Jump to content
IGNORED

Vectrex question


shining slade

Recommended Posts

I paid around $67 for my Vectrex on BidVille (thanks to everyone here on Atari Age for pointing me toward the auction). With shipping and handling, the total price was about eighty bucks.

 

People used to pay outrageous prices for Vectrex systems, but the market for them has become oversaturated and supply has exceeded demand. You shouldn't have to pay more than $100 for a Vectrex system in good shape, even on e-Gouge.

 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is a good price for one of these?  :?  :ponder: I found one at a Flea Market but they want $125 for it. It appears to come with Mine Storm and a controller & PS.

That's console and controller.

Minestorm is built into the deck. So's the power supply.

 

I take it the manuals and screen overlay are missing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ordered mine from a fellow Atari Age member who refurbs them, Rob Mitchell, for $80 with shipping. Then, while waiting for it to arrive, I found one in a thrift store for $5! I'd waited 20 years to get one, and when I finally got around to ordering one, another drops in my lap! The second one is now at my best friend's house.

 

One thing I don't have are many games. I need to track down some soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, it's a pain in the butt. You've got to find the screws on the front face of the controller, and they're all covered by a decal that fits snugly over this face. When I opened mine, I discovered that the little "harness" things that hold the joystick in the X and Y axis were broken, hence the less responsive control.

 

I want to send my partially modified Genesis controller to Rob so he can complete the work on it, but I've been horribly, horribly broke for the past two months, and it's not a situation I expect will change until next month.

 

JR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read online somewhere that the TRS-80 joysticks have the same stick as the Vectrex controller, so I dug out my old TRS from my mothers basement and cracked open a controller. The ones I have look like this:

 

coco-joy-1.jpg

 

They do have a very similar stick, but they do not self-center unfortunately. Also, they have a greater range than the Vectrex joystick so if you push them all the way to the edge it starts going the opposite way!

 

The "harness" things that you're looking for, JR, are the same though - so you might be able to swap them out.

 

Does anyone know if the deluxe joystick has a similar stick? It looks like it self-centers so it might be a better replacement:

 

tandy_deluxe_joystick.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I read online somewhere that the TRS-80 joysticks have the same stick as the Vectrex controller,

 

I've heard that the plastic lever (what you call the harness thing) is the same also. Want to take a pic of the inside of that stick?

 

I have modified the deluxe sticks (both Tandy and IBM) to work with the Vectrex. They require 10k resistors to be added to the two outside tabs of the two potentiometers. Four tabs .. four resistors. The other ends of the resistors are connected to either +5v or -5v. The middle tabs are connected to the horizontal or vertical lines. I made my deluxe stick such that the two buttons are at the lower left when holding the stick. This works for me when I am playing Moon Lander on the Vectrex!

 

For the other buttons I use a splitter that allows me to plug two controllers into one port. The other controller is just four buttons. So with both I can have full Vectrex control functions.

 

Cool feature of the Deluxe Sticks is that if you hold the stick in a corner and flip the two tabs on the bottom to FREE .. you will disable the center springs.

 

And for those who wish to service their original Vectrex controllers .. there is a how to open guide on www.playvectrex.com. Also note that a broken spring can be replaced with an Atari 2600 cartridge door spring!!

 

Regarding using the Starplex 5 button controller .. Atari compatible controller which consists of 5 high quality push buttons which function the same as an Atari joystick: UP DOWN LEFT RIGHT and FIRE. So you can play 2600/7800 Asteroids or Thrust as you would in the arcades. And with a special circuit it will work with the Vectrex. PM me if you want one.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took some pictures when I was swapping out the sticks, they're at home so I'll post them later. I even replaced the black stick with the original vectrex silver stick, so from the outside you can't even tell that it's not original. Well aside from the whole not self-centering thing.

 

I just ordered a deluxe stick so I'll see if it's as easy a swap as the standard joystick. Here's hoping. I'll post back here after I get it and open it up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just ordered a deluxe stick so I'll see if it's as easy a swap as the standard joystick.

 

Not compatible at all!

 

BTW: Thanks for the pics! You should be able to add springs to the pots to make them self-centering.

 

Did you break the Vectrex controller apart to get it open? :sad:

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Vectrex used to sell for a lot more than they do now. I probably have sold about 25 of them on eBay. I would say that I probably would get about $65-$80 (plus shipping) for a working one with one controller right now on eBay. Shipping for this is quite a bit. I used to charge a flat $20 shipping charge for the Vectrex but several of the ones I shipped ended up costing me $25-$29 to ship. Your best bet to get one cheap is to try to find a local seller who would offer local pick up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just ordered a deluxe stick so I'll see if it's as easy a swap as the standard joystick.

 

Not compatible at all!

 

BTW: Thanks for the pics! You should be able to add springs to the pots to make them self-centering.

 

Did you break the Vectrex controller apart to get it open? :sad:

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

Bummer - oh well, any tips on adding springs to the pots? Never done anything like that so if there's a walkthrough guide out there that would be a huge help. I have a second TRS-80 joystick that I took apart - if you want I can send you the joystick mech from it to experiment with. Seems like you know your way around a Vectrex controller ;)

 

The controller was already beat up when I got it, no label on the front or back, hinges cracked, etc. So it was a good one for me to open up and play around with :)

 

-Kevin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you break the Vectrex controller apart to get it open? :sad:

You do know all you have to do to get to the screws is peel off the label, right? (or punch holes in it)

 

Yeah, the label was already off the one I got - I just unscrewed it to take it apart. Any breakage was already in place before I got it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

any tips on adding springs to the pots? Never done anything like that so if there's a walkthrough guide out there that would be a huge help. I have a second TRS-80 joystick that I took apart - if you want I can send you the joystick mech from it to experiment with. Seems like you know your way around a Vectrex controller

 

Take apart one of the pots from the joystick that you removed. You can see the round spring and fabricate a new one from the before mentioned Atari 2600 cart door spring.

 

I will take you up on your offer there .. and the joystick that you removed too! People always need joystick parts.

 

Also how long is the screw on stick shaft on the RS stick?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Take apart one of the pots from the joystick that you removed.  You can see the round spring and fabricate a new one from the before mentioned Atari 2600 cart door spring.

 

I will take you up on your offer there .. and the joystick that you removed too!  People always need joystick parts.

 

Also how long is the screw on stick shaft on the RS stick?

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

 

Ok, PM me your address and I'll send it out.

 

The stick shaft on the RS stick is probably twice the length of the Vectrex stick, and about half the diameter.

 

New project for tonight - dissassembling joystick pots :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Btw, if you do remove the stickers from your Vectrex controllers, Mark DiLuciano of Sunmark has created reproduction Vectrex controller stickers that are virtually indistinguishable from the originals. I don't see them listed on his website, but I've seen them in person and know that he was selling them at the Midwest Gaming Classic last year.

 

..Al

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...