Atari 5200 question, (need help)

[explosiveegg]

I had bought an atari 5200 a while ago, and it work perfectly for the first few days, its the two port model. Yet after a few days i couldnt get the triggers to work on either of the controllers that seem in almost perfect condition. I use the anolog stick, it works perfectly, as do the other number at top buttons. Just for superbreakout, i cant launch the ball, i cant shoot in centipede. I highly doubt this is the both of the controllers acting up the same way at the same time. Is this a common problem? is there any advice? thanks

 

egg

[eightbit]

You need to read more in this forum (and elsewhere on the net) regarding these controllers. In other words, yes, it is VERY common. Once you research some other controller options tho (or restored "gold" original controllers) you'll be back in business.

[atariksi]

Yeah, buttons do go bad even if you don't use them. You can fix them, get a Wico joystick, get a digital joystick interface, a PC joystick interface, or some other solution. Or use a trackball if the game allows.

[explosiveegg]

You need to read more in this forum (and elsewhere on the net) regarding these controllers. In other words, yes, it is VERY common. Once you research some other controller options tho (or restored "gold" original controllers) you'll be back in business.

Ill right, ill try and look that up, thank you very much for your help. I do know people call these controllers shit, but i thought it was odd for it to happen to both at the very same exact time, when they both were working fine.

[eightbit]

It just happens seemingly out of nowhere. I went from FOUR working controllers to none in what seemed to be the exact same time. Afterward, I ordered one from Best Electronics with their gold contacts and haven't had a problem since.

[jetset]

If you're handy enough to take the controllers apart and put them back together, don't waste your money on the gold contacts. You can fix them just as good with a sliver of tin foil and a drop of superglue. Or, you might not even need that much, sometimes just cleaning the fire button contacts with a (clean) pencil eraser and rubbing alcohol. Only if you are buying the controllers with the gold contacts pre-installed would you need to go with those. If you just buy the gold contact kit and are going to do it yourself, you're wasting your $$ imo.

There's several threads floating around explaining how to do this.

[Greg2600]

I second the aluminum foil suggestion. However, if your flex circuit says Rev. 9 do not use a pencil eraser!

[Atari Joe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UADuUdgrbug

[explosiveegg]

Alright, thank you to everyone with the helpful advice, I will attempt cleaning it, and get back to you guys with the results.

 

Thanks again for all the help.

 

-egg

[bohoki]

if you send me a self addressed stamped envelope i will send you a sheet of precut self adhesive aluminum dots with enough to do 2 controllers

 

the offer is open to anybody with an atariage account just send me a pm

Edited August 8, 2010 by bohoki

[eightbit]

@Atari Joe:

 

Thanks for that video. I'll try this with some of the "busted" controllers I have!

[explosiveegg]

Ive never seen such a thin circuit board... its like paper. I opened it up, and cleaned the connections with a tiny bit of rubbing alchol and a q-tip. It works perfectly. Sadly, though, i feel as this is just a temporary fix, but until it breaks again, i wont do anything else to it.

 

Im quessing i was playing too much q*bert, that i let a lot of particles in...

 

... but i got to try my new super breakout that i picked up at a store for a dollar, and it is truely fun, the pressure sensitive anolog stick works so well with the game. If only u didnt need the trigger to shoot the ball.

 

Thank you everyone for all the help!

 

-egg

[Greg2600]

if you send me a self addressed stamped envelope i will send you a sheet of precut self adhesive aluminum dots with enough to do 2 controllers

 

the offer is open to anybody with an atariage account just send me a pm

D'oh, after I did 4 controllers myself a couple months ago!

 

 

Ive never seen such a thin circuit board... its like paper. I opened it up, and cleaned the connections with a tiny bit of rubbing alchol and a q-tip. It works perfectly. Sadly, though, i feel as this is just a temporary fix, but until it breaks again, i wont do anything else to it.

 

Im quessing i was playing too much q*bert, that i let a lot of particles in...

 

... but i got to try my new super breakout that i picked up at a store for a dollar, and it is truely fun, the pressure sensitive anolog stick works so well with the game. If only u didnt need the trigger to shoot the ball.

 

Thank you everyone for all the help!

 

-egg

Egg, the design of the controller, button wise, was terrible. However, the foil will greatly help, because the default buttons are just carbon dots, and aluminum foil is much more conductive. bohoki's offer is very convenient. You shouldn't have to clean the circuits again for awhile. Remember, the sticks are 25 years old and likely had never been cleaned.

[explosiveegg]

Ive never seen such a thin circuit board... its like paper. I opened it up, and cleaned the connections with a tiny bit of rubbing alchol and a q-tip. It works perfectly. Sadly, though, i feel as this is just a temporary fix, but until it breaks again, i wont do anything else to it.

 

Im quessing i was playing too much q*bert, that i let a lot of particles in...

 

... but i got to try my new super breakout that i picked up at a store for a dollar, and it is truely fun, the pressure sensitive anolog stick works so well with the game. If only u didnt need the trigger to shoot the ball.

 

Thank you everyone for all the help!

 

-egg

Egg, the design of the controller, button wise, was terrible. However, the foil will greatly help, because the default buttons are just carbon dots, and aluminum foil is much more conductive. bohoki's offer is very convenient. You shouldn't have to clean the circuits again for awhile. Remember, the sticks are 25 years old and likely had never been cleaned.

Thank you very much for your help.

[atariksi]

if you send me a self addressed stamped envelope i will send you a sheet of precut self adhesive aluminum dots with enough to do 2 controllers

 

the offer is open to anybody with an atariage account just send me a pm

D'oh, after I did 4 controllers myself a couple months ago!

 

 

Ive never seen such a thin circuit board... its like paper. I opened it up, and cleaned the connections with a tiny bit of rubbing alchol and a q-tip. It works perfectly. Sadly, though, i feel as this is just a temporary fix, but until it breaks again, i wont do anything else to it.

 

Im quessing i was playing too much q*bert, that i let a lot of particles in...

 

... but i got to try my new super breakout that i picked up at a store for a dollar, and it is truely fun, the pressure sensitive anolog stick works so well with the game. If only u didnt need the trigger to shoot the ball.

 

Thank you everyone for all the help!

 

-egg

Egg, the design of the controller, button wise, was terrible. However, the foil will greatly help, because the default buttons are just carbon dots, and aluminum foil is much more conductive. bohoki's offer is very convenient. You shouldn't have to clean the circuits again for awhile. Remember, the sticks are 25 years old and likely had never been cleaned.

 

After it's working, you need to move the button somewhere convenient like where the trakball has it.

[jetset]

Sadly, though, i feel as this is just a temporary fix

 

 

It it, but the permanent fix is to superglue a tiny sliver of tin foil to the underside "dot" on the actual fire button. I did mine (at least) two years ago and they've been fine ever since.

[Atari Joe]

You know what works well for those aluminum dots? Ten years ago at Atari7800.com we used to sell fully-refurbished atari systems with 2-year warranties and stuff. Most of them got new metal name plates on top.

 

I used to take the scrap old ones, and then get an old hole punch, and then punch a bunch of hole punch holes in the old nameplate. This resulted in a ton of little aluminum circles that can be super glued to the buttons.

 

If you don't have a metal nameplate I think you could use a coke can or prettymuch any other kind of aluminum.

[eightbit]

Cool! I drink a LOT of soda (and beer of course) and have many a can at my disposal! Thanks for the tips man!

[explosiveegg]

You know what works well for those aluminum dots? Ten years ago at Atari7800.com we used to sell fully-refurbished atari systems with 2-year warranties and stuff. Most of them got new metal name plates on top.

 

I used to take the scrap old ones, and then get an old hole punch, and then punch a bunch of hole punch holes in the old nameplate. This resulted in a ton of little aluminum circles that can be super glued to the buttons.

 

If you don't have a metal nameplate I think you could use a coke can or prettymuch any other kind of aluminum.

lol, thats quite neat, ill try that if it breaks down again.

[zylon]

Try aluminum foil tape. It's already got adhesive on back.