+johnnywc Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Having a little issue with my paddles. They jitter like crazy but they don't jitter on original hardware but other than that it seems to work great. /quote] I just got my RetroN 77 today (late Christmas gift). One of the reasons was so my girlfriend could play Super Breakout on the HD TV in the living room; unfortunately the paddles are so jittery it's unplayable. I have 2 sets of paddles (one from 'back in the day' and one fairly new pair from one of the Flashbacks released a while ago); both work great on real hardware, I have cleaned both potentiometers but still no improvement. @ColecoJoe, have you been able to resolve your issue as it sounds like it's the same one I'm having? Anyone else have any suggetions? BTW I am using the latest community Stella build (thanks Stephen) and the joystick games run great! Any help is appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drunk_Caterpillar Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 Having a little issue with my paddles. They jitter like crazy but they don't jitter on original hardware but other than that it seems to work great. /quote] I just got my RetroN 77 today (late Christmas gift). One of the reasons was so my girlfriend could play Super Breakout on the HD TV in the living room; unfortunately the paddles are so jittery it's unplayable. I have 2 sets of paddles (one from 'back in the day' and one fairly new pair from one of the Flashbacks released a while ago); both work great on real hardware, I have cleaned both potentiometers but still no improvement. @ColecoJoe, have you been able to resolve your issue as it sounds like it's the same one I'm having? Anyone else have any suggetions? BTW I am using the latest community Stella build (thanks Stephen) and the joystick games run great! Any help is appreciated! I'm having a similar issue, and would also love to get Super Breakout working. I think it's a problem with the controller boards in the console tbh. Might need some new drivers, but we'll see! I'm contacting Hyperkin about it and you should too. support@hyperkin.com 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted December 30, 2018 Share Posted December 30, 2018 I'm having a similar issue, and would also love to get Super Breakout working. I think it's a problem with the controller boards in the console tbh. Might need some new drivers, but we'll see! I'm contacting Hyperkin about it and you should too. support@hyperkin.com Thanks for the info - I will contact them now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 Just curious, does JI Joe work with hybrid 3-player mode Joystick +Paddles? http://atariage.com/manual_html_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=210 THE PADDLES AND JOYSTICK CONTROLLERS ------------------------------------ Plug a set of paddles firmly into the LEFT controller Jack. The paddle on the LEFT controls the red shield and red gun turret. The paddle on the RIGHT controls the blue shield and blue gun turret. In a one- player game, use the LEFT paddle. Use the paddle to maneuver your shield from LEFT to RIGHT between the two gun turrets. To fire your missiles, keep the fire button pressed down. The missile will explode automatically. To direct the missile toward your target, turn the paddle dial LEFT or RIGHT accordingly. Plug the Joystick firmly into the RIGHT controller jack. The Joystick controls the Cobra in the two-player competitive and three-player games, only. Use the Joystick to maneuver the Cobra LEFT and RIGHT. Press the fire button in order to drop venom. Move the Joystick DOWN in order to shoot a laser beam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColecoJoe Posted January 1, 2019 Share Posted January 1, 2019 Having a little issue with my paddles. They jitter like crazy but they don't jitter on original hardware but other than that it seems to work great. /quote] I just got my RetroN 77 today (late Christmas gift). One of the reasons was so my girlfriend could play Super Breakout on the HD TV in the living room; unfortunately the paddles are so jittery it's unplayable. I have 2 sets of paddles (one from 'back in the day' and one fairly new pair from one of the Flashbacks released a while ago); both work great on real hardware, I have cleaned both potentiometers but still no improvement. @ColecoJoe, have you been able to resolve your issue as it sounds like it's the same one I'm having? Anyone else have any suggetions? BTW I am using the latest community Stella build (thanks Stephen) and the joystick games run great! Any help is appreciated! No I never got the paddles to work. The main reason I got the unit so I gave the unit to my buddy who has since had the unit replaced by Hyperkin ... I believe the paddles work now for him. You might look into a replacement. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Pez Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 Is it possible to add thumbnail images for the games like the flashback has? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 No I never got the paddles to work. The main reason I got the unit so I gave the unit to my buddy who has since had the unit replaced by Hyperkin ... I believe the paddles work now for him. You might look into a replacement. Thanks for the info! I have gone ahead and returned it and ordered a new one, let's hope it fixes the problem! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgdgagdae Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Does anyone know if the new and improved joystick is included at this time, and if so, how to tell the difference from the outside of the box? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 (edited) Does anyone know if the new and improved joystick is included at this time, and if so, how to tell the difference from the outside of the box? Well, I just ordered the retron 77 and also an additional control. One might think late into this game they should had fixed the problem. I wont accept a broken joystick so its going back if I start hearing the clicking sound. Edited January 6, 2019 by Greendude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) Well, I just ordered the retron 77 and also an additional control. One might think late into this game they should had fixed the problem. I wont accept a broken joystick so its going back if I start hearing the clicking sound. update: just got it cute remote the stick looks like smaller than the original one. No clicking sound heard. Looks good. Time will tell. Edited January 8, 2019 by Greendude 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tifany Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Just got a "Trooper" Hyperkin 2600 joystick today... quite a difference from the one that originally shipped with the Retron 77! From the outside it looks exactly the same, but the Trooper weighs quite a bit more and really feels much sturdier. Where i Can shake the original controller and it rattles, the new one is solid as a rock! The Trooper has a much longer throw on the stick and the contacts on the inside feel softer and quieter. Theolder one has a shorter throw and is much more clicky. The Trooper feels a bit more like an old original Atari joystick that has been broken in a bit - very smooth but it takes much less effort to move the stick around than an original one. Ive only played a few minutes of asteroids with this thing, but it seems to perform well, although I think I liked the clickyness of the old one better. On the whole though, this sucker is pretty nice. I guess we shall see how well it holds up over the long haul. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) Just got the retron 77 console. I hooked everything, inserted the cart, turn on the switch, and nothing on the screen. Tried a dozen carts and nothing. The microsd was present and correctly inserted. I followed all instructions. What a bomber. Had to return it. You guys had any luck. Does it suppose start right up with the cartridge inserted? Edited January 11, 2019 by Greendude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickp716 Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Just got mine today, DOA right out of the box. No boot, just a black screen. I was surprised how cheap it felt in my hands. What a waste, this could have been a great concept. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickp716 Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Just got mine today, DOA right out of the box. No boot, just a black screen. I was surprised how cheap it felt in my hands. What a waste, this could have been a great concept. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Looks like a bad batch. I order another one from a different seller since its a one of a kind out in the market. This one retron 77 is a hacked version with over 400 games installed. Hopefully by being so its guaranteed to work. I only paid 5 dollars extra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+johnnywc Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 I ended up returning mine to Amazon for a replacement which had the same paddle issues. I've been working with Hyperkin's support team (they were very nice) and they came to the conclusion that there is an issue with the control boards and they're hoping to have it fixed in a later revision. Since paddle games are a must for me, I ended up returning the 2nd unit to Amazon and will hope a fix will come out soon. At this point I'll wait for the Collectorvision Pheonix which I've already pre-ordered and is supposed to be available in the summer. It will support Atari 2600 games from an SD card, is an FPGA implementation (no software emulation) and I'm hoping the paddles will work on that without issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Paddles are an integral part of the system. I am surprise that not even 3rd party manufacturers have come up with paddles for the 2600. I might put my mcgyver skills to work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Just got the retron 77 console. I hooked everything, inserted the cart, turn on the switch, and nothing on the screen. Tried a dozen carts and nothing. The microsd was present and correctly inserted. I followed all instructions. What a bomber. Had to return it. You guys had any luck. Does it suppose start right up with the cartridge inserted? Just got mine today, DOA right out of the box. No boot, just a black screen. I was surprised how cheap it felt in my hands. What a waste, this could have been a great concept. Man, that sucks for both of you. I wonder how many more got DOAs? Hyperkin's quality testing department must be nonexistent... Paddles are an integral part of the system. I am surprise that not even 3rd party manufacturers have come up with paddles for the 2600. I might put my mcgyver skills to work. And the real pity is the paddle design is dead simple. A 1Mohm linear pot, large 2" knob, and a button. Not really a whole lot you could screw up. I could easily build a pair of paddles with supplies from guitar center (since Radio Shack is no longer in business, they're the only B&M chain store I know of that sells pots). The issue isn't fabbing a new pair of aftermarket pots though. Even well worn pots clean up with contact cleaner, compressed air, and dielectric grease. It's that the real Atari uses an RC time constant to measure the pot's travel. The encoder in the Retron77 uses some other method to read the resistance values and isn't nearly as stable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickp716 Posted January 15, 2019 Share Posted January 15, 2019 Well...... After some more trouble shooting, the included USB power cable was junk out of the box. Its working now with a replacement, and I will end up keeping it. On the paddles issue, I'm considering a cap between the stock 1mg controller pot to control linear sweep. Im also thinking of trying a 1 mg digital encoder pot, the kind that spins freely in each direction. I think jitters in the paddle might be from sweep resistance in the pot since they are analog in nature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 The issue isn't fabbing a new pair of aftermarket pots though. Even well worn pots clean up with contact cleaner, compressed air, and dielectric grease. It's that the real Atari uses an RC time constant to measure the pot's travel. The encoder in the Retron77 uses some other method to read the resistance values and isn't nearly as stable. RC Time Constant circuits are like covered in 1st or 2nd semester electronics school. And if that's what the VCS is using, then why not stay authentic in this manner and use the same thing? When it comes to controllers and wiring them up, there's always going to be some basic electronics involved. Might be as simple as wires and switches or as complex as a BT controller or PC keyboard encoder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 (edited) Guys I just received the retron 77 a 2nd time this one worked after a little trial but the outcome has mixed results. I think I really need to upgrade the firmware. Out of 33 cartridges 10 worked, 6 did not work, 17 game showed on screen but the controls did not work. Bad very bad. All of them were cleaned before trying them out. What you guys think? Edited January 17, 2019 by Greendude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Muddyfunster Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 (edited) Guys I just received the retron 77 a 2nd time this one worked after a little trial but the outcome has mixed results. I think I really need to upgrade the firmware. Out of 33 cartridges 10 worked, 6 did not work, 17 game showed on screen but the controls did not work. Bad very bad. All of them were cleaned before trying them out. What you guys think? Update to the community build, I think it fixes a lot of the carts that don't work as it has a newer version of Stella than the one that comes preinstalled. Compatibility list (it's not complete) is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lzJdxHuRL9I-EdJ0f1abb2a9Gv46qLj-gmAj-PSBbN0/edit#gid=0 Edited January 17, 2019 by Muddyfunster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Atari_Warlord Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 I found the loading from cart pretty poor, even before my port broke. This device works better as just a roms machine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greendude Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Putting my retro game room together. I also have a crt tv. I should be getting a 2600 jr soon. Can't believe these things are still out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 A solid well refurbed/maintained 2600jr is a better choice than any of this rom-dumping stuff. Original carts are meant to be played in realtime, not dumped to an emulator. Original carts are the correct medium and method for replacing/exchanging the program in a single-board microcomputer. Especially one of 1970's design. The hardware/processor in the console is meant to read the program in realtime as the game is played. Conversely an emulator is meant to read ROM files from a computer storage device like a memory card or standard hard disk. The emulator then "examines" the code and simulates everythiung. The way it should be. The way it has worked since the 1990's. Using a console that copies/dumps the cartridge data into an emulator is amusing. Funny even. Copying them doesn't always work as you've discovered. Not all banks are captured. So yes the R77 will work better as an emulator & ROMS device. But the grand emulation experience happens on a well-configured PC packed with everything you're interested in. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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