How to easily fix your stock 5200 controller

[jerry32]

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!

 

 

 

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