new atari 5200 controller Making A New Atari 5200 Controller In The Original Form Factor

[coachbrj]

I can't wait to see the reviews and actually get my hands on one! Thanks for the dedication!

[Lucas Lac124]

I've finally begun to produce the 5200 VX Controller in small quantities! As I produce, I will contact those who have privately messaged me in order of date of message so they can purchase the controller if they so desire. I hope to set up an online store when I've built up a sufficient backstock. I've tested the controller with my entire 34 game collection, and am yet to find a game that it is incompatible with (including Missile Command and Super Breakout). For those awaiting purchase of a controller, there are several things you should know; firstly, the controllers are 3D printed. This means they will not have the uniform, impeccable appearance that comes with mass produced products. Secondly, the controllers take a long time to make, and are being constructed during my free time; you should expect having to wait a while before receiving a controller. Lastly, they cost $150 each. I know this is a lot- more than expected or previously indicated- but I've invested a lot of time, money, and effort into making them a reality, and hope to pay for a bit of college tuition with them. Thank you for all of the feedback and support provided during years of off-and-on development. I believe this is the single best way to play Atari today.

Edited July 16 by Lucas Lac124

[+cjherr]

Great to hear! Looking forward to being able to purchase them!

[David Alexander]

Hi, Great News.

[TrekMD]

Excellent!  Count me in for two of these!

[coachbrj]

Keep me on the list!! Can't wait.

[Greg2600]

21 hours ago, Lucas Lac124 said:

I've finally begun to produce the 5200 VX Controller in small quantities! As I produce, I will contact those who have privately messaged me in order of date of message so they can purchase the controller if they so desire. I hope to set up an online store when I've built up a sufficient backstock. I've tested the controller with my entire 34 game collection, and am yet to find a game that it is incompatible with (including Missile Command and Super Breakout). For those awaiting purchase of a controller, there are several things you should know; firstly, the controllers are 3D printed. This means they will not have the uniform, impeccable appearance that comes with mass produced products. Secondly, the controllers take a long time to make, and are being constructed during my free time; you should expect having to wait a while before receiving a controller. Lastly, they cost $150 each. I know this is a lot- more than expected or previously indicated- but I've invested a lot of time, money, and effort into making them a reality, and hope to pay for a bit of college tuition with them. Thank you for all of the feedback and support provided during years of off-and-on development. I believe this is the single best way to play Atari today.

Were we supposed to have sent PM's?  The last information I read was a batch to be sold on eBay.  3D printing is not a problem for me, the stick is a manufactured product at least.  The fire buttons are big enough that they shouldn't be an issue.  The doubling in cost is unfortunate though.  As you are the FIRST person to really fully design this type of controller, any thoughts to perhaps licensing that design to a company or such who would be able to mass produce them, as more of a retail product?  I truly feel like these have great potential, but won't be in many hands for quite some time. 

[coachbrj]

O.M.G.!!!!!!! Best controller ever!!!!!!!! Better than I hoped for!!!!!!!!!!!! Arrived quickly and packaged nicely!!  Feels solid in my hand and the cord is plenty long. Finally playing Pac Man the way it should be played. Only problem I have found so far is it won't jump in Mountain King. Of all my controllers, this is KING !!!!

[coachbrj]

Issues*** can't go up in Mt. King, Pitfall, Pitfall 2 - still looking for other issues - but really good on Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Asteroids

[+-^CrossBow^-]

9 minutes ago, coachbrj said:

Issues*** can't go up in Mt. King, Pitfall, Pitfall 2 - still looking for other issues - but really good on Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Asteroids

Sounds like the pokey on the console might need to be adjusted unless it is at factory spec already. I think your 5200 might have been done prior to my getting the loopback board that I use now for adjusting that on 5200s.

 

[Lucas Lac124]

26 minutes ago, coachbrj said:

Issues*** can't go up in Mt. King, Pitfall, Pitfall 2 - still looking for other issues - but really good on Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Asteroids

The consistency of the issue makes it seem as if a connection came loose in shipping. If you'd like I can send you a return label, fix it, and return it to you. That being said, it is strange to me that it goes in all four directions in pac man, and not in other games; this could also be a console issue, and not a controller issue.

Edited July 29 by Lucas Lac124

[coachbrj]

30 minutes ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Sounds like the pokey on the console might need to be adjusted unless it is at factory spec already. I think your 5200 might have been done prior to my getting the loopback board that I use now for adjusting that on 5200s.

 

Is this a fix I can do?

[TrekMD]

Mine arrived as well!  They do feel great in the hand!

 

[Spzero15]

Mine are here, controller feels great, I’ll keep everyone posted on how it works

[supersprint]

22 hours ago, coachbrj said:

Is this a fix I can do?

 

[+cjherr]

Just got mine in and ran them, through half a dozen games.

 

Outstanding.

Solid, responsive. Couldn't ask for better. Thank you.

[AtariBrian]

Was there ever a list because I thought I put my name down for one. I do not have any pm's about one though. 

[coachbrj]

41 minutes ago, cjherr said:

Just got mine in and ran them, through half a dozen games.

 

Outstanding.

Solid, responsive. Couldn't ask for better. Thank you.

Could you try Mt. King, Pitfall, or Pitfall 2 and see if you can go up?

[+cjherr]

Works like a champ on all 3.  I had a problem similar to yours except some games wouldn’t go left. -^CrossBow^- adjusted the pokey when he had it in for some work, and it’s like a whole new machine. Your problem sounds similar. 
 

-Chris

[David Alexander]

On 7/29/2024 at 7:19 PM, TrekMD said:

Mine arrived as well!  They do feel great in the hand!

 

Let us know at the 5200 Podcast your experience with these new controllers

[TrekMD]

4 hours ago, David Alexander said:

Let us know at the 5200 Podcast your experience with these new controllers

Sure thing!

[+-^CrossBow^-]

On 7/30/2024 at 9:10 PM, cjherr said:

Works like a champ on all 3.  I had a problem similar to yours except some games wouldn’t go left. -^CrossBow^- adjusted the pokey when he had it in for some work, and it’s like a whole new machine. Your problem sounds similar. 
 

-Chris

Correct, I've got the loopback testing board for 5200 consoles now and have for a few years. It allows me to get static readings from the console during the pokey adjustment test in the diagnostics so I can dial it in back to factory specs when needed. In the case of your 5200 it was way out of spec when it first arrived. That is why I added the small sharpie indicator to it to show where it lines up when adjusted properly but also applied a little bit of nail polish to help hold it in place and prevent drifting over time.

 

@coachbrj it is quite likely your pokey is also out of adjustment in a similar fashion, but again, I didn't have the loopback board back when I did the work on your 5200 so only had the normal eyeball adjustment method to work from. It is possible to do this without the loopback board but you have to be willing to open up an actual 5200 controller. Using a test cart image... you select the Pokey adjust test routine and with the controller pot arms in the exact 9 and 6 o'clock positions (top at 9 bottom at 6), you adjust the pokey trim pot on the lower right of the console next to the slot where the RF cable comes up through. And adjust that ever so slightly until the port 1 Horz reading is between 111 - 113 ideally. Turn the trim pot clockwise to increase the value, and counterclock to lower the value.

 

That was the factory adjustment reading that the controllers were adjusted to work with. But over time it is possible for those values to drift and it will cause issues with games like mountain king, but also Popeye and Kangaroo can be really problematic. I would imagine you might have issues with Gyruss in that you might find you can't get the ship to rotate easily all around the screen.

 

But yeah... using a controller with the top removed, you can adjust the arms as I stated to get a pretty close adjusted reading. 

 

The other unofficial method is to use the game Missile Command. Essentially the cursor should be in the center of the screen when you have the controller properly centered and when you start up the game. If the cursor is off center a bit then that is also a sign that the pokey adjustment is likely off a bit. If these new controllers are self centering as it appears they are and designed from those factory adjustments, then it should be even easier to adjust the console using this controller since you wouldn't have to take it apart.

 

So that is what I would try. Plug in your new controller and fire up a test rom if you have a flash cart. I'd advise using the 1.1 PAM tests for the 4 ports and 2.3 for the 2 port units. But honestly when it comes to the pokey adjustment test screen, it works the same on either version. Just that with the 1.1 test it is button 5 to access that test and with the 2.3 it is button 4. If you choose the wrong one, then it will ask for the loopback board and you are essentially stuck at that point and need to reset the console.

[0078265317]

Looks great.  But at 150 a piece I will pass sorry.  But looks like plenty of interest so I am sure you will sell out.

[Maztr_0n]

I apologize but skimming this has peaked me, despite not even owning a 5200, i would like to have this so i could get into the system with a great start!

 

Also how possible is it to use the technology from the Sega Saturn/Dreamcast analog stick which iirc used magnets and are much less susceptible to stick drift than modern analog controllers, which would be the best kind of vindication for the 5200 controller.

 

Really cool!

[Bill Loguidice]

9 hours ago, Maztr_0n said:

Also how possible is it to use the technology from the Sega Saturn/Dreamcast analog stick which iirc used magnets and are much less susceptible to stick drift than modern analog controllers, which would be the best kind of vindication for the 5200 controller.

Hall effect analog sticks are becoming common on modern controllers and there seem to be plenty of aftermarket hall effect replacements for modern controllers, but I suspect there might be some compatibility issues. There also may be a deadzone issue, but I'm not sure how that would impact something like a 5200 controller, which probably doesn't rely on the same precision as modern systems.