CX-30 paddle repair

[Merrick Bill]

Is it possible to buy new potentiometers to repair Atari CX-30 paddle controllers? Best Electronics sells them for $5 each ($10 to repair twin paddles). But I was hoping to find "off the shelf" potentiometers that can be ordered in bulk off the internet that would get the job done for cheaper than $10 per set. Any ideas?

 

Bill

[BigO]

Is it possible to buy new potentiometers to repair Atari CX-30 paddle controllers? Best Electronics sells them for $5 each ($10 to repair twin paddles). But I was hoping to find "off the shelf" potentiometers that can be ordered in bulk off the internet that would get the job done for cheaper than $10 per set. Any ideas?

 

Bill

 

They're 1 Megohm linear taper potentiometers. You can comparison shop at online electronics suppliers like Digi-Key, Allied, Mouser, or whoever's in business these days.

 

Having said that, unless you know they're mechanically damaged, you may be able to fix the problem by cleaning the potentiometers as is detailed in a couple or more threads here in the forums. If the problem is that the player on the screen is jittery, you can probably get by with a good cleaning.

[BigO]

A couple of existing threads on the subject:

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...=paddle++jitter

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...addle++cleaning

 

(Assuming, since you didn't say otherwise, that the problem is jittery controls.)

[A.J. Franzman]

I was hoping to find "off the shelf" potentiometers that can be ordered in bulk off the internet that would get the job done for cheaper than $10 per set.

Not likely. This form factor was never very popular and is now long obsolete. To get one with the correct shaft dimensions and shape, you'd have to machine it yourself from one with a longer, round shaft. Unless you can do that easily and cheaply, Best Electronics is about the only place you can get new pots to fit the paddle controllers.

Edited June 7, 2007 by A.J. Franzman

[Merrick Bill]

Thanks. I thought it would be easier to just replace the pots but it looks like cleaning them will be pretty easy. The link with the pictures makes it seem very straight forward.

 

Bill