Great video. It explains everything your doing and why your doing it and everything you need to do it yourself. It is paced well, it condeses all the information into 10 minutes so I don't have to search for all the details over an hour long video.
My nerdy brethren, I am here to proclaim that I, InsatiableMonkey, removed the power module with only desoldering braid. The keys are FLUX and patience - plenty of both - but it really wasn't bad. I was able to remove it without any damage to anything and it was far easier than desoldering the PPU for the NESRGB mod I also did. Additional mods worth considering (which I did on mine): - NESRGB v4 using the controller option so system resets and palette switches can be done using player 1 controller. - Expansion audio mod with NESRGB (see FirebrandX's guide) - LaserBear's multi-out plug (very high quality) - New 72-pin connector (I used an old Blinking Light Win v2 I had lying around, but there are newer solutions nowadays) I could hardy believe the thing turned on the first try after the ~170+ solder points necessary to do all of that, but the video looks amazing and thanks to this recap guide I can enjoy it for many years to come. ...so thanks!
I definitely have a NESRGB in my pile of "things to put inside of other things". It's been sitting there long enough it might not be V4. Long enough I don't remember, at least.
@@SparkY0 quick question, in the rf unit I used smd capacitors for the small ones but removed the plastic holder underneath. Do you think I should be ok? It’s working great and don’t think the temps would get to warm in the rf unit?
@@thefifthdoctor6780 If you got it on there and its still working fine then you should be ok. I'd be a little worried about them breaking off if you bumped around the console too much.
If you can't afford or don't want to buy the expensive desoldering iron, I recommend getting the silver Japanese solder sucker with the silicone tip. It works much better than the plastic ones because you can form the tip around the joint. Plus they are only like 10 to 15 dollars on amazon. I can't remember the exact brand but you'll be able to tell which one it is because it's silver and it has Japanese writing all over it
I agree. It's an Engineer SS-02 and is featured in the video at 2:12 (currently $19). There should be some similar brands that may be cheaper. It takes a lot more time, but I've been able to do a recap with that solder sucker before. I wouldn't try to remove the power supply if all I had is one of the very cheap plastic tipped solder suckers though. It would be too frustrating.
When disabling the 10nes chip you shouldn't just cut pin 4 like that you need to ground it as well as to not leave it floating which could be a bad thing in the long run. Also you could bypass the cic completely by removing the chip completely and adding some additional components .
I feel the circuit to completely remove the 10NES entirely is a pretty good option when you have a broken cic, but leaving the functioning chip (other then the disabled reset function) is less likely to cause issues. As for grounding the output, I thought it was pulled up/down internally, depending on it's state. I'll have to look into whether either state is floating. There's a chance a weak pull up might be better than grounding it.
Hey everybody, thanks for stopping by! I won't be offended if you skip between chapters: 0:00 Neigh Burrito 0:30 Do I need to fix my original nintendo 1:14 Hack to permanently stop old nintendo NES blinking light 1:42 Why won't my Nintendo turn on No LED light 1:58 NES AV/ RF Modulator/ Power supply removal 2:26 Hakko FR-301 Solder Removal 3:13 What's inside a Nintendo power supply RF box 3:46 Capacitor C21 Nichicon VT(M) 2200uF 25V 4:34 C25 UCC KMA 100uF 10V 5:09 C23 Nichicon VTM 100uF 25 V 5:40 C29 (R) CE 1uF 50V 6:09 C35 (R) CE 1uF 50V 6:19 C36 (R) CE 10uF 15V 6:36 Fast Soldering 6:56 Rectifier diodes 1N4007 7:28 RC207 Bridge rectifier 7:47 C23 Rubycon CEw 1uF 50V 8:09 C29 Rubycon CEw 1 µF 50 V 8:32 C01 Rubycon CEw 100uf 6.3V 8:58 NES 5V regulator 7805 9:10 What happens when you use a replacement Wall Wart 9:29 Replacing NES voltage regulator HA17805 with MC7805ACT 10:10 Old vs New 7805 Thermal images 10:21 The End of the Video
Not being an electrical engineer, I'm ignorant about the difference between electrolytic and film capacitors (apart from the fact that film capacitors have no polarity). Can you explain how you determined where it would be appropriate to use a film capacitor and where it was best to stick with an electrolytic capacitor?
Electrolytic Capacitors are like a little jar filled with goo that will eventually dry out from heat/use/age, and the capacitor will get worse and eventually go bad. Sometimes they break open, which will spray some of that goo around, which is corrosive and bad for everything. But the goo lets you get a relatively high capacitance in a relatively small space, relatively cheaply. Film capacitors don't have that same problem when they get old, because they are all solid with no goo. So they are generally more reliable, and won't leak if they do happen to break. Also their other specs are usually better, with tighter tolerances. That doesn't matter here but it could in very specific stuff like audio equipment (arguably it doesn't matter much there, either, but audiophiles don't care). The downside is that as film capacitors grow in capacity, they get way bigger and way more expensive. You reach a point where the capacitance needs to be big enough that they stop making sense. I use tend to like film capacitors over electrolytic any time one is available in the right capacity, will fit in the space I have, and costs a price I'm willing to pay. Usually if I need something in the ballpark range of 0.1uF to 10uF.
@@SparkY0Things are fairly tight in the power module to begin with and the film capacitors are a bit chubbier, so the space consideration makes sense. Thanks very much for the thorough reply!
Outstanding review. I am bought all of the items in your sharer cart and will have them installed today. I am using a manual solder sucker because it is cheaper. One day I will have your plug in solder sucker.
Great video! Proper CONTENT! Would like to see one of these recap videos where they show some before/after comparisons. At least with the RF caps. The Rubicon's usually hold up pretty well.
Personally I saw no difference, but this was preventative maintenance. Also it was partly to rule out marginal caps as the reason my NES looks terrible on my capture card and only one of my tvs, but fine on everything else. Turns out the problem is that that they try to de-interlace 240p video.
@@SparkY0 Yeah I feel that. The NES caps usually hold up pretty well. I got a 1984 Famicom I want to recap at some point this week. I can tell one of the caps is bad already and will probably swap that out today. I just have a feeling the video output would get better. It's got Top Loader style jailbars and whites are a bit dim. It'll also occasionally drop the signal for a second which can get annoying. Things from 1984 though so I'm impressed it works as well as it does.
I had to replace the power jack on mine. it was all cracked and worn out. you can get new ones, they just won't have the ears on it for screwing it back to the box. The board is soldered to the metal shielding so I had to desolder all that and that gave me just enough clearance to get the new one in. I had to break the old one up with needle nose pliers to get it out.
Awesome video! Question - I have an NES that was working perfectly, then all of a sudden has consistent static, while still turning on and games still working. Using RCA cables for audio and video. Tried different cables, same result. Tried an OEM power supply and after-market power supply, and still static. Will be opening her up and I have a cap replacement kit. Is it safe to assume conistent audio static is likely a bad cap issue, or could it be several things?
It might be a capacitor, it could also be a transistor. Is it static for audio, or both audio and video? Have you ruled out the TV as the problem? See if the issue in this video is like yours: czcams.com/video/RO0GOwO5lNE/video.htmlsi=kTjSDexCDMRvTyrc
@@SparkY0 Thanks for the quick response! It is static for audio. Video plays and I do get "some" sound. I can hear some game sounds with audio static, similar to the conistent static in the video you reference, mixed in. Knowing this, perhaps the best chance for a repair is to replace the caps in the a/v box as well as the "Q5" transistor to be safe. It was literally working perfectly the other day so this is a very recent issue. I've tried it on two different tvs and the result is the same, audio static mixed in with game sounds.
@@SparkY0 UPDATE: I tested the RF connection and found the same audio static there. I then decided to open her up. When I popped off the underside of the shielding on the A/V box, I noticed milky residue and almost burnt-looking traces, which led me to believe it's a leaking cap(s) issue. I ended up replacing the big cap as well as the 3 caps next to the big cap. There was one more small cap in there, but I think it's for the RF connection and I also didn't feel like desoldering the A/V box off the board, so I left that one alone. I also replaced the voltage regulator for the hell of it. And wouldn't you know, the NES fired up without any static! I can't believe it! Thanks for the help and we just subbed to the channel!
Thanks for following up! I was going to say, it's not likely for a transistor to fail in a way where it would let some audio through but with static. It would probably be all or nothing, So a failed capacitor makes sense. Try your best to clean the board, because it might corrode from the capacitor goo. Maybe flush out the AV box with alcohol and let it dry, since you don't want to desolder it.
It should be all the electrolytic caps in the system, which are featured in the video. Most of them are in the power unit. Theres a bunch of ceramic caps not listed, but they don't need to be changed as preventative maintenance. Also, the parts can vary depending on your power supply. It's best to look up your model before ordering parts, and open it up to double check if you have the time.
Thanks for a great video. My question is: is there a way to test components before hand? My nes would turn on and have video/sound for a split second before losing both. The small box the caps are in was corroded and has that distinct electrical burning smell. But I hate to go through all that work if it still doesn't work after replacement.
It can be tricky to measure components individually without removing them from the circuit, because the other parts will interfere with the measurements. But there are other tests you can do. If you have a scope, there are some test points in the NES where you can view signals: wiki.console5.com/wiki/File:NES-001-Waveforms.png In your case, A burning smell means something is getting too hot, so I would be looking at power delivery. My best guess is either the input voltage to the 7805 is either way too high, or it's getting AC instead of DC. Either could make it get hot and fail to deliver good power. Before turning anything on again, test the voltage from your wall adapter. It should be stable around 9VAC if it's original, or more likely 9VDC if it's aftermarket. Then, with the console on, test the voltage at the input to the 7805 5V regulator (Remember they could have used any number of parts with 7805 somewhere in the part number, but I show it in the video). It should be DC voltage at slightly under the measurement from the wall adapter. The original schematic for the power supply also says this could be 13VDC, which doesn't make sense to me. I don't have a system open in front of me to double check. wiki.console5.com/tw/images/5/58/NES-001-Schematic---Power%2C-AV%2C-RF-Switch.png If this voltage is AC, then the problem is with rectification, which is either those 4 diodes or capacitors inside that small box. the 4 diodes might also be in a single package, depending on your model. Capacitors are usually more likely to go bad than diodes. Also, this AC voltage probably damaged the 7805, so that should be changed too. If the input voltage to the 7805 is good, then it should always be outputting 5VDC. If the output is not very close to that, then you should replace the 7805. But since you're briefly getting some kind of video output, then I lean towards thinking the 7805 was doing it's best to regulate the output of a bad input voltage. If the 7805 has been outputting more than 5.5V DC, then I would be worried it could have caused other damage in the system.
@@SparkY0 wow great reply!. I do own have a scope so I will do checks next week. I'll let you know what I find. Too bad somebody doesn't just make a remanufactured pcb for these that could be easily swapped out.
@@sterline80 You actually can get new PCBs, but usually I only see bare boards (try searching for "opentendo" on ebay). So you would still need to source components and solder it all together yourself. A fully functional original PPU in particular can pretty much only be harvested from an old NES. I have 2 different styles of new/upgraded boards with components onhand (NESessity, Super 8bit) for future assembly videos. There's also products like the TinyNES, where they build new consoles with options for the original CPU/PPU or re-manufactured equivalents, which might have some slight inaccuracies in a small number of games. www.crowdsupply.com/tall-dog-electronics/tinynes
This video is GOLD, thanks a lot for that! What about the EU PAL version? Does it have the same capacitors? There are very few guides and informations on the EU version compared to the NTSC US one
The capacitors on the main board should be the same, but the capacitors in the power/AV box will be different, depending on which box you have. You can get a capacitor list for each different unit here: wiki.console5.com/wiki/Nintendo_NES-001
It depends. If you're not experiencing any blatant signal problems like wavy lines or glitches in the video, then probably not. If you're seeing something like every other line is weirdly offset by pixel or two, then its likely your tv or capture card can't properly handle the 240p signal, which is common in newer tvs.
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question…I attempted recapping my NES. The NES had wavy lines, but otherwise worked okay. I started with the large 2200 power cap. Changing that cap only, the NES now will not read games. A black screen displays on tv through the RCA cables. Re-soldering the original capacitor back in also results in same black screen. I’ve not tried the RF connection. The red led comes on or blinks. I get 10v to one side of the power regulator, nothing (ground) to the middle pin, and 5v dc to the other side of the power regulator pin. I cannot see any bridged solder anywhere. Any idea what may be the issue? Thanks!
That capacitor is pretty close to the video circuitry, so solder bridge would have been my first guess, but you've already thought of that. Check both sides of the board, if you haven't. It sounds like the console is getting power, so the capacitor itself probably isn't the issue, although double check to make sure it's in the right orientation. A blinking LED with a black screen is a common problem that is almost always the security chip forcing the CPU into a reset loop (I think it pulls down the 5v rail), because it's making poor contact to a cartridge through dirty contacts (That's why I cut off pin 4 in the video). So start by debugging the blinking LED until the cartridge is making good contact and the LED stays on, so you can rule out that possibility. Just give the contacts a good cleaning. Did you remove the entire power/AV board? I assume not if you only did the big capacitor. Here's a link to the schematics and test point waveforms: wiki.console5.com/wiki/Nintendo_NES-001#Schematics If you don't have a scope for the waveforms, then you can follow the schematic and start testing continuity. Hopefully that helps get you pointed in the right direction, and good luck!
@@SparkY0 Wow, thank you for the crazy fast reply! So, swapping out to a new 72 pin connector and clean cartridge, I’m able to get a steady red light. When the red light is “on”, I measure 8.9v dc going into the 7805 regulator and 5.01v dc coming out. Reading the power pins coming from the power box to the main board (looking at the unit from the front reading left to right) I get the following voltages: Pin 1 1.0v, 2 2.5v, 3 5.0v, 4 10.2, 5 10.28v. Reading the pins on the main board attached to the blue connector I get the following voltages: brown wire 10.2v, red 10.1v, orange 5.0v, yellow 0v but changes to 5.0v when reset button is pressed, white 3.13. I am using an aftermarket AC power supply designed for NES rated at 9v 1300 mA. Actual voltage tested out is 14.6v AC. Does this seem right so far? As to the original post, I did not take off the power box initially and only changed the large cap through the top shielding. Caps test okay so I know it’s not them. Looked at both sides of board and see no solder bridges. I’ll check the schematics tomorrow (thank you) but aside from what I’ve done I’m kind of stuck. Could I have fried an ic chip somehow? I’m kind of at a loss.
I don't know enough about line level A/V to know for sure if the first 2 pins on the power box are correct. Pin 2 (audio signal) seems high for consumer audio, but maybe they used professional audio levels. Either way, I expect those to be analog signals, not DC voltage. wiki.console5.com/wiki/File:NES-001-Power-Box-Wiring.jpg The White wire, I think is the return from the reset button. It looks like that should be connected to the 5V rail when the reset button is pressed, I'm not sure why that would be 3V normally. I think the LED on the schematic is drawn backwards, so It could be the 5V rail minus the ~2V drop over the LED. The 3193A is in the mix for the power LED, so I can't tell for sure what's happening from the schematic alone. But it might be ok. You can check each individual IC to make sure they're getting power, but I'm not yet convinced this is a power issue. 14.6V out from your wall adapter is definitely high. I know rectified 9V voltage from the wall adapter goes to the RF output, although they call it the rail 13V on the schematic. I'm not seeing how that would interfere with the composite output, but maybe there's something going on there. Also, if you have 14.5VAC going into the board, I'm not seeing why it would have dropped 5.6V down to 8.9VDC by the time it gets to the 7805 or even to 10.2 VDC at the power switch. I would expect the rectifier diodes to drop it by closer to 1.4V. So maybe there's something wrong between the power input and the voltage regulator. Are you sure that the power is properly being rectified to DC? So you currently have known-good game inserted, everything hooked up, solid red power LED, and still no audio or video output whatsoever on either Composite or RF? I would expect at least something to still be working if say, you had somehow killed a transistor on the power/AV board. Does the TV do anything at all when you turn it on, or just blackness?
I used the 4x1.0 mm tip, which unfortunately is still too small to fit over the tabs holding the box to the board. With that tip you just take it one side of the tab at a time
Before I attempt this, wanted to know if you think about my NES issue. I cleaned the 72 pin, out back together and when it turns on the audio comes through then takes a bit for video to show. However, sometimes the video just never comes or comes in but not clear. I’m going to replace the 72pin, but do you think it’s a cap issue?
Usually cleaning works on the 72-pin, but you should go through every pin and inspect each one to ensure they haven't broken, or corroded away. You can also bend the pins slightly to ensure good contact. If it all looks good, I would wait until trying a few other things before changing it If audio is working normally and the game seems to be running (but without video) that would imply the connection between the cartridge and console is ok. Since it's intermittent, that usually means a mechanical failure. 72-pin is mechanical so it's not a bad guess, but it also could mean cracked solder. First, inspect as much as you can. If there's any rust, corrosion, burn marks, spilled soda, stains, etc. Then the problem is likely to be in that general area. After that, I would start by reflowing the solder on the video connector and components along the video signal path. There's some capacitors and a transistor near the connector. You can pop off the bottom shielding and do this without removing the power/AV box, therefore it's the easiest thing to try starting with. After that I would do the capacitors if they haven't been changed before (personally I would change them even if there was no problem - it's just so annoying to get the power/AV box off). Then I would consider reflowing the 72-pin, but at that point you may as well change it. If there's still problems after all that, and everything looked clean, I would start looking at the semiconductors, starting with that video transistor. Don't fully solder down the shielding of the power box until you know it's working, and you don't need to remove it again.. just do the connector and maybe tack-on one spot to ground it.
The 2 different WIMA Poly capacitors in your mouser cart have several months lead time. I would like to recap mine, is there anyway you could update your mouser cart with substitutes? I am not confident enough to find a suitable replacement !
No Problem! An in stock alternate to the Wima MKS2C041001F00KC00 is Kemet R82DC4100DQ60J. Alternates for the Wima MKS2B042201F00KSSD can be Wima MKS2C042201K00KSSD, Wima MKS2B042201F00KC00, or Kemet RSBCC4220Z310K. The Kemet is slightly wider, but it should be ok. I'll try to update the mouser cart. Remember if you're buying that cart directly, you won't need both the 1N4007-G and RC207 for the rectifiers. It depends on which NES version you have. If your console was already working you don't actually need either of them. Although it's only like $1.33 if you decice to pick both up, just in case.
@@SparkY0 would the MKS2C041001F00KI00 work in place of the MKS2C041001F00KC00 I did a search on mouser for similar and that was one of the options that came up.
MKS2C041001F00KI00 should be the exact same part as MKS2C041001F00KC00 in reel packaging instead of ammo pack. That doesn't matter at all when you're buying 3, so yes it should work. That 3rd-from-last letter could be anything, and it wouldn't matter.
@@SparkY0Was able to get everything changed with your video! The only one I am a bit confused on is the C9 capacitor, both legs were the same length so was unsure which was negative side. It does show 50- stamped on, does that mean the right leg is the negative? From your video it looks the opposite.
Ceramic capacitors usually have a much longer lifespan than electrolytic. They shouldn't catastrophically fail from age in the same way, It's more of a minor linear drop in capacitance over a very long period of time. I don't think it should be a problem if those capacitors happen to be measure 10% lower than when they were new. So maybe test them, but I normally wouldn't worry about changing them from age; just when I think there's a failure. They're more likely to fail from heat or physical damage
Any help would be appreciated. I’m having a problem with my voltage regulator when looking for the part does it have to be exactly a mc7805act regulator or can it be a L7805CT regulator? They both show 5v?
Any modern 7805 variant in a TO-220 package (part number usually ends in "T") should be fine. It won't make a meaningful difference. Even the 2 original NES boards I have did not use the same part. A "xx7805ACT" is a better part than a "xx7805CT", but both are better than what they were using in the 1980's.
![10 Weird NES Facts! [Nintendo Entertainment System] | Nintendrew](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DKOtyWggaNI/mqdefault.jpg)
![10 Weird NES Facts! [Nintendo Entertainment System] | Nintendrew](/img/tr.png)
Great video. It explains everything your doing and why your doing it and everything you need to do it yourself. It is paced well, it condeses all the information into 10 minutes so I don't have to search for all the details over an hour long video.
You should do restorations on all consoles we need this knowledge documented
I appreciate the input! I have 2 models of Super NES on hand to repair in future videos.
My nerdy brethren, I am here to proclaim that I, InsatiableMonkey, removed the power module with only desoldering braid. The keys are FLUX and patience - plenty of both - but it really wasn't bad. I was able to remove it without any damage to anything and it was far easier than desoldering the PPU for the NESRGB mod I also did.
Additional mods worth considering (which I did on mine):
- NESRGB v4 using the controller option so system resets and palette switches can be done using player 1 controller.
- Expansion audio mod with NESRGB (see FirebrandX's guide)
- LaserBear's multi-out plug (very high quality)
- New 72-pin connector (I used an old Blinking Light Win v2 I had lying around, but there are newer solutions nowadays)
I could hardy believe the thing turned on the first try after the ~170+ solder points necessary to do all of that, but the video looks amazing and thanks to this recap guide I can enjoy it for many years to come. ...so thanks!
I definitely have a NESRGB in my pile of "things to put inside of other things". It's been sitting there long enough it might not be V4. Long enough I don't remember, at least.
Thanks for this I recapped my nes few weeks back using this and it’s working perfect.
I'm glad I could help!
@@SparkY0 quick question, in the rf unit
I used smd capacitors for the small ones but removed the plastic holder underneath. Do you think I should be ok? It’s working great and don’t think the temps would get to warm in the rf unit?
@@thefifthdoctor6780 If you got it on there and its still working fine then you should be ok. I'd be a little worried about them breaking off if you bumped around the console too much.
I'll never need to know this information, but I appreciate the humor.
Maybe you'll need to know in 2052
If you can't afford or don't want to buy the expensive desoldering iron, I recommend getting the silver Japanese solder sucker with the silicone tip. It works much better than the plastic ones because you can form the tip around the joint. Plus they are only like 10 to 15 dollars on amazon. I can't remember the exact brand but you'll be able to tell which one it is because it's silver and it has Japanese writing all over it
I agree. It's an Engineer SS-02 and is featured in the video at 2:12 (currently $19). There should be some similar brands that may be cheaper.
It takes a lot more time, but I've been able to do a recap with that solder sucker before.
I wouldn't try to remove the power supply if all I had is one of the very cheap plastic tipped solder suckers though. It would be too frustrating.
@@SparkY0 yeah, that's the one. I actually have a desoldering iron but I like to use that solder sucker on jobs where a desoldering iron is overkill.
@@SparkY0and I must not have been paying very good attention to your video because yes you do show that exact one
When disabling the 10nes chip you shouldn't just cut pin 4 like that you need to ground it as well as to not leave it floating which could be a bad thing in the long run. Also you could bypass the cic completely by removing the chip completely and adding some additional components .
I feel the circuit to completely remove the 10NES entirely is a pretty good option when you have a broken cic, but leaving the functioning chip (other then the disabled reset function) is less likely to cause issues.
As for grounding the output, I thought it was pulled up/down internally, depending on it's state. I'll have to look into whether either state is floating. There's a chance a weak pull up might be better than grounding it.
Simply cutting the 10nes chip can be bad as it could do harm to the chip which is also used for resetting the console.
Hey everybody, thanks for stopping by!
I won't be offended if you skip between chapters:
0:00 Neigh Burrito
0:30 Do I need to fix my original nintendo
1:14 Hack to permanently stop old nintendo NES blinking light
1:42 Why won't my Nintendo turn on No LED light
1:58 NES AV/ RF Modulator/ Power supply removal
2:26 Hakko FR-301 Solder Removal
3:13 What's inside a Nintendo power supply RF box
3:46 Capacitor C21 Nichicon VT(M) 2200uF 25V
4:34 C25 UCC KMA 100uF 10V
5:09 C23 Nichicon VTM 100uF 25 V
5:40 C29 (R) CE 1uF 50V
6:09 C35 (R) CE 1uF 50V
6:19 C36 (R) CE 10uF 15V
6:36 Fast Soldering
6:56 Rectifier diodes 1N4007
7:28 RC207 Bridge rectifier
7:47 C23 Rubycon CEw 1uF 50V
8:09 C29 Rubycon CEw 1 µF 50 V
8:32 C01 Rubycon CEw 100uf 6.3V
8:58 NES 5V regulator 7805
9:10 What happens when you use a replacement Wall Wart
9:29 Replacing NES voltage regulator HA17805 with MC7805ACT
10:10 Old vs New 7805 Thermal images
10:21 The End of the Video
Awesome video. Keep it up! Can’t wait to see you at 1k, 10k, 100k subs
This is amazing information! Thank you so much!
I would love to see the same project documented on a "Sega Master System II".
I don't have a Sega Master System II right now, but I can make that video when I get one.
@@SparkY0 That would be awesome! Thousand thanks!
Not being an electrical engineer, I'm ignorant about the difference between electrolytic and film capacitors (apart from the fact that film capacitors have no polarity). Can you explain how you determined where it would be appropriate to use a film capacitor and where it was best to stick with an electrolytic capacitor?
Electrolytic Capacitors are like a little jar filled with goo that will eventually dry out from heat/use/age, and the capacitor will get worse and eventually go bad. Sometimes they break open, which will spray some of that goo around, which is corrosive and bad for everything.
But the goo lets you get a relatively high capacitance in a relatively small space, relatively cheaply.
Film capacitors don't have that same problem when they get old, because they are all solid with no goo. So they are generally more reliable, and won't leak if they do happen to break. Also their other specs are usually better, with tighter tolerances. That doesn't matter here but it could in very specific stuff like audio equipment (arguably it doesn't matter much there, either, but audiophiles don't care). The downside is that as film capacitors grow in capacity, they get way bigger and way more expensive. You reach a point where the capacitance needs to be big enough that they stop making sense.
I use tend to like film capacitors over electrolytic any time one is available in the right capacity, will fit in the space I have, and costs a price I'm willing to pay. Usually if I need something in the ballpark range of 0.1uF to 10uF.
@@SparkY0Things are fairly tight in the power module to begin with and the film capacitors are a bit chubbier, so the space consideration makes sense. Thanks very much for the thorough reply!
Outstanding review. I am bought all of the items in your sharer cart and will have them installed today. I am using a manual solder sucker because it is cheaper. One day I will have your plug in solder sucker.
It's going to be hard to desolder that box. Good luck!
I like it very much but I need a little bit more information what capacitors go where the name in all goes into what number hole on the board
Great video! Proper CONTENT! Would like to see one of these recap videos where they show some before/after comparisons. At least with the RF caps. The Rubicon's usually hold up pretty well.
Personally I saw no difference, but this was preventative maintenance. Also it was partly to rule out marginal caps as the reason my NES looks terrible on my capture card and only one of my tvs, but fine on everything else. Turns out the problem is that that they try to de-interlace 240p video.
@@SparkY0 Yeah I feel that. The NES caps usually hold up pretty well. I got a 1984 Famicom I want to recap at some point this week. I can tell one of the caps is bad already and will probably swap that out today. I just have a feeling the video output would get better. It's got Top Loader style jailbars and whites are a bit dim. It'll also occasionally drop the signal for a second which can get annoying. Things from 1984 though so I'm impressed it works as well as it does.
I had to replace the power jack on mine. it was all cracked and worn out. you can get new ones, they just won't have the ears on it for screwing it back to the box. The board is soldered to the metal shielding so I had to desolder all that and that gave me just enough clearance to get the new one in. I had to break the old one up with needle nose pliers to get it out.
Interesting, I haven't have that problem on a NES yet. Lots of problems with SNES power connectors though.
Thanks for the God tier video!
Yeah but how do you know which caps to put where? I'd have to do them one at a time.
The board is labeled C1, C2, etc.
Awesome video! Question - I have an NES that was working perfectly, then all of a sudden has consistent static, while still turning on and games still working. Using RCA cables for audio and video. Tried different cables, same result. Tried an OEM power supply and after-market power supply, and still static. Will be opening her up and I have a cap replacement kit. Is it safe to assume conistent audio static is likely a bad cap issue, or could it be several things?
It might be a capacitor, it could also be a transistor. Is it static for audio, or both audio and video? Have you ruled out the TV as the problem?
See if the issue in this video is like yours: czcams.com/video/RO0GOwO5lNE/video.htmlsi=kTjSDexCDMRvTyrc
@@SparkY0 Thanks for the quick response! It is static for audio. Video plays and I do get "some" sound. I can hear some game sounds with audio static, similar to the conistent static in the video you reference, mixed in. Knowing this, perhaps the best chance for a repair is to replace the caps in the a/v box as well as the "Q5" transistor to be safe. It was literally working perfectly the other day so this is a very recent issue. I've tried it on two different tvs and the result is the same, audio static mixed in with game sounds.
@@SparkY0 UPDATE: I tested the RF connection and found the same audio static there. I then decided to open her up. When I popped off the underside of the shielding on the A/V box, I noticed milky residue and almost burnt-looking traces, which led me to believe it's a leaking cap(s) issue. I ended up replacing the big cap as well as the 3 caps next to the big cap. There was one more small cap in there, but I think it's for the RF connection and I also didn't feel like desoldering the A/V box off the board, so I left that one alone. I also replaced the voltage regulator for the hell of it. And wouldn't you know, the NES fired up without any static! I can't believe it! Thanks for the help and we just subbed to the channel!
Thanks for following up!
I was going to say, it's not likely for a transistor to fail in a way where it would let some audio through but with static. It would probably be all or nothing, So a failed capacitor makes sense.
Try your best to clean the board, because it might corrode from the capacitor goo. Maybe flush out the AV box with alcohol and let it dry, since you don't want to desolder it.
There has to be a handful more capacitors not listed in mouser cart right? Are the missing ones for a complete cap swap just power unit ones ?
It should be all the electrolytic caps in the system, which are featured in the video. Most of them are in the power unit. Theres a bunch of ceramic caps not listed, but they don't need to be changed as preventative maintenance. Also, the parts can vary depending on your power supply. It's best to look up your model before ordering parts, and open it up to double check if you have the time.
Two thumbs up
😃
Thanks for a great video. My question is: is there a way to test components before hand? My nes would turn on and have video/sound for a split second before losing both. The small box the caps are in was corroded and has that distinct electrical burning smell. But I hate to go through all that work if it still doesn't work after replacement.
It can be tricky to measure components individually without removing them from the circuit, because the other parts will interfere with the measurements. But there are other tests you can do.
If you have a scope, there are some test points in the NES where you can view signals:
wiki.console5.com/wiki/File:NES-001-Waveforms.png
In your case, A burning smell means something is getting too hot, so I would be looking at power delivery. My best guess is either the input voltage to the 7805 is either way too high, or it's getting AC instead of DC. Either could make it get hot and fail to deliver good power.
Before turning anything on again, test the voltage from your wall adapter. It should be stable around 9VAC if it's original, or more likely 9VDC if it's aftermarket. Then, with the console on, test the voltage at the input to the 7805 5V regulator (Remember they could have used any number of parts with 7805 somewhere in the part number, but I show it in the video). It should be DC voltage at slightly under the measurement from the wall adapter.
The original schematic for the power supply also says this could be 13VDC, which doesn't make sense to me. I don't have a system open in front of me to double check.
wiki.console5.com/tw/images/5/58/NES-001-Schematic---Power%2C-AV%2C-RF-Switch.png
If this voltage is AC, then the problem is with rectification, which is either those 4 diodes or capacitors inside that small box. the 4 diodes might also be in a single package, depending on your model. Capacitors are usually more likely to go bad than diodes.
Also, this AC voltage probably damaged the 7805, so that should be changed too.
If the input voltage to the 7805 is good, then it should always be outputting 5VDC. If the output is not very close to that, then you should replace the 7805. But since you're briefly getting some kind of video output, then I lean towards thinking the 7805 was doing it's best to regulate the output of a bad input voltage. If the 7805 has been outputting more than 5.5V DC, then I would be worried it could have caused other damage in the system.
@@SparkY0 wow great reply!. I do own have a scope so I will do checks next week. I'll let you know what I find. Too bad somebody doesn't just make a remanufactured pcb for these that could be easily swapped out.
@@sterline80 You actually can get new PCBs, but usually I only see bare boards (try searching for "opentendo" on ebay). So you would still need to source components and solder it all together yourself. A fully functional original PPU in particular can pretty much only be harvested from an old NES. I have 2 different styles of new/upgraded boards with components onhand (NESessity, Super 8bit) for future assembly videos.
There's also products like the TinyNES, where they build new consoles with options for the original CPU/PPU or re-manufactured equivalents, which might have some slight inaccuracies in a small number of games.
www.crowdsupply.com/tall-dog-electronics/tinynes
This video is GOLD, thanks a lot for that!
What about the EU PAL version? Does it have the same capacitors?
There are very few guides and informations on the EU version compared to the NTSC US one
The capacitors on the main board should be the same, but the capacitors in the power/AV box will be different, depending on which box you have.
You can get a capacitor list for each different unit here: wiki.console5.com/wiki/Nintendo_NES-001
after recapping wil it look a bit better ?
It depends. If you're not experiencing any blatant signal problems like wavy lines or glitches in the video, then probably not.
If you're seeing something like every other line is weirdly offset by pixel or two, then its likely your tv or capture card can't properly handle the 240p signal, which is common in newer tvs.
I bought the capacitors that was on your list can you tell me what hole they all go into
The holes are labeled. The capacitor I call C21 in the video and the description goes in the hole marked C21, and so on
Hi. Thanks for the video. I have a question…I attempted recapping my NES. The NES had wavy lines, but otherwise worked okay. I started with the large 2200 power cap. Changing that cap only, the NES now will not read games. A black screen displays on tv through the RCA cables. Re-soldering the original capacitor back in also results in same black screen. I’ve not tried the RF connection. The red led comes on or blinks. I get 10v to one side of the power regulator, nothing (ground) to the middle pin, and 5v dc to the other side of the power regulator pin. I cannot see any bridged solder anywhere. Any idea what may be the issue? Thanks!
That capacitor is pretty close to the video circuitry, so solder bridge would have been my first guess, but you've already thought of that. Check both sides of the board, if you haven't.
It sounds like the console is getting power, so the capacitor itself probably isn't the issue, although double check to make sure it's in the right orientation. A blinking LED with a black screen is a common problem that is almost always the security chip forcing the CPU into a reset loop (I think it pulls down the 5v rail), because it's making poor contact to a cartridge through dirty contacts (That's why I cut off pin 4 in the video). So start by debugging the blinking LED until the cartridge is making good contact and the LED stays on, so you can rule out that possibility. Just give the contacts a good cleaning.
Did you remove the entire power/AV board? I assume not if you only did the big capacitor.
Here's a link to the schematics and test point waveforms:
wiki.console5.com/wiki/Nintendo_NES-001#Schematics
If you don't have a scope for the waveforms, then you can follow the schematic and start testing continuity.
Hopefully that helps get you pointed in the right direction, and good luck!
@@SparkY0 Wow, thank you for the crazy fast reply! So, swapping out to a new 72 pin connector and clean cartridge, I’m able to get a steady red light. When the red light is “on”, I measure 8.9v dc going into the 7805 regulator and 5.01v dc coming out. Reading the power pins coming from the power box to the main board (looking at the unit from the front reading left to right) I get the following voltages: Pin 1 1.0v, 2 2.5v, 3 5.0v, 4 10.2, 5 10.28v. Reading the pins on the main board attached to the blue connector I get the following voltages: brown wire 10.2v, red 10.1v, orange 5.0v, yellow 0v but changes to 5.0v when reset button is pressed, white 3.13. I am using an aftermarket AC power supply designed for NES rated at 9v 1300 mA. Actual voltage tested out is 14.6v AC. Does this seem right so far? As to the original post, I did not take off the power box initially and only changed the large cap through the top shielding. Caps test okay so I know it’s not them. Looked at both sides of board and see no solder bridges. I’ll check the schematics tomorrow (thank you) but aside from what I’ve done I’m kind of stuck. Could I have fried an ic chip somehow? I’m kind of at a loss.
I don't know enough about line level A/V to know for sure if the first 2 pins on the power box are correct. Pin 2 (audio signal) seems high for consumer audio, but maybe they used professional audio levels. Either way, I expect those to be analog signals, not DC voltage.
wiki.console5.com/wiki/File:NES-001-Power-Box-Wiring.jpg
The White wire, I think is the return from the reset button. It looks like that should be connected to the 5V rail when the reset button is pressed, I'm not sure why that would be 3V normally. I think the LED on the schematic is drawn backwards, so It could be the 5V rail minus the ~2V drop over the LED. The 3193A is in the mix for the power LED, so I can't tell for sure what's happening from the schematic alone. But it might be ok.
You can check each individual IC to make sure they're getting power, but I'm not yet convinced this is a power issue. 14.6V out from your wall adapter is definitely high. I know rectified 9V voltage from the wall adapter goes to the RF output, although they call it the rail 13V on the schematic. I'm not seeing how that would interfere with the composite output, but maybe there's something going on there. Also, if you have 14.5VAC going into the board, I'm not seeing why it would have dropped 5.6V down to 8.9VDC by the time it gets to the 7805 or even to 10.2 VDC at the power switch. I would expect the rectifier diodes to drop it by closer to 1.4V. So maybe there's something wrong between the power input and the voltage regulator. Are you sure that the power is properly being rectified to DC?
So you currently have known-good game inserted, everything hooked up, solid red power LED, and still no audio or video output whatsoever on either Composite or RF? I would expect at least something to still be working if say, you had somehow killed a transistor on the power/AV board. Does the TV do anything at all when you turn it on, or just blackness?
What size tips did you use to remove the solder off the larger pins on the RF box?
I used the 4x1.0 mm tip, which unfortunately is still too small to fit over the tabs holding the box to the board. With that tip you just take it one side of the tab at a time
Before I attempt this, wanted to know if you think about my NES issue. I cleaned the 72 pin, out back together and when it turns on the audio comes through then takes a bit for video to show. However, sometimes the video just never comes or comes in but not clear.
I’m going to replace the 72pin, but do you think it’s a cap issue?
Usually cleaning works on the 72-pin, but you should go through every pin and inspect each one to ensure they haven't broken, or corroded away. You can also bend the pins slightly to ensure good contact. If it all looks good, I would wait until trying a few other things before changing it
If audio is working normally and the game seems to be running (but without video) that would imply the connection between the cartridge and console is ok.
Since it's intermittent, that usually means a mechanical failure. 72-pin is mechanical so it's not a bad guess, but it also could mean cracked solder.
First, inspect as much as you can. If there's any rust, corrosion, burn marks, spilled soda, stains, etc. Then the problem is likely to be in that general area.
After that, I would start by reflowing the solder on the video connector and components along the video signal path. There's some capacitors and a transistor near the connector. You can pop off the bottom shielding and do this without removing the power/AV box, therefore it's the easiest thing to try starting with.
After that I would do the capacitors if they haven't been changed before (personally I would change them even if there was no problem - it's just so annoying to get the power/AV box off).
Then I would consider reflowing the 72-pin, but at that point you may as well change it.
If there's still problems after all that, and everything looked clean, I would start looking at the semiconductors, starting with that video transistor.
Don't fully solder down the shielding of the power box until you know it's working, and you don't need to remove it again.. just do the connector and maybe tack-on one spot to ground it.
The 2 different WIMA Poly capacitors in your mouser cart have several months lead time. I would like to recap mine, is there anyway you could update your mouser cart with substitutes? I am not confident enough to find a suitable replacement !
No Problem!
An in stock alternate to the Wima MKS2C041001F00KC00 is Kemet R82DC4100DQ60J.
Alternates for the Wima MKS2B042201F00KSSD can be Wima MKS2C042201K00KSSD, Wima MKS2B042201F00KC00, or Kemet RSBCC4220Z310K. The Kemet is slightly wider, but it should be ok.
I'll try to update the mouser cart.
Remember if you're buying that cart directly, you won't need both the 1N4007-G and RC207 for the rectifiers. It depends on which NES version you have. If your console was already working you don't actually need either of them. Although it's only like $1.33 if you decice to pick both up, just in case.
@@SparkY0 would the MKS2C041001F00KI00 work in place of the MKS2C041001F00KC00 I did a search on mouser for similar and that was one of the options that came up.
MKS2C041001F00KI00 should be the exact same part as MKS2C041001F00KC00 in reel packaging instead of ammo pack. That doesn't matter at all when you're buying 3, so yes it should work.
That 3rd-from-last letter could be anything, and it wouldn't matter.
@@SparkY0Was able to get everything changed with your video! The only one I am a bit confused on is the C9 capacitor, both legs were the same length so was unsure which was negative side. It does show 50- stamped on, does that mean the right leg is the negative? From your video it looks the opposite.
@@Lexannn We replaced C9 with the 2.2uF polyfilm capacitor. Those capacitors aren't polarized, so it doesn't matter which way you put it in.
37 years… old..
37 years young?
ULD1H100MDD1TD is end of life in cart
Try ELE-500ELL100ME11D or 50YXM10MEFR5X11 or 63YXM10MEFR5X11
What about the ceramic capacitors on the main board?
Ceramic capacitors usually have a much longer lifespan than electrolytic. They shouldn't catastrophically fail from age in the same way, It's more of a minor linear drop in capacitance over a very long period of time. I don't think it should be a problem if those capacitors happen to be measure 10% lower than when they were new.
So maybe test them, but I normally wouldn't worry about changing them from age; just when I think there's a failure. They're more likely to fail from heat or physical damage
@@SparkY0 ok. But in my problem, I accidentally had them crumble when I used a hot air station. I forgot to avoid some when lifting a SRAM chip off
You can find the values here
wiki.console5.com/wiki/Nintendo_NES-001
@@SparkY0 thank you so much@
Any help would be appreciated. I’m having a problem with my voltage regulator when looking for the part does it have to be exactly a mc7805act regulator or can it be a L7805CT regulator? They both show 5v?
Any modern 7805 variant in a TO-220 package (part number usually ends in "T") should be fine. It won't make a meaningful difference. Even the 2 original NES boards I have did not use the same part. A "xx7805ACT" is a better part than a "xx7805CT", but both are better than what they were using in the 1980's.
By the way, if your voltage regulator went bad, be sure to test that the AC adapter is still putting out around 9V.