jim.hoggarth Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 This will give you a chuckle: Started work on a Sony MZ-N510 yesterday, and have just completed it now. I chose it as a possible B-Grade sales unit, thinking once the damaged display window plastics were swapped it would only need a tweak or two. I originally bought it in a job lot off eBay in February last year (2012), so I assumed there would be some problems as lots of 'spares or repairs' gear had often been messed with. The original stated fault was dead, but I should have realised what was to come when I spotted the display board had deliberately been left disconnected (the seller is unsurprisingly no longer a registered user on eBay.co.uk): Display window plastics - badly marked Key plastics - broken Display board - LCD matrix fault Outer chassis metalwork - bent (especially lid lock latch) Sub-chassis disc lock release arm - bent Head load transmission shaft - final gear slipping Main circuit board - no motor drive Optical pickup unit - laser fault Motors assembly - inconsistent spindle motor speed Upper slot mechanism and overwrite head - head tampered with and misaligned Lower plastic casing - eject button hinge pillar broken Sub-chassis step screw missing Lid pop-up spring missing Lower casing screws missing - all four of them So, other than the plastic sub-chassis and top case, just about every other part needed or adjusting. Did you think I was seen off with this one? Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SileEeles Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 I have an MZ-N510 Sounds like a pain in the backside, but interesting. What boggles my mind though, is how that much damage came to be there in the first place. I mean "Upper slot mechanism and overwrite head - head tampered with and misaligned" That has to be deliberate, theres no way that can happen even with somewhat rough use, or would I be wrong? Hopefully it didn't cost you too much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted July 7, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 No, just less than £5. But it was so unexpected I actually found it funny. It is quite obviously a bundle of faulty bits thrown together to sell for whatever can be got. Actually, the guy would probably have got more if the unit had been sold on its own - not too bad looking, but with a sting in the tail. Whoever worked on this before was a total amateur. But then so was I, the first time I opened up a portable MD unit!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SileEeles Posted July 7, 2013 Report Share Posted July 7, 2013 Yeah, we all gotta start somewhere. I wouldnt even bother to attempt a repair on the discs mechanisms without finding out how and then double and tripple checking. Most of the bigger stuff is simple enough to deal with, like the recent one I did to my Sony deck. Desolder an old power cable and solder a new one. All that required was remembering where the brown and blue live and neutral wires went, which I marked on the PCB anyway. But I imagine, at least in your case anyway, that when you repaired your first device you didnt destroy it in the process like the previous owner of the N510 seems to have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfbp Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Sounds to me like the guy took all his cast off bits and put them into a single unit. NO MOTOR!?!? Those motors have to be unsoldered last time I checked. I dunno what statute you can have him under as it seems likely he bought from someone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alxwz Posted July 8, 2013 Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Wow, fascinating story! Sounds to me like the guy took all his cast off bits and put them into a single unit. Must have taken the seller quite a bit of work to assemble such a wreck ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted July 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2013 Yes, definitely a Frankenstein unit built from all the broken parts lying around. I get them every now and then, but never this blatant and complete a rip-off. I wish I could locate the other three units I bought in that batch, to see what state they are in, but they could be anywhere now. Anyhow, I am kind-of attached to this recorder now, and I don't know if I want to sell it. Perhaps I should put it in a glass case as a reminder to look at stuff as and when it comes in! I would love to be able to leave feedback for it now... Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilippeC Posted July 9, 2013 Report Share Posted July 9, 2013 How much would have you charged for such a tremendous work ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arr-Nine-Hundred Posted July 9, 2013 Report Share Posted July 9, 2013 Yeah, with anything marked as "spares & repairs" on eBay I regard it as somewhat as a lottery. You either have to read the description carefully or ask the seller lots of questions. Still, it sounds like a challenge for your "mad skillz" Jim :-) Sounds like you're pround of the final product and for <£5 I don't think you were robbed. It gave you some practice right? Idea: maybe you could get out some gold-ink markers, sign the back of it and crank out some "Jim Hoggarth Special Edition" units where you have had to put in extra "spit and polish" :-) I very rarely give negative feedback on eBay to individual (non-trade) sellers but one instance I've have had to do so was a badly scuffed Sony MZ-N910 which was described in "good condition". I returned it and got a refund but be careful out there and always see a photo of what you're getting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another MD fanatic Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 Never ceases to amaze me how much trouble some people will go to (and cause) for so little financial reward. I mean, not only must it have taken considerable time to assemble this pile of junk but then the seller had to advertise it, then once sold package it up and take it to the post office. And all for what? In my opinion pointless, absolutely pointless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddyjollo Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 well its like the very strange ppl who try and sell motherboard installation discs when u can download the stuff for free from the maker website? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SileEeles Posted July 11, 2013 Report Share Posted July 11, 2013 well its like the very strange ppl who try and sell motherboard installation discs when u can download the stuff for free from the maker website? I'd be more surprised if people buy them. There's always one I suppose. On the flip side, a lot of older boards are no longer supported online, so I could see the use in it. Common sense I guess is the way to go haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fade2black101 Posted July 29, 2013 Report Share Posted July 29, 2013 Hi Jim Interesting story about your MZ-N510. I purchased a job lot of four "faulty" N710's off ebay a year or so back and ended up swapping them with Jim for something else (I forget what). I remember one of them was working when plugged in, but will be curious to hear whether these units were in a similar condition to the N510 he described. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim.hoggarth Posted July 30, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2013 Hi Jim Interesting story about your MZ-N510. I purchased a job lot of four "faulty" N710's off ebay a year or so back and ended up swapping them with Jim for something else (I forget what). I remember one of them was working when plugged in, but will be curious to hear whether these units were in a similar condition to the N510 he described. To be honest, I can't fully remember what I did with them. I do seem to remember fixing one, and then scrapping the rest. For units which do not meet the grade for refurbishing, I tend to strip them for parts. Every so often I go through candidates for stripping, test all the individual parts and label them up with the cost. I reckon yours went this way mostly. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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