Heavy Sixer joystick discussion

[birdie3]

I just scored a pair of these along with a nice heavy sixer and a grey power supply. The controllers are not funtioning properly so I opened them both up and noticed that they are considerably different from most of the 2600 joysticks I have fiddled with. Are these good joysticks compared to the newer ones? Also, where can one acquire hex disks?

 

Maybe this is a Hardware Thread topic but what would cause these joysticks to not respond properly (i.e. no fire button response or certain directions do not respond when attempted)? One of them seems to have issues.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Retro Rogue]

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=77434

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=99167

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39878

[birdie3]

Thanks bro. They were all good reads and it was good to read all of those threads again. Now what I am really wanting to know is more specific. Ulitmately I guess what I am trying to find out is whether there is much to restoring my joystick with issues as I am not too sure how to go about it. Cheers!!

[the 5th ghost]

Thanks bro. They were all good reads and it was good to read all of those threads again. Now what I am really wanting to know is more specific. Ulitmately I guess what I am trying to find out is whether there is much to restoring my joystick with issues as I am not too sure how to go about it. Cheers!!

 

The first thing to do would be to disassemble the stick. Remove the top half of the stick and then remove the circuit board from it (there are two screws holding it onto the top half of the stick.)

 

Then, remove the plastic contact plate (it will be either black or white) from the top of the circuit board, exposing the metal contacts. Then, plug the controller into your Atari, insert a Missile Command cart, fire it up. With the game in progress, manually depress each contact with your finger, and watch to see of the cursor in Missile Command moves and fires in accordance to the contact you press.

 

You'll know right away if the contacts are good, and that the cable is good.

 

Sometimes the circuit board gets out of alignment with the plastic contact plate that the springs touch, which causes certain directions to not work properly. Minor adjustments with the screws, and placement of the plastic contact plate will usually do the trick.

 

Hope that helps in some way!