2600 Controller port issues

[+johnnywc]

Hello all,

 

I have a 2600 4-switch that is giving me issues with the left controller port. Most of the time the joysticks work fine, but every so often the button will stop working and sometimes left stops working. It's definitely not a joystick issue as it happens on several different types. The issue always corrects itself when I push the controller connector more firmly into the port.

 

It's obviously an issue with the connection between the controller and the pins in the port; my question (being a software guy ) is what is the best way to troubleshoot this and are there any suggestions on how to fix it?

 

Any help is appreciated! There's nothing worse than being in the middle of an intense shootout in Galaga and all of a sudden your ship stops firing missiles!

 

Thanks,

John

 

[emerson]

It almost sounds like cold solder joints. If you have a soldering iron I suggest relowing the solder on the connector.

[+Stephen Moss]

As emerson stated try re-flowing the D-connector joints.

 

Another possibility is that over the years either the plastic part of the controller connector that goes around the outside of the controller port D-connector or outside of P-plug has worn smooth and the joystick is just working loose a little as the cable moves during use, particularly if you are using it with the cable pulled close to its maximum extension.

You could try anchoring the cable close to the 2600 under a heavy object or taping it down well to prevent the section between the anchor point and the 2600 moving and see in that solves the problem. If it does then an layer or two of tape around the outside of the controller port D-plug to create a tighter fit between it and the joystick will probably solve it.

[+johnnywc]

It almost sounds like cold solder joints. If you have a soldering iron I suggest relowing the solder on the connector.

 

As emerson stated try re-flowing the D-connector joints.

 

Another possibility is that over the years either the plastic part of the controller connector that goes around the outside of the controller port D-connector or outside of P-plug has worn smooth and the joystick is just working loose a little as the cable moves during use, particularly if you are using it with the cable pulled close to its maximum extension.

You could try anchoring the cable close to the 2600 under a heavy object or taping it down well to prevent the section between the anchor point and the 2600 moving and see in that solves the problem. If it does then an layer or two of tape around the outside of the controller port D-plug to create a tighter fit between it and the joystick will probably solve it.

Thanks for the feedback! I have to be honest here, I'm not even sure what re-flowing solder even means; does it mean desoldering the connections and re-soldering them with new solder? Lol I wasn't kidding when I said I'm a software guy. I'm sure I can do plenty of damage with a hot soldering gun too!

 

I'll try the the tape/anchor solution first - that sounds much more up my alley

 

Thanks again!

John

[emerson]

Reflowing solder simply means melting the solder again to reconnect any joints that have broken over the years. You may hear these broken connections called cold solder joints, meaning a solder joint that looks good but really does not make connection.

 

It's unnecessary to remove the old solder but it will help a lot to put some flux on the solder joints before reflowing or adding a bit of new solder that has a flux core. Flux helps prevent cold solder joints during the soldering process.

 

Be careful using a soldering gun as those get very hot and can damage old circuit board traces or melt the plastic dsub 9 connector.