Hobby

I like taking old electronics apart and figuring out why they stopped working. It's the same troubleshooting I use in IT: find the symptom, narrow it down, fix the cause.

Nintendo Entertainment System

Problem: The screen kept blinking, there was no picture, and the controllers weren't recognised.

Fix: I opened the console and cleaned the contacts, including the cartridge slot (the 72-pin connector), which is a classic cause of the blinking. The picture works again.

Still open: The controllers still aren't recognised. That's my next step.

Walkman

Problem: The Walkman didn't play anymore.

Fix: Inside, the drive belt was worn out. I replaced it with a new one and now the tape runs again.

Record player

Problem: The record player didn't work properly.

Fix: The wiring was the issue. I resoldered the connections and it plays cleanly again.

What I learned

• Old hardware often fails for simple mechanical reasons: dirty contacts, worn belts, bad solder joints
• Check the easy things first before replacing parts
• Soldering cleanly takes practice