Hi all, I've recently bought SX85 in very good, almost mint, visual condition. There is no battery leak damage and battery contacts are clean. I've tested it for about 5 minutes with the original old gumstick battery that came with it. I've charged it with the original Panasonic charger for approx. 4hrs. When I've inserted cassette the device switched on and reduced tape slack automatically (as is mentioned in the users manual). When I pressed play button it did play for like 10 seconds but the sound was heavily distorted. It seemed to me like the tape speed changed randomly from normal to slow and back to normal. Now I've bought Panasonic external AA battery holder as the replacement gumsticks will take a couple of weeks to arrive. I've tried testing the device with a brand new rechargeable NiMH AA battery (GP brand). Same tape. The player switches on, the motor works for like 2-3 seconds but the reel shafts don't seem to rotate at all. Then there's a 0.3 sec beep sound and the motor switches off. I've tried the same with the wired remote - same thing happens. When I try fast forwarding the motor runs for ~3 second fast speed then I get the beep sound. The seller advised that the item was stored unused for approx. 8 years (battery removed) but before that it wored okay. When it arrived it had a no-name tape inside. I've only cleaned the outside with moist tissue, dusted the internals with a blower bulb and gently cleaned the tape head with a drop of isopropyl alcohol on a soft earbud. I'd appreciate your thoughts and advice!
These walkmans will need new belts and a new clutch retainer. These 2 things must be replaced regardless of condition and usage. What you describe sounds like belts being loose and not being able to drive the mechanism. Here are the needed parts: - new belts: https://fixyouraudio.com/product/belt-panasonic-rq-sx85/ - new clutch retianer: https://fixyouraudio.com/product/panasonic-rq-sx85-clutch-retaining-disc-new-unused/ I have a tutorial for disassemblying these walkmans here: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/panasonic-rq-s-rq-sx-series-belt-replacement-tutorial.7773/ But do note in the tutorial there is a slight variation of the mechanism, it's one with only one belt and a different type of clutch. You will need to desolder battery terminals, motor, solenoid and EQ/tape in solder points before you can remove the PCB. It is necessary to clean all the pulleys very well before installing new belts as the old ones (even if they have not turned to goo) tend to leave an oily residue. In regard to the original gumstick, if it's the NiCd type chances are it's not good anymore and will only work for a limited amount of time even when fully charged. If you want to use a gumstick battery, this is what I would recommend: https://www.ebay.com/itm/362016678819 along with a better charger which is able to stop the charging automatically when battery is full. These original ones will need to be monitored and left charging only as long as it's necessary, otherwise batteries can get too hot and get damaged.
Hi Valentin, thank you for the info provided! I've ordered the belts for this model from e-bay. The clutch retainer thing needing replacement is new to me so thank you for pointing that out - ordered from fixyouraudio.com As for the gumstick batteries, I've ordered two of them a couple of days ago, it's a slightly different model than what you've mentioned (red label Jinmasi, I think). If they 'll be really crappy I'll just follow your directions and order the Vapex ones. I've also ordered a Nitecore D2 charger for these. It seems to be the "smart" kind and I hope it will work OK and won't have to be monitored. I really hope I'll be able to revive this device, it's really sexy looking and compact in size. Thanks again for the guidance Valentin, I really appreciate your help.
Anyone knows what would be the proper screws for Panasonic remote? It seems mine is missing one and I'm not sure what to use as replacement. I'd appreciate your help!
Can't say exactly what screw you need just by looking at that picture. If you are to try one of the walkman's screws, how is it ? Is it to small or it's right ? Walkman screws are M1.4, but from this picture it looks like this remote needs a bigger screw like M1.5 or M1.6. But can't say for sure. The ones sold on FixYourAudio are for metal threaded inserts, so won't work for this particular application. You need self tapping ones. These are the ones I recommend: https://www.ebay.com/itm/183906299218 Based on what you find when trying the walkman screws, you can order the closest dimension. Given the low price, you can simply order more dimensions and see what fits later on. Length should be 3mm.
