Soldering Ms. Pac cocktail start buttons

enjoyvelvet

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Have a Ms. Pac cocktail and I want to replace the player 1 and player 2 start buttons the control panel. The bottom of the buttons have 3 prongs and the markings "a b c" next to each prong. Does it matter which prong I solder to so long as one is grounded and the other is the positive? My first soldering experience! woo! Thanks in advance
 
It does matter. Standard buttons have three contacts - a normally open, a normally closed, and common. Common goes to ground (traditionally), and then most games use the normally open position. In a standard microswitch, these are labelled - but on those pushbuttons, they may not be. Very easy to find out which is which with a meter.


-Ian
 
Have a Ms. Pac cocktail and I want to replace the player 1 and player 2 start buttons the control panel. The bottom of the buttons have 3 prongs and the markings "a b c" next to each prong. Does it matter which prong I solder to so long as one is grounded and the other is the positive? My first soldering experience! woo! Thanks in advance

Also, I'm not sure which microswitches you use, but you probably want to use quick disconnects instead of soldering directly to the switch. That way, if you accidentally put a wire on the wrong lead, it's a matter of just moving it... you don't need to desolder, clean, resolder, etc.
 
ok good idea. Do they make disconnects for the small prong? I've never seen em in that size. If I were to test using a meter how would I do so? Thanks guys

Also, I'm not sure which microswitches you use, but you probably want to use quick disconnects instead of soldering directly to the switch. That way, if you accidentally put a wire on the wrong lead, it's a matter of just moving it... you don't need to desolder, clean, resolder, etc.
 
These aren't going to be standard microswitches if they're the start buttons on a Pac cocktail. I doubt you'll get quick disconnects to fit on them. The original buttons should have been soldered - so I'd solder in the replacements.

The quick disconnects are great for standard microswitches though.

On a regular joystick or button microswitch, the common or ground terminal will be the bent one on the long side, and the normally open one will be the one closest to that. But this is going to be a small pushbutton - so the common is probably in the center.

Check continuity between the center pin and one of the others, and find the one that's open. Press the button and it should show closed. Those are the two you want to use.

-Ian
 
FWIW I've used .187 quick disconnects on small prongs before. Sure, they don't fit properly, but if you give them a little crimp they stay on well. Still, I've got no experience with this first hand, so if other people say soldering is the way to go, then soldering is the way to go.
 
soldering it is then. I need to improve my soldering skills for sure I can tell you that...so red wire is common ground to the middle pin...thank you.
 
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