Dictophone 4250 - Famous Pico Cassette Recorder

Hi there

OK so I bough a Dictophone model 4250 because they look amazing and the tapes are cool as hell but the thing isn't working. I bought it cheap as advertised as not working, thought it was worth the risk. It turned up and it is in amazing condition. I opened it up and saw the band had come off so I replaced that, got new batteries (n type) but alas it still doesn't work. I had a look around and couldn't see anything wrong and my skills are limited so I thought I'd offer it up for free here to anyone that might have a better skillset. Let me know if you'd like it and its yours.

Hope I posted this in the right place, not sure where it should have gone so apologies if its not correct.

 

Some photos that can help ...

http://vintage-technics.ru/Eng-Dictaphone_4250.htm

 

I was planning to try and fix it but its tiny and i think above my level of expertise but I have to say you have given me the push to take one more look.

It doesn't power on at all, I looked at the pads already and can't get it to turn on from inside the machine with my fingers. I did look at connections and the ribbon but the ribbon wasn't looked at properly. With regards to the ribbon, what would you do if you find something wrong? Are you able to repair it a little with something or have to get a replacement part.

Its such a cool device thats realatively rare I wouldn't want it going anywhere other than to someone who would like to fix it or worst use it to fix others.

 

Ok so here we are

I have opened this up again and started to look for an issue. I cannot find anything. I am posting some images here. I would love to find a service manual but I have not been able to.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lDw8eJBb_2SSSpkNYbvGtEB-Yic1gVLj/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VjtFCfTNmt3v6i8YOGOWM-HYLxbndkXR/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/15V0xwcUoRXploPW7I_U8BcT94aVutobc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s1qBzuMIFR5L8Cvl4q9JmnqlAw8xLQ5R/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wR_YTQRlVXEyimz6s86e77CV9db7XItN/view?usp=sharing

If any of you see anything do let me know but I can not get this to power on. I haven't got a multimeter but I'll get one now. Never used one before so if you know a good resource for a beginner using one do let me know. Also, where the batteries go in I can't seem to follow it at all as I am not sure where the batter connector is, I think it goes underneath what you can see in the photos and I'm not sure how to get the next part of the case off, maybe its glued on, not sure, but its also not opened up in the linked document henrypal listed.

Any help much apprpeciated and thanks for you help.

 

Ah yes ok I looked at that but the same can be seen in henrypals link here so seems the same. Obviously its really hard to tell what would be wrong from a photo but see anything else possibly amiss? One thing. Right under the photo of the cassette you see a wheel, now I wonder if theres an issue there. Saying this I'd still expect it to show something on the screen regardless. I don't know if it'll be another rubber band like on the top but there seems to some wheel of some sort which I have no idea how to get to.

I'm getting a multimeter right now. Let me get back to you

 

ok so I have a little update on this.

The device is now powering on!!! No idea why really but maybe me moving things around has caused this? Who knows. Anyhow its on but theres an issue.

the motor is spinning great but isn't turning the go above it. when I move it manually it turns it fine but when its going under battery power it seems to not do it and I cannot work out why. I have ordered a band and thats coming soon, do you think when I put that in it'll maybe pull the cogs together more? it doesn't seem loose at all so its a bit of a mystery.

photo of where the cog is in the photo here