I Found An Atari Joystick Hexhead Disc!

[hbomb]

I just received my heavy sixer today and took it all apart to clean her up a bit. I took the top cover off and then removed the switchboard assembly and heard something hit the floor. To my surprise, it was a little hexhead shaped metal Atari piece. I took it over to my joysticks and it fit perfectly!

 

I'm puzzled as to how it got in there. I didn't see a gap or slot big enough from the outside when its all put together that it could fit into. Maybe it was dropped in there during manufacturing by mistake?

 

By the way, I did take it apart all the way down to the main board under the RF shielding and didn't see any dates or anything. There was a piece of paper taped onto the RF shielding on the outside that looked like a register receipt with a bunch of numbers on it. Anyone know what that is?

[Shawn]

I just received my heavy sixer today and took it all apart to clean her up a bit. I took the top cover off and then removed the switchboard assembly and heard something hit the floor. To my surprise, it was a little hexhead shaped metal Atari piece. I took it over to my joysticks and it fit perfectly!

 

I'm puzzled as to how it got in there. I didn't see a gap or slot big enough from the outside when its all put together that it could fit into. Maybe it was dropped in there during manufacturing by mistake?

 

By the way, I did take it apart all the way down to the main board under the RF shielding and didn't see any dates or anything. There was a piece of paper taped onto the RF shielding on the outside that looked like a register receipt with a bunch of numbers on it. Anyone know what that is?

 

 

It an inspection number. Congrats on finding the Hex. It's worth more than the console

[hbomb]

Too bad two of them didn't fall out! I keep searching around my couch "just in case"...but it looks like wishful thinking and thats about it. I'm wondering if I should glue it back on the joystick or leave it off.

Edited July 28, 2006 by hbomb

[Spirantho]

I'm puzzled as to how it got in there. I didn't see a gap or slot big enough from the outside when its all put together that it could fit into. Maybe it was dropped in there during manufacturing by mistake?

 

Don't forget 6-switchers have slots in the top for speakers - it could easily have fallen in there!

[A.J. Franzman]

I did take {my heavy sixer} apart all the way down to the main board under the RF shielding and didn't see any dates or anything. There was a piece of paper taped onto the RF shielding on the outside that looked like a register receipt with a bunch of numbers on it. Anyone know what that is?

 

Some heavy sixers have a date on the back of the switch board (behind the RF modulator), but beyond that there may also be a 3- or 4-digit production week code hiding somewhere. Also, the ICs are probably all week-coded (of course, the console would have been made after the last of those, as long as none has been replaced with a newer part).

[hbomb]

I did take {my heavy sixer} apart all the way down to the main board under the RF shielding and didn't see any dates or anything. There was a piece of paper taped onto the RF shielding on the outside that looked like a register receipt with a bunch of numbers on it. Anyone know what that is?

 

Some heavy sixers have a date on the back of the switch board (behind the RF modulator), but beyond that there may also be a 3- or 4-digit production week code hiding somewhere. Also, the ICs are probably all week-coded (of course, the console would have been made after the last of those, as long as none has been replaced with a newer part).

 

Come to think of it, the main board had '5C' stamped on it. I'm not sure what that stands for if anything. It looked as if the machine may have been put together by hand? The black circular cushioning around the switches were definately hand cut as they were all a different size square and a bit uneven. Definately not machine cut or prefabricated. Pretty cool. I would like to get some new switches as a couple of a minor bit of corrosion that I couldn't get off. Any ideas on what will get it off or where I can get some original switches?

[A.J. Franzman]

Come to think of it, the main board had '5C' stamped on it. I'm not sure what that stands for if anything.

I can't see how it could be a date code.

 

 

It looked as if the machine may have been put together by hand? The black circular cushioning around the switches were definately hand cut as they were all a different size square and a bit uneven. Definately not machine cut or prefabricated. Pretty cool. I would like to get some new switches as a couple of a minor bit of corrosion that I couldn't get off. Any ideas on what will get it off or where I can get some original switches?

The center holes in the foam dust discs start out smaller than the switch handles (possibly round - I've never seen a brand new one). After they've been there a few years, they simply take on the shape of the base of the handle, which is rectangular. If any have been removed and reinstalled in a different orientation, that would account for any unevenness. I would not call them "hand cut" unless the holes were off-center and the outer edges were not smooth.

 

Regarding the corrosion, it may be possible to dress the switch up again with sandpaper, crocus cloth, steel wool, etc. either by hand or by removing the metal sleeve and finding a way to rotate it, but you will likely remove the original grain from when the sleeve was made. I have done a similar operation myself to two sets of 3 to use in a portable that I'm building, and was able to re-create a similar grain using a file while turning the sleeves in a drill (with a tight-fitting rod inside so the chuck did not crush the sleeves.) This left chuck jaw marks on the sleeves, but that didn't matter to me since I later cut the sleeves much shorter. I also coated them with Krylon Triple Thick clear acrylic spray to delay the onset of any further corrosion. See photo below showing one of my sets of 3 customized switches, beside an unmodified switch. Notice also that the custom switches are mounted as close together as practical - much closer than the original design.

Edited July 29, 2006 by A.J. Franzman