Spent $99 on a 5200 system and wico should I return this or not?

[shadow460]

Best has rebuilt 5200 joysticks for $38, or $33 with core trade in. Is there something wrong with those? I've been looking at my options to finish up my 5200 set up... not sure if it's worth it unless I can get a complete used one cheap(er). Seems like the most expensive system to maintain.

 

That's the main reason this is such a good find... those Wico sticks/keyboards are awesome. Please let us know if they work once you can try them out.

 

Nah, there's probably something wrong with my quotes. I think shipping is aroudn $8, which puts them "near" $50 total. The Best Gold was what I had in mind.

As for me, I have a stock Atari stick that a couple of us on here patched up. It works, but I need to get a bunch of those gold sticks.

 

There's a guide posted on AA about running a 4 port with a 2600 switchbox or the RCA to coax adapter Al is peddling in the store. The parts needed and the adapter would cost less than $10 at Rat Shack. The parts come in pairs, so you'd be able to mod your own console and send the other set to someone else. The actual mod requires beginning soldering skills, an iron, and tools that probably anyone has around the house. It takes perhaps half an hour. As long as you've got the power brick, you're in good shape. I actually run my 5200 from a Toshiba brick that's meant for a cable modem.

Bye, bye, funky switchbox!

[mimo]

The Best sticks are well worth the money

[Mirage]

Cool, I'm still considering it. Thanks for the info guys. I haven't yet found the article on modifying the 4 port, but I've found other interesting articles. I may try to see what I can dig up on ebay to make my system complete (I only have the base 4-port unit itself) so I have more to work with... or something, I don't know. I really wish I hadn't missed the cheap deal on CL last week! Oh well...

 

EDIT: An hour and a half of looking, and I've found tons of people referring to the 4-port 5200 power mod (mostly you Shadow!, but others as well), but I have yet to actually find the mod itself!!!! Doh!

Edited February 28, 2009 by Mirage1972

[+Mitch]

Do you mean this one? There was another followup thread from CPUWiz with pictures.

 

Mitch

[homerwannabee]

Just want to say that I got the RF switch box in the mail today. So here is the news on the Wico Joysticks. I personally think I did pretty decent. Both Wico Joysticks work great. Both fire buttons work and and the Joysticks moves in all directions. I tested them out on Superbreakout and the Joysticks centered the pad to the center of the screen. So I take it that means there still self centering. Now here is somewhat good part. I tested both Wico keypads on Star Raiders because that game uses all of the numbers. The good news is that one works perfectly. All the numbers work, it starts, and pauses, and resets. Now the bad news. One keypad is partially broken. It does start, pause, and reset. But the numbers 1 and 2 do not work on the keypad, but all the other buttons do work as far as I can tell. So in my book 3 out of 4 ain't bad, and the one broken one actually is still pretty functional for most of the Atari 5200 games. Here is the ironic thing. The one non wico controller I got does not work and is a dud. Will not start any game and will not move left when I started the game with the wico controller. But hey, it's the cheap joystick so no worrys. So in the end I am definitely glad I kept the system and joysticks without returning them.

Edited March 14, 2009 by homerwannabee

[Mirage]

Yes, you definitely got a good deal then.

 

ake the non-working joystick apart and clean it, as well as the one non-working keypad. They're really not that difficult to work with. I was afraid to do it for a long time, but finally tried and it's no big deal. Just be sure to center the joystick and pull it back a little (like you're pulling the joystick "up") when you put it back together, and make sure the arms on the pots go back into the slots. Those are the only tricks. Read the rest of the directions on the Best site before you start. You can probably get the Wico keypad totally working, and it'll be a crap shoot with the 5200 controller... maybe it'll work, maybe not. Worth a shot.

[Rik]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!A 7 day return policy at a thrift store!,man thats unheard of in 2009!!!!I wish we had stores like that around here!

[TheRogue]

Hey guys I'm surprised no one posted this here or knows about it. Check it out, a quick easy 5 minute mod to use standard switchboxes with the 4-port 5200

 

http://www.videogames.org/html/5200Stuff/5200Switchbox.html

 

Enjoy, and remember, no running with scissors!

[shadow460]

Do you mean this one? There was another followup thread from CPUWiz with pictures.

 

Mitch

 

Any chance of getting that mod stickied or in a FAQ somewhere? It's not a mod that comes up very often, but IMO it's an important one.

[mcjakeqcool]

I would say keep it. That's not a bad deal for a 5200 mint with all those acesories, and it is a good system.