It always happens to me - NES from eBay doesn't work properly

[Kikoskia]

It always seems to happen to me. My NES finally turns up and at first, all seems good. Then, after a little while, the colors go on the fritz. The colors will flash between color and black and white constantly and this is only after a little while playing. Turning the console off for a little while and constant blowing of the cartridge and connectors with compressed air seems to do SOMETHING, but the problem ISN'T going away.

I've contacted the seller about it, but I want to ask you lot about it; any ideas on what you think needs to be done? :(

[playgen]

Nes consoles are famous for this, you can try cleaning the connecting edge of the carts, but chances are the cartridge connector in the console is at fault. The pins on them bend out of place, you can get replacement connectors easily enough on ebay.

[Rusty Venture]

Shit, I'd be freaked out if you got an NES that didn't do that.

Buy a replacement 72-pin connector on Ebay but beware that the blinking and having to deliver "NES blowjobs" is only going to return in the future.

[evildragon]

Shit, I'd be freaked out if you got an NES that didn't do that.

Buy a replacement 72-pin connector on Ebay but beware that the blinking and having to deliver "NES blowjobs" is only going to return in the future.
the replacement connector won't help for the Chroma Encoder, that's only for not loading or corrupted graphics.

the PPU in the NES just lose their color for some reason.. it might be a crystal or electrolytic cap thing..

[Genesis Knight]

Yeah, the NES is probably the worst classic console around for dying. The rumor is that there's going to be a near-100% failure rate here in the next couple of years.

[evildragon]

mine won't be that percentage :p

All my consoles, when they hit 20 years old, get all the resistors, and electrolytic replaced, along with the crystals and oscillators..

My NES is going to be getting this treatment soon. My Atari 2600 already got that treatment, and works good as new again. (and damn, that's one hell of a electrolytic that has!)

[Kikoskia]

Hmmm...

Seems like it was an RF problem. :)

I tried it on another TV, an older one, and it's working fine. So now I have TWO TVs in my room.

Phew, that could have been REALLY bad...

[evildragon]

use the AV connector on the side.

If that doesn't help, does the black and white problem TV happen to be an APEX?

[AD2101]

The rumor is that there's going to be a near-100% failure rate here in the next couple of years.

Woa do you have a link handy for that by any chance? I was gonna try to trade mine for a master system but if thats even close to accurate I might just hold onto my little neglected NES.

[Kikoskia]

I'll think about the AV connector, they shouldn't be too costly. If not, I am fine using another TV.

[playgen]

They just use standard red/yellow/white leads AV leads, can get them anywhere for next to nothing.

[Genesis Knight]

Woa do you have a link handy for that by any chance? I was gonna try to trade mine for a master system but if thats even close to accurate I might just hold onto my little neglected NES.

I said it was a rumor because I can't back it up with a link, although I know I read it on a Digg'd tech entry a few weeks ago. There was an article talking about alternatives to the original NES, since so many NESes are failing. And suprisingly (to me), there are actually quite a few NES clones that are apparently of pretty high quality, so you might want to check into that.

[BlueBlur]

One clone system that I actually own is called the FC Twin. Not only does it play NES games, it plays Super NES games too, eliminating the need to have two systems hooked up. I never had a Super NES before, so that's half the reason I bought it (rather than pay for a used system and then have it go on the fritz). Apparently, this thing is legal since Nintendo's patent on the hardware ran out (or so I was told at the game shop I bought it from). If you can find one, it's not a bad investment. One caveat, though: there are a few games (some of them popular) that won't work with it for some reason. Wikipedia has a list, so take a look and see if the loss of any of those would be a sticking point.

[Gentlegamer]

mine won't be that percentage :p

All my consoles, when they hit 20 years old, get all the resistors, and electrolytic replaced, along with the crystals and oscillators..

My NES is going to be getting this treatment soon. My Atari 2600 already got that treatment, and works good as new again. (and damn, that's one hell of a electrolytic that has!)For those without the technical skills, where can such service be performed?

[evildragon]

Any electrical service center should (if they even still exist).

I could do them too, if you live in florida.