Hello all, I have a new-looking Panasonic RQ-X11 which I so far failed to repair. When I insert a tape, if first does a short fast forward. Then when I click play button it will start playback and then reverse in 3 seconds, then reverse back in 3 seconds unstoppably. Even the stop button does nothing at this stage, i have to remove the tape to stop this. There is no sound at all through the headphone jack, either. If I press fast forward / rewind during this repeated reverse, it will fast forward for around 3 seconds and then continue repeating forward/reverse playback. I changed belt, mechanically it looks good as all the gears function well and the rollers, capstans do their job. Here is a video for better understanding of the issue: I highly appreciate any thoughts and tips about this. Thanks, Ridvan
In the service manual, I can see a rotary switch that tells the microcontroller the position of the mechanism (FWD, REV, FF, REW). If that switch is dirty or not installed in the correct postion (or maybe not soldered to the PCB at all), this could cause an endless loop between FWD and REV, because the microcontroller does not know in what position it is. The switch is clearly visible in the picture in the second post: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/info-on-panasonic-rq-x-clutch.6341/
Thank you Valentin. I was suspecting the same, this unit had no belt and I fit belt in it, and (I thought) I put the switch in the same position. Apparently I did not.. I will desolder the board and try fitting it the right way. Thanks
You can download the service manual here: https://freeservicemanuals.info/en/servicemanuals/viewmanual/Panasonic/RQX11/
Thanks @Ridvan and @Valentin I just bought this model with the same issues and lining up the gear to the correct position fixed it for me. Nice little player.
Hello all. Sorry for late reply, I was waiting for my new soldering iron to start working on this. I aligned the position as in the service manual, cleared the phototransistor sensor but nothing changed. I also measured the rotary position switch and it checks out. Any other ideas?
Yes, check the IR LED with a camera (you need to see a purple light), if that's not emitting the mechanism will likely loop from that as well, because the microcontroller is not detecting table reel rotation. If the board does not power when taken out of the unit, you can power the LED with the diode function of a multimeter. The fact that the multimeter measures a voltage drop DOES NOT mean the LED is good. You need to check it optically.
Thank you Valentin, I will check it very soon. If that is faulty, what are the chances that I find a replacement? Seems very unlikely to me
You don't need to find a replacement, you simply cut the led part if it's a module with both IR LED and phototransistor and solder an SMD IR LED in that place. I did that on walkmans with this issue successfully.
thank you Valentin. I tested that photocoupler now and it emits light at around 1.15V, and I measure resistance on the collector when the light is reflected back. So I guess both emitter and collector are OK. Even though this player's issue is not solved yet, I already learned something new as an amateur. Thanks. Any other ideas?
Ok so the issue is the PCB. It looks perfect visually but it has discontinuities (So far I found: from the IR collector to the the pin 10 of IC4, which caused the loop. From DC + to pin 4 of the control board, which prevented stop button from functioning). I am testing further as probably there are more. Because there is not even any sound on this device, no beep no hiss nothing.
Update: I have a fully working device now. The issues were with some PCB traces. Thank you for the support, I would not manage this without the support.
Glad you made it work ! Please share some pictures, for reference. Is the PCB single sided or double sided ? On double sided PCBs, vias can also cause broken connections. Broken traces are usually caused by a break in the PCB itself (can be caused by dropping the unit), which should be visible if you look very carefully.
Ok I correct my statement. There are no visible cracks on the PCB, both of the connections failed because of faulty vias, not traces. I just learned they were called "via" an amateur enthusiast here. I will disassemble the unit again for belt replacement soon when I have time (because I had randomly fit a belt for testing at 02:00 in the night just to test the operation, did not have further time to fit better belt), and I will take photos of the PCB then.
I included this issue as a potential common problem in my "List of walkman/portable recorders common problems": https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/list-of-walkman-portable-recorders-common-problems.7535/
I'm using an RQ-X11 as daily driver and it is a very reliable walkman. I bought three similar panasonic's in less than a month, an RQ-X20, X22 and X11, the latter is my favourite. All three required a new belt and a bit of clean-up but other than that they worked straight-away, no issues with via's or other components.
One further note: the RQ-X11 I have must have seen little use: it has few scratches on the shell but it has excellent W&F better than my belt driven Sony's or other Panasonic using the RQ-S transport. It is second only to the Sony DD's, as a further proof of how this relatively cheap transport is capable to perform. I had a chat with serious collector/restorer of Panasonic walkman's and he says 99% of RQ-X works fine with just a new belt, no major maintenance needed. Just make sure to accurately check all gears for dirt or debris in the teeth.
Thank you for the info. May I ask about the w&f you get with it to compare with mine? I am not home to check and confirm mine for the following 3 weeks but when I return I would like to compare yours with mine. I remember well that it had good w&f performance (although I don't remember exact numbers). I can still work on it a little more to get it better if yours seem to outperform mine by huge margin. Thanks.
I have a panasonic rq-x11 that worked when I put it away 20 years ago, but now doesn't work although it shows signs of life. Does anyone know or a repair place in the UK? Thanks
