So, does the defect with the Mini USB Jack on launch systems affect all systems, or is it just a percentage of systems? I've been careful with my launch system since day one, but of course I'm concerned that 10 years down the road it'll snap, the AVS will no longer be for sale, and I'll be SOL.

 

All. Later versions they install 2 small screws to reinforce. There is also a rumor of a 3D printed bracket that would be available at some point. Mine started to come lose, I mailed it back and they sent me a new one that was reinforced.

Good question. I recall that they were refurbishing them with a 3D printed piece so I assume it isn't much more than the launch systems. I looked around to see if the 3D printed parts was available on Thingiverse to retrofit it ourselves and it doesn't appear to be.   I don't have an AVS to check myself.

Confusing: If later versions install two reinforcement screws then “all” AVS consoles don’t suffer from the defect.

Edit: OK. I see. All launch systems.

He said all launch 

 

Yeah, I just realized and edited. Thanks.  

 

It also worth noting my LE which shipped a couple of months later came reinforced.

I'm pretty sure the 3D printed piece never made it out of the prototyping stage and was mentioned off-hand in response to a lot of the earliest inquiries about the power port issue.  Subsequent requests for information on the piece, both on here and emailed directly support have basically been met with silence, leading me to believe that tweaking of the design got dropped like a hot rock the moment the screws + nylon washers solution came to fruition.  I'm afraid to have the system out around my son but am not thrilled with the idea of additional holes being drilled in the board, despite the fact that that should lock the port down permanently.  Here's hoping that whatever prototype model for the 3D printed brace gets released to the public so it can be tweaked until spot on and used by everyone who wants it.

I'm going to go ahead email support and see if we can get an update *crosses fingers.*

Personally, I'd rather have a couple holes drilled than have my power port snap off in 5-10 years. As long as it's nowhere near a trace it shouldn't affect stability. Does anyone have a photo of what the finished repair job looks like?

lol, the screws are actually exactly near tiny traces coming off the port.  Here are the photos of the reinforcement done by bunnyboy himself.



 

oh wow, yeah... that's cutting it close.

Just cut that trace on each end and rewire it instead of trying to avoid it. It is power so doing that won't affect anything.

I had some braces printed but I didn't have confidence in the tolerances. Slightly too small means the port could still move enough to eventually be a problem. Probably would need somewhere like shapeways who has good repeatability. The cost there is probably the same as shipping to have the real fix done. Then I switched from AutoCAD to SolidWorks and by the time I learned enough to design things I hadn't started that project again.

Those are grounded anchoring tabs. Not electrical traces. That's the perfect spot to hold it down.

[edit]
Oh. You mean the underside. Yeah, it's still pretty easy to do that if you're not careless. 

So would you advise us to ship our AVS' back to you to have the fix done if we're concerned about it breaking in the future? Or does that only apply if the port actually breaks?

I get that you and your brother work on that type of thing regularly, but you're being awfully flippant about drilling a very small hole next to some very tiny traces.  Yeah, people shouldn't be careless, but this is clearly an example where someone probably ought to have experience and confidence in their ability to pull it off.  Inferring, "Well, it's easy to do if you don't suck" isn't necessary and definitely doesn't endear you to most.  Most folks with little or no solder experience will be able to take one look and know they're out of their depth; most folks who work on these types of things regularly are still going to pause pretty hard when looking at precisely where those two holes are.  Is it relatively easily fixable if you break the trace (which bunnyboy recommends doing)?  Sure.  But a lot of folks on here (and elsewhere, I'd imagine) would prefer to have everything as 100% factory, unrepaired, etc. as possible.  No need to simultaneously humblebrag on your own skills and subtly put down others'.

I was under the impression this was a warranty repair / manufacturing rework. Done by someone who does lots of them. Not performed by end user.

Still, jack replacement / augmentation and bypassing traces is something nearly any modder or repair person has needed to do. Even if RetroUSB doesn't exist in 50 years, I still don't think OP would be out of luck. That's what OP wanted to know.

Anyone using 3D printers is used to this. Perhaps you can release it deliberately oversized where the installer just files it down until it fits tight?
 

...but the perspective is from an end user who would currently get it dealt with under warranty, meaning, cheap or free. A typical repair and mod work guy probably isn’t doing it for free. Not apples to apples.

Here you go. Start filing!   

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing...

LOL! Nice work.  

 

Luckily, I haven't had any trouble *YET*. I also have been very careful since the beginning, as I was made aware of the issue early on.