Scored a lovely TC-D5M recently. Sounds glorious and is superclean. Case was flakier than a supply teacher with psoriasis but with the help of a can of vinyl paint I managed to refurb it. Looks like your nan's shiny cheap handbag now but it's better than before! 2 issues; the volume and record pots are scratchy. Need to clean or replace I think. What are the options? Also, there's no FF. It plays fantastic, super-stable and it rewinds no problem, just no FF. No biggy.
It is always worth trying some switch / contact cleaner before considering replacement (that is if you can even get spares). It worked in this case: http://www.stereo2go.com/forums/thr...36-wm36-volume-slider-is-scratchy-weird.4719/
For future reference, I've also replied to this thread on Tapeheads as odgcwrtw: http://www.tapeheads.net/showthread.php?t=75753 Try using a needle and syringe and carefully inject Deoxit F5/Fader into the pot. But don't be like that guy on stereo2go that recently sprayed deoxit from the outside and ruined his walkmans getting deoxit all over the belts, board and mech. You inject directly into the pot itself when the machine is disassembled. On the types of pots found in the TC-D5, there is a clear entryway on the bottom of the pot where the connectors are. You simply inject a small amount onto the brown board, where you can see the carbon tracks, exercise the pot a bit, and you're done. Deoxit is generally very safe, but you don't want to get it anywhere it's not supposed to go. When rebuilding a pot, I would wipe the tracks with isopropyl alcohol or Deoxit D5, then apply Deoxit fader with a cotton swab. Not all pots have openings like these that lead to the tracks. Some, like the PTD902 we're talking about in this thread are sealed. There can be other openings too depending on the pot.
I had a few Walkmans with scratchy pots recently, fixed them by reflowing the solder pads for them and also cleaning with IPA. Works a treat most of the time.
So, 5 years later and it was about time D5M number-1, my daily driver...which genuinely gets used almost daily.. received some TLC. I noticed that the SS was a little 'off' the last couple of times I had used it and so some investigative poking and prodding became necessary. Wouldn't you know it, but the azimuth was off by a country mile! I recently bagged a vintage pristine, non-abused and fully-functional Tektronix TDS350 scope for peanuts. I have an old analogue Tek 2225 from the 80's which is still going strong after 10 years in my ownership, but I've been hankering after a digital storage scope for ages now. I still can't quite justify the expense for a current good one, at least for the use I would get out of it so when the TDS350 came up for comapratively very little money I jumped at the chance. Granted it's not as fast as a current Rigol, Keysight etc but it gets the job done. Also, wheras the 2225 is nice and quiet having no ventilation fan, the TDS350 has, or should I say had a nasty old roller-bearing fan buried at the back of the case. That was the first thing to get swapped out for a nice quiet fan from Nexus. I was also lucky that there was no diagnostics fail sensor for the fan as some other scopes have. Popped the HPR azimuth tape into the D5M and hit the handy 'Autoset' button on the new scope to verify the earlier observation from my old Tek 2225 which was showing almost total out-of-phase condition for the head. The azimuth adjust is horrid on the TCD5M and requires an over-shoot when adjusting to eventually fall back to a settled position once you remove any degree of pressure on the screw. But I managed to get something acceptable and it now sounds tip top! Here's to another 5 years and more of using my favourite portable! Yikes. Looking better I'd say that was just about tip top and nicely back in-phase The old and the 'new'. Much quieter. I can hear the cat fart again 'Can you smell that humin? Score out of 10?' I have also been trawling around the interwebs for a nice field recorder bag as an alternative to the manky old case that these things came with. There's plenty of them out there and the K-Tek Stingray bags look magnificent, if not a bit on the expensive side. But on my search I came accross a 3D model of a TCD5 that someone has obviously taken a few hours to make. I thought it was pretty impressive. See what you think: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/sony-tc-d5-recorder-aa2e82ca23cc415897fe66c9a3f5a3ba There's an obvious, glaring mistake however. Can you spot it? EDIT: and someone has done some nice renders from the model: https://www.instagram.com/p/CS-rCT2qW0i/?img_index=5
Going a bit further and I thought it may be a good idea for D5M number-2, the 'pristine garage-queen' to get a going over while I have all the tools and gauges out. It's seen very little use, if any, during its' lifetime as befits the pristine and virtually unmarked condition, but of course sitting in a plastic bag, in a box, in a cupboard can also be detrimental to operability and risks spec-shift. So, the first precautionary step was to clean the heads and pinch roller, then hook it up to the scope for azimuth and levels checks. The service manual, HansPeter Roth calibration tapes and oscilloscope come in very handy for these calibration tests. Quel surprise; the azimuth is totally out as per D5M number-1, but quickly resolved with the aid of a screwdriver and a bit of patient fettling of the azimuth screw. That's better, back in-phase but hang on, what's this? There seems to be a very slight PB level disparity as indicated on the scope and also the D5M's beautiful VU meters. I'm not going to measure the µV differential, I'm just going to adjust down the 'louder' right channel for convenience and as it's the safer of the two options. It's also not an audible difference when listening to music, but my OCD dictates it has to at least look balanced on the scope >.< Adjusting the RV501 pot on the underside of the main board as per the service manual gets the job done. Better. That'll do for me Tommy! A quick check that head-heights are in spec too. Maybe i should have done this first. Is there a defined order I wonder? Then finally a W&F and speed check using the 3150Hz HPR 'Gleiclauftest' tape. W&F is a bit higher from stated 0.06% RMS these days at 0.0691% and an indicated max of 0.0812%, but nothing to complain about as PB still sounds fantastic! Having the right tools makes all the difference when servicing and I can highly reccommend the HPR tapes in this respect. The M-300 gauge is a nice to have and possibly essential if you're experiencing more severe issues. An oscilloscope is indispensible and ANT's WFGUI (free) program is free and extremely useful too! Now...back in the box you!
Logic would say the head height is to be checked first before azimuth or levels. However, in practice, the head height cannot change by itself. It will be altered only if the shim is changed/missing or if the mechanism is mechanically damaged (bent parts). It's probably why the service manual does not say anything about this, as they don't expect this to ever need adjustment. The wow&flutter at 0.08% WRMS is a bit on the high side (but acceptable), I typically obtain around 0.05% WRMS after I service these. Cleaning the capstan rubber ring, lubricating the motor front bushing, capstan bushing and adjusting motor position (so spindle is perpendicular to flywheel) are maintenance items that should be done. Depending on the condition of the motor spindle, that may require a light sanding to make it smooth again. What I do in such situation is rub a small piece of sandpaper (800 grit, then 2000 grit) against the spindle while the motor is running. For this I remove the motor and power it with a lab supply.
Well, I decided to adjust the speed down and magically this significantly reduced the W&F to around 0.0691%, so I edited the post with the new results. It's amazing how a relatively small tweak for speed would yield such a relatively large, beneficial improvement in W&F don't you think? Maybe inverting the player for a short while while adjusting the speed pot has been unintentionally beneficial in more ways than one! I might do a deep-dive service per your suggestions if the figures become worse. I'm pretty amazed that D5M number-1 (daily driver) has been so reliable with almost daily use for the last 5 years! The azimuth issue is something I only really noticed in the last couple of weeks when listening to quieter music and thinking 'hmm need to check some things maybe...'
That's pretty good going seeing as Sony quote 0.06%! I need proof. WFGUI screenshot or it didn't happen!
Obtaining values lower than the specificaion is not as unusual as you may think, in fact it's pretty common. You have to consider a specification takes into account variation with individual units (which will always exist), aging and also leaves some margin in order to not have problems with warranty or at least reduce them to a minimum possible. Can see attached the reading of a TC-D5 Pro II (a bit higher than 0.05% stated, but within that ballpark) I serviced recently. EDIT: Added a second screenshot from a D5M which measured below 0.05%. Please ignore the speed as that was adjusted after this initial measurement. That may be an indication the trimpot was a bit dirty and cursor was not making a good connection with carbon trace. The fact you moved it in a different position can explain why the w&f dropped.
Yes. Must remember to turn it upside down once in a while! Nice w&f results. The lowest w&f I've sen on any cassette player is from my CR4E @ 0.217%. Nak specify 0.270%, which is pretty amazing for a 30+ year old device! ...even better than my Nak Dragon of a similar vintage!
