ColecoVision Controller rebuild and joystick ball offer

[+Yurkie]

Here is a shaft from an Adam Controller that I threaded and put the 1" knob on.

 

I cut the square end into a round end with a .250 diameter then very slowly and carefully cut threads using a 1/4 - 20 die.

 

The knob is attached really nice.

 

I will offer a complete rebuild on ( will work like new including both fire buttons and keypad ) a Adam/ColecoVision Controller and the installation of this exact type knob for anyone interested. $20 per controller plus actual cost of return shipping. For an extra $8 I will install a straight cord.

 

First photo is threaded shaft.

 

Second photo is threaded shaft with the knob screwed down in place.

 

For more information, or for do it yourselfers check out this thread.

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/152430-colecovision-joystick-ball-set-investors-10-sets-for-100-shipped/page__fromsearch__1

Edited November 18, 2009 by Yurkie

[retroillucid]

Here is a shaft from an Adam Controller that I threaded and put the 1" knob on.

 

I cut the square end into a round end with a .250 diameter then very slowly and carefully cut threads using a 1/4 - 20 die.

 

The knob is attached really nice.

 

I will offer a complete rebuild on ( will work like new including both fire buttons and keypad ) a Adam/ColecoVision Controller and the installation of this exact type knob for anyone interested. $20 per controller plus actual cost of return shipping. For an extra $8 I will install a straight cord.

 

First photo is threaded shaft.

 

Second photo is threaded shaft with the knob screwed down in place.

 

For more information, or for do it yourselfers check out this thread.

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/152430-colecovision-joystick-ball-set-investors-10-sets-for-100-shipped/page__fromsearch__1

 

Very cool!

[+Yurkie]

I think that perhaps a little clarification is needed. The original round disc knob for the ColecoVision controller has a square hole, that goes onto a square end on the shaft. The E-Z replaces the original disc knob, but has the visual disadvantage of having a though hole that can be seen from the top. The knob from knobs direct is nice in the fact that it has no top hole and once the square end on the shaft is cut down to 1/4" round and threads are cut with a die, it stays in place great and functions like a arcade joystick.

 

This first photo is a threaded adam shaft and the knob (from knobsdirect.com) and the original disc knob and shaft from a standard ColecoVision controller.

 

The Second photo is a side view from left to right. Standard Disc knob. Knobs direct replacement knob. E-Z knob ( a rare third party item sold mail-order in the 80's )

 

The Third photo in the same as the second but is a top view of all three.

 

After playing with the knob from knobsdirect, I think this is the very best of all three. There is a link in the above posting to the original thread and on that thread is a link to knobs direct.

 

Knobsdirect is a great company to deal with. Shipping is fast and low cost. The knob is 89 cents and customer service it top notch. In fact here is a link to the exact knob in the picture.

 

http://www.knobsdirect.com/knob.cfm?ID=76

 

If you would like me to thread the shaft and put this knob on your controller for you send me an IM, I will do this for minimal cost.

 

Here are the photos

[+Yurkie]

*Bump*

 

I posted this originally right before the Holidays and thought it would be helpful to bump this thread.

 

Sure makes gaming nice to have a ColecoVision Controller that works like new with one of these replacement knobs.

[coleconut]

*Bump*

 

I posted this originally right before the Holidays and thought it would be helpful to bump this thread.

 

Sure makes gaming nice to have a ColecoVision Controller that works like new with one of these replacement knobs.

 

I appreciate the work and research you and Steve did on this. I am going to try a couple myself, havent used a die since junior high school metal shop class, here goes nothin'.

Hey those folks at the knob place are good to deal with.

[+Yurkie]

 

I appreciate the work and research you and Steve did on this. I am going to try a couple myself, havent used a die since junior high school metal shop class, here goes nothin'.

Hey those folks at the knob place are good to deal with.

 

Most important thing is to make sure you keep the die parallel to the top of the shaft when cutting threads. Turn a half a turn or so, then turn back the other way. Take your time. After a full turn or turn and a half you may want to completely remove the die and get all the loose plastic out and then continue. I would highly recommend rounding the top of the shaft to .250 before attempting to cut threads. If you choose to go with the 5/16 knob, this will not be necessary but you will have 80% threads for the most part and fit will not be quite as tight. Additionally once you have threads cut, take a utility knife and notch away a tiny bit of relief where the threads end and the shoulder of the shaft meet, so that the knob goes on all the way and rests on the shoulder of the shaft.

 

Best of Luck.

[+Yurkie]

I thought you guys might like to see a before and after of a set of controllers that I rebuilt for a customer with knobs and replacement straight cords.

Refurb includes completely dissambling and cleaning housing inside and out and de-oxing all contacts, double sided tape is used to hold keypad underlay back in place (same method that coleco used) reapplying lube for fire buttons and through testing to make sure everything works 100% like new. I then apply Armor All with a cotton ball and wipe excess off with another dry cotton ball. A lot work goes into refurbishing a set.

 

If you would like to refurbish your own I highly recommend this product. It's is about $30 a bottle.

 

http://store.caig.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1703/.f?sc=2&category=188

 

Send me an IM if you would like your controllers refurbished.

[purenergy]

I spent some time "test driving" these fine controllers today, and they work(and look) like new controllers!

Yurkie did an excellent job refurbishing these dirty, old controllers.

Clean, responsive, and the Ball-Tops add a nice touch.

Slightly more of an "arcade" feel, with the Ball-Tops added.

Easy to grip, and seems to eliminate the old-style hand cramping.

And, I also enjoy having a straight-line cord, instead of the old curly style.

Both controllers are a great addition to my Colecovision(s), and will get plenty of gameplay.

 

Thanks to Yurkie for adding more fun to a great classic system.

Excellent and highly recommended for your Colecovision controllers!

Edited January 17, 2010 by purenergy

[+Yurkie]

I spent some time "test driving" these fine controllers today, and they work(and look) like new controllers!

Yurkie did an excellent job refurbishing these dirty, old controllers.

Clean, responsive, and the Ball-Tops add a nice touch.

Slightly more of an "arcade" feel, with the Ball-Tops added.

Easy to grip, and seems to eliminate the old-style hand cramping.

And, I also enjoy having a straight-line cord, instead of the old curly style.

Both controllers are a great addition to my Colecovision(s), and will get plenty of gameplay.

 

Thanks to Yurkie for adding more fun to a great classic system.

Excellent and highly recommended for your Colecovision controllers!

 

Thank you for your comments,glad you enjoy them.

[+Yurkie]

Here is a another set I did for a customer. He opted to leave the original cords.

[cimerians]

Here is a another set I did for a customer. He opted to leave the original cords.

 

 

Those are mine! Excellent controllers, especially with the ball. They grip great and some games I can control better now because of this. He did a great job on these two controllers. I can now enjoy my CV again even better than before.

Anyone out there who needs their controllers redone, ask Yurkie!!

 

Fantastic job. Two thumbs up! :thumbsup:

[+Yurkie]

Here is a another set I did for a customer. He opted to leave the original cords.

 

 

Those are mine! Excellent controllers, especially with the ball. They grip great and some games I can control better now because of this. He did a great job on these two controllers. I can now enjoy my CV again even better than before.

Anyone out there who needs their controllers redone, ask Yurkie!!

 

Fantastic job. Two thumbs up! :thumbsup:

 

Sure makes a big difference when your controllers work like new.

 

When I got back into playing the ColecoVision about a year ago, I was really frustrated that every controller I had, never seemed to work right. I went into denial at first and made the best of it. My Girlfriend is a really cool woman and agreed to play ColecoVision with me.

 

As soon as we started playing, she complained that her character was not moving, and said "it's no fun, if I can't move and get killed" That was the final straw, I had to figure out how to make the controllers work like new. I took one apart and saw that the problem was oxidation, both on the contracts for the joystick under the chrome plate domes and the rails and slides on the inside of the fire buttons.

 

I had been working on electrical and electronic stuff since I was a kid and thought to myself the first thing I need is the very best contact cleaner there is. I came across the product DeoxIT by Caig http://www.caig.com/ Expensive but worth it's weight in gold in my opinion. I removes oxidation like magic!

 

After buying this stuff, and rebuilding a set of controllers the difference was like night and day. I asked my girlfriend to play again,telling her "If your controller doesn't work perfect, I will make it right I promise" We have been having fun ever since. She got hooked and discovered she loved Mr. Do's Castle and even set the World Record on Twingalaxies.

 

Over the course of the next couple months I got a set of the G.A.M.E.S E-Z balls. I was hooked. This made me wonder why Coleco had not did this themselves.

 

I had an engineer draft me an AutoCad drawing and contacted some manufactures to get a replica of this great product made. After I got some quotes, I tried to get people to buy/invest in them, so I would not have to bare the cost on my own. I found there was just not enough interest to justify getting these made. Along comes Murph74 and finds an awesome existing ball knob for only 89 Cents!

 

After a little experimenting I decided the best approach was to thread the original joystick post. I could not be happier, once the square end of the shaft is rounded to .250 I use a 1/4-20 die and thread it. Having 100% threads makes for a super tight fit. I should also say that having worked as a machinist for 10 years helped.

 

LONG Post I know, just wanted to share how my passion for a good controller evolved into this service I am offering.

 

It really makes me happy to help others enjoy the ColecoVision as much as I do.

[+Yurkie]

I have had several people ask if I can "just sell them a refurbished set with ball knobs and straight cords"

 

I have 2 set for sale with ball knobs and straight cords that I will sell.

 

Price is $76 + plus $7 shipping via parcel post with delivery confirmation anywhere in the USA or 1st class mail to Canada. I will send you a scan of the post office receipts in .pdf for your records.

[+Yurkie]

A customer contacted me about just getting the joystsicks threaded and getting the ball knobs.

 

I have decided to offer to thread the joystick and put the ball knobs on for $8 each, plus return postage.

 

Here is a set I did for customer, he sent the joysticks in a small box for less than $2 sending them in a bubble mailer would probably cost even less.

 

Here is a picture of them completed.

[+Yurkie]

Shipped a set of refurbished controllers with ball knobs and straight cords out to a customer today.

 

If you would like a set of controllers refurbished, please send me an IM

[Sandman686]

A customer contacted me about just getting the joystsicks threaded and getting the ball knobs.

 

I have decided to offer to thread the joystick and put the ball knobs on for $8 each, plus return postage.

 

Here is a set I did for customer, he sent the joysticks in a small box for less than $2 sending them in a bubble mailer would probably cost even less.

 

Here is a picture of them completed.

 

 

I received those same knobs yesterday and all I can say is that my time spent on the Colecovision has increased tenfold. I received my copy of Pac-Man Collections from Opcode about a week ago and I played the game with another set of original controllers that I have, and I can tell you the experience is not the same. With the knobs installed I haven't put the two down in the last 24 hours other than for work or food, and some sleep. All I can say is that the knobs are so comfortable and responsive that playing with the Colecovision controllers for extended periods of time does not cause my right hand to cramp up and more importantly I hit new high scores. This is a great service provided by Yurkie and I recommend it to everyone. Thanks again!

[retroillucid]

A customer contacted me about just getting the joystsicks threaded and getting the ball knobs.

 

I have decided to offer to thread the joystick and put the ball knobs on for $8 each, plus return postage.

 

Here is a set I did for customer, he sent the joysticks in a small box for less than $2 sending them in a bubble mailer would probably cost even less.

 

Here is a picture of them completed.

 

 

I received those same knobs yesterday and all I can say is that my time spent on the Colecovision has increased tenfold. I received my copy of Pac-Man Collections from Opcode about a week ago and I played the game with another set of original controllers that I have, and I can tell you the experience is not the same. With the knobs installed I haven't put the two down in the last 24 hours other than for work or food, and some sleep. All I can say is that the knobs are so comfortable and responsive that playing with the Colecovision controllers for extended periods of time does not cause my right hand to cramp up and more importantly I hit new high scores. This is a great service provided by Yurkie and I recommend it to everyone. Thanks again!

 

With those knobs installed, the only thing missing is place to put quarters in!

[Troy_Whelan]

I have had several people ask if I can "just sell them a refurbished set with ball knobs and straight cords"

 

I have 2 set for sale with ball knobs and straight cords that I will sell.

 

Price is $76 + plus $7 shipping via parcel post with delivery confirmation anywhere in the USA or 1st class mail to Canada. I will send you a scan of the post office receipts in .pdf for your records.

I received my set with straight cords Saturday and they are VERY NICE! Received within days of my payment and they were well packed, so they arrived safely. I like the control knob MUCH better than the original ColecoVision knob and it feels very comfortable during gameplay. I would often loose my grip with the original controller, but this has more of a natural arcade-like feel to it. Also the straight cord is much better for me as I don't feel like the controller is constantly pulling towards the console and out of my hands. Quality construction - well done!

 

 

Thanks!!! Troy

[+Yurkie]

I have had several people ask if I can "just sell them a refurbished set with ball knobs and straight cords"

 

I have 2 set for sale with ball knobs and straight cords that I will sell.

 

Price is $76 + plus $7 shipping via parcel post with delivery confirmation anywhere in the USA or 1st class mail to Canada. I will send you a scan of the post office receipts in .pdf for your records.

I received my set with straight cords Saturday and they are VERY NICE! Received within days of my payment and they were well packed, so they arrived safely. I like the control knob MUCH better than the original ColecoVision knob and it feels very comfortable during gameplay. I would often loose my grip with the original controller, but this has more of a natural arcade-like feel to it. Also the straight cord is much better for me as I don't feel like the controller is constantly pulling towards the console and out of my hands. Quality construction - well done!

 

 

Thanks!!! Troy

 

Thanks Troy, I am glad you like them.

[+Yurkie]

I have a set of controllers with original cords and ball knobs, that have been completely refurbished. I am offering this set for $60 plus $7 shipping

[+Yurkie]

Still offering refurb of ColecoVision controllers. $20 each and you get the ball knob included as a bonus.

[+cmart604]

I have had several people ask if I can "just sell them a refurbished set with ball knobs and straight cords"

 

I have 2 set for sale with ball knobs and straight cords that I will sell.

 

Price is $76 + plus $7 shipping via parcel post with delivery confirmation anywhere in the USA or 1st class mail to Canada. I will send you a scan of the post office receipts in .pdf for your records.

I received my set with straight cords Saturday and they are VERY NICE! Received within days of my payment and they were well packed, so they arrived safely. I like the control knob MUCH better than the original ColecoVision knob and it feels very comfortable during gameplay. I would often loose my grip with the original controller, but this has more of a natural arcade-like feel to it. Also the straight cord is much better for me as I don't feel like the controller is constantly pulling towards the console and out of my hands. Quality construction - well done!

 

 

Thanks!!! Troy

 

I'd echo what Troy said, the control knob really is a lot more comfortable and Yurkie has done a fantastic job on these, worth every penny. I liked them so much I ordered a second set to go along with the Mario Controllers and 2 modded CV's, all of which I'm really looking forward to playing. As someone who doesn't have the skill set to take apart and repair/refurb classic gaming systems I can't thank guys like Yurkie enough for what they do and how passionate they are about ensuring we'll be able to enjoy classic gaming goodness for years to come.

[+Yurkie]

Thanks a million for your compliments gentlemen. I am glad I was able to help.

[+Yurkie]

For the Do-it-Yourselfer Here is a guide to Controller Refurbishing

 

ColecoVision Controller Refurbishing.

 

You need the following

 

Soldering Iron

Solder

dielectric grease

De-solder bulb to remove old solder

paper

card stock

fine file or sand paper

small side cutter and needle nose pliers

Multi-meter (audible continuity test is a nice plus)

small utility knife (for removing glue and to aid in stripping wires.

Only 99% isopropyl alcohol ( the 70% stuff has water in it )

and

DeoxIT by http://www.caig.com/

 

Trying to clean a fire-button without dissembling it is futile.

 

1. De-solder dissemble and clean rails and slide with 99% isopropyl alcohol to remove old grease and grime.

 

2. Put a couple drops of Deoxit on the slide and both sides of the rail ( rail is the 3 flat extensions ) and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

 

3. Take the slide and carefully straddle it on a strip of paper and move it back and forth to remove any corrsion.

 

4. Clean the corrsion off the rails with a Q-tip.

 

5. Put the slide back on the rail,apply a nice thin layer of dielectric grease to protect against corrosion and friction.

 

6. Reassemble

 

7. Test with a multi-meter using the continuity setting. press button in very slowly and make sure that contact is continuos from the point where it first makes contact and being fully depressed. If the slide is damaged or rail is bent, contact can be intermitant and button is basically worthless.

 

8. If button tests perfect, solder it back to the controller pcb.

 

Joystick Contacts:

 

For the joystick contacts you NEVER want to sand the chrome plated dome, doing so would be begging for problems. The chrome plating makes for excellent contact. Desolder and carefully inspect the domes for cracks. I have seen them with such tiny cracks that unless you delsolder and hold in your fingers and gently bend and twist them, the cracks are not visible.

 

Contact points be lighthly sanded or filed and a drop of solder be applied and filed flat, then a drop of Deoxit be applied to condition the contact point, domes carefully inspected and replaced if cracked.

 

Keypad

 

1. pull keypad out of the socket

2. clean the contact points with DeoxIT and a Q*tip

3. slide a piece of card stock with Deoxit in/out of the keypad socket several times to get grime and corrosion out.

 

If the keypad doesn't work you may have to separate the layers. The contact points between the layers get corroded occasionally.

 

For cords and solder points I recommend that wires be cut from pcb and all old solder and glue removed. Then throw away those slide on clips, those things are worthless. Remove any glue on the type of pcb that has the thru holes. Strip and resolder all the wires directly to the controller pcb. No need to put any hot glue on the wires. The grommet protects the wires from being pulled lose from the pcb.

 

Quick fix for joystick contacts is a strip of paper or poster board with DeoxIT ran back and forth between contact and dome while pushing down on dome. Not really recommended!

 

If your going to go to all the trouble of trying to recondition a controller, you should go all out so that it continues to work for a long time, not half-way so that 2 weeks later your tearing it a part again.

 

I go all out on controller refurbishing, to just short of insanity. After I refurb a controller and put it back together I meticulously test it, almost hoping I will find a tiny thing about it that is not quiet perfect. If I do I take it a part and work on it some more.

 

A quality Controller refurb should not even be attempted by anyone that doesn't have awesome soldering skills.

 

Hope this guide is helpful.

[Pixelboy]

I had four CV controllers refurbished and "round balled" by Yurkie, and they all work quite well. Two of them make a clickety sound when the joystick is pushed in certain directions, but they work. I guess those two have more mileage and there's a limit to how new a controller can feel after refurbishing.

 

I have to say those round balls really make a difference. They're more confortable to use than those with a standard knob.

 

Thanks Yurkie!