deltronik Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Converted one of my sticks to a paddle using a potentiometer from Fry's, an extra knob I had left over from my MAME cabinet and a washer I found in my garage... Immediately fired up Super Breakout and blew away my old high scores on the first game! It really makes Gorf enjoyable too! I was quite surprised! This was super easy and cheap, but it makes a huge difference for the games that can take advantage! Now I gotta get a copy of Kaboom! and I am awaiting Castle Crisis from the AtariAge store to arrive. Is Tempest playable with a paddle? I guess it seems that game should have a spinner not a paddle. I'll probably need the trakball for the best experience with Tempest 5200? 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+GoldenWheels Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 It looks great! Gorf has vertical movement though, aren't you missing that now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 Thanks! Yes, Gorf does not move up and down using the paddle controller, but I feel that it actually plays better. I never played Gorf much before because of the controls, they just never felt right. But I am actually enjoying it with the paddle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Thanks! Yes, Gorf does not move up and down using the paddle controller, but I feel that it actually plays better. I never played Gorf much before because of the controls, they just never felt right. But I am actually enjoying it with the paddle. I use something similar. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 I use something similar. Nice! Where did you source your parts? And hello to my fellow Georgian! I went to school at Kennesaw State for a bit. Commuted back and forth, 141 to 285 to 75, that was hell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 (edited) Made another paddle over the weekend, this time I added the Pole Position shifter switch... PS How did anyone play Kaboom! with the stock CX-52!?!? Holy shit that game is intense! Edited July 11, 2016 by deltronik 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 Made another paddle over the weekend, this time I added the Pole Position shifter switch... PS How did anyone play Kaboom! with the stock CX-52!?!? Holy shit that game is intense! Try it with Space Invaders and Galaxian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 (edited) I also have a custom paddle. http://mvvg.blogspot.com/2016/01/custim-5200-paddle.html Bought for 50 something off ebay. I did not make it. Edited July 12, 2016 by 0078265317 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 12, 2016 Author Share Posted July 12, 2016 Try it with Space Invaders and Galaxian. I'll have to give those a try... but wouldn't it act a little weird since those games are just converting the analog to digital, unlike Gorf and Super Breakout which use straight analog? I also have a custom paddle. http://mvvg.blogspot.com/2016/01/custim-5200-paddle.html Bought for 50 something off ebay. I did not make it. That is quite the contraption! It's like a passthrough mod, but with a homemade keypad instead of a modded controller. Neat way to avoid sacrificing a cx52! Like a masterplay just for paddles. How are those buttons mapped to the keys? I'm guessing the green are star, pause, and reset? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 I don't remember. I think he said the side button is for shifting into high and low. And there are only 3 red so it must be start, pause, and reset. And the rest are the numbers. He left out two rows I can't remember which ones. It was made specifically for pole position. The numbers on the pad were added as the most comon ones used for paddle games. A couple rows were removed because they hardly ever get used. And its not a passthrough. Just a 5200 cable in a 2600 shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 13, 2016 Author Share Posted July 13, 2016 (edited) I was contemplating how the shift switch is wired up... I may have mixed up up and down, but the logic would be the same but reversed... One side is straight to ground. This is DOWN. No resistance. One side flows through ~500k in resistors. This is UP. Emulates the max resistance of the vertical pot. There really isn't any difference to the console logic whether it is reading 500k ohms or 1M ohms or infinite resistance. These will all register as UP. Would there be any long term harm in leaving the resistor out of the shift switch all together and just floating the ground when in the up position? So you'd just wire the red signal wire to the middle and ground to the side for DOWN? (or vice versa ) lol Edited July 13, 2016 by deltronik Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 I have a paddle (I made it from instructions on a thread on here years ago). It works great and makes several games so much better. Gorf is one, you don't miss the up and down because the control is nearly perfect. Kaboom plays like the 2600 version (which is a good thing . Super Breakout is a natural fit for it and I don't think anyone has mentioned it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerG Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Well, I checked and a fellow Atariager made my paddle for me -- 14 years ago!! http://atariage.com/forums/topic/12675-thanks-skatepunk/?hl=%2Bpaddle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted July 13, 2016 Share Posted July 13, 2016 Sorry I didn,t make it so I don't know how its wired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohoki Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 I was contemplating how the shift switch is wired up... I may have mixed up up and down, but the logic would be the same but reversed... One side is straight to ground. This is DOWN. No resistance. One side flows through ~500k in resistors. This is UP. Emulates the max resistance of the vertical pot. There really isn't any difference to the console logic whether it is reading 500k ohms or 1M ohms or infinite resistance. These will all register as UP. Would there be any long term harm in leaving the resistor out of the shift switch all together and just floating the ground when in the up position? So you'd just wire the red signal wire to the middle and ground to the side for DOWN? (or vice versa ) lol i 'm pretty sure up is 0 resistance between the wires attached to pins 9 and 11 down would be an open circuit or the pin 11 to pin 9 through a 500kohm but either way you did it with a toggle you would figure out it would be reversed since its like a lever running a teeter totter inside so i guess it would have worked out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 14, 2016 Author Share Posted July 14, 2016 i 'm pretty sure up is 0 resistance between the wires attached to pins 9 and 11 down would be an open circuit or the pin 11 to pin 9 through a 500kohm but either way you did it with a toggle you would figure out it would be reversed since its like a lever running a teeter totter inside so i guess it would have worked out Yeah, thanks for correcting that. Mine is wired up correctly, I was just thinking aloud... The question is just, "Since floating the pin for up/down is logically the same as 500k+ ohms of resistance to the console, would leaving the resistor out of the design and just floating the pin's ground cause any damage to the console?" I know it would technically function, just not sure if there is an electrical reason that this pin should not be floated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohoki Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 being open is not any more harmful that an unplugged controller 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 15, 2016 Author Share Posted July 15, 2016 being open is not any more harmful that an unplugged controller That's exactly what I was thinking... I tested and the switch still works perfect without the resistor! So seems you can leave out the resistor and just wire the switch with ground to one pin and red signal wire to center pin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohoki Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 well what you are calling the ground is the pot common its actually 5 volts the ground is over by the buttons 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltronik Posted July 15, 2016 Author Share Posted July 15, 2016 well what you are calling the ground is the pot common its actually 5 volts the ground is over by the buttons Thanks for correcting me, I'm just learning this stuff on my own! In that case would my conclusion still be true that it is safe to float this pin and leave out the resistor from this mod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zylon Posted July 17, 2016 Share Posted July 17, 2016 Nice! Where did you source your parts? And hello to my fellow Georgian! I went to school at Kennesaw State for a bit. Commuted back and forth, 141 to 285 to 75, that was hell! I used all Atari surplus parts. I took the pot from a Sears Video Arcade II controller. I run 75 to 285 daily. Fun in the morning, but hell in the afternoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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