NES will not power on (no red light)

treismactreismac
in Help Wanted!


 



I was given 5 non-working Nintendo Entertainment Systems today at the flea market by a vendor. 3 of them just needed their 72-pin connectors cleaned, but 2 of them won't even flash a red light when I push their power button. The problem is definitely not the power adapter as I used the same one for all 5 of them. When I press the power button the tv acts like "something" (a nearly insignificant audio pop and brief, faint horizontal line flashes) happened but the screen remains black. A little research has uncovered this webpage that states:



"You know that your DC-in board is bad when the game console will not power on. The only way to resolve this problem is to replace the DC-in board."



Does this seem likely/plausible?

Comments

  • mickcrismickcris
    Take the top off and measure the voltage coming from the output of the 7805 voltage regulator. Should be about 5v.
  • RetroHackerRetroHacker
    Don't need to replace the DC-in board - probably just a blown voltage regulator (7805). Or, perhaps a bad diode or power connector. This circuit is super simple, just troubleshoot it with a multimeter and it'll lead you to the bad part in seconds. Check the output of the 7805, and the input - if you're getting nothing at the input either, follow it back, and see if one or more of the four rectifier diodes is open, and of course, verify that the power connector itself isn't broken or cracked off the board. Also, if the capacitor is blown, you'll get really erratic readings.



    -Ian
  • treismactreismac
    Thanks for the input! Looks like I'm off to grab a couple 7805 voltage regulators from Radio Shack today.
  • RetroHackerRetroHacker
    But, is the voltage regulator actually bad? Check it before you go replacing parts randomly. It could very easily be something else, like a cracked solder joint at the power connector.



    First check the output. Then if you get nothing, check the input. If you still get nothing, work your way back.



    -Ian
  • ViceProjectDoomViceProjectDoom
    Reviving this thread because I have the same issue with some NES's. Can anyone provide a more detailed explanation on this? Is there a tutorial? I searched youtube all night and all the videos are how to fix the blinking light. Even a guide to basic multimeter usage would be helpful. Thanks
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