N64 No Signal

[flameboy]

So after a hop back to England from Canada and a hefty baggage allowance for the flight back I've finally been reunited with my entire game collection. However I've run in to a problem with my N64.

Plugged it in (with a plug adapter) switched it on that lovely red light comes on BAM No Signal. Looked it up people saying yeah those old AV cables are abit temperamental, so bought a new one plug it in....still nothing.

All I get is a the screen kind of flashes twice and then the "no power" info pops back up. I've tried multiple carts, taking our the expansion pack and reinserting and nothing seems to work. It's not the TV, tried it both on my newer big TV but also my old portable that I moved over with me (which it 100% worked with as I played DK64 about 4 years ago on it) plus all my other retro consoles are working through that same TV.

My only other thing to try was to go to the dollar store and buy some rubbing alcohol and some Q tips to clean the contacts inside the cart slot and the expansion pack.

There are no known issues with PAL N64 on North American power lines? Like even though the light is lighting up it's not actually getting enough power?

[Tanooki]

If it's lighting up and getting power and you exchanged the cable you ruled it out, don't fixate on it.

If you cleaned the cart and exp pack(why?) how about the cart slot on the system? Get a credit card or thinner but sturdy, wrap a thin cloth (like eyeglasses wipe) around it, wet it with the alcohol and go at it until it comes away clean.

If that fails, perhaps you have a blown fuse or something just died on the board (trace, other part, perhaps even the a/v jack itself internally).

[bacteria]

There are no fuses on the motherboard, although the PSU has a cut-off which resets most of the time after a few hours. That isn't relevant though as you have the red light which indicates power is going, at least partly, to the motherboard.

You can use either any PSU for the N64 that region uses, it is only a voltage regulator to convert AC into 12v DC and 3.43v DC; so whether you're in a 110v AC or 240v AV country, as long as you are using an N64 PSU for that country's mains power, you're ok.

If the problem persists, then try to clean the pins of the console's game port by using a cotton hankerchief around a credit card, gently rubbing the pins to clean them; other thing is the game carts could have tarnished pins; get a Gamebit screwdriver (hex) to open the game cart and use a pencil eraser to remove the oxidation. Then try again - should work.

[flameboy]

There are no fuses on the motherboard, although the PSU has a cut-off which resets most of the time after a few hours. That isn't relevant though as you have the red light which indicates power is going, at least partly, to the motherboard.

You can use either any PSU for the N64 that region uses, it is only a voltage regulator to convert AC into 12v DC and 3.43v DC; so whether you're in a 110v AC or 240v AV country, as long as you are using an N64 PSU for that country's mains power, you're ok.

If the problem persists, then try to clean the pins of the console's game port by using a cotton hankerchief around a credit card, gently rubbing the pins to clean them; other thing is the game carts could have tarnished pins; get a Gamebit screwdriver (hex) to open the game cart and use a pencil eraser to remove the oxidation. Then try again - should work.

Wait sorry I need clarification on the PSU thing. I'm using a UK N64, with the UK power supply plugged in to a travel adapter and it turns on. Is tis ok? It's the same system I have for Wii and Dreamcast and the both work fine.

Thanks for the cleaning instructions very indepth will try that.

[Gameguy]

Wait sorry I need clarification on the PSU thing. I'm using a UK N64, with the UK power supply plugged in to a travel adapter and it turns on. Is tis ok? It's the same system I have for Wii and Dreamcast and the both work fine.

Thanks for the cleaning instructions very indepth will try that.

Let's see, you're plugging a power supply needing 220 volts into an outlet that only provides 110 volts using a cheap travel adapter that only adapts the physical shape of the plug and converts nothing voltage wise. I'm going to guess that this is the issue causing you problems.

More modern systems are designed to auto detect and run on different voltage systems but older systems don't work like that. Just use a North American N64 power supply with the console and it should be fine, assuming it hasn't been damaged so far. The input voltage requirements will be physically written on the power adapter, you can check what the UK adapter needs to confirm this.

[flameboy]

Let's see, you're plugging a power supply needing 220 volts into an outlet that only provides 110 volts using a cheap travel adapter that only adapts the physical shape of the plug and converts nothing voltage wise. I'm going to guess that this is the issue causing you problems.

More modern systems are designed to auto detect and run on different voltage systems but older systems don't work like that. Just use a North American N64 power supply with the console and it should be fine, assuming it hasn't been damaged so far. The input voltage requirements will be physically written on the power adapter, you can check what the UK adapter needs to confirm this.

Not a cheap travel adapter particularly....but yeah my question was whether it would turn on at all....the light is still coming on and it is still making the screen flash by contrast original xbox doesn't work at all because the power brick is inside and clearly says on back that it needs 220v. N64 seems to have be labelled with a range that it will work between.

[AdamAnt316]

I just had a thought: were you using the exact same TV four years ago? You mention using a UK N64, which is meant to output a PAL signal, which not all US TVs can handle, given that they're generally meant for NTSC video signals. As for the AC adapter, if it says it takes 220V, then that's what it needs. The brick for the US model is only listed as working with 120V, and the other voltages listed on it are the outputs from the various pins at the appropriate input voltage. Does the travel adapter you're using actually boost the 120V to 240V, or does it merely make one plug fit another outlet? A picture would help.
-Adam