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Operation: RESTORATION - CX53 Trak-Ball


BIGHMW

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Hey guys,

 

I have just started to work on my vintage circa-1983 Atari 5200 CX53 trak-ball, and I have already cleaned up the entire interior which was full of almost-40-year-old dust and dirt that has accumulated in her. I have also WD-40'ed the hell out of all 5 bearings and have cleaned all the contacts on the PCB. I even also ordered a pair of Gold-plated never-fail CX52 replacement kits (buttons only not the entire thing) on eBay and those should be coming in later on this week.

 

But also, it seems like I just might have to replace the wiring harness and peel off the tape on the pop-o-matic fire buttons, as only one works now (the left-hand primary one) and also I just might need to ask any of you guys if Console 5 or Best offers such a thing as a replacement wiring harness in which has the plugs already on it, so I can just "plug-n-play" as it seems like the entire left column on both keypads (1, 4, 7, and * keys) is not working on either side of my controller, so I just need the 411 on how to get a replacement harness too.

 

I'll post pics of her tonight after work but at least I have a working trak-ball to the point where I don't have to worry about ever using my XEGS again to play the trak-ball games I already own on my 5200, this is so sweet!!!

 

Thanks, it looks like BIG SEXY IS BACK to being my #1 unit!!! :) 

 

Ray Jackson

AtariAge user ID: BIGHMW

Host of The Atari Report

Edited by BIGHMW
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I just got done rewiring one of the sockets of the plug that goed to the keypad and buttons, and also replaced the keypad on the left side (it had something wrong with the tinned button bottoms as I was using one of those so-called kits but I replaced it with a cleaned standard CX52 keypad and now she works great on all 12 buttons. As for the fire buttons, so far I have not checked those yet, but will after I got off work tonight at around 10:00 om and I'll post another update for you, but yes, BIG SEXY IS BACK!!! 

 

.....now if only I can score a Redemption 5200 2600/Sega unit, if not here on AA then as part of a package deal on eBay (no trades please, just straight-out sell guys). THEN she'll finally be fully back!!!

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I already own three neo geo extension cords, and I just got off work and found a ROM of Missile Command + in my lineup that actually works, so if I can share it with all of you, and the trak-ball works SO AWESOME now that I lubed and cleaned the shit out of everything, I almost forgot how ultra-sensitive it really is, Centipede, and Millipede are an absolute breeze with the trak-ball now fixed, and yes, buttons 1, 2, and 3 all work for the 3 respective missile bases on MC+ - Alpha, Delta, and Omega, all the stock buttons work, it's just a matter now of checking the alternate ("B") fire buttons but everything else, I'll probably try her out with Tempest later on tonight too.

 

 

Missile Command +.bin

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I just happen to have TWO roms of Tempest, one in which works with all controllers except for the trak-ball, and then I also have one that is optimized for the trak-ball and I used the latter of the two roms and it is AWESOME with my CX53, I just have to work out the kinks in the fire buttons but yes it's getting to the point where all the buttons (start, pause, reset, 0-9, * and #) all work, but indeed, the 'ball IS BACK!!! I cant wait to get those Lifetime gold buttons in later on this week.

 

Here is the auction on eBay I got both of my sets from in which I will be utilizing on my CX53: 

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373474383987

 

Edited by BIGHMW
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Well I decided to do a little morning gaming and it's awesome with my near-fully-restored trak ball, so far she's holding up good and all I have to do is make sure all 4 fire buttons on her respond consistently, but yes I should have those 2 gold kits in soon so I will never have to worry about anything more than a mere external cleaning, but yes so far so good, Operation: RESTORATION  - CX53 is almost complete.

Edited by BIGHMW
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I got all 4 fire buttons working, I'll tell you whoever pulled off the idea of a special trak-ball hack for 5200 Tempest should be applauded for it, I'll never play Tempest with anything else besides the CX53, the response on my trak-ball feels brand new like when I first got it for my 17th birthday back in 1983, resurrecting an almost dead unit to fully working condition turned out to be easy, although she might not play everything that my XEGS does, she still my #1 unit as she has 350 of THE BEST titles of any unit of the 4 I own, and now, with a fully-working Asteroids port (thanks @playsoft for the conversion), my VCS adapter, a new Retro Game Boyz 5200 controller, and now a fully-restored trak-ball which now makes playing Tempest a breeze, if it came down to only one system she would be Big Sexy, now if I can reacquire a 2600/Sega Redemption unit (no trades please just a straight up sale), things will be back to where they should be, although my 2002 New Beetle GLS I have owned since January 2017 (I owned a 1999 New Beetle from before brand new it was my first car until she got rear-ended at a traffic stop in December 2016.) Is going out on me I've still gotta keep going as The Beatles once said, "life goes on" and so do I, it's just that I don't feel comfortable about just driving something else but cost wise I just might have to.

Edited by BIGHMW
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14 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

.....now if only I can score a Redemption 5200 2600/Sega unit, if not here on AA then as part of a package deal on eBay (no trades please, just straight-out sell guys). THEN she'll finally be fully back!!!

Wasn't it you who sold me the Redemption several years back? It is used quite often and been very handy. I actually use my Wico keypad with it instead of a standard CX-52 for when I want digital gameplay control.

 

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29 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Wasn't it you who sold me the Redemption several years back? It is used quite often and been very handy. I actually use my Wico keypad with it instead of a standard CX-52 for when I want digital gameplay control.

 

Yup, could've been me, I was unemployed during that time and needed to generate some money as I was far behind on bills and in a negative balance in my account, it was also after I sold all of my cartridge collection since I didn't need them anymore after I got my Atarimax cart and those 350+ of THE BEST titles for any system on my laptop ready to load onto an SD card for her.

 

BTW, besides the 2600/Sega Redemption 5200 I also plan on getting all the 5200 carts from Peter Meyer and the folks at V61/Atari sales as well, especially Delta Space Arena (5200 Omega Race) and Novawolf (5200 Solar Fox) and Tile Smashers (5200 Arkanoid) so that I can have the entire library of games on my SD card when I do, they should be expecting an email inquiry about getting them soon, maybe even later on today.

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43 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Wasn't it you who sold me the Redemption several years back? It is used quite often and been very handy. I actually use my Wico keypad with it instead of a standard CX-52 for when I want digital gameplay control.

 

That'll work as I did the same with Wico keypad as well with my CX24 7800 stick.

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Well, the Lifetime Gold plated keypad kits came in today, I replaced both of the keypads with them, as well as the start/pause/reset cluster of buttons and put her back together, and it all works beautifully at that!!! Ball movement is superb, as the bearings are all in full working order, and the optical readers are doing the things they're supposed to do, the fire buttons are all responsive, and the keypads and start/pause/reset buttons all respond accordingly, so consider Operation: RESTORATION - CX53 Trak-Ball COMPLETE!!!

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On 8/6/2021 at 5:18 PM, BIGHMW said:

Well, the Lifetime Gold plated keypad kits came in today, I replaced both of the keypads with them, as well as the start/pause/reset cluster of buttons and put her back together, and it all works beautifully at that!!! Ball movement is superb, as the bearings are all in full working order, and the optical readers are doing the things they're supposed to do, the fire buttons are all responsive, and the keypads and start/pause/reset buttons all respond accordingly, so consider Operation: RESTORATION - CX53 Trak-Ball COMPLETE!!!

Sweet, thanks for the info! 

 

I saw the gold-plated ones for the joysticks and had wondered, albeit too lazy to look, but then I saw this thread. Will get mine out and clean it up... maybe swap the cue ball with the 8-ball if it fits...

 

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5 hours ago, CommodoreDecker said:

Sweet, thanks for the info! 

 

I saw the gold-plated ones for the joysticks and had wondered, albeit too lazy to look, but then I saw this thread. Will get mine out and clean it up... maybe swap the cue ball with the 8-ball if it fits...

 

Yes they DO (and will) work better than the stock buttons do, if you're gonna restore the keypads and start/pause/reset functions after they had been sitting there unused in quite a while, I highly recommend using those same Gold-plated button sets that are used for CX52 joystick replacements, you can very easily get them not only on eBay but also through Best Electronics, although they have a 3-item limit but yes the same ones that they make for 5200 joystick controllers will also work with the trak-ball as replacements. Your keypads will work without fail almost forever as long as you keep them away from the elements when not in use and take the same amount of care of them as you would your entire arsenal of controllers.

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6 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

Yes they DO (and will) work better than the stock buttons do, if you're gonna restore the keypads and start/pause/reset functions after they had been sitting there unused in quite a while, I highly recommend using those same Gold-plated button sets that are used for CX52 joystick replacements, you can very easily get them not only on eBay but also through Best Electronics, although they have a 3-item limit but yes the same ones that they make for 5200 joystick controllers will also work with the trak-ball as replacements. Your keypads will work without fail almost forever as long as you keep them away from the elements when not in use and take the same amount of care of them as you would your entire arsenal of controllers.

 

Thanks!  I bought the joystick repair kit on eBay a few days ago, and stumbled onto Best a few days later and say a newer revision, at something of a lower price... oops... 

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I decided to open up and look at my recent eBay find - I didn't expect to see anything major, apart from decades' worth of brown build-up that I presume came from unwashed hands after eating all those chocolate bars...

 

trakball3.thumb.jpg.ef17730527fd5fe4c7373707440f4f43.jpg

 

 

 

 

Does the stock model include gold contacts?! This was a bit of a surprise considering the joysticks-of-doom don't.  I also added a modicum of grease to the rollers before removing the circuit board to de-oxidize the springs with contact cleaner, of which one was smaller in length but an easy fix... some of the roller portions were green. A little WD40 cleared up the copper straightaway...

 

trakball1.thumb.jpg.701ed5addc420d0649004c4ef2dc4205.jpg

 

 

Yep, it really is just a cue ball they used - it's quite clever, actually...

 

trakball2.thumb.jpg.91cc9cee27b5ca0d96372942fb46aebd.jpg

 

^^style

(no worries, the original ball IS going back into it. But it's an interesting yet cool coincidence that it fits...)

 

 

 

 

Now all I need is an extension cable or to reposition the 5200 lower to the ground but in a way where a fly can't zoom by it where its subsequent wake turbulence causes the cable to move and blowing the power supply's fuse...

 

trakball4.thumb.jpg.738a425addc37f623c980e65fdcafbaf.jpg

 

(On edit: Found a supplier on eBay, $12.95 each after discount isn't bad for such a custom item...)

 

 

Edited by CommodoreDecker
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4 hours ago, CommodoreDecker said:

 

 

trakball4.thumb.jpg.738a425addc37f623c980e65fdcafbaf.jpg

 

 

 

 

Oh YES! Nicely done, I can't wait to see the progress you have made on YOUR trak-ball once you install the gold-plated buttons on her, as I already have on mine, BTW I see you're playing one of the games that make/made the trak-ball a MUST-HAVE, Millipede!!! It looks like you're on a pretty good run there, you're only 7,273 points away from yet another bonus blaster, in fact I find Millipede to be a bit easier than its forerunner, that being of course, Centipede. Once you get in a groove you can go all night on a single play on Millipede, just watch out for both the beetles (they turn mushrooms into indestructible objects, and also those zig-zagging dragonflies, those are definitely the two to watch out for. ENJOY!!!

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You can also get a parts/derelict 2600-compatible CX80 trak-ball, it is solid black but if the CX80 circuitry still works then I recommend against it, as the all-black design I believe was intentional to match up with the 2600 Vader, and the XL series of computers in which were being sold at that time.

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38 minutes ago, BIGHMW said:

Oh YES! Nicely done, I can't wait to see the progress you have made on YOUR trak-ball once you install the gold-plated buttons on her, as I already have on mine, BTW I see you're playing one of the games that make/made the trak-ball a MUST-HAVE, Millipede!!! It looks like you're on a pretty good run there, you're only 7,273 points away from yet another bonus blaster, in fact I find Millipede to be a bit easier than its forerunner, that being of course, Centipede. Once you get in a groove you can go all night on a single play on Millipede, just watch out for both the beetles (they turn mushrooms into indestructible objects, and also those zig-zagging dragonflies, those are definitely the two to watch out for. ENJOY!!!

 

:)

 

Centipede, Millipede, Missile Command... all go-tos for the trakball. Should try Super Breakout, Space Invaders, and Tempest when it comes in just to see. The 5200's analog joystick is a novel idea, if only they didn't skimp on the flexcircuit or featured one analog stick and one regular one and brand each game a la the 2600 and which of its games needed paddles or joystick...  the more I use the 5200 the more I love it, but that joystick implementation is so sub-par, especially as the Trakball - comparatively speaking - is a tank with its build quality.  The numberpad was a cool idea too.  

 

On the 800XL, I can get > 110000 in Millipede, with a standard joystick, before getting overwhelmed. Trakball was more difficult, but I've not used one in decades.  Will be looking up the gold-plated button replacements for sure; even the cleaning and tweaks I did with the springs won't last forever either. 

 

Millipede does seem easier, despite the frantic pace and more enemies.

 

Was hoping 5200's Millipede would have had the same detail on the mushrooms as its Centipede had, but it's hardly a gripe.  If the crash hadn't happened, I do wonder how many more arcade hits would have been ported; the 5200 goes out of its way for detail on many of its releases - Qix being notable.  And to think this machine is more or less a re-branded A400...

 

What gets me most is how the 5200 with RF connection looks better on the TV than my 800 does on the smaller, dedicated computer monitor with composite input. ?

 

 

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1 hour ago, BIGHMW said:

6-foot Neo Geo (DB15-pin) Extension cords right here, I bought mine from this very same dealer.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232787206703

 

or from a domestic (USA-based) seller right here:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393447306455?hash=item5b9b4974d7:g:tv8AAOSwYRZg8kMC

 

Niiiiice! Thanks for the links/info!  In case the cables I got don't work, to order a known good alternative will be that much easier...  It's cool NeoGeo came the same plug design... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by CommodoreDecker
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2 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

6-foot Neo Geo (DB15-pin) Extension cords right here, I bought mine from this very same dealer.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/232787206703

 

or from a domestic (USA-based) seller right here:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/393447306455?hash=item5b9b4974d7:g:tv8AAOSwYRZg8kMC

You overpaid...

 

https://console5.com/store/basic-15-pin-atari-5200-pc-controller-joystick-extension-cables-6-1-8m-d15-da15.html

 

 

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3 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

 

I myself use these instead:

 

https://console5.com/store/neo-geo-aes-atari-5200-pc-controller-joystick-extension-cables-6-1-8m.html

 

...as this particular version is one that I am familiar with and have owned for over 10 years and I wanted to get two more of them (through Console5 but they sold out so that's why I got mine on eBay out of Hong Kong, the very same design and build) for use with my 2 CX52 sticks and the one controller holder I still have for Space Dungeon and Robotron (and also Intellidiscs).

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1 hour ago, CommodoreDecker said:

 

:)

 

Centipede, Millipede, Missile Command... all go-tos for the trakball. Should try Super Breakout, Space Invaders, and Tempest when it comes in just to see. The 5200's analog joystick is a novel idea, if only they didn't skimp on the flexcircuit or featured one analog stick and one regular one and brand each game a la the 2600 and which of its games needed paddles or joystick...  the more I use the 5200 the more I love it, but that joystick implementation is so sub-par, especially as the Trakball - comparatively speaking - is a tank with its build quality.  The numberpad was a cool idea too.  

 

On the 800XL, I can get > 110000 in Millipede, with a standard joystick, before getting overwhelmed. Trakball was more difficult, but I've not used one in decades.  Will be looking up the gold-plated button replacements for sure; even the cleaning and tweaks I did with the springs won't last forever either. 

 

Millipede does seem easier, despite the frantic pace and more enemies.

 

Was hoping 5200's Millipede would have had the same detail on the mushrooms as its Centipede had, but it's hardly a gripe.  If the crash hadn't happened, I do wonder how many more arcade hits would have been ported; the 5200 goes out of its way for detail on many of its releases - Qix being notable.  And to think this machine is more or less a re-branded A400...

 

"What gets me most is how the 5200 with RF connection looks better on the TV than my 800 does on the smaller, dedicated computer monitor with composite input. " 

If you ever think about maybe using them on an HDTV (whether it be 4K UHD, 8K UHD, or just plain HD) you might want to get that RF-to-HDMI converter that works well with my Insignia 40" HDTV I bought 5 years ago, and it's well worth watching this video and clicking on the links on the page it's on to find out where (and how) I got mine as well as alternative sources to get the very same one. 

 

.....and don't forget to order that RCA-to-PAL antenna plug adapter, you'll need it to fit this unit, the rest, is easy, once you get the settings from the default Chinese to English, this unit is well-packed full of controls, already the guys over at Unknown Data Entry use one for their little TeleGames (made by Atari for Sears) 2600 unit, and I highly endorse them and they even thanked me for not only letting them know about it but also for me putting up this very same video.

 

 

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I ordered replacement bearings from Console5 that should be here soon.

 

https://console5.com/store/kits/trak-ball-kits.html


The really nice thing is they make a 3D printed bearing press to remove the tapped in shaft on one of the bearings. Also, they have 3D printed replacement encoding wheels.


When I get mine back up and running I will let you know how the new parts work out. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi
I also got bearings from console5. Even though I ordered the bearing press. I ended up using this vise and a ball peen hammer to get it out and put the new bearing in.

Does anyone have a technique to remove the plastic optocoupler without breaking it? So I can replace that bearing???

a90cbe73d72980901ac679beb5262a6e.jpg278e9717bd891f20b4d6c80013412a11.jpg

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