5 replies to this topic

[NightSprinter]

Hey folks, been fixing up my Atari 5200 joysticks (got two of 'em working brand-spanking-new thanks to a little glue and some aluminum foil for the Rev. 7 flex-circuits) but haven't been able to fix one. For some reason it's always wanting to go right and down, regardless of which direction I move the stick. After opening, I've noticed the flex-circuit needs replacement (lower-right fire button circuit has a hole there) but no amount of messing with the analog pots has fixed the issue. Do I need to replace them as well?

[zylon]

I'd wonder if you didn't have a dead short in the cable.

[NightSprinter]

It's possible, but I do know something on top of the flex circuit has to be replaced (thanks to the aforementioned hole on the right side's lower button).

[tz101]

Flex circuit will not affect the potentiometers at all. Try a continuity tester on all 15 pins of that controller's cable to make certain there is not a broken trace. If the cable is fine, then try prying up the crimp tabs on the problematic pots and taking the stem and disc out. Clean the entire inside of each potentiometer with electrical contact cleaner found at Radio Shack. Put the stem and disc back in and re-crimp it back together. If that does not solve the directional issues then it is time to buy new ones from Best Electronics.

[zylon]

Should they be needed, I have a bucket of those pots here from rebuilds that were still good.

[drnicholas]

avgn needs his fixed