New adquisitions Sony WM-501 Panasonic RQ-S35

I have just get two new babies, a Sony Wm-501 and a Panasonic RQ-S35 from the same customer as a faulty items for spares. The Sony without accesories, no battery adapptor, only the walkman, I couldn´t test. Panasonic cames with the battery adapptor and the walman itself. Panasonic was tested, It doesn`t play, try to start when you press the play buttons but doesn`t.

 

They look cool.

 

First impressions after reviewing:

Sony WM-501: sticky belt, remove it and clean the gears and capstan with IPA. The secondary gear stuck, maybe old grease. Removed and runs free. Tested with a alkaline battery and a pair of wires, the motor seems to run ok. I'm wating for a Marian´s belt and a rechargable battery to test it properly. The problem is I have an old Panasonic NiCd charger and the one´s I have ordered is a NiMh. As I`m aware to charge a NiMh battery on a NiCd charger is not the best option, If erverything it´s ok I´ll buy an intelligent charger.

Panasonic RQ-S35: sticky belt cause stucking motor, dissabled rotor and clean it, after that runs freely and smooth. Waiting for Marian`s belt. In order to check the status, the pcb was desoldering: 4 solder points motor, 2 points solenoid, one more for Ac (I think so) and I have to desolder 4 points for the tape selector, these are jointning the main pcb and the tape part in 90 degrees angle. I hope don´t have problems resoldering again. One more issue, one pinch roller with a mark made by the capstan (last picture). Once I have tested with the new belt if works I´ll have to search for a new one.

Now I´m waiting for the belts and the baterry, I think at least 10 business days to receive it in Spain

 

Hello... that roller will be difficult to restore it you better change it

 

My WM-501 also had some gears stuck due to old grease. After putting Marian's belt in it worked fine, I bought an intelligent charger. Very useful, I use it for all kinds of batteries (LiIon, NiMH gumstick, Eneloops etc.)

 

Thanks for the info dksp, could you pass me a link with the info of your charger?

 

Hi, here is some more info: Looking for a gumstick charger....please help

The charger I got is a "Miboxer C4", but any similar charger should also work (eg. Nitecore or Liitokala). All these charger can charge 18650 Li-Ion cells, which are 18 mm wide and 65,0 mm long (like their name), so they will also accept the gumsticks.

 

I'm still wating for the Marian's belts. This weekend I was seeking in my box's spares for and old Sony wm-ex1 belt replacement that I bought many yeargs ago but never could use for motor issues. Well, it fits perfectly in the wm-ex501, altought I din't receive yet the gumstick battery I tried with an alkaline battery, and ... Back to the road again!

 

All seems to work perfectly but autoreverse, when you press the grenn botton to change the direction the side b starts to play ,but in a few seconds stops the sound and the tape stucks on the pinch roller. I don't now why. First of all I lubricate the axis of motor and capstan, and regrease the gears. The mecanisms runs quiet and smoothly

 

The belt needs to be very thin, or it may get stuck. The belt that was in my WM-501 when I got it was too thick and wouldn't work. Marian's belt was really thinner and works fine.
Here's a picture of the old belt in place. You can see the second right pulley where it was problematic.

 

It doesn´t a very good photos, I have to change the phone . When the belt arrives I try, until them I only plays side A.

 

However the reproduction of the side A is actually really good, no wow & flutter.
In terms of audio quality I'm suprisingly good. The unit has a delicious 80's analogue sound with a good amount of bass, pretty mediums and accurate trebles. Specially sweet wiht vinyl records, remember me the sound of the 80'S. This unit has the DBB logo instead the megabass one. Comparing with Aiwa Hs-Pl505 the sound is no soo detailed in trebles and the bass is less accurate, the Aiwa has a good amount of bass too but more controlled and focused, this make the scene more clear and the instrument more realistic. Maybe adjustable BBE system gives an adventage, you can fine tunning sound, and of course amorphous ex head. However the Sony still has a charming soundpersonality and easy listening who makes me love it and want it to use for hours playing those old vinyl recordings that takes me step back in time

 

That solution reminds me of, see pic.

 

Actually is a bomb about to explote, you have to cut the correct wire if you want to keep alive!

 

My name is Bond, James Bond

 

Today it has arrived the gumstick battery

 

Charged during two hours and a half with a Panasonic's NiCd, during the process the battery only warms a litlle. Not sure if this was enough I checked with a Panasonic Rq-sx52's battery tester, it shows 3/3 charge level, after a few minutes shows 2/3. Since that 1 hour and a half of continous reproduction in wm-501 and back test with 2/3 results