In a minor pickle, and I could use opinions—keep an unmodded toaster or one with a BLW?

[RH | 5,540]

Ok, so here’s the deal.  About a year or so ago I bought a NES with a Blinking Light Win installed.  It works great, and I appreciate what the device does to fix the age old problem we’re all familiar with where the pins get worn out and games stop working.  I’ve been happy with this setup and I like having a working NES and sacrificing the admittedly satisfying “chunk-click!” Of pushing down a NES cartridge is worth it for having a reliable issue.

And this has made sense because I’ve not seen a consistently reliable (unmixed) NES in years.  I’ve bought new pin connectors and I’ve boiled old ones.  They’ve…improved but never worked perfectly.

Weeeell, I bought an NES lot (more details on that to be posted on the What’s New In Your Collection thread) that had a NES and two games.  The whole lot was cheaper than Gun Nac’s going price, which was one of the two games, so I scooped it up. What I did not expect is that when the lot arrived, the NES seems to have been adult owned and almost never used.  The top of the unit was scuffed but when I opened it, dust was very minimal, the pins were super clean and tight and the thing nearly looked brand new.  So, I started testing it and I couldn’t throw a game at it that wouldn’t work flawlessly! This unit plays like a 1 in a million!

I need to sell part of this lot to recoup costs but I’m at an impasse, part of me wants to keep this NES and sell the one with the BLW.  It would more than cover the cost of the lot, and having a working, OG Nintendo would be so rad! However, I actually use my a NES more than any other console so, it’s going to wear out, probably, and I’ll be back to the same old problems.  In that case, I’d hate to have sold my BLW and turn around and want it back.

So I’m asking, what do you all suggest? I mean, the original unit might work fine for many more years with proper care, I suppose.  We know now that if you keep the unit and your games properly cleaned , they can work fine plus we also know to never blow in the carts. Maybe if I treat it with better care (and all things considered I did as a kid except for the blowing on the carts but) maybe it’s not a big issue.

But you guys who have been playing NES on original hardware for 35 years, what are your thoughts and preferences? Thanks.

Edited May 28, 2023 by RH

[Richardhead | 3,018]

The NES I’ve been using isn’t a BLW. It has worked great for I don’t even know how long now. 
I also blow into my games.

If it all goes to shit and my collection becomes worthless because of this… so be it!

Source: I’ve been playing NES on original hardware for 35 years

[Tanooki | 5,618]

I've never appreciated what BLW does as it just felt like a lazy sequence breaking bootleg reach around to play games.  Since I could handle working more in depth I've just refurbished the pin connectors pulling here and cleaning kit with warning never to use alcohol there and it worked out, definitely so when swapping that with boiling.  The NES I cobbled together for around $50 about 5 years ago now I've been recently using having removed it from the box for the PVM I got about a month and a half ago now.  I don't have problems with it, doesn't blink either as I did pop that pin on the security chip.  Between the clean connection and the popped leg it works as reliably as a top loader for me, which is, as long as I haven't let the game tarnish for decades, or didn't clean it up well enough the first time, it works.

[Dr. Morbis | 2,152]

Clean each game one time before you put it into your OG NES for the first time, and clean the console once every couple of months with the cleaning kit contraption (takes like thirty seconds), and the OG NES will last you forever.  Seriously: you'll have a flawlessy working NES and get the ca-chunk sound - it's a win win!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,220]

I personally use an AVS now, but I purchased a NES similiar to the one you described about 20 years ago and it still works fine as long as you keep the games clean.

[RH | 5,540]

Ok, thanks guys.  Well my follow up may seem like a dumb question but since the internet is a firehouse of bad information, what is the right/ best way to clean games and the NES so that it “lasts forever”?

what solvents, are their reliable, legit kits? Why is alcohol a problem?

I’m not trying to start a dumpster fire of opinions but starting with a fresh NES, what’s the best way to keep those pins fresh and new?

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,130]

This guy examines NES consoles that are refurbished and this recent one all he did was renew the original pin connector and honestly, it's super easy. He bends the pins back into place.

 

For contrast, I boiled I think 4 original pin connectors and went 3/4 on 120 day warranties.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by RegularGuyGamer

[Tulpa | 3,786]

1 hour ago, RH said:

Ok, thanks guys.  Well my follow up may seem like a dumb question but since the internet is a firehouse of bad information, what is the right/ best way to clean games and the NES so that it “lasts forever”?

what solvents, are their reliable, legit kits? Why is alcohol a problem?

I’m not trying to start a dumpster fire of opinions but starting with a fresh NES, what’s the best way to keep those pins fresh and new?

Pretty simple. Clean your games every so often. Use the cleaning kit like the Naki Eliminator on the console every so often. Don't blow on the games unless you have magic spittle like Richardhead apparently does.

You only have to address the pins when there's an issue. Boil and bend them. Probably no more than once every few years, if that. Maybe buy a spare pin connector and keep it for a backup and you should be golden.

[phart010 | 1,831]

5 hours ago, RH said:

what solvents, are their reliable, legit kits? Why is alcohol a problem?

 

Alcohol is a problem because it cost a dollar a bottle, and Nintendo has an official cleaning kit they are trying to sell for $20

[a3quit4s | 4,789]

2 hours ago, phart010 said:

Alcohol is a problem because it cost a dollar a bottle, and Nintendo has an official cleaning kit they are trying to sell for $20

I’ll sell you some IPA and qtips for the discount price of $10

[drxandy | 3,349]

@RH keep em both! Good to have a backup if it's your most played console. Also it's not that big of a deal since you already scored on gun nac and even though selling it would sweeten the price of gun nac even more it's harder to find an nes in that nice of shape.

I have fixed 3 by bending the pins back, just takes time and patience with a small tool like dental pick or I use a dull exacto knife.

[fcgamer | 5,363]

7 hours ago, a3quit4s said:

I’ll sell you some IPA and qtips for the discount price of $10

The official Dendy cleaning kit came with vodka 

[TheGameCollector | 18]

If it was me, I'd just hang on to both and just try to work more or take a break from buying game stuff for a while if I had to. Then I'd have no regrets.

[docile tapeworm | 4,454]

I sold my blw years ago and the only regret I have is that they are now selling for $500

[RH | 5,540]

54 minutes ago, docile tapeworm said:

I sold my blw years ago and the only regret I have is that they are now selling for $500

Oh, yeah, you did...

[drxandy | 3,349]

Wuttttttttt 500$? Sell the BLW and get another console!

[RH | 5,540]

1 minute ago, drxandy said:

Wuttttttttt 500$? Sell the BLW and get another console!

It was up around that price.  I just checked eBay.  Recent sales (installed within NESes) are around $250-300.  Still, not a bad price.

[Tulpa | 3,786]

On 5/29/2023 at 5:48 AM, docile tapeworm said:

I sold my blw years ago and the only regret I have is that they are now selling for $500

You snooze, you ... wait, you didn't snooze.

Give me a second...

 

 

 

 

You sell, say farewell.

 

Nailed it!

[AirVillain | 544]

$500 for a repop (BLW) seems like a good sell. 

[MrWunderful | 2,933]

Crazy how I missed this. Not gonna sell my BLW rgb modded NES, tho. Guess they dont make them anymore? 

[a3quit4s | 4,789]

9 minutes ago, MrWunderful said:

Crazy how I missed this. Not gonna sell my BLW rgb modded NES, tho. Guess they dont make them anymore? 

I haven’t seen one for sale from the original people that made them in a couple years. I heard they are a bitch to use though. Way to tight on the cart grip. Boiled original 72 pin for the win lol

[MrWunderful | 2,933]

1 hour ago, a3quit4s said:

I haven’t seen one for sale from the original people that made them in a couple years. I heard they are a bitch to use though. Way to tight on the cart grip. Boiled original 72 pin for the win lol

Mine isnt like that and I probably have 200 diff carts through it. Not sure how stringent the manufacturing was though

 

tighter than a non BLW original, however

Edited June 8, 2023 by MrWunderful

[Tulpa | 3,786]

2 hours ago, AirVillain said:

$500 for a repop (BLW) seems like a good sell. 

They're not THAT expensive, but $200-$300 isn't out of the question. 

2 hours ago, MrWunderful said:

Crazy how I missed this. Not gonna sell my BLW rgb modded NES, tho. Guess they dont make them anymore? 

They were hammered by the supply chain issues, like everyone else. But they might be getting out of it now.

[Tanooki | 5,618]

Price wise for some modern no lock pin connector nonsense the very thought of north of $20-30 let alone $200-300 is out of the question.   I'm good pulling PIN4 and boiling a connector same effect without the over tight grip.

[RH | 5,540]

@a3quit4s & @MrWunderful, yeah, mine has a "death grip" on the carts.  They are difficult to remove and I'm assume these weren't manufactured to the highest standards or the earlier batches required show that minor adjustments to the CAD files were needed.