TOPIC: wiring diagram?

So I want to rip the guts out of my Champion JadeFire and rewire everything with JST connectors. The problem is everything is so tight in there that I can't get enough of a look at the wiring before I have to start cutting wires and too many wires are the same color.

So I'm trying to piece together a diagram without knowing what the sound board looks like or what actually gets wired to it. Speaking of the soundboard: does this thing have an on-board LED driver or not? I assume it does because there doesn't seem to be a resistor on the AV switch.

Before I start cutting, I just want to make sure I have everything I need to put it back together. So if I need to put a resistor on my AV switch, I want to order one with all my connectors.

When you say "everything with JST connectors" Do you really mean "everything"? Because I think you may find that they take up more space than you realize. I wouldn't want you to shred your internals just to find that you can't fit everything inside when you're done.

Yeah, a lot of the wires are the same color for some reason.

The internals are probably wedged in place with tape and/or glue, but either way, you'd have to disconnect your switches and maybe the recharge port from the board before it's going to come out.

Why exactly are you wanting to add the connectors?

What I think you're telling me is that the connectors are bigger than I think and I probably won't be able to squeeze in as many as I'd like. I hadn't thought of that and you're probably right. I'm going to see what I can do. I need to do something different with this thing, because there's basically no way for me to take it apart without cutting wires.

As to why: exactly what you said. I can't do any work on this thing without cutting wires. I have to rewire my LED module (got it with quick-disconnect. Pulled it out and a wire broke, right at the resistor; I'm hoping I won't have to replace the resistor) and I'm replacing the switch with a different color. The LED won't be a pain in the balls because it's easily disconnected from the rest of the electronics. The switch is going to be a HUGE pain in the balls because it's not. What if the sound stops working? I'm going to have to rip everything apart to figure out if there's simply another broken connection or if I actually need to replace a component.

To replace the switch, I'm going to have to take it apart a considerable amount. I'd rather put it back together in such a way that I can easily take it apart again. I'm definitely going to put a couple connectors in there but if I can't fit as many as I want I'll have to instead just put in longer wires.

Nothing inside this hilt is held down with glue or tape. It's all wedged in with a clever application of velcro strips. Except for the AV switch, which is actually hanging out of the hilt by the wires, as it is secured by absolutely nothing.

Anyway. Is there anything like a diagram floating around? I'm hoping I'll be able to keep track of everything as I go but I'm new to sabers so I don't want to be left twisting in the wind if my hand slips and I can't remember which red wire went where.

I feel like you might be really over-thinking this. Does the jade fire have threads next to the switches? You shouldn't have to cut anything. If you unscrew the hilt in the middle, you can pull your LED wires down, resolder the resistor joint, pull your switch out, melt the joints, remove the wires, solder the wires onto the new switch, lock it in place and screw your hilt back together.

It is very likely that I'm overthinking. I just don't want to have the same headache I'm having now ever again. Every time I touch this thing, something breaks.

I had thought to actually disassemble the hilt but It appears to be all one piece. I don't detect any seam on the inside or outside. There are definitely two distinct sections to the hilt. The bottom half is wider on the inside but I can't for the life of me find any joint or mark that indicates where two pieces meet. I can unscrew the pommel and shine a light all the way through; I'll be damned if I can find any mark.

There's definitely a hard lip where the inside narrows (preventing me from pushing the battery/soundboard conglomeration any further up the hilt to give slack on the wires) but it appears to have been one machined piece.

Even so, I gave a considerable amount of twist at various places that seem to be where two pieces SHOULD be screwed together but just ended up cutting my hands a little on the various outcroppings.

The LED is easy to get to; it has quick-connects. It's out and just awaiting new wire.

I would ask SF if that hilt comes apart anywhere else. Any specific place. It can be incredibly hard to unscrew because they do glue the threads that hold the hilt pieces together. I rebuilt a Fury a month or two ago and I got it to unscrew a little but ended up using a bench vice and a pipe wrench. It was pretty easy that way. Then you just need to clean the crud out of the threads and you're fine.
Of course, if the Jade doesn't actually unscrew, that's a different story. It was my understanding that their only hilt (aside from apprentices) that doesn't unscrew was the Justicar.

In any case, you still wouldn't need to cut anything. Their switches are glued and pressed in place, not locked in with nuts so you could still just pop it out, detach the wires and glue a new one in place. I don't like the glue, personally. The Fury has lock nuts in it now.

Yeah that's part of why I'm repairing it. The switch wasn't glued in; it's just hanging by the wires. I also don't like the color, so I'm replacing it. If that's all I do, I should be fine. But after the wire broke on the LED I'm motivated to just rebuild the whole thing.

Being that I haven't been able to take the hilt apart, I'm going to (for now) fix just what's broken. So I'll put in the new switch and rewire the LED.

Speaking of nuts: what did you use? I assume the switch I ordered from TCSS doesn't include a nut. I was going to take the part to Home Depot and find a nut that fits but if you remember what the right part is, that would probably save me some time.

Your switch from TCSS will come with one.

Oh sweet. I didn't think it would.