Atari 5200 controller issues or game?

[fredthezombie]

I know I know 5200 controller problems what a surprise, I am haveing issues with the analog stick mostly. It seems to only let me move up or left in pacman same as star raiders, but defender works perfectly in all directions, pole position works all right but the car swerves a lot. I am assuming it is the controllers fault but why does it work fine with some games?

[Rawkmann]

Its almost certainly the controllers. I had to rebuild a few about a year ago. IIRC, you need to take it apart and clean all the electrical contacts and calibrate the joystick. There are some pretty good guides on Youtube. The hardest part was getting the thing put back together but its doable if You've got steady hands.

[CRTGAMER]

Surprised you have no complaints of the buttons. Make sure you power the 5200 on with the stick as close to center as possible. I don't think this will make a difference, but might help.

If still issues, be sure to pop off the Plastic Frame holding the Start Pause Reset buttons before attempting a disassembly of the halves.



The potentiometer plastic leg can be adjusted in its shaft friction hold position by swiveling past the pot stops slightly to get the center point. A good game to test the Horizontal position would be Galaxian, you know its right when you get the higher slide speed in both directions. If careful to avoid static discharge, you can play the game by controlling that leg directly, this helps to identify each direction for symmetry.



Not my Guide, but nice detail of the disassembly with the pics I used here:

5200 Controller Disassembly Guide - http://chazbeenhad.tripod.com/5200joy/

[fredthezombie]

Thanks guys, any suggestions on the most efficient way of cleaning the controller, I used an eraser but it only worked so much.

[ApolloBoy]

I would clean off the contacts using rubbing alcohol (anything else would be too strong and rub the carbon off the flex circuit), and then glue some aluminum foil or copper onto the button contacts (not on the flex circuit!) so you'll never have to clean them again. I fixed quite a few 5200 controllers this way using copper tape and it works like a charm.

[fredthezombie]

so glue foil to the rubber keypad bottom, or the circuit contacts? I am assumming clean the contacts w/alchohal then put foil on the underside of the keypad, right? Should I cut little pieces to glue or cut a piece the size of the keypad?

[fredthezombie]

Apollo Boy you are a boss, the foil worked like a charm and the controller works great, for how awful it is to begin with, thanks