kgallen

Sounds like a bad write head 😞 This is the small flappy arm that hovers on top of the disc and provides the magnetic field for writing the disc as the laser underneath heats the bits to the Currie point. Its not specific to just writing the TOC. You could check for obvious damage/wire breaks but repair may be down to finding a replacement drive from another machine. (Same drive in European MDS-JE510). Can you get a recorded disc to check the machine will read and play discs? Sounds likely as it can read a disc ready for recording. https://www.minidisc.wiki/equipment/sony/deck/mds-s38

@sfbp I’ll send you a tub - I sent you that SPDIF splitter before, I don’t think that cost an arm and a leg (although times have changed!). Good idea @BearBoy 👍 Happy Christmas 🤣

Don’t know. Looking up EM-30L it’s described: Lubricating grease developed for plastic components NLGI Grade 1 PAO based grease with a base oil viscosity of 90 cSt at 40C, lithium thickened, uses white solids and PTFE as solid lubricants. https://www.dupont.com/products/molykote-em-30l-grease.html Googling a bit, especially TapeHeads, some suggest lithium grease is not great for plastics. But commentary is divided. 😆

Too much grease will just collect dust and make the OP stick so the less the better! That lead screw assembly is very close tolerance, it doesn’t need loads of lubricant. Good luck!

161 yes. Clean it if you can. Then a tiny amount of the Molykote with a cocktail stick. Ideally with the OP on the outer track (which should be easy in a portable as the OP isn’t usually ‘homed’ as it is in a deck). Then when the OP tracks back to the centre it should spread the grease along the worm gear. I’m not sure how much it will help though! Cleaning any hardened old stuff off is more important.

I’d give it a bit of use before anything more invasive. Sorry can’t be of more use!

Yea just cut the tracks and solder to the through hole pins of CN671 - possible since those traces don’t go anywhere else as you’ve spotted from the PCB layout. Pretty easy if you’ve got some solid core kynar mod wire like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/262293229036?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cPqkJZIKSwG&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=nsjPidUXSvu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY I’m still a bit bemused that the rotation is reversed!

Your memory serves you well. (Don’t tell @sfbp I still don’t know what to do with it! 😆)

@sfbp often speaks about both of these… I need to watch this for homework! Thanks @BearBoy!

Fab! If you write something maybe you’d post it on the wiki too? Add a repair section on this page: https://www.minidisc.wiki/equipment/sony/deck/mds-w1

Thanks for the update and info. That is weird. I wonder if Sony had a custom part made for some reason. I’ve suspected that before - the headphone volume control on one of my MDS-E10 or E12 didn’t seem to be a standard part. That mounts to the PCB to the side so the flat on the shaft needs to be at a different position to get the knob marker to line up between the min and max position. Also I couldn’t find the correct resistance (I can’t remember now if it was 1k or 5k). For @sfbp I think the ‘L’ is maybe low profile and the ‘R’ is probably ‘regular’.

Well I was musing that but I don’t see that in the data sheets. For both, CW rotation suggests A pulses before B. But that’s looking on a phone. I really want to get the two data sheets up side by side to compare…

Think the difference is the PEC11 has a bushing thread and the PEC12 is non-threaded.

Interesting yours is ‘PEC11L’ and mine are ‘PEC12R’.

In pictures:

The two encoders I bought for my Tascam MD-CD1 are: MD Pitch control: Bourns PEC12R-4230F-S0024 (=Alps EC12E24244A4), RS 781-6809 MD Jog: Bourns PEC12R-4225F-S0024, RS 781-6811 Both are 24 step with switch, D shaft (first being 30mm, second 25mm).

Yea agree, don’t see anything in the data sheet. A leads B as I expected. I’ll aim to do some more research when I get on a ‘proper’ computer (rather than a phone!). I’ll dig out the part I used for my Tascam (I realise it will be different to what you likely need but it will give us a comparison).

Yes it would be A and B contacts. Strange the rotation should be reversed. This will be down to which of A or B leads. Usually those two signals are 90 degrees out of phase with, I presume, A leading. How strange, but otherwise great news. Is there anything in the data sheet for the part you used that might suggest this, or that it’s something that exists as a part variant?

No didn’t entertain that guy with my cash. Have two 480’s, both a bit dodgy if I remember, I don’t use them mainstream. Main home decks are my MDS-E12, 940 from you and original 520 plus MZ-R700 at work. Three rack mount MDS-E12 (plus CDP-D12 CD) and Tascam MDCD-1 dubber for the theatre stuff.

You must be counting 480’s on two hands now! 😀

Great! Please let us know how you get on and ping back if there are any other queries we might help with!

Usually an Alps or Bourns and 18 or 24 pulses per rotation are usual. 24 should do it. The main issue I’ve found is finding one with the correct shaft length. I replaced one on my Tascam MD-CD1 but I’ve not needed to do a Sony. Think I got mine from RS.

What’s good enough for @BearBoy is good enough for me… we’re like a pair of wide-eyed kids in a sweet shop.

No not yet, been up to my eyes (and ears) with get-ins, tech and dress rehearsals. Performances this week. Maybe in the next couple of weeks when I’m over this show run.

Thanks for the listing link that’s really useful. Looks like the 780 or 980 (or S500 or NT1). I was thinking about deck just for convenience so I can leave it connected up to the PC and they tend to be more robust. Maybe I should have a play with one of my portables, I’m sure I must have at least one working NetMD one!