Sheep Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Just dug out my old MDS-JE510 which I've been meaning to look at for a long time but never got around to it. I fixed the self-switch-on/eject limit switch problem - that's now working fine. (Rather than pack the flange with insulating tape, I carefully twisted the metal flange towards the switch so that it now pushes the limit switch all the way in - seemed to me to be a more permanent solution than using sticky tape which could deteriorate over time and fall off.) The other problem with the machine is that it cannot record. Everything seems to work fine during recording, but when you try to replay the recording, you find you just have a blank disc. Any attempt to record simply results in the disc being wiped. I looked into this many years ago, and remember finding a Web page explaining how to fix this problem, but I can't seem to find that page again now. My memory is hazy, but it was something along the lines of a spring deteriorating with age, and ending up not strong enough to push the "record head" (???) against the disc. So the disc is wiped by the laser, but the head isn't in contact with the disc to write the new data, so you just end up with a blank disc. I have looked at the mechansim, but I can't really see any springs that would have this effect. There is a part that seems to come down onto the top of the disc only in Record mode, but I can't see any springs that would affect its pressure on the disc surface. Can anyone suggest how to fix this, or maybe know of the URL of the original document I found that explains the fix? Many thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 Not that likely - more probable is the overwrite head simply needs replacing. Jim Hoggarth (here on the forums) fixes these sort of things professionally for not too much (he has a standard charge for portables and another for decks, I recall). You can find him on Ebay too, but suggest you start with a PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted April 15, 2011 Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Hi. The usual cause of this on a JE510 is a stripped off write head. In my experience, many of these drives have been 'modded' by owners following the on-line instructions. What is not properly explained, and trips up most deck owners, is the procedure for replacing the upper slot housing. You need to do several things in the correct sequence otherwise damage can occur. One such damage-control method requires the overwrite head to be in the right position when the metalwork is put together, otherwise when you first power up the machine, the act of loading a disc shears the head straight off, or just mangles the head's flexible arm. It is also possible to break the chuck-in switch, the switch which is actioned with the metal arm you have bent. Ok, this is in response to your question and Ian's (Soundbox) about the JE510. It also applies to the JE500, S38, S39 and a few other rare models from that era, as well as the JE510. All these decks use the MDM-3A drive, and its B variant. The modification described on-line (the insulating tape mod) does not work. Nor does bending the arm which contacts this switch. Nor does replacing the switch, or spraying the switch with contact cleaner. And praying to the Gods that anything else may work as regards this switch is a waste of time. I know, because I have spent the last three or four years, on and off, trying to solve this problem. And I have a workshop full of the blasted machines!! The problem is not *just* with this switch, it is a combination of factors which *includes* bad contacts on this switch. However, I may now have a solution to the problem, but as I have only just worked this one out, I can't say for sure that it is permanent. It may, yet again, just be a short-term fix for the problem, but I am willing to wait. I have fixed a number of drives in the last week, and all seem to be working fine, for now. I intend storing these and bringing each and every one out onto the bench over the next few months for a test. Let's see if the fix holds up to the 'test of time' or not. And as for your deck, Mr Sheep (sorry to be so informal but I know not your true identity), as you are in the UK, how about stripping your drive out and sending it to me? I can repair the non-recording problem, and do my 'fix' at the same time. You can have the joy of being my first guinea pig perhaps? PM me if you want to do this. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheep Posted April 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2011 Thanks Jim! I have PM'd you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lambytone Posted June 6, 2011 Report Share Posted June 6, 2011 Hi. Sorry to hijack this thread. This is my first post after discovering this forum. I recently damaged the over write head on my MDS JE510 when removing a stuck disc. My repairer says the head is not available but obviously it is going by this forum. Could you tell me where i could purchase a head from cheaply. Thanks Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gulag picture radio Posted November 3, 2011 Report Share Posted November 3, 2011 I just got one of these players, and it exhibits the grinding noisy problem cited here. I've opened it up, but not done anything. I was about to try the rolled up electrical tape solution (though I was going to try something a bit less temporary of a fix), but after seeing the details here I'm not sure what I should do next. The reason I even care is that this is my only player with digital output. I've got some home made music I'd like to transfer to the computer, and would prefer to do it over a digital link. So what's my best course of action? Thanks for any advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourbanks Posted November 4, 2011 Report Share Posted November 4, 2011 I just got one of these players, and it exhibits the grinding noisy problem cited here. I've opened it up, but not done anything. I was about to try the rolled up electrical tape solution (though I was going to try something a bit less temporary of a fix), but after seeing the details here I'm not sure what I should do next. The reason I even care is that this is my only player with digital output. I've got some home made music I'd like to transfer to the computer, and would prefer to do it over a digital link. So what's my best course of action? Thanks for any advice! all you need do is to purchase a sound card with a optical input for your computer and away you go they are very inexpensive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted November 5, 2011 Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 I think he meant, how to get it fixed. 1. send it to Jim 2. buy another, newer model (JE640 my favourite as it does MDLP quite nicely) S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 I just got one of these players, and it exhibits the grinding noisy problem cited here. I've opened it up, but not done anything. I was about to try the rolled up electrical tape solution (though I was going to try something a bit less temporary of a fix), but after seeing the details here I'm not sure what I should do next. The reason I even care is that this is my only player with digital output. I've got some home made music I'd like to transfer to the computer, and would prefer to do it over a digital link. So what's my best course of action? Thanks for any advice! Hi. Sorry for the delay in picking up on this, been rather busy of late. The fix to which you refer - using the tape loop on the switch arm - doesn't work. I spent many hours trying this mod, retrying, and generally wasting my time. The actual fix is much more involved, and up until now have been reticent to state it but I believe I now have a definite solution to the problem. There are several JE510 and S39 drives out there now that I worked on several months ago, and they are still holding up. The actual fix requires ALL switches to be cleaned with a switch cleaner solvent and lubricant in order for the drive to hang together. I could describe the procedure, but it is unfortunately more involved than this: (if we ignore the fact that it is incredibly easy to damage the write head and certain switches if the drive unit is not stripped down and reassembled correctly) the problem usually also damages the disc loads gears and can also break another plastic part on the upper disc slot unit. If you need a repair I can always be contacted by private message or by email on jim.hoggarth@blueyonder.co.uk Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gulag picture radio Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Yes - my main problem is that none of my MD players have optical out. I mostly hvae portables, but my one other home deck is a low end model that doesn't feature optical. That was my whole reason for repairing this unit. In fact I don't care if the unit lasts much longer than the 20 or so discs I want to transfer. but maybe you guys are right. I should just find another deck with optical output. It's just too bad the fix online is so unreliable. I wouldn't want to risk the one of a kind material on these discs I need to transfer over. Thanks for all the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanpotato Posted January 14, 2012 Report Share Posted January 14, 2012 jim said right. For further information, you can look at this service bulletin : http://www.minidisc....10_bulletin.pdf It depends on the serial number. It says that mecha. switches has to be replaced, hum in my opinion not necessary just only to be resoldered plus cleaned by injecting contact cleaner solvent inside. But in most case it's too late because gears are damaged by engaged motors (torded teeths) with an empty carriage. And theses parts (3 gears) are unavaible or the price is high. I had the problem with my old MDS-S39 (my first MD deck). Only low used or longly stocked decks can be rescued. Furthermore it takes some hours. Repairing these units are not easy and profitable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippeC Posted January 15, 2012 Report Share Posted January 15, 2012 Welcome AT LAST on this forum my dear jonathanpotato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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