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Sony c13 error on display window,sony mds-JB=930 QS

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Jacko.1010

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Hi all,

I have no idea what is causing the c13 error,iv`e tried different disks and still i geta c13 errorand the machine ejects the disk .the deck really is in mint condition it would be criminal to take it to the council tip,Ihave a Pioneer MJ-D508 Minidisk Deck it`s not a patch on the sony,I v`e a Sony Walkman

Mz-R700 minidisk ,and a sony Mz-50 Walkman.I would be grateful for any advice,help ETC.Thanks in Antipipation

Ron

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C13 means it can't read the TOC.

Probably the laser is blown, needs adjusting, or somehow the NVRAM has lost the critical IOP value it would have been programmed with that matches that particular read-write assembly.

If you can record a completely NEW virgin blank disc, then the worst thing you need is a new laser assembly. The least will be an adjustment of some kind.

Jim Hoggarth here on the board has a deck repair service he runs via Ebay that is quite reasonable, and since you are in the UK, eminently convenient.

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Hi. Almost certainly the spindle motor. It is a common problem on the MDM-7 disc drive units. Although I have seen occasions where the laser focus coil is open circuit, so if the laser cannot even focus on a disc the firmware doesn't even bother firing up the spindle motor and just ejects with a C13.

I have parts, if you want it repairing just send me a Personal Message.

Regards

Jim

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To be fair, Jim, my C13 saga started with a unit that tried to read the disk, I replaced the motor, no change, and even after a head replacement still gave me (at least) C13.

To OP: it's never simple, because the MD system is all based on servos and feedback loops to position the head and read the data. One component dead or misaligned, and you get the same C13 (or C14) error. It *is* still possible that it's only the IOP value. But not all that likely unless you sometimes see C14. Certainly you can check if Jim is right - by taking the lid off and watching. But don't be tempted to poke it :)

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Yes, that's right. Use a disc with a clear case and it is even more obvious. I have a special disc on which I have drawn a red line with a permanent marker on the upper side of the disc platter (ie the non-laser side) - sometimes these highly reflective smooth surfaces can be turning and yet do not appear to be. Take the top off the unit and watch as a disc is inserted. If the spindle motor does not turn the disc at all, it is usually the motor or the focus coil (or of course the focus servo or motor drive chip, but not very often). I have fitted loads of motors to these disc drive, but rarely are optical pickups needed, and I can't actually remember ever having a faulty driver board (known as the 'BD' board).

Jim

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Well, if it gets as far as spinning the disc then you know the laser is not dead, and the focus coil, focus servo and at least some of the photo-diodes are ok. It could be that the spindle motor is not actually coming up to speed, one or more photo-diodes are kaput, or the laser intensity needs setting. Or possibly a fault in the RF data amplifier/decoders. I will definitely have to see the machine to diagnose further.

Jim

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  • 5 years later...

If anyone is still watching this thread. I just received a new JE480 yesterday and about a minute 50 seconds into playing a disc it stopped reading and of course the C13 Read Error came up. I did check service mode and for sure shows total recording and playback times under an hour. What happen as I was putting the cover back on just to inspect and all the cover tucking into the fresh my panel of course did a snap in which was maybe no different than flicking the unit with a finger trying to make it skip. While it was playing it just went silent as I thought maybe it skipped and that is all she wrote. It try's reading and spins the disc little by little. The error history was showing 10 and 20. Did I just get a bad one and was just a coincidence or what?

Thanks

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  • 1 year later...

I don't know about watching the thread, I have only just found it.

It seems that the error can be caused by a fault on the disc, rather than the machine. All but one of the disks I have play faultlessly on MDS-JE530. The disc in question will play/record for a while, then throws the dreaded error up. The fault seems to be caused by the disc not spinning freely. I tried it in my little Sharp portable. That both records and plays it fully, though there are 'grinding noises' several times during both (which I don't seem to get to the same degree on any other disc).

Also, I presume the C13 error will sometimes be generated if the laser lens is dirty.

A service manual is available from Manuals.lib.

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  • 2 weeks later...

IIRC, the clue to function is this: with LP2 (not on the D3, granted) you can only copy X2 and LP4 you can only copy X1 (ie X4 for LP4). However I think the D400 is actually different (looked at circuit a while back and I *think* I saw the double data rate provisioning).

The only one that *really* does a native ATRAC copy ie compressed to compressed is the MDS-W1.

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I can't find anything truly definitive, but I did find this short but relevant discussion:

http://forums.sonyinsider.com/topic/14371-2-and-4x-cd-md-dubbing-via-a-deck/?tab=comments#comment-89506

The odd thing for me is that IIRC it was right here that I first saw the info about the D400 4x @4.5. If I were going to use my D400 for serious recording, I'd delve deeper; as things stand...well, for copying I mainly use it to copy audiobooks, mostly in LP...sometimes mono. And that works really, really well!

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  • 1 year later...
2 hours ago, Johnswild said:

Hi can I still get a motor for my je 330? Regards John

The easiest approach is to try and get another machine with an MDM-5A drive. This would be MDS-JE520, MDS-JB920, MDS-S40.

However if I got a 520 or 920, I'd probably prefer to use that over the 330 as they are higher-range models with more features. But if you get a cosmetically poor or broken one one for a decent price then you can use it as a donor deck for the drive, or the motor if the drive is (really) shot.

If you really just want the motor then pretty much any Sony deck will probably have the motor you want (you don't specify if it's the spindle, tracking or load motor you need).

Kevin

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