Great video, thanks for the upload. It's the first of its kind that I've seen on youtube. For the ~warble/flutter, first, do a tape path cleaning that ensures the capstan (the spinning metal pin that operates inside the hole of the open edge of the cassette when playing/ recording) and, especially, the pinch roller that presses into capstan to draw the cassette ribbon through are both clean. I use 70-90% alcohol (Walmart/CVS/Walgreens) on longer reach swabs packaged in pairs in a box of ~100 from a local medical supply store. .... Magnetic debris comes off from passing so many hours of tape ribbon after which you'll see a brownish banded area the width of cassette ribbon accumulate on the roller and, though not as easily observable, the capstan. One wants the pinch roller(s) and capstan(s) to have the same, even tone/ sheen across the width of the surfaces. Keep alcohol away from the base of the capstan pin so as to not affect any lubricant. Push "Play"/▶️ with the deck door open and apply the wet (but not dripping) swab while clear of the pinch point where capstan and roller meet to keep from fraying material off the swab head to save cleaning that out. Roll the swab to maximize use of its cleaning surface which may have you reaching, regardless, for a few to as many as upwards of 10 or more depending on how dirty things are/ difficult it is to remove. Rewet swabs if necessary to make use of the entire swab head. If the capstan has stubborn debris left after clearing the pinch roller, stop the deck then press Fast-Forward/FF/⏩️ so the pinch roller isn't brought into play with the capstan while using the increased rotations to expedite debris removal via repeat swab application. For very stubborn capstan debris, I've used a pencil eraser gently applied to ~scrub but not grind off eraser material into the deck. After pinch roller and capstan, use only fresh swabs on the playback and record heads so as to not displace debris from other areas and harm the sensitive head(s). Significant improvements to audio quality are typically heard at this point. If the player won't function for maintenance with the door open, decks have a lever ~armature or ~pin/~rod sensing the open door which can circumvented by holding your other hand's thumb/finger against that so the deck will actuate and activate for the maintenance activity. If there's still warble/flutter, then follow up with belt inspection and checking the motor as shown here. 👍
Thank you very much. I restored my grand father's Akai CS-702DII and the speed adjustment was the only thing I can't solved. It's done now with your help.
Here's a little tip/trick to get cassette players at the exact right speed. For this you have to get a perfect working cassette recorder, and record a 1Khz sine wave signal from UA-cam. These testsignals are spot on. Then place this recorded cassette in the player that needs adjustment, connect the audio output to a scope, and set the speed of the motor to get exact 1Khz signal. Same tip/trick can be used for older cd players. As a audio source you can use your computer/laptop to play the testsignal, but you can also use a Mp3 player as a "poorman's signal generator" to play these testsignals.
Great technic and Super Useful. I remember at the beginnig of tapes ( Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette) there are some red lines that they show a kind of time-speed measuring signs. from the first red line until the start of magnetic tape. if speed be NORMAL , then time would be 5 seconds.
I almost have the same oldschool player as you, coloured pots, brown board, etc. My speed was hella slow, it was a Mitsumi 6V motor, however, adjusting the variable resistor didn't change much. I've even ordered a replacement motor (exact model), however this time it was too fast, the variable resistor on the new one also didn't affect speed, no matter how many times turned. I just added a separate variable resistor outside the motor and it worked then, manually twisting it with my hand. Annoying to not get it working from the start though.
I found the hole at the back of the cassette motor, but theres nothing, it just speeds up the motor and the music if it reached the inside… And actually the motor have 4 wires and it looks like it can control the speed itself when it was slow or fast
Sometimes the motors go bad. Not sure what goes wrong with them but had many that won't hold a steady speed. Also there are decks with the hole in the back of motor, but nothing in there to adjust.
I have a RadioShack Realistic SCP-42 Am/FM radio and cassette player, but I can’t find anywhere in it like that. The service manuals aren’t available online, and all tips and videos haven’t helped. Any insight? It’s almost like there isn’t a way to speed it up
Helpful video. I've worked on/opened motors before to clean the armatures being very careful with the carbon brushes which can easily break. Some motor cases are crimped shut 😑, grrrr, while older ones have screws😊. I have a mid 80s Panasonic boom box with Cassette whose belts are loose. I save most of the belts I change out but had to resort to an assorted size flat and square belt kit. These belts are from China and are so thin and flimsy compared to those you could get years ago. I don't know where you can buy decent belt kits anymore. They seemed to work Ok, but the speed was slow and it would slow down even more and then speed up. The motor has the little hole in the back and I think I'll try to adjust the screw and if needed spray the Contact lube cleaner. Does the contract cleaner get on the brushes and can that cause a problem?
I'm not sure it would be a problem, but on the topic of belts, I thought you might appreciate this older video on belt replacement, in case you are needing a replacement. ua-cam.com/video/ufuELzsMKUg/v-deo.html
That's a great video reference. His collection of used belts looks just like mine. I have a huge plastic bag filled with various belts that I've taken out of used units that I can reuse in several cases. Yes, several of mine have also turned to a gummy tar almost like some of the Ampex/GRT 8 track pinch rollers. I use rubber renew to get some of the tackiness back but it does stretch them a bit. I read if you put them in hot boiling water it can cause the belts to shrink in size a little; not sure about that. Ask for the motor, Just like your case, I turned the screw and the speed went up somewhat but then I sprayed it with contact cleaner and it really sped up a lot! This morning I tried playing it again and the motor got sluggish on me again so I used the DeoxIT brand cleaner which I heard is better; not much of an improvement. Finally I got a thinner belt wall than the one I used to replace it with and that did the trick.
It's amazing how precise you have to be in matching up the replacement belt both in terms of circumference and wall thickness particularly on these smaller (and lower power) motors. Those good old huge, massive (and hot running!) AC motors found on many open reel and older 8 track units were more forgiving on tighter circumference and thicker wall width belts. They could run for hours if properly lubricated and vented.
✏️📌 (Leaving a comment here for any future developments and referrals to good, quality belt sources.).... back in the day, for custom belts, you could buy a particular shaped belt at a particular cross-sectional Dimension and cut it to length to make a custom belt glued at the ends for particular applications but that wasn't always a universal solution depending on the diameter of the pulleys trying not to be bothered by a potentially amateur glued joint/ seam I'd made. 🤔 Makes me wonder if there's a manufacturer for the turntable belts that are taking pride in the materials and also in the business of cassette and reel to reel belts.
I had the same issue on a tape deck I picked up a while back, and while I don't know the cause on yours for certain, for me when I pressed the play button, it moved a small metal bit that pressed two other metal bits together (no idea what they're called) and connected the circut, but when I pressed the fast forward/rewind buttons, they didn't press the metal bits together, so I gently bent on of them closer to the other, and that solved the problem. Not sure where this would be in your deck but open it up and press the play button and pay attention to any moving parts that might be connected to any of the wiring. Hope this helps.
I would need more detail to make an educated guess as to what't wrong. Did you test the voltage going to the motor when it stopped working to see if there was a voltage drop? If so what was the reading?
@@GrantsPassTVRepair i haven’t, sometimes it will run for forever and sometimes I’ll have to move the pulley for it to start and sometimes it will run then stop but will run again if pulley is moved , kenwood kx-76 the motor is eg-500ad-2b
@@chickenfoundation9323 What you described sounds like the motor may have issues due to a worn out commutator and or brushes, but that's just a guess since I haven't seen it.
@@chickenfoundation9323Since I have not seen your unit I can't guarantee your motor is the problem. That's why I asked if you tested the voltage to the motor. It could also be a slipping belt, or power supply issue. I don't have any specifics on where to get a new motor. Sometimes your only option is to salvage parts from broken units you may find on ebay,
Hi Frank. That thought crossed my mind, but if it was a friction issue due to a dry bearing I don't think the sound would have warbled, but that's a little speculation on my part.
@@GrantsPassTVRepair In my (limited) experience of taking these motors apart, (I'd say it was a 70's or 80's mechanism), the speed control PCB has the bearing built in and behind it is the rotor and the magnets exposed. So in theory the cleaner would have gone all through the motor assembly. :) But I've only taken about 5 apart, so I might have just hit on the same model of motor by accident.
Have freed up cassette motor spindles from the bearing before - including CD players. Would be interested in a referral to what long-term lubricant would best be used after having broken free the spindle of the motor from its bearing during diagnosis / prognosis.
If only all videos on here were this effective in getting to the point without fluff. THANK YOU!
I appreciate your comment.
Great video, thanks for the upload. It's the first of its kind that I've seen on youtube.
For the ~warble/flutter, first, do a tape path cleaning that ensures the capstan (the spinning metal pin that operates inside the hole of the open edge of the cassette when playing/ recording) and, especially, the pinch roller that presses into capstan to draw the cassette ribbon through are both clean. I use 70-90% alcohol (Walmart/CVS/Walgreens) on longer reach swabs packaged in pairs in a box of ~100 from a local medical supply store. .... Magnetic debris comes off from passing so many hours of tape ribbon after which you'll see a brownish banded area the width of cassette ribbon accumulate on the roller and, though not as easily observable, the capstan. One wants the pinch roller(s) and capstan(s) to have the same, even tone/ sheen across the width of the surfaces. Keep alcohol away from the base of the capstan pin so as to not affect any lubricant. Push "Play"/▶️ with the deck door open and apply the wet (but not dripping) swab while clear of the pinch point where capstan and roller meet to keep from fraying material off the swab head to save cleaning that out. Roll the swab to maximize use of its cleaning surface which may have you reaching, regardless, for a few to as many as upwards of 10 or more depending on how dirty things are/ difficult it is to remove. Rewet swabs if necessary to make use of the entire swab head. If the capstan has stubborn debris left after clearing the pinch roller, stop the deck then press Fast-Forward/FF/⏩️ so the pinch roller isn't brought into play with the capstan while using the increased rotations to expedite debris removal via repeat swab application. For very stubborn capstan debris, I've used a pencil eraser gently applied to ~scrub but not grind off eraser material into the deck. After pinch roller and capstan, use only fresh swabs on the playback and record heads so as to not displace debris from other areas and harm the sensitive head(s). Significant improvements to audio quality are typically heard at this point. If the player won't function for maintenance with the door open, decks have a lever ~armature or ~pin/~rod sensing the open door which can circumvented by holding your other hand's thumb/finger against that so the deck will actuate and activate for the maintenance activity. If there's still warble/flutter, then follow up with belt inspection and checking the motor as shown here. 👍
This is one of the most fascinating channels I’ve ever found on UA-cam. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks!
I just had the same problem with an old 'technics' tapedeck that didn't ran for 20 years. Your video was a big help. Thank you... ;)
Thank you very much. I restored my grand father's Akai CS-702DII and the speed adjustment was the only thing I can't solved. It's done now with your help.
Your welcome.
Here's a little tip/trick to get cassette players at the exact right speed. For this you have to get a perfect working cassette recorder, and record a 1Khz sine wave signal from UA-cam. These testsignals are spot on. Then place this recorded cassette in the player that needs adjustment, connect the audio output to a scope, and set the speed of the motor to get exact 1Khz signal. Same tip/trick can be used for older cd players. As a audio source you can use your computer/laptop to play the testsignal, but you can also use a Mp3 player as a "poorman's signal generator" to play these testsignals.
Thanks. Great idea.
Great technic and Super Useful. I remember at the beginnig of tapes ( Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette) there are some red lines that they show a kind of time-speed measuring signs. from the first red line until the start of magnetic tape. if speed be NORMAL , then time would be 5 seconds.
If I had a a perfect working cassette recorder, I wouldn't need to adjust the speed of my old crappy recorder.
I almost have the same oldschool player as you, coloured pots, brown board, etc. My speed was hella slow, it was a Mitsumi 6V motor, however, adjusting the variable resistor didn't change much. I've even ordered a replacement motor (exact model), however this time it was too fast, the variable resistor on the new one also didn't affect speed, no matter how many times turned. I just added a separate variable resistor outside the motor and it worked then, manually twisting it with my hand. Annoying to not get it working from the start though.
I found the hole at the back of the cassette motor, but theres nothing, it just speeds up the motor and the music if it reached the inside…
And actually the motor have 4 wires and it looks like it can control the speed itself when it was slow or fast
Sometimes the motors go bad. Not sure what goes wrong with them but had many that won't hold a steady speed. Also there are decks with the hole in the back of motor, but nothing in there to adjust.
Worn down motor brushes and commutators can cause the motors to slow down or quit.
THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH
Worth knowing, cheers 👍
I did thumbs up the video, and I am subscribed. Thanks Dave!
I have a RadioShack Realistic SCP-42 Am/FM radio and cassette player, but I can’t find anywhere in it like that. The service manuals aren’t available online, and all tips and videos haven’t helped. Any insight? It’s almost like there isn’t a way to speed it up
I don't have any ideas, other than to look for an adjustable resistor in the unit.
I will have to try this on my delco 2700 unit in my car. Plays too quickly with a warble effect. Hopefully this fixes the issue
Good job🗿🍷🍷🍷
Helpful video. I've worked on/opened motors before to clean the armatures being very careful with the carbon brushes which can easily break. Some motor cases are crimped shut 😑, grrrr, while older ones have screws😊.
I have a mid 80s Panasonic boom box with Cassette whose belts are loose. I save most of the belts I change out but had to resort to an assorted size flat and square belt kit. These belts are from China and are so thin and flimsy compared to those you could get years ago. I don't know where you can buy decent belt kits anymore.
They seemed to work Ok, but the speed was slow and it would slow down even more and then speed up. The motor has the little hole in the back and I think I'll try to adjust the screw and if needed spray the Contact lube cleaner. Does the contract cleaner get on the brushes and can that cause a problem?
I'm not sure it would be a problem, but on the topic of belts, I thought you might appreciate this older video on belt replacement, in case you are needing a replacement. ua-cam.com/video/ufuELzsMKUg/v-deo.html
That's a great video reference. His collection of used belts looks just like mine. I have a huge plastic bag filled with various belts that I've taken out of used units that I can reuse in several cases. Yes, several of mine have also turned to a gummy tar almost like some of the Ampex/GRT 8 track pinch rollers. I use rubber renew to get some of the tackiness back but it does stretch them a bit. I read if you put them in hot boiling water it can cause the belts to shrink in size a little; not sure about that.
Ask for the motor, Just like your case, I turned the screw and the speed went up somewhat but then I sprayed it with contact cleaner and it really sped up a lot! This morning I tried playing it again and the motor got sluggish on me again so I used the DeoxIT brand cleaner which I heard is better; not much of an improvement. Finally I got a thinner belt wall than the one I used to replace it with and that did the trick.
I understand. he belt tension can be a real problem. Especially if the belt is to thick. @@waukee321
It's amazing how precise you have to be in matching up the replacement belt both in terms of circumference and wall thickness particularly on these smaller (and lower power) motors. Those good old huge, massive (and hot running!) AC motors found on many open reel and older 8 track units were more forgiving on tighter circumference and thicker wall width belts. They could run for hours if properly lubricated and vented.
✏️📌 (Leaving a comment here for any future developments and referrals to good, quality belt sources.).... back in the day, for custom belts, you could buy a particular shaped belt at a particular cross-sectional Dimension and cut it to length to make a custom belt glued at the ends for particular applications but that wasn't always a universal solution depending on the diameter of the pulleys trying not to be bothered by a potentially amateur glued joint/ seam I'd made.
🤔 Makes me wonder if there's a manufacturer for the turntable belts that are taking pride in the materials and also in the business of cassette and reel to reel belts.
Dave, I've got a great dual cassette boombox system that will play cassettes, but it will not fast forward or rewind on either deck. Any ideas?
I can't say without seeing it.
More than likely the belt
I had the same issue on a tape deck I picked up a while back, and while I don't know the cause on yours for certain, for me when I pressed the play button, it moved a small metal bit that pressed two other metal bits together (no idea what they're called) and connected the circut, but when I pressed the fast forward/rewind buttons, they didn't press the metal bits together, so I gently bent on of them closer to the other, and that solved the problem. Not sure where this would be in your deck but open it up and press the play button and pay attention to any moving parts that might be connected to any of the wiring. Hope this helps.
Mine was the belt. No play, no ff, no rw, took it apart and both belts were .... GONE ....
Can you fix a sangean 909x? Shortwave doesn’t seen to receive very well medium,long wave and fm work fine…
That's not something I'd be willing to work on. Does it have an external antenna?
Would you know how to fix one of the big massage chairs? I'm in GP
I possibly could, but that depends on the problem. You can call and tell me more.
Great tip!
What would the fix be for one that’s a little loud and sometimes just stops?
I would need more detail to make an educated guess as to what't wrong. Did you test the voltage going to the motor when it stopped working to see if there was a voltage drop? If so what was the reading?
@@GrantsPassTVRepair i haven’t, sometimes it will run for forever and sometimes I’ll have to move the pulley for it to start and sometimes it will run then stop but will run again if pulley is moved , kenwood kx-76 the motor is eg-500ad-2b
@@chickenfoundation9323 What you described sounds like the motor may have issues due to a worn out commutator and or brushes, but that's just a guess since I haven't seen it.
@@GrantsPassTVRepair so just change out the motor? Where can I get a new eg-500ad-2B 12v 2400rpm ccw
@@chickenfoundation9323Since I have not seen your unit I can't guarantee your motor is the problem. That's why I asked if you tested the voltage to the motor. It could also be a slipping belt, or power supply issue. I don't have any specifics on where to get a new motor. Sometimes your only option is to salvage parts from broken units you may find on ebay,
It might have also been old grease on the bearing of the motor and squirting the cleaner in could have cleared it. (?)
Hi Frank. That thought crossed my mind, but if it was a friction issue due to a dry bearing I don't think the sound would have warbled, but that's a little speculation on my part.
@@GrantsPassTVRepair In my (limited) experience of taking these motors apart, (I'd say it was a 70's or 80's mechanism), the speed control PCB has the bearing built in and behind it is the rotor and the magnets exposed. So in theory the cleaner would have gone all through the motor assembly. :)
But I've only taken about 5 apart, so I might have just hit on the same model of motor by accident.
@@frankowalker4662 If you're right I hope it lasts a while. Worst case scenario I stand behind my work and offer a money back guarantee.
Have freed up cassette motor spindles from the bearing before - including CD players. Would be interested in a referral to what long-term lubricant would best be used after having broken free the spindle of the motor from its bearing during diagnosis / prognosis.
I wish we did not live on opposite sides of the country I have a tv I would love to have fixed!
Maheshwar mp India se
*PromoSM*