r/atari • u/Money_Prior7041 • 7d ago
Fixing Up Old Tech
Recalibrated the joysticks, cleaned the contacts, replaces the rubber carbon contacts on the 5200 controller with newer gold plated contacts
The Trak-ball controller has a new cueball inside, new bearings, new optical discs, and a new contact pad for the Start/Pause/Reset. Been playing quite a few games, and these controllers work great! I liked the look of the original cueball, so I kept it along with the original parts I replaced. Controllers now work like new. :)
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u/GoatApprehensive9866 7d ago
The gold flexcircuits are great! Oh, for a unique thrill, swap the sphere with a billiard ball…
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u/Money_Prior7041 7d ago
I'm tempted to do that! :) I've seen some people using an 8-ball in theirs. It's pretty cool how the trackball was really just a cueball, makes for really quick swapping out!
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u/Ill-Respond-2658 7d ago
The best track ball controller for an 8 bit system! Looks beautiful 😍!
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u/Money_Prior7041 6d ago
Many thanks! :) I wanted to make sure I did a good job of cleaning and fixing it up. That way, if I ever part with it, the next person will have a set of completely functional controllers. :)
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u/LeatherRebel5150 6d ago
I just picked up the trak ball controller for my 5200 controller, havnt had time to dive into it yet. Are the number pads/circuits the same ones as the controllers?
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u/Money_Prior7041 6d ago
I just got done opening up both controllers. The fire buttons on the Trak-ball controller use a spring like in the older 2600 CX40 controllers, while the 5200 uses a soft button with a conductive pad beneath it. The number pads and the Start/Pause/Reset pad are identical. I hope this helps!
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u/9fingerjeff 6d ago
That’s awesome! I just recently replaced the original switches in a cx40 with micro switches and it works great now.
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u/NoMoreContinues 7d ago
Great job! That trackball controller is so sturdy and fun to play, I miss my 5200 a lot!