Nes Zapper Stopped Working

[77fordtruckman]

My NES Zapper always worked and now it just stopped, I opened it up and all the connections look fine, what usually goes wrong on these things? and is that a regular led in the front? maybe it is burned out or broken.

[nevermind1534]

The zapper is going to have a sensor. The most likely thing is that there's a short in the cord or the controller port wires in the console.

[banditpaw1]

The zapper is going to have a sensor. The most likely thing is that there's a short in the cord or the controller port wires in the console.

You forgot to metion the zapper wont work on a flat screen tv only crt's.

[nevermind1534]

The zapper is going to have a sensor. The most likely thing is that there's a short in the cord or the controller port wires in the console.

You forgot to metion the zapper wont work on a flat screen tv only crt's.

yeah, it will only work on tube TVs. I was under the impression that it just stopped working out of nowhere, but the TV very well could be the issue.

[77fordtruckman]

Nope, it definitely not the tv, it worked on it before,and it is a tube tv. It's also not the controller port either, I ordered a brand new one in the box off Ebay for $5, but I would still like to fix the old one.I still think it is probably that l.e.d looking thing.I carry around the system in a tote bag and the gun was on the bottom, so I guess something got knocked loose or something but all the solder connections look fine.

[77fordtruckman]

I thought the new one was n.o.s but it turned out to be a new third party, oh well i'm going to try to put the insides into the old one and use the old trigger mechanism because the new one is lousy. Also I think it is compatable with flat screen tvs.

[nevermind1534]

Also I think it is compatable with flat screen tvs.

Sorry, but true light guns, such as the NES one only work with tube TVs.

[77fordtruckman]

the reason I said that was because it said on the box that it is compatible with CRT monitors, but it also said it came with an extension cable and it didn't, anyway the plug barley fit and when I finally managed to cram it in there (carefully) it didn't work. I tried to combine the two to make one that worked but that didn't work, so I bought another old one and it doesn't work either, which makes me think there is something wrong with the system. Is it possible that the controller ports could work fine for controllers, but not guns? I tested both and every button works fine. Guess I'll start tearing that apart...

[Tibia]

It is possible that a controller would work in that port, because the gun uses different pins than the controller. Do you have a multimeter? You could use it to test that the cord, switch, LED, and everything is still letting the signal go through.

[nevermind1534]

the reason I said that was because it said on the box that it is compatible with CRT monitors, but it also said it came with an extension cable and it didn't, anyway the plug barley fit and when I finally managed to cram it in there (carefully) it didn't work. I tried to combine the two to make one that worked but that didn't work, so I bought another old one and it doesn't work either, which makes me think there is something wrong with the system. Is it possible that the controller ports could work fine for controllers, but not guns? I tested both and every button works fine. Guess I'll start tearing that apart...

When I have reassembled them in the past, sometimes, I pinch a wire with a screw, which causes the zapper to not work.

[77fordtruckman]

That's Exactly what happened, two of the controller port wires inside the Nes were pinched, it must have happened when I opened it to replace the pins. I never looked at those controller ports inside before, they are a much better design then the other systems I have worked on (Sega, Atari) where they are soldered directly to the board. Anyway I fixed the wires and the guns work except for the new one because when I tried to make it fit in better I must have messed up the pins, I guess I'll just buy a crappy Nes controller for like a dollar and use the cord, then I can cut it close to the controller and the gun will have a super long cord.It worked after I fixed the Nes and before I broke it.

[nevermind1534]

That's Exactly what happened, two of the controller port wires inside the Nes were pinched, it must have happened when I opened it to replace the pins. I never looked at those controller ports inside before, they are a much better design then the other systems I have worked on (Sega, Atari) where they are soldered directly to the board. Anyway I fixed the wires and the guns work except for the new one because when I tried to make it fit in better I must have messed up the pins, I guess I'll just buy a crappy Nes controller for like a dollar and use the cord, then I can cut it close to the controller and the gun will have a super long cord.It worked after I fixed the Nes and before I broke it.

Glad to hear that it worked out for you. I've had that happen to me multiple times.

Some of those 3rd party controllers (including zappers) really have to be forced into the controller port to work. I was surprised at how much force the yobo ones required to insert into the port.