exxos's Atari, Amiga & retro forum

stephen_usher wrote: 04 Aug 2026 17:54 Sorry for not getting to this sooner. I’m at my partner’s place recuperating from a head injury I got yesterday. (One of the gas struts on the SAAB tailgate came off and the tailgate dropped onto my head. )

The joystick has a “rubber” diaphragm which goes between the green plastic and the top case. You then have the two green plastic parts of the joystick and underneath the ring and then the membrane.

Ooh, ow, hope you're feeling better now, that's pretty nasty, most tailgates of that era are pretty heavy :stars:

Thanks for the joystick info, I have all the bits it would seem though the cross piece which is the 'stick' part seems damaged, will get a photo of it. There is about 10-15mms protruding and the top isn't square.

Hope you're OK @stephen_usher ?

I've managed to bang my head with the tailgate on a hatchback (Skoda/VW models, so almost equally sturdy to the Saab) too many times so hope you recover from the blunt force trauma involved very soon!

:awwww:

OK so here are the joystick parts:


The cross piece showing damage:


And a side view of the stick top when assembled showing the top that seems to be damaged, but I'm now thinking that given the dirt inside and that it looks like it was underwater, I'm wondering if it was washed along a concrete floor and it wore down the function keys and the stick top?


It certainly seems a reasonable theory given the top of the stick looks like it was filed down and I'd be very surprised if it was snapped as it seems pretty robust.

Looks like there is enough sticking through for you to 3d print the top piece and just put it on.

PhilC wrote: 04 Aug 2026 22:29 Looks like there is enough sticking through for you to 3d print the top piece and just put it on.

I was hoping that might be the case :)

Looking at the machine I'd plug a bench power supply in, give it 9V with 2A limit and switch on. Nile silt isn't known for being conductive. Connecting a telly via RF should give you a picture.

stephen_usher wrote: 05 Aug 2026 21:01 Looking at the machine I'd plug a bench power supply in, give it 9V with 2A limit and switch on. Nile silt isn't known for being conductive. Connecting a telly via RF should give you a picture.

I am tempted!

stephen_usher wrote: 05 Aug 2026 21:01 Looking at the machine I'd plug a bench power supply in, give it 9V with 2A limit and switch on. Nile silt isn't known for being conductive. Connecting a telly via RF should give you a picture.

OK so I tried and TR2 immediately died but just before it did I had a red LED...

It's a BC337 of which I have spares, however there is a clear short via TR2 as the minute I apply power the bench PSU clamps and I get 2A piling through TR2.

Oddly after replacing TR2 a 2nd time, it seems to be working as expected, It's now pulling about 1.2A...

I have power, I have a good clock.

So I hooked up my janky comp mod and...


My flabber is well and truly ghasted!!!

Even the membrane is 'mostly' working:


I thought I was going to have a fight on my hands. Are these bullet proof?

Yay - quite a result there @rubber_jonnie
:yay2: :cheer: :cheers:

rubber_jonnie wrote: 06 Aug 2026 11:02 I thought I was going to have a fight on my hands. Are these bullet proof?

Mind you, the above might be tempting fate a bit? ;)

JezC wrote: 06 Aug 2026 11:19 Yay - quite a result there @rubber_jonnie
:yay2: :cheer: :cheers:

rubber_jonnie wrote: 06 Aug 2026 11:02 I thought I was going to have a fight on my hands. Are these bullet proof?

Mind you, the above might be tempting fate a bit? ;)

Well it looks like I will need a new membrane as the keys down the middle don't work despite a trim of the ribbons.

Surprised how much does work though.