This channel has become the majority of my media consumption. I'm so do with Hollywood and can't get interested in "entertainment" any more. Really love this channel 12voltvids and have learned so much from your experience. You taught me how to think like a repairman, fixing things at component level tracing voltages and using schematics. Not to mention all the cool old tricks you share like microwaving belts in water, etc. Thank you buddy, you're on the Christmas list.
I agree... Never seen capstans designed that way EVER! How stupid... And from Panasonic no less. You would've thought they were above engineering something like that.
This is a stark contrast to some of the direct drive component decks they made where the only things to worry about are the pinch roller and the belt on the door open/close mechanism...or changing from the infamous rubber pendulum idlers for VCR reel drives to a gear. They knew better than to trust rubber parts, but here they did it anyway. ;-P
Only thing you can do with old pinch rollers to get some improvement is cross hatching with a scalpel. Works even better if you run scalpel at angle and quosi lift the rubber, effectively creating little raised slices of rubber, not too deep. I don't know of any source for replacement mini rollers, most rollers can be replaced with modern German made replacements.
I did it on mine WM-EX614 and it's a PAIN. You will need to strip the unit completely to take the mechanism out. Before taking out the worn pinch rollers, take a note as to the placement of all the associated springs locations, otherwise you might damage the mechanism.Good luck!
I´ve got an RQ-SX15 and it has the same mechanism and all, well at least mechanical. It also has higher wow&flutter in the fwd direction, while it´s better in reverse. I think this is because the fwd capstan is driven by another belt, while the other capstan is driven directly from the first belt from the servo motor. Well that´s more like a poor design. Those blach rings on the capstan however, they´re supposed to be there. Got an RQ-SX71 for parts and it has the very same rings. Probably it will give better grip to the tape. In all i still prefer the Sony WM EX674 in any way. It´s much less noisy, has better bass and treble response, higher output level and a much simpler, yet more reliable and stable mechanism which destroys the panasonic in any way. It has just a single, super thin belt, but it has like 0,25% WRMS of flutter at most which is barely noticeable if at all. And it´s also in the same small and thin package, so yeah sony really nailed it back then. Also very easy to service.
Unlucky. I have a similar device same capstans. Thought what you thought, nearly did what you did. I wonder if a de wired piece of silicone hook up wire would slip over the capstan and provide the grip needed. Or if that is too thick perhaps some heat shrink. Or some fine silicone carbide grit glued onto heat shrink with a thinned down F2. And shrunk on before it dries.
Hi, can the tape detection and motion detection sensors in late 80's cassette decks be disabled so that the tape play assembly engages after pressing 'play', even with no tape in the machine? l would really like to do this so l can more easily clean the heads, etc. Also, l feel this would alleviate the common problem of tapes playing for a few seconds then stopping because of a faulty sensor thinking there's no tape in the deck, when there is one. My deck is a Yamaha KX-800. Thanks.
yes. it's likely up at the top of the cassette compartment near the similar switches for erase prevention & type-2 tape detection.... I have another yamaha in that range, same deal. take the door trim off & feel for it with finger-end & flashlight. door will still have to be shut.
ok, the one I have IS a KX800, same as yours. I took the door trim off, & felt around inside. the required switch is directly to the right of the record-tab detector at the top left of the cassette compartment. however, this model uses a hall-effect autostop driven by the supply side, so what it does with no tape loaded is engage the pinch roller (which is what you want, to clean it properly) for a few seconds & then put it away again. if this isn't long enough to get the cleaning done, you will have to somehow manage to hold the switch up *&* turn the supply side hub anticlockwise just enough to fool the autostop. of course there's no mention of this in the OM.
I installed new pinch rollers on my Sony TC-WR635S Deck. Whenever I play tapes on Deck A Side A it sounds warped, but side b sounds normal. What can I do to fix that issue?
hi, really enjoy your videos. however i am too afraid to even attempt to fix my electronics. I have an panasonic RQ-sx52 which needs the woo and flutter looked at and possibly new belts. do you do repairs? I can send to you and pay for repair and return post :-) you could use the repair for a video?
do you do repairs Walkman cassette players i just got a Sharp JC-K15G new in the box it ff & rev but no play its from 1988 i ordered a service manual and assorted belt pack if i can't fix it can you i have no one near me thanks ps i have 10+ cassette walkmans and my sony wm-2 that needs a head also
Wet & dry paper is the only way I can think to clean all that , not easy . I am now at the Library , not at home due to the incompatance of the Post Office suppler so any replies will take a few days to settle .
The rattling sound is the internal gears, which don't help the wow and flutter. The camera microphone is too dam sensitive. It could pick up a mouse farting at 200 feet.
@@12voltvids Renew was a gimmick that only solves the problem for a month or so but dries it out even more. If it were on belts, I have had success with an extremely small amount of oil then wipe as much off as you can. I know it sounds counter intuitive. You wouldn't want to use oil on something in a tape path though.
@@12voltvids don't know the size of these particular rollers, but recently I bought a couple of real small ones from a guy in Czech republic who has a good rep amongst cassette aficionados, perhaps he also has rollers in the size you need: see fixyouraudio.com. He specializes in walkman parts. As to real dirty capstans, sometimes you'll need acetone instead of IPA to get them clean, just make sure the acetone doesn't get in contact with the rollers.
@@pietermol8508 him, yes. good guy. dedicated. good engineer. doesn't care how much or how little something cost, he just wants to repair. I like that.
POS unit, pinch roller, I wasted time on 1 of those years ago. Thanks for the video. Retired now started in 1973 at 19. Not as good as you in your arena. I started on tube units in the 60's in high school. Many years on many things. Try repairing motorized wheel chairs and Tri-carts and Oxygen units. lol. Just kidding, we all have our specialties. BTW, what capacitor causes a Dukane Micromatic filmstrip projector to lose sync?
That player has definitely seen a lot of use and definitely has worn pinch rollers. As for other commenters' talking about coatings placed on capstans during manufacture, have NEVER seen that in more than 40 years of working on electronics (OTOH I have seen capstans with a textured surface on the tape contact area). That was clearly caked-on oxide that you removed. I've had instances where it was so hard that it had to be delicately removed with a razor blade or an X-acto. As for the pinch rollers, the rubber has glazed over and hardened (at least on the surface). About the only thing that could be done about that would be to take them out and give them a good going over with a solvent like MEK or rubber revitalizer to remove the hardened layer. Unfortunately sometimes this reduces the diameter of the roller so much that the roller frame ends up hitting the travel stop in the mechanism and not making firm contact with the capstan. Too bad; neat little player.
I don't know if this cassette player is worth a pair of new pinch rollers, as the capstans look not fine and the mechanism is clicking and ticking like an old broken toy. Even if metal parts are well present, these mechanisms were not designed to last, and are now probably the most difficult spare part to get. I've got a high end Aiwa HSPC202 from 1990 that share some design lines, like a lateral clip for a battery receptacle (for 2AAA cells). The miniature 2V lead acid batteries were similar in shape to a chewing gum pack of tablets and looked like Panasonic ones if not identical. I doubt any supplier still has these or equivalent, as this is typically an obsolete format. Last but not least, you had to buy a specific external charger! The entire and optional kit charger + battery used to cost one eye, when available, for very limited results. A 300 mAh cell capacity was just sufficient for a 60 minutes tape with a low output volume on a good headphone.
That mechanism has been dropped, possibly a number of times. They don't become that clicky with use unless they have a broken gear or are out of alignment with a lot of play.
The pinch rollers are released when not in plat. There is not a huge clearance but they do move. I don't have the unit to show this as I sent it back but they do move.
If You Can Think It You Can Do It yeah! Ouch! I have a similar unit, but it is not Panasonic! It’s a silver Sony WM - FX5 to1 silver color. And, I have the remote too!
This channel has become the majority of my media consumption. I'm so do with Hollywood and can't get interested in "entertainment" any more. Really love this channel 12voltvids and have learned so much from your experience. You taught me how to think like a repairman, fixing things at component level tracing voltages and using schematics. Not to mention all the cool old tricks you share like microwaving belts in water, etc. Thank you buddy, you're on the Christmas list.
Thanks
I agree... Never seen capstans designed that way EVER! How stupid... And from Panasonic no less. You would've thought they were above engineering something like that.
Hadn't their tape deck (and other company) engineers (some of their best) move over to the CD department around the time these were made.
It is stupid, but I had a few models from Panasonic and they did not have that design on capstans.
This is a stark contrast to some of the direct drive component decks they made where the only things to worry about are the pinch roller and the belt on the door open/close mechanism...or changing from the infamous rubber pendulum idlers for VCR reel drives to a gear.
They knew better than to trust rubber parts, but here they did it anyway. ;-P
silicone would have survived 50 years
I think most went to felt friction idlers just before the medium died out.
I always like those battery packs that you can put standard batteries in. Makes it easier than having to rebuild a proprietary battery.
Proprietary batteries were always a pain in the butt. My portable DAT deck uses them. Impossible to even find replacement cells now..
@@12voltvids The best you can hope to do is wire them up to some sort of power source.
@@infinitecanadian
My Teac requires a +7 -7v dual supply.
@@12voltvids more than Sony D6.
Only thing you can do with old pinch rollers to get some improvement is cross hatching with a scalpel. Works even better if you run scalpel at angle and quosi lift the rubber, effectively creating little raised slices of rubber, not too deep. I don't know of any source for replacement mini rollers, most rollers can be replaced with modern German made replacements.
Sounds like a gear is loose because there is a rattling grinding sound
They all sound like this
What a crammed, compact unit, must be a nightmare to repair.
I was hoping to see pinch roller removal as mine need replacement on one of my Sony's
I did it on mine WM-EX614 and it's a PAIN. You will need to strip the unit completely to take the mechanism out. Before taking out the worn pinch rollers, take a note as to the placement of all the associated springs locations, otherwise you might damage the mechanism.Good luck!
Also have that problem with my Sony wm fx 103
I´ve got an RQ-SX15 and it has the same mechanism and all, well at least mechanical.
It also has higher wow&flutter in the fwd direction, while it´s better in reverse.
I think this is because the fwd capstan is driven by another belt, while the other capstan is driven directly from the first belt from the servo motor.
Well that´s more like a poor design.
Those blach rings on the capstan however, they´re supposed to be there.
Got an RQ-SX71 for parts and it has the very same rings.
Probably it will give better grip to the tape.
In all i still prefer the Sony WM EX674 in any way.
It´s much less noisy, has better bass and treble response, higher output level and a much simpler, yet more reliable and stable mechanism which destroys the panasonic in any way.
It has just a single, super thin belt, but it has like 0,25% WRMS of flutter at most which is barely noticeable if at all.
And it´s also in the same small and thin package, so yeah sony really nailed it back then.
Also very easy to service.
Unlucky. I have a similar device same capstans. Thought what you thought, nearly did what you did. I wonder if a de wired piece of silicone hook up wire would slip over the capstan and provide the grip needed. Or if that is too thick perhaps some heat shrink. Or some fine silicone carbide grit glued onto heat shrink with a thinned down F2. And shrunk on before it dries.
Hi, can the tape detection and motion detection sensors in late 80's cassette decks be disabled so that the tape play assembly engages after pressing 'play', even with no tape in the machine? l would really like to do this so l can more easily clean the heads, etc. Also, l feel this would alleviate the common problem of tapes playing for a few seconds then stopping because of a faulty sensor thinking there's no tape in the deck, when there is one. My deck is a Yamaha KX-800. Thanks.
yes. it's likely up at the top of the cassette compartment near the similar switches for erase prevention & type-2 tape detection.... I have another yamaha in that range, same deal. take the door trim off & feel for it with finger-end & flashlight. door will still have to be shut.
ok, the one I have IS a KX800, same as yours. I took the door trim off, & felt around inside. the required switch is directly to the right of the record-tab detector at the top left of the cassette compartment. however, this model uses a hall-effect autostop driven by the supply side, so what it does with no tape loaded is engage the pinch roller (which is what you want, to clean it properly) for a few seconds & then put it away again. if this isn't long enough to get the cleaning done, you will have to somehow manage to hold the switch up *&* turn the supply side hub anticlockwise just enough to fool the autostop. of course there's no mention of this in the OM.
your other issue, the tape stopping after a few seconds, may be a fault with the autostop.
I installed new pinch rollers on my Sony TC-WR635S Deck. Whenever I play tapes on Deck A Side A it sounds warped, but side b sounds normal. What can I do to fix that issue?
12 thank you for the video, I am wondering to do this type a test ,what is the good frequency use?
For wf 3khz is the one to use.
Wow never seen that kind of intros. Loved it.
Wow, never seen lots and lots of wow and flutters in the comment sections before hey 12 Volt Vids. Can you please please fix that?
hi, really enjoy your videos. however i am too afraid to even attempt to fix my electronics. I have an panasonic RQ-sx52 which needs the woo and flutter looked at and possibly new belts. do you do repairs? I can send to you and pay for repair and return post :-) you could use the repair for a video?
Very high meow and flutter. 😸
do you do repairs Walkman cassette players i just got a Sharp JC-K15G new in the box it ff & rev but no play its from 1988 i ordered a service manual and assorted belt pack if i can't fix it can you i have no one near me thanks ps i have 10+ cassette walkmans and my sony wm-2 that needs a head also
Where we can buy this??? I love this.. really old stuff
That's a shame to throw that unit away. Total shame.
When parts are worn and not available. I sent it back.
Wet & dry paper is the only way I can think to clean all that , not easy .
I am now at the Library , not at home due to the incompatance of the Post Office suppler so any replies will take a few days to settle .
Nice design and logic control
All that from 1.5 volts too. Must be some kind of joule thief or boost converter.
Those capstans are worn and maybe flywheels are bad by that rattling noise, not much you can do on this one
The rattling sound is the internal gears, which don't help the wow and flutter. The camera microphone is too dam sensitive. It could pick up a mouse farting at 200 feet.
Would rubber renew help with these?
Will make it even sticker than it was. Needs replacement, problem is any out there will be just as old and likely also bad.
@@12voltvids Renew was a gimmick that only solves the problem for a month or so but dries it out even more. If it were on belts, I have had success with an extremely small amount of oil then wipe as much off as you can. I know it sounds counter intuitive. You wouldn't want to use oil on something in a tape path though.
@@MikinessAnalog
Rubber renew works on idler (rim) drive turntables and little else.
@@12voltvids don't know the size of these particular rollers, but recently I bought a couple of real small ones from a guy in Czech republic who has a good rep amongst cassette aficionados, perhaps he also has rollers in the size you need: see fixyouraudio.com. He specializes in walkman parts. As to real dirty capstans, sometimes you'll need acetone instead of IPA to get them clean, just make sure the acetone doesn't get in contact with the rollers.
@@pietermol8508 him, yes. good guy. dedicated. good engineer. doesn't care how much or how little something cost, he just wants to repair. I like that.
POS unit, pinch roller, I wasted time on 1 of those years ago. Thanks for the video. Retired now started in 1973 at 19. Not as good as you in your arena. I started on tube units in the 60's in high school. Many years on many things. Try repairing motorized wheel chairs and Tri-carts and Oxygen units. lol. Just kidding, we all have our specialties. BTW, what capacitor causes a Dukane Micromatic filmstrip projector to lose sync?
Yes pos you got it.
omg i used to have this As a kid lol
That player has definitely seen a lot of use and definitely has worn pinch rollers. As for other commenters' talking about coatings placed on capstans during manufacture, have NEVER seen that in more than 40 years of working on electronics (OTOH I have seen capstans with a textured surface on the tape contact area). That was clearly caked-on oxide that you removed. I've had instances where it was so hard that it had to be delicately removed with a razor blade or an X-acto. As for the pinch rollers, the rubber has glazed over and hardened (at least on the surface). About the only thing that could be done about that would be to take them out and give them a good going over with a solvent like MEK or rubber revitalizer to remove the hardened layer. Unfortunately sometimes this reduces the diameter of the roller so much that the roller frame ends up hitting the travel stop in the mechanism and not making firm contact with the capstan. Too bad; neat little player.
Well now you saw one.
+12voltvids - Definitely an aftermarket mod. :)
I don't know if this cassette player is worth a pair of new pinch rollers, as the capstans look not fine and the mechanism is clicking and ticking like an old broken toy. Even if metal parts are well present, these mechanisms were not designed to last, and are now probably the most difficult spare part to get.
I've got a high end Aiwa HSPC202 from 1990 that share some design lines, like a lateral clip for a battery receptacle (for 2AAA cells). The miniature 2V lead acid batteries were similar in shape to a chewing gum pack of tablets and looked like Panasonic ones if not identical. I doubt any supplier still has these or equivalent, as this is typically an obsolete format. Last but not least, you had to buy a specific external charger! The entire and optional kit charger + battery used to cost one eye, when available, for very limited results. A 300 mAh cell capacity was just sufficient for a 60 minutes tape with a low output volume on a good headphone.
Not worth fixing
That mechanism has been dropped, possibly a number of times. They don't become that clicky with use unless they have a broken gear or are out of alignment with a lot of play.
I call them wakmen
Good video
1 battery tape players suck. This one always has the pinch roller touch the capstan when the door is closed.
The pinch rollers are released when not in plat. There is not a huge clearance but they do move. I don't have the unit to show this as I sent it back but they do move.
Ihave a RQ SX 88V
rubber restore
Looks like they tried to copy sony but failed
If You Can Think It You Can Do It yeah! Ouch! I have a similar unit, but it is not Panasonic! It’s a silver Sony WM - FX5 to1 silver color. And, I have the remote too!
I think some of the latest high end Panasonic models were better than Sony. At least on design and specifications.