I watched this before starting a repair on one of the band members. Found a intermittent connection on the circuit board. Now works as if it was new. Thanks a bunch for the video.
THANK YOU! I watched your video from start to finish and have a better understanding of how these little guys work. My problem was that the guys would strike the bell and stick to one side without returning to the center. They would rotate to strike the other bell when that note was needed but would then stay on that side. There wasn't a lot of power but they did strike the bell. In my effort to attach the guys to a board with velcro, I inadvertently covered the part of the motor that is visible on the bottom which rotates as the guy strikes the bell. The sticky velcro hampered the movement. As soon as I finished watching your video, I repositioned the velcro and they all worked perfectly!! My father bought these for my daughter in 1991 and, although he is gone, his gift continue to make us smile. Again, THANK YOU!
Great video - thank you. I notice you were unable to separate the drum to get inside (certainly in the early part of the video). I eventually found a way on my set (no lights in head, no top screws to release figure). After undoing those three bottom screws, by removing the drum golden string (unhook carefully from the tension pins), you can then pull the drum body away from the topplate/figurine base. Hope this may be helpful.
OH YEAH… I just found mine in my Christmas storage stuff (it’s a long story… but it’s been awhile!) All but one work - but this is just the thing hubby and I need to watch to ‘bond’ over repairing it!
Thanks for doing this. I was pleased to find someone knowledgeable who could tackle this. I'm definitely gonna try this! Weve had a ours since 89 and it has been our tradition to hang them from the mantel with the christmas stockings And I wasnt quite ready to throw them out becuase they started to do exactly what your set was doing. So good job! By the way, I found if I bend the bar holding the bell to meet up with the clapper so It hits dead center, it sounds much better . Cheers
This is great video. In Canada I couldnt find your motor you linked. I used the one below and it works perfect. EUDAX 6 Set DC Motors Kit, Mini Electric Hobby Motor 3V -12V 25000 RPM Strong Magnetic with Shaft Propeller
Thanks for posting up this video. I have one of these that is working well, but I want to disconnect the existing controller box and replace with an Arduino, so that I can change and control the order of the songs that it plays. I have found we never hear the back half of the songs as it always start from the beginning.
That is an interesting idea, if you do the arduino conversion I would be interested on seeing/hearing it. Also the process in which you do the conversion.
@@EmmaCraib I did get it working in the end. I haven't got around to making a video of the process but I do have one of the final product with it all working - ua-cam.com/video/wpMTzGFAMZc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=MaxKabilafkas
I appreciate your video. But the problem with my set is that the spring the recenters the drummer after each note has broken. Do you have any ideas on where to get a replacement spring?
That is a tough one. I would try www.happyholidaysparts.com or Mr. Christmas directly as they carry some parts. If no luck there, you may have to scavenge one, make one or match one from different springs at hobby shops, hardware stores or spring kits online.
A little heat and twist. They generally have a small amount of adhesive on them and the heat with help release it. If you need replacement parts for those, www.happyholidaysparts.com has them.
Most of the hobby motors aren't repairable. I have hears of people having some luck is doing so, but I haven't and they are relatively cheap motors to replace.
I do have the big band with timbal and external power supply. On thee low power side it has got three wires. On the motherboard, there are a red 6V, a black 6V and a CT. Do you have an explanation for me?
@@RandomJunkChannel Thanks for your answer. I already closed it again. I tested with 6 Volts and it worked. I rose the voltage gently while measuring and checking because the "original" power supply was 12 Volts and 1 Amp. The only difference (apart of the values measured) was the sound - the bells werde hit stronger-harder. So I took a power supply with 6/9/12 Volts, so I can "adjust" the sound depending of the mood we are in ;-). Thank you again for your answer and I wish you some stressless hours and a good start in a good and healthy year, Helmut
Hi, I appreciate you are in the US so may not be able to advise. When I have the neutral line disconnected the band works as intended. With it connected, the instruments act as though there is a short, you can hear their motors whirring and they stick in one position. Is this likely to be a fault with the actual transformer/AC/DC converter?
Just a thought and I may be wrong, but to find the voltage of the motors, can't you try connecting an electrolytic capacitor in place of the motor and see what voltage it charges up too?
Technically, yes, if you are fast enough to disconnect it before it discharges when the power is stopped. An analog volt meter is easier to find peak voltage over a digital meter.
An oscilloscope would work even better, but that's getting silly. 🙂 I just bought one of these from a charity store, and it has the same problems as yours, so I'll be heading down the same road as you in the next few days. Thanks for your video. I couldn't even get the "drum" base apart without Googling it, and there you were !!!
I've got one of these that I bought new in 1991 from the Disney Christmas store in Disneyland in Florida, so know these tunes inside out after listening to them Christmas after Christmas...! I think that the polarity of the motors on some of your characters are reversed? Some of the notes are completely different to what I know, it's more than just a few dead or off-tune notes, they're just totally wrong....? Liking the video as this year I can tell that at least one of my characters is failing, I can hear the odd note missing from the tunes, so sounds like one or two of the characters are going weak in one direction so will need to be fixed before Christmas this year!
Awesome video... I ordered the motor for the santa clause marching band. The original motor had a (resister) on it. and of course as soon as i applied heat it came apart! I have replaced the motor and it does not move. I am thinking I need the resister? It is brown ina the shape op a tick with the number 104 on it.....
If you separate the Santa from the base, there is no screw or is it missing? If you unscrew the bottom screws, what happens? Do you notice any glue around the top of the base holding it together?
@Random Junk Channel we separated Santa from the base. We removed 3 screws from bottom and center screw from . There is no screw on the top. Neither the light nor motor work on only one Santa. Should I email you a picture of the top?
Did you ever figure out how to adjust the bells to get rid of the thud versus ting sound? I got a set of these for Christmas as a gift and most of the set is in good shape considering the age, but some of the bells just thud when hit. I tried adjusting the distance of the bell to the clapper, but that didn't seem to help.
Yes, had to bend the metal bell hangers to allow the hammer to hit in the sweet spot of the bell. Also the tension of the bell screw effected a couple of them. When adjusting them, use something as a surrogate for the hammer and use your hand to tap the bells until you find the sweet spot, adjust the bell to allow the factory hammer to smack that location.
@@RandomJunkChannel is it possible that due to its age that the bell has a forever "dead" sound? I did loosen the screw, and spin the bell, and tried position the clapper to strike it just right, but it only slightly improved. It just won't "ring" like the others.
@@lawschoolsurvival263 Technically it can get a different tone or a duller tone from use but it isn't common unless it has been used a lot. I know the one I worked on was "out of tone" but got most of it fixed with adjustments. Granted it isn't perfect but the dead sound was gone. Is you bell bent or dented perhaps?
@@RandomJunkChannel It doesn't seem to be dented. I guess I'll just have to tinker with it again when I have more patience. lol. thanks for your advice!
This I am not sure of but are you testing voltage across the positive and negative of the capacitor? Can you test the cap using the capacitance setting on a multimeter? Are you getting no power to the characters?
Thank you for this video! So helpful! Just curious, did you end up transferring the little orange capacitor from the terminals of the old motors to the new motors? You briefly talked about them in the video, but I didn’t hear whether you ended up using them or not. Thanks again!
I have the bear brass band and they all move but no music. I hear to horn sounds when I turn it on and then nothing after that. I have no idea what I need to do/check.
Check the speaker and volume switch solder joints first. you may have a bad solder joint. If nothing, trace the circuit from the speaker backwards and see if you can find a bad component or track in the circuitry. Possibly a bad capacitor or other component.
Watched video.. thank you for posting. I have one band member .. getting power and will swing to one side but will not go back to the middle once it goes to one side. This one will move loosely right or left. The others will not. Any help?
If it is sticking to one side it most likely a bad motor where the bushing inside the motor is full of grit or the return spring is bad. If most are not working check the wire and power.
I watched this before starting a repair on one of the band members. Found a intermittent connection on the circuit board. Now works as if it was new. Thanks a bunch for the video.
THANK YOU! I watched your video from start to finish and have a better understanding of how these little guys work. My problem was that the guys would strike the bell and stick to one side without returning to the center. They would rotate to strike the other bell when that note was needed but would then stay on that side. There wasn't a lot of power but they did strike the bell. In my effort to attach the guys to a board with velcro, I inadvertently covered the part of the motor that is visible on the bottom which rotates as the guy strikes the bell. The sticky velcro hampered the movement. As soon as I finished watching your video, I repositioned the velcro and they all worked perfectly!! My father bought these for my daughter in 1991 and, although he is gone, his gift continue to make us smile. Again, THANK YOU!
You are welcome, glad it helped.
Great video - thank you. I notice you were unable to separate the drum to get inside (certainly in the early part of the video). I eventually found a way on my set (no lights in head, no top screws to release figure). After undoing those three bottom screws, by removing the drum golden string (unhook carefully from the tension pins), you can then pull the drum body away from the topplate/figurine base. Hope this may be helpful.
Yes, thank you
OH YEAH… I just found mine in my Christmas storage stuff (it’s a long story… but it’s been awhile!) All but one work - but this is just the thing hubby and I need to watch to ‘bond’ over repairing it!
Thanks for doing this. I was pleased to find someone knowledgeable who could tackle this. I'm definitely gonna try this! Weve had a ours since 89 and it has been our tradition to hang them from the mantel with the christmas stockings And I wasnt quite ready to throw them out becuase they started to do exactly what your set was doing. So good job!
By the way, I found if I bend the bar holding the bell to meet up with the clapper so It hits dead center, it sounds much better .
Cheers
This is great video. In Canada I couldnt find your motor you linked. I used the one below and it works perfect. EUDAX 6 Set DC Motors Kit, Mini Electric Hobby Motor 3V -12V 25000 RPM Strong Magnetic with Shaft Propeller
Thank you. I’m hopeful that mine will work again.
Thanks for posting up this video. I have one of these that is working well, but I want to disconnect the existing controller box and replace with an Arduino, so that I can change and control the order of the songs that it plays. I have found we never hear the back half of the songs as it always start from the beginning.
That is an interesting idea, if you do the arduino conversion I would be interested on seeing/hearing it. Also the process in which you do the conversion.
Me, too!!!!@@RandomJunkChannel
I hope you did the Arduino conversion. I'd love to try that!!
@@EmmaCraib I did get it working in the end. I haven't got around to making a video of the process but I do have one of the final product with it all working - ua-cam.com/video/wpMTzGFAMZc/v-deo.html&ab_channel=MaxKabilafkas
@@maxkabilafkas772 Will you share your schematic and arduino sketch with us?
I appreciate your video. But the problem with my set is that the spring the recenters the drummer after each note has broken. Do you have any ideas on where to get a replacement spring?
That is a tough one. I would try www.happyholidaysparts.com or Mr. Christmas directly as they carry some parts. If no luck there, you may have to scavenge one, make one or match one from different springs at hobby shops, hardware stores or spring kits online.
Hey how do u take off the Spring Bell Clappers ?
A little heat and twist. They generally have a small amount of adhesive on them and the heat with help release it. If you need replacement parts for those, www.happyholidaysparts.com has them.
How do we find a spring bell clapper so I can fix my band
Www.happyholidaysparts.com has them
Nice tutorial. Mine has same problem. Cant we just repair the motors spacers, bushings, brushes etc ? Thanks
Most of the hobby motors aren't repairable. I have hears of people having some luck is doing so, but I haven't and they are relatively cheap motors to replace.
@RandomJunkChannel
Ok thanks👍
I do have the big band with timbal and external power supply. On thee low power side it has got three wires. On the motherboard, there are a red 6V, a black 6V and a CT. Do you have an explanation for me?
If you still have it open, can you sent a picture of two to RandomJChannel@gmail.com. This may help me figure it out and get you an explanation.
@@RandomJunkChannel Thanks for your answer. I already closed it again. I tested with 6 Volts and it worked. I rose the voltage gently while measuring and checking because the "original" power supply was 12 Volts and 1 Amp. The only difference (apart of the values measured) was the sound - the bells werde hit stronger-harder. So I took a power supply with 6/9/12 Volts, so I can "adjust" the sound depending of the mood we are in ;-). Thank you again for your answer and I wish you some stressless hours and a good start in a good and healthy year, Helmut
Hi,
I appreciate you are in the US so may not be able to advise.
When I have the neutral line disconnected the band works as intended.
With it connected, the instruments act as though there is a short, you can hear their motors whirring and they stick in one position.
Is this likely to be a fault with the actual transformer/AC/DC converter?
If the neutral is open an if functions, I would go with a bad transformer or something downstream is shorted overloading the neutral.
Just a thought and I may be wrong, but to find the voltage of the motors, can't you try connecting an electrolytic capacitor in place of the motor and see what voltage it charges up too?
Technically, yes, if you are fast enough to disconnect it before it discharges when the power is stopped. An analog volt meter is easier to find peak voltage over a digital meter.
An oscilloscope would work even better, but that's getting silly. 🙂 I just bought one of these from a charity store, and it has the same problems as yours, so I'll be heading down the same road as you in the next few days. Thanks for your video. I couldn't even get the "drum" base apart without Googling it, and there you were !!!
I've got one of these that I bought new in 1991 from the Disney Christmas store in Disneyland in Florida, so know these tunes inside out after listening to them Christmas after Christmas...! I think that the polarity of the motors on some of your characters are reversed? Some of the notes are completely different to what I know, it's more than just a few dead or off-tune notes, they're just totally wrong....? Liking the video as this year I can tell that at least one of my characters is failing, I can hear the odd note missing from the tunes, so sounds like one or two of the characters are going weak in one direction so will need to be fixed before Christmas this year!
Awesome video... I ordered the motor for the santa clause marching band. The original motor had a (resister) on it. and of course as soon as i applied heat it came apart! I have replaced the motor and it does not move. I am thinking I need the resister? It is brown ina the shape op a tick with the number 104 on it.....
Do you still have the old one?
yes
@@RandomJunkChannel
@@JamesWiseman-z9b Swap that over to the new motor and see if it makes a difference
I figured it out. The part will be here on Friday! Wish me luck...
@@JamesWiseman-z9b Good Luck
Thank you so much for your video! Our problem is the one malfunctioning Santa does not have a topscrew...?
If you separate the Santa from the base, there is no screw or is it missing? If you unscrew the bottom screws, what happens? Do you notice any glue around the top of the base holding it together?
@Random Junk Channel we separated Santa from the base. We removed 3 screws from bottom and center screw from . There is no screw on the top. Neither the light nor motor work on only one Santa. Should I email you a picture of the top?
@@franmentch8537 Yes, please send a couple of pictures of Santa.
RandomJChannel@Gmail.com
@Random Junk Channel THANK YOU! I appreciate your emailing me and for all your help. Very kind of you
Not had any problems with our little Marching Band guys. But that motor sounded like our pet Budgie.
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🫡🫡🫡🫡🫡😊😊😊😊😊😊
Did you ever figure out how to adjust the bells to get rid of the thud versus ting sound? I got a set of these for Christmas as a gift and most of the set is in good shape considering the age, but some of the bells just thud when hit. I tried adjusting the distance of the bell to the clapper, but that didn't seem to help.
Yes, had to bend the metal bell hangers to allow the hammer to hit in the sweet spot of the bell. Also the tension of the bell screw effected a couple of them.
When adjusting them, use something as a surrogate for the hammer and use your hand to tap the bells until you find the sweet spot, adjust the bell to allow the factory hammer to smack that location.
@@RandomJunkChannel is it possible that due to its age that the bell has a forever "dead" sound? I did loosen the screw, and spin the bell, and tried position the clapper to strike it just right, but it only slightly improved. It just won't "ring" like the others.
@@lawschoolsurvival263 Technically it can get a different tone or a duller tone from use but it isn't common unless it has been used a lot. I know the one I worked on was "out of tone" but got most of it fixed with adjustments. Granted it isn't perfect but the dead sound was gone. Is you bell bent or dented perhaps?
@@RandomJunkChannel It doesn't seem to be dented. I guess I'll just have to tinker with it again when I have more patience. lol. thanks for your advice!
I am trying to repair one of these. Is the transformer a 6v-0v-6v? With the 0v going to the caps?
This I am not sure of but are you testing voltage across the positive and negative of the capacitor? Can you test the cap using the capacitance setting on a multimeter? Are you getting no power to the characters?
Thank you for this video! So helpful! Just curious, did you end up transferring the little orange capacitor from the terminals of the old motors to the new motors? You briefly talked about them in the video, but I didn’t hear whether you ended up using them or not. Thanks again!
Yes I did
God I love UA-cam
I have the bear brass band and they all move but no music. I hear to horn sounds when I turn it on and then nothing after that. I have no idea what I need to do/check.
Check the speaker and volume switch solder joints first. you may have a bad solder joint.
If nothing, trace the circuit from the speaker backwards and see if you can find a bad component or track in the circuitry. Possibly a bad capacitor or other component.
Can the light in the hats be fixed please? One of ours doesn't light up anymore. Any help would be very much appreciated, Thanks.
Technically yes, the light can be replaced, the figure would need to be disassembled to access the light
Watched video.. thank you for posting. I have one band member .. getting power and will swing to one side but will not go back to the middle once it goes to one side. This one will move loosely right or left. The others will not. Any help?
If it is sticking to one side it most likely a bad motor where the bushing inside the motor is full of grit or the return spring is bad.
If most are not working check the wire and power.
Can I use WD40 on the ones sticking to one side? They all worked last year and this year they are ALL sticking. Thank you.
Try to use a lithium or silicone spray lubricant. WD40 can damage certain plastics.
@@RandomJunkChannel Thank you!
I have a perfectly working v[q~_]sion of this and it sounds way better than this one. But I would also like the 25th anniversary version made in 2016.
What will you charge me to fix my set?
Send an email to randomjchannel@gmail.com with what is wrong with it