Atari 5200 4 port no I/O on port 1

[Paranoid]

Which prevents me from starting a game, of course.

 

Anyhow... so I bought a new joystick from Best Electronics... and he had the ICs for about a buck a piece, so I picked up 4 of them.

 

Opened up the 5200... found the matching IC for port 1, and began to pry it out with a small screwdriver... and instantly noticed that the entire SOCKET was coming up, not just the chip.

 

I carefully went ahead and removed the IC and replaced it with a new one... and made sure the socket was seated... But... no dice, of course.

 

It is only one side (the right) that is loose from the 5200 motherboard.

 

Anyone in the Sacramento area who is handy with a soldering iron who would consider trying to resolder the socket? PM me. I think it is beyond my capabilities... but I think that this would probably fix the problem. I'm bummed that it wasn't just a bad chip... every chip on this motherboard is socketed. I should probably just pay the $40 and get a new 4 port motherboard from Best Electronics... but, the ONLY thing that is preventing this from being a great unit is that this one socket is loose. Or, so it would seem, anyhow...

 

*sigh*...

 

6 Pack of beer (your choice) and my eternal gratitude are up for grabs.

[Bruce Tomlin]

What, you got a fully socketed 5200 motherboard? I've never seen one of those before. I thought they all had those stupid 4052 chips soldered down.

 

Anyhow, the fix isn't that hard with basic soldering since the socket itself has come up. Just take it off completely, then get one of those hollow-tip solder sucker irons from Radio Shack. (I think they're $13 now) Be sure to tin the tip first! It won't last any time if you don't. Then you can pull the pins and suck out the solder from the holes, one at a time. And don't put the chip into the new socket before you solder it in.

[Paranoid]

What, you got a fully socketed 5200 motherboard?  I've never seen one of those before.  I thought they all had those stupid 4052 chips soldered down.

 

Anyhow, the fix isn't that hard with basic soldering since the socket itself has come up.  Just take it off completely, then get one of those hollow-tip solder sucker irons from Radio Shack.  (I think they're $13 now)  Be sure to tin the tip first!  It won't last any time if you don't.  Then you can pull the pins and suck out the solder from the holes, one at a time.  And don't put the chip into the new socket before you solder it in.

1014467[/snapback]

 

Yup. Everything is socketed. I was surprised too... The first time I mentioned this, everyone was talking about how there were surface mounted chips, and I had already buttoned mine up, but I could have sworn all the chips were surface mounted. This time, when I opened it up, I confirmed it. I was real impressed. To me, it showed that Atari was serious about the 5200 and designed it as a quality piece of electronics.

 

Of course, one could argue that the socketed chips led to the problem I am experiencing... I suppose it is possible someone else had been into it and tried this repair themselves and had *added* sockets for the 4052.

 

Anyhow... I know it isn't a HUGE challenge... but I'm just not that confident in my soldering ability (going to be a huge liability in this hobby, I'm afraid). I mean, the Flashback 2 mod seems awfully close together I can't imagine I'd be able to put this in without accidently shorting two of the pins together. If soldering is an art, I'm a kid with crayons that can't stay in the lines.

[Artlover]

Of course, one could argue that the socketed chips led to the problem I am experiencing...

1014564[/snapback]

In this particular case, it sounds like it, but one way or another, it relates back to the 4052. I've had to replace those in my 5200 several times. So sockets or not, you'de still have ended up in the same situation at some point.

 

I suppose it is possible someone else had been into it and tried this repair themselves and had *added* sockets for the 4052.

1014564[/snapback]

Probably. I know I did the 3rd time I had to replace them. Personaly, I only use machine pinned sockets. Higher quality then common leaf sockets, and easier to hand solder in.

 

 

Ah well. Good luck with it.