What can I say other than wow and thank you ! This is my Walkman. Purchased with my pocket money when I was 15 from that famous catalogue store and cared for like nothing else until 3 years ago I put in a Panasonic zinc battery and forgot about it . I left it under my hifi cabinet and stumbled across it this year to find a leaky battery . The rest, well you can see for yourself ! Mark - your skills and patience are like no other - massive respect and a huge thank you 👍🏻 Paul
yep i agree with you he has done 2 of my hi-fi items one being the pioneer sx550 and he blew me out the water with how he went above and beyond with the repair i am waitng for the repair video on the other one i gave him and i recently gave him something else to sort out and he is a great guy as i have had the pleasure to meet him in person and he always has time for a chat when i drop of stuff to him
@@coastwalker101 true.. many big brands had super complex mini tape players (even before the 'digital players' of the 90s like the one presented), some were even 'proper recorders' w/ bias, mic levels, etc.
I was born early enough to see cassette tapes, but late enough to not experience them. I've always thought the walkman was trivial. Well, not anymore, after discovering this channel.
Having seen many tape deck repairs on this channel and how bulky and complex their tape mechanisms are; it gives me an awestruck appreciation for what an engineering masterpiece the Sony Walkman really is. And it runs off 1.5v with decent battery life, too.
Whole-heartedly agree! This one even has an easy-to-use service mode, and it's already outlived a lot of tape decks. Probably not a coincidence that they're still desirable objects today :)
If there would be a real Starship Enterprise and the board engineer would not have been found yet, you were the perfect "Scotty" and nobody else! My greatest respect for both the technical and the human abilities!
There are not many people in the world who would be brave enough to attempt this repair! The merger of plastic and metal mechanical components with the electronics is insane in this piece of equipment! But you did it…. BRAVO!
There are many reasons to praise these videos. First of all, you seem like such a pleasant and humorous guy, second, it's so educational to follow every step and even when mistakes are being made, we learn from them as well. Cheers!
@capelhanbury-tension1288 No doubt about that! I wonder what Mark charges his customers for these repairs on this 'ancient' equipment though? He's probly spent 6 hours on this Walkman, so at normal rates that's gotta be easily $300 - $400, or £150 - £200? Are these 'love' jobs where he basically repairs stuff just cos he likes repairing stuff, or are these repairs just for friend's stuff? Or does he charge normal rates & his customers are prepared to pay way more than the unit is worth, just because of the sentimental value or 'uniqueness' of their device? I mean, it's always great to repair something to keep it out of landfill & extend the lifetime of it, but there are economic considerations I'd have thought!
OMG! When I was doing this kind of work, years ago, we had a deadly acronym BER = Beyond Economic Repair. A repair like this makes no business sense at all, but completely fascinating to watch! Had my heart in my mouth when you started to lever up that actuator arm, easy when watching, but thought this way be dragons... Wonderful fun, to watch anyway... more than 30 mins just flew by. Thanks so much for sharing! Been binge watching all the fixes - so impressed with your skills and patience! Kudos!
Too true. But there is money in it, where the owner is aware of the cost, and is happy to pay-up. There's companies out there, selling fully serviced, 30+ year old Nak's for £7,500
He said he spent hours scraping away and just trying to straighting out a piece of metal, plus disamanltling testing and resembling time, got to be looking at 6 hours an easy £300 repair for a £5 Walkman. It's got to have sentimental reason otherwise it'd never be worth it
To clean up the potassium hydroxide and rust I use vinegar. Spray it on let it soak and clean it off with water and contact cleaner. Last I like to use Strike Hold because it displaces the water, is a dry lubricant as well as a dielectric. This has worked well for me in these scenarios.
i dont think i ever got so hooked into a repair channel... i only learned about it yesterday and have not touched my Xbox controller as long as am used to. Mesmerizing from start to finish.
One should think they finally developed a non-leaking battery. Leaking batteries are an endless hassle, especially in clocks, remote controls etc. When the thing stops working, it's usually too late. You, sir, are an excellent technician and repair man. Hats off!
I had this model of Walkman back in the mid nineties. I seem to remember it had similar problems. While pretty handy repairing stuff I took one look inside and failing to dismantle it I gave up. Seeing this video having to desolder stuff to dismantle is probably where I got up to, without the internet or a service manual I had little chance. It was a great unit, auto reverse, track skipping etc.
I just stumbled upon your channel today and have been binge watching your videos. Your skills are extraordinary but what really makes you stand out is your upbeat and cheerful personality. You have such a great attitude even when confronted with really difficult repairs.
There's a lesson for everyone. Remove the batteries when not in use! That Walkman is truly is a marvel of minature mechanical moments. I held my breath when you used the screwdriver as a lever. Well done Mark for getting it all working again. I have learned not to get my sausage finges too close to my old machine. 👍
Mark is a master of the manual solder sucker, those skills are incredible! What an amazing video Mark, thank you so much for the time and attention you put into each of your projects. By far my favorite repair guy on UA-cam, I tell all my buddies about this channel
I have to give kudos to Mark for his incredibly thorough repairs, he is not reticent to perform very deep, detailed repairs. He's always smiling and smirking, smiling and smirking at the camera ☺️
I hope you're going to show this video to the owner, Mark. That's not just a small amount of battery leakage. It's very large, and it looks very yucky. You are incredibly skilled Mark to do all this and not just electronics you are a mechanical repairer as well. Love watching a professional at work and you are certainly in that category. Thank you for sharing a part of your vast skills and knowledge with us Mark, it is very much appreciated, and just so incredible to watch you work Keep up the good work, Mark. Great videos.
Have to repeat what others probably have stated - Mark's patience and ability to stick with a problem and see it through astounds me. This video really highlights his true ability to solve problems. Great presentation as always. The word genius in many ways applies. I have fixed things in the past but would never gone into the intricate details to try a repair like this.
In another episode ... Mark mentioned using his cell phone camera to keep track of where everything went ... I've done that with the incredibly complex gearing in Laser Printer and copiers, I used to be able to do that from memory, but memory gets fuzzy with age and so do fine motor skills as you get arthritic !!
I stripped down my old Walkman and my Aiwa for belt changes just a couple of days ago, which is how I came across your video. The Aiwa is significantly more difficult to access but I've managed to get the main board up enough to manoeuvre the belt in. If not it's a case of un-soldering connectors on the main board, something I am not confident doing. I love these old machines because I must have over 100 tapes in my collection, much of which was recorded via my Technics amp/tape/tuner deck back in the day. Luckily my car still has a 3.5mm aux input so on longer journeys I can get to hear this collection once more, warts and all. Thanks for sharing this with us but for me it would have been a bin job.
Was looking for a repair video for my Walkman and found your Chanel. Spent the next 30 min absolutely mesmerised. I found myself saying that it can’t go any further, but you did your tenacity is admirable thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately my problem is only a new belt required which is routine maintenance compared to what you did.
Вы уникальный мастер! Спасибо вам что делитесь опытом и согреваете наши радиоэлектронные души. Вы все ремонтируете. Я когда был молодым в СССР, также пытался все ремонтировать, но тогда возможности были очень маленькие , не было интернета , поэтому информации очень мало, практически не было запасных частей. Сейчас все есть, но очень мало умных думающих мастеров. Наступила эра одноразовых девайсов. И если нужен ремонт, он заключается в замене блока , на уровне детали современная молодежь не умеет
Hi, technically, it is absolutely amazing! Small and very good made. Good to repair this. The thing is, today no one would pay (for the time spent) to make it work again. This how people think, they want new stuff and new stuff work not as good as 80's or 90's devices. Thank you Mark, every morning while having my breakfast, I enjoy your videos.
These videos are so therapeutic! Watching something that would otherwise be thrown in the rubbish being revived, and with such attention to detail and a happy demeanour! 😃
Excelente reparaciExcellent repair - I have its brother WM-FX513 and it is a very good Japanese machine. I changed the strap and cleaned the entire mechanism and the heads and capstans with isopropyl alcohol. Then I adjusted the speed and that's it. It came back to life in 1995. Thank you for the Video and for the love you put into your work. I like it and I always follow you. Because nothing gives you up for repairs. Thank you very much, greetings and hugs, from Argentina!
Hi, I wonder how long is the belt for WM-FX513? I have the WM-FX571 one and I’m looking to buy the belt from stores in my country bcs the shipping fee from US/UK to my country is really expensive
Absolutely terrific job of diagnosing the problem with the deck. You have an incredible amount of patience. It's interesting to see what kind of damage can be caused by a leaky battery.
I've learned something with every video I've watched of yours. Today's lesson - put little jumper leads on things if you need to test after you've desoldered the board. Why have I never thought of that! Love your channel, keep up the great work 👍
Mark as your customer/Owner of this Walkman says,your skills and patience are like no other. Obviously this Walkman has a sentimental place for him. I have a Texas Instruments calculator which has a special significance for me. And it still works perfectly apart from the display is degrading slightly. You are next level electronics guy. Love the Channel,so glad I found it. Your Channel should gain subscribers very soon. I love electronics,but don’t have your skill level. Keep up the good work. 👍
You are a better man than me tackling this, it's a nightmare inside - however - boy this was fascinating to watch, week done!!! Miniaturization at it's best.
Señor... Mi enhorabuena por sus vídeos y mi agradecimiento por su generosidad al mostrarlo como lo hace. También le felicito por su buen humor y desenfado en su forma de trabajar. ¡Desde que descubrí su canal me he quedado enganchado! Muchas gracias de nuevo y un saludo desde Madrid.
Crikey...what a repair! I don't think anyone else in their right mind would ever bother trying to resurrect something like that as it just isn't worth it. However, repairs like this are prime UA-cam video fodder and very entertaining and watchable they are too 👍 Nice to see your subscriptions heading skywards, you definitely deserve it.
Not worth it?? These cost hundreds today - if you can find one! Is the alternative is to throw it away? There is no 'away', just the environment we pollute.
@@DeePaignall Really 😊... Well, I can't even remember the last time I listened to anything on a cassette or even wanted to. If I did have a need, the last device I'd think of for that purpose would be something like that Walkman. Btw, I have an old Sony CRT television in my garage that's in perfect condition and if you can carry it you are welcome to come and take it away. 625 line low resolution goodness just waiting for a new home 👍
@@chillidogkev "Sooner or later, everything old is new again". Cassettes are making a comeback - crazy but true - and if you'd heard that walkman play it might impress you more than a 128bit mp3. 'Retro gaming' is a thing too, so someone somewhere would prefer your crt over an OLED to play their video games on, well done for keeping it! Saving devices like these is fun and saves a bit of history too - personally I recommend it.
@@chillidogkev I wouldn't buy music or record it on cassettes, but I have a load which have been in my brother's loft for years. Getting something to play them on, in reasonable condition, would allow me to play them into my computer and digitise them. Sadly, new cassette mechanisms are rubbish. The solution would be to buy refurbished. Mend-it-Mark's videos are not just fascinating, they show what can be done.
This looks like an early 90s model and worthless in real terms. Top of the range very early 80s models or professional models that cost a fortune back in the day might be worth a couple hundred quid
One could almost say it's a masterpiece of miniaturisation, with all those nylon (I presume) gears. What is doesn't allow for, unfortunately, is a decent flywwheel to provide speed stability. Battery corrosion is certainly the bane of portable electronic devices. Another marvellous video, and thanks once again for showing us how it's done.
@johnmarchington3146 Actually John, each drive capstan in this Walkman has a probly 1 inch diameter disc as part of it, & these become the flywheel; one for each direction of travel.
Great repair! A walkman is a very delicate and diminute item. I specially love the fact that the a problem is turn in a smile, like a joke. Good point of view, a great life lesson.
Corrosion had wreaked its havoc. Lifting and distorting that beam was a terrible error. I couldn't even entertain fixing that. You make me feel rather stupid. Brilliant. 😎
Thank you for sharing your excellent repair series. I use vinegar to neutralize the battery basic electrolytes from the plastics and metals. Then scratch the oxidation at the end.
These Walkmans were the pinnacle of mechanical and electronic consumer engineering of the time. They are amazing. Now we have a chip, a battery, touch sensors and a couple of sockets to do the same job - all of which has probably disappeared in the cloud by the time you read this. I have a pile of them I used to take on skiing holidays in the 80's and 90's to record local radio and to rock to on the piste. I imagine the belts have all gone by now but I might take a look sometime before I croak.
And I've only got so far as to just replacing the belts in these Walkmans back in my "teenage" years. Everything else was pretty much all Chinese to me, but yet always fascinated on how they worked...the wiring, soldering, cogs, mechanisms, etc. If I had taken that Walkman apart the way you did, I couldn't remember where all those parts went.....knowing me. Plus, I don't have the patience anymore, lol. But anyway, great job Sir! Kudos! Very smart and always with a confident smile, I like that! I have the Walkman model number WM-F18 from 1985 and I have no clue on why it quit working completely, battery AND electric power. But I only keep as a momentum and place on a shelf of my 80's toys and radios I had through the years., nice collection. Thank you for sharing and posting this Mend It Mark...that was fun to watch! I miss my Walkman days! We could all use your smile in these times! 😁👍
I have to admire you attempting to even repair anything small from Japan! The last time I attempted a similar repair it was an absolute nightmare. The device was a Kenwood pocket sized cassette player (hardly bigger than the cassette itself!) no sooner had I managed to open it, than springs started flying everywhere and microscopic screws were lost just by breathing near them. Servicing that level of technology is not something the average technican can do. The parts are so tiny and all the PCB's are surface-mounted components. Too much heat does a lot of damage. You need very specialised equipment and the technical skill. When you see factories in Japan it's astonishing (I worked for a big Japanese electronics corp) it's like a hospital bio-hazard environment with guys wearing white suits with hoods and white gloves. Dealing with small Japanese electronic devices is often similar to watchmaker repairs. If you've ever seen what goes into servicing, assembling watch movements you'll see the incredible amount of skill it requires due to sheer complexity and precision of the tiny parts.
Nice job Mark, it's amazing how the corroded battery just eats through the plastic and embeds itself. I like the way you calibrated it. It looked like you used a tape with a set frequency, then just tuned it to match that recorded frequency.
Great job Mark. I have a beautiful sony walkman from 1988-89. It was dropped unfortunately years, and years ago, and some of the button were pushed in and one broke off. Would love to get it fixed. It's a sony WM-R202, in silver. A real beauty when it was bought. Thanks for sharing your video. Cheers.
Mark, people like you, are most certainly worth their weight in gold. Your abilities are extremely admirable in my eyes/mind. I wonder how much stuff I've binned over the years, when someone like yourself could repair it for a princely sum of sterling.
Great work Mark. I’ve recently done one with the same mechanism and it had some nasty battery damage in exactly the same place. I’ve only recently discovered your channel and your videos are very good. I gave you a shout out on my livestream last Sunday so hopefully more people will discover you. Cheers Graham
Nice repair, i was a bit nervous when you started bending that arm though 😀. Very educational for when/if i'll need to dig in mine some day. I do have a couple of these myself, well mine are the EX510 (without remote), one mint condition in box and one kinda rough used. I've replaced the belts in both, extremely easy, like a 10 minutes job at the most. What's sort of tough is to find the proper 0.6mm belt for them. The model 510 was also my very first "real" Sony Walkman back in 1994, but that's long gone. Great work man, i always enjoy your work.
Hi Mark, I've just found your channel and I love the videos. Much respect on how you repair all these machines by logic. Such a fiddly repair this one.
I recently came across, and have now subscribed to Mark's channel, and find it fascinating to watch. Coincidentally, I used to sell consumer electronics for one of Sony's competitors during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but I have little detailed knowledge of the inner workings of this type of product. My goodness, the Japanese were tops in micro electronics during that period weren't they?
I know you know and wow there's little to comment directly on your videos because they are so awesome but I like to say battery corrosive instead of acid since technically it's a base (as you know). Just a suggestion for change of habit if you feel like it. Keep up the great work - surely my favourite repair channel in the world.
Really enjoy your videos. Leaky batteries have a lot to answer for. I could certainly disassemble, but I’d never be able to put something like that back together!
I have been watching your videos for a few weeks now and enjoy them very much. I have subscribed and added notifications. I love your chipper disposition and the little comments and such you make. You remind me of Phil Collins a bit I hope thats not offensive because I love Phil so its coming from a good place. Keep on going at it and cheers from Michigan.
Another fab video - I bet the owner was delighted. My heart was sinking for you half way through but you're a genius. I am definitely coming to you if one of my beloved gadgets breaks!
I think we have an old walkman cassette player in a drawer - might have the confidence to try and get it going again after seeing this - what a mechanism!
Just found both my walkman s and both not working after putting new batteries in so it could be same problems but I could never do what he has done well done and a first class video
Jolly good i've binge watch all your other ones and i'd run out of things to watch lol Vinegar works really well for battery corrosion, either brown or white will do.
I had a Sony WM D6C Pro Walkman. Very high end recorder. Incredible device for it's time. It worked great and it was expensive. I used it to record many local rock band shows and to record interviews of famous artists who came to town. I used it a lot. But after many years I had switched entirely to digital recording devices which were cheaper and better. In 2010 I pulled the Pro Walkman out of a box and found I had left the batteries in. Something I try to never do. They had corroded and part of the PCB was etched away. I started doing the surgery and it got more and more involved. Then I stopped and thought "What for?" The digital devices are far superior. I wasn't ever going to record a cassette again. I lit a candle and stood it on the soldering iron station on my lab bench. I said my so longs, gave it a last salute, and pushed the remains of the pro Walkman off the edge of my bench into the trashcan. I'll always remember it and I will always know where it's final resting place is. The county dump. I shed a little tear every time I drive by. And I thank goodness I don't have to mess with cassettes ever again.
@kthwkr I had a Sony Walkman 'Professional' years ago too. I don't know its model number but it was black & had a leatherette case, Dolby C & a led bargraph level meter & could play & record onto 'metal' tapes as well. It cost me a fortnight's or a month's apprentice wages back then! Then one day the playback speed went stupid, & was varying up & down twice per second. It wasn't that old, so I contacted Sony & I actually got to speak to a Sony service tech! He was very helpful, & on his advice I bought a service manual & the two little surface- mount I.C's he thought were most likely causing the fault. Luckily I was able to remove & replace both I.C's successfully & the speed modulation problem was fixed! Such a beautiful, 3 colour original factory printed circuit diagram & service manual I had never seen the likes of before or since! Sadly, my Walkman was stolen from a friends house but I still have the MDR-70 headphones that came with it. The earpads that sort of stretched over the earpieces are pretty deteriorated now but I'd like to replace them if I can. Even today, in a quiet room, these headphones sound like they've got subwoofers in them they're so good! I fell in love with Sony gear after that!
You're a fool. They're worth hundreds, even in a state of disrepair. Beat yourself up about that, I would. Probably the most sought after and most frequently repaired of all decent walkmans.
Nice to see you leaving the mistakes in the video. We all make them. An awful lot of these errors add a lot of time onto the repair. Surely this item was not worth repairing in a lot of respects (unless it is worth a lot of money on ebay).
Technically those last generation Walkmans were almost perfect portable devices. They were lightweight, slim, stamina, sensor-controlled etc. And expensive, of course))) I had one once, but not as good as this one is... Well done!
What can I say other than wow and thank you ! This is my Walkman. Purchased with my pocket money when I was 15 from that famous catalogue store and cared for like nothing else until 3 years ago I put in a Panasonic zinc battery and forgot about it . I left it under my hifi cabinet and stumbled across it this year to find a leaky battery . The rest, well you can see for yourself ! Mark - your skills and patience are like no other - massive respect and a huge thank you 👍🏻 Paul
yep i agree with you he has done 2 of my hi-fi items one being the pioneer sx550 and he blew me out the water with how he went above and beyond with the repair i am waitng for the repair video on the other one i gave him and i recently gave him something else to sort out and he is a great guy as i have had the pleasure to meet him in person and he always has time for a chat when i drop of stuff to him
Remember to take the batteries out.
@@madtopp you are a lucky guy, congratulation to your functional Walkmann
What was the cost to get this fixed? Just out of curiosity.
Never leave alcaline or zinc (you've got to be kidding me) batteries in any device when not in use. It's what kills them all.
You have to admit that the Walkman is an ingenious piece of engineering.
No one does it like Sony. Always streets ahead
if you think thats insane go look up the service manual for the wm-7, they were doing many lines designing that one (and its glorious)
@@randomtux1234 I have a JVC one with two motors and a microcontroller from 86 the JVC CX-R7K R7 AM FM, Sony were not the only players in the field.
@@coastwalker101 true.. many big brands had super complex mini tape players (even before the 'digital players' of the 90s like the one presented), some were even 'proper recorders' w/ bias, mic levels, etc.
I was born early enough to see cassette tapes, but late enough to not experience them. I've always thought the walkman was trivial.
Well, not anymore, after discovering this channel.
You never seem to get discouraged. The world needs more upbeat people like you 👍
Having seen many tape deck repairs on this channel and how bulky and complex their tape mechanisms are; it gives me an awestruck appreciation for what an engineering masterpiece the Sony Walkman really is. And it runs off 1.5v with decent battery life, too.
Whole-heartedly agree! This one even has an easy-to-use service mode, and it's already outlived a lot of tape decks. Probably not a coincidence that they're still desirable objects today :)
If there would be a real Starship Enterprise and the board engineer would not have been found yet, you were the perfect "Scotty" and nobody else! My greatest respect for both the technical and the human abilities!
There are not many people in the world who would be brave enough to attempt this repair! The merger of plastic and metal mechanical components with the electronics is insane in this piece of equipment! But you did it…. BRAVO!
What an astounding feat of engineering. All that and it runs on just 1.5 volts! Amazing.
私の記憶では、カセットウォークマンの最大再生可能時間で、ガム型ニッケル水素バッテリー(1.2V）と単3アルカリ電池(1.5V)を使う事で、最大75時間再生可能な機種もありました。1
アルカリ電池のほうが電圧が高いので、単３電池１本だけでもおそらく40時間は作動するでしょう。
モーターを使っていて、かなり負荷が大きいはずなのに、すごい事だとおもいます。
それに比べ、今のウォークマンは3.7V以上のリチウムイオンバッテリーが使われているのに、最大30時間程度しか再生できないのは残念です。
There are many reasons to praise these videos. First of all, you seem like such a pleasant and humorous guy, second, it's so educational to follow every step and even when mistakes are being made, we learn from them as well. Cheers!
Battery companies used to be liable for leakage. Time to clip the wings of corporations. Excessive margins, consumers suffer.
Courageous with nerves of steel tool.
happiest tech in the world
@@stripemaster9l
Amazing attention to detail. There are very few people who would bother with repairs like this today. Well done Mark.
@capelhanbury-tension1288 No doubt about that! I wonder what Mark charges his customers for these repairs on this 'ancient' equipment though? He's probly spent 6 hours on this Walkman, so at normal rates that's gotta be easily $300 - $400, or £150 - £200?
Are these 'love' jobs where he basically repairs stuff just cos he likes repairing stuff, or are these repairs just for friend's stuff? Or does he charge normal rates & his customers are prepared to pay way more than the unit is worth, just because of the sentimental value or 'uniqueness' of their device?
I mean, it's always great to repair something to keep it out of landfill & extend the lifetime of it, but there are economic considerations I'd have thought!
I love watching these videos. With all the craziness going on in the world right now Mark, that workshop of yours is like a little oasis of sanity!
OMG! When I was doing this kind of work, years ago, we had a deadly acronym BER = Beyond Economic Repair. A repair like this makes no business sense at all, but completely fascinating to watch! Had my heart in my mouth when you started to lever up that actuator arm, easy when watching, but thought this way be dragons... Wonderful fun, to watch anyway... more than 30 mins just flew by. Thanks so much for sharing! Been binge watching all the fixes - so impressed with your skills and patience! Kudos!
Too true. But there is money in it, where the owner is aware of the cost, and is happy to pay-up. There's companies out there, selling fully serviced, 30+ year old Nak's for £7,500
He said he spent hours scraping away and just trying to straighting out a piece of metal, plus disamanltling testing and resembling time, got to be looking at 6 hours an easy £300 repair for a £5 Walkman.
It's got to have sentimental reason otherwise it'd never be worth it
To clean up the potassium hydroxide and rust I use vinegar. Spray it on let it soak and clean it off with water and contact cleaner. Last I like to use Strike Hold because it displaces the water, is a dry lubricant as well as a dielectric. This has worked well for me in these scenarios.
That's good info, dude.
i dont think i ever got so hooked into a repair channel... i only learned about it yesterday and have not touched my Xbox controller as long as am used to. Mesmerizing from start to finish.
One should think they finally developed a non-leaking battery. Leaking batteries are an endless hassle, especially in clocks, remote controls etc. When the thing stops working, it's usually too late.
You, sir, are an excellent technician and repair man. Hats off!
I had this model of Walkman back in the mid nineties. I seem to remember it had similar problems. While pretty handy repairing stuff I took one look inside and failing to dismantle it I gave up. Seeing this video having to desolder stuff to dismantle is probably where I got up to, without the internet or a service manual I had little chance. It was a great unit, auto reverse, track skipping etc.
I just stumbled upon your channel today and have been binge watching your videos. Your skills are extraordinary but what really makes you stand out is your upbeat and cheerful personality. You have such a great attitude even when confronted with really difficult repairs.
Yes, I love that too!
If this guy cant fix it, it cant be fixed. What talent and patience. Really enjoyable.
I'm very impressed by your speed of diagnosing and disassembly/reassembly. Amazing work!
Looking at the miniature electro mechanical wonder that is the Walkman. I wouldn’t dare attempt that repair! Amazing job.
There's a lesson for everyone. Remove the batteries when not in use! That Walkman is truly is a marvel of minature mechanical moments. I held my breath when you used the screwdriver as a lever. Well done Mark for getting it all working again. I have learned not to get my sausage finges too close to my old machine. 👍
Mark is a master of the manual solder sucker, those skills are incredible! What an amazing video Mark, thank you so much for the time and attention you put into each of your projects. By far my favorite repair guy on UA-cam, I tell all my buddies about this channel
Hi Mark
What a great challenge. I am very impressed about your skills. Love your videos, patience and humour. It is fun to watch! Great job.
Most special in these walkman is the fact that they work on 1 AA battery!
As always, well done!
I have to give kudos to Mark for his incredibly thorough repairs, he is not reticent to perform very deep, detailed repairs.
He's always smiling and smirking, smiling and smirking at the camera ☺️
I hope you're going to show this video to the owner, Mark. That's not just a small amount of battery leakage. It's very large, and it looks very yucky. You are incredibly skilled Mark to do all this and not just electronics you are a mechanical repairer as well. Love watching a professional at work and you are certainly in that category. Thank you for sharing a part of your vast skills and knowledge with us Mark, it is very much appreciated, and just so incredible to watch you work Keep up the good work, Mark. Great videos.
Have to repeat what others probably have stated - Mark's patience and ability to stick with a problem and see it through astounds me. This video really highlights his true ability to solve problems. Great presentation as always.
The word genius in many ways applies. I have fixed things in the past but would never gone into the intricate details to try a repair like this.
The fact that you can remember how it all goes back together is what amazes me. Always enjoy the videos
In another episode ... Mark mentioned using his cell phone camera to keep track of where everything went ... I've done that with the incredibly complex gearing in Laser Printer and copiers, I used to be able to do that from memory, but memory gets fuzzy with age and so do fine motor skills as you get arthritic !!
I stripped down my old Walkman and my Aiwa for belt changes just a couple of days ago, which is how I came across your video. The Aiwa is significantly more difficult to access but I've managed to get the main board up enough to manoeuvre the belt in. If not it's a case of un-soldering connectors on the main board, something I am not confident doing. I love these old machines because I must have over 100 tapes in my collection, much of which was recorded via my Technics amp/tape/tuner deck back in the day. Luckily my car still has a 3.5mm aux input so on longer journeys I can get to hear this collection once more, warts and all. Thanks for sharing this with us but for me it would have been a bin job.
Mark you are gifted with your hands. other people could learn your placid ways of understanding and fixing of electronic items
Was looking for a repair video for my Walkman and found your Chanel. Spent the next 30 min absolutely mesmerised. I found myself saying that it can’t go any further, but you did your tenacity is admirable thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately my problem is only a new belt required which is routine maintenance compared to what you did.
Вы уникальный мастер! Спасибо вам что делитесь опытом и согреваете наши радиоэлектронные души. Вы все ремонтируете. Я когда был молодым в СССР, также пытался все ремонтировать, но тогда возможности были очень маленькие , не было интернета , поэтому информации очень мало, практически не было запасных частей. Сейчас все есть, но очень мало умных думающих мастеров. Наступила эра одноразовых девайсов. И если нужен ремонт, он заключается в замене блока , на уровне детали современная молодежь не умеет
Hi, technically, it is absolutely amazing! Small and very good made. Good to repair this. The thing is, today no one would pay (for the time spent) to make it work again. This how people think, they want new stuff and new stuff work not as good as 80's or 90's devices. Thank you Mark, every morning while having my breakfast, I enjoy your videos.
These videos are so therapeutic! Watching something that would otherwise be thrown in the rubbish being revived, and with such attention to detail and a happy demeanour! 😃
Excelente reparaciExcellent repair - I have its brother WM-FX513 and it is a very good Japanese machine. I changed the strap and cleaned the entire mechanism and the heads and capstans with isopropyl alcohol. Then I adjusted the speed and that's it. It came back to life in 1995. Thank you for the Video and for the love you put into your work. I like it and I always follow you. Because nothing gives you up for repairs. Thank you very much, greetings and hugs, from Argentina!
Hi, I wonder how long is the belt for WM-FX513? I have the WM-FX571 one and I’m looking to buy the belt from stores in my country bcs the shipping fee from US/UK to my country is really expensive
You intimidate me....skills! This is the electronic-engineering equivalent of base jumping. Bravo sir....
Absolutely terrific job of diagnosing the problem with the deck. You have an incredible amount of patience. It's interesting to see what kind of damage can be caused by a leaky battery.
I enjoy repairing stuff, but this was way above my pay grade. Your a smart guy Mark, very interesting video.
I've learned something with every video I've watched of yours. Today's lesson - put little jumper leads on things if you need to test after you've desoldered the board. Why have I never thought of that! Love your channel, keep up the great work 👍
Brilliant work! Your patience and knowledge is to be commended.
Mark as your customer/Owner of this Walkman says,your skills and patience are like no other. Obviously this Walkman has a sentimental place for him. I have a Texas Instruments calculator which has a special significance for me. And it still works perfectly apart from the display is degrading slightly. You are next level electronics guy. Love the Channel,so glad I found it. Your Channel should gain subscribers very soon. I love electronics,but don’t have your skill level. Keep up the good work. 👍
The happiest repair man out there👍 well done & lets not forget the people that actually designed that too.
And just as importantly, the people who built and assembled it
You're tenacity is amazing. You just keep going untiIl you nail it. I would have swept into the bin once I saw the leaky battery. Great video.
Despite the mistake, this is fixing a Walkman like a boss Mark!
You are a better man than me tackling this, it's a nightmare inside - however - boy this was fascinating to watch, week done!!! Miniaturization at it's best.
Too right i would have slung it in the bin being impatient.
There is another use for alcohol, who would have thought.
Fantastic work Mark, no electro mechanical device is too hard for you to fix. Very inspiring
Señor... Mi enhorabuena por sus vídeos y mi agradecimiento por su generosidad al mostrarlo como lo hace. También le felicito por su buen humor y desenfado en su forma de trabajar. ¡Desde que descubrí su canal me he quedado enganchado! Muchas gracias de nuevo y un saludo desde Madrid.
Crikey...what a repair! I don't think anyone else in their right mind would ever bother trying to resurrect something like that as it just isn't worth it. However, repairs like this are prime UA-cam video fodder and very entertaining and watchable they are too 👍 Nice to see your subscriptions heading skywards, you definitely deserve it.
Not worth it?? These cost hundreds today - if you can find one! Is the alternative is to throw it away? There is no 'away', just the environment we pollute.
@@DeePaignall Really 😊... Well, I can't even remember the last time I listened to anything on a cassette or even wanted to. If I did have a need, the last device I'd think of for that purpose would be something like that Walkman. Btw, I have an old Sony CRT television in my garage that's in perfect condition and if you can carry it you are welcome to come and take it away. 625 line low resolution goodness just waiting for a new home 👍
@@chillidogkev "Sooner or later, everything old is new again". Cassettes are making a comeback - crazy but true - and if you'd heard that walkman play it might impress you more than a 128bit mp3. 'Retro gaming' is a thing too, so someone somewhere would prefer your crt over an OLED to play their video games on, well done for keeping it! Saving devices like these is fun and saves a bit of history too - personally I recommend it.
@@chillidogkev I wouldn't buy music or record it on cassettes, but I have a load which have been in my brother's loft for years. Getting something to play them on, in reasonable condition, would allow me to play them into my computer and digitise them. Sadly, new cassette mechanisms are rubbish. The solution would be to buy refurbished. Mend-it-Mark's videos are not just fascinating, they show what can be done.
This looks like an early 90s model and worthless in real terms.
Top of the range very early 80s models or professional models that cost a fortune back in the day might be worth a couple hundred quid
One could almost say it's a masterpiece of miniaturisation, with all those nylon (I presume) gears. What is doesn't allow for, unfortunately, is a decent flywwheel to provide speed stability. Battery corrosion is certainly the bane of portable electronic devices. Another marvellous video, and thanks once again for showing us how it's done.
@johnmarchington3146 Actually John, each drive capstan in this Walkman has a probly 1 inch diameter disc as part of it, & these become the flywheel; one for each direction of travel.
Great repair! A walkman is a very delicate and diminute item. I specially love the fact that the a problem is turn in a smile, like a joke. Good point of view, a great life lesson.
What an incredible piece of engineering- and seriously fantastic repair skills!
it is like a pocket watch. holy cow.
Yep I used to fix Sony gear to this level, all totally replaced by solid state I did try to warn them!
Corrosion had wreaked its havoc. Lifting and distorting that beam was a terrible error. I couldn't even entertain fixing that. You make me feel rather stupid. Brilliant. 😎
Thank you for sharing your excellent repair series. I use vinegar to neutralize the battery basic electrolytes from the plastics and metals. Then scratch the oxidation at the end.
Got one of these in the loft with the the same problem. Note to oneself: Don't leave battery in. Great video Mark 👌
These Walkmans were the pinnacle of mechanical and electronic consumer engineering of the time. They are amazing. Now we have a chip, a battery, touch sensors and a couple of sockets to do the same job - all of which has probably disappeared in the cloud by the time you read this. I have a pile of them I used to take on skiing holidays in the 80's and 90's to record local radio and to rock to on the piste. I imagine the belts have all gone by now but I might take a look sometime before I croak.
And I've only got so far as to just replacing the belts in these Walkmans back in my "teenage" years. Everything else was pretty much all Chinese to me, but yet always fascinated on how they worked...the wiring, soldering, cogs, mechanisms, etc. If I had taken that Walkman apart the way you did, I couldn't remember where all those parts went.....knowing me. Plus, I don't have the patience anymore, lol.
But anyway, great job Sir! Kudos! Very smart and always with a confident smile, I like that! I have the Walkman model number WM-F18 from 1985 and I have no clue on why it quit working completely, battery AND electric power. But I only keep as a momentum and place on a shelf of my 80's toys and radios I had through the years., nice collection.
Thank you for sharing and posting this Mend It Mark...that was fun to watch! I miss my Walkman days! We could all use your smile in these times! 😁👍
I have to admire you attempting to even repair anything small from Japan! The last time I attempted a similar repair it was an absolute nightmare. The device was a Kenwood pocket sized cassette player (hardly bigger than the cassette itself!) no sooner had I managed to open it, than springs started flying everywhere and microscopic screws were lost just by breathing near them. Servicing that level of technology is not something the average technican can do. The parts are so tiny and all the PCB's are surface-mounted components. Too much heat does a lot of damage. You need very specialised equipment and the technical skill. When you see factories in Japan it's astonishing (I worked for a big Japanese electronics corp) it's like a hospital bio-hazard environment with guys wearing white suits with hoods and white gloves.
Dealing with small Japanese electronic devices is often similar to watchmaker repairs. If you've ever seen what goes into servicing, assembling watch movements you'll see the incredible amount of skill it requires due to sheer complexity and precision of the tiny parts.
Nice job Mark, it's amazing how the corroded battery just eats through the plastic and embeds itself. I like the way you calibrated it. It looked like you used a tape with a set frequency, then just tuned it to match that recorded frequency.
This is the equivalent to a computer controlled carburator!
Amazing all the work that went into that piece of history.
Great job Mark. I have a beautiful sony walkman from 1988-89. It was dropped unfortunately years, and years ago, and some of the button were pushed in and one broke off. Would love to get it fixed. It's a sony WM-R202, in silver. A real beauty when it was bought. Thanks for sharing your video. Cheers.
Unbelievable watch making skills as well as electronic skills! Good job Mark!
Mark, people like you, are most certainly worth their weight in gold. Your abilities are extremely admirable in my eyes/mind. I wonder how much stuff I've binned over the years, when someone like yourself could repair it for a princely sum of sterling.
Great work Mark. I’ve recently done one with the same mechanism and it had some nasty battery damage in exactly the same place. I’ve only recently discovered your channel and your videos are very good. I gave you a shout out on my livestream last Sunday so hopefully more people will discover you. Cheers Graham
Nice repair, i was a bit nervous when you started bending that arm though 😀. Very educational for when/if i'll need to dig in mine some day. I do have a couple of these myself, well mine are the EX510 (without remote), one mint condition in box and one kinda rough used. I've replaced the belts in both, extremely easy, like a 10 minutes job at the most. What's sort of tough is to find the proper 0.6mm belt for them. The model 510 was also my very first "real" Sony Walkman back in 1994, but that's long gone. Great work man, i always enjoy your work.
Great persistence with this repair where most would have given up. Your light hearted happy manner makes for a great watch too :)
You are so passionate about your work and I appreciate that so much, keep doing what you're doing. Blessing from Kosovo.
Hi Mark, I've just found your channel and I love the videos. Much respect on how you repair all these machines by logic. Such a fiddly repair this one.
Good job Mark. I love watching you repair this electronic equipment. I don't miss any of your videos. Greetings from Barcelona. Xavier.
I recently came across, and have now subscribed to Mark's channel, and find it fascinating to watch.
Coincidentally, I used to sell consumer electronics for one of Sony's competitors during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but I have little detailed knowledge of the inner workings of this type of product. My goodness, the Japanese were tops in micro electronics during that period weren't they?
Mark I love your videos
I know you know and wow there's little to comment directly on your videos because they are so awesome but I like to say battery corrosive instead of acid since technically it's a base (as you know). Just a suggestion for change of habit if you feel like it. Keep up the great work - surely my favourite repair channel in the world.
Really enjoy your videos. Leaky batteries have a lot to answer for. I could certainly disassemble, but I’d never be able to put something like that back together!
Great video. So much to fix on the simplest thing. Impressed with your skill and patience.
Bedankt
I have been watching your videos for a few weeks now and enjoy them very much. I have subscribed and added notifications. I love your chipper disposition and the little comments and such you make. You remind me of Phil Collins a bit I hope thats not offensive because I love Phil so its coming from a good place. Keep on going at it and cheers from Michigan.
I really enjoyed troubleshooting and repairing the device
Well done 👍🏻
Take my hat off to you Mark for tackling this!
Pleasure to watch you work and listen to your banter Mark! Well done!
Love your videos.
When it comes to corrosion and battery leak, vinegar/citric acid bath should be your number one action ! It really does the job.
Your UA-cam movies give hope to those who have a loved one who is emotionally attached to it for a specific occasion or anniversary. 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹
Seriously impressive and brave repair!
Another fab video - I bet the owner was delighted. My heart was sinking for you half way through but you're a genius. I am definitely coming to you if one of my beloved gadgets breaks!
Got my first Walkman with my wages from my first job in 1984, it was amazing to listen to that’s what I call music cassette on the bus.
Your videos are super cool Mark, I've watched every single one of them, I also do soldering for a living.
Such a nice person. God bless you and ofc, great work and the patience man! Amazing diagnosis there! Loved it..
I think we have an old walkman cassette player in a drawer - might have the confidence to try and get it going again after seeing this - what a mechanism!
Just found both my walkman s and both not working after putting new batteries in so it could be same problems but I could never do what he has done well done and a first class video
I admire your persistance. I would have thrown that walkman away immediately. Anyway... Great video, great job, thank you, Mark!
Jolly good i've binge watch all your other ones and i'd run out of things to watch lol Vinegar works really well for battery corrosion, either brown or white will do.
I had a Sony WM D6C Pro Walkman. Very high end recorder. Incredible device for it's time. It worked great and it was expensive. I used it to record many local rock band shows and to record interviews of famous artists who came to town. I used it a lot. But after many years I had switched entirely to digital recording devices which were cheaper and better. In 2010 I pulled the Pro Walkman out of a box and found I had left the batteries in. Something I try to never do. They had corroded and part of the PCB was etched away. I started doing the surgery and it got more and more involved. Then I stopped and thought "What for?" The digital devices are far superior. I wasn't ever going to record a cassette again. I lit a candle and stood it on the soldering iron station on my lab bench. I said my so longs, gave it a last salute, and pushed the remains of the pro Walkman off the edge of my bench into the trashcan. I'll always remember it and I will always know where it's final resting place is. The county dump. I shed a little tear every time I drive by. And I thank goodness I don't have to mess with cassettes ever again.
More e waste 😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
@kthwkr I had a Sony Walkman 'Professional' years ago too. I don't know its model number but it was black & had a leatherette case, Dolby C & a led bargraph level meter & could play & record onto 'metal' tapes as well. It cost me a fortnight's or a month's apprentice wages back then!
Then one day the playback speed went stupid, & was varying up & down twice per second. It wasn't that old, so I contacted Sony & I actually got to speak to a Sony service tech! He was very helpful, & on his advice I bought a service manual & the two little surface- mount I.C's he thought were most likely causing the fault.
Luckily I was able to remove & replace both I.C's successfully & the speed modulation problem was fixed!
Such a beautiful, 3 colour original factory printed circuit diagram & service manual I had never seen the likes of before or since!
Sadly, my Walkman was stolen from a friends house but I still have the MDR-70 headphones that came with it. The earpads that sort of stretched over the earpieces are pretty deteriorated now but I'd like to replace them if I can. Even today, in a quiet room, these headphones sound like they've got subwoofers in them they're so good!
I fell in love with Sony gear after that!
You're a fool. They're worth hundreds, even in a state of disrepair. Beat yourself up about that, I would. Probably the most sought after and most frequently repaired of all decent walkmans.
What you did there was nothing short of a miracle
Hi Mark... I wish I was as adept as you are with a solder sucker! Cheers and thanks for yet another highly watchable video.
Back of the net - Great work and a bit of old tech saved to live again 👍
Nice to see you leaving the mistakes in the video. We all make them. An awful lot of these errors add a lot of time onto the repair. Surely this item was not worth repairing in a lot of respects (unless it is worth a lot of money on ebay).
Just got your channel recommended by radiocruncher and keep up the video you are very clever.Great video quality and sound.Simon
Cool, keep looking at these. I had one as a teenager and loved it… I bought it after being disappointed with a Discman.
Persistence pays. Well done, Sir! Well impressed with your test kit and a decent psu.
Technically those last generation Walkmans were almost perfect portable devices. They were lightweight, slim, stamina, sensor-controlled etc. And expensive, of course))) I had one once, but not as good as this one is... Well done!
Last decent generation era for Walkmans were the late 1980's/early 1990's.
you re a magician.Asophisticated nice job with great amount of knowledge and passion.
Awesome greetings from the super ancient megalithic antediluvian city of TIAHUANAKU BOLIVIA 🇧🇴 thanks for posting
Great repair,amazing the damage a leaking old battery can cause,new subscriber here.