Replacing/Finding an Atari 2600 controller port

[treismac]

My Woodie's right controller port is missing a pin rendering it unplayable. Does anyone know where you can find/buy replacement ports for the 2600? I can find nothing on ebay and I don't really wanna shell out $20+ dollars for a broken 2600 to rob its port. Is replacing a pin a possibility?

Thanks!

[Gameguy]

Isn't it a standard 9 pin serial connector? You should be able to take a spare one from anything and use it, thrift stores usually have tons of old crap with that type of connector like old serial mice for PCs.

Or buy a ready to use one for $4.99, no need to hack one apart.
http://www.vintagegamingandmore.com/products-page/parts/atari-2600-db-9-joystick-connector/

Edit:
Ok, I found one other store that sells the controller port and it's only $1.25. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to get to the spare parts.
http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/2600_Tech_Tips.htm

[treismac]

Isn't it a standard 9 pin serial connector? You should be able to take a spare one from anything and use it, thrift stores usually have tons of old crap with that type of connector like old serial mice for PCs.


Standard 9 pin serial connector???

o_O

Wow! :bday: I have like four junk computers with those "standard 9 pin serial connectors" on them. I never knew. Thanks, Gameguy! I appreciate it greatly. Unfortunately, I have just rediscovered how much I hate and suck at desoldering.

[theclaw]

It was everywhere. A history of the connector is documentary material with its sheer range of uses. But usually computer monitors and serial devices used the wider screw-in casing that won't fit consoles.

[Gameguy]

I was a bit wrong about the serial mice though, the mice are the wrong end and the serial port in the PC uses the connector you need. It's been awhile since I've used serial mice so I confused the connectors a little bit. Old style PC monitors used that same type of connector, like the old CGA type of monitors. Of course it would be hard to take them apart to desolder everything, you'd probably have to open up the connector and take out the components to fit them inside the original Atari controller port. I don't think you could just fit the replacement connector inside the Atari as is, you basically just need the pins from it to repair the old one.

The same type of connector is used on the SMS and Genesis too, you can even use those controllers on the Atari 2600 if you wanted to. Radio Shack used to carry replacement connectors like this for people to wire their own cables or to use on homemade projects, it still would involve soldering no matter what. I haven't been to a Radio Shack in years so I can't be sure if they still carry them. Lots of options available for this, though the easiest way would be to just buy a replacement Atari 2600 connector already ready to install.

If you do get it fixed I'd like to know what you ended up doing to get it working. :)

[treismac]

If you do get it fixed I'd like to know what you ended up doing to get it working. :)

Okay... so far I have desoldered the broken 9 pin serial connector off of my 2600 by snapping it off and then desoldering the remaining solder. Desoldering a 9 pin connector off of an old computer, however, has proven to be very difficult for me. I've even broke down and bought a 4-Watt Desoldering Iron (it sucks and is getting returned) and a Vacuum Desoldering Tool (works if it can reach the molten solder) to come alongside my desoldering braid and do the job, but yet the progress is somewhere between stagnant and three legged turtle slow. Out of the 9 pins, 3 of them appear to be cleanly desoldered with the other 6 still holding on to a bit of solder. I don't want to even try and guess how much time I've put into this so far. So, I've decided to come to terms with the fact that I am perhaps the worst desolderer in the world and just buy a new 9 pin serial connector. Unfortunately, the online store of the first link you gave is out of stock and for the life of me I can't find the item on the page of the second link. So, I'm swinging over to Radio Shack again. Wish me well. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

[Sunnyvale]

Just me, but I was junking out something and I couldn't get what I needed unsoldered off... I'd break the damn board and unsolder it then, probably much easier. But I'm not looking at it...
Add a hammer to your list of tools :)

[Gameguy]

....and for the life of me I can't find the item on the page of the second link.
It should be part FK100307 / CO19062, just use the find function to search for it. I don't know if it's still in stock there, the page seems to be last updated in March and you'd have to email them to check the stock. If it's still in stock it's just $1.25. Good luck either way!

[burn_654]

Iron sounds a bit underpowered, imo. Remove as much solder from your points as you can with your tools, then pull the socket gently with needle nosed pliers/tweezers as you touch the iron to the points. Work in a consistent direction, ie, front to back. Keep gently heating the points and use a little pull as you're going. Don't use a lot of pressure, just enough to unseat a pin or two at a time.

Although I think I would go with the replacement Atari port just so it matched aesthetically.

[APE992]

Desoldering braid is your friend. Remove as much solder as possible with it and then gently push the pin back and forth while heating it. Remove heat and continue gentle pushing, the solder should return to a solid state and the pin should move freely.

Wash, rinse, repeat. Pullingly gently like burn 654 suggested could work but I've found on occasion that I'll lift a trace. Thankfully the 2600 has such a simple board it isn't too hard to repair.

[jb143]

Anything with a bunch of pins like that is going to be tricky, it just takes practice.

One counter-intuitive trick to desoldering is that you sometimes have to add more solder. The reason why is that it's really hard to suck up just a little bit of solder. You need more on there to transfer the heat. If you didn't get it all off then add more and try again.

Another trick that should work on these types of connectors is to add a big ball of solder across all the pins. Move the iron tip back and forth across it to keep it all melted and gravity should pull the connector right out. If not, then find something to gently pry it out.

Just be careful of applying too much heat. Or applying heat for too long. You could accidentally melt the plastic in the connector and mess it up beyond repair.

[bust3dstr8]

You could try using Chip Quik. It's a desoldering alloy used for QFP.....it might
help you out with these little bastards.

I would also use liberal amounts of paste flux. These old connections will most likely be dirty and oxidized which makes them much harder to desolder.

[Stringfellow]

Okay... so far I have desoldered the broken 9 pin serial connector off of my 2600 by snapping it off and then desoldering the remaining solder. Desoldering a 9 pin connector off of an old computer, however, has proven to be very difficult for me. I've even broke down and bought a 4-Watt Desoldering Iron (it sucks and is getting returned) and a Vacuum Desoldering Tool (works if it can reach the molten solder) to come alongside my desoldering braid and do the job, but yet the progress is somewhere between stagnant and three legged turtle slow. Out of the 9 pins, 3 of them appear to be cleanly desoldered with the other 6 still holding on to a bit of solder. I don't want to even try and guess how much time I've put into this so far. So, I've decided to come to terms with the fact that I am perhaps the worst desolderer in the world and just buy a new 9 pin serial connector. Unfortunately, the online store of the first link you gave is out of stock and for the life of me I can't find the item on the page of the second link. So, I'm swinging over to Radio Shack again. Wish me well. I'll let you know how it turns out. :)

I have found that buying through best electronics website can be difficult since their site is so bad but if you call them they are VERY nice and helpful. I would definitely try them since they have usually the best Atari parts.

[bones11]

if you're still looking for an OEM 9 pin connector for the 2600 I have a stash of these. $2.50 for the part and a couple of bucks to ship and it's yours. Shoot me a PM if you are interested.

Best Electronics is great by the way, and agree calling is the way to go. They sometimes have a minimum order and always ship via priority mail with delivery confirmation. Nice, but pricey for an inexpensive part or two.

[SithWarrior]

Not the same system but the same connector, is it possible to replace the controller port on a model 1 Sega Genesis?