[SOLVED] Nintendo Famicom has really short cords.

[aclbandit]

I'm excited-- just received my original Nintendo Famicom and a Disk System. Fantastic!! After a bit of messing about, it runs through my VCR on channel 95. Yaay.

I only have ONE problem: the controller cords are around 30 centimeters long or so.

Anyone know how I would go about elongating them? I mean, I *think* I could simply pop down to Radioshack, buy a bunch of shielded wire and a tube, and then splice-and-dice together an extension for it, but I dunno. I'd like to make sure before I hack up my (rather expensive ) new Famicom.

[skaar]

Check for extenders on ebay. Are they they same as the NES controllers?

I remember my SFC was like that too... short short cords.

[aclbandit]

No, they're not like NES controllers at all. I mean, same basic button design, but they're hard-wired to the system. I've searched about in an effort to find some sort of extender or some such nonsense, but to no avail. I also have been utterly unable to find any mention of a hack to make the cords longer.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

No, they're not like NES controllers at all. I mean, same basic button design, but they're hard-wired to the system. I've searched about in an effort to find some sort of extender or some such nonsense, but to no avail. I also have been utterly unable to find any mention of a hack to make the cords longer.

The original Famicom was meant to be kept closer to the gamer than the TV set. (It's from an era where all game consoles had short cords - Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, etc.)

Extend the power cord and video output with extension cords and keep the system close to you instead. It's cheaper, doesn't require any hard-modding, and provides a more "authentic" Famicom gaming experience.

[jb143]

Are the cables soldered to the circuit board? Or on a plug like an intellivision? If they're on a plug you could easily make an extention cable with no modification to the system(other than taking it apart)

[ApolloBoy]

Are the cables soldered to the circuit board? Or on a plug like an intellivision? If they're on a plug you could easily make an extention cable with no modification to the system(other than taking it apart)

They plug into the system.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

??? Sorry Apollo.

The original Famicom controllers were hard-wired to the board of the system.

The Famicom AV System had the US NES style controller ports.

[Chuplayer]

Just find a cable with enough wires, snip, strip, and solder.

[diskoboy]

The original Famicom was meant to be kept closer to the gamer than the TV set. (It's from an era where all game consoles had short cords - Atari, Intellivision, Colecovision, etc.)

Not to mention houses and apartments in Japan are microscopic in size, compared to what most of the world is used to. A big apartment in Japan would equal an efficiency/studio apartment, here in the US.

I think that may be another reason why everything was kept so compact....

[AB Positive]

??? Sorry Apollo.

The original Famicom controllers were hard-wired to the board of the system.

The Famicom AV System had the US NES style controller ports.

the original famicom does indeed have 'ports' so to speak - they're inside the system attached to the bare board, but they do plug in. You can technically make extenders but as you said the effect was for the system to be near you and played.

Still, I'd like to add at least 3 feet myself if only because the cords come out the back.... out the front the length would be fine for me. If you make homemade extenders that work let me know.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Well, technically, they may have semi-quick-release type cord-ends, but you'll have to open the console and do some maneuvering to get them out.

There really aren't any "manufactured" famicom cord male to female extender for that type of input end, and even if there were, you'd have the raw low-gauge red/yellow/white colored cables exposed between extensions ...

... honestly, It would almost be easier to just cut the cord in the center and re-solder.

[aclbandit]

Just find a cable with enough wires, snip, strip, and solder.

Kind of what I was thinking, though I would actually prefer not to injure it. If I could find a way of making an extender of some kind, that would actually be the preferred method. The issue, of course, is in the fact that it's quite a wonky connector that goes onto the motherboard. I would basically want to move from that male connector on the motherboard into a female extension cord with a male end on the other side, whereupon the famicom controller could be attached. This would also make for easy (screwless) replacement in the future.

Any suggestions on finding the right wires/end pieces? I would mostly wish to extend controller 1, but perhaps controller 2 if that goes well. Controller 2 appears to have MORE wires, probably for the included microphone.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Kind of what I was thinking, though I would actually prefer not to injure it. If I could find a way of making an extender of some kind, that would actually be the preferred method. The issue, of course, is in the fact that it's quite a wonky connector that goes onto the motherboard. I would basically want to move from that male connector on the motherboard into a female extension cord with a male end on the other side, whereupon the famicom controller could be attached. This would also make for easy (screwless) replacement in the future.

Any suggestions on finding the right wires/end pieces? I would mostly wish to extend controller 1, but perhaps controller 2 if that goes well. Controller 2 appears to have MORE wires, probably for the included microphone.

You could un-hook the controller from the motherboard and bring it to a local Radio Shack or hobby type electronics shop. They MIGHT have a male/female pin-set cable setup that you could use ... or point you in the direction of something less "solder-surgical" to extend the cords.

Do you have a "Micro Center" in your area? They have an downright amazing cable section in their custom computer department, might have something that'll work for making extensions.

[aclbandit]

Haha, not only do I not have a Micro Center, I've never even heard of it.

I'll likely drop down to radio shack and see what I can find tomorrow or so. I'm having trouble removing the controller from the MoBo... is it supposed to be that difficult to pull out?

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Haha, not only do I not have a Micro Center, I've never even heard of it.

I'll likely drop down to radio shack and see what I can find tomorrow or so. I'm having trouble removing the controller from the MoBo... is it supposed to be that difficult to pull out?

I'm pretty sure they're hard-wired. Always thought they were.

BUT everybody else seems to think otherwise, and since I've never removed one myself, and they may have, I have no reason to doubt them.

Just be careful.

Also Micro Center = the greatest computer/tech store in the universe. Sadly, the website does NOT do the store justice ... http://www.microcenter.com/

[aclbandit]

Well, "hard wired" to mean simply means not removable like the ones on the NES.

It IS hard-wired in that it doesn't have an accessible plug. However, as far as the innards goes, it LOOKS like it can be removed in much the same way that the NES's controller ports can be, but I can't be sure and am terrified of breaking it.

[Tommy]

I have never seen a fami up close but is the actual line thinner than a piece of cat5? I used cat5 when I was to cheap to extend my xbox controllers. I here you on not wanting to damage it though.

[aclbandit]

I have never seen a fami up close but is the actual line thinner than a piece of cat5? I used cat5 when I was to cheap to extend my xbox controllers. I here you on not wanting to damage it though.

You know, it sounds crazy, but that just might work. and I think I had a ton of it back in my closet somewhere. Might or might not be enough wires, though. Also, I really wanna find a way to make it easily returnable to "classic" style without re-de-re-soldering.

[AB Positive]

The "having ports" bit is purely a technicality as you can see from the pic Frankie supplied. It may very well be easier for most to simply splice the line... as an IT worker, they remind me a bit of IDE power cord ports and always wondered if an extender was possible but then again I've never tried to pull the controllers out of mine either, heh.

[aclbandit]

I've decided to go with a suggestion earlier in this thread and just buy power and video extensions and move the system if necessary. I really can't clip the wires, no matter how badly I want longer ones. I don't want to harm the authenticity of it, and besides, I'm afraid I'll break something.

At least controller cords aren't made that short anymore, right ^_^?