Atari 5200 Atari 5200 paddles

[Shawn]

Hmm. I guess a higher score is worth the trade off in using the uglier paddles over the iconic ones then.

 

Hmm. I guess a higher score is worth the trade off in using the uglier paddles over the iconic ones then.

 

The resistance level of the pointometer could be used to the same effect without sacrificing the cosmetic looks.

[thegamezmaster]

Great work by everyone that can do this sort of thing! One question, how hard are these to make? Meaning what skill level should one have to make these? Mine are limited at best so I doubt I could do it. Is the posted video the only guide or is there another one people have used? Just curious more than anything.

Edited May 29, 2014 by thegamezmaster

[Lynxpro]

Is the rom available? Or are you the gatekeeper?

 

Or is he the Keymaster?

[Master Phruby]

How well would this controller work with 5200 Tempest?

[Prosystemsearch]

How well would this controller work with 5200 Tempest?

better than the Joystick, that's for sure.

[Charlie_]

better than the Joystick, that's for sure.

Actually, this recently finished and released version of Tempest plays excellent with the CX52 analog Joystick.

http://atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1014

[Lynxpro]

I would assume a lot of 5200 games would work fine with paddles - from a hardware recognition standpoint - because due to the analog nature of the 5200 joystick and the POTs, the joystick is a paddle.

 

As such, Space Invaders should really work well with a paddle controller.

[Master Phruby]

What would happen if the Driving controller pot was used in the 5200? Would I be able to spin it completely around and have tempest act accordingly? Is there an upper/lower limit?

[joystickjedi]

What would happen if the Driving controller pot was used in the 5200? Would I be able to spin it completely around and have tempest act accordingly? Is there an upper/lower limit?

That'd be so good. First Tempest, then Gyruss. Heck, even make a spinning wheel for Pole Position.

[bohoki]

i too made a paddle i used an old pc superjoy carcas a sears pong pot and knob and one more button

 

i used to have the top button be start but then i realized it was impossible to play moon patrol with the jump button all the way on the other side so i made the right button (start)

 

 

 

some little things for people wanting to make their own

 

#1 you have to use the opposite lug on the pot from an atari paddle as it is reversed on the 5200

 

#2 paddle pots are 1 meg ,5200 pots are 500k so along with the wires you attach to the pot jump those lugs with a 1 meg resistor so when you play games you get more travel and thus more precision

 

you can do it with 8 conductor cable you dont need to go out and buy 15 conductor wire

 

3 wires for the buttons and ground 2 wires for the start button (pin4,pin7) and 2 for the x and pot common

 

i'm soldered the Y to the remaining wire and was going to add a switch so i can change gears ,the switch would just have a 1 meg resistor across it so it would either but full up(shorting the resistor) or full down y and common connected through the resistor

Edited June 4, 2014 by bohoki

[boxpressed]

How well would this controller work with 5200 Tempest?

 

Mine don't work so well with Tempest. I'm not sure if this is a problem with my controllers or the game itself.

[bohoki]

 

Mine don't work so well with Tempest. I'm not sure if this is a problem with my controllers or the game itself.

its the game they did the control the best they could with the controllers available

 

unlike say gorf,superbreakout,kaboom that have edges so you can have absolute positioning

 

tempest goes around and around so it would need a spinner a trackball can simulate a spinner but i dont think this game is programmed to do that

 

they also could have used the same joystick scheme as gyruss but nope

[Charlie_]

The trackball simulates a spinner just fine in Tempest. The original release of the game had a problem with the trackball code, but the fixed release plays excellent.

[Master Phruby]

So would a driving controller pot work?

[bohoki]

its not a pot its a 4 bit encoder wherever dial is one way it counts up the other counts down

[Master Phruby]

Great work by everyone that can do this sort of thing! One question, how hard are these to make? Meaning what skill level should one have to make these? Mine are limited at best so I doubt I could do it. Is the posted video the only guide or is there another one people have used? Just curious more than anythingI

 

I just completed making a 5200 paddle controller. It's pretty easy. I would say if you know which end of the soldering iron to hold, you are half way there. A beginner should be able to do this in about an hour. I used a 1 3/16" washer to act as a plate to tighten down the pot from a 2600 paddle. I had to widen the hole in the washer since the pot wouldn't go though it. That is what my dermal is for. Then it is a matter of soldering the brown wire to the center post and the black wire to right post and putting it all back together again. I also put in a new rev 9 flex circuit. Super breakout works great!

[Lynxpro]

 

I just completed making a 5200 paddle controller. It's pretty easy. I would say if you know which end of the soldering iron to hold, you are half way there. A beginner should be able to do this in about an hour. I used a 1 3/16" washer to act as a plate to tighten down the pot from a 2600 paddle. I had to widen the hole in the washer since the pot wouldn't go though it. That is what my dermal is for. Then it is a matter of soldering the brown wire to the center post and the black wire to right post and putting it all back together again. I also put in a new rev 9 flex circuit. Super breakout works great!

 

 

You didn't use a Best Electronics Super Paddle POT replacement?

Edited June 12, 2014 by Lynxpro

[Master Phruby]

No, I went with the cleaned up 50 cent thrift store paddles for a donor. All you have to do is spray a little bit of electronics cleaner in the POT and turn the POT about a hundred times. Works just as well as the Super Paddle POT replacement. Besides, any electronics store would have 470 ohm potentiometer for about dollar or less.

[bohoki]

470,000 ohm

 

470k ohm

[+evg2000]

Late to the party, but I actually have one of the protos. It's been on display at most of the CGE's I've toyed with the idea of bringing it to Vegas this year and auction it off. Still thinking. I found it back in 98 I believe.

[Master Phruby]

That's pretty cool! How well does it work vs a home made version?

 

Also, what games can I play with this thing except Super Breakout? Too bad Tempest isn't playable with it.

[Bakasama]

Since 5200 paddle controller is just a 5200 controller modded with a washer, a paddle pot, and a paddle knob, has anyone thought of putting a 2600 driving controller encoder inside 5200 controller and finding out if that works?

[Master Phruby]

Bohoki shot me down on that idea.

[+evg2000]

It's great for Kaboom!

[Master Phruby]

Space Invaders is not playable with it. I wonder why? Why would it care about the up/down part of the joystick? Is there something I should do with the extra wire from the old joystick pots? Should it be grounded to make Space Invaders work?

 

So list of games that work:

 

Super Breakout

Kaboom

Edited June 13, 2014 by Master Phruby