repair procedure: walkman! | ||
The name "walkman" is a trademark of sony, but it's used generically to describe any personal stereo. Today's service call involves a personal CD player made by RCA. These are very complicated devices, but with the right tools and some common sense, we'll find the problem and fix it. The complaint with this unit is when you put a disc in it and push PLAY, nothing happens. Let's have a look. | ||
As always, a good work surface is critical. I'm using a cork placemat on a 600-lb. marble table for stability. Here, we've already removed the lid by snapping it off with big pliers. Most covers on things are just a nuisance anyway. Notice how the cover came off in several pieces- points off for bad design. | ||
Now that we're inside, we see the optical table where the laser lens and pickup are mounted. This is a very precise, critical component. Use the big pliers with a firm grip to check that the table moves smoothly. Often times, to check the full range of motion, the table must be ripped from its mounts and twisted into a new configuration. We can reshape the component later with a big hammer, or a pistol if necessary. | ||
We missed the forest for the trees! While taking the stepper motor out (again with the big pliers) I noticed that the walkman didn't have any batteries. This is why seasoned repairmen always ask the stupid questions first- "Is it plugged in?" "Is it turned ON?" and so forth. I only spent five minutes carefully disassembling the unit, but it always takes longer to put things back together. We'll cover that another day. | ||
email dr. cliff |