Atari joystick tact switch mod

[HoshiChiri]

Just seemed like something y'all might be interested in... saw this on reddit. The guy made a non destructive, fully reverseable, microswitch mod for his 2600 controller. I don't really follow all the technical stuff, so I don't know how copyable it is- take a look!

 

https://jamhamster.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/non-destructive-atari-joystick-tact-switch-mod/

Edited January 9, 2022 by HoshiChiri

[Dopy25]

5 hours ago, HoshiChiri said:

Just seemed like something y'all might be interested in... saw this on reddit. The guy made a non destructive, fully reverseable, microswitch mod for his 2600 controller. I don't really follow all the technical stuff, so I don't know how copyable it is- take a look!

 

https://jamhamster.wordpress.com/2021/09/13/non-destructive-atari-joystick-tact-switch-mod/

That's slick! I put a full arcade stick in one but used a broken shell and a chewed up boot. This seems pretty cool! 

[+vcsrocks]

Really cool!  Thanks for sharing

[juansolo]

Another way of doing it using the just using 5 tacts switches. The only really fiddly bit is filing the plastic ring and the prong of the fire button to the right lengths. Do it a bit at a time and test until it's all nice, tight and even. It's bloody lovely when done like this. It still feels like an Atari stick, just way better. We also do this to the fire buttons in a 7800 Europad.

 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

My biggest issue with the OEM 2600 controller has never been the dome switches or any of that. It is the same thing that breaks on ALL of them that I've ever owned. The white ring itself. Once that cracks, I've never found a good method to repair it and have it hold. So it would be nice to just find a better replacement for the old plastic shaft and ring actuator than anything.

 

While I'm sure the tact switches are nice for making sure everything registers, I can see that causing even more wear on the ring and just making it break quicker in my mind.

 

[juansolo]

The tact switches require way less pressure. So as long as you're not too vicious with it, I'd expect it to actually last longer.

[JamHamster]

On 1/10/2022 at 3:29 PM, -^CrossBow^- said:

My biggest issue with the OEM 2600 controller has never been the dome switches or any of that. It is the same thing that breaks on ALL of them that I've ever owned. The white ring itself. Once that cracks, I've never found a good method to repair it and have it hold. So it would be nice to just find a better replacement for the old plastic shaft and ring actuator than anything.

 

While I'm sure the tact switches are nice for making sure everything registers, I can see that causing even more wear on the ring and just making it break quicker in my mind.

 

Hi, You're absolutely right about the shaft and ring, they're pretty flimsy so I replaced the existing plastic shaft with a 12mm solid aluminium bar. the tact switches are light touch and the pressure is distributed nicely across the PCB. I wasn't happy with existing tact switch mods because no matter how good the tact switches are, any positivity is muted by the flexibility of the plastic (and also, chopping the plastic ring to fit makes my eye twitch) . ?