Since embarking on this journey to collect a set of fully working variants of the Aiwa HS-JX707 personal cassette recorders I have come across loads of failed attempts to repair various examples, but this one recently acquired has to really take the prize for

**** EPIC FAIL of an abortion for a repair job ****

It really breaks my heart to see what was once an amazing personal cassette recorder reduced to a pile of scrap metal and plastic because some incompetent half-witted moron couldn't fathom out how to take apart one of these units and set about using their Neanderthal brain to demolish the delicate electronics and mechanical parts.

I give you this example...

Incorrect screws used to hold the unit in place, nothing unusual there especially when the drive belt breaks and the owner decides "it's time to have a poke inside to see what went wrong, maybe I can 'fix' it". So we eventually remove all the screws including the mandatory incorrectly sized screw which has stripped the threads, to reveal this horror story.

Hmm... Need PVC tape lots of it. Pass me the PVC tape and then some. WTH is the deal with this frickin tape everywhere?





OK... enough of the tape, lets see what that tape hiding?





OMFG !!! Burnt traces. Missing traces. Flux everywhere. Loads of thin uninsulated copper wire. Damaged relays. Ah I see, the tape hid a multitude of cock-ups.

WTH...why is there rust on some of these internal components?!? Sweat from your grubby paws?



If there is anyone out there who does not know how to strip down one of these units... DON'T! Leave it alone or ask. I did. The next person who does know will thank you for it.


I must confess changing the drive belt is not a straight forward task on this model, but trying to repair the mess in THIS example... well, I think it will join the parts bin collection.

WOW!! that even beat out the ones I seen, that why I don't buy "need repair or belt" units on eBay anymore because idiots like that and then they don't tell you they did that, trying to cover it in the process.

Maybe we should start a thread with a gallery of our worst examples of dead Walkman?

To fix that mess may not be worth it, mixed 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy)ethanol about 10% and 90% of Xylene together or lighter fluid will take care of that tape mess, then some flux cleaner to get rid of all that flux, then take multistrand wires then take 3 or 4 strands twist out of the wire them together and then solder them from point to point where the trace is damage to jump the traces after which coat them with nail polish.

quote:

Originally posted by plop:
Maybe we should start a thread with a gallery of our worst examples of dead Walkman?

That not a bad idea, "The worst hack jobs".

quote:

Originally posted by DrMR2000:
To fix that mess may not be worth it, mixed 2-(2-Methoxyethoxy)ethanol about 10% and 90% of Xylene together or lighter fluid will take care of that tape mess, then some flux cleaner to get rid of all that flux, then take multistrand wires then take 3 or 4 strands twist out of the wire them together and then solder them from point to point where the trace is damage to jump the traces after which coat them with nail polish.

I think I might just stop you there with the lighter fluid and issue last rites before commencing cremation of this unit.

Doubtful whether it would ever work again 100%, and even if it did sound quality would probably not even be great. The main mech relay has been totaled, there are no traces to solder in a replacement part. Playback before disassembly resulted in very bad mechanical grinding. There is an amazing amount of rust everywhere on the metal switches and on the servo. The solder joints are dull and grey. The playback switch board solder points are completely burnt out and the PCB blackened. The hinges are broken. That's only the main PCB, I haven't even the heart to open the tuner PCB to see what state that is in.

This unit is a wreck.

That one gone, electrolytic capacitor leaked reason why the corrosion and rust everywhere, or was drip in a bucket of water, with these seller's you can never tell.

I purchased the same model on ebay last year. Paid $100 for it. The seller advertised it using what i now know are huge alarm bells. I have no battery box for which to test this player, so buyer buys it at there own risk. When i received it, it was dead. So i opened it up. This guy must have been a cassette serial killer. Tape everywhere, an utter mess. Typical of someone trying to fix something who has no clue whatsoever. So i took it on the chin and binned it.

Beware of: (no tapes to test player) or (no battery box to test funtion of player). 99% of them will turn out to be lemons.

quote:

Originally posted by Derek Mc Caffrey:
I purchased the same model on ebay last year. Paid $100 for it. The seller advertised it using what i now know are huge alarm bells. I have no battery box for which to test this player, so buyer buys it at there own risk. When i received it, it was dead. So i opened it up. This guy must have been a cassette serial killer. Tape everywhere, an utter mess. Typical of someone trying to fix something who has no clue whatsoever. So i took it on the chin and binned it.

Beware of: (no tapes to test player) or (no battery box to test funtion of player). 99% of them will turn out to be lemons.

I actually did buy this recently from eBay recently but fortunately for me the seller was kind enough to refund me it when the item was damaged in the post. However I doubt the postman also took the time to add all the internal damage as well.

Practically every single secondhand HS-JX707 I have now come across has had someone tinker inside it. I even had one that had the drive belt fitted the wrong way. Nice grinding of gears in FF and REW! I mean come on, there's even a diagram on the reverse of the PCB showing you how to fit the damn thing. How would you manage to F that up ?!?