Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Greetings everyone! Just joined the forum cause I've decided to loose my mind and I ordered an Atari 5200! I think its gonna look good next to my Vader 2600 So anyhow Hello! Also anyone got any tips or advice about owning a 5200? 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixMoonPatrol Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) Good for you, the system is really nice,though annoying with a few hickups. First thing you should do is clean the controllers. Lots of dust and grime can get inside and mess with the contacts causing buttons that don't respond properly. You can either order a rebuilt kit that will give you better contact inside that will solve the problem or just buy a rebuilt controller with the new stuff inside. They also help out the analogs(atleast abit anyways by adjusting them slightly ) which have a notorious self centering problem and can effect maze type games like PacMan. Or you can clean the ones you have,which are really easy. I did this for the first time last night and these two videos helped me allot. Have a look,they do make a huge difference afterwards. Welcome to the forum by the way,its a great place with great people. Vids on how to clean the controllers below. Edited January 24, 2016 by PhoenixMoonPatrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Awesome! I had watched a review of the console on Classic Game Room i head they could be refurbed but being able to maintain them will help a ton! I got 9 games coming with it i hope Joust is one in the lot sadly the guy only said what 5 of them were and offered extras as insentive to bid higher or hit the Buy It Now option for all 9 haha. So of course i had to get the whole lot. XD Looks like I have some studying to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian R. Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Do you know if it's a 4-port or a 2-port? There is a significant difference, with the 4-port requiring its own automatic switchbox, which the power also runs through. If you've never opened a 5200 controller before, and if you aren't familiar with doing such things, be warned, you may have difficulty getting it back together again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixMoonPatrol Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) Well youre off to a good start with 9 games. There's 2 versions of the system. 2 and 4 port,which is basically means youre able to plug either two or up to 4 controllers. Also do note that 2 port systems are abit easier to use. They come with a switch box(same type as the Atari 2600 uses) and a standard wall adapter. The 4 port system though is different. You have this giant box which doubles as the switch box and its also where you plug the power adapter into. Yeah...very weird and clumbsy but you'll get use to it over time. There are a few games with compatibility issues between the two,I know that PitFall is one of them,cant remember the other few. You can eventually have a mod built iot this to solve the problem. Someone else in the forum can help you with that,I'm not too sure how that all works,sorry. But anyways sorry if my post about the 2 and 4 port differences are abit confusing. LOL. Its a nice system,just a few odds to get use to. One tip...if you looking to buy a new home brew..get PacMan Arcade. Its such a step up from the original PacMan that was made for the system years ago,which is a really nice version of Pacman in its own right. But the new one is really awesome. Enjoy the system! Edited January 24, 2016 by PhoenixMoonPatrol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) Its a four port with that odd switch box. Its a complete set though all cables and tested so hopefully i just need to clean the controllers if they are not up to snuff. I've opened cleaned my 2600 and its Controllers. Also my NES toaster though i can't bring my self to snip the 10NES chip since it has sentimental value to me. I specifically hunted down a four port since I'm not to concerned to about using the VCS adapter since i have my Vader which works great! Edited January 24, 2016 by Talneharus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Well i will indeed add the Pac Man Arcade homebrew to my list! I saw the Tempest prototype and i love Tempest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhoenixMoonPatrol Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 (edited) I'm a member of the 4 port club myself. Not that bad,just abit of a s\weird set up with the switch bix and power going into it. You should be ok with the system,never had to open mine up to clean it. Its the controllers that are the main problem. I've heard that ordering a newly rebuilt inside makes the use of the pad so much better. For now I just clean the insides and everything works pretty well. Make sure that when you get the system that you inspect the long RF cable that starts from under the bottom of the system. Make sure there are no creases to the cable because if that starts to go then thats a world of trouble,it can't be replaced. You'd have to do some major surgery on the system if that happens or have it sent to a mod site to replace it. But I've never heard of anyone doing that,the cable is pretty thick anyways. But the system does have a nice set of clamps under its belly that the cable wraps around to stay secure to prevent creases. Its good to know you have everything with the system along with 9 games to start with. But I wouldn't worry about that,5200 and their adapter/cabling are built really solid so you should be ok. The entire package that you'll be receiving....thats similar to the package I got years ago when I bought mine from Ebay. You'll have a nice start to the system with that package. Good choices for the home brews. Though I still need to order Tempest,will soon. I recently saw a video of the final release of Tempest on YouTube and I was amazed,looks really good! Its tempest and it looks great. I'm not sure if it has trackball support or not,probably does. Edited January 24, 2016 by PhoenixMoonPatrol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Oh indeed Atari built some pretty solid machines aside form the 5200 controller apparently! Yeah i watched a video for tempest it looks dang fun! I also nabbed mine off Ebay for $200 big ones. It hurt but its worth it to add to my collection of game consoles and games! The 5200 seems like a nice conversation starter when company is over. Its a very good looking machine. I'll definitely check the cable for cuts and creases. I have a feeling this is gonna be awesome! The five games i know that are coming with it are: Pac-man, Pole Position, Centipede, Space Invaders and Missile Command. I might have to hunt down the Trak ball controller for Centipede and Missile Command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chas10e Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Oh indeed Atari built some pretty solid machines aside form the 5200 controller apparently! Yeah i watched a video for tempest it looks dang fun! I also nabbed mine off Ebay for $200 big ones. It hurt but its worth it to add to my collection of game consoles and games! The 5200 seems like a nice conversation starter when company is over. Its a very good looking machine. I'll definitely check the cable for cuts and creases. I have a feeling this is gonna be awesome! The five games i know that are coming with it are: Pac-man, Pole Position, Centipede, Space Invaders and Missile Command. I might have to hunt down the Trak ball controller for Centipede and Missile Command. the trak ball is awesome addition ... Tempest plays great with it as well ... the story behind Tempest is great as well the 5200 is defiantly a collectors system & this is a great site to be a part of for it welcome & congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Thanks chas10e! Its good to know Tempest is track ball supported that will make it fast and frantic! Come next payday I'm grabbing Tempest, Pac Man Arcade and Castle Crisis!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutsy Doodleheimer Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Hello and welcome to Atariage and the forums First off congratulations on owning a 5200! I have two of them. A 2 port and 4 port model. I love both of them so much and am very happy to have them in my collection. So here are some things to know about owning a 5200. 1. Since you have a 4 port model and as you are aware, it comes with the odd proprietary switchbox. The RF cable and power plug into the device. You hear these silly stories and rumors about the system catching fire and burning houses down. Not true! The spark that comes out is safe so don't ever panic. 2. If your console has an asterisk on the serial number label. It is compatible with the VCS adapter which enables you to play 2600 games. They made the serial number consoles briefly in mid 1983. Before going all 2 port. 3. The controllers are the Achilles heel of the system and are known and infamous for malfunctioning. It is dur to the carbon buildup on the flex circuits and at times you are going to open up the controller and take a qtip and use 91% alcohol to rub off the carbon residue. But if you like to spend $45 bucks on a refurbished controller you can order a gold plated controller from Best Electronics. When they say it will last a lifetime. THEY MEAN IT! They use gold silicone dots and gold flex circuits. The silicone will not leave any residue and the flex circuits are durable. 4. Get a trackball controller! The 5200 trakball controller is an awesome peripheral for the system. It is compatible with over a dozen games and they are. Super Breakout, Pengo, Space Invaders, Tempest, Real Sports Football, Galaxian, Centipede, Missle Command, Millipede, and Pole Position to name a bunch. Once in a while you may need to open it up and spray out some dust, lint, and debris with canned air but they run awesome! 5. Lastly, get the Atarimax SD multi-cart. That is another must own for the system. You got 128 total games! The 69 original releases plus, 8 bit computer conversions, prototypes, and unreleased games. Also you can download files and play them on it just like the Harmony Cart. Hope you enjoy your 5200! You will not regret purchasing it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Welcome and congrats on your purchase of the SuperSystem I own a 2 port and recently acquired a 4 port, which should arrive within 10 days. As already stated, the controllers are the Achilles heel of the system but I purchased the refurbs from Best Electronics and can confirm that they work as advertised. Don't know if you're familiar with the 5200 Masterplay joystick interface, but one of our members (atariguy1021) makes a great clone. And his clone allows for joystick and paddle mode. Check out the links below... http://www.atarihq.com/museum/5200/mstrplay.html http://atariage.com/forums/topic/244698-atari-5200-masterplay-clone-with-paddle-mode/?do=findComment&comment=3422657 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Welcome! Definitely get the CX53 Trak-Ball Controller. That makes a world of difference and it allows the 5200 to shine. Modding a 5200 joystick into a Paddle also helps with more than a few of the games. Once you get working controllers, since you have a 4-port, look into acquiring M.U.L.E. or Castle Crisis. They are 4-player games. That's assuming you have 3 other friends who will also enjoy the console. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 Awesome sauce guys!!!Thanks much!!! I'll have to check for that asterisk might have to get the VCS Adapter after all! Though my poor Vader may get jealous XD. Indeed i have enough folks around to enjoy the 4 port to the max so M.U.L.E. and Castle Crisis is indeed going to be a part of my shopping list! I plan on using Best Electronics services in the future i want to have 4 good functioning controllers for it though my N64 hasn't even got that treatment yet only 2 good controllers for it. Cheers guys! Looking forward to BS'ing with you all more on these forums! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 Also a quick question! What should i expect prices to run for a Trak-ball controller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nutsy Doodleheimer Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Also a quick question! What should i expect prices to run for a Trak-ball controller? For a 5200 Trak-Ball controller. For a loose bare controller out of the box. It should run between $30 to $40. I got mine for around $35 last year and it's in amazing shape. For one complete in box they will be a little bit more. About $80. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
correagonzalez Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Welcome to the forums! Glad u purchased a 5200 tempest is a great game my advise is to get the trakball to play it with the controller is a pain, you should also get sinistar they have it on atari age, also space dungeon is a good game to acquire, good luck with your new console 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 And if you run into any problems with the Trak-Ball, you can ask its engineer Dan Kramer questions over in the Facebook Trak-Bombers group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ave1 Posted January 27, 2016 Share Posted January 27, 2016 Welcome to the forum! Hope you get some good games Regarding the controllers, check this topic out: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/245861-using-2-adapters-to-get-certain-atari-joysticks-to-function-on-the-5200/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 28, 2016 Author Share Posted January 28, 2016 You all are awesome thanks!!! Man waiting for my 5200 to arrive is killing me XD I want to play on it soooooooooooooooooo bad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talneharus Posted January 30, 2016 Author Share Posted January 30, 2016 She finally arrived today!!!! Holy cow is it awesome!!!! I'd say the control stick isn't even that bad haha tad mushy but i actually like it. Its in great shape and unfortunately looks it wasn't taken in to be modified nor is it an asterisk model. It was made in Sunnyvale SV-113. Thanks to the videos i was able to get the controller up and working in no time! Though that bezel was a pain to remove . Its almost like joining the 5200 club lets you in on a little known secret cause that massive console is a major blast! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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