Technical and Repair Assistance

Started by b3b0palula, September 10, 2006, 01:08:43 am

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Xious

You want this 500W transformer and yes, that's a great price. I have several from this manufacturer (including the 1KW model for my tech stations), and they all work splendidly. No worries: 500W is all you'll need.  :bomb:

wolf9545

This seems to be a very common question about the Voltage.  I know I have used my Famicom by just plugging it straight into the wall with the original AC adapter and it worked fine.  There are a lot of other people that also use their foreign systems without an step up/down converter.  It won't hurt to have one but, I might be wrong on the precentage, I believe that the range of accepted voltage on a house is 10%.  That means that the 120V of the house can be from 108V to 132V.  Sorry if the 10% is wrong but that is what I thought I remember from my electrician buddy.

ericj

February 04, 2011, 08:51:07 am #1367 Last Edit: February 04, 2011, 09:36:27 am by ericj
IIRC, it typically ranges from ~110-125V.  From what I've read, the 10% variance for homes is correct.

Either way, that's why there's an internal voltage regulator to take it down to 5V from whatever the voltage from the ac adapter is (provided it's within tolerance of the 7805). I'd rather replace 20 fifteen-cent 7805 voltage regulators than buy a $40 step-down converter.

But, like you, I've never had a problem without one. The 100V-input ac adapter will just put out slightly higher voltage (~20%) than it specifies when used on 120V, which is still within acceptable range for the 7805. Could the extra heat from using it on a 120V outlet decrease the ac adapter's lifespan? Quite possibly. That's why it's up to you if you want to use one. I personally don't think it's worth the fuss. A quality surge protector would be a wiser investment.

FWIW, an aftermarket ac adapter made for 120V would be a lot cheaper, and then there'd be no worry about destroying the original, which you could just keep in a box somewhere.

Feel free to disagree. I'll accept a logical, well thought-out reason for using one, but I've yet to be convinced.

P

February 12, 2011, 10:25:42 am #1368 Last Edit: February 13, 2011, 11:05:10 am by P
Hello! I recently bought an AV modded Famicom and tried to hook it up to my LCD TV.

I have 2 problems, one is that the picture flashes red and green all the time, it's very tiring for the eyes and makes it unplayable. I tried another AV modded Famicom and it doesn't have that problem, so it's not the TV. Is this a common problem with AV mods? I couldn't find anyone with a similar problem at least.

The other problem is that it's hard to get a picture to show up on the TV in the first place. I get sound but to get a picture I have to change source many times and eventually it usually works. It's the same with both the working one and the one that flashes green and red. I heard that the Famicom may have trouble with newer TV-sets.
I tried it at a friends place that has the exact same TV model as I have and now it doesn't work at all! No sound either. Both the working one and the one with a flashing picture. Did it break when I transported it? I was very careful. Or maybe the TV is different somehow. I'm going to test them on my TV again as soon as I can.

The TV is a Hyundai model: HLT-32V2. It's PAL but the AV and SCART outlets are NTSC compatible and works with my Japanese Nintendo 64. I have yet to try the RF port since I don't have an RF cable with a PAL plug here at the moment.

Also I can't open up the Famicoms just yet or I won't be able to return it to the seller as it has a seal over the screws.


Edit: I just tested both consoles on my TV again and they both work so my friend's TV is somehow different. It's still hard to get a picture though. The picture is not very good looking either but I think that is only because it is a HDTV.

The problems is still the same: Hard to get a picture and color flashing when I do get a picture.

jpx72

Flashing can be caused by the broken/torn/dirty cable connecting the famicom and TV. How is your Famicom modified? Is the cable detachable from famicom? If yes, try another one.

P

February 14, 2011, 01:27:10 am #1370 Last Edit: February 16, 2011, 01:59:33 pm by P
Oh if that is the case then, wow such a simple problem! The cable is hardwired through the CH1<>CH2 Switch slot and as I said before I can't open it just yet but thanks anyway!

Then there is the problem with getting a picture to show up. I seem to get a picture everytime with Solomon No Kagi but I can't get a picture with Robot Block (only sound). I got a picture with it before after some trying, but now it seems to be impossible.

How come some games have different difficulty to get a picture than other games? I have more games I could try but I don't have access to them at the moment.

Edit: I just noticed that one of the famicoms is a Hong Kong version! The one with the flashing picture is a Japanese version. Anyone knows if there is any problems with the Hong Kong version? All my games are Japanese version. The video signal seems to be NTSC 3.58 on my TV. If I change it to anything else I will get a black and white picture. That is the same as Japan right?

Edit2: I got Robot Block to work again! I used a SCART adapter and plugged it in the SCART outlet. That's what I did when it worked before, but I thought it was the same back then so I didn't try it again until now. It still doesn't explain why I couldn't get either sound nor a picture on my friends identical TV.

No one knows anything about the Hong Kong version? I'm thinking about compatibility problems with any games or peripherals. I would guess no though.

Oh I just found this thread http://www.famicomworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=4138.0 so it should work 100% with all games and peripherals.
Also the seller are going to replace the Japanese famicom with the flashing picture so I'm waiting for a new one.

gaseousclay

Hi everyone. I'm a Famicom owner from my days of living in Japan as a youngster, so I was glad to find this forum. Anyway,  I decided I wanted to play Super Mario Bros so I dug my old Famicom system out (the red and white one) and thought i'd try to hook it up. unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work with my LCD tv which made me wonder if they're even compatible. does anyone else here have issues? I live in the US and I know my Famicom worked on an old CRT tv many yrs ago, but that was because I hooked the system up via the RF switch that's part of the console. Would simply replacing the RF switch with a modern component cable work? I don't even know if I was hooking up the Famicom correctly - I plugged in the adapter, hooked the RF switch up through the cable jack on the back of my LCD but nothing happened. I don't know if the RF switch is fried or if it just doesn't work. If anyone here has experience hooking up a Famicom system on LCD's please feel free to chime in.

Cheetahmen

I know this is gonna sound noobish, but I tried opening my Famicom earlier and I think there are 6 screws at the bottom, but I can't undo one of them with a screwdriver. Can anyone tell me how to open it properly? :(
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P

Quote from: gaseousclay on February 18, 2011, 07:30:26 pm
Hi everyone. I'm a Famicom owner from my days of living in Japan as a youngster, so I was glad to find this forum. Anyway,  I decided I wanted to play Super Mario Bros so I dug my old Famicom system out (the red and white one) and thought i'd try to hook it up. unfortunately, I couldn't get it to work with my LCD tv which made me wonder if they're even compatible. does anyone else here have issues? I live in the US and I know my Famicom worked on an old CRT tv many yrs ago, but that was because I hooked the system up via the RF switch that's part of the console. Would simply replacing the RF switch with a modern component cable work? I don't even know if I was hooking up the Famicom correctly - I plugged in the adapter, hooked the RF switch up through the cable jack on the back of my LCD but nothing happened. I don't know if the RF switch is fried or if it just doesn't work. If anyone here has experience hooking up a Famicom system on LCD's please feel free to chime in.


The LCD might be a bit too new for it too work I heard. Even if you have a real US-NTSC TV you might still have problems. I don't think you can just convert the signal by just changing the cable. You will have to AV-mod it (and by that taking the signal directly from the PPU I think).
I'm going to test my famicom on my (PAL) LCD TV using an RF-cable from my PAL SNES, but I doubt it will work.


Quote from: Cheetahmen on February 19, 2011, 08:44:11 am
I know this is gonna sound noobish, but I tried opening my Famicom earlier and I think there are 6 screws at the bottom, but I can't undo one of them with a screwdriver. Can anyone tell me how to open it properly? :(


Oh you accidentally destroyed it? (Bear with me now as this will take quite a few kinda technical words that I don't actually know in English) if you have a dremel or something you could try making a new pattern in it for a normal screwdriver to fit in to. You could also try some abrasive paste so the screwdriver will not slide. It might be called different things by different sellers and countries. Diamond paste maybe.

When you have removed it, it's better to replace it with a new stainless steel screw so that it won't happen again. Or just leave it empty if you can't find one of the same size. One screw more or less will not matter too much I think.

Worst case you might just have to carefully drill off the head or the whole screw. But if you do that you might not be able to replace it afterwards.

gaseousclay

Quote from: P on February 23, 2011, 03:46:49 pm

The LCD might be a bit too new for it too work I heard. Even if you have a real US-NTSC TV you might still have problems. I don't think you can just convert the signal by just changing the cable. You will have to AV-mod it (and by that taking the signal directly from the PPU I think).
I'm going to test my famicom on my (PAL) LCD TV using an RF-cable from my PAL SNES, but I doubt it will work.



where can I have my Famicom AV modded? are there any places online I can check out that offer this service? I tried contacting a local place but they only do modern consoles like xbox or playstation.

P

As you live in USA you could try getting an older CRT TV like you had before. The light gun and Robot only works on a CRT TV anyway. But I don't know if the famicom will work on all US CRT TVs as the frequencies are different from Japanese ones.

But if you want to mod try asking Xivious on this forum. I think he sells some kit so that you can AV-mod it yourself, and I think he also offers modding services, plus he seems to also be in USA so shipping shouldn't be much of a problem I hope (I'm in Europe so I don't really know).
I bought my Famicom already AV-moded from a seller in Hong Kong but I had some problems (a few posts above) with it and I'm having it replaced now.

There are also the Twin Famicom (and Twin Turbo) and AV-Famicom/NewFamicom that already have AV-output but they are quite expensive to get.

tappybot

Bought two untested junk famicoms the other day. I probably won't get to tinkering with them till next month, but I just wondered what the prognosis might be on these two..

- The first one I tried immediately booted up with the game I tested. Everything was fine except the lack of game sound.  Instead there was a kind of electric murmuring.  Game played great though.

- Didn't have much luck at all with the second one. It powered on but all I could get was a variety of colored screens.  I cleaned out the cartridge slot with a toothbrush and it didn't seem terribly dirty.



Xious

Quote from: Cheetahmen on February 19, 2011, 08:44:11 am
I know this is gonna sound noobish, but I tried opening my Famicom earlier and I think there are 6 screws at the bottom, but I can't undo one of them with a screwdriver. Can anyone tell me how to open it properly? :(


If you stripped it, go to your local HW store and ask for: A reverse-thread tapping set for stripped screws. With that, you can use a tiny drill bit to make a set of threads and the tapping tools to extract it.

If it just won't shift, get a Phillips No.2 driver with a rubber grip or a T-handle for the best-fit and better leverage. It's not uncommon for corrosion to grow on the screws that can make them stiff to remove.

Don't use Phillips No,0 No.1 or No.3, as they are incorrect sizes. Too small (No.00, 0, 1, etc.) will srip the head, requiring a tapping set, and No.3 is too big to get a decent lock.

You want No.0 or No.1 for the controller though, which you'll want to open in order to restore the buttons and microphone. :bomb:

133MHz

Quote from: tappybot on March 06, 2011, 04:47:23 am
- The first one I tried immediately booted up with the game I tested. Everything was fine except the lack of game sound.  Instead there was a kind of electric murmuring.  Game played great though.


If using the RF output then it might just need a little tweaking on the sound coil to get the audio back. :)

Xious

I would also suggest you try disconnecting the Player-II controller: I've run into systems where noise from the mic line blankets out all other system sounds. Simply open the system, unplug the Player-II controller connection and try using it.  If this is the case, then you'll need to restore the Player-II controller.

Flashing colours could be a variety of issues: Anything from one loose or bad component, all the way up to defective SRAM or the PPU; it can potentially be a RF-modulator issue too, and will require some probing to solve.  :bomb: