N64 - No signal you guys got any fixes?

[flameboy]

So after a hop back to England 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.

[Josh64]

How many times have you tried it, it could just be your old cartridges. Some of my cartridges have to be re-inserted 3 to 4 times to show up, and I only know to keep trying because I already have it tuned in. When you're setting up the signal, make sure you try powering on the system with different games a good few times before giving up, N64's always get a little rusty if you haven't used them for a while.

[Rummy]

What kind of cable are you using at the moment? Can't you use a GC cable on it too? I'm with Josh might be the cartridges though, had an absolute headache with my SNES recently for exactly the same reason - whilst it was actually putting out a black screen the modern TVs find it too low/weak to actually detect it.

[nekunando]

If you know anyone else with an N64, see if you can try it out on your TV with their cables and then with your cables. If the problem is the console itself, I don't think it would cost much to buy a replacement

[Dcubed]

Sounds like the cartridge/slot just needs a good blow...

 

A proper cleanout would be better of course. Otherwise, I can't think of what it could be other than a damaged N64

 

You say that you've tried other cables... As long as it's a SNES/N64/GCN composite/compositeScart cable (not RGB Scart, N64 doesn't support RGB - you use one of them and you'll just get a blank picture), it should work fine.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Dcubed

[flameboy]

So I posted this on a retro forum as well and they said this;

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.

 

Now the UK adapter has a range of numbers on it so I assumed it would be fine and the fact its powering on makes me think its fine in that regards....by contrast original xbox doesn't work at all because the power brick is inside and clearly says on back that it needs 220v. The fact the light is coming on makes me think its powering up plus I'm getting the screen flash.

 

I think I'm gonna go with the cleaning of everything for now at least and see where I go from there. Loathed to shell out for a new North American power supply and it turns out to not be that having already paid for AV cable...

[Dcubed]

Oh, you're using a US N64 in the UK?

 

Well no wonder it's not working!

 

You need to use a Step Down Converter if you're using a US N64 with a US PSU in the UK. Travel adapters will not work because they don't perform any actual voltage conversion.

 

Alternatively you can actually use a UK N64 PSU on a US N64 with no problems at all (I currently do that myself)

[Eenuh]

No he is using a UK N64 in the US/Canada. Which does seem to imply that voltage might be an issue. Your system is not getting enough power due to being on 110 volt instead of 220.

 

I think when I was in the US, I had to use an American charger for my DS as it just wouldn't work with my European charger, not enough power was going through.

 

Also, wouldn't PAL to NTSC signal be an issue as well? The TV will probably have a different signal than the console, so you might need a converter for that?

[Dcubed]

No he is using a UK N64 in the US/Canada. Which does seem to imply that voltage might be an issue. Your system is not getting enough power due to being on 110 volt instead of 220.

 

I think when I was in the US, I had to use an American charger for my DS as it just wouldn't work with my European charger, not enough power was going through.

 

Also, wouldn't PAL to NTSC signal be an issue as well? The TV will probably have a different signal than the console, so you might need a converter for that?

 

Oh, my bad. Then it's the opposite then. You need a Step Up Converter or a US N64 power supply. Again, travel adapters do not do any voltage conversion, so your N64 isn't currently getting enough voltage to be powered.

 

Also, the fact that it's PAL also makes things complicated... Generally speaking most US/Canadian Standard Definition TVs do not support PAL video signals, so you're probably only going to get it working on a HDTV (which would likely support PAL video signals). You might get lucky and get a non HDTV to work with it, but they're generally pretty rare...

Edited January 15, 2016 by Dcubed

[Rummy]

Just come back to England forever @flameboy, sounds much simpler :p!

 

No he is using a UK N64 in the US/Canada. Which does seem to imply that voltage might be an issue. Your system is not getting enough power due to being on 110 volt instead of 220.

 

I think when I was in the US, I had to use an American charger for my DS as it just wouldn't work with my European charger, not enough power was going through.

 

Also, wouldn't PAL to NTSC signal be an issue as well? The TV will probably have a different signal than the console, so you might need a converter for that?

 

Europe's on 240V as well though isn't it? Just asking because I'm sure my old DS chargers worked fine in the US without a converter! I did have a US charger however, as I originally got someone to buy one over there for me so maybe I never actually tried it! I know the 3DS/DSi chargers worked just fine on the 110V supplies however.

[flameboy]

@Dcubed @Eenuh @nekunando Thanks for all the advice guys. Looking at prices its cheaper to buy a US power supply than a step up converter. Just to clarify the PAL/NTSC signal issue I have a smaller samsung tv I shipped over when I moved that I have as a spare, that's been working fine with other retro consoles.

 

This whole thing is so annoying....and never clear cut each old console is different, dreamcast just works no issues with travel adapter, Xbox doesn't switch on at all (ended up buying a used one and waiting for cable to show up so I can soft mod it to play UK games I only have 6) N64 light turns on but as it turns out doesn't actually work.

 

@Rummy Yes that would have been the more simple solution.

[Rummy]

Looking at prices its cheaper to buy a US power supply than a step up converter. Just to clarify the PAL/NTSC signal issue I have a smaller samsung tv I shipped over when I moved that I have as a spare, that's been working fine with other retro consoles.

 

Not meaning to put another spanner in the works or anything - but do we know that a US supply can definitely be used on a UK console? My mind says in theory yes, as the transformer must be in there and they'd surely design all models to take the same outputted voltage by said transformer, but for some reason being as it wasn't done as a sort of brick/rated(unless it was and I never noticed) I wonder if there might be a variance. Problem is there's no way to tell unless you can look at the rating on both.

 

Doing some quick research I believe that yes it's absolutely fine, and if anything you might actually even be able to use the US supply in the UK with a simple converter (not that you'd need or want to really) whilst you can't do it the other way round!

Edited January 18, 2016 by Rummy

[Eenuh]

Wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to buy a second hand N64 in Canada? Might save you a lot of headache. :P

[Eddage]

Wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to buy a second hand N64 in Canada? Might save you a lot of headache. :P

 

Not if you've already got a load of PAL games, which I'm guessing flameboy has.

[Eenuh]

Not if you've already got a load of PAL games, which I'm guessing flameboy has.

 

Oh yeah true, kinda forgot about the fact you can't play them in a US one. Darn region locks.

[S.C.G]

Oh yeah true, kinda forgot about the fact you can't play them in a US one. Darn region locks.

 

Although... a US N64 coupled with a passport plus so you can play games of all regions, that would be a viable option. : peace:

[Nolan]

Since it seems (with luck) that the problem should be solved I shall offer the most obscene solution. Just run a new line from the circuit breaker that runs at 220

 

Mains going into US homes are usually 220 or 230 and just split into 110 lines to provide regular power throughout the home with a few 220 mains that run appliances. Such as a large AC unit, or Stove.

 

Obviously new lines is the solution for your weird European electronics.

[flameboy]

Wouldn't it be cheaper/easier to buy a second hand N64 in Canada? Might save you a lot of headache. :P

 

Not if you've already got a load of PAL games, which I'm guessing flameboy has.

 

Oh yeah true, kinda forgot about the fact you can't play them in a US one. Darn region locks.

 

Although... a US N64 coupled with a passport plus so you can play games of all regions, that would be a viable option. : peace:

 

Yeah I do have a lot of PAL games around 50/60 so a new console isn't really a solution. I did look at the price of a passport plus and it was around $80 which is not value for money at all.

 

@Nolan quit your crazy talk!