Assembling the springs in the 2800/SVAII controller?

[Thorsten Günther]

Hello!

 

I purchased a Sears Video Arcade II on eBay and tried to clean the controllers (due to jittering in paddle mode). But I have problems assembling the controller due to the two metal springs that repeatedly get loose before I can close the case. Anyone have a hint on that one?

 

 

Thorsten

[bah]

Thorsten,

 

I am going by memory here and it has been a while but I only remember one spring with a loop on both ends. You had to lay the buttons in the upper half of the case then compress the spring and one loop went around the center post on each button respectively. The circuit board then installed over the assembly. Unless you bumped them, the buttons stayed in place by themselves.

 

I do not have pictures but you mention 2 springs and that isn't what I remember.

 

BAH

[Thorsten Günther]

Thorsten,

 

I am going by memory here and it has been a while but I only remember one spring with a loop on both ends. You had to lay the buttons in the upper half of the case then compress the spring and one loop went around the center post on each button respectively. The circuit board then installed over the assembly. Unless you bumped them, the buttons stayed in place by themselves.

 

I do not have pictures but you mention 2 springs and that isn't what I remember.

 

Yes, one of my controllers has one spring with a loop on either end, but the others contained two springs of differing length and with only one loop each. Apparently the loop side is held by one of the protrusions of the lower case half (while the spring with the two loops runs directly from button to button), but I seem to be incapable of putting over it again and then close the case, so I assume there has to be a trick.

 

 

Thorsten

[bah]

Thorsten,

 

Is it possible that one controller has had the spring break which is why there are two different length springs? If you assemble that controller without the springs will the buttons function or do they stick "on"? Perhaps you could fashion another one piece spring like the first controller from a piece of spring wire. I have taken springs from click pens and uncoiled the wire before or maybe you could uncoil the spring that slides the dust cover down in a junk black label Atari cart.

 

BAH

[Thorsten Günther]

Thorsten,

 

Is it possible that one controller has had the spring break which is why there are two different length springs? If you assemble that controller without the springs will the buttons function or do they stick "on"? Perhaps you could fashion another one piece spring like the first controller from a piece of spring wire. I have taken springs from click pens and uncoiled the wire before or maybe you could uncoil the spring that slides the dust cover down in a junk black label Atari cart.

 

BAH

 

As three of the controllers all have the same symptoms, I don't believe they all just broke. Yes, The buttons stick in when I mount the controller without the springs. Constructing something like in the fourth controller also was my idea, but I haven't considered ballpen springs yet - are they really strong enough? Will try one now, as they cost nothing :-).

 

 

Thorsten

[Thorsten Günther]

Thorsten,

 

Is it possible that one controller has had the spring break which is why there are two different length springs? If you assemble that controller without the springs will the buttons function or do they stick "on"? Perhaps you could fashion another one piece spring like the first controller from a piece of spring wire. I have taken springs from click pens and uncoiled the wire before or maybe you could uncoil the spring that slides the dust cover down in a junk black label Atari cart.

 

As three of the controllers all have the same symptoms, I don't believe they all just broke. Yes, The buttons stick in when I mount the controller without the springs. Constructing something like in the fourth controller also was my idea, but I haven't considered ballpen springs yet - are they really strong enough? Will try one now, as they cost nothing :-).

 

That didn't work, so I bought a roll of 0.5 mm spring wire - cost me 11 Euros, but I guess that will surely solve the problem, as I will simply build copies the spring in the fourth controller.

 

Thorsten