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Atari 130XE Power Switch Stuck?


Tempest

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I have a 130XE but I can't seem to turn it on. The power switch seems 'stuck' for lack of a better term. Actually it doesn't seem to want to push in or 'click' into the on position. It's like whatever mechanism it is trying to push in is frozen. I opened it up (pics coming in a sec) but I don't see anything wrong with the switch mechanism except that the plastic toggle seems loose (probably from all that forced pushing). Any ideas? I don't want to force this thing much harder for fear of breaking it.

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toddmw beat me to it, but I second the e-bay listing. I bought one of those exact packs of switches to replace a 130XE power switch that was stubbornly stuck. I just soldered the leads together in the mean time until I received the switches so it was 'Always On'

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You'll have to disassemble it if you want to get the

contact cleaner inside where it can do some good.

The rocker comes off by prying the metal tabs apart

and under the rocker will be a pin that goes into

a spring loaded ball socket. Use a small pair of

needle nose pliers on the pin and push it in. If

it does not move then use the pliers as a small

hammer and make it move in carefully. Once the

ball is away from the socket that's when you

shoot the contact cleaner past the sealing ball

and it can get inside the switch where it can

go to work. Gently work the pin as if you were

trying to flop it as the rocker does and eventually

it will begin to loosen up. Provided you haven't

ruined the rocker by pressing too hard, you just

put it back together and start using it. Otherwise,

time to buy a replacement. I've posted this

procedure before, a search should have turned up

one of them.

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I'm still confused as to what is actually wrong with my unit. Is it that the metal part of the switch (the part that the plastic rocker encases) has come detached from the plastic and stuck to the contact somehow? If so do I need to pry it apart somehow?

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So yeah it looks like I have to try and pry it apart or something. That metal piece should be with the plastic rocker part from what I can tell. I can try and take a side picture tonight just to be sure before I try and pry apart something that shouldn't be.

 

How hard is it to replace the switch? If it's just those three solder points then I can probably do it. Otherwise I might just sell it to someone who is willing to do it as I really don't need this 130XE anyway. I just wanted to verify it was working before selling it.

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I had the same problem with the power switch on a 800XL the other day....Indeed, you have to re-seat the plastic over the metal part of the switch.....I don't know how....but by fiddling with it I managed to do this....I had the PCB out of the case though...makes it a lot easier.

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I had the same problem with the power switch on a 800XL the other day....Indeed, you have to re-seat the plastic over the metal part of the switch.....I don't know how....but by fiddling with it I managed to do this....I had the PCB out of the case though...makes it a lot easier.

 

Ok then I'll try that then. I'll have to take the board out to do it though.

 

Should I try and 'pry' the metal part of the switch apart? is it stuck to the red part or is that how it is?

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Level42 is on the right track, the plastic rocker

just snaps onto the switch and is held in place

by two metal wings with holes in them to

engage the rocker axles. Pry up one wing and then

carefully get the other done while losing no ground

with the first wing. Definitely have to hold

your tongue just right. Under that will be the

actuating pin which is just a very short toggle

handle on a normally normal switch. Push that

inward to get the ball socket to unseat and get

your WD-40 or contact cleaner in behind the ball.

It's just dried out inside and the ball won't

rotate in it's socket anymore. It's sort of

glued in there by time. You can't do any of this

with the board still in the case.

 

Red part of the switch is crimped onto the face

plate of the switch, but that approach from the

back of the switch will involve spring loaded

parts going everywhere and probably not very

good odds that you can get them all back inside

in the proper manner that it works afterwards.

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Everything 1050 said but absolutely NO WD40 !!!!

 

In my case the switch was no problem, not dried or anything ....it was merely the fact that I had to get the PCB back in the plastic bottom plate which seemed to go a lot less easy than the 600XL's I'm used to.

The monitor jack seems to sit pretty high compared to it's hole in the case but I guess it's always been that way as all other connectors and the channel switch sit fine. I can also plug in the monitor connector without problems so I guess it was always like that on this machine.

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