How to easily fix your stock 5200 controller

[Lord Thag]

Ok, I've seen so many 'help! how do I fix this!' controller threads over the years that I'm going to post, in detail, how to repair a stock 5200 stick to working order. I'll post my method, and anyone else who wants to can post theirs, ask questions, or whatever. Maybe we could get this stickied to avoid any more of these types of threads? Pretty please? Note that this fix is for non-functional buttons (which is usually always the problem). If the stick (i.e. potentiometers) are broken, you'll have to order replacement pots from the link below.

 

Alright! So you've finally got yourself a Big Black Beast and a stack of awesome games. Unfortunately, you've also got a pile of non-functional 5200 sticks and no idea how to fix 'em. Now sure, you can go spend gobs of cash on ebay to get ones that work, or even more for the Wico sticks, but that is just silly when you can usually fix a 5200 stick for < $10. Here is what you will need:

 

1 Medium/Small sized phillips screwdriver

1 Single hole punch (the kind used to punch paper. $1.50 at the grocery store

1 sheet of aluminum foil

1 tube of krazy/super glue

1 Pencil or art eraser

3 Q-tips

 

That's probably all you'll need. The 5200 sticks (generally) fail for two reasons: bad carbon dots and/or a bad flex circuit. Usually, it's both. The above tools will fix the dot problem permanently, and clean any bad contacts. This will NOT fix a broken trace on the flex circuit. I *HIGHLY* recommend you contact Best Electronics and order replacement flex circuits. These only cost $8.50 and will ensure that this is the last time you'll have to fix the 5200 sticks. If you have the money, order the gold dot buttons too, as they work great. The fix I'm about to describe is for those who don't want to spend the $30 a stick it takes to order all of these parts. all you really need is a 'gold' flex circuit.

 

Ok, you've (hopefully) got a new flex circuit now, or you may try and fix the one you've got. Now, first you've got to take the damned stick apart. They are pain, the first time. Don't panic, I'll walk you through it.

 

1. Remove the three screws from the back of the 5200 stick with your screw driver. Set these somewhere safe, and far away from the cat. If the cat eats them, do not take the cat apart with the screwdriver to get them back. The cat is MUCH harder to reassemble

 

2. See the little raised area where the Start/Pause/Reset buttons are? That pops off. Stick your screwdriver (if it's a small one) into the pause button, depress the pause button, and slide the screwdriver under the inside lip of the bracket. Apply a reasonable amount of pressure, and the thing should pop right off. You can also use a knife blade inserted between the cracks around the edge of the bracket and pop it off that way. The former method does less cosmetic damage.

 

3. Ok, now it's time to take the thing apart. Nothing else is holding it together, but the sticks tend to be pretty 'stiff' when you take them apart. Just slide you fingernail around the edges and work the thing apart. Generally, it's the upper firebutton brackets and the bottom edge that make it difficult. Just keep working at it until the top half comes off.

 

4. Now, you should see the guts of the thing, which consists of a plastic circuit thingy (the flex circuit), a couple of silver cylinders with little white 'clock hands' on them (the potentiometers that are the analog joystick), and a bunch of wires. You'll also see a bunch of buttons, namely two small brackets with the upper fire buttons, the numeric keypad, and the secondary keypad. Pull the firebuttons (with their small bracket) out of the joystick, and set all of the buttons aside for the moment.

 

5. If you are going to try to use the existing flex circuit, now is the time to grab your pencil eraser. Using the eraser, you want to rub firmly across all of those exposed circular contacts. They should be brass colored, but may be black due to oxidation. You can be pretty firm with the eraser, but don't overdo it. The idea is that the eraser will rub off all of the oxidation from the contacts so that they will work good (i.e shiny gold). Do this for ALL of the contacts, especially the two sets of upper fire buttons. Also, check the traces in the flex circuit. If you notice any broken traces (usually around the little flap that contains the Start/Pause/Reset buttons), you'll need a new flex circuit from Best Electronics or a spare one from another controller.

 

[OPTIONAL] Ok, so the above didn't work, and you want to install a new flex circuit. First, peel the two upper flaps that hold the fire buttons down off of their plastic backing. Then, look UNDER the numeric keypad area. See that flat piece of black plastic? It comes off on three pegs. Lift up on the bottom edge and remove it. Now, you should be able to lift away the entire flex circuit. It plugs in to a small white connecter in the middle of the joystick. Now, to install the new flex circuit, do the above in reverse. Plug the circuit into the white connector (folding the u-shapped piece underneath. Insert the flat black plastic back into it's peg holes, and use some rubber cement to secure the back of the flex circuit to this piece. Do the same for each fire button flap so that they stick firmly to their plastic backing.

 

6. That was the hard part. Now, use the hole punch to punch a bunch of round pieces out of the foil. Have them sitting on a flat surface like a table or book. Turn all of the buttons (2x fire button, 1x numeric keypad, and 1x aux keypad) upside down so that the little round carbon dots are showing. Moisten the end of one q-tip in your mouth. Now, put a small dot of superglue on one of the carbon dots. Don't overdo it! Just a little bit works much better than a lot. Then, touch the end of the damp q-tip to a foil circle. This will have just enough 'stickiness' to pick up the foil and move it to the carbon dot. Touch the foil circle to the dot and press down. It should stay. *DON'T* touch it. Do the same for all of the carbon dots on all of the buttons.

 

7. Go eat lunch or make out with your girlfriend. You need to let the glue dry for twenty minutes or so. If some of the dots are still not set, you used to much glue. Move them around a bit with the q tip and let them dry further.

 

8. Ok! You just have to get the thing back together and you should have a fully functional 5200 stick Yay! Star Raiders! Put the two fire buttons back in their black brackets, and slide them into place. Put the numeric keypad back in it's slot on the 'joystick' half (making sure the [1] [2] [3] are at the top) so that the top half of the joystick is facing carbon dot side up. Now, here's the tricky part. This will probably take you lots of tries, and it's frustrating the first time you do it. See the two metal circles with the 'clock hands' on them on the flex circuit half of the stick? Those have to be lined up with the two slots on the underside of the joytick on the numeric keypad half of the unit. Using the clock analogy, turn the bottom pot's white arm/clock hand so that it is at the six o'clock position. Turn the upper one so that it's about ten o'clock or so. In other words, the bottom unit's arm faces down, and the upper one faces up and to the left.

 

9. Now, hold the numeric keypad/joystick part in one hand so that the joystick faces down, and the carbon dots are facing up (otherwise the keypad falls out). You want the joystick centered, and the two slots lined up in the same positions as the two arms on the potentiometers. Ok, taking the other half in your other hand, thread the flex circuit flap (the Start/Pause/Reset part of the flex circuit) through the slot on the joystick half, and slide the two halves together. Make sure that the stick is straight and not slanted when you put it together. I ususally use my index finger on the hand I'm holding it with to keep it straight. Slide the two halves together. If you have the holes lined up right, it should snap together flush. You can tell if you did it right by moving the stick around. Any resistance or 'hard' spots when moving the stick around means you goofed up. Pull it apart and try again. If you did it right, the stick will move smoothly in all directions. [NOTE] DON'T GET FRUSTRATED. This part is a pain in the ass until you get the hang of it. Just keep at it. Once you get the trick, it's easy as cake.

 

10. Now pop the aux kepyad and the bracket back in place and screw the thing back together. Go and test the thing to make sure you didn't make any mistakes. Congrats! You now have a fully functional 5200 stick that will give you years of enjoyment. Now go and kick some Zylon ass!

Edited September 16, 2007 by Lord Thag

[+remowilliams]

Yeah, given the nature of the 5200 sticks, a 'fix' thread sticky probably is a good idea.

 

I also HIGHLY recommend the Gold Rev. 9 Flex Circuits and gold dot pads/buttons from Best Electronics. I did a complete refurb on two sticks for a friend recently, and they are amazing. Best tactile response you'll get out of the 5200 sticks.

[Artlover]

I would like to add my 2 cents.....

 

I have fixed many a carbon contact using SuperGlue and foil, and it's temporary at best. SuperGlue crystalizes and has no flexability. Foil is not porous and won't 'bond' with the glue. Repeated use will cause the glue to crack and the foil dots will fall off. At best, it simply falls off and that button doesn't function anymore, at worse it falls off on the contacts and makes a constant connection (this really sucks when it happens on the 'volume up' on a tv remote).

 

I'd personaly suggest rubber cement or epoxy.

[Lord Thag]

I have fixed many a carbon contact using SuperGlue and foil, and it's temporary at best. SuperGlue crystalizes and has no flexability. Foil is not porous and won't 'bond' with the glue. Repeated use will cause the glue to crack and the foil dots will fall off. At best, it simply falls off and that button doesn't function anymore, at worse it falls off on the contacts and makes a constant connection (this really sucks when it happens on the 'volume up' on a tv remote).

 

Depends on what kind you use. I should have mentioned that earlier. I tend to use the kind of glue that you use to glue those pewter warhammer miniatures together. You can get it at most hobby shops. It will stick to metal fine, though it costs more than standard superglue. I've never had the dots fall of using it.

 

I also recommend just spending the $30 on the Best replacement parts. It's well worth the money, and the sticks do feel better than the standard ones. The above instructions are for those who want something usuable wuickly, or who do not have the money.

[Jess Ragan]

What's the old saying... you can't polish a turd? I personally believe that the 5200 controller was broken right out of the box, and there's nothing you can do to fix the ill-conceived design. You should just spend that time and effort making an adapter, or an alternate controller. There are guides all over the place, and the parts aren't that expensive. Your reward will be a joystick that works better than any 5200 stock controller, used, new, or refurbished.

[Lord Thag]

What's the old saying... you can't polish a turd? I personally believe that the 5200 controller was broken right out of the box, and there's nothing you can do to fix the ill-conceived design. You should just spend that time and effort making an adapter, or an alternate controller. There are guides all over the place, and the parts aren't that expensive. Your reward will be a joystick that works better than any 5200 stock controller, used, new, or refurbished.

 

Yeah, a lot of folks feel that way. If you hate the sticks, then just get an adaptor.

 

However, I actually really like them. I just don't like the poor reliability (until you fix 'em). Once you get one that works, they are my favorite classic controller, actually. The non centering thing never bothered me on most games, and I love the analog control for games like Star Raiders. The dual fire buttons and keypad allow for a lot of depth on some games, and the stick is perfect for these types of games.

 

Sure, it takes some getting used to for the Pac-Man style games, but it's a skill, and it's really not that hard. The only games that really suck control-wise are the ones that are mapped to the stick position like Breakout, Gorf, and Kaboom. Those do not control well. The rest work fine, in my opinion.

 

Judge for yourself. It's definately a personal taste thing

[JB]

The only games that really suck control-wise are the ones that are mapped to the stick position like Breakout, Gorf, and Kaboom. Those do not control well. The rest work fine, in my opinion.

 

Judge for yourself. It's definately a personal taste thing

Missile Commadn and Star Wars control really well, IMO. Of course, cursor motion isn't quite the same as player motion.

 

In my opinion, Super Cobra is the only one that doesn't work well. It NEEDS a dead zone.

[Lord Helmet]

I would suggest using powdered graphite rather than tinfoil. I just put a little glue on each dot, then dust the keypad with the powder. Once it dries, just dust off the excess. Works like a charm.

Edited September 17, 2007 by Lord Helmet

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I thought a detailed online guide already existed? Just hadn't been stickied though it had been requested many times...

 

-^Cro§Bow^- 's 5200 Controller Repair Guide

 

[cyberfluxor]

I'm looking to just take my 5200 controller and rebuild a new one all together as an arcade box. Here's what I'll use instead:

Arcade stick, dial phone pad, 7 arcade buttons. Maybe I'll add a trac-ball too since I have a few lying around.

[JB]

I would suggest using powdered graphite rather than tinfoil. I just put a little glue on each dot, then dust the keypad with the powder. Once it dries, just dust off the excess. Works like a charm.

I've seen rear defroster repair kits recommended, but good luck finding one.

[Artlover]

I've seen rear defroster repair kits recommended

Hmmm. I've heard that for fixing traces instead of conductive pens. Never thought about it for the contacts, but yeah, that's a great suggestion.

 

but good luck finding one.

I've seen them in Autozone, PepBoys, Walmart, etc...

[Jess Ragan]

So you can't use ground-up pencil lead?

[Lord Thag]

So you can't use ground-up pencil lead?

 

You can, but it's much easier using a tube of graphite lock lubricant. It's basically a tube of powdered graphite, like Lord Helmet recommended.

 

I've used both. I've found the graphite is messier, wears off faster, and tends to stick to the contacts, making the stick register as having buttons pushed when you're not pushing them. It's really a matter of taste, though.

 

If you use the foil, like I do, make sure you use that model/miniature glue that bonds with metal and the pads will never fall off.

[+remowilliams]

I've used both. I've found the graphite is messier, wears off faster, and tends to stick to the contacts

Having dusted graphite spread itself throughout any electronic device let alone the 5200 sticks, isn't a good idea at all. Nothing like making it more unreliable.

Edited September 19, 2007 by remowilliams

[Jess Ragan]

Is that even possible?

[Lord Helmet]

I've used both. I've found the graphite is messier, wears off faster, and tends to stick to the contacts

Having dusted graphite spread itself throughout any electronic device let alone the 5200 sticks, isn't a good idea at all. Nothing like making it more unreliable.

 

Huh...I havn't had a problem with the one I fixed that way, and it's been like 4 years of pretty consistent play. Maybe I'm just lucky it worked well for me

[JB]

I've seen rear defroster repair kits recommended

Hmmm. I've heard that for fixing traces instead of conductive pens. Never thought about it for the contacts, but yeah, that's a great suggestion.

 

but good luck finding one.

I've seen them in Autozone, PepBoys, Walmart, etc...

I've never seen it anywhere.

Suppose I could look again...

[TunnelRunner]

I've rebuilt so many of these damn things that I have found a few good tricks:

Look up Chemtronics Keypad Repair Kit. You clean off the keypads and mix up the two halves of the kit and paint the contacts. Mine still work a few years after the fact. This is, of course, in addition to replacing the flex circuit (they went up to $8?) and cleaning the pots with contact cleaner. And check your cable before you button it all up (diagnostic cart from Best, does the trick).

The Artist formerly known as 'Doc' Atari.

[Artlover]

So you can't use ground-up pencil lead?

 

You can, but it's much easier using a tube of graphite lock lubricant. It's basically a tube of powdered graphite, like Lord Helmet recommended.

 

I've used both. I've found the graphite is messier, wears off faster, and tends to stick to the contacts, making the stick register as having buttons pushed when you're not pushing them. It's really a matter of taste, though.

 

If you use the foil, like I do, make sure you use that model/miniature glue that bonds with metal and the pads will never fall off.

So what exactly is the trick here? My tv remote was giving me problems last night. 5 buttons. {Apon opening it, all the foil dots had fallen off and were stuck to the contact board (and channel down was stuck making active connection. }

 

Anywho, I used ultra fine sandpaper and made up a heaping pile of powered pencil lead. Drop of super glue on the rubber dot, dumped powder on, waited till it dried, dumped excess out. Didn't work. I saw a nice layer of powder on the dot. I know it's conductive. Just refused to logicly work. Then I had to go and clean all the crap off to redo it with foil (for now anyways as I can't afford to waste money on conductive paint).

 

I will say, it might be an issue with the remove tho. JVC model, which has some pretty weird resistance issues, and won't respond to just any conductive short. It's a goofy piece of crap.

[Chris++]

What bugs me the most about the standard 5200 controller is how difficult they made the Auto-Center switch to find. I don't know why they hid it in the back-corner, near where the cord attaches. I'm surprised at how many people it still fools into thinking there's no auto-centering feature on that joystick.

 

 

Made you look!

Edited September 25, 2007 by Chris++

[Lord Thag]

So what exactly is the trick here? My tv remote was giving me problems last night. 5 buttons. {Apon opening it, all the foil dots had fallen off and were stuck to the contact board (and channel down was stuck making active connection. }

 

Anywho, I used ultra fine sandpaper and made up a heaping pile of powered pencil lead. Drop of super glue on the rubber dot, dumped powder on, waited till it dried, dumped excess out. Didn't work. I saw a nice layer of powder on the dot. I know it's conductive. Just refused to logicly work. Then I had to go and clean all the crap off to redo it with foil (for now anyways as I can't afford to waste money on conductive paint).

 

I will say, it might be an issue with the remove tho. JVC model, which has some pretty weird resistance issues, and won't respond to just any conductive short. It's a goofy piece of crap

 

You need to use graphite POWDER (you can get it at auto stores). Real graphite art pencils will work, but the regular kind don't use the same thing anymore, and are sometimes non-conductive.

 

I still stand by the tinfoil, however. Much easier and cleaner.

[tjlazer]

What bugs me the most about the standard 5200 controller is how difficult they made the Auto-Center switch to find. I don't know why they hid it in the back-corner, near where the cord attaches. I'm surprised at how many people it still fools into thinking there's no auto-centering feature on that joystick.

 

 

Made you look!

 

 

What you talking about? Where is this so called auto center switch?

[fuji8bit]

What's the old saying... you can't polish a turd? I personally believe that the 5200 controller was broken right out of the box, and there's nothing you can do to fix the ill-conceived design. You should just spend that time and effort making an adapter, or an alternate controller. There are guides all over the place, and the parts aren't that expensive. Your reward will be a joystick that works better than any 5200 stock controller, used, new, or refurbished.

 

 

Careful what you say about the 5200 controller here. I once posted a complaint about the controller, and some peabrained fanboy insulted me, questioned my masculinity, and performed all sorts of character assassination.

 

But yes, you're right. I think the 5200 controller is a great design on paper, but it was implemented by people who didn't play video games. Makes me wonder if the penny-pinching Tramiel had something to do with this. Even Best Electronics says that a rebuilt controller (with all new switch contacts) will only last 1-3 years. Pathetic.

[TunnelRunner]

What's the old saying... you can't polish a turd? I personally believe that the 5200 controller was broken right out of the box, and there's nothing you can do to fix the ill-conceived design. You should just spend that time and effort making an adapter, or an alternate controller. There are guides all over the place, and the parts aren't that expensive. Your reward will be a joystick that works better than any 5200 stock controller, used, new, or refurbished.

 

 

Careful what you say about the 5200 controller here. I once posted a complaint about the controller, and some peabrained fanboy insulted me, questioned my masculinity, and performed all sorts of character assassination.

 

But yes, you're right. I think the 5200 controller is a great design on paper, but it was implemented by people who didn't play video games. Makes me wonder if the penny-pinching Tramiel had something to do with this. Even Best Electronics says that a rebuilt controller (with all new switch contacts) will only last 1-3 years. Pathetic.

 

CX52 was before Tramiel. Craig Asher designed the CX52, Jim Huether told me he fought to get the centering pot incorporated into it (like used on RC airplane controllers) but Atari cheaped out. Then he got kicked off the project! Rumor is Asher had never even played a video game. Hey, they work great...they just aren't very rugged. Get a Wico or just keep rebuilding them.