Intelli Explorer 3.0 tuning

[Arcane]

hey,

I have the newer version of the IE 3.0 and I opened it to fix some of the known issues that come with this version of the IE 3.0. I made some pictures in case someone wants to do the same with his / her mouse.

Scroll-wheel:

the scroll wheel on the new IE 3.0 is pretty loud and it can be moved on the z axis just by putting a finger on it. The problem is when there's weight on the scroll wheel like the finger while scrolling the scroll wheel will move down the z axis and cause rattling noise when scrolling. So we have to make sure the scroll wheel stays in place when scrolling and may only move down the z axis when we want to middle click. When we open up the mouse we will see what exactly causes the scroll wheel issue.

I added a a small part of a spring, one torsion is enough otherwise the spring would be too strong. I bend one end of the spring to make it straight. Then I clamped the straight end between the red plastic thing which holds the scroll wheel axis and the switch for the middle click. Make sure the wire is not too big because there would be too much pressure to the switch and the plastic. You won't need any glue or tape just clamp it between there it will stick. I got my little spring from a a vrm heatsink for graphic cards but the spring of every ball pen will do, you will need to cut it though ( 1 torsion)
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Side buttons:

The side buttons feel loose and you can push them really far into the mouse. There are basically two reasons which cause the issues with the side buttons. First thing is there's a red plastic thing which holds the buttons on the inside. This red plastic holder is just hitched on the side of the mouse and it can move up and down making the buttons feel loose. Second thing is the buttons themselves have a little arm that will bring them back in position when they have been pushed. You will have to bend those little arms that work like springs to the side to make the buttons feel a bit stronger.

I fixed the red plastic holder with strong tape, superglue will do as well if not better. Just make sure before glueing that buttons work properly. Also be a little careful when removing the side buttons and the red plastic. There are thin plastic parts which break easily. A hitch broke when I tried to remove the bigger side button. But that's not a problem cause I will certainly superglue the red plastic in place later. When removing the side button part you will have to remove the back of the mouse and the main buttons as well. There are four screws in the back of the mouse.
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UPDATE: glued the red plastic holder to the case with instant adhesive and the buttons became even stronger.

Also tried using a braided cord that I had from an older xai mouse. The IE 3.0 definetly looks sexy with it but it is not recognized by the computer Too sad....
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UPDATE 2:

Ok I tried several different methods fixing the scroll wheel and there are many ways to do so but the solution is so simple that you don't get it in the first place ...The main noise caused by the scroll wheel occurs when scrolling up. The reason for this is that the axle of the scroll wheel always smashes against the red plastic that holds the axle. The guidance for the axle simply is to wide. I simply put some tape one the one side to make the guidance smaller so the scroll wheel fits tighter in it. Also the tape reduces noise if the axle hits the notch of that red plastic. So you simply have to make the guidance smaller so the axle can't move in it. It has to move down though to be able to press switch for the middle click. That's the reason I didn't apply tape on the bottom of the guidance. With that solution the scrolling is calm in both directions also the middle click just works fine. I recommend this method over any other known method. Enjoy!
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[AlleyViper]

That's great, seems much better than the usual paper insert mod for the wheel. Btw, does it solve the scrapping then you middle click AND rotate your wheel? (Useful on some 3D software)
The loose back button is a matter of habit, at the time many MS peripherals had that kind of buttons purposely without a solid and short action click. As an example, on joysticks they where made so that you could rest on them in a more comfortable position because they'll pivot a lot, and borderline to click only if you exert enough pressure (loose button 2 on Sidewinder Precision 2 and MS FFB2).

[Arcane]

I can't recognize any scraping, the scroll wheel feels really strong with the spring mod now. When scrolling you can only hear the regular noise of the toothed wheel inside but thats typical for the IE 3.0. It's not like a rattling sound, just normal scrolling sound. It sounds equal in both scrolling directions. Also with the mod the scroll wheel itself moves up the z axis just a little bit. So it's not so flat anymore like before which I think is good. Middle clicking and scrolling is hard at least for me. It might have something to do with the spring being still a bit too strong. I definitely need more force to press the middle click but thats not a problem for me cause I won't use the middle click too much. It's still possible to middle click but it's a bit more difficult. I tried scrolling and middle clicking at the same time but I can't recognize any scraping like I said. I mean any sound not caused by the notches / toothed wheel has gone away. The scrolling sound of the IE 3.0 is loud compared to other mice like my lachesis but that's a characteristic of the model. It's not scraping...

Also for the side buttons I really recommend superglueing the red plastic to the case. It really helps a lot making the buttons feel much stronger. So instead of taping the plastic like shown in the picture above go for instant adhesive instead. Still make sure the red plastic is in it's right position with the hitches.

[AlleyViper]

Thanks for confirming. By default the IE 3.0 can't middle click+scroll wheel without scrapping, at very in least in my X06.

[Arcane]

Added another solution to solve the scroll wheel issue. It works best of all methods I tried so far including paper mod...With that you should be able to scroll while middle clicking without scraping.

[Bilbin]

Anyone know if you can detach the wheel fully?

[Arcane]

You mean getting the wheel itself off the axle? I tried it once but couldn't get it off. I didn't really want to change the wheel but I was curious if it could be detached. So I guess the wheel can't be replaced. I could be wrong though.

Also found another annoying issue at least for me it was annoying, maybe that issue did only occur in my mouse...The small thumb button makes some kind of clicky sound after pressing the switch. So you press the small thumb button and push down that omron switch underneath. You will hear the typical click sound of the switch. But for me while releasing the button off the switch the was another clicky sound and at first I couldn't locate where it came from. It took me two afternoons to find the reason for this. I didn't make any pictures of that though. It has to do with how the side button presses the switch on the inside. When the switch is released the side button is still on top of that switch. It still touches the switch and there is a little friction (plastic on plastic) when the side button moves back to it's normal positon. Putting some tape on the side button's arm that touches the switch on the inside makes that friction sound go away.

[Bilbin]

I was told by a friend that you're able to take the wheel off, when I find my screwdriver for the 3.0 I'll open it up and see what I can do.

[Skylit]

Anyone know if you can detach the wheel fully?

Yes. Comes off fairly easily.


The plastic threading around the wheel would generally last me 6 months before snapping due wear. (Used to bhop a lot) Half the reason I gave up on these mice.