5200 controllers: what are the odds that...

[CommodoreDecker]

Not sure if this's been mentioned already, but the wires in the cables are thin and - over the course of decades - can decay and fracture, especially if stored poorly. I've seen lots of sticks with the cable wound up around it... pretty much the Wico ones, or at least the keypads and there's no sign of abuse on them at all...

 

One fractured or broken wire can take out a whole section of controls on the keypad. (e.g. the wire controlling 'ROW3", which is required for the */0/# keys, or the corresponding COL0 that covers 7/4/1/*...  if ground goes kaput, everything attached to it goes down too...  yuck...)  

 

(has a pic with the schematic) 

 

That said, do go for the gold flexcircuits. If nothing else, the contacts on the flex won't oxidize and lose responsiveness after x # of months... 

Edited February 6, 2022 by CommodoreDecker

[+x=usr(1536)]

2 hours ago, CommodoreDecker said:

Not sure if this's been mentioned already, but the wires in the cables are thin and - over the course of decades - can decay and fracture, especially if stored poorly.

Don't recall if it was mentioned or not, but I did meter out the cables and they were fine.  That said:

2 hours ago, CommodoreDecker said:

That said, do go for the gold flexcircuits. If nothing else, the contacts on the flex won't oxidize and lose responsiveness after x # of months... 

Right there with ya on this one.

[CommodoreDecker]

10 hours ago, x=usr(1536) said:

Don't recall if it was mentioned or not, but I did meter out the cables and they were fine.  That said:

Right there with ya on this one.

 

So glad the cables are fine!  It's a slight tedium to replace the cable if it goes bad. More time-consuming than anything properly nightmarish (e.g. replacing the flexcircuit from all of those contorted angle positions that would scare off the Cirque Du Soleil...)

 

It's cool that Best will do the installation of the gold units if you send them in.  I managed to do it, after test-removing and replacing the trashy originals - but I'd be half-tempted to send them in too...

 

I tried the old glued on tacky foil routine.  Didn't work well despite the amount of time carefully cutting and applying the little bits on. Some buttons still didn't function and the buttons were still soggy to the touch; the gold kits include new silicone molded buttons that restore that firm feel.