WTD: Someone to repair my 5200 joysticks

[Scootiecat]

I have 4 non-working Atari 5200 joysticks. I am wondering if someone would be willing to repair one of them for me at a low cost. I am disabled and live at the poverty line, so I can't pay much. I could pay $15.00 + return shipping. Would someone out of kindness do this for me? Thanks.

[atari2atari]

I have 4 non-working Atari 5200 joysticks. I am wondering if someone would be willing to repair one of them for me at a low cost. I am disabled and live at the poverty line, so I can't pay much. I could pay $15.00 + return shipping. Would someone out of kindness do this for me? Thanks.

 

Sorry to hear about your joysticks and financial issues, Scootie.

 

Bradley at BEST ELECTRONICS has the nicest breakdown of "why 5200 controllers go bad" and he offers a GREAT re-manufactured set of parts to make them whole again:

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/cx52_j.htm

 

Bottom line - - you can rebuild it yourself, OR Bradley does a "core exchange." You give him an old, busted joystick, and in exchange he sells you a freshly reconditioned 5200 joysticks with the upgraded parts for $21 per joystick (link jumps you to his pricing scheme):

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/5200.htm?#gold

 

Now, you have 4 joysticks, and so I estimate if you trade him 4 "cores" and order one or maybe two reconditioned joysticks from him, you are sitting pretty at around the $15 you want to spend, maybe a tad more . . .

 

Whaddya think of that? I suggest you email or call Bradley and strike up a conversation. He's the real-deal for ATARI parts!

 

-a2a

[Mirage]

I agree, call Best.

[northerngames]

I do work on all controllers I could make just about any controller work on any console too except the xbox's and plasystations but all clasic controls I do everything really.

 

if the other guy dont work out I will give it a whirl but what are you looking to do take the 4 and make two good one's?

 

it's either the rubber pads or the plastic ring is cracked or warped as there is not much in them really.

[Scootiecat]

Thanks everybody!

 

On 3 of them, it's buttons that don't work. On the fourth, the joystick doesn't work.

 

Trading in four bad ones for 2 good ones at $15.00 apiece sounds like a great deal. I will try him first, I think.

[Scootiecat]

Thanks everybody!

 

On 3 of them, it's buttons that don't work. On the fourth, the joystick doesn't work.

 

Trading in four bad ones for 2 good ones at $15.00 apiece sounds like a great deal. I will try him first, I think.

 

Well, Bradley didn't want to make any kind of deal with me to lower his prices. But I guess $21.00 is pretty cheap too. I suppose maybe I could do it next month. But he's only getting one core in exchange.

[Mirage]

He probably just has enough cores already. I suspected that was how that was going to go down.

 

When I got mine from Best, I didn't even bother sending any cores. I think they were giving $5 as exchange, but it costs at least that to ship it to them (probably more now), so certainly not worth it. I just bought my Gold rebuilt ones with no exchange. $21 for a regular rebuilt one really isn't bad at all though.