Reviving Sony MZ R500 - Issues with recording

[the_1_shark]

Hi
I am trying to revive my 16 years old Sony MZ R500..
The device plays with no problem my old MD's ( which I recorded 16 years ago ).
The problem is with recording .. ( no surprise here .. ) 
The recording process will start, the device is recording until  I press STOP. Then a flashing "SAVE" appears - probably reading the buffer , followed by a flashing "END" - writing the TOC. 
I am monitoring the recording with earphones and there is no evidence of the problem.
While playback the recorded MD, it turns out that the recording has blanks on it.
The audio will start but then after a couple of seconds it will go away (the counter is still running ! ).
The audio will return eventually but not from the point it stopped. Then again, after a couple of seconds it disappears again.
Reading the same Disc with a Sony MDS JE530 reveals the same problem. Recorded MD's from the 530 plays fine on the MZR 500 along with my old MD's which I recorded 16 years ago on the MZ R500 ..
Anyhow, I tried to synchronize the blank spaces with the spin up and down during the recording * but it seems that the blanks appears in a different locations in the track -  meaning audio has blanks even when the disc was spinned up while recording.

* BTW, is it normal for the MD to spin up and down while recording ?  I though spinning up and down is for playback mode only. 

I tried digital and analogue source, Standard/LP2/LP4 - same problem. I used a new battery and replaced it when I realized that there was a problem but got the same result.

Unfortunately I don't have the power supply.

Any help will be appreciated  

Thanks in advance 

the_1_shark

[sfbp]

Check the overwrite head resistance, should be close to 0. It sounds to me like the cable is dying (very common fault). You're extremely lucky it hasn't so far died trying to write the TOC - end of story, blank disk forever. It's possible it could be mechanical, head not getting close enough to spinning disk, but one way or another that unit is lethal to MD's. Once the OW head goes, any time you put a perfectly formed MD with music on it, and press the Track Mark button - presto blank disk,

Some of us keep a dead unit for precisely that purpose It beats all the pfaffing around with protected tracks and the like.

Time to hit the 'bay for fresh meat... unless you want to become our next MD repairman. There's a chap in Hungary who has been very successful with this sort of thing lately, NGY. Before that we had Jim Hoggarth, our very own MD repair guru who seems to have faded out. I did this job exactly once and it just about killed me even with the help of a very skilled friend - just to prove it could be done. But honestly a unit this old is probably not worth saving.

PS please don't cross post. Everyone here reads everything, and I deleted your second copy of this thread.

[PhilippeC]

Such units have a cheap price. Just find one with Atrac 4.5 + type R.

Or an MDLP uni type S.

There is also jonathanpotato in France who is a excellent repairman : http://www.jonathandupre.fr/

 

[the_1_shark]

Thanks guys,

I will try to sort this out by opening the MD and see what can be done. Maybe it's a loose soldering.

Sorry for the double post.

 

[sfbp]

Usually the cable to the OW head is cracked. You will find resistance varies as you wiggle and of course when the head moves.......