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