Nintendo (NES) Repair & Restoration

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I restore this old Nintendo Entertainment System I bought off eBay. It's very discoloured and needs retrobrighting, but it also has a creature's nest still inside!
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Filmed on: Samsung S22
Mic: HyperX Quadcast S - amzn.to/3PAtmUp
Music:
Boom Bap Flick - Quincas Moreira
Tools:
- Hakko FX-888D Soldering Iron
- Andonstar ADSM302 Microscope
- Fluke 17B+ Multimeter
- UNI-T UT71D Multi-meter
- BOSCA 6% Hydrogen Peroxide
- Desco Anti-Static Mat
- NEWACALOX N-AGR8-BK9 Helping Hands
- Yihua 2008D Hot Air Rework Station
- Custom Fume Extractor - • DIY Soldering Fume Ext...
- ChemTools 99.8% Isopropyl Alcohol
5L - amzn.to/3APZ8FA
250ml Spray - amzn.to/3cIRncH
- ChipQuik low melt solder - amzn.to/3wWxSUJ
- MECHANIC 63/37 Rosin Core Solder
- AMTECH NC-559-ASM Flux
- Goot Wick desoldering braid 3.0mm, 2.0mm & 1.5mm - www.jaycar.com.au/3-0mm-goot-...
- QianLi Edge Glue Remover 007 - shop.rewa.tech/detail/side-gl...
- BlackRidge air compressor
- Wire snips
- Dulux Duramax Semi-Gloss Clear Coat - www.bunnings.com.au/dulux-325...
- P2000 Sandpaper
- Various plastic and metal pry tools/spudgers
- ESD Tweezers
- Microfiber cloth
- Swisspers Eco Friendly cotton tips

[@Brandon-bc5um]

* ships in a laundry detergent powder box * Restore Technique: "Its covered in a mYsTeRiOuS pOwDeR"

[@videogamegemvault]

Great Video! I love the pop can shots!

[@AnekoFoxx]

Metal expands when heated, so that’s probably why the pins moved.

[@MrZitko]

Hell yeah!!!! Best notfication from KZbin 👍

[@uffda1]

Was in a smokers home lol. Yellow . Great video , great seeing the insides of the best system

[@TinyOwO]

as far as I'm aware, the plastic used for the nes and snes, when exposed to uv rays for a prolonged period of time

[@BeersAndBeatsPDX]

​@TinyOwO Yup. It's pretty common

[@CommanderWiggins]

I've found that generally, the vapor method of retrobrite is less harsh on any silkscreening on plastic compared to the full submersion method.

[@RestoreTechnique]

Ok thanks 👍

[@joesaiditstrue]

sucks about the failed attempt but appreciate you uploading the entire process

[@RestoreTechnique]

Cheers bud 🙂

[@SARAISHYK]

@Restore Technique HELLO USA 🇺🇸

[@RestoreTechnique]

@@SARAISHYK Hi, I'm not American... 🇦🇺

[@SARAISHYK]

@@RestoreTechnique sorry :)

[@BrainSlugs83]

The graphics issues are because of the cartridge connector. You can order a modern replacement connector. The cartridges contain two ROMs, one for code (PRG) and one for graphics (CHR). Meaning that if one of the CHR address or data lines is bad, then the games can look wrong but still "work".

[@RestoreTechnique]

Ok thanks, I thought I had confirmed all the pins were making a connection, but I could be wrong. I will get a replacement connector and update you. 👍

[@RestoreTechnique]

I bought a replacement 72pin connector and the result was still the same 🫤

[@macTijn]

Instinct tells me the PPU isn't properly connecting to the ROM, it looks kinda like there's some pins on the data bus that are shorted somehow. Did you check for shorts?

[@TimboStang71]

What a great video. I gave a big 👍!!! The voice, cleaning gently, comedy bits... ya had it all!! Well done. RESTORE NINTENDO DONT THROW AWAY!! Oh and ya got yourself a new Sub !

[@RestoreTechnique]

Thanks so much bro :)

[@Nancy-hy5so]

I threw away my N64 away with the Mario 64 and some Yoshi game I never liked anyways I picked it up at a flea market for 10 bucks so no loss there but it stopped working and I threw it away with the games. I had no idea at the time that you could have them fixed I was thinking that if they stop making them and it's been years that they won't have anyone or the parts needed to fix the problem because of them being discontinued, would find anyone to repair it. Now...I could kick myself for that. The only ones that seem to be more than ok to throw away are the cheap ass handhelds you get off of Ali Express or temu or the other similar stores.

[@andychamplin]

Try reflowing the chips to see if that fixes it. With the console being that old the solder joints could be bad. Introducing new solder could bring new life into the connection.

[@maxneilson5191]

5:06 hey that’s my pet Millipede😂

[@RestoreTechnique]

😆

[@SeththeMeff]

I’m sorry for your loss 😔

[@yaminsiddiqui4690]

Great restoration

[@RestoreTechnique]

Thanks heaps 😊

[@johnf1628]

That NES was lucky to have you as it's surgeon

[@RestoreTechnique]

☺️

[@JohnRowley]

My favourite part was when you unscrewed those screws incredibly quickly! When you found the dead millipede it occured to me that, being based in Australia, you must have been relieved to find something so harmless and not some hideous spider that shoots poison lasers into your eyes.

[@lisarayner3091]

Very insightful! There are plenty of them here in Oz! Also geckos and lizards who love to live in tech and chew on tech wires.

[@RestoreTechnique]

Cheers John! Yes I was relieved to not see a poison laser spider 😅

[@JohnRowley]

@@RestoreTechnique The risks you take for our entertainment and the preservation of wonderous devices are nothing short of heroic.

[@JohnRowley]

​@@lisarayner3091 I love geckos! I envy you those little sweeties. I wouldn't want one as a pet though - I just like to see them scamper across walls in exotic climes 🙂

[@lisarayner3091]

@@JohnRowley They are cute but much more so from afar! I have a regular influx of these annoying little rascals and lately there have been a number of "incidents" which have tested my patience.

[@MrAngel-xg8pe]

I appreciate the laugh

[@billbarrett6285]

On my old game, when the connector started having a problem, I have to push something in the slot on the top of the cartridge to hold it down tight to get it to work. As I remember, that worked for a while. I understand many people had the same problem. I believe a new connector can be purchased from a retro game shop.

[@adiohead]

I always found that pulling the cartridge out slightly made it work better, after the traditional blowing on it.

[@RestoreTechnique]

Yeah I tried moving the cartridge around in all different directions

[@foodmusttravel61]

@@RestoreTechnique how do I repair the controller slot. I have some problem playing Lifeforce whereby the controller or the slot does not work well

[@RestoreTechnique]

@@foodmusttravel61 I can't advise without looking at it and opening it up. There could be several things wrong. Try with other controllers to work out if it's a controller issue or a console port issue. Inspect pins for corrosion or damage. Inspect controller cord for damage.

[@foodmusttravel61]

@@RestoreTechnique do you have FB page? I maybe able to send video of my NES Nintendo console.

[@RestoreTechnique]

@@foodmusttravel61 contact me via instagram

[@madmanmechanic8847]

When cleaning corrosion off of PC boards use a tooth brush dipped in Alcohol no more torn rags and paper towels and it will clean a lot better

[@americanpaisareturns9051]

It’s beautiful

[@RestoreTechnique]

😃 thanks

[@leoneldeufemia2581]

thanx ,man!!!! amaaaaazing video, u have a new subscriptor!! greetings from Argentina! :D

[@joloooranil4375]

good vide thanks for sharing !

[@Daddyshakespear]

I think you went wrong trying to scoop it out of the boiling water. The plastic gets really soft and moves easily. Safer to just let it sit till it cools before touching.

[@RestoreTechnique]

Maybe you're right. I left the thing sitting on the scoop, so it wasn't touching the bottom of the saucepan. Letting it sit on the bottom close to the element is bad. Then I just pulled the scoop out.

[@gazehound]

remember everyone: some flux is corrosive, always clean your solder joints

[@RestoreTechnique]

😮👍

[@Nancy-hy5so]

I think I like the yellow color of the Nintendo it shows its age and gives it a bit of character. But it's weird that the sun is what causes the yellowing over the years and putting it in a retro Brite solution and then setting it out in the sun gets rid of it.

[@RestoreTechnique]

Yeah i wished i had left it as is :/

[@Nancy-hy5so]

@@RestoreTechnique I don't understand how it got yellow if it was stored in a warehouse. That place must of had a lot of windows for sunshine to get through.

[@SnipE_mS]

Oh man when you boiled that connector I think I died a little. I did a retro bright once with a heating element set to 125 and it warped part of the case of the device I was restoring so bad I couldn’t use it

[@ninkaco6954]

There is no problem with the graphics or components its simply how the NES's composite video looks, this is from a person who has owned a Mattel NES for a number of years. Therefore there is no way of "fixing" unless you mod it to output in RGB or HDMI. Unfortunately sometimes its hard to tell if you havent seen a certain analogue systems output because theyre all different, for example the N64 has crap composite out whereas the Sega Saturn has excellent composite, but even that can change with different hardware revisions.

[@Heisenberg........_]

I got mine out today it's been stored for a good while but it worked last time I used it but today I tried to turn it on and the power button wouldn't come on and I kept trying and it would come on sometimes what do you think the problem is?

[@glsoterios]

I'm trying to find out why you didn't show how to replace the capachers. I'd like to know which way they go in Is the long part of Capacitor Positive Are the short. Positive Please let me know.

[@eko9554]

I’ve plug back in my original nes. I haven’t played it since 2020 and I got it in 2018. It doesn’t work anymore. I’ve hacked my snes mini to have Nes games but I will love to pick up a retron.

[@Ithrick]

Totally thought u were actually gonna run it in the washer machine 😂

[@TonyGingrich]

The graphics issues... The aspect ratio is a setting adjustment of the display, not a problem in the console. The glitch was caused by something you could not see when you soldered the power supply module back to the motherboard: The 5-pin connector. There is excessive gap between the holes and the pins. Almost all motherboards had that issue from the factory. When you soldered the pins back into place, some solder dripped through and onto the RF portion of the PS board. No permanent damage done. You'll have to again remove the module and clean the spilled solder. Tip: Do not desolder the 5-pin from the MB. Instead, remove the bottom cover of the PS board and desolder from that side. The holes on the PS board are a much better fit, so you won't have this issue on reassembly. (Also, the traces to the holes on the MB side are very fragile. Desoldering on the PS board mitigates the risk of damaging those.)

[@TonyGingrich]

My personal console is a near complete hack job, having repaired possibly every common mistake made by previous owners. Ha! If desired, I can find some time to make a video of it and show off all of the repairs I had to make. Which include: Fabricating and installing a partial replacement of the video hex inverter. (Previous owner mistook it for the CIC lockout chip and snipped its pin-4... killed the video entirely.) Snipped pin 4 of the "correct" CIC lockout chip. Replaced the 72-pin cartridge connector. Recapped the power supply/RF module. Permanently deleted the 5-pin connector to the power supply module, due to ripped traces on the motherboard. Replaced with 18 gauge wires, each soldered to a nominal point on the MB. Routed the wires through the original pin holes and soldered to the PS board. Removed rust from the PS module covers and blued them to prevent recurrence. 3 years later, console is still running strong. But it's finally about time to disassemble and clean the cartridge connector. I'm expecting no surprises.

[@carlettasommerville8057]

Soooo cool my friend 💙🌼

[@jayboo1447]

Did it come from the laundry powder box or it's just the Nintendo NES packaging box?

[@RestoreTechnique]

It came in the laundry powder box

[@RickmoZamms]

10:52 toothbrush

[@billbarrett6285]

Whoever you got that thing from must be a pretty filthy person. After seeing what the console looked like, I can just imagine what their home looks like.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

Damn that sucks worked your ass off on it

[@gronemaster95]

La consola se veía bien antes de cambiar los capacitores, solo se vé asi de pixelado porque no estás jugando en una tele CRT

[@RickmoZamms]

So moral of the story. Don’t boil your nintendos

[@Ch__rlie]

niiiice.

[@travismarshall3089]

13:57 No, no! This is normal! It's just as you described an M.2 chip. In it's resting position the top set of the 72 pins don't connect to the board. This is exactly why you're getting almost no continuity after you boiled your connector. However, notice that when you press slightly down on the game's mainboard...continuity occurs. When the cart is inserted and pressed down THEN all the top pins should have continuity. When you stretch all 72 pins and get a "tighter" squeeze. You don't need to press down the inserted game. But you may need Herculean strength to pull it out. As for the graphics...they actually look fine to me. Looks like you just need to adjust aspect ratio and turn down the "sharpness" in the T.V. display menu settings. Sure, definitely so legit glitches that may be overheating PPU issues, or the fact that you DON'T press down the connector? Press it down.

[@theunholinesswithin70]

I have a black spot on the circuit board on mine, I'm guessing it isn't supposed to be there.

[@Residentevil1998racooncity]

Maybe you should have tried the uv lamp instead

[@RestoreTechnique]

Yeah probably, but I just think I suck at Retrobrightning. I don't understand how others are able to keep the printing from fading 🤷‍♂️

[@maxneilson5191]

Mysterious white powder, we all know what that really is co-

[@Shadow-ik9fq]

Work again on the iphone 14 usb c charger port

[@RestoreTechnique]

Might do a different project, modding the iphone 14. No promises though, only testing so far.

[@krayir_]

bro just boiled them

[@MarkLumsley]

That thing looks absolutely filthy; hope you washed your hands! :s

[@RestoreTechnique]

Haha, yes

[@lisarayner3091]

Haha! No doubt that he did.

[@abelvillarreal6028]

You don’t have to replace any of those graphic components…just blow on the game cartridge 😉😂

[@RestoreTechnique]

Yeah I tried that lol

[@WarrenCampbell1]

Ruined the patina!

[@zatek85]

Hp basic compact computer repair ds7600

[@Hex-Mas]

u tried :)

[@RestoreTechnique]

🙂👍

[@jacobmckay2345]

"."

[@stepler5203]

old ASMR video are better

[@terenceburrows4796]

😅 "promo sm"

[@stepler5203]

video with sound sucks

[@RestoreTechnique]

Ok thanks for your feedback

[@JohnRowley]

@@RestoreTechnique I have to balance sound when creating animation for my clients and I didn't notice any problems with the sound. Or maybe he/she would have preferred repetitive royalty free stock music for 21 minutes, me I prefer limited narration and ambient sounds - each to their own : )

[@NitinGopinathan]

I would like to counter and say that I enjoy video with sound !

[@lisarayner3091]

For a long time Josh did all his videos with captions and there'd be people who would comment that they liked that. But he did a poll a few months ago and the result was the majority wanted voice-over. I like both, maybe an occasional voice free video could be done for the ASMR lovers out there.

[@JohnRowley]

@@lisarayner3091 Yeah, he's got a good idea of what works - there are lots of tech fixing / restoring channels out there but Josh has his own evolving style - like you, I always enjoy his films : )

[@dom_dude64_gaming]

Bro the millipede got frozen in karbonnite

[@RestoreTechnique]

Yeah it was stiff as a rock

[@dom_dude64_gaming]

Wonder if he saw dark Vader