i can’t tell you how many youtube channels eventually start sabotaging their vibe with music and effects. hope that doesn’t happen here. also check out esotericsean, he does gameboy mods and stuff, similarly chill and informative.
i dont think a man as big as yourself will get to reading this, but i have to say i like the fact that you had timestamps in the video, because ive seen alot of n64 restoration, but i love when you do lesser known tech,
hey ho, electrical engineer here. I used to work for 7 years for a company in germany which is producing power supplies for industrial applications. I first used and fixed the power supplies (5W to 2000W) there were quite similar step down supplies like yours. here are some main adivces from my point of experience: you should set it up under AC Input voltage. I had houndred thousands of these thingis in front of me without security box/shield/whatever. less than every 10.000th will pop up (FET or capacitor if it was wrong - not your case, otherwise you would already know ;). check if there are voltages on the secondary / slave side of the transformator. the behaviour under voltage can give you better informations what it could be (and what not). if there is something wrong it could be your regulation: btw the optocoppler is for the feedback of voltage and currenct regulation. it could run on a lower voltage if there is some trouble in the regulation but that ist very rare. Most of the time its the "power parts" like FET (field effect transistor), transformator or some diodes. you PCB looks good but I realized that you already have a good eye for problems like that. Maximum expierence advice: had a lot of diodes and FET´s which were totally fine by messarement. even when i soldered these out with no intereference from other parts. but they were quite often defect. :( sometimes it was quite frustating and I substituted a lot of parts to find the problem. Of course you don't have these different parts at home. PS: I like your equipment. for a efforetless working on a PCB i can recommend something like this: www.amazon.de/Fixpoint-Platinenhalter-Best%C3%BCcken-Leiterplatten-Platine/dp/B000LB4PWM/ref=asc_df_B000LB4PWM/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309904116164&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7301917377656258488&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068308&hvtargid=pla-475410755431&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61691617836&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309904116164&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7301917377656258488&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068308&hvtargid=pla-475410755431
One tip on measuring mains voltage. There’s no reason to be afraid of it just so one thing. Clip the common to your primary or secondary (depending on what you want to measure) and just hold the probe in one hand keep the other hand away from the board and probe it. Then when you accidentally touch something (I don’t know why you would) at least the current doesn’t race through your heart and you’ll just have a little shocking experience.
The other hole is for other games that take 2 batteries. Just a way for them to reuse the same housing on multiple games. Plus it's a way to keep an extra battery at hand whenever you need one.
Judging from the voltage readings you've taken, I would suspect that there is no power coming into the power supply. It would be worth checking whether there is continuity from the plug to the power supply. I suspect there's a decent chance that either the fuse has blown in the plug, or there is a break in one of the wires in the mains cable.
1:57 remindws me of a mattkc video where he made the powersupply more modern and use a figure 8 plug. his had adhesive on the inside of the casing so it was very very tough to remove
Great stuff.... And my fave N64 game in the slot. I used to be a bench engineer years ago working on data comms devices... I never liked working on switch mode PSUs....
I have seen many very good repairs that you have done. And I don't finish wondering how you can confuse an inductance with a capacitor. It stumped me. The problem was loose battery contacts. very clear. Please don't forget to take out all the flux you left behind.
Found your channel recently and binged watched most of your uploads now. Mildly disappointed we didn't get a 'stuuupid game' from you after playing the fixed BTTF game! :)
Transistors will only give you "expected " results out of circuit . If you leave it in circuit , it`ll give you all kinds of weird results (as you found out)
Great fix Steve! can't believe how clean the inside of the handheld was if it was released in 1991... Think you're right in the sense that it never got used because of the fault. Well done mate 😁😁👌
why do i have a feeling with the bttf3 game that if you just supplied power to the battery contacts it would have fired right up. wouldn't be surpised if it was just dicky contact between the battery contacts regardless of no visible corrosion, and the act of you taking it apart and reassembling it was all it took to reseat or give good contact between the metal contacts.
I love the modification you made to your microscope. Would you mind making a video on this topic? I have the same model and I would like to make the same modification to the base.
I have about 20 genuine inop power supplies. I have had a quick look but nothing obvious. More (and as you pointed out - safe) testing is needed. Interestingly, as another similarly mentioned in the comments, I found zero repair videos/comments/advice anywhere on the net. Surely, someone, somewhere has fixed an N64 supply and posted about it.
On the handheld it looked like there was some kind of yellow residue around the soldered components, which I would assume is some kind of flux. If that's what it was, that may be what caused the problem with the pad, especially if it wasn't a 'no clean' flux.
Good to see some more fixes there Steve and 2 in this vlog , for me the N64 was just a great classic console that i had back in the day along with the Expansion Pak . but good to see this - Nice 1 👍
The second battery slot that wasn’t connected can serve two different purposes 1. A carry case for a spare battery 2. A spot that the game creators can use to supply extra power for more battery hungry games, this game didn’t require added power thus wasn’t connected.
I've actually got 3 of those Thunderbird handhelds that are faulty. I'll probably look at them at some point, they're all different colours but one of them is pink, so I'm guessing it's the same as the one you had 👍
They were both satisfying to watch, particularly the LCD game - right up until you got it working (then the memories of wanting a gameboy and being stuck with something similar back in the day came back xD)
Oh my god, so much that. When he pulled it out and called it lovely, all I could feel was the childhood disappointment of playing those LJN / Tiger handheld machines.
Question about your gaming setup. How do you transfer the controller connection through to the same side as the TV? Very long custom cables? I like the arrangement!
Try using your smartphone if it has the ability with some type of clamp, mid to high-end smartphones have amazing camera's with incredible zoom capability especially with the digital stabilization, with the correct settings for capturing insects and things like that (not sure what it's called), if your phone has 2/3 cameras on the back it's more than capable. Hope this helps. Edit - I'm pretty sure that's what borderline OCD uses th-cam.com/video/Ckd81aEkBVI/w-d-xo.html he also uses nail polish for solder mask, ingenious.
Still my favourite console of all time. Súper Mario 64, Banjo & Kazzooie, Goldeneye, Turok. So many, I've forgotten them lol. Feel free to name your favs. I don't really game these days but I'd love to pick up an N64 a replay all my old favourites.
Diddy Kong Racing, Jet Force Gemini, Goemon's Great Adventure, Perfect Dark, Starfox, Bomberman 64.. the list goes on! Amazing console amazing times...
@@yumyee2451 Ganbare go ganbare! Goemon was absolutely a blast.. i replayed it last year it's still so much fun. The second one was also really cool, if you don't know it yet it's definitely worth checking out!
@@XpRnz nah I never played the second one, can't remember what happened to my N64 😥 lol. The youth will neve now the joys of split screen getting high, pushing eachother so we crash times. Poor youth of today
I bought an N64 from Woolworths in 2000 when I was 17 and it fell off the cabinet and only displayed a blank screen after that but with audio still working so my question is could you fix me a time machine so I can go back to 2000?
Although I'm American I can fully appreciate the "ooo friend" Inbetweeners reference. Love that show
Just found your channel, such a relaxing watch before bed. I love how you don’t add a bunch of unnecessary music. Thanks!
Same here - suggested to me a couple of days ago, and a nice way to unwind at night.
i can’t tell you how many youtube channels eventually start sabotaging their vibe with music and effects. hope that doesn’t happen here. also check out esotericsean, he does gameboy mods and stuff, similarly chill and informative.
Glad I'm not the only one 😂 suggested to me a week or so ago and binge watching these videos has become a bedtime routine 😂
This didnt age well. the stupid singing bits tho...
@@lenya2004 haha I like the singing bits
3:03 The delivery of this line had my sides splitting in laughter. Absolutely hilarious to hear this sentence delivered in such a manner. 😆
Dude I did too
Glad I'm not the only one, I timestamped and sent to someone else and we were both laughing
The deadpan delivery is the best. Pardon the pun. 😏
Love the "friend" part referring to the show Inbetweeners! LOL
Probably mentioned before, but the extra battery hole is for a spare. Wished G&W did the same. Great channel and great videos!
Yeah, it was for spare battery.
i dont think a man as big as yourself will get to reading this, but i have to say i like the fact that you had timestamps in the video, because ive seen alot of n64 restoration, but i love when you do lesser known tech,
hey ho, electrical engineer here. I used to work for 7 years for a company in germany which is producing power supplies for industrial applications. I first used and fixed the power supplies (5W to 2000W) there were quite similar step down supplies like yours.
here are some main adivces from my point of experience:
you should set it up under AC Input voltage. I had houndred thousands of these thingis in front of me without security box/shield/whatever. less than every 10.000th will pop up (FET or capacitor if it was wrong - not your case, otherwise you would already know ;). check if there are voltages on the secondary / slave side of the transformator. the behaviour under voltage can give you better informations what it could be (and what not).
if there is something wrong it could be your regulation: btw the optocoppler is for the feedback of voltage and currenct regulation. it could run on a lower voltage if there is some trouble in the regulation but that ist very rare.
Most of the time its the "power parts" like FET (field effect transistor), transformator or some diodes. you PCB looks good but I realized that you already have a good eye for problems like that.
Maximum expierence advice: had a lot of diodes and FET´s which were totally fine by messarement. even when i soldered these out with no intereference from other parts. but they were quite often defect. :( sometimes it was quite frustating and I substituted a lot of parts to find the problem. Of course you don't have these different parts at home.
PS: I like your equipment. for a efforetless working on a PCB i can recommend something like this: www.amazon.de/Fixpoint-Platinenhalter-Best%C3%BCcken-Leiterplatten-Platine/dp/B000LB4PWM/ref=asc_df_B000LB4PWM/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309904116164&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7301917377656258488&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068308&hvtargid=pla-475410755431&psc=1&th=1&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61691617836&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=309904116164&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7301917377656258488&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9068308&hvtargid=pla-475410755431
I busted out laughing so hard i almost pissed my self from that alarm
Steve!!! I stumbled across you channel the other day and now I’m truly addicted! One of my faves of all time!! 😃
One tip on measuring mains voltage. There’s no reason to be afraid of it just so one thing. Clip the common to your primary or secondary (depending on what you want to measure) and just hold the probe in one hand keep the other hand away from the board and probe it. Then when you accidentally touch something (I don’t know why you would) at least the current doesn’t race through your heart and you’ll just have a little shocking experience.
Just found your channel and now I’m binging all of them, you’re a true genius
The other hole is for other games that take 2 batteries. Just a way for them to reuse the same housing on multiple games. Plus it's a way to keep an extra battery at hand whenever you need one.
It's not, those games don't need 2 batteries... It's just a space for a spare battery, a lot of older devices have them.
You're a safe guy. Don't be scared with mains. Main thing is to never ground yourself. I put a GFI on my bench that definitely helps me out.
Judging from the voltage readings you've taken, I would suspect that there is no power coming into the power supply. It would be worth checking whether there is continuity from the plug to the power supply. I suspect there's a decent chance that either the fuse has blown in the plug, or there is a break in one of the wires in the mains cable.
Thanks Daz! 👍
Was coming here to say this I was shouting at screen lol
1:57 remindws me of a mattkc video where he made the powersupply more modern and use a figure 8 plug.
his had adhesive on the inside of the casing so it was very very tough to remove
Stumbled upon your channel a week or so ago, and have been binging content ever since!
Clean video Steve 👍
🤣 thanks Vince!
@Stezstix at 5:43 you can literally see a black unlabeled component on the right with what looks to be a burn hole in it, right in the middle.
You too funny. Guys like you make youtube such a good enjoyable platform
Recently suggested, watching previous vids, awesome content!
Great stuff.... And my fave N64 game in the slot. I used to be a bench engineer years ago working on data comms devices... I never liked working on switch mode PSUs....
Great Scott! You used 'flux' to remove a 'capacitor'...
golden eye such a classic and remember playing with my uncle every time after school... wish they would bring back split screen play
I have no idea what anything you do means or what purpose it serves, but I just like watching these videos for the hell of it.
I have seen many very good repairs that you have done. And I don't finish wondering how you can confuse an inductance with a capacitor. It stumped me.
The problem was loose battery contacts. very clear. Please don't forget to take out all the flux you left behind.
I used to own that BTTF3 handheld. It was such good fun when I was 12.
6:35 Hey! I've got the same expansion pack (kind of). That a Pelican memory expansion card?
That video game shelf setup is freaking sick
Have had a love of electronics since I was a kid. Would kill to have yur knowledge! 👍
Found your channel recently and binged watched most of your uploads now. Mildly disappointed we didn't get a 'stuuupid game' from you after playing the fixed BTTF game! :)
Think you`s find that 2nd slot is for an spare//extra battery, so when the battery goes flat you can switch them..
Hello look at 5.44 there is a little blob of solder under the capacitor , you should check this one first , good work !
Thank you! I'll check that out 👍
Came across the channel by chance, love the content 👏👏
I went Awe! The same time you did in that Back to the Future game. Haha! Great Videos.
I quite this channel😆 only came across it recently but love the quirkiness and the content💯
The sounds of the n64 plastic is so nostalgic
Handheld had a backup battery compartment. Pretty smart actually.
Either that or would it be for a modular design where a relative game needs both. No point in making a case for both types
I had BTTF when I was a kid, forgotten all about it, now I miss it, I need to find one
Maybe the case on the handheld was used for multiple games, some requiring both batteries.
Nope, it was the same thing with nintendo games, you had a hole for back up battery, so you can keep on gaming!
nice work with the handheld
Badass setup !!
Transistors will only give you "expected " results out of circuit . If you leave it in circuit , it`ll give you all kinds of weird results (as you found out)
Great fix Steve! can't believe how clean the inside of the handheld was if it was released in 1991... Think you're right in the sense that it never got used because of the fault.
Well done mate 😁😁👌
Cheers Joey! Yeah, it was lovely and clean. Gutted I have to give it back to my friend. I really want to keep it! 😁
Oh my god I had that back to the future game when I was a kid
Oooo friend another great video mate
Haha, thanks mate! 😊
That feeling of gaming in the 90s...complete inadequacy, led to the game being thrown down. And that sir, is how that piece got damaged. Lol
I would have given the exterior of the BTTF handheld a bit of a clean.
why do i have a feeling with the bttf3 game that if you just supplied power to the battery contacts it would have fired right up. wouldn't be surpised if it was just dicky contact between the battery contacts regardless of no visible corrosion, and the act of you taking it apart and reassembling it was all it took to reseat or give good contact between the metal contacts.
I love the modification you made to your microscope. Would you mind making a video on this topic? I have the same model and I would like to make the same modification to the base.
whats the model please?
@@miguelpanta it’s adonstar ad407 i believe
I have about 20 genuine inop power supplies. I have had a quick look but nothing obvious. More (and as you pointed out - safe) testing is needed. Interestingly, as another similarly mentioned in the comments, I found zero repair videos/comments/advice anywhere on the net. Surely, someone, somewhere has fixed an N64 supply and posted about it.
On the handheld it looked like there was some kind of yellow residue around the soldered components, which I would assume is some kind of flux. If that's what it was, that may be what caused the problem with the pad, especially if it wasn't a 'no clean' flux.
Another great video, Keep up the good work.
Ooh friend. Do you mean your football friend 👍🤣 love your videos
Good to see some more fixes there Steve and 2 in this vlog , for me the N64 was just a great classic console that i had back in the day along with the Expansion Pak . but good to see this - Nice 1 👍
Thanks Chris! Yeah, I love the N64, it was/is such a good console! 😊
"Ooh friend, nintendo friend"
Love your videos mate, but did you check the fuse in the plug? 😎
Wouldn't the first thing to check be the fuse in the plug? :)
...i was waiting for "stupid game" at the end. 😄
Great fix!! I love seeing fixes of those old handheld games. They might be boring by today’s standards, but I still love them.
Thanks Rachel! Yeah, I have a soft spot for them too. Sometimes the simpler games are the best ones! 👍
Hi, what wire do you use for track repairs also what the hot air gun you have?
What is the clear goo you put on before soldering?
19:12, is that a "flux capacitor "?
I need one stat also roads? Where we're going we don't need roads!
The second battery slot that wasn’t connected can serve two different purposes
1. A carry case for a spare battery
2. A spot that the game creators can use to supply extra power for more battery hungry games, this game didn’t require added power thus wasn’t connected.
It's 10 to midnight, I should be sleeping. But I need to know if you fix it!!
I enjoy the periodic Inbetweeners references
back in the day when the rest button got stuck i whack it a few times lol man consoles back then could go through hell and still work
That hand held sounds and plays a lot like a pink coloured Thunderbirds handheld I had
I've actually got 3 of those Thunderbird handhelds that are faulty. I'll probably look at them at some point, they're all different colours but one of them is pink, so I'm guessing it's the same as the one you had 👍
I think you can definitely say that it wasn’t you that damaged that pad. Great video, can’t wait for the next clean haha.
Haha, thanks Dan! 😊
That was a clean fix.
I don’t know how I read the 3 handed n64 system but I did
that handheld remind me of frog game that u have make to other side without being ran over by other objects
That BTTF 3 game...wouldn't be the first time I've seen storage for a spare coin cell as they are not everyday items.
1st class video to watch thank you take care kind regards from me kenneth👈💖👍
Keep on bringing the console fix videos bro!
Thanks Stephen, will do! 👍
Love ur gaming setup
any tips on learning how to solder want to know how so i can fix my own stuff and mod my systems with backlight and other stuff
My n64 had exactly the same issue with the psu, just bought a new one.
"Because I will kill myself and I'm not ready to do that yet"
Is both iconic and also raises the question of... "yet?"
If the fuse is not blown that means bridge rectifier is fine
They were both satisfying to watch, particularly the LCD game - right up until you got it working (then the memories of wanting a gameboy and being stuck with something similar back in the day came back xD)
Oh my god, so much that. When he pulled it out and called it lovely, all I could feel was the childhood disappointment of playing those LJN / Tiger handheld machines.
That second battery slot is for back up battery, I think Nintendo did that too back in the day. Just swap the old with the new, and keep on gaming.
I found an N64 in my.local vintage shop , sais doesn't power up £20 . I'm tempted to try fix and flip it .
Thanks for the great vids, I do this very same thing in the states and absolutely love it! I just don’t record it haha
Question about your gaming setup. How do you transfer the controller connection through to the same side as the TV? Very long custom cables? I like the arrangement!
There are wireless N64 controllers these days!
Nice fix Steve! What microscope are you using? (I’m asking as I want to start with smd soldering)
Thanks Viktor! 👍 I use the Andonstar AD407. This one: amzn.to/2VP3msU
@@StezStixFix Thank you for the information! I’ve been wondering what it was myself. Great channel!
Try using your smartphone if it has the ability with some type of clamp, mid to high-end smartphones have amazing camera's with incredible zoom capability especially with the digital stabilization, with the correct settings for capturing insects and things like that (not sure what it's called), if your phone has 2/3 cameras on the back it's more than capable. Hope this helps.
Edit - I'm pretty sure that's what borderline OCD uses th-cam.com/video/Ckd81aEkBVI/w-d-xo.html he also uses nail polish for solder mask, ingenious.
I agree with the phone method. Has worked for me so far. Although I can ses benefits to a "proper" system.
@ 10:07 Sounds like a mouse on Bagpipes.
so to turning it off you remove the battery and storage it in the other non functional compartment?
Nice one and looking forward to retroN 5 part 2
Thanks M! I'm hoping that will be concluded this week! 😊
Still my favourite console of all time. Súper Mario 64, Banjo & Kazzooie, Goldeneye, Turok.
So many, I've forgotten them lol.
Feel free to name your favs.
I don't really game these days but I'd love to pick up an N64 a replay all my old favourites.
Diddy Kong Racing, Jet Force Gemini, Goemon's Great Adventure, Perfect Dark, Starfox, Bomberman 64.. the list goes on! Amazing console amazing times...
@@XpRnz OMFG Mystical Ninja Goemon was dope.
Those giant robot sections were sick. I loved that game, I still remember the song.
Thank you
@@yumyee2451 Ganbare go ganbare! Goemon was absolutely a blast.. i replayed it last year it's still so much fun. The second one was also really cool, if you don't know it yet it's definitely worth checking out!
@@XpRnz nah I never played the second one, can't remember what happened to my N64 😥 lol.
The youth will neve now the joys of split screen getting high, pushing eachother so we crash times.
Poor youth of today
What is the gel you are using when soldering?
Flux
After watching many more episodes I worked that one out. Cheers.
Nice line up of all consoles and tv!
Thanks Jimmy! 😊
007 golden eye is by far the best n64 ever!!!
I bought an N64 from Woolworths in 2000 when I was 17 and it fell off the cabinet and only displayed a blank screen after that but with audio still working so my question is could you fix me a time machine so I can go back to 2000?
Are they the other ends of the springs for the piezo manipulated through the board and soldered on to pads on the other side?
Hi Simon. Yeah, they are. I realised once I'd finished editing it up. I've never seen it done like that before, but it's pretty clever! 👍
@@StezStixFix I soldered a new battery spring on a Suzuki Omnichord electronic harp that was done similar.
I like your vids so plz do not die
I was searching RS and Mouser but I couldn't find any Big F-Off Capacitors listed 😂
Don’t be scared of the power just be careful mains cap is only hi volt. Done it for over 50 years a little zap now and then no problem.
Im suprised you got the casing off the psu so easily! I cut my hand trying to get it off !
Seeing That Taped Up Section On The N64 Power Supply Cord Says Throw Me Away All Over it
Did you train in e repairs? How long doing it? Tips to get started, I'd like to train my 14yr old as v satisfying.