Thanks man....it was all because of you that I was able to get it fixed, otherwise I would have just thrown it out:)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Rekim on March 01, 2012, 07:06:51 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM
I know exactly how you feel...so far my cat Penelope has killed one X52Pro HOTAS, three keyboards, one mouse, three ipod chargers, two blackberry chargers, two telephone lines, one speaker system and at least four headphones/mics.

Holy S%^&!

ever considered switching to...say...a pet fish!?
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Barthheart on March 01, 2012, 07:07:36 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 06:51:27 PM
Quote from: Barthheart on March 01, 2012, 06:42:09 PM
Quote from: Grim.Reaper on March 01, 2012, 05:43:38 PM
Back in business!!!  Soldering the wires worked.  I guess my dog gets to live:)

Congrats.... and to your little dog too! 8)

Thanks man....it was all because of you that I was able to get it fixed, otherwise I would have just thrown it out:)

No problem... glad to be of service.  8)
Title: Re: Dog at My TrackIR Cable....Not a Good Day:(
Post by: Nefaro on March 01, 2012, 08:49:16 PM
Quote from: Rekim on March 01, 2012, 07:06:51 PM
Quote from: Jarhead0331 on February 29, 2012, 10:48:37 AM
I know exactly how you feel...so far my cat Penelope has killed one X52Pro HOTAS, three keyboards, one mouse, three ipod chargers, two blackberry chargers, two telephone lines, one speaker system and at least four headphones/mics.

Holy S%^&!

ever considered switching to...say...a pet fish!?

No kidding.  This is a good idea.