25 replies to this topic

[mechanized]

Here's a Big question for you guys doing this mod, or plan to, and have more knowledge on the workings of a 5200 Controller.

I've read up on this a little and read that Pole Position in particular will have play problems due to the lack of Up/Down movement for switching gears. I read also that keys 1 and 7 on the keypad should handle High and Low gear shifting, but for some reason or other it isn't working on my joysticks and suspect it's a special feature to the Trak-Ball gameplay.

I've though of a way to remedy this (at least, remedy it as far as I would be comfortable in play, personally) in that the Up/Down function could be put into one of the Firing Button Sets.

The way I handle a controller, I usually have a hand holding it from underneath, joysticking with the other, such that I can operate either button set with the holding hand pretty comfortably. It seems to me that if the left side (for instance) were rewired to pick up Up/Down signals, they could become the Gear-Shifting buttons, and the right side buttons would still be fine for Acceleration and Breaking, all without adding a new button (and likely unattractive button, if you look at that one guy's new button on his $50-65 modified controllers).

The way the circuits look, it seems some of the wires in the housing that connect to the circuit sheet could be swapped out for wires to the Y Axis potentiometer, such that the firing buttons on the chosen side would run through the circuit sheet like normal, but go into the Y Axis wiring to register quick Up/Down firing button input.

Question is, which wires are which, and if it would work. I lack knowledge and parts with which to experiment.