The best stuff I've used on potentiometers is Deoxit Faderlube. Deoxit is a good contact cleaner to begin with, and Faderlube leaves a little bit of lubricant behind to help keep the carbon pads from wearing out quickly. I've had good results with it on scratchy volume controls.
This is an extremely important comment. The paddles I cleaned had an enormous amount of conductive grease on the internal components. If you don't replace that after cleaning it all away, you'll decrease the lifespan of the pot by years. Plus, it just makes the turning smoother and removes the scratchy sound as well.
I greatly appreciate this video. I recently got a Sears Super Pong console and thought the left paddle was a lost cause. A little electrical tape and a good cleaning fixed it right up. The architecture is the same as the 2600 paddles. Thanks again!
It worked! Had lots of black gunk in mine. Tip for prying up the tabs with a screwdriver: pivot the back of it against the threaded part to pry the tab. You might need to work with it till you get the right angle.
Good tutorial for fixing the paddles, mine were not functioning at all after someone tried fixing it by just filling the contact area with globs of grease, opened them up and cleaned everything up and they work like new. Cheers for the video!
contact cleaner would probably work to get it functioning again, but after 40 years it's probably a good idea to just open it up and clean the few parts that are in there. It's well worth the labor to know that the parts are clean.
It might have been a little easier when putting it back together to keep the back off and hold the pot in from the back until you have the nut on, but otherwise, you did a good job :)
..."Phrasing,I know..." I've been watching every video on your channel from oldest to newest and that's the first time I've heard you bust out a streak of comedy. And I legitimately laughed... Work your way up the shaft.. lmfao. Idgaf if anyone thinks it's dumb. That shit was funny. Keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for this video! I nearly bought new paddles for my 7800 and saw this, was able to fix 2 pairs of paddles and salvage them from ET-land. :D Again thank you! So easy once you know how.
I had to do this with a few of my paddles recently when I got a atari 2600 Sears Telegames, if you ask me the paddles are pretty essential and fun for the games that support them. Hope i wont have to open them for another 20 years
You reverted the metal tab position 180 degrees and due to that you mounted the Pot 180 degrees from its original position. Check 02:06, 3:40 and 10:00. (NOTE: You did the same mistake on both paddles, notice how it is oriented when opening 13:50 and how it went when closing 17:46 which was incorrectly aligned to the notch on the case 18:45 and made you have trouble closing it). However, In the end it doesn't affect much, but the cables get a bit bent instead of being almost straight like they were in the beginning.
How did I miss that video ? Well nvm. When I was doing more guitars related stuff a few years ago, faulty pots were one of the common things I had to do. You may recall when they get dirty, and you try to adjust volume/tone you get the scratching noise through the amp. In most cases I just replaced them.
There isnt really a reason to tear down a potentiometer. Just spray some contact cleaner and work it in. If the pot has been left outside in the elements and was covered in rust, it might can be saved with disassembly and cleaning. But for the time required and future reliability I would simply replace the pot.
I unfortunately don't have one, but if i find one i definitely can. Id also need the right game for it. I do however have a colecovision wheel that I'm planning on testing soon. If necessary, I'll make a video about that
Lower percentage rubbing alcohol is indeed perfectly fine, you just need to make sure it dries completely before introducing power across the board the 99% stuff evaporates very quickly, the lower stuff %age stuff just more water content, blast it with a hairdryer (carefully) to be sure its dry.... In the the price difference in the UK between 99% and 70% is pretty big.....
Pro tip: Grease the second paddle so much that second player can't play. A win every time.
Mike Sadlak Lol! Good one
The best stuff I've used on potentiometers is Deoxit Faderlube. Deoxit is a good contact cleaner to begin with, and Faderlube leaves a little bit of lubricant behind to help keep the carbon pads from wearing out quickly. I've had good results with it on scratchy volume controls.
This is an extremely important comment. The paddles I cleaned had an enormous amount of conductive grease on the internal components. If you don't replace that after cleaning it all away, you'll decrease the lifespan of the pot by years. Plus, it just makes the turning smoother and removes the scratchy sound as well.
I greatly appreciate this video. I recently got a Sears Super Pong console and thought the left paddle was a lost cause. A little electrical tape and a good cleaning fixed it right up. The architecture is the same as the 2600 paddles. Thanks again!
It worked! Had lots of black gunk in mine. Tip for prying up the tabs with a screwdriver: pivot the back of it against the threaded part to pry the tab. You might need to work with it till you get the right angle.
you can screw the nut onto the potentiometer before putting the back shell on to make reassembly much easier.
Good tutorial for fixing the paddles, mine were not functioning at all after someone tried fixing it by just filling the contact area with globs of grease, opened them up and cleaned everything up and they work like new. Cheers for the video!
contact cleaner would probably work to get it functioning again, but after 40 years it's probably a good idea to just open it up and clean the few parts that are in there. It's well worth the labor to know that the parts are clean.
It might have been a little easier when putting it back together to keep the back off and hold the pot in from the back until you have the nut on, but otherwise, you did a good job :)
You're definitely right there,
3 ways to fix Atari Paddles:
1. Take them apart and clean the parts.
2. Squirt contact cleaner in.
3. Replace with new 1Meg Ohm pots.
Original Atari parts should be conserved! If all it takes it a cleaning I don’t see the reason to replace.
..."Phrasing,I know..." I've been watching every video on your channel from oldest to newest and that's the first time I've heard you bust out a streak of comedy. And I legitimately laughed... Work your way up the shaft.. lmfao. Idgaf if anyone thinks it's dumb. That shit was funny. Keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for this video! I nearly bought new paddles for my 7800 and saw this, was able to fix 2 pairs of paddles and salvage them from ET-land. :D Again thank you! So easy once you know how.
Hi,
Great video! Thanks.
What is the value of the Potentiometer inside the Paddle?
thanks man, great video, you helped me fix my own paddles. now they arent super smooth like 2020, but i suppose they are smooth enough for 1983..
I use electronic contact cleaner and a tooth brush to fix the jitter
I had to do this with a few of my paddles recently when I got a atari 2600 Sears Telegames, if you ask me the paddles are pretty essential and fun for the games that support them. Hope i wont have to open them for another 20 years
thanks i scored some finally and they are jittering so.. cheers
You reverted the metal tab position 180 degrees and due to that you mounted the Pot 180 degrees from its original position.
Check 02:06, 3:40 and 10:00. (NOTE: You did the same mistake on both paddles, notice how it is oriented when opening 13:50 and how it went when closing 17:46 which was incorrectly aligned to the notch on the case 18:45 and made you have trouble closing it).
However, In the end it doesn't affect much, but the cables get a bit bent instead of being almost straight like they were in the beginning.
What kind of screen are you using? Is your atari modded? Great video!
Hahaha. Phrasing! Must be an Archer fan. Awesome show. You like Trailer Park Boys, also? They had a cameo on the Canadian train run episode. 🤣
Wonderful video sir! Thank you, gonna have to do this to my 2 jittery controllers
How did I miss that video ?
Well nvm. When I was doing more guitars related stuff a few years ago, faulty pots were one of the common things I had to do. You may recall when they get dirty, and you try to adjust volume/tone you get the scratching noise through the amp. In most cases I just replaced them.
i would use dielectric grease for this project its made more for what your doing
is it ok for plastic? gonna buy some soon and that grease for my paddles..
Oh ok, I am so not ready to be ripping apart pots... can I just buy new potentiometers? Do these exact ones still exist?
also interested
Easier if you put the nut on before you put the back case on. That way you can hold it in place. Also. Shaft
I've got some Servisol Super 10. Would that work for the cleaning?
Not sure. As long as it wouldn't break down any of the Components, i don't see why not
4:10 tab is on left. 10:16 turns it upside down and tab on left.
4:10 is backwards, 10:16 is the correct way
Would switch cleaner do the job without taking it to pieces
It looks like it does say 1 Meg Ohm on the POT so that's good to know. Some schematics on the web say 470 Ohms!?
Very helpful!
Awesome video !!!
There isnt really a reason to tear down a potentiometer. Just spray some contact cleaner and work it in. If the pot has been left outside in the elements and was covered in rust, it might can be saved with disassembly and cleaning. But for the time required and future reliability I would simply replace the pot.
How about a repair of the Atari Driving Controller as a companion piece ?...
I unfortunately don't have one, but if i find one i definitely can. Id also need the right game for it. I do however have a colecovision wheel that I'm planning on testing soon. If necessary, I'll make a video about that
Driving controllers work only with Indy 500.
I never opened the paddles, interesting . I used to fix my joysticks as a kid.
Really not alot to them, the difference after cleaning them is really night and day
That high quality ASMR I subbed for! 14:44 SO DIRTY! :P
Robot Pong in games 1 & 2 are one-player only 😉
*up the shaft*
Lower percentage rubbing alcohol is indeed perfectly fine, you just need to make sure it dries completely before introducing power across the board the 99% stuff evaporates very quickly, the lower stuff %age stuff just more water content, blast it with a hairdryer (carefully) to be sure its dry.... In the the price difference in the UK between 99% and 70% is pretty big.....
I wasted $6 for a 9/16 bolt, and it ended up too loose to unscrew the nut. Can't you just skip that part and go directly to the cleaning part?
No dislikes... So far, so good.
Edit: Damn it.
Do you ever come down to Buffalo?
I've been there once for a Bills game, but i live about 20 hours away.
@@RetroRepairs whenever I hear Ontario, I always think right over the border. I think I asked you this before!
Ha, yep, Ontario's as big as France, I'm still not close to Manitoba either.
atari
never use alcohol on this thing, contact cleaner is the best solution
If u're not sure anything, just rewatch ur own videos lol
u have successfully played urself lol
Score suggests u are right handed ;)
Oh what is this I have never 👀 this before