I've recently come into the posession of one of the very rare Nintendo Service center NES test carts (NTF2). For more info read here:

http://www.planetnintendo.com/thewarpzone/test.html

I've been using it to test NES's I've repaired, and I've discovered an alarming trend. Since I've been using the test cart, I've been getting a 50% fail rate on my new 72 pin connectors from MCM (of the last 4 I've tried since I've had the test cart, I've had two fails). It seems the test cart utilizes every single pin connector contact, while many NES games do not. What that means in a real world example, is that a connector can fail with the test cart, but work fine with Super mario Bros. 1, or Castlevania, but it will fail with Super mario Bros 3, and Star Tropics. If a pin passes with the test cart, it runs all games, but if it fails with the test cart, it will run "some" games, but not all. It would seem that these pins are inconsistent in quality.


This Is Not Good. This is VERY BAD, and not just because I have nearly $500CDN tied up in new MCM connector pins in my basement. This also may explain the "phantom" issues some people have had, claiming that a new connector did not solve their "blink" problem.

I'm looking into the "gold" plated connectors now. Gold does not impress me though. I don't think this is a problem with the contact element, but an issue with the manufacturing, and perhaps a pressure issue.

Feel free to bitch and cry in this thread. Tips and ideas would be helpful too.