controller trials and tribulations

[superdevil]

So here's my first post in these mighty forums, and I'm looking for a little help. Here's my dilemma;

 

I've had a working 5200 sitting around with the standard non-working joysticks. I replaced the flex 9 circuits with the gold ones, and was able to get the number pad working on one controller. Did the old crazy glue-ing the tinfoil to the bottom of the start/reset/pause/fire buttons and still nothing.

 

So I bit the bullet and won a Wico command controller off ebay and it also doesn't work. (I'm assuming it doesn't work because it won't work with the standard 5200 controllers hooked into the Y-cable and it won't work as a standard 2600 controller minus the Y cable adapter). Sooo...

 

Can I use the Y-cable on another 2 button 2600 style controller? or will the fact that the non working start and reset buttons on my 5200 controllers hinder me from doing anything at all? Finally, is there any other way to test the Wico controller to see if it functions in any capacity? I've tried it on my 2600 and 7800 and nothing happened.

[accousticguitar]

You have to have the start button working on the original controller to use the Wico controller. You won't be able to tell if the Wico works until then. The 2600 controller won't work because it is a digital controller. The 5200 needs an analog controller.

Edited June 12, 2008 by accousticguitar

[Brian R.]

I have a Wico controller for my 5200 - I assume you know that you have a 5200 Wico controller and not just a standard Wico controller for use with the 2600, right?

 

Like was said, even with the Wico, you at the least need a 5200 controller with a working start button to start a game. There's a Wico keypad, but they seem rare and/or costly.

 

Might be best to focus on trying to get a 5200 controller with a working start button rather than the Wico keypad.

[superdevil]

Yeah it's the Wico 5200 controller. Can anyone tell me if the Trak-Ball controller had the same problems that the Joysticks had?

[Prodos8]

Yeah it's the Wico 5200 controller. Can anyone tell me if the Trak-Ball controller had the same problems that the Joysticks had?

No. The trak-ball is essentially bullet-proof.

[classics]

Are you absolutely sure the joystick ports are not damaged?

 

Steve

[82atari5200]

bad 4050 or pokey?

[superdevil]

No I'm pretty sure it's not the controller ports. Everything worked fine until it sat for several years, so I'm guessing this is when the controllers started deteriorating.