5200 controller question

[Ichi The Killer]

I have a 5200 but I can't get it to accept an input from the joystick controllers, but the trak-ball seems to work fine. The start button won't even work, I have tried 2 different controllers....any ideas?

Thanks
-FT

[rbudrick]

Your controllers are dead, as are most 5200 controllers. Luckily, you can reapir them using repair kits...they are often on eBay, but I believe some one on the board sells them at a good price....forget who. Also, I remember there was an online guide with step by step how to do it, but I may be wrong...

Yours,
Rob

[bargora]

You can refer to the Atari 5200 faq located here:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/a5200/game/22652.html

Short term, you can clean the corrosion off of your controllers' flex circuit traces with an eraser. The corrosion returns in time, however. Longer term fixes include replacing the flex circuits and buttons (the revision 9 flex circuit is supposed to be much more reliable than earlier revs.), or (for the cheapskates) cleaning the flex circuits and gluing aluminum foil circles to the buttons' carbon pads. I'm about to do the latter, as /me = teh cheapskate.

Good luck.