my 5200 is acting kinda strange

[tz101]

First, no controllers (stock Atari, PC, or otherwise) will reach the final 2-3 inches of the right side of the screen with my "good" Super Breakout cartridge. My "bad" Super Breakout cartridge only boots to the intro screen and will go no further. Most of the letters in "Super Breakout" are gone from this intro screen as well. Anyone know why that is?

 

Second, I had tried the Ultra Racer controller with a few games to see how it worked, and the ones that were problematic I have double-checked with my two refurbed stock 5200 controllers. Here are the results:

 

Gyruss would only rotate the ship to the 9 o'clock position and stop with the Ultra Racer used through a PC controller adapter cable. With both of my 5200 stock controllers, the ship will not rotate at all, although the fire buttons do operate fine. All the ship does is set at its initial 6 o'clock position. With my PC digital arcade stick, my Gyruss mothership rotates around the full range of movement fine. Weird...

 

Space Invaders would not move my cursor left or right with the Ultra Racer, but it moves fine across the full range of left-right range on my TV screen with my two stock controllers.

 

Finally, I have a "bad" copy of Space Invaders that only boots to the intro screen and goes no further. Even then, where "Space Invaders" text would be toward the bottom of my TV screen, I get "LiveLivePlayPlay" in its place. Huh?

 

Anyone with any answers? Are my controller ports going out on the console? If so, then are these easily reparable? Why would Gyruss work fine with a digital PC stick, but no movement at all with the standard 5200 controllers?

 

Thanks.

 

TZ

Edited May 14, 2011 by tz101

[bohoki]

the 5200 is from the devil the only thing more annoying is the 1541 commodore floppy drive

[zylon]

First, no controllers (stock Atari, PC, or otherwise) will reach the final 2-3 inches of the right side of the screen with my "good" Super Breakout cartridge. My "bad" Super Breakout cartridge only boots to the intro screen and will go no further. Most of the letters in "Super Breakout" are gone from this intro screen as well. Anyone know why that is?

 

Second, I had tried the Ultra Racer controller with a few games to see how it worked, and the ones that were problematic I have double-checked with my two refurbed stock 5200 controllers. Here are the results:

 

Gyruss would only rotate the ship to the 9 o'clock position and stop with the Ultra Racer used through a PC controller adapter cable. With both of my 5200 stock controllers, the ship will not rotate at all, although the fire buttons do operate fine. All the ship does is set at its initial 6 o'clock position. With my PC digital arcade stick, my Gyruss mothership rotates around the full range of movement fine. Weird...

 

Space Invaders would not move my cursor left or right with the Ultra Racer, but it moves fine across the full range of left-right range on my TV screen with my two stock controllers.

 

Finally, I have a "bad" copy of Space Invaders that only boots to the intro screen and goes no further. Even then, where "Space Invaders" text would be toward the bottom of my TV screen, I get "LiveLivePlayPlay" in its place. Huh?

 

Anyone with any answers? Are my controller ports going out on the console? If so, then are these easily reparable? Why would Gyruss work fine with a digital PC stick, but no movement at all with the standard 5200 controllers?

 

Thanks.

 

TZ

That's a tall order, but I'll see what I can do:

1- open the system and adjust the smaller of the 2 pots near the power switch to fix your screen travel issue.

2- It's dead, Jim The cart has died. Quit using it; it's suffered enough.

3- see #1 and then try again, otherwise I don't know. Never had an ultra racer.

4- Space invaders is the most common "dead cart" on the 5200. They mustn't have been made well.

5- Yes. I'm trying.

6- Not likely if stock controls still work ok

7- I'd lean more towards the Pokey chip acting up, but not certain.

Edited May 14, 2011 by zylon

[tz101]

^

Thanks for all the answers. So if it is a flaky pokey chip, is this fixable, or can I buy a replacement and solder it in its place?

[zylon]

^

Thanks for all the answers. So if it is a flaky pokey chip, is this fixable, or can I buy a replacement and solder it in its place?

It's a socketed chip. Easy swap. I'll put a pic of that and the pot on soon.

[tz101]

I take it there is an adjustment screw or similar on the pots in question? Best method would probably be to do adjustments with Missile Command running?

[zylon]

Pokey chip position and analog adjustment pot. Try the pot first and stock controls.

[zylon]

I take it there is an adjustment screw or similar on the pots in question? Best method would probably be to do adjustments with Missile Command running?

That's the best game to use, but Super breakout will also work. You can either adjust the controllers to the console, or adjust the console to the controllers. If you get the same with either controller, I'd adjust the console. It's only 7 phillips screws to open it.

[zylon]

the 5200 is from the devil the only thing more annoying is the 1541 commodore floppy drive

I'd agree on the 1541 II models , the regular ones aren't that bad. Maybe just a few possessed ones out there.

[tz101]

I learned a lot about stock controller calibration from this thread, along with my experiments conducted today.

 

My original understanding was that to properly calibrate an Atari branded controller, one only needed a Missile Command game cart. Wrong.

 

You need Missile Command, Super Breakout, and Gyruss to cover all your bases. First, you need to check if you have complete left-right movement with Super Breakout, then check the full gamut of horizontal and vertical motion using Missile Command. Finally, check that the Gyruss ship moves through its full range of circular motion. If any of these are off, then adjustments are necessary.

 

I have also come to the conclusion that you cannot properly calibrate your 5200 controllers with the console case closed. It really requires a combination of adjusting the on-board pot calibration screw and comparing ranges of motion with the controller vertical and horizontal pots both centered. Not an easy task, but one that pays huge dividends when done correctly.

 

Having said that, I am also convinced that any set of controllers must be fine tuned to the on-board calibration of the particular console they are being used with. No amount of pre-calibration will get it right.

 

That's 5200 controller calibration in a nutshell.

[zylon]

Good! It's usually something that simple with these. Most consoles are reasonably close, but every once in a while a far out one turns up. Some games auto calibrate in a way so it can be misleading.

[Charlie_]

Having said that, I am also convinced that any set of controllers must be fine tuned to the on-board calibration of the particular console they are being used with. No amount of pre-calibration will get it right.

 

That would just mean the controllers are out of adjustment or simply bad analog pots.

 

A loop back plug can be made. I don't know the details on how.. maybe someone here has more details..

 

With a loop back plug and a diagnostic cart (easy on one of the multicarts) you can set an exact center value for the analog adjustment. I use a masterplay interface in place of a loop back plug.

Edited May 16, 2011 by Official Ninja

[bohoki]

don't forget popeye popeye seems particular finickey about going down stairs

 

so tz you got your racer workin now

[tz101]

Good idea. I will try Popeye with my newly calibrated system/controllers tonight.

 

Yes, the Ultra Racer controller now works great on Super Breakout. I think I might love that game on the 5200.

 

Now I will have to get Kaboom! and Megamania as well...

[bohoki]

gee i hope you pay that guy for the controller