NEED MZ NH1 cradle

[MindbenderX]

need the cradle for a MZ-NH1

[sfbp]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SONY-BCA-MZNH1-CHARGING-STAND-DOCK-FOR-MZ-NH1-OR-MZ-NH3D-MINIDISC-PLAYERS/274021961322

Only problem is you will need the special cable too.

If you have it, well and good, otherwise consider buying just the cable.

[dynamicdrew]

On 10/1/2019 at 6:30 PM, MindbenderX said:

need the cradle for a MZ-NH1

Actually, do you not need the cradle to charge. I have an NH1 and have never even used the cradle. I bought a wall charger from eBay specifically for the lip4wm battery and it works well! Link: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Multi-voltage-Charger-FOR-SONY-LIP-4WM-Rechargeable-Battery-MZ-NH1-RH1-M200-NH3D-/324033311023?_ul=CO

My unit is a little different from the one on the linked page, but I purchased from the same seller. You should contact him.

[Daggers8]

Hi,

I am in England and have just discovered my MZ-NH1 (and LIP-4WM battery) in a box in my loft  - I want to check it works before tracking down the elusive BCA-MZNH1 dock/charge stand and this charger might be ideal but the link is old and web search doesn't return any results. Do you have any details of the manufacturer/model of the charger to assist my search?

Thanks

pd

[kgallen]

Welcome!

21 minutes ago, Daggers8 said:

but the link is old and web search doesn't return any results. Do you have any details of the manufacturer/model of the charger to assist my search?

ETA: Sorry my bad, you mean the charger from the previous post. Doh! Stephen knows this stuff, I'm sure he'll comment when he wakes up (any time now...)

I'm not sure I understand this part of your statement/question.

BCA-MZNH1 is the Sony charger/dock.

https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/portable-music-players-minidisc-portable/mz-nh1

 

[Daggers8]

I did find this charger (currently out of stock) from a company that sells the LIP-4WM batteries - https://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_u-charger.htm - which might be suitable, when it is available again.

[sfbp]

Hard to tell from the description. I don't much like the sound of having to "move the adjusters" for the + and - terminals, when most Li-Ion batteries actually have 3 terminals.

I'd be inclined to check out this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SONY-USB-CABLE-FOR-MZ-NH1-MZ-NH3D-OR-MZ-DH10P-MINIDISC-PLAYERS/274693567699

Sorry I don't remember if it fails to charge without the stand but I think not; that stand is very nice but a cosmetic detail, especially since you can't do USB to it (if my memory serves correctly). I would also comment that you do NOT want to be always removing and reinserting the LIP-4WM which is a really tight fit. Once it becomes less than tight, your connection (to the battery terminals) may become quite unreliable.

There is a stand for sale in Germany (no cable). Sigh.

[Daggers8]

Thanks for the response, I did see the stand for sale in Germany and also one in USA but import duties now apply even from Germany so that would add more expense before finding out if the NH1 even works after a decade or more in storage.

Do you think that this cable would power the up/charge the NH1 or would it be just for data sync?

My NH900 no longer charges or powers up from the gumstick battery but I don't need to plug in the charger when it is connected to my notebook via mini USB cable for transferring files so I would hope that this is the same?

[kgallen]

44 minutes ago, sfbp said:

I'd be inclined to check out this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SONY-USB-CABLE-FOR-MZ-NH1-MZ-NH3D-OR-MZ-DH10P-MINIDISC-PLAYERS/274693567699

HOW MUCH? And it's knac*ered! Robbing g... grrr.

[Daggers8]

I messaged the seller to query if it charges the NH1 or if it is just for data transfer - he is selling an NH1 (and an RH1) so he has the ability to test it as he is asking big money for it!

Unfortunately some eBay sellers do tend to cash in on the rarity of accessories - from my perspective, the price is worth paying if I get the end result I am hoping for - I am hoping to connect a mini disc to my Denon UD-M30 receiver (as I am now permanently working from home) and thought the NH1 would look good on it's stand sat astride the mini hi-fi.

[sfbp]

Double-sigh. The NH1 does ***NOT*** charge from the cable alone. Sorry for raising false hope. The MZ-RH1 does, however.

Further error by me - the LIP-4WM has only 2 terminals. So that other device would be safe. Doesn't buy you transfer to a PC though. To answer your other question, having computer hooked to stereo may be just as effective, and much less costly.

[slugbahr]

On 2/24/2021 at 2:31 AM, Daggers8 said:

Hi,

I am in England and have just discovered my MZ-NH1 (and LIP-4WM battery) in a box in my loft  - I want to check it works before tracking down the elusive BCA-MZNH1 dock/charge stand and this charger might be ideal but the link is old and web search doesn't return any results. Do you have any details of the manufacturer/model of the charger to assist my search?

Thanks

pd

Try this

https://www.google.com/search?q=lip-4wm+charger&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjm89LvkoTvAhWf2HMBHQjtAM4Q2-cCegQIABAC&oq=lip-4wm+charger&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzoECCMQJzoECAAQGFCw_wFYj4kCYMuZAmgAcAB4AIAB1wKIAaAHkgEFMi0xLjKYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=piA3YOaIH5-xz7sPiNqD8Aw&bih=800&biw=1280&client=tablet-android-samsung-nf-rev1

[Daggers8]

I bought the cable from the seller and, when connected to my Dell Latitude E4310 notebook, it transfers files to a disc in the NH1 and plays tracks on the NH1 using the controls in Sonic Stage (but does not charge it as was pointed out earlier in this thread) plus the display comes up so I have confirmed that the NH1 is still in good working order and worth investing in.

And now for the interesting bit - the seller I bought the cable from confirmed that  the " SONY MZ N10 MINIDISC CHARGING STAND DOCK BCA WM21U " will work and charge the mz-nh1 but is a very very tight fit for the unit, which pretty much confirms that the connector on the NH1 and N10 are the same. And this post - http://forums.sonyinsider.com/topic/31268-sony-bca-nwhd3-usb-adapter-for-mz-n10-data-transfer-charging/ - confirms that the BCA-NWHD3 adapter fits the N10 and charges it so it should, therefore, also fit the NH1 - this would probably be the most cost effective way to solve my charging/connectivity issue on the NH1 as there is one for sale on ebay for £35 - see here: -https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Sony-BCA-NW-HD3-NW-HD5-USB-Sync-Adapter-for-Atrac-mp3-Players/284154661536?epid=1122936714&hash=item4228f00aa0:g:294AAOSwuLJgCFQQ 

[Richard]

Good to hear it's still working. Yes, the N10, NH1, NH3D and DH10P all share the same USB connector. None of them charge over USB, just transfer tracks. All of them require the cradle to charge. The DH10P can be connected via USB direct or the cradle also has a USB port in it. The NH1 / NH3D were originally planned to have USB connections also in the cradle, but this idea was cancelled during the pre-production phase. 

[sfbp]

I have one of those gizmos for my NW-HD3. Unfortunately the "retaining plate" which nicely fits it for the NW-HD3 makes it physically impossible to put that in the MZ-NH1. It looks as if it should go but in fact the connector is upside down and it simply doesn't fit.

You could cut that plate off but I think that might compromise the solidity of the connection for the HD3. I'm guessing (BUT CANNOT AFFIRM THIS) perhaps the resultant cut-down BCA-NWHD3 might charge and allow USB access all at once to the MZ-NH1. But there might just a a reason that doesn't work. That's perhaps why the NH1 comes with: a. the data cable and b. the charge stand. You cannot use both at the same time. It's possible that there some electrical reason (on the NH1, only) that they didn't want two types of power hooked up simultaneously.

Sadly I'm not prepared to wreck an NH1 and/or the BCA-NWHD3 to find out. Kevin or Gyula can probably puzzle over the schematics to try to figure out whether it makes sense to use that other adapter (after it's been chopped up) on the MZ-NH1.

(it's true that they don't charge ***via*** USB, Richard. But they charge via that same connector!)

[Daggers8]

I understand your reluctance to cut off the plate on your BCA-NWHD3 adapter as they are now in short supply and you would be in the hands of the profiteers if you wanted to get a replacement and you also don't want to risk your NH1. But as my NH1 had been languishing in my loft for a decade I felt it worth the risk - and it appears to have been worth it!

I ordered a cheap (Dremel-a-like) rotary drill from eBay and, when that arrived on Saturday, removed the plastic tab from the HWHD3 adapter and connected it to the NH1 and connected a multi-voltage power supply (set to 6V) - the charge light did come one and the display reported that the unit was charging) but less than 20 seconds later, the light went off and after it was left connected for 4 hours there was no life in the battery but the battery could now be duff after a decade of not being used - this could be a later opportunity to attempt Jimma's LIP-4WM Battery Rebuild!

When I plugged in headphones and played a disc, it did this flawlessly and also when I connected to my Dell Latitude via a mini-USB cable, files were transferred successfully so I guess the adapter worked as I had hoped but the battery has expired.

[sfbp]

Good job.

As I sort of suspected.

So the HD3 and the NH1 are electrically equivalent. Excellent news.

You will have your work cut out reviving that battery. It's probably a goner. Jimma's solution works.

The other oddity in all this is I am far from convinced that the NH1 really needs a 6V powersupply. It may WELL be it needs more like 9 V. Why? Because I have noticed that the MDS-PC3 seems confused about whether it needs 6V or 9V, AND the NH1 supplied powersupply (6V) seems to be the only one that actually charges it correctly.

I think somebody under/over-specified something.

I'm certain Kevin and Gyula will know what's going on from my thumbnail sketch. I'm not sure I do.

[NGY]

I can confirm the PC3 does need a 9V DC power supply (both my units are the same), according to the back plates and their original Sony wall adaptors (and the user manual of course). If it runs on a 6V adapter (I never tried that), it might be due to the  possibly oversized overhead for the internal DC rail regulators.

Also, I checked the factory docs of the NH1, and 6V DC input power is stated everywhere.

Regarding the battery: I also recommend a clean and new rebuild of the battery pack as described by Jimma. Nevertheless, I have been able to re-vitalize several old-ish battery packs in the past (see more here, and also further down in that thread), and I still use some of them without any issues. Naturally, if you feel uncomfortable doing such a "hack", just disregard my notes.

 

[kgallen]

1 hour ago, sfbp said:

I'm certain Kevin and Gyula will know what's going on from my thumbnail sketch. I'm not sure I do.

I think this one is already long solved by @NGY but in general if we can find schematics for the machine we can usually work it out from there if we can find a datasheet for whatever regulator chip they’ve used. 

[sfbp]

All I'm really saying is that not all 6V power supplies are equal.
The official 6v Sony one works. I have tried other ones (allegedly 6V) with less success!

I now remember why I commented on the PC3. Its socket is the wrong size for most other 9V adapters! However the right size for 6V. (again I may have that backwards, knowing me)

[NGY]

I believe the official Sony power supplies are very well built items. The transformer inside is more robust than in many other, similarly rated adaptors. The thing is that a power supply must be able to provide not only the nominal voltage, but the same time the necessary current (Amps) too, without dropping the voltage below a certain treshold.

I have an approx. 1 cubic inch size "CH" wall adaptor (with a transformer inside, not a switching PSU), that is rated 9V and 1 Amp output. The Sony power supply of the PC3 is about twelve (!) times bigger in size, and rated 9V / 600 mA. Go figure.

[Daggers8]

I was fortunate enough to spot a BCA-MZNH1 stand when it appeared on eBay at the weekend and snapped it up - I have uploaded a photo that confirms that the NH1 definitely requires 6V. I also tested my power supply with a multi-meter and it is delivering 6.15V but not sure what current is being delivered as the multi-voltage adapter delivers 3-12V max 1.2A.

The end result is the same though, the charge light comes on for almost 20 seconds and then goes off (as does the display on the NH1) - I left it on the stand overnight with power connected but still no life from the battery so Jimma's battery re-build is looking the more likely solution as NGY's method is a bit above my technical experience.

One final thing I can try (but I am not expecting the outcome to be any different) in a few days as I was lucky enough to win a job lot of HD1s on eBay that includes a Sony AC-ES608K (6V 800mA) power supply. That bundle should arrive early next week and, in the meantime, I will continue periodically tying to initiate a charge cycle on the NH1 as I have know some smartphones that have been caught in a re-charge loop when they have not been used in a while and the battery has been almost completely discharged and then suddenly contains enough charge to begin a full charge cycle.

[kgallen]

@Daggers8 thanks for sharing your ongoing story, keep it up!