Power Supply for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES-002 style) (NES-001)

[HDTV1080P]

If one needs a replacement power supply for their Nintendo Entertainment System, then the best 100% compatible power supply to get is the TRIAD WAU090-1200 that was engineered in the USA and made in China using high quality materials. The original NES-002 power supply had a cord that is around 8 feet 4 inches long. This TRIAD WAU090-1200 Nintendo NES compatible power supply has a cord that is 6 feet long according to the spec sheet (However my actual TRIAD had a real world length of 6 feet 7 inches).  

 

As of February 10^th 2016, all external power supplies manufactured for use in the United States and imported into the United States is required to have the energy efficiency level VI rating per the Department of Energy law. Dealers in the United State that have old stock of power supplies, are allowed under the law to sell their old stock of power supplies as long as those power supplies were manufactured and imported into the United States before Feb 10^th 2016.

 

In 2020 many AC to DC power supplies one purchases online are level VI complaint. However AC to AC power supplies are not in demand, since most modern consumer products in the 21^st Century use AC to DC power supplies, therefore there are some USA dealers that still have old stock of AC to AC power supplies that they imported into the United States before February 10^th 2016, that they are trying to get rid off at clearance prices. However, there are also many third-party companies producing both AC to AC and AC to DC external power supplies that are made in China, and violating the Department of Energy level VI compliant rules put in place back in February 10^th 2016.

 

*** I have done a massive amount of research and as far as I aware the TRIAD Magnetics company is the only company that makes AC to AC external power supplies that have the required energy efficiency level VI defined by the DOE Docket Number EERE-2008-BT-STD-0005-0219. ***

 

TRIAD engineers the power supplies in the United States and has the power supplies made in China using very high quality parts and material. While external AC to DC power supplies that are level VI complaint started appearing on the USA market in late 2015 or early 2016, the first TRIAD AC to AC level VI complaint power supplies started appearing on the USA market around January 24^th 2017.

 

Here is the detailed spec sheet for the TRIAD WAU090-1200 that is ideal for use with the Nintendo Entertainment System. The cheapest price for the TRIAD WAU090-1200 is around $20-$25 when purchased online. This is a heavy transformer based power supply since light weight switching based consumer AC to AC power supplies have not been invented yet and might never be invented because of lack of demand for AC to AC power supplies. At the time of this post Newark sells the TRIAD WAU090-1200 for $19.63 each plus free shipping on orders over $150. Another dealer called Mouser Electronics has the TRIAD WAU090-1200 for $16.36 + $7.99 for shipping (total price around $24.35).     

 

*** This is a top of the line power supply for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This power supply has excellent build quality. ***

 

This high-end third party power supply is a direct replacement for the original NES-002 power supply

 

·      100% compatible with the original NES-101 front loading model that was released in 1985.

·      100% compatible with the original NES-101 top loading model that was released in 1993.

 

** Not compatible with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System **

 

This is a factory new 100% compatible power supply for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This is a high-end replacement power supply for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

 

• This power supply is a high-quality consumer AC power supply that is designed for North America and has an input voltage of 120 volts AC at 60Hz. Rated output voltage is 9 volts AC at 1.2 amps. Since all consumer AC to AC power supplies on the market use unregulated voltage designs, there is a load curve from zero to full load. When this power supply is connected to the Nintendo Entertainment System, it will output the proper voltage just like the original Nintendo NES-002 power supply. More information about this can be found in the Questions and Answers section.

 

• Power supply has UL listed safety certification for the United States market and CUL safety certification for the Canadian markets (UL safety certificate number E341931). 

     

• Efficiency Level VI certified by the Department of Energy (DOE): Consuming up to 25% less power than previous 60 Hertz AC power supplies, this line of AC power supplies was among the first to meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Level VI efficiency standard. This is slightly larger than similar products of lesser efficiency, as higher-grade core materials are needed to meet the Level VI requirements.

 

• RoHS Complaint power supply

 

• Engineered in the United States and made in China using high quality materials. 
• Output cord is 6 feet long.
• 10 year warranty offered directly by the manufacture of the power supply. 

 

Questions and Answers

 

Question: What Nintendo products is this power supply compatible with?

 

Answer: This third-party power supply is a direct replacement for the original NES-002 power supply. This power supply is for use only with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES-101). This power supply works with both the NES-101 front loading model released in 1985 and the top loading model released in 1993. However, this power supply is not compatible with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, since that system uses a different type of power supply.

 

Question: How does the quality of this third-party AC to AC power supply compare to my original Nintendo Entertainment System power supply with a model number of NES-002?

 

Answer: This power supply is slightly better quality when compared to the original Nintendo power supply. There have been major improvements in the design of AC to DC power supplies over the last 40+ years, however in the last 40+ years there has only been minor improvements when it comes to AC to AC power supplies. In fact, finding an AC to AC power supply on the market is rare since many companies have decided to only make DC power supplies. This AC to AC power supply is UL listed which is a safety certification for the USA market. In addition, this power supply has the Canadian CUL safety certification. This power supply has the required Energy Efficiency Level VI certification by the Department of Energy (DOE). This power supply is RoHS complaint too. Currently this is the only level VI approved AC power supply on the North American market that will work with the Nintendo Entertainment System.  

 

Question: The original Nintendo NES-002 power supply has a label on it that says it outputs 9 volts AC at 1.3 amps. Why does this third party power supply have a label on it that says it outputs 9 volts AC at 1.2 amps?

 

Answer: The Nintendo Entertainment System will never use more than 0.85 amps, therefore any 9 volt AC power supply that offers a minimum of 0.85 amps capacity will work with the NES as long as the power cord has the correct plug style at the end of the cord. This third-party power supply is an ideal power supply for use with the Nintendo Entertainment System. 

 

However, to answer your original question of why this third-party power supply has 0.1 amps less capacity when compared to the original NES-002 power supply. Back in 2015 there use to be 9 volt AC to AC power supplies in production that had higher capacities like 1.5 amps. At the end of the year 2015 all 9 volt AC power supplies designed for the USA consumer market went out of production, and when the new Feb 2016 level VI energy efficiency law went into effect by the Department of Energy, AC to AC power supply companies decided to design only 9 volt AC to AC power supplies with a maximum capacity of 1.2 amps for the consumer market. It is technically possible for a power supply company to make a level VI approved 9 volt AC to AC power supply with higher capacities like 1.5 amps output and even higher outputs, however it would cost around $15,000 to get such a power supply UL tested. Because of the lack of demand for AC to AC power supplies there is a possibility that no company will every make a 9 volt AC to AC power supply with a 1.3 amp or 1.5 amp capacity that is level VI rated. The premium materials and overdesign required to meet Level VI makes the parts more expensive. Also, the $15,000 investment for UL testing makes it hard for power supply companies to justify designing a second generation of higher capacity level VI approved AC to AC power supplies.

 

What is the real-world voltage output on the Nintendo NES-002 power supply and this third-party power supply when under a load?

 

Answer: Unregulated AC to AC power supplies are much more complicated when compared to regulated AC to DC power supplies that most people normally use. All consumer AC to AC power supplies on the market have unregulated designs, which means there is a load curve from zero load to full load. For example, the original Nintendo NES-002 power supply label on it says 9 volts AC at 1.3 amps, and under real world conditions has a no-load voltage of around 10.38 volts AC. When the original Nintendo NES-002 power supply is under a load from the Nintendo Entertainment System, it is outputting around 9.82 volts AC. When the Nintendo NES-002 power supply is connected to the Nintendo Entertainment System, it never outputs 9 volts AC, and will always output around 9.82 volts AC when under a load. The reason for the 9.82 volts AC output on the NES-002 unregulated power supply is because the Nintendo Entertainment System never uses more then 0.85 amps. The only way to get the original unregulated Nintendo NES-002 AC power supply to output around 9 volts AC would be to disconnect it from the Nintendo Entertainment System and place it on an actual hardware device that would draw around 1.3 amps, then the voltage would drop down to around 9 volts AC because of the load curve.

 

This third-party power supply that has a label on it that says 9 volts AC at 1.2 amps works perfectly with the Nintendo Entertainment System and according to the load curve data is almost a perfect match. For example, this third-party power supply according to the specs has a voltage rating of 11.6 volts AC when there is no load (zero current draw). Under real world conditions I measured around 11.09 volts AC when there is no load. However as soon as the Nintendo Entertainment System is drawing a load, this third party power supply outputs around 10.26 volts AC. Around 10.26 volts AC is the proper voltage to use with the Nintendo Entertainment System and is almost a perfect match according to the load curve data (there is only 0.44 volts difference between the two power supplies, which is really good when comparing unregulated power supplies to each other). Using this third-party power supply, the Nintendo Entertainment System will not drop below 10.26 volts AC while under a load. This third-party AC power supply because of the unregulated voltage curve will only output around 9 volts AC when under a full load of 1.2 amps, and the Nintendo Entertainment System never uses more than 0.85 amps. Since the original Nintendo NES-002 power supply outputs around 9.82 volts AC when under a load, this third-party power supply with a voltage output of around 10.26 volts AC is almost a perfect match (there is only 0.44 volts difference between the two power supplies, which is good when comparing unregulated power supplies to each other).

 

Question: Can I use this power supply with other products that I own that need 9 volts AC and what would happen if the current draw on the device I connect to this power supply starts to draw more than 1.2 amps?

 

Answer: Because of the load curve on all consumer unregulated AC power supplies, one needs to be careful with the products they use this power supply with. The load curve for this power supply under real word conditions is between 11.09 volts to 9 volts AC. This power supply will only output around 9 volts AC when the load is 1.2 amps. Since the Nintendo Entertainment System never draws more than 0.85 amps of power, then this power supply outputs around 10.26 volts AC when used with the Nintendo Entertainment System. However, one should never use this power supply with a product that requires more than 1.2 amps, since the voltage would drop below 9 volts AC and destroy the power supply. Unregulated AC power supplies have a small safety margin where the fuse in the power supply will not open if there is a brief current draw that goes over the 1.2 amps for only a few seconds. AC to AC transformers are not designed for the user to exceed the output current.  Given an overload condition, they will start to heat-up and internal built-in safety mechanisms (fuse) will open, permanently destroying the power supply. These power supplies are sealed at the factory and were not designed to be opened up for a user to replace the fuse, also the 10-year manufactory warranty would most likely not be honored if the consumer abused the power supply and went over the stated current of 1.2 amps.  

 

Question: Why is this power supply only offered in North America, what if I wanted to use this power supply on 220 volts at 50Hz?

 

Answer: This power supply would be permanently destroyed and the internal fuse would blow if connected to 220 volts at 50Hz.  All consumer AC to AC power supplies are made for either 120 volts AC at 60Hz or 220 volts AC at 50Hz. In the 21^st Century major technological advances have been made on worldwide regulated AC to DC power supplies that work between 100-240 volts AC at 50-60Hz. However, because of that lack of consumer demand for unregulated AC to AC power supplies being used in the 21^st Century, the research and development costs have not been spent to make AC to AC power supplies work worldwide between 100-240 volt AC at 50-60Hz. Therefore, all consumer AC to AC power supplies for the North America market are still designed to only work with 120 volts at 60Hz. There are power supply companies in Europe that do make AC to AC power supplies that work at only 220 volts at 50Hz, and one might be able to locate one that works with the Nintendo Entertainment System.  

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[HDTV1080P]

The other day while searching online I saw a couple of generic brand AC to AC external power supplies that claimed to be level VI complaint according to the specs. However, upon further investigation the detailed specs sheet only mentioned that the power supplies have passed level V efficiency tests, I even emailed the company and they could not provide any information on rather they sold any AC to AC power supplies with level VI feature. The TRIAD Magnetics company as far as I am aware is the only company that makes AC to AC external power supplies that are level VI certified per the DOE rules put in place back in Feb 10^th 2016. Also TRAID AC to AC power supplies are UL listed. While UL listed is a optional certification in the United States, many brands of AC to AC power supplies do not get the UL listed certification because of the $15,000 fee, and sometimes have fake UL listed symbols on the power supply.

 

If anyone is interested in measuring their computer system or videogame system under a load with a digital multimeter. Measuring a computer or videogame system motherboard voltage load can be done without needing to take the system apart as long as one has the proper cables and adapter plugs.

 

The following 2 Pack DC Power 1 Female to  2 Male Splitter adapter for $6.99 from Amazon works good for measuring no load and load voltages with a digital multi-meter on one end of the cable.   

 

Also this high-quality Chinese made 34 piece AC and DC adapter plug kit from EBAY for $12.88 with free shipping works great when one needs a different size plug to connect videogame and computer systems in order to measure the voltage under a load.  

 

This high-end TRIAD WAU090-1200 power supply is 100% compatible with the following systems

 

100% compatible with the Mattel Intellivision Computer Adapter (computer module).

100% compatible with the original NES-101 front loading model that was released in 1985.

100% compatible with the original NES-101 top loading model that was released in 1993.

100% compatible with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system (a optional power adapter plug is needed to support Odyssey 2 systems that need the special 3.5mm plug).  

** Not compatible with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System **

[0078265317]

I use one of these works fine.

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Original-Power-Powerline-1300-mA-Universal-AC-Adapter/16778839

[galbyman]

Thank you for the write up HDTV1080P.  This was a good read and I have purchased one of these power supplies as a result.

[SYSTEMSQUIRREL]

That’s a nice transformer, but there's a lot of overthinking going on here. You really could just use whatever 9-10V 850ma-1.2amp class 2 AC or DC linear transformer you can find. The NES like most consoles that originally came equipped with a AC transformer has a built in internal bridge rectifier. A bridge rectifier is a just four diodes that convert AC to DC. So since it has one it doesn’t rely on the power supply to already be rectified to DC. The only difference between a AC and DC linear Class 2 wall wart type transformer power supply is if it has a bridge rectifier included within it. So not only does the supply not have to be AC the polarity doesn’t matter either. Just never use a AC adapter on a console that expects DC then you're going to have a bad time.

Edited December 13, 2021 by SYSTEMSQUIRREL

[0078265317]

I have one of these works great too.

 

ebay

 

[MaximRecoil]

The original NES power supplies rarely even need to be replaced, since they are just a step-down transformer (plus a component with stripes like a resistor; not sure if it's a resistor or not; looks different than a typical axial through-hole resistor), which is just windings of wire around an iron core. If the transformer wasn't made right, I guess it could theoretically develop an open or a short, but that's unlikely. In most cases, a "dead" original NES power supply just has a bad cord; the break in the cord's conductor(s) is usually up near where it enters the transformer shell, because that's where flexing/strain tends to be concentrated. Since you can take the shell apart if you have the right type of tool, it's easy to replace the cord. I made my own tool by grinding a flat-blade screwdriver bit to remove the shell's screws in order to fix the "dead" one that I had here (which just needed a new cord):

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by MaximRecoil

[HDTV1080P]

I am glad you were able to repair your original Nintendo power supply and put a new cord on it.  For an open to occur in the AC-to-AC power supply there would either need to be a fuse that is blown or if too much current goes through the power supply (overload), then resister or windings in theory would over heat and create an open, which would be a built-in safety mechanism. AC to AC power supplies can only handle limited short circuits and overloads before an internal fuse or similar circuit that acts like a fuse permanently destroys the power supply. Some power supplies are glued shut with no screws and are designed to be disposable since one would have to break open the glue or bonding on the plastic case. However Nintendo was wise and placed screws in their power supply so that it makes it easy for a Nintendo authorized technician to open the case and repair the Nintendo power supply (or a consumer with electronic knowledge).  

 

Now if someone were to lose their original NES-002 power supply or they have a broken one that they do not want to spend time repairing, the TRIAD model at the top of this thread is a perfect replacement that is a little bit better quality then the original NES power supply. However, I see there is now inflation with this power supply like almost everything else. Newark raised their price from $19.63 to $26.97. That is a $7.34 price increase. Some online dealers for various power supplies including TRIAD raised their price around $5.00.   

Edited November 2, 2022 by HDTV1080P

[MaximRecoil]

On 11/2/2022 at 6:09 PM, HDTV1080P said:

 For an open to occur in the AC-to-AC power supply there would either need to be a fuse that is blown or if too much current goes through the power supply (overload)

 

Yeah, and that's not likely to ever happen, except maybe in the event of a lightning strike.

 

A short can happen if the transformer wasn't made right, e.g., if the enamel that's coating / electrically insulating the transformer wire is poor quality or defective it could break down. That's unlikely too.

 

On 11/2/2022 at 6:09 PM, HDTV1080P said:

Some power supplies are glued shut with no screws and are designed to be disposable since one would have to break open the glue or bonding on the plastic case.

 

Nearly all "wall wart" type power supplies have a shell that's permanently glued/fused together. I was [pleasantly] surprised that original NES ones have a shell that's screwed together.

 

On 11/2/2022 at 6:09 PM, HDTV1080P said:

the TRIAD model at the top of this thread is a perfect replacement that is a little bit better quality then the original NES power supply.

 

Better quality how? It's just a transformer, i.e., solid copper wire wrapped around an iron core. The only thing it's doing is stepping down the voltage from ~120 VAC to ~9 VAC. I'd rather have an original NES one mainly because it's serviceable, whereas I don't see any screws in the shell of that TRIAD one.

Plus, you can find original NES-002 power supplies on eBay all day long for a lot less than the $26.97 + $9.99 shipping for the TRIAD one from Newark. Many of them sell for around $20 or less, shipped. eBay item number:125595224381 is only $11.95 shipped right now, and he has two of them available at that price. So the to-your-door price of that original one is only $2 more than the price of shipping alone for the TRIAD one from Newark.

Furthermore, the original ones were made in Japan in the '80s and '90s, whereas the TRIAD one is made in China in 2022. If either one has an edge in quality, I'd bet on it being the original one. And the original one has a cord that's about 2 feet longer than the TRIAD's cord.

Edited November 4, 2022 by MaximRecoil

[HDTV1080P]

Automated factories in both China and Japan can make high quality power supplies. The TRIAD model is a high-end power supply that has a label that is easy to read plus it uses less energy when compared to the 80’s Nintendo power supply. I do not like the fact that the TRIAD power supplies are disposable with no screws (an internal fuse blows if too much current is passed through the power supply) The original Nintendo power supply is out of production, and if Nintendo wanted to make some more, under the Department of Energy law that went into effect Feb 5^th 2016, all power supplies manufactured or imported into the United States are required to be level VI energy efficient.  

 

The original Nintendo power supplies are out of production and once the original Nintendo power supplies are out of stock, consumers will need to either buy a third party TRIAD model or Nintendo would need to design a new level VI power supply that is similar to the TRIAD design in order to be complaint with the DOE level VI requirements.  

Edited November 4, 2022 by HDTV1080P

[MaximRecoil]

2 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

plus it uses less energy when compared to the 80’s Nintendo power supply

That isn't even possible. It is literally just a step-down transformer. The rest of the power supply is in the NES itself. There's no way to use less energy when using nothing but a transformer to step ~120 VAC down to ~9 VAC with a given amount of current draw. The same amount of energy will be wasted/dissipated as heat no matter what.

 

3 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

The original Nintendo power supply is out of production

Of course, but finding an original one is as easy as falling off a log. There are hundreds of them on e.g., eBay, at any given time, which isn't surprising since there were tens of millions of them produced.

 

Would you rather pay $12 for an original one which is serviceable and has an 8½' cord or $37 for a new aftermarket one which is disposable and has a 6½' cord?

[Tanooki]

Original and I'd pay a bit more for one given the cheap chinese shit ones you find in any shop selling old gaming goods these days in the states.  They warm up, they buzz, if that doesn't get you house fire paranoia, what will?

[HDTV1080P]

9 hours ago, MaximRecoil said:

That isn't even possible. It is literally just a step-down transformer. The rest of the power supply is in the NES itself. There's no way to use less energy when using nothing but a transformer to step ~120 VAC down to ~9 VAC with a given amount of current draw. The same amount of energy will be wasted/dissipated as heat no matter what.

 

Of course, but finding an original one is as easy as falling off a log. There are hundreds of them on e.g., eBay, at any given time, which isn't surprising since there were tens of millions of them produced.

 

Would you rather pay $12 for an original one which is serviceable and has an 8½' cord or $37 for a new aftermarket one which is disposable and has a 6½' cord?

Currently this is the only level VI approved AC power supply on the North American market that will work with the Nintendo Entertainment System. Also TRIAD offers a 10 year warranty on the power supply since its very reliable power supply.

 

Power supplies can be made to use less energy buy having better conductors, increased conductor width on the wire increases current flow potential, which equals less resistance and less heat. The TRIAD adapter is a huge AC to AC adapter compared to most others on the market that are smaller. This TRAID AC to AC adapter had an average efficiency rating of 82.38%, which meets the strict demands of the minimum level required for level VI. Also no load output on this AC to AC unregulated power supply is almost zero watts (less then 0.21 watts).

 

https://acct126831.app.netsuite.com/core/media/media.nl?id=829281&c=ACCT126831&h=12fd2798e4d8eae4ca1d&_xt=.pdf

 

Another issue is where are this brand new Nintendo NES-002 power supplies for $11.95, the EBAY number you provided is for a used one with a 30 day warranty instead of a 10 year warranty that the TRIAD offers. In addition, its hard to find a original NES-002 power supply brand new and I see only one listed on EBAY for $23.95. There might be plenty of used NES-002 power supplies on the market, but new ones are harder to find.   

 

If Nintendo made a new NES-002 power supply today, it would look just like the level VI TRIAD power supply and it would cost around $25 if made in China, and perhaps $35 if made in Japan. However, most power supplies are made in either the country of China or Taiwan, therefore in 2023+ Nintendo would most likely choose one of those countries to make its power supply. In the 1980’s and 1990’s most high-quality electronics came from Japan, in the 21^st Century it is currently China or Taiwan making the high-end electronics.   

Edited November 5, 2022 by HDTV1080P

[HDTV1080P]

7 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Original and I'd pay a bit more for one given the cheap chinese shit ones you find in any shop selling old gaming goods these days in the states.  They warm up, they buzz, if that doesn't get you house fire paranoia, what will?

China makes both high-end top of the line electronics, medium quality electronics, and lower end electronics depending on what the engineer from the United States tells the Chinese company to produce in their automated factory. China, Taiwan, and Japan have the potential to all make the same quality printed circuit motherboards, or something more simpler like a power supply. However, the advantage of using the automated robotic Chinese factories is the price many times is lower cost when compared to some other countries. So overall one can get high-end products made in China at a very low price when compared to some other countries. However, if one is making high-end computer chips then Taiwan is currently the leader from what I understand. China possible in years to come might increase their production of high-end computer chips as they built more robotic factories and obtain a better understanding of top-of-the-line computer chips in order to compete with countries like Taiwan.

 

The TRIAD power supplies were engineered in the United States and then made in China. The TRIAD AC to AC power supplies are the best quality AC power supplies in existence so far. TRIAD offers a 10 year warranty on their power supplies, much longer then any other company including Nintendo. Nintendo power supplies are out of production and are not able to meet the level VI energy efficiency requirement from the Department of Energy.

 

Most Americans realize that China makes high-end electronics at a fair price, however some Americans prefer to buy their electronics from another country since politically they do not like buying from a communist country since they prefer a Republic or democracy form of government in which they grew up in. In certain consumer categories China provides up to 90% of the products for the world. In the United States of America, legal trade with China has been occurring since 1784. In the late 1980’s business trade relations with China was expanded, however trade with China was greatly expanded back around October 10^th 2000 when former President Bill Clinton signed the China trade bill.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/10/clinton.pntr/index.html

Edited November 5, 2022 by HDTV1080P

[MaximRecoil]

4 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

Power supplies can be made to use less energy buy having better conductors, increased conductor width on the wire increases current flow potential, which equals less resistance and less heat. The TRIAD adapter is a huge AC to AC adapter compared to most others on the market that are smaller. This TRAID AC to AC adapter had an average efficiency rating of 82.38%, which meets the strict demands of the minimum level required for level VI. Also no load output on this AC to AC unregulated power supply is almost zero watts (less then 0.21 watts).

Yes, I should have mentioned within a given size package, since we're talking about the TRIAD power supply which is roughly the same size as the original NES power supply. If there's any difference in efficiency it's minor because you can't increase the cross-sectional area of the transformer wire by much without making the transformer a lot bigger due to the high number of turns in the windings. Also, the NES is a low power device to begin with. Even if you had a power supply that was [impossibly] 100% efficient, you might save what, several cents per year on your electric bill? When compared to an electric oven, stove, water heater, refrigerator, etc., what little power the NES uses is a spit in the ocean, and a small difference in efficiency between different step-down transformers only amounts to a tiny fraction of that spit in the ocean.

 

4 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

Another issue is where are this brand new Nintendo NES-002 power supplies for $11.95

I never said anything about brand new ones for $11.95, and it's not a significant issue because the chances of the transformer itself ever failing are slim to none. The cord can break, but that's an easy and free or cheap fix. The most common spot for the cord to break is where it enters the transformer shell, and in that case, you can just cut off the bad section, i.e., cut off an inch or two of the cord and re-attach it to the transformer. You'd still have a longer cord compared to the TRIAD, since it's a couple feet longer to begin with. By the way, the TRIAD's cord is only 22 AWG, so that won't be particularly durable either.

 

4 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

the EBAY number you provided is for a used one with a 30 day warranty instead of a 10 year warranty that the TRIAD offers.

 

Do you have any experience with filing a warranty claim with the TRIAD company? What are the details? Who pays for shipping? How long does it take to get your power supply repaired or replaced? When you contact them by e.g., email, how long does it take for them to respond? Do they respond at all? Do they answer their phone? If so, is it a real person or a recording? Since the only thing likely to ever fail on a product like this is the cord, will they honor the warranty for a broken cord or would they say that you must have mistreated it and they aren't responsible? Some companies are good about warranties and others aren't. Either way, I'd much rather have one with no warranty at all that I can easily fix myself than a permanently sealed unit with a 10-year warranty.

 

4 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

In addition, its hard to find a original NES-002 power supply brand new and I see only one listed on EBAY for $23.95. There might be plenty of used NES-002 power supplies on the market, but new ones are harder to find.   

 

Not that brand new matters in terms of the performance of a step-down transformer (they are just solid wire wrapped around an iron core; they don't degrade with usage or the passage of time like say, an electrolytic capacitor can), but that's still a better deal than the TRIAD one, especially for people who like their system to be all OEM.

 

4 hours ago, HDTV1080P said:

In the 1980’s and 1990’s most high-quality electronics came from Japan, in the 21^st Century it is currently China or Taiwan making the high-end electronics.

 

I don't lump China and Taiwan together. Taiwan's manufacturing has a better overall reputation than mainland China's does. Look at electrolytic capacitors for example. With regard to Asian manufacturers, bottom-tier ones are mostly made in China, mid-tier ones are mostly made in Taiwan (e.g., Taicon, Teapo), top-tier ones are mostly made in Japan (e.g., Rubycon, Nichicon, Nippon Chemi-Con, Suncon, Panasonic).

 

The quality of that TRIAD power supply is probably fine, but I highly doubt it's better quality than an original NES one, and I definitely wouldn't pay as much for one as I would for an original, let alone more, especially since you can't take it apart without breaking/damaging the shell.

Edited November 5, 2022 by MaximRecoil

[Tanooki]

Lumping china and Taiwan together is quite frankly, an insult at multiple levels, and not just because of commie rhetoric and sentiment. The Taiwanese country as said there has better overall manufacturing and reputation for it.  Sure there can be exceptions to the rule, I guess triad being one, since the item in question here was american designed and they made sure to get a factory that wouldn't cut corners on quality which is good.  I know some chinese manufacturing isn't garbage, a large amount is more sub than par, but again, depends on the requesting party and if they make sure standards are kept.  I've got a chinese made MOTHER 3 GBA cart with the english version on it, the board is super high quality, custom etched, and using a FPGA and otherwise Nintendo suppliers style chips for the rest, even the shell too isn't the usually wonky sharp cut poorer mold, so you'd think Nintendo QAd this thing.  SO basically your mileage will vary.

 

And even if triad backs a 10yr warranty on them, I'd have to agree with the above, I still doubt the quality matching what Japan did in the 80s.  Japan -> Taiwan -> China/HK as far as quality/durability goes on things in general.

[HDTV1080P]

I never lumped China and Taiwan together. I realize currently China and Taiwan are two separate countries. Both have pluses and minuses when it comes to manufacturing. Also, for over a decade I have understood that Japan makes some of the world’s best capacitors. However, some other countries around the world are starting to make good quality capacitors that are like the ones made in Japan. Over the last 10 to 20 years some awesome top of the line electronics were made in China like top of the line computer motherboards, solid state drives from Intel, HP laser printers, top of the line computer power supplies, and a massive amount of other electronics (some companies are switching now from China to another country). However, even though the high-end computer motherboards are made in China, some of the capacitors are sometimes imported from Japan and placed on the Chinese made motherboard.

 

Over the last two years some countries have been switching production from China to Taiwan or Japan for various reasons which has caused some inflation in some consumer goods. The TRIAD power supplies can be made in China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, or South Korea. And for a power supply each one of those countries can make the exact same power supply at the exact same quality per the engineering spec sheet (But each country will have higher or lower variations in production cost).

 

I love the quality of products that are made in Japan and many people remember the high-quality electronics that Japan made in the 1980’s and 1990’s. I also like the Japanese people that have one of the worlds best work ethics. However, some people do not purchase products made in Japan for various reasons. For example, a company I use to work for in America, in the 1980’s, a American lady customer complained to me in a loud angry voice that the company that I was working for was selling mostly all electronics that were made in Japan and she personally refused to buy anything that was made in Japan because she lost her son when the Japanese Navy Air force attacked Peral Harbor on December 7^th 1941. She was so upset that the company that I worked for was selling products made in Japan that people were afraid she was going to take the conversation to the next level, however after several minutes she peacefully left the property of the company that I worked for, refusing to do business with the company or anyone else that sold something made in Japan. Some Americans do not purchase products made in Vietnam since it reminds them of the Vietnam war. Some electronic companies many years ago had made in Korea on their products, and over the years it was changed to made in South Korea to make it clear that people were not buying from North Korea. Some people in America and other areas of the world do not like buying made in China products because China is a communist country or because they read about various conspiracy theories about China online. My point is some people do not purchase from various countries for various reasons related to politics, religion, or other reasons. The politicians in America need to sit down with companies and consumers and decide which countries in the world are the approved countries to have products manufactured in. And that list might change over the many years and decades. Laws can be passed to ban or approve which countries Americans can purchase products made in an automated robotic factory.

 

The truth is for many consumer products an automated robotic factory can be the exact same quality no matter where the automated factory is located. Many times, the country that is chosen to manufacturer products comes down to which country offers the cheapest price while maintain the same quality level. Also many American companies have over a decade of professional business relationship with people in Taiwan, Japan, and China, and do not want to end that relationship since switching to another manufacuring company in another country might result in various unseen problems.  

Edited November 8, 2022 by HDTV1080P