Help with wireless controllers

[Yarzzz]

Greetings fellow forum members.

 

I need your help and expertise in solving a problem. Recently i bought a 2600 vader console. Its in great shape and works perfectly.

 

It came bundled with a pair of wireless cx-42 controllers, also in great shape, but they dont seem to work at all.

 

The console powers with the receiver unit plugged, but theres no input from the controllers. I tested them with yars revenge and the yar just keeps going up and down while the unit is plugged. If i disconnect the controller cable the yar stops moving. Also tried with missile command and pole position and nothing happens.

 

Turning the controllers on and off or pressing anything  ,doesnt seem to affect the on screen action.

 

I opened the receiver and the controllers and they seem to be fine. Nothing broken, burned or blown. Is there any other way to test if the receiver and the controllers are working?

 

I could get a refund for the controllers, but i really want to keep them, they look so cool  and i really love to see them working.

 

Thanks in advance for reading!

Edited September 22, 2019 by Yarzzz

[fiddlepaddle]

if you can, try tuning a radio to the frequency used and make sure the joysticks are transmitting. fresh batteries? I bet it's something in the receiver unit. Might be able to find another on ebay for cheap without joysticks. maybe also possible it's something with your power supply.

[Yarzzz]

50 minutes ago, fiddlepaddle said:

if you can, try tuning a radio to the frequency used and make sure the joysticks are transmitting. fresh batteries? I bet it's something in the receiver unit. Might be able to find another on ebay for cheap without joysticks. maybe also possible it's something with your power supply.

Hello and thanks for your kind response.

 

Do you know what frequency do i have to tune on the radio to test the controllers? Batteries are fully charged, ive tested them already.

 

 

Also about the power supply, its the original atari 9v 500ma dc adapter, and it powers the console perfectly, so i assume its working fine.

[Yarzzz]

Hello an update for whom might concern.

 

After some investigation i found out that you can test the radio controller emission with an am radio at the lowest frequency (540 MHz).

 

So i put batteries on the controllers and pushed the button and wiggled the joystick. Absolute no signal on the radio. We can tell that the controllers are toast.

 

Next i found out that the wireless joysticks work on the 27 MHz frequency, the same frequency used by rc cars. So i plugged the receiver to the atari and popped in the ol yars revenge. Pushing directions on the rc car controller did nothing for the player one joystick but surprisingly it inputs signal on the second player joystick. Wiggling the rc car controller kinda moves the Yar and shoots a projectile.

 

So in conclusion seems that only the player 2 joystick works on 27 MHz. Also seems like the receiver unit is working.

 

But now i dont know what to do with the joysticks, they seem to be ok, but for now i dont have the means ( or knowledge) to test the electronic components individual. The only thing i was able to test was the battery plug and the switch ( with a led light). Does anybody know if the joysticks are paired to a specific receiver and this are somehow mismatched? Is there any way to test if pressing stuff on the joystick does anything?

 

 

Thanks for your responses.

 

 

[nick3092]

A couple years ago, I had opened up my wireless receiver and found the two crystals to be 49.435MHz for the left, and the right uses 49.375MHz (according to my notes).

 

I also recall that there is a preferred order of powering things up. I believe it is base, right controller, left controller, 2600. Obviously the base does not have a switch, just make sure it's plugged in prior to switching everything else on. And it can't hurt to maybe wait about 5s or so between steps to let the base start listening and controllers sync up to the base. Also, both controllers need to be powered on even if you are only using one, otherwise they can act funny.

 

If you are still having issues, I would suggest next step would be to open up the controllers and make sure power is getting from the battery to the PCB. It's possible the battery connector could be corroded enough to not make good contact, or a wire/solder joints broke. That is assuming you have the proper tools and knowledge to check this. 

[Yarzzz]

12 minutes ago, nick3092 said:

A couple years ago, I had opened up my wireless receiver and found the two crystals to be 49.435MHz for the left, and the right uses 49.375MHz (according to my notes).

 

I also recall that there is a preferred order of powering things up. I believe it is base, right controller, left controller, 2600. Obviously the base does not have a switch, just make sure it's plugged in prior to switching everything else on. And it can't hurt to maybe wait about 5s or so between steps to let the base start listening and controllers sync up to the base. Also, both controllers need to be powered on even if you are only using one, otherwise they can act funny.

 

If you are still having issues, I would suggest next step would be to open up the controllers and make sure power is getting from the battery to the PCB. It's possible the battery connector could be corroded enough to not make good contact, or a wire/solder joints broke. That is assuming you have the proper tools and knowledge to check this. 

Hello and thanks for your kind response.

 

I tried the switching order that you suggest before with no results.

 

Also i have tested the battery conector  on both controllers, and power gets to the pcb and also to the switch wich does turn on and off the power. From there power goes to a capacitor that doesnt seem to be blown and other electronic components that i dont have the means to test.

 

 

[Yarzzz]

The crystals are labeled 49830 for the right controller and 49890 for the left. Are those the emission frequencies???  Can the crystals be tested with a multimeter?

[Yarzzz]

On 10/6/2019 at 9:30 PM, Yarzzz said:

The crystals are labeled 49830 for the right controller and 49890 for the left. Are those the emission frequencies???  Can the crystals be tested with a multimeter?

Turns out that those are the emission frequencies for the crystals 49.830 MHz for the right and 49.890 for the left controller.