The Atari 5200 And Controllers

[bigbee99]

A buddy of mine had a 5200 dropped off at his pawn shop. I am going to pick it up tomorrow. Don't know if I am keeping it yet or not. The problem is with the controllers. It has 4 with it but he cannot get any of them to work. I have very limited knowledge of the 5200. I remember playing one as a very small child and using it's unusual controller though. I have 2600 and 7800 sticks. Were these compatible with the 5200? This would tell me if it's the 5200 sticks that are bad or possibly the ports.

 

Just trying to get my ducks in a row for when I sit down and test the machine out tomorrow. I don't want to re-flow solder on the joy ports if it's unnecessary.

 

B

[Blitter]

A buddy of mine had a 5200 dropped off at his pawn shop. I am going to pick it up tomorrow. Don't know if I am keeping it yet or not. The problem is with the controllers. It has 4 with it but he cannot get any of them to work. I have very limited knowledge of the 5200. I remember playing one as a very small child and using it's unusual controller though. I have 2600 and 7800 sticks. Were these compatible with the 5200? This would tell me if it's the 5200 sticks that are bad or possibly the ports.

 

Just trying to get my ducks in a row for when I sit down and test the machine out tomorrow. I don't want to re-flow solder on the joy ports if it's unnecessary.

 

B

 

The 2600 controllers won't work without some sort of adapter. Ports aren't compatible. You'd have to have your controllers rebuilt or order new rebuilt ones.

 

http://best-electronics-ca.com/5200.htm

 

I somewhat doubt the controller ports went bad. I ordered some new controllers from Best and I still had to adjust the controllers to my 5200. The main board will drift out of spec over time.

[Charlie_]

A buddy of mine had a 5200 dropped off at his pawn shop. I am going to pick it up tomorrow. Don't know if I am keeping it yet or not. The problem is with the controllers. It has 4 with it but he cannot get any of them to work. I have very limited knowledge of the 5200. I remember playing one as a very small child and using it's unusual controller though. I have 2600 and 7800 sticks. Were these compatible with the 5200? This would tell me if it's the 5200 sticks that are bad or possibly the ports.

 

Just trying to get my ducks in a row for when I sit down and test the machine out tomorrow. I don't want to re-flow solder on the joy ports if it's unnecessary.

 

B

 

The controllers typically need at the very least to be cleaned and at most replacement parts.

 

Best bet is to send one to someone here who offers a cleaning/repair service. Some members here offer this service.

 

After getting a tested working clean/rebuilt controller you can test the system and see how you like it. Then decide what you want to do with the other 3 controllers.

[bigbee99]

Right on. I had of foggy memory about the 5200 controllers failing a lot, but since there was 4 that were not working, I thought the worse. Since there is 4, I think I'll crack one open and start from there. If it's above me, I'll look into getting a working one, or have these repaired by someone else.

 

Thanks for the quick inputs.

 

B

[0078265317]

Right on. I had of foggy memory about the 5200 controllers failing a lot, but since there was 4 that were not working, I thought the worse. Since there is 4, I think I'll crack one open and start from there. If it's above me, I'll look into getting a working one, or have these repaired by someone else.

 

Thanks for the quick inputs.

 

B

 

Or get a third party like wico.

[Jr. Pac]

I always use Windex on e cuetip after the eraser.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Jr. Pac

[bohoki]

Right on. I had of foggy memory about the 5200 controllers failing a lot, but since there was 4 that were not working, I thought the worse. Since there is 4, I think I'll crack one open and start from there. If it's above me, I'll look into getting a working one, or have these repaired by someone else.

 

Thanks for the quick inputs.

 

B

 

Or get a third party like wico.

 

 

a wico is often just as useless as you need something capable of pressing start

 

for a quick fix i used to unsnap the top 3 button bezel and press the start contact with the edge of a penny

 

 

a couple games that start with just the fire button are robotron and mr do

[0078265317]

If the mylar is broken but the cable is good you can rig a start pause and reset and still use it with the wico. NO need for a spare controller. Or get a wico keypad. They are hard to find but keep and eye out.

[Charlie_]

New flex circuits sell on ebay for only a few dollars. Less than $10 shipped.

[bigbee99]

So I picked it up today. It's very nice. CIB with 10 games CIB and a Vanguard box and manual. I have one stick working now but have not worked on the rest...yet. Thanks to Jr.Pac's clip, I was able to get that little piece on the top off w/o doing any damage. It baffled me for about 5 minutes. Then I check this thread and click the video. I don't think I am gonna ask for anything on the repairs. He's a cool dude. But I will ask him to offer it to me at a fair price before he gets rid of it. He's wanting to play some Pac-Man on it.

 

As far as the system,...what an ODDBALL! The 5200 is truly Atari's bastard child. Plugging the power supply into the TV adapter? What were they thinking! They also were not thinking about 30 years down the road with the controllers. I like them and all but there has got to be a better way to construct the things. The 4 ports in the front is a nice addition though

 

Anyway, I thought I might as well take a few pics as I opened it up. There was a nice Atari Age mag on top of everything. Check it out. Who knows, it someone here is interested in it, shoot me an offer and I will pass the word along to him.

 

B

Edited August 15, 2011 by bigbee99

[Charlie_]

Very nice. Does that Space Dungeon have the dual controller holder in the box?

[bigbee99]

Very nice. Does that Space Dungeon have the dual controller holder in the box?

Yes. Only thing I found missing was the Vanguard cart. I could not get Super Breakout to work though. Cleaned it. Sanded it. Cleaned it again. Opened it to have a look. I couldn't find anything in there. It still would only give me a green screen. Guess it's toast.

 

B

[Atari Joe]

The 5200 Joystick is partially responsible for the video game crash of 1983.

[tz101]

Does that Space Dungeon have the dual controller holder in the box?

Yes.

 

Kaching! You hit the jackpot.

[bigbee99]

Does that Space Dungeon have the dual controller holder in the box?

Yes.

 

Kaching! You hit the jackpot.

My buddy got the Kaching. This guy walked into the Pawn shop with the 5200 and the owner of the shop didn't want anything to do with it. So then he said he was just going to donate it to Goodwill. My buddy said "I'll take it then." So for the price of $0, he got all the stuff.

 

Of the four controllers he got with it, he only gave me 3 of them to check over. One just got left out of the box. 2 were a simple clean and reassemble. The other one was a work of art. The cord had been soldered to the flex circuit then wrapped in electric tape. Pretty crappy job too. There is over 1/2 inch of naked wire showing coming off of the flex. Who ever soldered it got the wire very hot and the insulation started melting back. I think this is causing the problems. I can get the keypad to work but not the Start, Pause, or Reset buttons. I gave him the system and stuff back today but kept the stick that needed more attention.

 

Time to drag the soldering iron out for this one I guess. I wonder what happened to that white connector on the end of the wire. If this does not work, I'll be tracking down that connector and putting a new flex in it.

 

I've never been this intimate with a 5200 before

 

B

[boxpressed]

For the knowledgeable: Would a brand new 5200 controller go bad over time? Every so often, you see new-ish looking 5200 controllers on eBay with the protective film still covering the metal plate. Let's say that it was kept in a dry, climate-controlled environment so that corrosion isn't a problem.

[Charlie_]

For the knowledgeable: Would a brand new 5200 controller go bad over time? Every so often, you see new-ish looking 5200 controllers on eBay with the protective film still covering the metal plate. Let's say that it was kept in a dry, climate-controlled environment so that corrosion isn't a problem.

 

Yes, they do go bad.

 

Basically the 5200 buttons are very much like the buttons in a TV remote control. Carbon dots that touch traces when pressed. I guess over time the traces oxidize and the carbon doesn't provide enough conductivity to short the traces.

[boxpressed]

Thanks so much -- I was thinking it had something to do with the carbon points. I think my money is better invested in something from Best...

[kamakazi]

Good luck with fixing your rare find! It was very nice to see the Atari Age magazine in the treasures! I normally take the controllers apart. Using pencil eraser, I gently clean the contacts on the flex circuit and the carbon contacts on all the buttons. I then follow this with a q-tip with one end dampened with alcohol. I use the dry end of the q-tip to dry the contacts. You can test the circuit with one of the cleaned buttons, but I typically like to test them with a small jeweler's screwdriver or the head of a screw. A small amount of pressure is all that is needed. It's a great way to test the flex-circuit before putting the controller back together. If some of the flex's contacts work while others don't, check the traces for any cracks. Any cracks noticed will be the likely cause of the failure; resulting in the entire circuit needing to be replaced. Cracks will normally be found on any part of the circuit that has to bend to fit in the controller's base. Common trouble spots are around the function buttons and fire buttons I've noticed. But there have been a few I have found where the flex circuit meets the physical cable. You might check the contacts that go inside the female plug on the cable; I've found a few that have rubbed off. Hope this helps some. Just a few tricks that I've learned. Most of the time; if the controller have not been abused, the controllers just need extensive cleaning.

[kamakazi]

I forgot to add, I have some spare 5200 controller cables should you need them. Just shoot me a PM.

[bigbee99]

So yesterday, the owner decided the repair parts for the controllers were more than he wanted to invest into the stuff. I had cleaned 2 controllers for him and the things didn't last very long. That makes me the proud new owner of an Atari 5200. I gave him $X0 and a hand crafted SMS/SG1 a/v cord with split audio. I may be posting some of the games in Market Place here soon to help cover the expenses of the repair kits. I'm gonna start off with just repairing 2 and go from there.

 

What a CIB Space Dungeon go for anyway?

 

B

[Charlie_]

So yesterday, the owner decided the repair parts for the controllers were more than he wanted to invest into the stuff. I had cleaned 2 controllers for him and the things didn't last very long. That makes me the proud new owner of an Atari 5200. I gave him $X0 and a hand crafted SMS/SG1 a/v cord with split audio. I may be posting some of the games in Market Place here soon to help cover the expenses of the repair kits. I'm gonna start off with just repairing 2 and go from there.

 

What a CIB Space Dungeon go for anyway?

 

B

 

A sheet of aluminum foil, a hole punch, a tube of super glue, and patience is all you need to repair the controllers.

 

Don't get me wrong though, the Best repair parts, I hear, are fantastic.

[boxpressed]

A sheet of aluminum foil, a hole punch, a tube of super glue, and patience is all you need to repair the controllers.

 

Don't get me wrong though, the Best repair parts, I hear, are fantastic.

 

Is there some kind of metallic paint that would conduct like aluminum foil?

[bigbee99]

See I was thinking I could just reline the old keys with some foil. I even did a few of them on one controller I fixed before. I still think I may need to replay the flex though. I haven't messed with it today. Maybe later in the week I can get to them.

 

My next problem is finding a place to put the thing. I really need to redo the shelf next to my main TV so I can have a few extra systems out. I would LOVE to invest into a good RF Demodulator. That could really help out with wiring organization. An RF Demodulator with 4 inputs and a switch would be BOSS! I would KILL for a DIY schematic for one of those. I searched pretty hard for one some time back.

 

B

[keilbaca]

A sheet of aluminum foil, a hole punch, a tube of super glue, and patience is all you need to repair the controllers.

 

Don't get me wrong though, the Best repair parts, I hear, are fantastic.

 

Is there some kind of metallic paint that would conduct like aluminum foil?

 

Get yourself a rear defroster fix kit from an auto parts store. The paint used is conductive. I used to use that stuff to volt mod video cards.