mz-m200 jog wheel breaking? (already?)

[rcl]

I have had my mz-m200 for (EDIT: ) a little under one year now and I'm impressed by sound quality but unimpressed overall with many aspects of the unit

I've started using it as an mp3 player at work, which has been a good way to get more out of it and I do like it a lot for this purpose even not using the remote (sure sucks that you need the remote for simple things like shuffle and repeat, but that's really not a big deal for me)

But now today, I notice that the jog wheel on the side seems to be freaking out??? I try to ff a track by holding it 'up', and it starts skipping tracks all over like crazy back and forth and switching the unit's mode in to the one where it shows time remaining not time elapsed..... holding down sometimes does the same. The behavior is totally unpredictable.

So I go in to the menus thinking I have some crazy mode enabled. Nope, navigating the menus shows similar wacked out behavior

Is there anything I can do about this??? Considering I've moved the thing a total of like 20 times and given it very light use, I'm pretty freaking surprised. A huge selling point for this thing is that it was more rugged than other recorders, but it's pretty much showing itself to be a piece of junk. This problem doesn't affect recording really, unless the wheel gives out way more, but it still really really sucks....

I imagine depot level service is probably the cost of the whole unit, but that's just a guess... it might still be covered under warranty but I think that was only 1 year...

Any thoughts or advice?

Edited May 14, 2008 by Robert Axios

[Hungerdunger]

I've had the "FF" problem myself, but unfortunately not until the unit was out of warranty. I'm certain it's a fault - you're not doing anything wrong. I suggest you establish when you purchased it and if it's still under warrantee, get it fixed or replaced. otherwise, try to use the remote instead.

[Strungup]

yeah that was my issue with the RH1 from the beginning was the Jog , mine is way to sensitive on one side , and barely registers on the other at times .

I tightened the two screws under the face of the unit ( Bottom front ) and it helped a little use a Jewelers screwdriver or Eyeglass kit screwdriver .

Mine s actually almost usable now , but from the day I bought the Jog was an issue , but I bought the 40 ELK remote so I didnt worry so much .

[bobzilli]

I have two of these and both have crap jog wheels. The unit is just not built well, especially when you consider the MD units of old. A handy, poorly designed/built machine

[BIGHMW]

It's delicacy (it being fragile) is why I only use my RH1/M200 as an uploader/downloader for my MD's/Hi-MD's on my PC, so I consider it a $300 external hard-drive with the convenience of removeable media.

[rcl]

Wow, missed all these replies.

Very discouraging responses here. I like my unit somewhat but wow, what a boatload of issues. What is the alternative hi-md device to get then if these are totally flawed? I've thought a few times about selling this unit and getting a totally different technology because this thing just couldn't be a bigger piece of junk. Is this one bad egg in the basket or are all the hi-md just junk that have been rushed to market?

Thanks everyone and I will indeed try the screw tightening. I am a bit tempted to open it up if that doesn't work and see if I can find physical damage on the jog, although it wouldn't matter much since there would be no way to get a replacement...

[Kardon]

Yea if you're willing to give up some features from the RH1, the NH1 is smaller, still offers a TON of options, and has very very little known issues. + Uses the same battery for interchangeability.

[Hungerdunger]

When it became very bad, I squirted some isopropyl alcohol around the jog wheel, and gave it a really good "work-out". It still misbehaves sometimes, but I think it's better than it was before. However it may just be coincidence, so try it at your own risk.

[trager]

For what it's worth I've had the same problem. I got an RH1 about 18 months ago. Recorded around 12 1gb discs with it using the optical cable, only doing moderate editing, and by the end of it the behaviour of the jog wheel thing was totally unpredictable. FF and FR have become either unresponsive or too responsive, and pressing enter in the menus is a nightmare, cos it usually goes up or down one option on the way to registering the press. It also tends to register two presses when I only want one, so all in all it's entirely possible I may ask it to do something benign and find it decides instead to erase my whole disc. I too am likely to use this model now only as an uploader. I just picked up a NHF800 and a NH900 nearly new, and I was surprised at how plastic they were. So it seems there isn't much that's especially sturdy in the Hi-MD range, but the NHF800 and NH900 definitely don't feel fragile in the way the RH1 does. It's the fiddliness of the jog wheel that's the problem. It's a gimmick that just didn't pay off.

The RH1 and the M200 are very cool looking, very functional, great sounding, triumphant egg shells.

As has been pointed out, this model also lacks a group button on the main unit. Given that you can't have it set to line out if the remote is plugged in I think this oversight renders the line out pretty useless, unless there isn't much on your disc. You could never really use the RH1 as a playback deck, which is a bummer given that there's no Sony Hi-MD deck and no longer any alternative Hi-MD portables in the stores.

I also complained mightily in a past thread that there is no 'group set' or 'group release' function. Which is a strange oversight.

In the long run though, it's clearly the build quality that's the biggest problem with the RH1/M200. Sometimes I pick up my NH1 and just hold it smiling.

[Mafia]

Edited September 23, 2008 by Mafia

[THIS SUCKS]

someone please delete this a**holes post. we don't use that language here!

[Sparky191]

I think using a remote might be something to consider, as they are easily replaced. Getting the unit itself fixed is another story.