Do these exist? Currently I've got an ebay generic replacement in my NES, and while games work, the connector's so ridiculously tight that my fingers are still burning from the games I swapped tonight. It can't be good for the cartridges themselves, and it's definitely not good for my digits. I know Nintendo provided their own replacements at one point, but those don't seem to be available any longer. Are there any manufacturers out there making parts that are similarly easy to use, or at least don't require the sacrifice of a layer of skin every time I change a game?
Replacement NES cartridge connectors that don't suck?
- Thread starter MrGone
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I got two from one guy (thought my first one was a dud) and he told me they're all like that for a reason, to literally force a better contact with the game itself. I'm not sure if that works or not and I'm more afraid that they'll damage the cart contact points.
What I did was wrap some cloth around a butter knife (so it's wide enough to resemble the cart's contacts and just loosened them up a bit by just sliding it in between the connectors and pulling them out a few times and checked with a crappy game until it was loose enough. It takes a lot of work and you have to be careful not to over do it but it helps a bit.
What I did was wrap some cloth around a butter knife (so it's wide enough to resemble the cart's contacts and just loosened them up a bit by just sliding it in between the connectors and pulling them out a few times and checked with a crappy game until it was loose enough. It takes a lot of work and you have to be careful not to over do it but it helps a bit.
Survivor Charlie
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I have a solution. Use a Game Genie! You can find them anywhere. Just pull the plastic tabs off of it, put a game on the Genie, put the Genie in the machine, pull the game out, and presto, the Genie is stuck in the NES.
Now put a game in, don't put any codes in, then press start. BINGO! The game powers up just fine. It's the cheap ass solution to replacing the pin connector and you don't have to cut open your NES! And it works!
Now put a game in, don't put any codes in, then press start. BINGO! The game powers up just fine. It's the cheap ass solution to replacing the pin connector and you don't have to cut open your NES! And it works!
[quote name='Vinny']I got two from one guy (thought my first one was a dud) and he told me they're all like that for a reason, to literally force a better contact with the game itself. I'm not sure if that works or not and I'm more afraid that they'll damage the cart contact points.
What I did was wrap some cloth around a butter knife (so it's wide enough to resemble the cart's contacts and just loosened them up a bit by just sliding it in between the connectors and pulling them out a few times and checked with a crappy game until it was loose enough. It takes a lot of work and you have to be careful not to over do it but it helps a bit.[/quote]
I guess in that respect it does work, but cutting a new channel into the pins to make better contact seems a like overkill. I'd rather have something that I might have to clean once in a while that didn't bite into my hard-sought games like a tiny, irreverent pitbull. The butter knife treatment did seem to help out a little, though.. but it's not quite into the realm of comfort yet.
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']I have a solution. Use a Game Genie! You can find them anywhere. Just pull the plastic tabs off of it, put a game on the Genie, put the Genie in the machine, pull the game out, and presto, the Genie is stuck in the NES.
Now put a game in, don't put any codes in, then press start. BINGO! The game powers up just fine. It's the cheap ass solution to replacing the pin connector and you don't have to cut open your NES! And it works![/quote]
This sounds like a pretty novel solution
Just gotta unearth one of those little gold rapscallions
What I did was wrap some cloth around a butter knife (so it's wide enough to resemble the cart's contacts and just loosened them up a bit by just sliding it in between the connectors and pulling them out a few times and checked with a crappy game until it was loose enough. It takes a lot of work and you have to be careful not to over do it but it helps a bit.[/quote]
I guess in that respect it does work, but cutting a new channel into the pins to make better contact seems a like overkill. I'd rather have something that I might have to clean once in a while that didn't bite into my hard-sought games like a tiny, irreverent pitbull. The butter knife treatment did seem to help out a little, though.. but it's not quite into the realm of comfort yet.
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']I have a solution. Use a Game Genie! You can find them anywhere. Just pull the plastic tabs off of it, put a game on the Genie, put the Genie in the machine, pull the game out, and presto, the Genie is stuck in the NES.
Now put a game in, don't put any codes in, then press start. BINGO! The game powers up just fine. It's the cheap ass solution to replacing the pin connector and you don't have to cut open your NES! And it works![/quote]
This sounds like a pretty novel solution
Just gotta unearth one of those little gold rapscallions
Survivor Charlie
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It's novel, but it does work. I've been using the Game Genie as a NES booter for years. It cuts down the failure 75% of the time, which is about as good as a new pin connector does. I rebuilt an NES using a new pin connector, new power supply, etc. It booted up just as well as the NES did when I used the Game Genie. So all in all, the Pin Connector is just a big hassle IMO. There are almost four million Game Genies in North America and you can find them pretty much anywhere. I've got a bunch myself. It works. Spread the word.
When you get the blinking or the blue screen, it's not always the connector. Sometimes it's the game itself.
When you get the blinking or the blue screen, it's not always the connector. Sometimes it's the game itself.
Will D Thrill
CAGiversary!
Listen to me and you'll have a brand new NES within a week. Follow this link and buy the 72pin repair kit.
http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/shopexd.asp?id=78&bc=no
Install this and your NES will work like brand new. I did this a couple of years ago and it turned my NES from being a non working pice of trash to a stress free 100% working NES just like it was new out of the box. Oh and the install is VERY easy. The NES components aren't that complicated so with a little common sense you'll have no problem There's only one tricky part but it's not that bad. Just make sure you take thngs apart slowly and study/observe what you're doing because you'll have to do everything in reverse to complete the install.
Also if you don't already have the custom allen wrenches for NES, SNES and N64 games you can get them at the same web site. I ordered the repair kit with the cleaning agents and fixed my NES as well as took apart EVERY NES, SNES & N64 and cleaned them up. I not only cleaned the connectores I also cleaned the cartridges that collected dirt over the years or from whoever owned them prior to me purchasing them. Everything looks brand new and works brand new.
I HIGHLY suggest ANYONE with this problem to do this. I got great service from this guy and quick shipping.
http://www.nintendorepairshop.com/shopexd.asp?id=78&bc=no
Install this and your NES will work like brand new. I did this a couple of years ago and it turned my NES from being a non working pice of trash to a stress free 100% working NES just like it was new out of the box. Oh and the install is VERY easy. The NES components aren't that complicated so with a little common sense you'll have no problem There's only one tricky part but it's not that bad. Just make sure you take thngs apart slowly and study/observe what you're doing because you'll have to do everything in reverse to complete the install.
Also if you don't already have the custom allen wrenches for NES, SNES and N64 games you can get them at the same web site. I ordered the repair kit with the cleaning agents and fixed my NES as well as took apart EVERY NES, SNES & N64 and cleaned them up. I not only cleaned the connectores I also cleaned the cartridges that collected dirt over the years or from whoever owned them prior to me purchasing them. Everything looks brand new and works brand new.
I HIGHLY suggest ANYONE with this problem to do this. I got great service from this guy and quick shipping.
Will D Thrill
CAGiversary!
Alright, in case you guys didn't know, this is what happens inside your NES and why it slowly stops working over time:
The 72 pin connector has 72 'springs' that line up with your NES cart copper connectors. The moment you insert a cartridge into the 72pin connecter those springs are pushed back thus making a connection with the system and the cartridge. Over time those springs get loose and don't 'spring back' to make a good connection with the copper cartridge connectors thus causing all of the dicking around with getting a cart to work. The biggest no-no that most of us used to do is leaving a cartridge in the NES when you're not playing it, DO NOT DO THIS. Take the cartridges out when you're done because if you don't those springs on the 72pin are just getting stretched until they no longer are able to make a connection.
There is a way of fixing this without buying a new 72pin connector but it is crazy and ridiculous in my book and the second you actually look at the 72pin in real life most people will say
THAT to this method (see Vinny's post above). You can take a small screw driver or whatever small tool will work and pull on each pin to bend it back in place. This is only a temporary fix since at some point if you keep doring this the metal will just break. But trust me, it is ludicrus to even do this when you have access to the brand new part for cheap.
The 72 pin connector has 72 'springs' that line up with your NES cart copper connectors. The moment you insert a cartridge into the 72pin connecter those springs are pushed back thus making a connection with the system and the cartridge. Over time those springs get loose and don't 'spring back' to make a good connection with the copper cartridge connectors thus causing all of the dicking around with getting a cart to work. The biggest no-no that most of us used to do is leaving a cartridge in the NES when you're not playing it, DO NOT DO THIS. Take the cartridges out when you're done because if you don't those springs on the 72pin are just getting stretched until they no longer are able to make a connection.
There is a way of fixing this without buying a new 72pin connector but it is crazy and ridiculous in my book and the second you actually look at the 72pin in real life most people will say
THAT to this method (see Vinny's post above). You can take a small screw driver or whatever small tool will work and pull on each pin to bend it back in place. This is only a temporary fix since at some point if you keep doring this the metal will just break. But trust me, it is ludicrus to even do this when you have access to the brand new part for cheap.
I installed one connector in my NES a couple years ago and now I have to use a game genie to get the games to play, I think I got a dud of a connector from ebay.
I installed another connector in another NES last year so I could resell the NES and this one worked really well, the connector was very good, I bought the connector from ebay as welll.
FYI most ebay sellers will guarantee the connector they sell you is good, if you get a dud within 90 days or something, they will probably send you a new one for free. Most connectors will feel stiff at first but they should gradually loosen up after the first couple uses.
I installed another connector in another NES last year so I could resell the NES and this one worked really well, the connector was very good, I bought the connector from ebay as welll.
FYI most ebay sellers will guarantee the connector they sell you is good, if you get a dud within 90 days or something, they will probably send you a new one for free. Most connectors will feel stiff at first but they should gradually loosen up after the first couple uses.
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