Toploader NES no video or sound.

[Mykath]

It's kind of a grungy old toploader I bought from ebay about 6 months ago for relatively cheap. The pin connector's exterior is kinda nasty but it's always been fine and it worked three weeks earlier when I tested an NES controller I bought from a pawn shop that's going out of business. The toploader has been sitting underneath my TV on a shelf from then 'til now.

When I turn it on, it just is a blank, black screen with no static or sound. It does this on both channel 3 and 4, no matter which channel the RF switch is set to. When I turn it off, it goes back to static sound and a little bit of snow. I don't know as much about RF since this is my first console that doesn't use AV (I started with a SNES). Am I doing something wrong?

I made sure
- it was getting power (obvious it is because SOMETHING is happening. Also official power cord)
- I was on the right channel.
- the RF cable was hooked up properly.
- the RF hookup works on my TV

I tried
- resetting.
- a different RF cable (My genesis one I just bought that I know works).
- every NES game I own.
- making sure the cart was sitting right.
- cleaning the carts.
- switching the CH3 - CH4 back and forth a bunch (I read that can help clean up corrosion with the RF switch).
- the "cleaning the pin connector with cardboard" trick.
- Cleaned the RF plug on the back
- Opened it up and checked the capacitor (looks pristine)

Anyone know what the problem might be? Think the 72 pin connector is dead?

[Hobie-wan]

Are you using an appropriate power brick? If you're not using an original one, see my sig.

[Mykath]

Yeah, I'm using an official one. And I checked the capacitor and it looks perfect. Only thing coming to mind is that the 72 pin connector is toast... I don't know how to confirm this though.

[Hobie-wan]

If the connector was beyond hope, you should still get a colored screen unless removing the lockout for the top loader changed things that much. Not sure what else to suggest at the moment.

[ApolloBoy]

Is the 7805 putting out the right voltage? If you have a multimeter, put the black probe on the middle leg and the red one on the right leg, and you should be able to read the output voltage. It should be just about 5V.

[Mykath]

I'll have to grab a multimeter this weekend from my friend's house. I'll give you a status update when I test it.

[CRTGAMER]

When I turn it on, it just is a blank, black screen with no static or sound. It does this on both channel 3 and 4, no matter which channel the RF switch is set to.

A screenshot?

When my Toaster NES capacitor died, I got a black rolling screen with a hum in the speakers. Maybe the cart connector pins on the console needs a closer look. Bend each pin slightly with a bent paper clip or needle to get a snugger cart fit.

[noiseredux]

When I turn it on, it just is a blank, black screen with no static or sound.

A screenshot?

?

[CRTGAMER]

<Black Screen of Death>

No. I was looking to see if there was any rolling line or if pure black.

[Mykath]

It was pure black.

BUT I opened it up again and found three burst tiny round capacitors hiding behind the 72 pin connector. One of them was so dead the brown casing had melted. I think it's been this way for some time and it just finally showed signs. This is probably the problem.

I'll post some pics once I can get a nice camera that can actually focus close up. I'm not sure if I can read the number on the capacitors (because of damage) so we will see.