where to get 101% working paddle and driving controllers

[maiki]

Thanks for info. I will try Best Electronics even though I am in Europe. I see they also offer some Sega Genesis controller adapter. Might be good option if it works. I hate presing the B button every time I start Harmony Cartridge plus games like Astroblast do not work with standard Genesis controllers at all.

 

I am also thinking about getting a joystick from them. I hope they do not put any sort of micro switches inside them. I hate micro switches. They make noise. So much noise!

[Lynxpro]

I assume they're the same 1 megohm pot rating as the amount you need to rotate the paddle to move things a certain distance on screen is exactly the same.

 

Nothing rattles. Never had any problems with the knob. The paddles feel a little stiffer than the originals; though the originals have 30+ years worth of wear and tear, so it's likely they were just as stiff when they were brand new. The AtGames paddles work great, else I wouldn't recommend them.

 

I'm in the market for the AtGames Paddles although some here might be philosophically opposed to giving their money to AtGames.

[Mitkraft]

I'm in the market for the AtGames Paddles although some here might be philosophically opposed to giving their money to AtGames.

What's that all about? What issues do people have with them?

[MaximRecoil]

I got my paddles from AtGames today, and now I'm even more annoyed that I couldn't order two pair of original ones from Best Electronics. These are lighter than the originals, thus they feel cheap (I've always thought the originals felt hollow/cheap too, but these are even worse in that regard). Also, they didn't get the shape/contours right, so these feel flat/squarish in your hand compared to the originals. The worst part about them is, they used switches that click for the side buttons (the originals had silent switches).

 

On the plus side, the potentiometers are smooth with a dampened feeling, which is nice, and they measure roughly 1 megohm like they are supposed to, so they work very well.

[+SpiceWare]

Odd, mine appear to weigh the same and the shapes are identical. The buttons do click though, never noticed that before.

 

Possibly they did a design revision. I ordered some of their joysticks last year to use at the Houston Arcade Expo and they felt quite a bit different than the set that came with my Flashback unit. They work fine, just feel odd.

[HammR25]

Personally I'd get the Best super pot paddles.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/189944-best-super-pot-paddles/

[+wongojack]

The shape and weight of the AT Games paddles that I have feel exactly the same as original paddles - perhaps even heavier. However, the button does click. The biggest difference that I've noticed is that the action on the pot itself is a bit stiffer, so it requires slightly more force to turn. This actually helps you be more accurate with games like Kaboom, but it does make my wrist actually hurt after extended play in a way that the original paddles never did.

 

I liked them a lot, so I ordered a follow up pair a few months after the first. This was in 2014, and both pairs look and feel identical.

[MaximRecoil]

Personally I'd get the Best super pot paddles.

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/189944-best-super-pot-paddles/

 

Those haven't been in stock for quite a few months. They are looking for a new supplier.

 

As for the weight:

 

Pair of original Atari paddles, with Y-cord = 9 oz.

Pair of AtGames paddles, with Y-cord = 7.6 oz.

 

The difference in shape is subtle; they definitely didn't use the original molds.

[BigO]

Maybe they got hold of the molds that JAKKS used to make their two player Atari paddle plug-n-play.

I never paid attention before, but I see that paddle is definitely smaller in every dimension and is flatter on the bottom.

Even the knob is slightly smaller. The fire button is a little clicky. But clicky like rubber dome "over center" collapse and making noise when the contacts bottom out kinda clicky, not microswitch kinda clicky.

Edited October 14, 2015 by BigO

[thadsilverfox]

 

Yes, but 30+ year old plastic isn't necessarily brittle. My original paddles aren't brittle. I've taken them apart at least a dozen times in the past few days, and there are zero signs of brittleness. Brittle plastic can be caused by environmental issues and/or flaws in the manufacturing process. An infamous example of a flaw in the manufacturing process is with some U.S. SNES cases, which turn yellow and become brittle. I doubt your brittle paddles are the norm, given that this is the first I've heard of it take on the brittle plastic and why some break when trying to u

 

 

My take on the brittle issue is that if the paddle has never been opened up for any reason they tend to be more prone to breakage due to the screws bonding with the plastic as a result of heat, cold, dirt, dust, shrinkage, etc...