From: malay@sae.com (Bob Malay)
Subject: Re: Modifying NES lightgun for Atari 2600/78
Reply-To: malay@sae.com
Organization: Template Software
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 1992 15:03:11 GMT

In article 12292@vpnet.chi.il.us, nickd@vpnet.chi.il.us (Nicholas J. DiMasi) writes:
>In article <1992Jul19.030949.15606@infonode.ingr.com> drudetb@infonode.ingr.com (Ted B. Drude) writes:
>>For anyone intersted in hooking up a Sega light gun to an Atari, here's
>>an email with the details,  which I'm posting for all to read:
>>
>>> .......
>>> Forget the NES.  The best thing you can do is get a Sega light gun,
>>> open it up  carefully, and swap the trigger and ground wires on the
>>> trigger  detector.  Then close it back up, and you'll have a perfectly
>>> good  Atari light gun. 
>>>
>>>  Mine served that duty for many long years on my Atari 800xl.
>>>
>>>  - Mark Hughes                               mhughes@visual.spk.wa.us
>>
>> .......
>
>Hmmmm, I modified a Sega light gun to work with my 130XE, and it was a  bit
>more  complicated  than  that.  I don't have the instructions handy, but it
>involved making a sort of adapter out of a joystick extension  cord.   More
>than  two  of the wires have to be rearranged.  Another thing I remember is
>that when I first tried it on my XE, the gun would fire when  I  _released_
>the  trigger,  not  when I _pressed_ the trigger.  The microswitch that the
>trigger actuates (what Mark calls a "trigger detector") was a NO  (normally
>open)  [or  maybe a NC I don't recall exactly], and the Atari was expecting

This was not necessary - according to the Antic/Analog?? article that gave
the instructions for modifying the Sega light gun the only change to the
trigger mechanism was to swap a few wires - how do I know?, because I have
a working Sega light gun which plugs directly into the joystick port of my
130XE. Also I recall that I didn't have to fool with a joystick extension
card either. I remember taking the gun part and removing entirely the Sega
cord by desoldering the wires - I then used a Radio Shack joystick extension
cable with the female end cut off and soldered this cable to the proper points
in the Sega Light gun. Then I switched the trigger wires, put the case back
together and tried  "Barnyard Blaster".

If anybody is interested I can dig up the Antic/Analog (most likely it was
Analog) article and post a synopsis.


>the opposite "signal", so I went to Radio Snack and bought the  other  type
>microswitch.   It  took  a  bit  of  kludging  to get it mounted in the gun
>properly, but I did it.  (What a way to spend a July 4th weekend!)   Now  I
>can  blast  barnyard beasties or shoot crossbow bolts to my heart's content
>(don't play them much anymore nowadays).
>
>But by all means, folks, try Mark's mod.  If it works, fine.  If not,  mail
>me  and  I'll upload and post the directions (they may be on atari.archive,
>I'm not about to look at the _huge_ Index now!).  Of course, I  could  have
>spliced  the wires, I just liked the "adapter" idea, but then had to change
>the switch anyway.  Maybe some Sega l'guns are different...?
>
>One of the local dealers sells converted Sega  light  guns  for  the  8-bit
>Ataris.   If  you  would  rather  buy  than  hack (they're not outrageously
>expensive as I recall), mail me for the address/telno (he does a mail order
>business).
>
>Nick DiMasi       Internet:  nickd@vpnet.chi.il.us
>                  Delphi:  TURBONICK