Boom box CD mechanism

[Mark Zenier]

The patient/victim is my 4-5 year old boom box, a Koss PC38G,
(I've seen the same unit with Tandy and RCA brands).

After pulling all the modules apart and blowing the dust bunnies out of
it, when you activate the "door closed" switch the drive will run
the optics up and down (focus axis) a couple of times. And there's a
red glow down in the lens, (but that's no guarantee that the laser is
actually lasing).

Sometimes, with a disc, it will find the track count, but when you try
to play, it just goes click, click and then quits with "Er" on the
track counter.

Preliminary conclusion: Either a marginal laser, or bad spindle motor.

Do these cheap boom box CD mechanisms spin up the disc before they try
to focus?

Further questions:
Are mechanisms from other units interchangeable?
Are there any generic replacement mechanisms available?
With equivalent boom boxes on sale for $25-$30, why am I bothering?

Mark Zenier mzenier@eskimo.com Washington State resident

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Boom boxes usually "pre-spin" first to reduce startup time.

Other models _might_ have the same mech.

Generics mostly not available. Occasionally MCM or MAT has a KSM210 or some
such on a closeout, but it would be unusual to find what you need this way.

"Why bother?" indeed.


Mark Z.




"Mark Zenier" <mzenier@eskimo.com> wrote in message
news:bo3fom$rgn$1@eskinews.eskimo.com...

The patient/victim is my 4-5 year old boom box, a Koss PC38G,
(I've seen the same unit with Tandy and RCA brands).

After pulling all the modules apart and blowing the dust bunnies out of
it, when you activate the "door closed" switch the drive will run
the optics up and down (focus axis) a couple of times. And there's a
red glow down in the lens, (but that's no guarantee that the laser is
actually lasing).

Sometimes, with a disc, it will find the track count, but when you try
to play, it just goes click, click and then quits with "Er" on the
track counter.

Preliminary conclusion: Either a marginal laser, or bad spindle motor.

Do these cheap boom box CD mechanisms spin up the disc before they try
to focus?

Further questions:
Are mechanisms from other units interchangeable?
Are there any generic replacement mechanisms available?
With equivalent boom boxes on sale for $25-$30, why am I bothering?

Mark Zenier mzenier@eskimo.com Washington State resident

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

mzenier@eskimo.com (Mark Zenier) writes:

The patient/victim is my 4-5 year old boom box, a Koss PC38G,
(I've seen the same unit with Tandy and RCA brands).

After pulling all the modules apart and blowing the dust bunnies out of
it, when you activate the "door closed" switch the drive will run
the optics up and down (focus axis) a couple of times. And there's a
red glow down in the lens, (but that's no guarantee that the laser is
actually lasing).

But it's very likely lasing, possibly at lower than normal power.

Sometimes, with a disc, it will find the track count, but when you try
to play, it just goes click, click and then quits with "Er" on the
track counter.

Preliminary conclusion: Either a marginal laser, or bad spindle motor.

I assume you have actually tried cleaning the lens with alcohol?

And, any other optics that you can access.

Do these cheap boom box CD mechanisms spin up the disc before they try
to focus?

Further questions:
Are mechanisms from other units interchangeable?
Are there any generic replacement mechanisms available?
With equivalent boom boxes on sale for $25-$30, why am I bothering?

THAT is the question considering it isn't exactly a top of the line
unit at that.

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
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> Mark Zenier mzenier@eskimo.com Washington State resident