can this be fixed?

[kemsted]

well i got this 2600 six switch from my frend for free and it seems that ther is sumthing wrong with the first controller port. wenever i play a game, the system doesnt recognize that ive pressed the button, every now and then though, it will work for just a little while. im sure its not just the controller because ive tried a few different ones. is there anyway to fix this or what can i do with it?

 

thanks in advance for any help!

[Mindfield]

You probably need to reflow the solder around the joystick port contacts on the PCB. Ideally this simply involves getting out your soldering iron and re-melting each of the contacts so that the solder re-forms more securely around the contacts. I've found that most often with ports that get swapped out often (power, RF and joystick ports, mostly), the solder around the contacts weakens and breaks over time and use, causing shorts and, eventually, little or no contact to one or more pins at all. I've had to do that to a number of systems and it's always restored them to like-new working condition.

 

If you're not comfortable with a soldering iron, you can get solder paste at most electronics stores. It's a conductive paste that does the same job as and air-dries. It comes in a tube and is applied a little like Krazy Glue. I don't reccommend it as a replacement for soldering new contacts, but it's a good alternative for fixing weak or broken ones.

[kemsted]

hey thanks alot, ill give that a try tomoro.