+Atarius Maximus Posted May 19, 2003 Share Posted May 19, 2003 I finally got my Wico Joystick yesterday from an ePay auction, and was excited to get it hooked up and try it out. I plugged everything in with the Y adapter, and it didn't work. Ugh. Oh well, I figured I bought a bad joystick. I still wanted to play a few games, so I took the Wico out and plugged in my standard 5200 stick, and stuck Pac-Man in. The game started fine when I hit the start button on the joystick, but now when I move the joystick itself, nothing happens. Pac Man munched his way to the right side of the screen all by himself, and sat there helpless. Everything worked fine before I plugged in the Wico. Did I blow out my joystick port with the Wico? Anyone know if there would be an easy way to test or fix this? You really have to work hard to be a 5200 fan! I now have 5 bad joysticks and 2 bad consoles in my collection, and I just starting collecting 5200 stuff about 6 months ago. AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voch Posted May 19, 2003 Share Posted May 19, 2003 Did you accidentally push in any of the port pins on the console? I had to fix my console pins this weekend (carefully pulled a few out a little with needle nose pilers, replaced one that had broken off). Voch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted May 19, 2003 Author Share Posted May 19, 2003 Did you accidentally push in any of the port pins on the console? I'm not sure, I'll have to check tonight when I get home from work. Thanks for the idea, that would be a simple thing to fix! AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voch Posted May 19, 2003 Share Posted May 19, 2003 I noticed that I had this problem when NONE of the keypad buttons on ANY of my three controllers would work... Voch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCold Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 You really have to work hard to be a 5200 fan! I now have 5 bad joysticks and 2 bad consoles in my collection, and I just starting collecting 5200 stuff about 6 months ago. AM I'd be willing to buy or trade for all of the broken stuff if you'd be willing to... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IceCold Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 You really have to work hard to be a 5200 fan! I now have 5 bad joysticks and 2 bad consoles in my collection, and I just starting collecting 5200 stuff about 6 months ago. AM double post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holygrailvideogames.com Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 Since you are in St. Louis, you could go buy a 5200 system at Trade-N-Games. I was just there over the weekend and they did have a system. The owner had it in the back. They are located at 1057A. Gravois Road. in Fenton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougy76 Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 I finally got my Wico Joystick yesterday from an ePay auction, and was excited to get it hooked up and try it out. I plugged everything in with the Y adapter, and it didn't work. Ugh. Oh well, I figured I bought a bad joystick. I still wanted to play a few games, so I took the Wico out and plugged in my standard 5200 stick, and stuck Pac-Man in. The game started fine when I hit the start button on the joystick, but now when I move the joystick itself, nothing happens. Pac Man munched his way to the right side of the screen all by himself, and sat there helpless. Everything worked fine before I plugged in the Wico. Did I blow out my joystick port with the Wico? Anyone know if there would be an easy way to test or fix this? You really have to work hard to be a 5200 fan! I now have 5 bad joysticks and 2 bad consoles in my collection, and I just starting collecting 5200 stuff about 6 months ago. AM I don't have an answer to your standard joystick not working, but I have had problems with my Wico too. I figured out that the issue wasn't with the controller, but with the Y-cable. If I jiggled the Y-cable around so that it was bent a certain way, the Wico would work. You might want to try something like that. OR, try getting a Wico keypad as it completely eliminates the Y-cable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted May 28, 2003 Author Share Posted May 28, 2003 Unfortunately, Voch's suggestion of checking for a bent pin wasn't the problem. My known good joysticks start any game just fine, but the stick itself doesn't respond when the game gets going. I think I'm just going to get rid of all my Atari 5200 stuff and concentrate on the 2600, which I play more of anyway. I'll post a detailed list of all of my stuff in the Marketplace forum within the next day or so for sale or trade to everyone here, and I'll put what's left on ebay. I've got about 40 unique games, 2 dead consoles, 5 joysticks, and a Wico. I guess I'll need to pull together a want list too. I'll remain a 5200 fan in emulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRetroGamer Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 DON'T DO IT!!! Keep your 5200 stuff and find a working console. You won't be sorry! As for the joysticks, some of us can assist you with that! :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voch Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 Unfortunately, Voch's suggestion of checking for a bent pin wasn't the problem. My known good joysticks start any game just fine, but the stick itself doesn't respond when the game gets going. Grab a meter and check the pins connection to the motherboard (specifically, pins 9, 10, and 11 control the pots...see the section 4.5 of the FAQ). Clean the contacts of the pins with an eraser if you can get at them. A 5200 is very neat and worth having. Voch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyranthraxus Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 What do you want for that Wico? ...the vultures are circling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted May 30, 2003 Author Share Posted May 30, 2003 Well, after thinking about it for a few days, I think I'll just keep everything for now. None of the games I have are particularly rare, and most all my hardware is broken in one way or the other, so it's not worth much money anyway. Maybe eventually I'll try to fix my 2 port or just buy a new one. Thanks for the suggestions Voch, I'll check those pins on the motherboard and see if I can figure out the problem. AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnice Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Hi, Just using this thread to ask about a Wico-related question (this post is OLD). I obtained a Wico stick (got a Y-cable a couple months ago and thought I might as well put it to use), and I really like it. However, the "locks" to keep the stick springing back to the center seem to come loose after enough playing. Has anyone else ever encountered this problem? If so, what did you do? I was just thrilled that everything else works, though (took my chances on an "as-is" bid). My wife & I agreed that Ms. Pac-Man was much easier to play. I also noticed that I was able to get through the screens in Miner MUCH faster than with a standard stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Mitch Posted February 24, 2004 Share Posted February 24, 2004 Hi, Just using this thread to ask about a Wico-related question (this post is OLD). I obtained a Wico stick (got a Y-cable a couple months ago and thought I might as well put it to use), and I really like it. However, the "locks" to keep the stick springing back to the center seem to come loose after enough playing. Has anyone else ever encountered this problem? If so, what did you do? I was just thrilled that everything else works, though (took my chances on an "as-is" bid). My wife & I agreed that Ms. Pac-Man was much easier to play. I also noticed that I was able to get through the screens in Miner MUCH faster than with a standard stick. Yeah, the plastic tends to get warped after a while. Try opening up the stick and flip the "lock switches" around the opposite direction. Mitch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnice Posted February 25, 2004 Share Posted February 25, 2004 Oops...instead of just flipping around the lock switches, I took the locks completely out and "rotated" them...the horizontal one is now in the vertical position, and vice versa. Not that this is any problem. That's what I get for not double-checking this board for the directions. The good news, though, is that the locks don't seem to be giving out, no matter how violently (well...I didn't try REAL hard) I move the stick. Only now, there seems to be a bit of lack of springing to the center when the stick is moved slightly up. I imagine that a flipping of the switch for the vertical lock should do the trick. Thanks again for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted January 26, 2013 Author Share Posted January 26, 2013 Ha, how about replying to your own post from nearly 10 years ago? I still have the broken 2 port 5200 from 2003 and haven't played a game on a real console since then. I could go bid on a new console on eBay, but from what I've been reading online it's likely the pokey chip as the joystick port is the only problem with the unit. I tried to desolder a pokey from a ballblazer cart but was unsuccessful, my skills are lacking and all I did was ruin the chip and the cart. Does anyone have a working pokey or a 2 port console they'd be willing to sell? I don't much care about the condition of the console, I just want to play it again. Hopefully the two controllers I last used in 2003 still work. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Here is a good deal. eBay Auction -- Item Number: 170973246909 tested it says. You could sell the boxed games 20 a piece and already make it all back plus... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Ya, that is a good deal, especially considering the free shipping! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 Thanks for the link to the eBay auction, that did look like a pretty good deal, but I got it fixed tonight. I bought a stash of old XL computers years ago, pulled a pokey chip out of an old 600XL, stuck it in the 5200, and (unbelieveably) it actually fixed the problem. I played Berzerk for a little while, and both of the two working joysticks I had years ago still work 100%. I sacrificed the 600XL to grab the pokey, but I sent an email to best electronics to order a few extras. Now I have to decide if I want to plug in that old Wico stick, that's what seemed to blow up the pokey way back when. Can't wait to dive back in to those old games as it's been 10 years since I've played the 5200. May even have to place an order for Adventure II! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldSchoolRetroGamer Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 @Atarius Awesome! Good job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atarius Maximus Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 @Atarius Awesome! Good job! Thanks! I just spent the last 30 min or so playing Space Dungeon. I still have the custom joystick holder I made since you need both joysticks to play. I love that game, easily my favorite on the 5200. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0078265317 Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I still don't understand how a joystick can blow up a pokey chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxpressed Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 I know that the octal buffer IC on the ColecoVision is very susceptible to electrostatic discharge, so much so that hot swapping a controller can blow it out. I've had three CVs develop this problem and had Yurkie install new, socketed ICs in a couple of them. If you have a flaky CV that skips the menu screen and/or moves your character in one direction, your octal buffer IC is shot. Perhaps something similar is going on with your 5200. If you do use the Wico, plug it in while everything is powered off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmervine Posted January 27, 2013 Share Posted January 27, 2013 Congrats on getting your 5200 running again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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