Problem with unstable Tilt Sensor [Too short pins]

Hi, i´m kinda new too Arduino and have a starter kit and i think it´s really fun too and i already can pretty much about it but i have one little small problem that is bothering me.

The Tilt Sensor which you get from the Arduino Starter Kit have thoose short pins which makes it impossible too make the Tilt Sensor be stuck on the breadboard. It´s stuck if i have two pins of the Tilt Sensor on the breadboard and the other two right outside the middle (Don´t sure if you know what i mean) but now i really need all the four pins connected on the breadboard without letting it jump up directly (because i´m doing the Crystal Ball project) and it works when i have it in but it is not stuck and when i then am going to turn the whole board upside down too make the tilt sensor tilt, it falls out because of thoose short pins.

What can i do too make all the four pins get stuck on the breadboard without falling out?
Really want help with this as fast as i can so that my project can be fully completed.
And sorry for my English, if it´s bad, i´m from Sweden and i´m 15 so. :stuck_out_tongue:

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Assuming you are using the starter kit, and have the breadboard on the wooden panel, see this thread:
http://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=163989.0

Unfortunately, the picture is no longer available that shows the problem. The solution is to either move the tilt sensor to another location that is properly supported by the wood or to push on the back of the breadboard to get the contacts back into the proper location. The second solution is, however, only temporary as the board will soon have the same problem.

By the way, I have similar problems with the potentiometers flying off.

Hope that helped.

Dean

I dont know if it will work but i will try because the main problem is that the tilt sensor has these 4 pins which is really short and they like dont "connect" or get stuck like it should on the breadboard with those short pins so maybe theres like a thing so you can extend the pins or something so it will keep in place with all 4 pins connected. Thanks anyway, i will try your tip :slight_smile:

You are right in that the sensor pins are very short. And pushing the back won't completely solve that - I have the same project currently assembled and the sensor still pops off from time to time. But it's not as bad as it was when I had it over the unsupported section of the breadboard.

Okey but does the sensor not fall out when you turn over the whole board too make the sensor tilt?

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As shown in the diagram, the tilt sensor always pops out, but then I also have trouble keeping the potentiometer on the board (due to the rectangular pins). To get the system to work, I have to hold a finger on each of those components, forcing them into the board.

If i move the tilt sensor, it stays on more often, but will still pop off on occasion (every 5 to 10 times i tilt the board). Moving the potentiomenter won't change how bad it fits into the board, so i still have to keep my finger on it (or replace it with a fixed resistor).

Okay, well then it does´nt seem like we can do much more too get them in place. I think Arduino will have to fix that problem in the new starter kits because it´s really annoying :confused:

I do not have a solution for you, sorry. I do have the same problem though. I also bought the started kit, and was excited to make the magic eight ball project but the tilt sensor would fall out (I didn't even build it because I knew it would hold without having to replace it every time I wanted to know the future about a certain decision. I hope this will bring some attention to the matter.

I attached the photo of how I fixed both the switch and the potentiometer pins problem.
It requires some soldering. I know, it's not a beginner's task, but now them work perfectly!