I don't understand the recommended joystick fix!

[mfolls]

I just bought two 4 switch 2600 systems with 8 original controllers, none of which are working properly, if at all. So, I took some advice from one of the postings on this group:

 

"Carefully take them apart and use a soft pencil eraser on the board where the joystick parts would make contact.

You will clearly see a color change as they clean up."

 

"you might want to try some rubbing alcohol and a qtip to clean those same contacts. Sounds like they are heavy duty dirty if the eraser only 1/2 worked."

 

but when I open up my joysticks, what I see is 4 small metal inverted disks that can be pushed down, they are covered by a plastic piece. The joystick handle is plastic and from what I can tell, the joystick plastic presses against the plastic covering the metal disks (disks is the wrong word but I can't think of the right one) and that is how the joystick works.

 

So, I made sure all this was nice and clean but it didn't show any improvement. I think maybe the problem has to do with the plastic that covers the metal disks actuall being worn down in some spots.

 

Can anyone help me with this? This is an awesome message board and I have really enjoyed reading all the posts. I look forward to playing the games I just got but am really bummed about these joysticks!

 

Thanks for any help, Mike

[Joel D. Park]

This is all my own experience, I doubt I do anything the way it is supposed to be done, but here goes.

 

I have sucessfully fixed very few Atari brand joysticks when the actual boards are worn. But sometimes what happens is the metal pressure plate things under the plastic gets shifted slightly to one side or another. You can actually peel up the plastic and reposition the metal plates to the correct position so they connect all the circuts coming in under them.

 

Before you do that though, go ahead and plug the opened joysticks into an Atari with say Missile command, and try pushing the silver pressure plates in with your finger, you can normally always get a connection that way. You can test your wires on the joysticks that way, in case they are bad.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

here is something to think about...He stated that none of his joysticks work...

 

Isn't it also possible that the actual Joy ports are either not working correctly...or could be worn enough that they can't see the joysticks? I have a 7800 with this prob..and i have to more or less reform the pins on the ports a little to get the fire buttons and some directions to register right.

 

Just a thought.

[mfolls]

thanks for the ideas, I will start tonight by testing with the open joysticks while playing missile commanad and making sure the contact points are all working correctly.

 

Has anyone ever done something as simple as putting a piece of real strong tape, such as packing tape, over the worn out plastic piece? I wonder if that would be a fix.

[videotwit]

quote:

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Originally posted by -^Cro§Bow^-:

Isn't it also possible that the actual Joy ports are either not working correctly...

---

 

I think thiis could be a legitimate diagnosis as well. Actually, I just had this exact problem with one of my spare 4-switchers not even a month ago.

 

8 joysticks is alot to have go bad, especially when it is out of only 8 that were tested. In my experience, these things are pretty durable.

[Ian Primus]

The original Atari brand joysticks are about as rugged as they come - I only have two that don't work out of maybe 25, and one is due to a broken cable. I did, however, have a problem with my Coleco Gemini. The left joyport actually loosened from the board, the solder joints were all cracked. I just heated them up with my soldering iron and melted some fresh solder in and it worked great. Try playing a two player game, and use the second port. Generally it is the first player port that wears out, from people unhooking the joystick to plug in paddles, I guess.

 

Ian Primus

ian_primus@yahoo.com