DVD player disk drive

Laser disk drives have become widespread in electronics. Any DVD player, CD/MP3 radio, or stereo system includes a laser drive.

In most cases, such devices need to be repaired precisely because the laser drives break down.

The malfunctions caused by a breakdown of the laser drive are quite similar and boil down to one thing - the laser disc is either unreadable, or music (CD/MP3) or video (DVD) playback fails.

It should be noted that the service life of the laser diode, which is included in any disk device, is on average 3-5 years. It would be naive to think that a DVD player will last 10 years or more! Check your DVD player's manual...

In general, the first thing you need to ask when they bring any disk drive to you for repair is how old the device is and how intensively it was used. If the answer is 3 or more years, then the likelihood that the optical unit is faulty increases sharply. How often the device was used is also important, because a laser drive is an electronic-mechanical device. The number of miniature motors in one laser drive is unlikely to be less than 2-3.

First of three– spindle drive. He is responsible for promoting the laser disc. A very large number of malfunctions are associated with it. Here's an example.

Second– drive of the optical unit. This drive is responsible for positioning the laser head along the disk. Quite rarely it fails.

Third– loading/unloading drive ( LOAD ). Unloading and loading a disc into the drive. Malfunctions of this engine are quite rare, and are usually easy to repair.

In practice, such a malfunction occurs. Mostly CD/MP3 car radio .

The sound often disappears during playback. It suddenly appears and also disappears. There is “stuttering”.

U DVD players The malfunction manifests itself as follows.

It takes a very long time to read the disc, after which the message ( ERROR or NO DISK ). It is possible that the disk may randomly freeze. Reinstalling the disc solves the problem and the recorded disc plays normally.

The reason for this “incomprehensible” behavior is not due to a malfunction of the optical laser unit, but to a malfunction of the spindle drive.

The fact is that the spindle motor must spin up at a certain speed. The speed is adjusted by the feedback system. So you don’t have to think that the disk is spinning on its own. I applied 3 volts to the engine and that’s it! No! The disc rotation speed is regulated by a complex adjustment system. If the spindle motor is faulty, then even the correction system does not cope well and failures occur. The engine does not produce the required speed, “fails”.

Therefore, if the malfunction described below occurs, do not rush to replace the optical laser unit!

Replacing the spindle drive is cheaper than buying an optical laser unit. You can temporarily replace the drive with a motor from another device or find a suitable one in the storage room.

A very common problem is with CD/MP3 radios with vertical disc installation.

The disk spins up, but the disk does not boot. Writes ERROR or NO DISK .

The optical laser unit is protected from dust and dirt. A thin, fine dust deposit on the top lens is enough to make the disc unreadable. Radios with vertical disk installation are more vulnerable to dust; the disk is loaded from above and the amount of dust entering increases.

In this case, disc car radios are more protected; they have slot loading of the disc.

Fine dust deposits can be removed from the surface of the laser unit lens with a regular cotton swab or just a piece of cotton wool. Wet cotton wool with cleaning agents No need, you can ruin the lens! We rub a cotton swab over the surface of the lens in a circular motion 3-4 times. We make sure that there are no large dust residues on the lens and that’s it!

You should not press on the lens; it is attached to spring wires! They supply power to the focusing electromagnet. They are quite strong, but with excessive force they can be damaged.

It is not uncommon that after such simple cleaning, the operation of the device is completely restored.

The main difficulty in this operation is to properly disassemble the device and get to the laser head. This is most difficult to do on music centers with a 3-disc loading unit or changer (when the discs are placed in a box - like plates in a dryer), as well as on car CD/MP3 players and DVD players with slot-loading discs.

Therefore, on the pages of the site I also posted information on disassembling various CD drives.

During operation, the car radio begins to become dirty and dust gets into it. As a result, “swallowing” of the disc may begin to occur, followed by its “spitting out.” With such symptoms, cleaning the radio is necessary.

Cleaning the car radio

Buy a special cleaning disc that has a cloth and liquid applied to it. Insert the disc and run it, following the instructions carefully. If this does not help, then carefully remove the radio from its normal place, disconnect the electrical connector and place the device on a flat surface with good lighting to carefully examine the interior of this equipment.

Remove the top and bottom covers; if one of them is solid, then remove only the one that allows you to do this. Carefully inspect the radio and remove all dirt and small parts and objects that have fallen inside. After this, provide access to the laser head by removing unnecessary parts.

Inspect the radio head; if there are traces of dirt on it, immediately remove them with a cloth or napkin, which you have previously moistened in an alcohol solution. If you have a cassette recorder installed, then, after disassembling it, press the start and rewind buttons of the cassette several times to remove any dirt accumulated there.

Examine the lens. Clean it with a dry cloth or cotton wool. Do not use alcohol or other liquids that may darken or destroy the lens if it is made of plastic. As a last resort, use a soap solution. This is especially true for pollution caused by smoking inside the car, because smoke deposits can only be removed with the help of a liquid composition.

Reassemble the radio in reverse order, connect the electrical connectors and check its operation. Repeat the procedure if necessary. In case of serious malfunctions, remove it and take it to a specialized center for repairing this type of equipment. Now you know the basic ways to clean a car radio.

And about those who did it.

- Hey, do you know where I can buy a new head for my CD player? He's broken.

I've heard this so many times that I decided to write about lasers, their problems and simple solutions.

I looked inside over 100 players that WOULD NOT READ CDs and only one (in decimal and binary that's exactly "1") had a broken head. And this one died because of my stupidity. But this is not the topic for this article.

And the stupidity of others.

There are at least twenty reasons why a CD player does not read discs, and people, having a stereotype, call all these problems BROKEN HEAD.

And this is EXTREMELY WRONG, because laser heads are no longer produced, and what remains, these holy reserves, are being brutally snapped up by those who know nothing better than to stupidly buy a new head.

The main ten reasons why discs cannot be read

According to "my extensive experience" in this matter, these are:

1. CD disc inside the player, left in the tray after moving. The disk falls inside the “guts” of the CD and blocks the mechanism. When the owner inserts a second disc inside, the player naturally shows an error.

Treatment: The first cure that comes to my mind is to open the disk and remove the stuck CD.

2. The twenty-year-old belt that powers the tray begins to slip or breaks. After closing the tray, the disk does not fit correctly onto the spindle.

Treatment: replace the belt.

3. CD player operating in a dusty environment. Dust or cigarette tar has settled on the laser optics. Dust causes beam dispersion. The laser loses focus.

Treatment: Open the player and clean the surface of the laser head using an ear stick. First, with a wet tip moistened with cleaning liquid, then with a dry tip. If this is not enough, clean the laser INSIDE the read head. But this is for the advanced. It's better to give this job to a watchmaker. Below are some photos.

4. The power supply to the laser circuit is faulty: either the voltage is too low, or is noisy, or begins to fluctuate due to poor filtering or regulation. The cause may be dried out electrolytes.

Treatment: replace all electrolytes in the digital part of the board, or even better, replace everything.

5. There is cold soldering in the laser circuit. - Indeed, soldered connections can corrode and fail over time. Even the best players from 20 years ago are guilty of this. A connection made by hot soldering, such as the regulator leg, or the point where the voltage is rectified, or the laser power controller - the heat causes them to wear out faster - a mixture of oxidation, flux burnout and tin evaporation.

Treatment: Look at all solder joints, especially around the cable connectors that feed the laser, around any regulators, around areas that look burnt, brownish, or cooked through - and re-solder those joints with some fresh solder and fresh flux.

6. Moving cables or tapes break after millions of bends.

Treatment: Check continuity in the bends of the tapes leading to the laser, tray or driving mechanism.

7. The driving mechanism accumulates dirt, hair and dust on the greasy part and the head cannot return to the center, its original position. With each “ride”, the dirt is pushed away and forms a kind of “bumper” that remains on each side of the path.

Treatment: Clean the tracks, axles and rods on their edges.

8. The main motor does not maintain the correct speed.
It looks like the laser can't read the disk, but it's simply a matter of incorrect rotation speed. This may be caused by the disc slipping on the spindle, or a defective motor, or something blocking the CD, such as rubbing against the surface of the tray, causing a corresponding sound. For example, the spindle can wear out its lower bearing and the entire mechanism will be lower by one tenth of a millimeter. The laser loses focus and the top clamp will not press well. In any case, the spindle must be returned to these tenths of a millimeter.

Treatment: if the motor is the simplest Mabuchi for 5 bucks, it is better to replace it. If it is a CDM or KSS magnetic series with brushless motors, then simply adjust the spindle height.

9. Hair or something else is stuck inside the laser focusing mechanism.
The laser cannot move up and down freely. If the CD is highly electrified, it attracts hair, dust and pet fur. During playback, they may get caught under the laser focusing pendant.

Treatment: remove the obstacle.

10. The CD does not spin. After closing the tray, nothing happens and an error is displayed. This may be the result of the CD not spinning at all. The CD drive should be examined.

Laser diagnostics - a small guide

Is the CD head really dead?

Even without specialized equipment, we mortals can diagnose the problem quite well while saving a ton of money on repairs. Or buying a new head. Or even a new player.

1. Open the top cover of the player.
2. Place the factory CD on a clean surface and press the Close/Play button.
3. Has the tray closed completely?
4. If 3 is true, does the disk spin at all?
5. If 4 is correct, does it spin for 2-3 seconds or about 10 seconds? Does it spin REALLY FAST like crazy or is its speed controlled?
6. If the answer to question 5 is that the speed is controlled and spins up for 2-3 seconds, the laser is alive and sees the reflection of the beam from the silver surface.
   Note: If the laser is dead, the CD will not spin at all. The CD motor is signaled to start spinning only after the laser head reports: “reflective surface detected at the height where the CD should be.” However, as someone rightly pointed out, some servos will try to rotate without checking whether the disk is in place or not. Apparently they made the assumption that spinning the engine a little in vain wouldn't hurt.
7. Does the display show the correct number of tracks and time after 3 seconds of spin-up?
   If the disk spins up but does not show the time, this means that the TOC (Table of Contents) cannot be read. Thus, the laser head sees the surface of the disk, but cannot read the first lines of data. This first line is in the very center of the CD, so the position of the head should be strictly in the “very center” position. So if we have a problem with the head moving, we do not go to the very center and the TOC is not read.
8. If TOC is displayed correctly, but playback does not occur, this means:
   - Laser is ok
   - The head does not move beyond the first “groove”. Scroll down to the chapter on displacement problems.
9. The CD begins to play, but with jerks.
   - Check whether skipping occurs when fast forwarding or rewinding. If the problem is mechanical - movement is blocked - music skipping will occur in the opposite direction. If the motion controller behaves too "fun" - it will "swallow" when fast forwarding. Adjust the physical alignment of the CD player, and also adjust the amount of head movement.
10. The player reads factory CDDA normally, but fails with CD-R discs.
    The laser focus on a CD-R is different from a factory disc. The reflection of the pits is also different on the two types. The amount and quality of the plastic film that protects the metal layer in CDDA and CD-R varies greatly. As a rule, a factory CD is always easier to read than a blank, no matter how “clean” the media it is or how slowly it was written. Not to mention No-name CD-Rs recorded at 24x speed.
    So if a normal disc plays well, but a CD-R is clumsy (the sound is distorted, skips a lot, reads slowly or does not read everything), there is probably a problem with the “horizon”. The system is already too weak for CD-Rs, but still somehow manages to read regular CDs.
    This common problem can be the result of any of the other problems listed above, such as a dirty laser, poor balance, worn spindle, slipping disk, slipping belt, whatever. INCLUDING, of course, the dying laser. The slowly growing problem affects the CD-R first, usually several months before the CDDA shows the same problem.

    Problems 9 and 10 usually occur when the laser head is further from the center, in the sense of a larger track number. If the jerking starts on track 4, he will probably jump very hard on track 10, and will almost never reach track 12.

11. Lasers dying on players purchased 2 weeks ago on E-Bay.
    If some excellent, beautiful and valuable player in excellent condition begins to have problems with the laser from the first owner, it inevitably falls into the hands of a laser “guru”, who increases the power of the laser radiation. This helps the laser read better TEMPORARILY.
    Then the guru gives the player back to the owner and says: “Well, I managed to help you, the repair will cost 200 euros, but listen to the advice of the expert and start looking for a new player. This one won't play for long. Sell ​​it quickly while it still works fine.
    Then the owner returns home and begins to worry. Gee, if the adjustment cost me 200 oiro, how much will it cost me next time the problem turns out to be more serious? Then he puts it up on Ebay with the attached parable about a deceased uncle and a nephew who found this CD player while cleaning his room (it’s funny that all these houses are always “cleaned out” by nephews, not sons or wives). The player was always well taken care of because my uncle was a music lover. He listened to it only occasionally - one opera on CD every Sunday after meals. The player is sold as is, without warranty, because the young nephew is too busy to test it. This is how collector's players in "immaculate" condition end up in the hands of new happy owners, only to die two weeks later.

    If this story is familiar to you firsthand, the laser is REALLY DEAD. A dying laser with the power turned up dies very quickly.

An example of deep cleaning of a Sony KSS-151A laser

An example of deep cleaning of a Sony KSS151A laser:

The first step is to remove the protective head cover (using the example of the KSS-151A, which is similar to other Sony heads).

The top lip should be gently lifted 1cm or so... BE GENTLE.

Laser Cleaning

My ear wand cleans the bottom lens. Use NEW sticks ONLY, without earwax on them.

Cleaning CDM1MkII, CDM2, CDM4 from Philips

The top lens can be safely removed by removing the screw that holds it in place. Underneath we find a second lens - it is non-removable. We can clean it up.

We can also access to clean the top side of the top lens.

Indication of a dead laser circuit (not necessarily the laser itself)

If you observe the entire startup procedure with the cover removed and after properly loading the CD into the spindle the disc does not spin at all, there is a high probability that the laser is dead. Turn off the room lights and repeat the process of closing the tray WITHOUT the disc. Look at the laser: does it emit a red beam - does a VERY small dot appear inside the lens for an instant? It is only activated during the first 2-3 seconds after closing the tray, and always moves up and down while focusing the lens. (of course, don't look too close or straight there - just look at an angle is enough). If there is no red dot, there is no laser radiation. But perhaps this is a scheme?

Another thing to check is whether the lens moves up and down 2-3-4 times. This is a process where the laser tries to catch the focus on the reflection from the CD. If there is a red dot, but there is no calibration, the focusing circuit is dead. However, there is no need to change the head. Test it without a CD - simply open and close the tray, initiating the focusing procedure.

If the laser moves the lens up and down and it is reflected, the spindle motor is signaled to rotate clockwise.

If the laser works, chances are good that the player can be repaired. Electrical circuits during CD reading:

There are four chains that are responsible for the entire process. Each of them has settings and its own dedicated power management chip (which is often a problem with Sony machines). They can be specialized chips, op-amps or transistor pairs. The power controllers of the chips, in turn, are controlled and monitored by a servo processor, which issues all commands and checks if everything is OK. This is called logic. It also addresses the management problem: should I try and when should I give up.

Circuit No. 1: Laser focusing - controls an electromagnetic motor that brings the laser lens to the desired height.

Circuit No. 2: Laser power - controls the radiation.

Circuit No. 3: Tracking - controls where the rails should be in relation to the track being played. To check the circuit, open the player without the disc and gently move the head away from the center with your finger while the player is OFF. Turn on the power and see if the head comes back to the very center. If not, the tracking is screwed up.

Circuit No. 4: Reading the circuit - the laser beam begins to be read by the photodiodes and the data transfer process begins.

Needless to say, there is also drive speed control circuit.

On higher end machines like the KSS-151A, KSS-152, KSS-190, BU1 and other large and heavy HAAL mag rail motors, the movement mechanism requires a lot, a lot of power. Much more than on modern mechanisms such as DVDs, PC CD-ROMs and game consoles, where tracking is carried out using a worm drive. The circuits that send enormous current to the electromagnets are very large, their transistors and chips get hot and break easily, and also burn the solder under their connections.

These cars were great when new, but after 20 years they may break down.

CD laser transplantation

Well, I'm a bit of a fan of laser head transplants. If you don't have IDENTICAL heads, this can be a difficult task. This is doable for very advanced practitioners. I didn't test myself in this matter.

CDM0 and CDM1 are probably interchangeable. Although donors in good shape are now difficult to find. These two are probably the best lasers and best mechs ever made. These lasers, by the way, are used in military missile technology.

In fact, the CDM1 Mk.2 is not an update to the Mk.1, but the essence is the CDM4 PRO version (in the sense, with a metal cast chassis). Transplantation from CDM4 to CDM1 Mk.2 may be successful, it is worth trying.

To be, on the contrary, a donor for CDM4 is quite stupid. CDM4 is very popular and not difficult to find, but there are - I counted - about 5 options for modifications of this vehicle, which make this task somewhat more complicated.

The most popular modifications are CDM4/11, CDM4/19, CDM4/21, CDM4/25, and also CDM4/44, if my memory serves me correctly. The CDM2 is a poor mechanism that breaks down frequently, and may be compatible with the CDM1 Mk.2 and some CDM4s, but I can't say for sure here.

CDM9 is alone and has no twin brothers, but it almost never breaks down. I love him.

CDM12,x and VAL12,xx and VAM12,xx are now available in stores for 20 euros in new condition, so there is no need to look for donors for them.

Philips CD PRO series transports are so rare that I have never had a chance to deal with them. This is probably for the best.

Cheap ones from Sony, like KSS-213, KSS-240, etc. - available in large quantities at flea markets.

WARNING: I was told by someone in the know that there are NO original parts for lasers or mechanisms on the market right now - they are all either rejects or replicas. This does not mean that they are all bad - this is not entirely true, but nevertheless they are not genuine. This applies to both Sony and Philips products. Chinese underground factories are riveting tons of fakes.

Useful links about laser heads and reading mechanisms

When looking for a laser for transplantation, the first thing you need to do is look at Vasily’s list of CD players for a possible donor.

Oooh, this is a tough topic.
If I advise you to twist the trimmer resistors, then, in the end, I will be inundated with tens of thousands of letters asking for help.

My sincere advice is to NOT TOUCH the laser adjustment, focus, tracking, etc. under any circumstances. But if you decide to do this anyway, I can’t help you. All I can say is that after fixing hundreds of laser heads, I know how it's done, AND THAT'S WHY I urge you not to try this at home.

One way or another, if you have a dead player, and after reading everything written above, you think that you have nothing to lose, try turning the controls. BUT MAKE THEM MARKED FIRST SO YOU CAN GET EVERYTHING BACK IN PLACE. Your wife's nail polish is a good alternative, but be sure to dry it thoroughly before you begin.

After marking, carefully read the signatures on the printed circuit board:
Philips uses 2 trimmers - one for focus and one for tracking.
Without a manual, it’s not difficult to identify them, because when you observe the operation of the laser head while tuning the focus control, the lens will move up and down.
Philips regulators are adjusted using a hex wrench.

CDMs from Philips are usually much easier to configure than the Sonev breed - with their 4, 5 and even 6 variable resistors. On the other hand, in Philips “bellows” these regulators are usually located under the transport. This is very bad. Sony makes it much easier to adjust the beam during playback.

Sony has the following labels for the controls: FG (focus gain), FB (focus bias/balance), TG (tracking gain) and TB (tracking balance). There are also several other power fine tuners that I didn't mention. If you did not mark the original positions before spinning them, returning everything to the way it was is as realistic as winning the lotto. I mean, don't even try.

Adjust only problematic controls: focus for focusing, tracking for tracking, etc.

In 90% of cases the regulators are fine in the central position. If the regulator should be set (or is already set) in an extreme position, this is a sign of big trouble.



Remember that the blue controls are marked for focus, the white controls are for tracking, and the copper heatsink is on the power control chip. The CXA1081 chip provides the servo logic. This photo was taken inside a Sony 227ESD player, which has magnetic tracking rails and a KSS-151A head.

ATTENTION: Each time you change the position of the control, the tray must be opened and closed to reset the servo's memory settings.

There is also a special technique for finding the correct position of the regulator using your own hearing - an incorrectly adjusted mechanism makes noise like a constantly focusing head or like the noise from a vehicle when searching for a track. You can HEAR how bad the laser can be. If everything is OK, the laser system should be quiet and silent during playback. Listen carefully to the laser while adjusting the resistors.

Finally, having said all this - beware of opening the Pandora's box of regulatory changes at any cost.

If you are stupid enough to ignore all my warnings, then THEN, when you actually burn the laser, you can report its death. Because he truly will be deader than dead.

What to do if the audio system stops reading CDs.

Dirt getting on the laser optics is the most common reason why a CD player stops working normally: the device “stutters”, does not “recognize” or does not spin discs.

How does dirt get on laser optics?

The CD player unit in the most common series of AIWA NSX-*** minisystems is located at the top of the device, in close proximity to the ventilation holes. This makes the laser optics vulnerable to dust, which is brought in either from the external environment by room air or internal air currents.

Lasers really don't like smoking near the device - the tars contained in cigarette smoke settle on the optics and are very difficult to remove. And inquisitive cockroaches, for some unknown reason, love to climb inside the laser. If the cockroach is large, then it cannot turn around inside - it’s cramped. But the cockroach does not know how to reverse. The lack of food and the slowly frying laser beam do their job and soon the curious insect dies. But the player refuses to work.

Laser device.

Before we begin the repair, let's look at the schematic design of the laser.

The Aiwa NSX mini-system models use the following types of lasers manufactured by Sony: KSS-210, KSS-212, KSS-213.

Laser in technical English is called pick-up ass.
This is a rather complex device, consisting of a semiconductor laser (2), a special prism (4), a focusing lens with a correction mechanism (3) and a panel with photodiodes (1).

The laser beam (red arrow) is reflected from the prism, passes through the focusing lens and falls on the disk (5). After being reflected from the disk, the beam (green arrow) returns, passes through the prism and falls on the reading photodiodes.

As you can see, contamination of a lens or prism doubly impairs the passage of the beam, since it ends up in its path twice.

How to clean the laser?

The “eye” of the focusing lens is clearly visible. The black surface around the lens is a plastic cap that protects the internal structure of the laser from external influences.

Contamination of the focusing lens is the most common and simple malfunction. It is best to blow off dust from the surface of the lens. But, of course, don't just blow on it - this will only pollute it even more. Professionals use special aerosol cans with compressed purified air. A can costs from 150 to 370 rubles, depending on the volume. You can buy it in specialized stores. This can is enough to clean a hundred or two lasers.

A thin plastic tube extends from the head of the can, allowing you to direct the air to the desired location. To clean the laser, point the tube at the lens and “blow” on the laser for 1-2 seconds.

The surface of the lens can also be cleaned with a cotton swab. If the contamination is severe, you can use ethyl alcohol. Do not press hard - this will erase the special anti-reflective layer on the surface of the lens. And the lens suspension mechanism is very delicate; pressing it can damage it.

ATTENTION: Do not use acetone under any circumstances - the lens is made of plastic and you will hopelessly ruin it.

If cleaning the surface of the lens did not help, then dust probably got inside the laser, onto the surface of the prism. This is a more complex contamination, but it can be dealt with. But to do this you will have to disassemble the laser.

After pressing out the tucks, remove the safety cap and you will see the following:

A complex structure near the lens is a special electromagnetic suspension. It is part of the automatic beam focusing system. During playback, the electromagnet continuously adjusts the position of the lens, maintaining a constant distance between the lens and the disk. This is necessary because when the disc rotates, it oscillates significantly in the vertical plane, and without an automatic focusing system, normal operation of the CD player would simply be impossible.

The first way to clean the prism is simple.

Bring the tube to the gap between the lens and the body and blow through the prism several times in short bursts. You cannot blow for a long time, since the compressed air leaving the cylinder is cooled and, thereby, the prism is also cooled. In this case, condensation of moisture from air at room temperature on the surface of the prism is possible. After the water droplets dry, dirt stains form, which will be very difficult to wash off.

This method allows you to clean the dust that has settled on the prism, but for more serious contamination, use the second method.

The second method: requires accuracy.

Just like in the first method, remove the plastic cover. Underneath you can see two small screws. Apply thin marks to the metal frame where the screws go through and to the metal base on the laser body. This will allow you to correctly install the lens in place during reassembly. And this is very important, otherwise the optical axis will be damaged.

Unscrew the screws and remove the focusing lens. There may be droplets of glue near the screws - carefully cut them off with a sharp scalpel.

There is a prism in the shaft under the lens. You need to carefully wipe its surface. There is a slight complication here. The prism, as you remember, is tilted at 45 degrees, and a regular cotton swab is too thick. It can only clean the center of the prism. To remove dust from the corners of the prism, a thinner tool is needed. Aiwa supplies service centers with special, smaller sticks.

At home, you can take a match, sharpen it and wrap a little cotton wool around the tip. The main thing is not to scratch the surface of the prism and make sure that there is no cotton wool left inside the laser. Wipe the prism with a few movements. Reassemble the laser, precisely aligning the previously applied marks.

ATTENTION: Avoid sudden movements. The connecting cable between the lens electromagnets and the laser can be broken by careless movement.

If after carrying out these operations the CD player does not start working, then most likely either the laser cannot be restored, or the fault lies elsewhere.

The other day I came across such a simple tape recorder, under the International brand, in a very poor condition, which can be assessed as complete junk. However, I noticed something about it and decided to wash it.

And I also thought that this device could serve as a very good example of how from such garbage, at the cost of very little effort and accessible to everyone, you can make a very nice little thing.
So, what we have initially: – The body is dirty, but mostly intact, without fatal damage. – The chrome parts look very sad, covered with plaque and the familiar greenish spots of corrosion. – The receiver scale is cloudy and, naturally, also dirty, almost to the point of opacity. – Two LPM buttons are broken and dangling, making it impossible to turn on the tape recorder. – The antennas are broken at the root. – A large amount of dust under the speaker grilles and in the cassette pocket (naturally, inside the device too) – The radio turns on, but the controls crackle, the channels periodically disappear, sometimes left, sometimes right.

In general, a standard set of troubles for a device that was once thrown into the depths of the closet (in the garage, in the attic, etc.) and after a dozen (or more) years was brought out into the light of day. That is, the option most often found in our searches for vintage equipment.
Since this model cannot be called particularly valuable, I decided to limit myself to the most minimal set of works to put the device in order. Without any investments or hassles such as painting the body or deep sanding of transparent parts.
And so we begin. First of all, remove all the knobs and switches and divide the radio into two halves. For this device, the back cover with the power supply mounted on it is removed, and everything else remains on the front of the case.

It also happens the other way around, when the front cover with speakers (or without) is removed, and all the parts are fixed to the back, but there is no fundamental difference here.
Afterwards we need to completely separate all the internals from the body parts. In my opinion, this is absolutely necessary for a truly high-quality wash, because no amount of wiping the outside can replace a good bath.
Here, for the first time, I would advise recording each step with a camera, a piece of paper, whatever is more convenient for you, and laying out the screws in the order of unscrewing in small boxes or on a lined sheet of paper or fabric.
And now the goal has been achieved - the plastic is separate, the filling is separate, you can start bathing procedures.


I wash the body parts in the bathroom using dishwashing gel, a foam sponge and a shower with a massage nozzle (it works well to get dirt out of hard-to-reach places). To clean the grates and grooves, you can use a soft toothbrush or a larger one, such as a clothes brush.


We leave the washed parts to dry and proceed to the insides. We remove dust and dirt using brushes, rags, cotton swabs (here you can choose what is more convenient). I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the CVL and circuit boards from dirt.
In this case, only one belt had to be replaced - which drives the tape counter; the main belt is in place and is well preserved. But there is a problem with the LPM buttons, two of them are broken. Luckily, the broken pieces are inside the apparatus and I glue them back together with superglue. Good glue is a very reliable thing, the main thing is not to buy a cheap one.


Now it's chrome's turn. Here I recommend first thoroughly cleaning the parts with a toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol, and then using an anti-scratch brush. Even when the corrosion is quite severe and the original appearance cannot be restored, a very noticeable improvement can be achieved.




The glass of the receiver scale and the cassette cover are also treated with anti-scratch. If the device were more valuable, it would be possible to first sand them with sandpaper from 600 to 2000 grit, but for this toy this is too labor-intensive an operation, and the anti-scratch effect gives a quite noticeable effect even without pre-treatment.
Now switches and potentiometers. You can, of course, desolder them, disassemble them, wash them with alcohol, lubricate them, assemble them and solder them in place, but let’s leave these difficulties for more expensive copies and limit ourselves to simple washing with WD40 spray. Naturally, we try not to splash it in all directions and especially avoid getting it on the rubber parts of the LPM. We spray this preparation inside the potentiometers and switches, click and twist for several minutes, then use a napkin to remove what flows out of them. In most cases, this is quite enough for the crunching in the regulators to stop, and the contacts of the switches to be restored for a long time. My radios that were treated this way more than a year ago work fine.

Now assembly! We do everything in reverse order, checking, if necessary, with photographs and notes taken during the disassembly process. The main thing here is to be careful and not be lazy to look at the photo again if you have even the slightest doubt about connecting any wires or connectors.

There were no antennas on this radio tape recorder yet, but that’s a big deal. If there is a radio market nearby where you can buy antennas of suitable size, then everything is simple. If this is not possible, you need to come up with something. For example, I used an indoor portable television antenna, which we have at a flea market, like dirt for 50 cents.

So, let's see what we got.

In my opinion, it’s not bad at all, considering that I didn’t have to do anything special. No special skills are required for the entire procedure, only desire and accuracy.
So, in this way you can not only save money, but also enjoy the process itself and its result, as well as get better acquainted with the structure of our favorite vintage equipment.

—Andrey333

Comments

Since sometimes screws and bolts are of different lengths, I would advise sticking them into the paper approximately in the same pattern as they were on the device. When reassembling, this really helps to remember where the extra screws came from.

Thank you, Volodya, for the useful advice! Indeed, it seems to me that it’s convenient, you should try it - because from the boxes it’s convenient and everything seems simple, but then you’re always racking your brain about which one to turn where. :)

And I wash it like this:
I have my own tire shop and it borders on a car wash.
After completely disassembling the body, I take it to the car wash, fill it with foam (which is used to fill cars), wait 5-10 minutes and wash it off with a Karcher at low power.
All the little crap is washed out!!!
You just need to hold the parts of the body tighter.

And everything else is the same as yours.

Andrey, I have a complete copy of the International you laundered, called Schmid)))
In about the same condition. I’m also going to wash it, but there is one nuance - among other things, mine has an aluminum scale on which ranges are marked, etc., covered with cockroaches)))
Can you give me any advice on how to wash off these same cockroach feces??? :)

Cockroach ugliness is not the worst dirt! Easy to clean. Only with the scale, of course, you need to be more careful so that the inscriptions are not accidentally washed off. I would suggest warm water with soap or dish soap.

Andrey, thank you for your answer! By the way (for information)), my copy was purchased by a relative in April 1985 in Stuttgart, Germany))
The copy is almost complete, only the design of the speaker grilles has been changed - they are square. Looks a little more brutal than International)))
And another unpleasant moment - one of the decorative bolts securing the cassette deck cover has been lost. I don’t even know if it’s possible to find a suitable bolt somewhere?

And I have exactly the same copy only under the Shmidt brand!

when disassembling, so as not to lose the bolts and screws... I advise, after dismantling the independent unit, tighten (by hand, as much as is strong enough) the bolts back to where they were unscrewed)))

I advise, you should like it) (I am interested in motorcycle/auto (occasionally audio equipment) equipment, the boxes do not roll and the blind threads screwed in screws up when washing)

boxes, pieces of paper is a rather labor-intensive and not entirely accurate method because

“2.Thank you, Volodya, for the useful advice! Indeed, it seems to me that it’s convenient, you should try it - because from the boxes it’s convenient and everything seems simple, but then you’re always racking your brain as to which way to turn. :)”

What a junk. The cassette receiver is intact, the inscriptions are visible, there are no cracks.