How do I set up my Famicom?

[ericj]

Just use the Spelunker cart -- it has a built-in LED!

Anyone know which of the 60 pins carry the voltage & ground to power the led in the cart? That would be a good place to check for voltage to see if your famicom is working.

[JC]

Do you get a gray screen? Sometimes I get a gray screen on my twin and I have to shift the cart I have in it to get it to work. Is this common with well used Twins and standard famicoms?

I get a gray screen quite often, especially when trying to play pirates. Might be that the contacts need cleaning, or it might be that a pirate is made so poorly the pins don't quite line up properly.

[133MHz]

Anyone know which of the 60 pins carry the voltage & ground to power the led in the cart? That would be a good place to check for voltage to see if your famicom is working.

Famicom / Pegasus cartridge connector pinout
By siudym@pf.pl




VIEW FROM CONSOLE (TOP VIEW):
 
                                      -------
          (#16) GND     - |01   31| - +5V (#30)
                PRG A11 - |02   32| - M2
                PRG A10 - |03   33| - PRG A12
                 PRG A9  - |04   34| - PRG A13
                 PRG A8  - |05   35| - PRG A14
                 PRG A7  - |06   36| - PRG D7
                 PRG A6  - |07   37| - PRG D6
                 PRG A5  - |08   38| - PRG D5
                 PRG A4  - |09   39| - PRG D4
                 PRG A3  - |10   40| - PRG D3
                 PRG A2  - |11   41| - PRG D2
                 PRG A1  - |12   42| - PRG D1
                 PRG A0  - |13   43| - PRG D0
               PRG R/W - |14   44| - PRG /CE ( /15 & /M2 )
                     /IRQ    - |15   45| - EXP (#46)
        (#01) GND     - |16   46| - EXP (#45)
               CHR /RD - |17   47| - CHR /WR
               CHR A10 - |18   48| - CIRAM /CE
                CHR A6  - |19   49| - CHR A13
                CHR A5  - |20   50| - CHR A7
                CHR A4  - |21   51| - CHR A8
                CHR A3  - |22   52| - CHR A9
                CHR A2  - |23   53| - CHR A10
                CHR A1  - |24   54| - CHR A11
                CHR A0  - |25   55| - CHR A12
               CHR D0  - |26   56| - CHR /A13
               CHR D1  - |27   57| - CHR D7
               CHR D2  - |28   58| - CHR D6
               CHR D3  - |29   59| - CHR D5
          (#31) +5V     - |30   60| - CHR D4
                                     -------

Thanks siudym

[kirayamato]

hi, i've just got a famicom from ebay, but some how when i plugged the famicom to my tv, there is no channel 95 for my TV!!
my TV only has 69 channels!!!! HELP!!!!

[133MHz]

Your TV is old and probably doesn't support Cable tuning. Try searching for a CATV option.
If that doesn't work or you can't find such option, with your Famicom turned on and connected to the TV, try doing an Automatic Channel Scan (also called Auto Program), Manual Tuning, Fine Tuning or similar. The Famicom signal should eventually appear and be assigned an arbitrary channel number. In Manual Tuning, try searching in the VHF Lo band.
I have an old clunker of a TV that only goes up to Channel 32 and it's perfectly able to tune into the Famicom's RF output if I let the Auto Ch. Scan run and do its thing.

[JC]

I have 82 channels -- I use one of those old VHF/UHF dial TVs. I have a little RCA modulator/switcher. Not sure if that would apply in your case.

[Byron]

133MHz is probably right, but if you really don't have a CATV option, you can always run the Famicom through a VCR that does.

That's what I have to do, but my TV was made in 1979.

[kirayamato]

oh, do you have to have cable for your TV to use your Famicom?

[nintendodork]

You mean like..a cable TV connection?  No.  All you need is the power supply+RF switch.

[MattyD]

my TV was made in 1979.

Is there some reason why you keep it instead of upgrading?

[Byron]

It works fine. Why pay money for a new one?

Plus, huge console TVs are awesome.

[LocalToast]

Plus, huge console TVs are awesome.

It's a mix between furniture and technology.

[petik1]

Hey guys I just got my famicom (SWEET) but i need some help. I know that the RF switch thats comes with the famicom wont work with a US tv, and they say buy a NES RF. Instead, I bought a universal adapter that works with NES SNES and genesis (http://imgs.inkfrog.com/pix/powergamer88/nesac.jpg), so that part is done. The next thing is the power. I know that the famicom uses 100V and a US outlet give out 120V. Thats extra 20 can fry the console. My famicom didnt come with an AC adapter. So what I want to do is take this AC adapter from a printer (it fits and it says 100V on it) and then get a step down converter to limit the outlet's power to 100V. Please tell me if this is going to work. Thanks!!!

[petik1]

thanks. I just want to make sure this wont blow my famicom. So let me get this straight so there are no mistakes. I buy the DC adapter, which will converter 120V to 100V. Will the universal RF unit work? On the box it said NES/SNES/Genesis, but I've heard that the NES and famicom RF are the same. And where can I get the DC adapter. The one on the link is an AC. And I live in America. Just wondering, how can you tell if you fried a famicom and what could you do? Just in case something happens...

[nintendodork]

You'll easily be able to tell.  Usually when you fry something in the Famicom, you start to smell burnt plastic, smoke will occasionally come from your Famicom, so the term "frying your Famicom" is used quite literally!  But yeah, the NES/Famicom RF adapters work the same, so that universal one shouldn't give you a problem.  For the power supply, my best recommendation is to go on the internet and get an official Famicom one.  If you have a Sega Genesis model 1 power supply, or a TG16 power supply, those will work too.  However, if you use one of those, I'm not sure if you eliminate the need for a step-down converter or not.  Now, these aren't required to get it to work properly, but I'd be safe if I were you.  If your house is fairly old, like mine, your outlets might be a little dangerous, too.