I AM THE MAN!!! DCS Remote Repair...

I HAVE EFFECTED CIRCUIT LEVEL REPAIR.  I repeat:  I.. Have...Effected...Circuit...Level...Repair!!!  

I've never been one to muck around with electronics, even though I used to tear apart super computers at one point - the parts were larger.   Today, my DCS remote stopped working while troubleshooting a completely unrelated issue.  The wheel stopped responding to scrolling, but the wheel-button still worked.  Odd...

So... I messed with it    Figuring I had nothing to lose at this point, I not-so-carefully pried open the remote to see what was up inside.   Once opened up, I started pealing things away/apart until I found what must have been the culprit - a small green wire have detached from the tiny PCB connected to the thumbwheel.   The old Eric would have given up right there, but the newly irritated Eric decided to involve tools and fire (OK, heat...).  I stripped the wire so I had something to work with (it had detached clean/flush) and then broke out the smallest soldering iron I had (which I had previously only used to strip tiny wire) I managed to find some electronics solder I think I bought back in my N-scale days for DCC decoder installation and fired up the iron.  I took a steady hand but I got it to connect.  I then carefully reassembled the remote and... VIOLA!!!!   It actually worked.  I mean it actually WORKED   In case anyone else tries this themselves, be aware that the trickiest part was removing the RF module so I could get the wheel and board out of the case to work on it - otherwise it would have been way too tight.  The RF board connects via to socket connecters, which are easy, but it is also connected by foam tape to the main PCB.  My computer skills helped here, as I had seen this arrangement before and with some patience I was able to peel it away.  

This is a big deal for me, like learning to ride a bike.  I know there are LOTS of people here who do this kind of stuff EVERY day without thinking twice about it, but I actually repaired an electronic device without just changing the batteries 

As an added bonus, I noticed that the wheel was a little sticky, so I searched some old threads and found a good article pertaining to how the wheel works and using contact cleaner to clean/loosen it up.  Again, success!

I'm still buying a second DCS remote - next time the damage may be beyond my meager talents, but still...  I feel like I've earned a beer today!!!