Getting a NES power adapter

My old NES power adapter bit the dust. My NES still works since I used a retro bit 3 in 1 that I have but don't really trust it since it feels cheap. Would using retro 3 in 1 be good enough to be rely on or should I order a better adapter? Any suggestion on a new power adapter would help.

Comments

  • Is that the more common DC adapter floating around?



    As long as it's the correct voltage, I wouldn't be too worried about a DC adapter.

    (and in fact, I prefer one since it pretty much takes the NES power supply out of the loop and reduces wear-and-tear on the system)
  • A Genesis Model 1/SegaCD/Jaguar adapter will work on an NES if you have any of those laying around. The barrel plug the NES uses and 9v/1amp specs are common specs for AC adapters, you might find a compatible adapter at a flea market or thrift store. Just make sure the polarity is correct.
  • A Nes uses AC so polarity doesn't matter.
  • The retro 3-in-1 is the one with a SNES and NES end coming out of a joint correct? I use one.



    There really aren't many "cheap" adapters anymore since they are all cheap. Cheap isn't bad in this case it just means the technology is to a point that they are all made the same and that same is very good. They waste less power, last longer, and are safer than the old ones.



    You can just get a 9v barrel plug off ebay if you don't want the 3-in-1. I'm not fond of the design if you only need one end.
  • I find that the common "3 n 1" adapters are crap.



    They often give interference on the screen. Large static/fuzz rolling bars will move along the screen.

    I have a bunch here but refuse to sell them.



    Most noticeable on clear RGB displays, hard to notice on RF.
  • I found that the static is less if both ends are plugged in. I know that doesn't make sense from any viewpoint that I understand however. I don't like the idea of a hot wire being unplugged anyway even if it's 12v and only one polarity.
  • Originally posted by: mkiker2089



    The retro 3-in-1 is the one with a SNES and NES end coming out of a joint correct? I use one.



    There really aren't many "cheap" adapters anymore since they are all cheap. Cheap isn't bad in this case it just means the technology is to a point that they are all made the same and that same is very good. They waste less power, last longer, and are safer than the old ones.



    You can just get a 9v barrel plug off ebay if you don't want the 3-in-1. I'm not fond of the design if you only need one end.



    Eh, I wouldn't say that. If you'd watched any of those counterfeit iPhone charger comparisons you'd see just how dangerous cheap stuff can be. That said, I recently bought a RetroBit 3-in-1for my Super Famicom and gave it away to someone who needed it when I found the correct plug. The problem he was having was that his NES would not work/boot half the time with the original Nintendo-brand plug. It took a while to diagnose because we assumed it was connector-related until we swapped a few consoles around and realized that the problem followed the plug and not a particular console. It solved his problem, so I will admit that it was better than the original in some way, but I was turned off by one thing: They didn't seem to use the extra space inside to fit better components. One of the main reasons counterfeit Apple 1" cube chargers are so dangerous is that they try to get away with cheaper/fewer components to fit in the same footprint as Apple's where larger third-party power supplies aren't as bad. This Retrobit plug had a nice big wall-wart as if it were an inductive transformer even though the weight gives it away: it's almost empty so clearly it is of the modern switching design. If they used cheaper, larger components it would have filled out nicer and weighed more. I didn't open it but I half expect to find a counterfeit Apple cube charger inside.
  • They aren't terrible. I have bought a few ($3 each) to sell with some repaired consoles. I usually try to find OEM ones at local junk/thrift stores though, or at least a single plug adapter.
  • id just go to a thrift store and look through the power blocks till i find a matching voltage and amps
  • I tried the Yobo 3-in-1 Power Adapter and do not recommend it. It has plugs for Genesis and SNES. It works, however the nameplate reads 9V DC. I tested it with my multimeter. 14V no load, about 13V under load. Sorry that's too much juice for the 7805 regulator inside the console. They are designed to take 7-11V DC. Less than 6.5V and the output will dip below 5V. Too high voltage input and it will dump the excess voltage drop as waste heat, getting hot during use and potentially shorten it's component life. A console with a blown regulator will not power on.



    I cut the cables on that POS unregulated adapter and used the tips to create my own console adapter from another 9V brick. I created a "Frankendaptor," using three tips to run Atari (1/8 phono jack, +tip), NES, Famicom, Genesis, and Turbografx (standard barrel, -tip), and SNES (inverted barrel, +tip).

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