Repaired 5200 controllers issue

[Celotine]

Just fixed 2 out of 4 controllers I own. I'll get tot he other 2 later. But the 2 I fixed, work great on all games, except pacman. When I do pacman, pacman takes off to the left and get stuck in the wall and I can't move up or down or go back to the right. Is it my repair? Or my game?

[RB5200]

Well, that is pretty weird, if you can move around in other games, and not Pac-Man, then it would almost have to be your game, for some odd reason.

Usually would say the machine or the controller are not centered properly, but even when that is the case, you can still move at least in one direction or another. So since this is happening with two controllers, and only Pac-Man, it almost has to be the game.

What other games do you have.

[Celotine]

2 minutes ago, RB5200 said:

Well, that is pretty weird, if you can move around in other games, and not Pac-Man, then it would almost have to be your game, for some odd reason.

Usually would say the machine or the controller are not centered properly, but even when that is the case, you can still move at least in one direction or another. So since this is happening with two controllers, and only Pac-Man, it almost has to be the game.

What other games do you have.

Galaxian and Star raiders is what I tried. Star raiders gives me no issues

[RB5200]

14 minutes ago, Celotine said:

Galaxian and Star raiders is what I tried.

So with both of those games, when the control stick is in the middle position,  then there is no movement (drift) on the character. ?

[Celotine]

4 minutes ago, RB5200 said:

So with both of those games, when the control stick is in the middle position,  then there is no movement (drift) on the character. ?

Right, no drift. Also I have a second copy of PAC man imma try that later

[RB5200]

1 minute ago, Celotine said:

Right, no drift.

Then would have to say that it is the game, have you tried to clean the game contacts

[Celotine]

1 minute ago, RB5200 said:

Then would have to say that it is the game, have you tried to clean the game contacts

Yeah it's not the game. Both copies do the same. To be honest it looks like Star raiders is more sluggish going right than left. Maybe the controller is slightly off. Weird that it's 2 with the same issue tho.

[RB5200]

2 minutes ago, Celotine said:

Weird that it's 2 with the same issue tho.

Not necessarily, it could be the machine itself that's off-center, if it's the machine that's off, then all controllers will show off.

But even at that you should still be able to get pacman to register at least one other direction other than his default left.

What repairs did you do in the controllers, did you mess with the pot arms or did you leave those alone.

[Celotine]

3 minutes ago, RB5200 said:

Not necessarily, it could be the machine itself that's off-center, if it's the machine that's off, then all controllers will show off.

But even at that you should still be able to get pacman to register at least one other direction other than his default left.

What repairs did you do in the controllers, did you mess with the pot arms or did you leave those alone.

No those were fine. In fact I can manipulate those with the cover off and steer the game. And I can sometimes make pacman go up but only sometimes.

[RB5200]

It's starting to sound like, your machine and controllers are in need of readjustment. Course you have to do the machine first, then adjust the controllers to a properly adjusted machine.

In galaxian, can you move the ship and get both speeds,(slow then fast) both left and right.

[Celotine]

 

47 minutes ago, RB5200 said:

It's starting to sound like, your machine and controllers are in need of readjustment. Course you have to do the machine first, then adjust the controllers to a properly adjusted machine.

In galaxian, can you move the ship and get both speeds,(slow then fast) both left and right.

How do I do the machine? Is there a YouTube video?

[Charlie_]

4 hours ago, Celotine said:

 

How do I do the machine? Is there a YouTube video?

It's called a Pokey adjustment. If you search these forums it'll show up often. There is an adjustment wheel in the console that controls the range of analog values from the potentiometers in the controller. 

[+-^CrossBow^-]

@Celotine There is technically an official way to calibrate the pokey readings on the console and it requires the use of a specific loopback board that Atari used back in the day. It provides static readings during the pokey test with the diagnostics cart to help dial this in.

 

That said, there is a way you can do it more unofficial that should get your 90% there. You need to use the game Missile Command. When you have the controllers perfectly in the center, the game should come up with the crosshair in the center of the screen when you start a game. So to do this, you need to have a controller apart so you can access the pot arms inside it.

- Remove the top of the 5200 console shell so you can access the trimmer adjust for the pokey.

- Set the top arm so that it is at exactly the 9 o'clock position

- Set the bottom arm to that is is exactly at the 6 o'clock position

- Plug in the controller to the player 1 port

- Plug in the Missile Command cartridge into the system. This will require you to defeat the dust cover door on the cartridge since with the top cover removed, the pegs needed to open won't be present

- Start up the game and note where the cross hair is located.

- Turn the Pokey adjustment counter clockwise if the cursor is right of the center, Turn pokey adjustment clockwise if the cursor is left of the center

- It might be required to reset the game between adjustments to be sure it is locking in right

- Only small adjustments are needed. So just turn a few degrees at a time when checking and adjust your turns as needed to dial it in.

 

That is the basic of it although again, never quite as accurate as using an actual pokey test and adjustment loop back board from back in the day.

 

Here is a video I did sometime back that goes though the official process and a few other ways to adjust it.

 

 

[Celotine]

3 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

@Celotine There is technically an official way to calibrate the pokey readings on the console and it requires the use of a specific loopback board that Atari used back in the day. It provides static readings during the pokey test with the diagnostics cart to help dial this in.

 

That said, there is a way you can do it more unofficial that should get your 90% there. You need to use the game Missile Command. When you have the controllers perfectly in the center, the game should come up with the crosshair in the center of the screen when you start a game. So to do this, you need to have a controller apart so you can access the pot arms inside it.

- Remove the top of the 5200 console shell so you can access the trimmer adjust for the pokey.

- Set the top arm so that it is at exactly the 9 o'clock position

- Set the bottom arm to that is is exactly at the 6 o'clock position

- Plug in the controller to the player 1 port

- Plug in the Missile Command cartridge into the system. This will require you to defeat the dust cover door on the cartridge since with the top cover removed, the pegs needed to open won't be present

- Start up the game and note where the cross hair is located.

- Turn the Pokey adjustment counter clockwise if the cursor is right of the center, Turn pokey adjustment clockwise if the cursor is left of the center

- It might be required to reset the game between adjustments to be sure it is locking in right

- Only small adjustments are needed. So just turn a few degrees at a time when checking and adjust your turns as needed to dial it in.

 

That is the basic of it although again, never quite as accurate as using an actual pokey test and adjustment loop back board from back in the day.

 

Here is a video I did sometime back that goes though the official process and a few other ways to adjust it.

 

 

Perfect! Thanks! Big help as always 😁

[SuperZapperRecharge]

Haven't used Star Wars the Arcade Game recently, but I read you could use this cartridge for calibration as well.

[Celotine]

1 hour ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

Haven't used Star Wars the Arcade Game recently, but I read you could use this cartridge for calibration as well.

Sounds like it would be a good plan but I already bought missile command. Just waiting for it to come now.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

12 hours ago, SuperZapperRecharge said:

Haven't used Star Wars the Arcade Game recently, but I read you could use this cartridge for calibration as well.

Star wars can be used, but it is more difficult because at least on my 5200s with proper calibration, the cross hair on star wars ends up being off center to the right when first starting up the game. I also think Star Wars has something in the code to help calibration the cross hair when it powers up so I don't know that it can be changed as easy on the fly as using Missile Command. Missile Command might also be cheaper to purchase vs SW:TAG so there is that too. And Missile Command on the 5200 is pretty much arcade experience game play. Especially with a good working Trak-ball paired with it.

 

 

[SuperZapperRecharge]

5 hours ago, -^CrossBow^- said:

Missile Command might also be cheaper to purchase vs SW:TAG so there is that too

Yup Missile Command is way cheaper and a better solution. I thought Star Wars TAG was lacking on all consoles it was released on. You just can't replicate the controller / yoke on the arcade cab.

[Celotine]

On 4/22/2024 at 1:18 AM, RB5200 said:

It's starting to sound like, your machine and controllers are in need of readjustment. Course you have to do the machine first, then adjust the controllers to a properly adjusted machine.

In galaxian, can you move the ship and get both speeds,(slow then fast) both left and right.

That's exactly what it was. I got missile command and followed what you and crossbow said, everything works perfectly now! Thanks guys!

[BassGuitari]

On 4/24/2024 at 3:33 PM, SuperZapperRecharge said:

I thought Star Wars TAG was lacking on all consoles it was released on. You just can't replicate the controller / yoke on the arcade cab.

They would have been fine enough (for me) if they didn't flip the Y axis. I think "pilot" control is fine for steering from a first-person perspective (ex: Star Raiders), but not for aiming a cursor.

 

I really want to love the home ports of Star Wars: The Arcade Game, but the controls drive me nuts. It's frustrating because they were *this close* to being really good games! 😝