If you dip an original 5200 controller in isopropanol, will it generally improve connectivity?

[Giles N]

In a store I asked the guy selling stuff how he used isopropanol, and he said ha had dipped his entire PC-mouse into a cup filled with isopropanol, and got it back running better...

 

Could this be done with an 5200 original controller, or would it damage some parts of it?

 

 

Anyone who knows or have tried?

[+DamonicFury]

I wouldn't recommend it.  Not that I think harming it is particularly likely, but I do know that cleaning the problematic fire button contacts requires some friction as well as a cleaning agent.  (But gentle friction... too much can damage the contacts on some of the more fragile circuits.)  And if you'd like the good connectivity to last a while, something needs to be done about the crummy black dots that Atari used on the interior of those fire buttons. 

 

Plenty of folks here will swear by replacing them with fire buttons with gold contacts from Best Electronics.  I think most of those people also replace the underlying thin circuit.  I don't doubt for a second that works, but it's obviously a bit pricy... but it may well be worth it for someone looking for a permanent solution.  Gluing bits of aluminum foil to the original contacts also works, but the glue can wear off depending on what kind you use, and if using the original circuits, those will still need periodic cleaning. 

[Giles N]

On 7/30/2019 at 7:58 PM, DamonicFury said:

I wouldn't recommend it.  Not that I think harming it is particularly likely, but I do know that cleaning the problematic fire button contacts requires some friction as well as a cleaning agent.  (But gentle friction... too much can damage the contacts on some of the more fragile circuits.)  And it you'd like the good connectivity to last a while, something needs to be done about the crummy black dots that Atari used on the interior of those fire buttons. 

 

Plenty of folks here will swear by replacing them with fire buttons with gold contacts from Best Electronics.  I think most of those people also replace the underlying thin circuit.  I don't doubt for a second that works, but it's obviously a bit pricy... but it may well be worth it for someone looking for a permanent solution.  Gluing bits of aluminum foil to the original contacts also works, but the glue can wear off depending on what kind you use, and if using the original circuits, those will still need periodic cleaning. 

Ok, thanks.

[towmater]

That might negatively impact the pad-printing, haze the plastic... inflammable stuff is not that gentle. You might test it on an interior plastic surface to make sure you don't create an 8-bit Guy Osborne situation.

[Cobra Kai]

On 7/30/2019 at 12:36 PM, Giles N said:

In a store I asked the guy selling stuff how he used isopropanol, and he said ha had dipped his entire PC-mouse into a cup filled with isopropanol, and got it back running better...

 

Could this be done with an 5200 original controller, or would it damage some parts of it?

 

 

Anyone who knows or have tried?

The thing is, you only need a philips screwdriver to remove 2 screws from the back, to open one of these up. If cleaning is what you have in mind, it would be much safer to open it up and clean it piece by piece. 

 

From my experience, cleaning doesn't do much. What generally happens when the button contacts carbon up and become difficult for them to register contact, the first thing people do is press down harder, and then sometimes using something hard and pointy to really put some force on there. This will indent the flex circuit inside. That's why the Gold contact replacements, along with a new flex circuit is the only real fix, because the gold contacts will never corrode, meaning you won't start that process of pressing the buttons super hard and damaging the flex circuit.

[jetset]

Double sided scotch tape, tin foil, and a single hole punch. Clean both sides (both the black dot and the flex circuit) gently, apply the tape (with tweezers preferably so as to not get the oils from your finger on the tape) then the tin foil and you'll be set for a LONG time.

[onemoretime]

Umm, tried removing paint off of a cx-52 with alcohol on a rag years back. It took the paint off and left the rag black from the plastic rubbing off.

[MMarcoux66]

I highly recommend the Best Electronics parts. It is a permanent solution. It is pricey, but it will give you a piece of mind that you will never have to mess with it again.

[rubeon]

I was able to restore my four controllers pretty easily using a roll of conductive copper tape [1] along with some isopropyl and q-tips.

• Cut off 19 little squares per controller from the copper tape and put them in a little cup or lid
• Take apart the controller carefully (this guy [2] does an excellent job of showing how to properly disassemble it)
• Stick a little square on the backside of each button, start/pause/reset, and control pad key
• Swab down and clean the contacts on the circuit flex with the isopropyl
• Reassemble
• Fire up Defender

This isn't a lifetime solution, though, as the circuit flex will still oxidize over time, but it's still a pretty economical way to extend the life of the controller. 

 

[1]:https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Rolls-4inch-Conductive-Adhesive/dp/B01CH4LYZ6?ref_=ast_slp_dp

[2]:

 

[spacecadet]

Hey, thanks for posting my video!

 

I started off trying to clean but got nowhere, so just ended up replacing the flex circuits. I don't know if this is still the case but at that time they were $2.25 each. Both of my controllers worked like new after that.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

@spacecadet

I just commented this in your video, but I will say it here as well.

 

You really should remove that top bezel around the start,pause, and reset buttons before you pull the halves apart. Failure to do so can result in the flex getting caught in that upper section and creasing too much or tearing internally and damaging the traces. I did it once or twice back when I first starting using this method over 20 years ago. Just trying to help...