Don't let me die (some questions)

[wanttofixasteroids]

Hi, I've got some question for all of you.  I'm sorry if this is not the proper forum, but I found this searching for repair asteroids on-line so I thought you all could help.

I may get an asteroids machine from my uncle that I use to play when I was younger.  All that I know is "It doesn't work."  Well, I thought it'd be fun to fix it.  So I was wondering if any of you could give me some general information:

1) What are some common problems for an arcade machine?

2) I don't want to die.  Is there anything I should be aware of before I open the machine up?  I have this image in my mind of me opening the machine, reaching in, and then ZAP!  I'm just a little black pile of ashes on the ground.  It's an amusing image except for the fact that it involves my death.   So any capacitors or other dangerous things I should be aware of?

Also, my NES doesn't work like it used to.  Someone I talked to said that I almost definitely need a new copper 8-pin connector or some such thing.  Who sells them, Nintendo?  Also, what in my NES can kill me?

Finally, what in MAME? I was reading here and many of you mention MAME? What is it?  How do you say it? Mah-may?  Maim?  Is it deadly?  Sounds painful to me 

Oops, also, one last note.  If it's not completely obvious, I have almost zero knowledge about any of this.  True arcades were before my time, but I do really want to fix this machine, as well as my NES.  So I must apologize for my ignorance but I can help bugging you, not if it might get my machine working.

[ChadTower]

Yeah, don't touch the monitor's anode cap or you may die. 

[Stingray]

Also, my NES doesn't work like it used to.  Someone I talked to said that I almost definitely need a new copper 8-pin connector or some such thing.  Who sells them, Nintendo?  Also, what in my NES can kill me?

It's a 72 pin connector actually, and you can get them on ebay every day of the week. As far as I know, an NES is completely harmless when unplugged. The connector is very easy to replace it just slides on & off the motherboard.

-S

[ChadTower]

Not that a new connector will work much better.  Clean the old one with fine grit sandpaper around a credit card.

[RayB]

re the NES: It probably only needs a good cleaning of the contacts. (Use a pink erase on the metal contacts)

[ChadTower]

You can't stick a pink eraser into the 72 pin connector of an NES.

[Stingray]

Pretty sure he meant the contacts on the board, not on the connector.

-S

[ChadTower]

I've opened dozens of NES and the contacts on the board are never a point of failure... if the machine is so dirty that the contacts (which are covered by about 5 layers of plastic) are dirty, the machine is already dead for other reasons.

[RayB]

OK OK , well pink eraser on the contacts of your cartridge pins... and then whatever method you can to clean the contacts of the console's connector.  The point is it's usually just dirty contacts.

[ChadTower]

It's a combination of dirty cartridges, dirty connector pins, and fatigued connector pins.  The connector pins are thin bent metal with no support.  After a while, the pins bend enough out of shape that tight contact is unlikely.  It's a crappy design.

[Stingray]

You can bend them back if you're careful, but that usually doesn't last very long.

-S

[ChadTower]

It won't last long at all because the metal in the pin bend is failing.

[RayB]

BUY A NEW NES

[ChadTower]

Like this one.

I may buy that myself.

[Stingray]

Wow, that's very cool. I hadn't seen that one yet.

-s

[Q*Bert_OP]

MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.

[wanttofixasteroids]

Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.  Got it, thanks!

Don't think I'd recognize an anode cap if I saw one.  Well okay, not to self: Don't Touch Monitor!  That should avoid that.

Okay, and on to the NES.
                                       
 Here's most of what you said ->    ~~~~~~~
 Here's my head ->                                 O

That is it went way over my head.  Guess I have some new terminology to look up tonight, huh?  Anyway, I thought I'd just mention my NES's story.  I'm rather partial to it and would rather not replace it.  It's the first system I ever owned myself (though Atari's the first thing I played) and I will rather biasedly say I think it's the best system ever.  If at all possible I want to fix it.  I've cleaned what part of the cartrages and system you can reach without taking anything apart, and that helps, but my system still seems like it only works when it feels like it.  When I was young, hitting it lightly on the top (I can't believe my parents let me do that ) would make it start working when it wasn't.  That last statement was what made the person I was talking to say I needed another connector.

Oh, and 8, 72, ah, that's only an order of magnitude difference.  I mean, an order of magnitude never caused any real problems, did it?  It's like units, nothing bad happens if your just a little off 

[ArcadeNoob]

speaking of NES........mine is also in need of a fix.  it seems the cartridges dont stay in place when inserted?  all i can say is it plays..........but pretty much if a fan is turned on, it is enough to wiggle it around.  any idea what that problem is?

[ChadTower]

mm trolls.

[Q*Bert_OP]

Notice the thing that looks like a suction cup with a red wire coming out?

That's the anode.

[saint]

The best places to get assistance are the rec.games.video.arcade.collecting newsgroup (RGVAC) which you can reach using Google Groups at http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.games.video.arcade.collecting, and the forums at KLOV (Killer List of Video Games) at http://www.klov.com/.

You're always welcome to fire off questions here as well

MAME, the Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator, is a software program that emulates arcade hardware on a computer. You can find more about it on http://www.mame.net, http://www.mamedev.net, and http://www.mameworld.net (and their "what is MAME" page http://www.mameworld.net/welcome.html).

My NES doesn't work either so I can't help there

--- saint

[wanttofixasteroids]

Okay, thanks for the picture qbert247, that was not what I was picturing in my head.

And thanks saint, I'll try out some of those places later.  I can't wait to have my own Asteroids game!  (Provided my uncle keep his word and give me it...)

[Stingray]

Okay, and on to the NES.
                                       
 Here's most of what you said ->    ~~~~~~~
 Here's my head ->                                 O

Okay, let me elaborate a bit more. The only tool you need as a philips head screwdriver.

First thing you need is a new 72 pin connector. Search ebay, there will be about ten zillion of them listed on any given day.

Next, take the case off NES. I think there are six or seven screws on the bottom that hold it together.

Once you have the cover off you'll see a metal sheild that covers most of the NES's insides. Take that off, it's just more philips head screws.

Next remove the plastic frame that the cartridge slides into, yet more screws hold these on.

Now you're down to the cart connector. It just slides off the board in the same way that a cartridge slides into the other end. There's no soldering involved or anything.

Now clean the contacts on the board. Use Ray's pink eraser suggestion, it will really shine them up.

Slide the new connector on & put everything back on in the reverse order that you took it off.

It's really a very easy repair. Don't forget to clean your cartridges before you put them in your new connector.

-S

[ChadTower]

There are SO MANY pages out there with very detailed NES connector repair info, with step by step pics, he could google it and have all he needs within 90 seconds.

[Stingray]

Well that is true, but I was only trying to emphasise that this is not a complex job. So many people are afraid to try to fix stuff that they won't even open it up and look inside. In my experinece, just about everyone would amaze themselves at what they can accomplish if they just give it a go.

**end motivational speech**

-S

[ChadTower]

Well that is true, but I was only trying to emphasise that this is not a complex job. So many people are afraid to try to fix stuff that they won't even open it up and look inside. In my experinece, just about everyone would amaze themselves at what they can accomplish if they just give it a go.

Yep, and the NES is an easier job than nearly any other on a console.

Of course, if the average person opened up a box like this, the average person would have to spend an hour or two straight actually thinking, and most people these days won't do that.

[Stingray]

Of course, if the average person opened up a box like this, the average person would have to spend an hour or two straight actually thinking, and most people these days won't do that.

Agreed. I led the horse to water. We'll wait and see if he drinks.

-S