homemade y cables

[tz101]

It can't be too hard to duplicate a Wico "Y" cable. It would seem like two DB15 connectors (one male, one female), one DB9 connector (female), and some 15 strand wire.

 

Where can a schematic be found?

[0078265317]

But 2 are on ebay now for 20 + 5 shipping. Your onw might not be cheaper after all the supplies. And if you goofup and fry the atari then you're screwed. I also thought about this but might just have to go the ebay rout if really needed. I don't want to fry my 5200 they can be expensive as no longer made.

[tz101]

Am I wrong, or can a 5200 really be fried through the controller ports?

 

I have never heard of this before.

[Prodos8]

There's info on the 5200's controller port pinout as well as the wico y-cable pinout here:

 

5200 Controller Pinout

 

I doubt you'd hurt your system unless you carelessly shorted the +5v line to something. BTW the wico y-cable has a male db-9 the accepts the 5200 wico stick.

 

The hardest part of making your own is getting a female 15-pin connector that will seat properly in the 5200 port. The metal ones with ears won't fully seat and if you install a hood they will hardly even make contact. My idea to make one was to use a surplus trak-ball cable (ideal has all 15 wires in it) or a surplus controller cable (this one does not have +5v wire, but not needed for the wico stick - but needed for my masterplay clone) going into a project box with the male 15-pin connector for the original controller and a male 9-pin connector for the 5200 wico stick.

[bohoki]

ive made a couple since the wico cable i have was slammed in a drawer and the start button wire is intermittant at best

 

ive had good luck with plugs holding in the 5200 after removing the metal and sealing the plug together

 

problem number 2 is getting a plug that will accept the 5200 controller with its locking lugs ive found 2 ways to go carefully bend a metal shielded one open slightly or canabalizing one off of a pc joystick (a lot of work cutting carefully and prying

 

they never look nice with my hot glue sealing but i cant find a better option

 

but builting my own y adapter allows me to add a start button