HH II 3D Fire button question

[Goochman]

Well,

 

I finally was able to get my 5200 hooked up to played HH 3D - and I was greeeted with my joystick buttons not working - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

Anyhow,

I finally got START to work but couldnt light a match - grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

So I hooked up my Wico stick and pressing the fire button finally got a match lite.

 

So, in order to test my stick I put Jungle Hunt in and tested my stick again - I was able to jump with both buttons......hmmmmmmmmm...put HH 3D in and again couldnt light a match with the fire button.

 

Any possible reason why this is happening

[Charlie_]

Not related to your button, but I had to open both my 2 port and 4 port 5200 systems and adjust the pot on the bottom right of the motherboard.

 

In Haunted house II 3d the game character could not be moved right or down until I made the adjustment. Every other game was working fine though. Wierd that it was both my systems, doing the same thing with only this one game.

 

Charlie

[voiddweller]

Not related to your button, but I had to open both my 2 port and 4 port 5200 systems and adjust the pot on the bottom right of the motherboard...

 

Charlie,

 

I've seen that pot and wondered what it did. Do you know exactly what it adjusts?

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

[Charlie_]

All I know is it seems to adjust the center position of the joysticks.

 

I found out about it while playing Pitfall. I could not press down to let go of a rope. Wierd thing was 2 out of 4 of my joysticks were like this.

 

Just playing around, I turned that pot till all my joysticks worked perfectly.

 

I'm guessing there is a test cart or something out there that will allow you to adjust this correctly.

 

Everything worked great till HHII3D but a little more adjustment and that worked fine too.

 

Charlie

[voiddweller]

All I know is it seems to adjust the center position of the joysticks...Charlie

 

Charlie,

 

That's interesting. I have the latest SK Multicart and it has a diagnostic program to adjust the joystick axis, but I never had any instructions on how to use it.

 

I was curious, the pot rotates from left to right, yet you imply that it adjusts the X and Y axis. It this correct?

 

If anyone has the instructions on how to utilize the diagnostic cart, PLEASE send them my way!

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

[Charlie_]

Yes it does X and Y.

 

Infact, you know how the wico sticks left to right, you have adjust that slide switch almost all the way to the left to center it right?

 

Well that bothers the hell outta me. Move this pot will change that, but then you mess up the up and down.

 

Charlie

[+Mitch]

If you want to accurately set the Pokey adjustment (joystick) pot, you will need a loopback board as well as the diag cart.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[voiddweller]

Mitch,

 

Where is the best place to get a loopback board?

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

[+Mitch]

Mitch,

 

Where is the best place to get a loopback board?

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

 

I got mine from Best Electronics. It cost $15.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[voiddweller]

I got mine from Best Electronics. It cost $15.

 

Mitchhttp://atari7800.atari.org

 

Thanks! I'll give Bradley a call...

 

- VD

[Charlie_]

Actually, You can get an idea of how off your pokey is without a loop back board.

Run the Pokey test on the diagnostic cart. Move you joysticks up and down and left and right. The readings will change.

 

I can see that my manual adjustment is about 8 Ohms (its Ohms right?) off. All the way up I get a reading of 8. All the way left I also get 8.

 

Down and right read about 225 each. So it looks like if I adjusted again to get a Zero Reading for Up and Left, it should be perfect.

 

Actually, for 8 ohms I will not touch it. I have to take a look at the 4 port though. That is the 5200 I use every night.

 

Charlie

[voiddweller]

Charlie,

 

Thanks for the tip! That sounds like it will work. In the name of science, I will make a comparison when I get the loopback board. I'll try the calibration your way first and then use the loopback board. When I'm finished, I'll post my findings.

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

[+Mitch]

Yes, if you don't have a loopback board you can certainly wing it with a known good joystick.

One note, the readings don't necessarily go all the way to 0 (unless you have a perfect joystick). The way the test is supposed to work is to insert the loopback board (this simulates a perfectly centered joystick) and adjust the pot until Port 1, Horizontal, is at 112 (plus or minus 1). The other readings should all be between 100 and 124.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[voiddweller]

Mitch,

 

Does the revision of the diagnostic software make a difference? Bradley seemed to suggest that it does...

 

Thanks!

 

- VD

[+Mitch]

Well, the service manual designates version 1.1, of which I happen to have one. The multicart has version 2.3. I just checked it out and the Pokey adjust numbers are identically between the two. If you have a different revision, let me know and if I have a ROM for it, I'll burn it to an EPROM and test it on my 5200 EPROM cart.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[Charlie_]

Would a masterplay interface be the same as a perfectly centered joystick?? (to use for the pokey adjustment)

 

Charlie

[+Mitch]

Would a masterplay interface be the same as a perfectly centered joystick?? (to use for the pokey adjustment)

 

Charlie

 

Good idea! I had never thought of this, so I just tried it out.

Where the loopback board registers a 112 on a properly calibrated 5200, the Masterplay shows 107. So it looks like it's just a bit off, but it's consistent between both of my Masterplays. Make sure that the Analog setting is set to "off" as well. I noticed that if it wasn't all the way in the "off" position, it gave strange readings.

 

Mitch

http://atari7800.atari.org

[Seethransom]

I just went through all of this, and got success last night (also fixed the color). Along with the diag's, being able to get Pitfall Harry to go up a ladder is also a tool for adjusting the POKEY, as well as jumping in Mountain King. I also learned that some parts of my controller were bad. Either Cord, or Flex. I had extras, and carefully assembled a solid one (tin foil, and all). Gameplay feels like it was new back in '83. I spend all might awake playing (without a degree of frustration).

 

Why I went through the calibration, and controller rebuild, is I have a wonky 5200 competition pro (got it at a excellent price. I knew it was wonky, and requested to buy it. I love a challenge). I wondered if calibration might help (it did, but not for 5200 competition pro) Now that I have one excellent working, stock controller (sans bottom left button, but full kbrd for Star Raiders). I hook the stock stick up (centered) with the 5200 competition pro. Many of the values are very wrong. It will pull one way, and the button move you another way. Some switches, and second button work. Upon inside inspection, this stick is very clean, and appears to work. It is quite heavy duty. These switches click loudly when used. They sound awesome. The buttons have enough gap between leads. The diagnostics are way off though. Can anyone offer any feedback to this? If not, I can use it as tech-oration. I can provide pictures if you need. I'm not opposed to pay a little for someone to look at it.

 

I have searched the forum, and this thread, while old was the closest appropriate place I thought to post.

 

Thanks for reading

Mark

Edited August 25, 2013 by Seethransom