Hello,

I am brand new to the boomboxery scene and have recently purchased my first boombox: a sanyo m9990L.  I dont really have the money to be buying mint examples so i wanted to get into it and fix / clean old ones in my spare time and really I was just looking for some advice...

The sanyo I purchased has an aerial missing, tape deck doesnt work and the sound is crackly...where do i start?

What boomboxes should i avoid in the future (condition wise)?

What can normally be fixed and what cant?

Where can i find spare parts?

any other things i should know about?

I would like to get the old dear sounding sweet again (she already looks it), but its cool if i cant because it looks awesome just sitting around!

Cheers.  

hey dude...welcome from sunny Blackpool  UK....well you can start here for belts

if your in the UK they ship everywhere

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/search/browse.jsp?N=207847

crackly volume etc is dust on the contacts...you need some switch cleaner on the potentiometers (back of the volume knob) but youll have to get to it 1st....a round brass coloured item...spray inside this.....

If your looking for boxes to steer clear of...sanyo 9998 & 9996 and aiwa`s   ...there a pain to do the decks on....

Chances are you wont find any spares exept belts for boxes...30 years old most of them.....there are plenty of tech`s on here or old posts with tech info,...just search for it....

Sharps hitachi and sanyo`s are probly the most popular in the UK......if you do car boot sales, just collect what you can.............oh and this hobby is like a drug so i hope you have deeeeeep pockets............

P.S...........welcome to the mad house

Welcome aboard man...I agree with dave...the search bar is top right on the forum...enjoy your browsing...cheerz and good luck pal

welcome in

mints are hard to find - dirt is more commanly found, it's how you clean them up and love them afterward that matters

if you like the look of a box - then chances are it's ok to go for it - grail boxes are mostly liked by all and what we seek - we do pick up the one's that are not so sort after and each person has a different view - that's what make it cool

cheers B

Welcome, Im new to the scene too and its because of what I belive to be an old Sanyo, sadly Ive not managed to purchase one yet myself but I hope to real soon.

Im in the same boat cash wise, I need to learn to fix things, Ive got a wierd crossbreed thing to practise with myself as It likes to eat cassettes which I will not be amused with if it does so with one of my cassettes Ive bought especially.

Cheers for the help and the warm welcome!

Sunny Blackpool? I know Blackpool well enough...

So whats the crack with replacing aerials then?  If parts cannot be had then can different or newer versions be retrofitted?

You'll have to excuse me as I am brand new but not an idiot so i'l get up to speed soon enough

Iv searched the forum for the last month or two gathering information before i dived in and got involved but the drawback with that is most of the time i dont actually know what im searching for in terms of keywords and terminology!! Give it time....haha

I hope this link still works (it might be helpful)

http://stereophonik.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=17&pos=0

Talking of service manuals...Is there somewhere they can be downloaded for free via the tinterweb or will i have to try and track down an original and pay for it or even a reproduction or even pay for a download?

Ariels are available from CPC in preston.....you can still come by some electronic components depending on what you need....people on here will give you as much help as you need.........other bits will need to be made....moulds are a good way, just do like we all did and start collecting and when you need spare,s, just ask on here

If you can take it all apart (and sans PC board & connectors), then warm water and a mild detergent. Scrub gently with an old used toothbrush.

Alcohol may strip some plastics and lift paint, so best avoid that. Avoid any other strong solvents or other strong chemicals.

i use this...works a treat and its mild

http://cpc.farnell.com/serviso...ml/dp/SAFOAMCLEANSER

Fairy liquid and warm water works a treat..

For my games consoles I used a paste like zit cleaner from Avon, works a treat on ingrained dirt and its not likely to do much damage damage to the plastics as its meant to be used on a persons face, it even reversed the yellowing of a dreamcast a fair bit without damageing the printed words and logos on it.

Welcome aboard thebeardedlady!

Welcome beardedlady,you come to the right place as were all a bunch of great sportsmen like yourself,or should i say straight up hunter's in our quest in

 the Boombox's we seek........injoy the ride!          PIONEER 

im with the lads, a big welcome from me too

Cheers for the warm welcome people.  Watch this space for countless questions from myself as I embark on a restoration quest!  

i have a friend who is a heroin addict, at the clinic he goes to they give him free alcohol swabs, theyre really good for cleaning up things like old boxes as well as skin! 

other wise i use baby wipes, again theyre good at cleaning skin!

baby wipes are the safest to use of course but free alcohol swabs are awesome since theyre quite expensive otherwise.

i use some cheap aftershave i got as a present years ago,works wonders and my boxes dont complain..lol

You have a beard?

are you the bearded lady from chippendales circus

I have a beard...and im a lady.  Well thats not strictly true...im a guy and i dont have a beard.  The name comes from a story involving fishing, a boat and myself back in secondary school.  

no beard  = good, that is just for santa's and other peopels

I believe Tim does have a beard!!

Im not against growing one..Im just not very good at it yet!