sescoscuba Posted October 18, 2012 Report Share Posted October 18, 2012 I sent to Jim Hoggarth 4 machines to be fixed. Come back perfect! Thank you again Sergio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippeC Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 How much charge Jim ? Parcel cost from Italia to UK ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badactress Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 I'll second that! I sent Jim a very broken NH600 just over a year ago. After a very reasonably priced repair, it was returned in perfect working order, and.. Because Jim gives a warranty on his work, I've used this machine almost exclusively, daily for at least 12 months and it's still working as good as new. He's a star and we're lucky to have him! Lol are you blushing Jim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sescoscuba Posted October 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Hi Philippe: only a Word: honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourbanks Posted October 20, 2012 Report Share Posted October 20, 2012 Jim is excellent and a nice guy to talk with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcou Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hello everyone Will Jim repair hi-md players ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourbanks Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 Hello everyone Will Jim repair hi-md players ? yes he will Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted November 2, 2012 Report Share Posted November 2, 2012 yes he will That depends on the model, for a couple of reasons. One is parts availability. The other is my deep hatred of the MZ-RH1. I don't like trashing Sony and especially MD units, but the RH1 is an absolute bag of &!@[. If you push me I will let you know why. Please PM me if you need help. Jim I'll second that! I sent Jim a very broken NH600 just over a year ago. After a very reasonably priced repair, it was returned in perfect working order, and.. Because Jim gives a warranty on his work, I've used this machine almost exclusively, daily for at least 12 months and it's still working as good as new. He's a star and we're lucky to have him! Lol are you blushing Jim? Indeed I am! Never had fans before! Anyways, I am glad you have given that unit a good test Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippeC Posted November 3, 2012 Report Share Posted November 3, 2012 About your dislike about the RH1, is it a mechanical or an electronic problem ? I still have my "marsupilami" grey unit with a /@&%:+ joggle problem. Consider it more a a spare parts unit for my more recent black unit now, the grey unit is still listening and recording well but it is a mess to change anything in the settings, I control only what is possible with the remote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rubber131186 Posted November 27, 2012 Report Share Posted November 27, 2012 Did jim.hoggarth work for Sony repairing mini discs or is everything he knows all learnt and self taught? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 Did jim.hoggarth work for Sony repairing mini discs or is everything he knows all learnt and self taught? Totally self-taught, building on my previous experience as both a bench and field engineer in the office equipment and computer trades. It has taken me over eight years to learn as much as I now know on MD units, and I am still learning (just today I gained more insight into a certain Aiwa unit). It's not just the dry facts, but getting to know the faults and fixes needed, the best procedures, and the quick tricks. For instance, I can now diagnose some faults just by the noises that the motors make. or by a pattern of fault codes. I will never stop learning, I hope. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted November 30, 2012 Report Share Posted November 30, 2012 About your dislike about the RH1, is it a mechanical or an electronic problem ? I still have my "marsupilami" grey unit with a /@&%:+ joggle problem. Consider it more a a spare parts unit for my more recent black unit now, the grey unit is still listening and recording well but it is a mess to change anything in the settings, I control only what is possible with the remote. Mainly mechanical - the unit is just not built to survive actual use. It all looks very pretty when you first get it out of the box, but it quickly starts to show its faults. Here's a few examples: 1) The jog dial is a laugh. These switches were bad enough when used on the likes of the R90/91. At least in those models you could get to the switch to clean the contacts. The RH1 has the big plastic extrusion that is the jog lever that makes it very difficult to get at. The jog lever also breaks off too easily. And the miniature switches used for group, vol+/- etc were crap when they were used in the N910, so why use them again in later models? Every second N910/920 I see has a faulty End Search button. 2) The upper metalwork (ie disc lid) is prone to bending into a convex shape. This causes disc-in switch problems until the metalwork is bent back. I assume this is due to folk putting it into a back pocket. True, Sony advise not to do this, but then people are people. 3) In a similar vein, the plunger that operates the disc-in switch does so through a sprung metal tab, underneath which is a stuck-on plastic spacer. I assume this is a post-design modification to fix a disc-in switch problem discovered after the design was finalised, as there seems no obvious other reason. Which would be fine, if the plastic spacer did not slip sideways under the pressure of the plunger, causing it to come of eventually! So yet again, the unit keeps resetting itself. 4) The OLED displays are nice but everyone knows they fade with time. So what do Sony do? Put two of them in. 5) The display/switch 'block' is a plastic lump which hangs off the metalwork by three small tabs. In order that the display can actually be seen, this plastic needs to be a translucent type (is it a polycarbonate??) Unlike say ABS, the display plastic is brittle and it's not long before the three tabs break. The result is at best a loose display block. At worst it falls off. 6) The connector from display block to main board is bent to such a ridiculous extent, that removing the display block just a few times can cause the connector to crack and require replacing. I have never liked equipment that is NOT built to be serviceable. 7) The USB connection is flaky unless the board screws are fit with a torque wrench (Seriously, this one is even in the service manual) 8) The plastic end cheeks on the lower case are simply held on by melting (mushrooming) plastic pegs. This is a common technique, but not when you only have two plastic pegs to mould. Ten, twenty, yes - but not two. It only takes one to break, and the second peg follows. And then the plastic part just drops off. I hope I have not put anyone of buying an RH1. Just make sure you super-glue it to a brick before you try using it, and put it in a box so you are never tempted to use a switch or change a disc! Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippeC Posted December 1, 2012 Report Share Posted December 1, 2012 I have noticed that Hi-MD units are more fragile than old fashionned and Net-MD ones. Using the MZ-RH1 on a table (or a brick) instead of putting it in a pocket is a good advise as his price is so high that you have to take care of it. But Jim, what is your own toughness ranking of all the portable units you have repaired or tested ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UK-MD Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 Mainly mechanical - the unit is just not built to survive actual use. It all looks very pretty when you first get it out of the box, but it quickly starts to show its faults. Here's a few examples: 1) The jog dial is a laugh. These switches were bad enough when used on the likes of the R90/91. At least in those models you could get to the switch to clean the contacts. The RH1 has the big plastic extrusion that is the jog lever that makes it very difficult to get at. The jog lever also breaks off too easily. And the miniature switches used for group, vol+/- etc were crap when they were used in the N910, so why use them again in later models? Every second N910/920 I see has a faulty End Search button. 2) The upper metalwork (ie disc lid) is prone to bending into a convex shape. This causes disc-in switch problems until the metalwork is bent back. I assume this is due to folk putting it into a back pocket. True, Sony advise not to do this, but then people are people. 3) In a similar vein, the plunger that operates the disc-in switch does so through a sprung metal tab, underneath which is a stuck-on plastic spacer. I assume this is a post-design modification to fix a disc-in switch problem discovered after the design was finalised, as there seems no obvious other reason. Which would be fine, if the plastic spacer did not slip sideways under the pressure of the plunger, causing it to come of eventually! So yet again, the unit keeps resetting itself. 4) The OLED displays are nice but everyone knows they fade with time. So what do Sony do? Put two of them in. 5) The display/switch 'block' is a plastic lump which hangs off the metalwork by three small tabs. In order that the display can actually be seen, this plastic needs to be a translucent type (is it a polycarbonate??) Unlike say ABS, the display plastic is brittle and it's not long before the three tabs break. The result is at best a loose display block. At worst it falls off. 6) The connector from display block to main board is bent to such a ridiculous extent, that removing the display block just a few times can cause the connector to crack and require replacing. I have never liked equipment that is NOT built to be serviceable. 7) The USB connection is flaky unless the board screws are fit with a torque wrench (Seriously, this one is even in the service manual) 8) The plastic end cheeks on the lower case are simply held on by melting (mushrooming) plastic pegs. This is a common technique, but not when you only have two plastic pegs to mould. Ten, twenty, yes - but not two. It only takes one to break, and the second peg follows. And then the plastic part just drops off. I hope I have not put anyone of buying an RH1. Just make sure you super-glue it to a brick before you try using it, and put it in a box so you are never tempted to use a switch or change a disc! Jim Lol and people want up to 800 quid for these on ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arr-Nine-Hundred Posted June 18, 2013 Report Share Posted June 18, 2013 Thanks for bumping up this post UK-MD, I recently got an N710 unit repaired in tip-top condition by Jim - I give him an A+ for his service. I really liked reading that post Jim made on "Posted 30 November 2012 - 10:54 PM" - I've been asking him about recommended models and this gives a fascinating insight on his thoughts and experience. I repair laptops for friends and family and used to mess about with modding Xbox consoles years ago and know exactly what he means about diagnosing certain things from small indicators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ral-Clan Posted June 28, 2013 Report Share Posted June 28, 2013 Mainly mechanical - the unit is just not built to survive actual use. It all looks very pretty when you first get it out of the box, but it quickly starts to show its faults. Here's a few examples: I hope I have not put anyone of buying an RH1. Just make sure you super-glue it to a brick before you try using it, and put it in a box so you are never tempted to use a switch or change a disc! Jim So which portable units, in your opinion, are the most robust and servicable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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