My stupid Vectrex controller.

[tantone56]

My vectrex controller's fourth button doesnt work unless you push down on it really hard. I want to open up the controller and try to figuer it out but I dont know where to start. Does anyone even know how to open these things up?

[Jess Ragan]

It can be done, but it's an unpleasant process. You've got to peel away the decal on the front of the controller... that's where the screws are hidden. Of course, once you do that, there's no way to put the decal back on without it looking like a complete mess.

 

Probably your best solution is to purchase a modified Sega joystick from John Dondzila and use that as a replacement. There's also a dude here on AtariAge who modifies Sega controllers... he did a really nice job with mine!

 

JR

[Pipster]

The other way is to cut small crosses over the screws which again messes up the decal but if you do it right the crosses will only be 1cm across and won't look too bad.

[JB]

It can be done, but it's an unpleasant process.  You've got to peel away the decal on the front of the controller... that's where the screws are hidden.  Of course, once you do that, there's no way to put the decal back on without it looking like a complete mess.

If you heat it up good when peel it off, and get it hot again when putting it back down, it winds up looking as good as new.

 

Which reminds me... I need to get the blowdryer out and warm up the stick end of my controller. Was getting sick of mucking with it, and the left end glue didn't quite get hot enough.

 

 

 

 

Once you get it open, a quick slap with a pencil erase racross teh 4-button contacts will leave it as sensitive as the day it was born.

...

But be careful with the top-center screw. I cracked the screw post for that one somewhere along the line.

It's quite possible it was busted from falling to the floor, or some other piece of abuse I inflicted on it as a child, but it's still more fragile than the others.

[Rob Mitchell]

How to open the Vectrex controller is documented with pics on PlayVectrex.com

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[tantone56]

thanks guys I appreciate the info. I am going to try it out tonight.

[tantone56]

Well, I figured out why the fourth button doesnt work. I seems that I had been playing mine sweep to the point where the actual circuit board cracked right under the fourth button. I dont think that there is a way around this whole mess, so is there a way to take the parts from that controller a soder them into a sega controller?

[Jess Ragan]

Just contact this guy!

 

http://www.classicgamecreations.com/

 

JR

[Han]

All hope is not lost just because the circuit board is cracked. If the crack isn't too big you could try and buy some "electrical" paint. I don't know what you Americans call it, but check you local electronics store. You can actually just paint conducting paint onto the circuit board to reconnect the circuit paths. If you can solder you can also try to just solder it back together…

[JB]

Well, I figured out why the fourth button doesnt work. I seems that I had been playing mine sweep to the point where the actual circuit board cracked right under the fourth button. I dont think that there is a way around this whole mess, so is there a way to take the parts from that controller a soder them into a sega controller?

Geez... mine just had 2 decades of grime deposited between the traces and carbon dots.