Question about gold NES 72 pin connectors [Archive]

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Drag0nsfyre

07-06-2006, 07:15 PM

Since I'm enjoying my SNES and getting a nice collection going I started to think about getting a NES one started as well. I was browsing Ebay checking out different system offerings w/ new 72 pin connectors installed when I stumbled across one that had a gold 72 pin connector in it. Will a gold connector be worth going after rather then just a regular new connector? Will it last longer? (as they claim) or does it not matter either way.
Thanks! :)

Drag0nsfyre

07-07-2006, 10:17 AM

anyone? anyone? bueler?... bueler?

Trebuken

07-07-2006, 11:01 AM

A new 72 ppin cinnector is good enough if that. There was a recent thread about houw easy it is to somply fix an original connector, so why bother paying more...? Besides you could spend the money on a Neo-Fami or a Messiah system just as easily...

Later,
Trebuken

mills

07-07-2006, 11:05 AM

I'm also seeking an answer. Is there truly an advantage to having a gold connector.

Darth Sensei

07-07-2006, 11:05 AM

klausien

07-07-2006, 04:53 PM

The only recommendation is that you try and track down a ZIF (zero insertion force) connector. These are generally leftovers from Nintendo Service Centers, but they are worth the money for the lack of hassle.

Trade-N-Games

07-08-2006, 08:15 PM

I found a retailer called MAT Electronics that had pin connectors for sale and they said nothing about being gold. I ordered 12 and when I got them they were gold. I installed the first one like normal and put a cart in and it was tight like the ones from MCM but then it still would not work. Then i went to pull the game out and it was stuck hard. I think the MCM brand pins are tight but the Gold MAT Electronics brand had the cart stuck so hard I had to unscrew all of it and use tools to get the cart out. O_O. I tried with 2 more carts and the same thing happened. They were returned and got the credit card refund about 2 months later.

Necrosaro420

07-08-2006, 11:02 PM

I heard the ones that are tight really do not last that long ?

kedawa

07-08-2006, 11:44 PM

Gold should be better as it won't tarnish like other metals, although the connector would still be susceptible to loosening of the pins.
Of course, if the connectors aren't built well, which appears to be the case, then all the gold in the world won't make it work right.

Drag0nsfyre

07-09-2006, 12:44 AM

Thanks for the responces everyone. :) I'll keep that in mind when I go to purchase a NES deal on Ebay. If nothing else though I will probably go for one that has a new 72 pin installed be it gold or just a silver. May be a week or so befor I activly start so any more input would be great as well.

Ed Oscuro

07-09-2006, 01:28 AM

What are the "gold" connectors really made from?

Anyhow. I just put back together the sorriest non-yellowed NES you've ever seen :D No cover on the expansion port, rust on the top of the A/V output port, and little bits of plastic broken off here and there. It's cleaned out and works fine now, though.

On that NES the "compatibility" seems as good as the "brand new" NES I got from Goodwill a while back. It seems to me that dirty cartridges were the main thing causing games not to play - after cleaning a few that had previously refused to work (70% isopropyl alcohol), they work just fine. Only game that still refuses to work is my loose Metal Storm cartridge, which I'll have to try cleaning again.

MichaeltheGreat

07-09-2006, 02:27 AM

I've been using a gold connector in one of my 4 neses over the last few months and haven't had a single problem with it. The one I've used has been just as good as any other replacement connector, but I wouldn't pay more than the normal price of a replacement connector for it.

Any replacement connectors are going to be a mixed bag. I'm sure they're made substandardly cheaply in China. The factory workers probably don't care much if the pins are bent totally acurately and the metal is whatever slop is cheapest that month.

Having a ?brass? coating is just a gimmick added to an already poorly made product. It still doesn't guaruntee that the ones you get will work well. It could possibly extend the life of the connector, but the bending of the pins is often just as much a problem as the corrosion.

There are no great solutions to the problem. Get a nes with an original connector and get a gold replacement if you want. Try to clean the original. If that doesn't work out, try the gold. That way you can find out which one works better for you!

MachineGex

07-09-2006, 10:50 AM

I had the same problem with MAT Electronics. I ordered 50 72-pins and a little over half were bad. Unfortunately, MAT Electronics refused a refund. I don't do business with them anymore.

echo_machine

07-11-2006, 11:49 AM

What exactly are the symptoms of bent pins? My NES has 2 problems: freezing/crashing/gradual scrambling of graphics, ect (oxidation is what I assume causes these things), and another consistent issue -- it's like the main sprite always has a portion of its make-up on the left side of the screen. Is this the result of a bent pin? Are bent pins repairable?