Paddles.

[CV Gus]

Well, after some success in repairing the Roller Controller for the old CV, I tried my hand at fixing the paddle problem on the 7800.

 

The problem was simple: they didn't work. For players 1 and 2; nothing- for 3 and 4, it was nothing and extremes: the object jumped from one side to the other. Also, the really bad side affected the other (implying a common problem).

 

So, to the best of my ability, using what equipment I have, I traced the schematic, and tested each component. Capacitors (looking for a shorted one), resistors, etc. My multimeter is not precise enough to accurately test such things, but it can compare them- if any one is different, it was probably defective.

 

Couldn't find nuthin'.

 

Lo and behold- players 3 and 4 (right jack) now worked fine, as did player 2. Player one did not work at all- wait- it did- no- not.

 

Re-solder the pin on the jack.

 

All four work fine, now.

 

It was several bad solders!

[shadow460]

How old is your 7800? I wanna know so I know how long I've got until mine starts getting ring cracks.

[Ian Primus]

Ring cracks around the controller port pins is pretty common on both the 7800 and the 2600. If I'm having controller problems with a system, that's always where I start (well, other than trying a known good controller...). It's just wear and tear from the constant plugging/unplugging of the controller, so it shouldn't matter how old the system is - just how much use it's had. It only takes a minute to resolder them - so don't worry about it. When it starts getting flakey - then you can go in there and fix it.

 

-Ian

[CV Gus]

Ring cracks around the controller port pins is pretty common on both the 7800 and the 2600. If I'm having controller problems with a system, that's always where I start (well, other than trying a known good controller...). It's just wear and tear from the constant plugging/unplugging of the controller, so it shouldn't matter how old the system is - just how much use it's had. It only takes a minute to resolder them - so don't worry about it. When it starts getting flakey - then you can go in there and fix it.

 

-Ian

 

 

Obviously true, but you'll note that this was the problem for Player One, mainly- most of the trouble vanished after I desoldered/resoldered those components. So it was elsewhere, too. Did they rush them out, to better compete against the CV?

 

The schematics helped indirectly. Now it works.