FS/FT: Sharp IM-DR80 for repair (?)

[syn010110]

I have a Sharp IM-DR80 that I'm trying to sell. I don't really know anything about fixing MD portables or anything with this many mechanical parts in it (I'm more about fixing smartphones and other solid-state devices that have no moving bits and pieces), but this unit is not quite... right.

Currently (as of five minutes ago) the DR80 is playing discs beautifully. Sounds fantastic and all that stuff. The body is in really good shape with only a few small scratches; the worst physical damage is the small tab that locks the battery door in place has been broken off, but you could fix that pretty easily by replacing the plastic piece with one from a dead unit, or using some epoxy to re-create the missing bit, or (what I had planned to do) simply use some stick-on velcro strips to keep it shut.

The problem with the unit is sometimes, whenever it feels like it, it'll quit working. Put a disc in, it'll give you the "beep" feedback, but the motor won't spin up and the disc won't play at all. Every time this happens, I've tapped the thing lightly-ish against my palm (flat against it, striking my hand with the back of the unit) and the motor seems to wake back up, spinning and reading the disc without issue. Once it starts working again, it seems to stay working unless you let it sit for a few days or it gets jolted around too much. I'd guess that the device has a loose connection somewhere, probably power to the motor that spins the disc.

I don't really have the knowledge to repair one of these and since it actually does work (when it feels like it), I'd rather not sacrifice it to my own curiosity. I don't have the money to ask someone who knows what they're doing to repair it, and the four-poles headphone thing is getting annoying anyway since I can't use my UE600 headset with it (as the earphones have a four-pole arrangement for Left/Right/Ground/Mic rather than Left/Right/L.Ground/R.Ground) and I end up just using my Sony E520 pretty much 100% of the time, at least until I get a new pair of earphones.

So I'll put it up here to see if anyone wants it before I toss it to the dogs on eBay.

Please be aware that this is just the main DR80 unit and the external AA battery caddy. I don't have the remote or the docking station that came with it, and without those parts it can only really function as a player. Someone else who has a DR80 may want to make use of it, though, either for parts or as a backup main unit.

I'm willing to either sell the thing for $30 plus the cost of shipping from Oakland, CA, or trade it for something. I'd be willing to trade it for new or used blank MDs (I can always use those), especially if they're cute or interesting looking. I'd also be willing to trade it for another recorder or player. I would be willing to add cash on top of it to trade for a player of greater value (I'd be especially thrilled to get my hands on a fully-functional Auvi portable player such as a DS8, DS70 and the like, or any of the Kenwood versions). Payment would be through either Paypal or Amazon Payments in the case of a purchase.

Anyway thanks for listening to my long-windedness. If nobody has much interest in the thing I'll move it to eBay after a week or so.

[slugbahr]

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