Analogue NT Mini Controller Port Issue

[remistewart]

Hi Atariage people! I recently made an account here as it's the only place where such a strong and interesting discussion regarding the Analogue NT Mini and other classic gaming solutions has taken place.

 

I'm having a strange issue with my Analogue NT Mini which I purchased a few months ago.

 

Overnight, all of the controller ports stopped working with both my official controller and 8bitdo and refuse to read inputs. The receiver now shines white instead of blue. The receiver light is also on when the console is powered off, which I've never seen before. Is this something anyone has experienced and knows how to fix?

 

I reached out to Analogue customer service a few days ago, but have not received a reply. Now getting nervous that they won't get back to me, especially considering the price I've paid for a defective product. Do they usually take so long to help their customers? I 'submitted a request' on the 'support' page - is there a correct method of contacting them?

 

Many thanks

Remi

Edited August 15, 2017 by remistewart

[Newsdee]

I have a problem with my original NT and their customer service wasn't very helpful. I'd be willing to pay extra for parts, which was the reason given not to look at the problem, but no further answers.

 

So now basically I have a bricked NT. Not very impressed given the entry price, obviously. I hope the Minis might be easier to repair at least.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Newsdee

[Noah98]

I have a problem with my original NT and their customer service wasn't very helpful. I'd be willing to pay extra for parts, which was the reason given not to look at the problem, but no further answers.

 

So now basically I have a bricked NT. Not very impressed given the entry price, obviously. I hope the Minis might be easier to repair at least.

What problem did you have with your original NT? My experience with them is that they usually respond quickly, but sometimes with not a lot of specifics.

[Newsdee]

What problem did you have with your original NT? My experience with them is that they usually respond quickly, but sometimes with not a lot of specifics.

I can't run any games, the machine turns on but shows a gray screen (with scanlines) as if no cart was inserted. I tried cleaning both carts and the ports, and even brand new carts, but same result.

 

They did respond but closed the ticket, saying first it was out of warranty, then later saying they have no spare parts. I'd be willing to pay for parts, but I guess they might need to hire somebody to do the work and that might cost more than the machine. I guess I need to find a local NES/Famicom expert to diagnose it.

 

I am not too surprised frankly, but I'd have hoped for a "pay for repair" service like I've seen Apple do when products are out of warranty.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Newsdee

[+eebuckeye]

Well that is terrible... Out of warranty is ok but no way to fix? And it is not that old anyways!

[Newsdee]

Well that is terrible... Out of warranty is ok but no way to fix? And it is not that old anyways!

I guess its because of the Famicom chips it uses. I can buy a Famicom if thats the problem, but they need to tell me what they need.

 

Edit: to be honest, since I live in Asia, the shipping plus parts plus repair fee might make it cheaper to just get a new one. A local guy is probably my best bet.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Newsdee

[kevtris]

I can't run any games, the machine turns on but shows a gray screen (with scanlines) as if no cart was inserted. I tried cleaning both carts and the ports, and even brand new carts, but same result.

 

They did respond but closed the ticket, saying first it was out of warranty, then later saying they have no spare parts. I'd be willing to pay for parts, but I guess they might need to hire somebody to do the work and that might cost more than the machine. I guess I need to find a local NES/Famicom expert to diagnose it.

 

I am not too surprised frankly, but I'd have hoped for a "pay for repair" service like I've seen Apple do when products are out of warranty.

Sounds like the CPU isn't working. The PPU is because you're getting a grey screen. The CPU/PPU should be socketed so you can just replace it with one from another NES/famicom unit (it must be NTSC though). This is just my educated guess though going by my experience with normal NES'. This is a place to start at least.

[Noah98]

I can't run any games, the machine turns on but shows a gray screen (with scanlines) as if no cart was inserted. I tried cleaning both carts and the ports, and even brand new carts, but same result.

 

They did respond but closed the ticket, saying first it was out of warranty, then later saying they have no spare parts. I'd be willing to pay for parts, but I guess they might need to hire somebody to do the work and that might cost more than the machine. I guess I need to find a local NES/Famicom expert to diagnose it.

 

I am not too surprised frankly, but I'd have hoped for a "pay for repair" service like I've seen Apple do when products are out of warranty.

Considering how much these cost, you would think there would be a repair option after warranty!

[Newsdee]

Sounds like the CPU isn't working. The PPU is because you're getting a grey screen. The CPU/PPU should be socketed so you can just replace it with one from another NES/famicom unit (it must be NTSC though). This is just my educated guess though going by my experience with normal NES'. This is a place to start at least.

Thanks for pointing that out! I didn't know the chips were socketed, and that's great for DIY repair.

 

Now I just need to find an original CPU, which should be possible (albeit a pain to extract from a broken FC)...

[DadsGlasses]

Does anyone know which model/brand NES controller extension cables work with the NT Mini? I've heard that some brands don't work and others do, but I haven't heard specific names. I'm looking to buy an extension cable and would prefer to avoid Trial and error if possible.

 

Thanks.

[Newsdee]

Sounds like the CPU isn't working. The PPU is because you're getting a grey screen. The CPU/PPU should be socketed so you can just replace it with one from another NES/famicom unit (it must be NTSC though). This is just my educated guess though going by my experience with normal NES'. This is a place to start at least.

So it's been a while... but I finally got my hands on a replacement CPU. I got an E revision which according to an old thread of yours should work....

Unfortunately I end up with the same problem; a gray screen with scanlines.

 

Can you think of any other component that can cause this? I suppose next would be to try another PPU but that's going to be harder to find.

Edited December 9, 2017 by Newsdee