God Damn Blinking Light

RAWTalentRAWTalent
in Help Wanted!
I'm sure you know the story, wake up to find a nice pile of NES cartridges lying on your mat, open the jiffy, alphabetize and then fire one up. 

Unfortunately this is where my weekend plans blew up. The darn blinking red light! Now of course I have ordered myself a new 72 pin which should be here early next week, but as for now I can only seem to get games half working my faffing about and making sure they sit just right.

Already tried cleaning/bending the pins with no luck, same old blinking light.
Anyone got a short term fix so I can at least play until tuesday when my connector arrives?

Or am I stuck watching this all day?

image


Comments

  • buttheadrulesagainbuttheadrulesagain
    That gif is simple but awesome. For your blinking problem, you can try cleaning both the games and the console. Or moving around the cart inside the console (left to right, or try a little bit less deep) while down and ON, pressing reset each time you change position.
  • OtterOtter
    Take the pin out and boil the son of a bitch for 10 min. In a pan on the stove....then dry it in the oven for 10 min. Or use a blow dryer.
  • K.ThrowerK.Thrower
    Try the trick where you put another game in on top of the game you're playing. It puts more pressure on the pins.
  • cosmicjimcosmicjim
    Needs more cleaning OR....If you opened it up and took it apart you might have messed with the orientation. Try turning it on with the game in the up position.  
  • AquanisticAquanistic
    Originally posted by: otterpop

    Take the pin out and boil the son of a bitch for 10 min. In a pan on the stove....then dry it in the oven for 10 min. Or use a blow dryer.


    Believe it or not, this actually works.  I did it myself and I haven't had many problems since.  
  • RAWTalentRAWTalent
    O...k how does that work? Metal expansion? Odd, will try tomorrow, however I may have accidently purchased another NES, so that my existing one when I have refurbished it can be transformed into a Nintoaster, because my toaster broke today and so it seems fate has come knocking!
  • Kosmic StarDustKosmic StarDust
    You can try the lockout mod by cutting pin four of the lockout chip. It makes the system a hell of a lot more reliable and opens up the possibility of imports. Even if the graphics are FUBAR when you power it on, at least you'll see something. Nothing is more obnoxious than a blinky screen. I did mine and have no regrets. Do some research beforehand!



    Those aftermarket pin connectors are tough as nails. When you get yours installed, you will notice clean loading games off the bat. Only downside is they grip the cart really hard, so you'll have to wrestle with the carts a bit to pull them out. I recommend when you get your new one, not to push the cartridges down but let them "float". That will minimize flexural stress on the connector pins over time and hopefully lead to a longer lifespan. Always clean your cartridges with Q-Tips and 91% Rubbing Alcohol. "Blowing" the carts is usually not enough. You'll be amazed at how much black sooty grime can come off of those seemingly clean contacts. Hope this helps...
  • cosmicjimcosmicjim
    Did you not try turning it on with the game in the up position?(because you said you took it apart). Blinking means that it's not completing the circuit to the lock out chip. It's either still dirty or the pins aren't touching the cart pins. If it's not still dirty(probably is), you either botched the bending job or taking it apart and putting it back together changed when the pins exert pressure on the cart requiring the up position of the cart....
  • RAWTalentRAWTalent
    Yeah I can get it to work like that with every game except Excite bike, but I am guessing that's more likely the cart, thanks all this will tide me over until my new 72 pin or my refurbished, region free NES arrives
  • AJoyce86AJoyce86
    Originally posted by: otterpop

    Take the pin out and boil the son of a bitch for 10 min. In a pan on the stove....then dry it in the oven for 10 min. Or use a blow dryer.


    I have always had one question about this method... Yes it works in most cases, but...

    Who the hell thought it up? Who was the first person to boil and bake a 72 pin connector?
  • cosmicjimcosmicjim
    Boiling it just cleans it. That's a hell of a way to clean something....
  • RAWTalentRAWTalent
    I guess someone who realizes that metal expands, at risks ruining there console
  • ElijahElijah
    Snip the lockout chip pin
  • ZingZing
    Boiling works. I've done it to 5-6 pin connectors and it worked every time. These were connectors that blinked either all or most of the time. I have put three of them in systems so far and none of them have blinked a single time yet.



    Do the boil, save yourself the money and effort in acquiring a junky, death grip replacement connector.
  • BouncekDeLemosBouncekDeLemos
    Boiling? 0_o I would try to AVOID moisture in my electronics... what with oxidation and all.



    I would just clean the carts and disable the lockout chip (cutting pin #4).
  • removed04092017removed04092017
    Originally posted by: BouncekDeLemos

    Boiling? 0_o I would try to AVOID moisture in my electronics... what with oxidation and all.



    I would just clean the carts and disable the lockout chip (cutting pin #4).


    Well there's a difference between getting them wet, getting them wet while running, and then getting them wet for a long time because you can't dry them properly. The connector is just a piece of plastic and some contacts anyway, I'd say try it. It can't hurt it, just try to dry it off real good and maybe also clean the contacts with a toothbrush. I do this with SNES/N46/Sega systems and it helps a lot. If your N64 flakes out about 5-minutes in, clean the game and the connector inside it and it'll be perfect again.
  • cradelitcradelit
    Your problem is that your power button isn't pushed in on your nes.
  • BouncekDeLemosBouncekDeLemos
    Originally posted by: 3GenGames

    Originally posted by: BouncekDeLemos

    Boiling? 0_o I would try to AVOID moisture in my electronics... what with oxidation and all.



    I would just clean the carts and disable the lockout chip (cutting pin #4).


    Well there's a difference between getting them wet, getting them wet while running, and then getting them wet for a long time because you can't dry them properly. The connector is just a piece of plastic and some contacts anyway, I'd say try it. It can't hurt it, just try to dry it off real good and maybe also clean the contacts with a toothbrush. I do this with SNES/N46/Sega systems and it helps a lot. If your N64 flakes out about 5-minutes in, clean the game and the connector inside it and it'll be perfect again.

    I still say it's weird IMO. What does boiling do besides ridding the metal of contaminates? Can't you do that with some sort of quick drying cleaner?

    I say if anyone's gonna boil them, dry them completely and apply some sort of protection on them like a quick dry contact spray or something. And when I mean dry, I mean sit there and dry them, don't leave them out to dry. Use a blow dryer maybe. Water + Air = Possible corrosion so just be careful I guess.

    Man, Nintendo contacts in the pot boiling (contact fix), 360 and PS3 boards in the oven (overheating fix), and before we know it, Wii's will be in the microwave. Now I'm hungry. lol 

  • Kosmic StarDustKosmic StarDust
    I'm almost tempted to try this "boiling" thing and see if it works. I'm constantly getting black dust off my cartridge contacts with Q-Tips and Alcohol, but I don't have any reliable method for getting the dust off the contact connectors. The parts are made out of hi-quality thermoplastics so the melting point should be well above boiling temperatures. One thing I'm concerned about is it sticking and melting to the bottom of the pot (the metal pot bottom can sometimes be a good bit hotter than the water). 175-200 (F) should be a decent temp to dry the water out fast without overcooking it.

    EDIT:
    Originally posted by: CUSTOM NES GUY

    Originally posted by: otterpop

    Take
    the pin out and boil the son of a bitch for 10 min. In a pan on the
    stove....then dry it in the oven for 10 min. Or use a blow dryer.



    This method does not work for me. Ive boiled sets of 4 or 5 connectors 4 or 5 different times. Didnt help them much.

    I tried this, it didn't improve the old connector at all. I still have to stick a cassette tape in there to hold the door somewhere about halfway in order to get most of my carts to work. I re-swapped it for the new  death-grip connector I had in there before. Yes, the aftermarket adapters are tight as hell, but that's why they work so well.

  • Ic3M4nIc3M4n
    I just did this. I boiled for about 10 min. Spun excess water out in a towel, baked @200 for 10 min. Let cool some more. I brasso cleaned the board and then wiped residue off w/alcohol and it does seem to make the pin work better, however i'm disaapointed that the cart still needs to be pushed around to get it to fire up.



    I was hoping this would make it work 1st time cart is pushed in...owell. It didn't meet my expectations but I guess it's better.
  • EnslavedEnslaved
    Maybe your lockout chip is malfunctioning, have you tried to disable it?
  • buttheadrulesagainbuttheadrulesagain
    Originally posted by: Ic3M4n

    I just did this. I boiled for about 10 min. Spun excess water out in a towel, baked @200 for 10 min. Let cool some more. I brasso cleaned the board and then wiped residue off w/alcohol and it does seem to make the pin work better, however i'm disaapointed that the cart still needs to be pushed around to get it to fire up.



    I was hoping this would make it work 1st time cart is pushed in...owell. It didn't meet my expectations but I guess it's better.




    You can try bending out the pins with a security pin, they get bent with time, and it's hard for them to make contact with the cart's contacts. Mind you that bending the pins will make the grip on the carts stronger (you'll have to pushi in - pull out the carts harder), but this may make the games load in the first try. That's how I made my childhood NES work again. Check here for more details, it's almost at the end of the page, before "Arcade style controller". http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/nes_mod/nes_mod_en.php
  • suicidalparrotsuicidalparrot
    Originally posted by: buttheadrulesagain




    You can try bending out the pins with a security pin, they get bent with time, and it's hard for them to make contact with the cart's contacts. Mind you that bending the pins will make the grip on the carts stronger (you'll have to pushi in - pull out the carts harder), but this may make the games load in the first try. That's how I made my childhood NES work again. Check here for more details, it's almost at the end of the page, before "Arcade style controller". http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/nes_mod/nes_mod_en.php


    This is my preferred method as well. I've tried both and always had much better results with bending the pins. This is also how I got my childhood NES back into tip top shape.
  • CUSTOM NES GUYCUSTOM NES GUY
    Originally posted by: otterpop

    Take the pin out and boil the son of a bitch for 10 min. In a pan on the stove....then dry it in the oven for 10 min. Or use a blow dryer.



    This method does not work for me. Ive boiled sets of 4 or 5 connectors 4 or 5 different times. Didnt help them much.
  • Ic3M4nIc3M4n
    Actually I just want to do an update on this boil and bake process. I am in the process of selling a crapload of stuff and I have about 6 nes systems to get rid of and like 100 games.

    So I figured the people on this site know what they are talking about and I'll give it a whirl again. However this time I took apart 4 systems and boiled/baked 4 pins to save time.

    I brassod the shit out of the boards on them all and when I was done somehow I misconfigured the pressure on every damn system lol. I was like wtf by then I was so annoyed I said screw it I'll deal w/them later. Regardless I could still get the games down and they were not working right.

    So I went to sleep and took themn all apart again this time using a cart to test the tray instead of just testing for the click lock. I then scrubbed a mario till it was clean as a whistle and tested each system and I have to say I am super amazed as somehow after sitting and cooling down the pins got tighter and works 1st time on every system.

    I even grabbed the 1st one I did and that works awesome. The only thing I noticed is the game seems to pull some residue out of the system so inserting the game a few times and cleaning cart again makes a huge difference.

    So anyone doubting this just follow these steps.

    Remove pin. Boil for 10 min.

    spin in a towl

    bake for 10 min at 200

    brasso the pin connectors on board and scrub the shit outta them, you will get lots of black off

    I then use alcohol and swipe the residue off, I have learned from cleaning carts this makes a huge difference.

    Then reasemble however let system sit for awhile mine sat about 7 hrs. Then adjust tray screws for proper click fitting w/game!

    Reassemble system and place a clean cart in and out a few times re-clean cart and BOOM. That shit will work like new.
  • Ic3M4nIc3M4n
    Originally posted by: Enslaved

    Maybe your lockout chip is malfunctioning, have you tried to disable it?



    Yea that system I did 1st had the pin broken. The key here is letting the pin cool. That makes a huge ass difference.
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