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Nes Blinking Red light
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mizuhime:
Hello Everyone I don't know if I can post this so if not I will delete it. But I can't find a way to fix it from another site.

I have trying to play my NES but I am getting a red blinking light every time I try. So I cleaned everything inside out and it still happens but I can get it to come on every 10th or so try maybe even more I have not counted. I have also notice that if I take out the little cartage holder and just put a game on the 72 pin and hold it down it works fine but when I try with the cartridge holder it blinks no stop. does anyone know a solution or what the problem is?

Thanks 
breakmanexe:
May need to replace the 72-pin. Especially if it's an original.

Something to note: I did this myself in my front-loading NES. Removed my original 72-pin and cleaned the shit out of it, and it did nothing to prevent read errors in cartridges. It was donezo. So I installed a new one. But even the new one was giving me read errors...until I stopped pushing the cart down. I think this has to do with the firmness of the newer 72-pins. Regardless, it now accepts nearly everything I throw at it as long as I ONLY insert the cart and DO NOT push it down.

There is also a mod involving bypassing the console lockout that can be done to decrease read errors. I have not yet had to do that one, so I can't really offer insight on that. Sorry.
TDIRunner:
You probably need to bend your pins back.  Cleaning it alone won't work the pins have been bent, which is super common after pushing the cart down all of these years.  You can Google YouTube videos about how to do this.
 
Replacing the pint connector is an option, but it's difficult finding replacements that are not Chinese junk.  If you replace it a poor quality replacement, it will only fail again, but much sooner than your original.  Whether you bend your pins back or replace the connector, I would suggest never pushing the game down again.  This will hopefully make the pins last longer before they fail again.

Another option is to use a Game Genie. If your pins are clean, but still bent, the Game Genie might make contact because the pins on the GG are thicker than an original game.  I don't recommend this option as a permanent solution because it doesn't fix the actual issue.  But it can sometimes help as a short term solution.

The best solution in my opinion is to buy a Blinking Light Win and install it.  It replaces the pin connector with a more traditional set of pins (not a ZIF connector) and you never have push the dame down again.  It requires taking your NES apart, but it's a "bolt on" installation meaning you can always remove it and put your NES back to original if you want.  That's what I'm currently using.  


EDIT:  The Blinking Light Win appears to be sold out at the moment, but it looks like they are taking pre-orders for the next batch.  I still recommend this solution, and maybe try to temporarily use a Game Genie for the time being. 
mizuhime:
Thanks you and I have bent them back into place already and no luck.

and what do you mean don't push down. does nes play game if I just insert them and don't press down.
TDIRunner:

--- Quote from: mizuhime on August 23, 2018, 02:58:49 PM ---Thanks you and I have bent them back into place already and no luck.

and what do you mean don't push down. does nes play game if I just insert them and don't press down.

--- End quote ---

If the pins are making good contact with the game, then no, you don't need to push the game down.  New pin connectors usually are tight enough to allow the game to play without pushing the game down.  If it works without pushing the game down, you want to play it that way because every time you push the game down, you are bending the pins a little more.

That's how the Game Genie worked.  The board itself was thicker than a normal NES game which allowed it to make contact with the pin connector without pushing it down (pushing down is physically impossible when a Game Genie is being used).  Unfortunately, the thicker board also causes the pins to be bent a little bit which is why I don't recommend it as a permanent solution. 

The Blinking Light Win is still your best bet.  But if  you don't want to wait for the next batch, and you don't want to bother with a GG, then just buy one of the $9 replacement connectors on Amazon.  Just remember that they often don't last very long. 
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