So I purchased a front-loading NES unit off eBay (seller claimed it had a brand new 72-pin connector in it), which included some games as well. I did this because my top-loader is wonderfully plagued by shitty RF output and the "banding" problem. Oce I received the NES I found the shipper had decided to ship it with a cartridge in the slot to save room inside the shipping box. Idiot.
Only a few of my NES carts, including ones that came with the system, actually work when inserted into the slot. Otherwise I get either CIC problems (blinking power LED) or garbled CHR on-screen (more common). All of them work as long as I press down hard enough on the cart while the system is on. (And boy composite out on the front-loader sure looks beautiful compared to the top-loader!)
Naturally my first conclusion was "the idiot stressed the pins shipping the thing with a cart in it", followed by "this isn't a new 72-pin connector at all, I bet I end up having to buy a new one".
So I cleaned all the edge connectors with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. No difference.
Then I tried using a small/thin screwdriver and a bobby pin to lift the pins on the 72-pin connector "upwards" a bit. Again: no difference.
Finally I bought a replacement/new 72-pin connector and installed it tonight. The cartridges felt a lot more tight/stiff when being inserted. But, no difference.
The NES itself is not faulty -- what appears to be the problem is the spring-loading mechanism not pushing the carts down far enough (e.g. some of the pin contacts aren't making good/firm contact with the cartridges).
I remember dealing with this exact problem back when I was a kid. All I can find online are nutballs talking about replacing the 72-pin connector, and some places talking about how the quality of the connector matters (but nobody providing validation of that, nor any alternate vendors).
I remember Memblers (?) talking about cartridge PCB thickness making a huge difference, so I imagine some of the carts I have use thinner PCBs than what the edge connectors are permitting, thus shoddy contacts. Not much I can do about that.
I'm looking for recommendations on how to fix this problem permanently (besides doing stupid crap like shoving cardboard in the connector slot alongside a cartridge), or if the 72-pin connector is in fact the issue, recommendations on reputable places to buy a replacement (money isn't too big of an issue, but I'm not going to pay $100 for a connector, obviously :P).
Thanks.
Only a few of my NES carts, including ones that came with the system, actually work when inserted into the slot. Otherwise I get either CIC problems (blinking power LED) or garbled CHR on-screen (more common). All of them work as long as I press down hard enough on the cart while the system is on. (And boy composite out on the front-loader sure looks beautiful compared to the top-loader!)
Naturally my first conclusion was "the idiot stressed the pins shipping the thing with a cart in it", followed by "this isn't a new 72-pin connector at all, I bet I end up having to buy a new one".
So I cleaned all the edge connectors with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. No difference.
Then I tried using a small/thin screwdriver and a bobby pin to lift the pins on the 72-pin connector "upwards" a bit. Again: no difference.
Finally I bought a replacement/new 72-pin connector and installed it tonight. The cartridges felt a lot more tight/stiff when being inserted. But, no difference.
The NES itself is not faulty -- what appears to be the problem is the spring-loading mechanism not pushing the carts down far enough (e.g. some of the pin contacts aren't making good/firm contact with the cartridges).
I remember dealing with this exact problem back when I was a kid. All I can find online are nutballs talking about replacing the 72-pin connector, and some places talking about how the quality of the connector matters (but nobody providing validation of that, nor any alternate vendors).
I remember Memblers (?) talking about cartridge PCB thickness making a huge difference, so I imagine some of the carts I have use thinner PCBs than what the edge connectors are permitting, thus shoddy contacts. Not much I can do about that.
I'm looking for recommendations on how to fix this problem permanently (besides doing stupid crap like shoving cardboard in the connector slot alongside a cartridge), or if the 72-pin connector is in fact the issue, recommendations on reputable places to buy a replacement (money isn't too big of an issue, but I'm not going to pay $100 for a connector, obviously :P).
Thanks.