Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player (don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

At first starting a disc at the second track (and quickly skipping back to the
first) *seemed* to work fairly consistently. Stopping and starting until it
started playing definately worked (sometimes on the second attempt, sometimes on
the twentieth). I should mention that a third-to-a-half of the time, the player
would start playing the disc without any problems at all.

Hitting the front panel or drawer of the player at just the write time (just as
it was starting to spin the disc) worked consistently in getting the player
'unstuck' also. Although, obviously, I was cautious/wary of doing this, lest I
cause more damage to the player.

The player, by default, displays track and index numbers. The track number can
be selected using the skip buttons without the disc spinning. Once the disc is
being played, an index number of '01' is displayed along with the track number.
When the player fails to play a disc, it's as though it can't locate the
beginning of the track, so it spins/reads the disc without ever starting to
play. So it displays, e.g., "1 --" but never gets to "1 01" (which would
normally take less than a second for it to do).

This, over 18 months or more, got worse and worse. In the sense that pressing
stop, waiting, and pressing play worked less and less often. Also, the player
rarely worked at the first attempt.

More recently, the player began randomly stopping... either at the transition
between tracks, or halfway through a track (less often).

I have what is optimistically called a 'mini hi-fi' so I don't really rely on
this component player, and my amp gets plently of use with my awesome (Hitachi
PS-15) turntable. Still, I much prefer the sound quality and esp. the equaliser
on my ye olde amp compared to the flat sound and awkward/ineffective 'digital'
equaliser interface on my stereo.

I don't really have the money get this player repaired, especially since I can
play CDs on other equipment. Still, if these symptoms suggest an obvious/common
problem, then I'd be extremely grateful to know if there's anything I can do to
fix it.

I'll check this NG as often as I can (daily), and I look forward to any advice,
URLs, etc. that you can offer,

Thanks in advance,

Adam.

Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player (don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

At first starting a disc at the second track (and quickly skipping back to the
first) *seemed* to work fairly consistently. Stopping and starting until it
started playing definately worked (sometimes on the second attempt, sometimes on
the twentieth). I should mention that a third-to-a-half of the time, the player
would start playing the disc without any problems at all.

Hitting the front panel or drawer of the player at just the write time (just as
it was starting to spin the disc) worked consistently in getting the player
'unstuck' also. Although, obviously, I was cautious/wary of doing this, lest I
cause more damage to the player.

The player, by default, displays track and index numbers. The track number can
be selected using the skip buttons without the disc spinning. Once the disc is
being played, an index number of '01' is displayed along with the track number.
When the player fails to play a disc, it's as though it can't locate the
beginning of the track, so it spins/reads the disc without ever starting to
play. So it displays, e.g., "1 --" but never gets to "1 01" (which would
normally take less than a second for it to do).

This, over 18 months or more, got worse and worse. In the sense that pressing
stop, waiting, and pressing play worked less and less often. Also, the player
rarely worked at the first attempt.

More recently, the player began randomly stopping... either at the transition
between tracks, or halfway through a track (less often).

I have what is optimistically called a 'mini hi-fi' so I don't really rely on
this component player, and my amp gets plently of use with my awesome (Hitachi
PS-15) turntable. Still, I much prefer the sound quality and esp. the equaliser
on my ye olde amp compared to the flat sound and awkward/ineffective 'digital'
equaliser interface on my stereo.

I don't really have the money get this player repaired, especially since I can
play CDs on other equipment. Still, if these symptoms suggest an obvious/common
problem, then I'd be extremely grateful to know if there's anything I can do to
fix it.

I'll check this NG as often as I can (daily), and I look forward to any advice,
URLs, etc. that you can offer,

Thanks in advance,

Adam.

Apologies for the blank reply... I've no idea what happened, the program just
randomly sent the message before I'd even touched the keyboard.

Anyway, I'm just writing to add that googling revealed this URL:
http://www.ehow.com/how_9892_trouble...cd-player.html
It suggests cleaning/clearing the traversing assembly, which I will definately
attempt to do ASAP.

Also, do you have suggestions on generic chemicals and methods to use for
cleaning the lens? Any ready-made cleaning-solutions that you recommend? any to
avoid? (I'm in Australia.)

OK, I'm off to get some sleep at the nearest library, then back to work :-(

Thanks again,

Adam.


Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player (don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

At first starting a disc at the second track (and quickly skipping back to the
first) *seemed* to work fairly consistently. Stopping and starting until it
started playing definately worked (sometimes on the second attempt, sometimes on
the twentieth). I should mention that a third-to-a-half of the time, the player
would start playing the disc without any problems at all.

Hitting the front panel or drawer of the player at just the write time (just as
it was starting to spin the disc) worked consistently in getting the player
'unstuck' also. Although, obviously, I was cautious/wary of doing this, lest I
cause more damage to the player.

The player, by default, displays track and index numbers. The track number can
be selected using the skip buttons without the disc spinning. Once the disc is
being played, an index number of '01' is displayed along with the track number.
When the player fails to play a disc, it's as though it can't locate the
beginning of the track, so it spins/reads the disc without ever starting to
play. So it displays, e.g., "1 --" but never gets to "1 01" (which would
normally take less than a second for it to do).

This, over 18 months or more, got worse and worse. In the sense that pressing
stop, waiting, and pressing play worked less and less often. Also, the player
rarely worked at the first attempt.

More recently, the player began randomly stopping... either at the transition
between tracks, or halfway through a track (less often).

I have what is optimistically called a 'mini hi-fi' so I don't really rely on
this component player, and my amp gets plently of use with my awesome (Hitachi
PS-15) turntable. Still, I much prefer the sound quality and esp. the equaliser
on my ye olde amp compared to the flat sound and awkward/ineffective 'digital'
equaliser interface on my stereo.

I don't really have the money get this player repaired, especially since I can
play CDs on other equipment. Still, if these symptoms suggest an obvious/common
problem, then I'd be extremely grateful to know if there's anything I can do to
fix it.

I'll check this NG as often as I can (daily), and I look forward to any advice,
URLs, etc. that you can offer,

Thanks in advance,

Adam.

Just found http://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/cdfaq.htm
Very comprehensive, thorough site.
Your help still very much appreciated, however, as it only vaguely treats my
problem.

No more posts today, promise :-)

Cheers,

Adam.


Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player (don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

At first starting a disc at the second track (and quickly skipping back to the
first) *seemed* to work fairly consistently. Stopping and starting until it
started playing definately worked (sometimes on the second attempt, sometimes on
the twentieth). I should mention that a third-to-a-half of the time, the player
would start playing the disc without any problems at all.

Hitting the front panel or drawer of the player at just the write time (just as
it was starting to spin the disc) worked consistently in getting the player
'unstuck' also. Although, obviously, I was cautious/wary of doing this, lest I
cause more damage to the player.

The player, by default, displays track and index numbers. The track number can
be selected using the skip buttons without the disc spinning. Once the disc is
being played, an index number of '01' is displayed along with the track number.
When the player fails to play a disc, it's as though it can't locate the
beginning of the track, so it spins/reads the disc without ever starting to
play. So it displays, e.g., "1 --" but never gets to "1 01" (which would
normally take less than a second for it to do).

This, over 18 months or more, got worse and worse. In the sense that pressing
stop, waiting, and pressing play worked less and less often. Also, the player
rarely worked at the first attempt.

More recently, the player began randomly stopping... either at the transition
between tracks, or halfway through a track (less often).

I have what is optimistically called a 'mini hi-fi' so I don't really rely on
this component player, and my amp gets plently of use with my awesome (Hitachi
PS-15) turntable. Still, I much prefer the sound quality and esp. the equaliser
on my ye olde amp compared to the flat sound and awkward/ineffective 'digital'
equaliser interface on my stereo.

I don't really have the money get this player repaired, especially since I can
play CDs on other equipment. Still, if these symptoms suggest an obvious/common
problem, then I'd be extremely grateful to know if there's anything I can do to
fix it.

I'll check this NG as often as I can (daily), and I look forward to any advice,
URLs, etc. that you can offer,

Thanks in advance,

Adam.

"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a
couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
(don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have
trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would
spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

**Depending on the particular laser used, it may be worth replacing the
entire laser mech. It is usually not too expensive.

www.wescomponents.com will probably have the laser you require. They're in
Ashfield, Sydney. You will need to be able to identify the laser type.

Cleaning is usually a stop-gap method, at best.

Of course, you could pop into Aldi/Strathfield/Coles/Hardly Normal/etc and
buy a new DVD player for 50 Bucks. With warranty.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

In , on 04/19/05
at 01:33 AM, "Adam" said:


[ ... ]
I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
[ ... ]

No "skipping"?

I assume this problem manifests itself on all, not just some or one
disc.

Open the unit and give it a very thorough visual inspection. Especially
inspect the optical assembly. Check the gears for hairline fractures.
Check the belts by removing them and trowing them on your workbench. If
the belts have not fully recovered their natural round shape by the
time they hit the bench, replace them.

Check to be sure the little turntable and the disc clamp are clean. A
small spot of gunk will cause the disc to wobble and the optics won't
be able to follow the surface.

There is a good chance that you have a bad connection somewhere in the
area of the optics. Unfortunately, this bad connection could be inside
the optics and not repairable. It is also possible that the mechanical
stress of disassembly will temporarily "fix" the unit. It's not always
easy to do, but poke and prod the wires while the unit is playing. A
healthy connection should not care about mild flexing. A common
construction technique is to crimp a "header" onto the end of a
multiconductor cable. This is done by machine and it speeds assembly.
Sometimes you can unplug them, sometimes you can't. They can become
intermittent and very difficult to diagnose. If you suspect these
headers are involved, remove them and solder the wires directly onto
the PC board. Be sure to do them all because you can't exactly diagnose
which one is the problem and they are a problem because the crimp
process was deflective the day your machine was assembled and all of
the headers are suspect.

When you fuss with the optics, especially if you unplug the assembly,
be aware that they are extremely sensitive to electrostatic discharge
damage.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------

"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a
couple
of days (uni bites!).

**UPDATE! As of today, my local Coles store is selling a Sonwa DVD player
for $41.71. With a one year warranty! No point servicing cheap CD players
any longer.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a
couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
(don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have
trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would
spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

**Depending on the particular laser used, it may be worth replacing the
entire laser mech. It is usually not too expensive.

www.wescomponents.com will probably have the laser you require. They're in
Ashfield, Sydney. You will need to be able to identify the laser type.

Cleaning is usually a stop-gap method, at best.

Of course, you could pop into Aldi/Strathfield/Coles/Hardly Normal/etc and
buy a new DVD player for 50 Bucks. With warranty.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



Trevor,

Thanks for the advice... I'd like to exhaust all possible repair options before
replacing anything. I figure as long I don't make things worse, then anything is
worth doing (like cleaning, etc) even it only delays the inevitable.

I honestly don't know whether your posts about cheap DVD players are sarcastic
or not :-) so I'll reply as though you are serious/since Although this C.D.C.
player is hardly high fidelity, it does whiz all over the CD function of all
mini-"hi-fi"s that I've heard, including the one I own. If I were to replace it,
it'd be with something of decent quality... if money were no object, then with
an audiophile level machine. In short, I'd rather no component CD player at all
than a cheap one (this one was inherited from family who upgraded their gear).

Also, it feels decidedly wrong to throw out a couple of kilograms of metal and
plastic, mostly in perfect condition, just because (quite possibly) a tiny
plastic gear has a crack in it, or a belt has aged and streched :-P

Cheers for the reply,

Adam.

In , on 04/19/05
at 01:33 AM, "Adam" said:


[ ... ]
I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
[ ... ]

No "skipping"?

I assume this problem manifests itself on all, not just some or one
disc.

Open the unit and give it a very thorough visual inspection. Especially
inspect the optical assembly. Check the gears for hairline fractures.
Check the belts by removing them and trowing them on your workbench. If
the belts have not fully recovered their natural round shape by the
time they hit the bench, replace them.

Check to be sure the little turntable and the disc clamp are clean. A
small spot of gunk will cause the disc to wobble and the optics won't
be able to follow the surface.

There is a good chance that you have a bad connection somewhere in the
area of the optics. Unfortunately, this bad connection could be inside
the optics and not repairable. It is also possible that the mechanical
stress of disassembly will temporarily "fix" the unit. It's not always
easy to do, but poke and prod the wires while the unit is playing. A
healthy connection should not care about mild flexing. A common
construction technique is to crimp a "header" onto the end of a
multiconductor cable. This is done by machine and it speeds assembly.
Sometimes you can unplug them, sometimes you can't. They can become
intermittent and very difficult to diagnose. If you suspect these
headers are involved, remove them and solder the wires directly onto
the PC board. Be sure to do them all because you can't exactly diagnose
which one is the problem and they are a problem because the crimp
process was deflective the day your machine was assembled and all of
the headers are suspect.

When you fuss with the optics, especially if you unplug the assembly,
be aware that they are extremely sensitive to electrostatic discharge
damage.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------



Barry,

Just to answer your questions: No, there's never any skipping, and yes, the
problems manifest on all discs I own (pretty much).

Thanks for all the info/advice. I'll try the simpler/cheaper things you suggest
first, if that fails, I'll have to leave messing with the optics assembly until
winter holidays, when I have some time.

Something very important that I completely forgot about is the fact that the
drawer began closing awkwardly around the time the problems I described started
to get worse.

The drawer closes smoothly to the point at which it's only about 2mm out of
flush, pauses or at least slows suddenly, then slams into place. This makes me
hopeful that it's some kind of coarse mechanical problem (like dirt) rather than
a subtle electronic one. Sorry I haven't mentioned this... profound lack of
sleep has wiped away around 80 IQ points over the past few weeks.

Thanks again,

Adam.

"Adam" wrote in message
...
"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a
couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
(don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have
trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would
spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

**Depending on the particular laser used, it may be worth replacing the
entire laser mech. It is usually not too expensive.

www.wescomponents.com will probably have the laser you require. They're in
Ashfield, Sydney. You will need to be able to identify the laser type.

Cleaning is usually a stop-gap method, at best.

Of course, you could pop into Aldi/Strathfield/Coles/Hardly Normal/etc and
buy a new DVD player for 50 Bucks. With warranty.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



Trevor,

Thanks for the advice... I'd like to exhaust all possible repair options
before
replacing anything. I figure as long I don't make things worse, then
anything is
worth doing (like cleaning, etc) even it only delays the inevitable.

**I understand. Out here in the real world, time is money. It's cheaper to
replace the laser, rather than bugger around with the remote possibility
that a clean will fix it. Nothing worse than delaing with a client who
returns his player after a week or two, because it REALLY did need a laser.
The only time I consider cleaning as a viable option, is where the owner/s
are smokers.


I honestly don't know whether your posts about cheap DVD players are
sarcastic
or not :-)

**Nope. I was assuming your player was a low end model. If that is the case,
just replace it with a cheap DVD player from Coles (41 Bucks today).

so I'll reply as though you are serious/since Although this C.D.C.
player is hardly high fidelity, it does whiz all over the CD function of
all
mini-"hi-fi"s that I've heard, including the one I own.

**Do you mean it sounds better? Or does it have more functions. The Sonwa
DVD player does MP3 disks. Very handy.

If I were to replace it,
it'd be with something of decent quality... if money were no object, then
with
an audiophile level machine. In short, I'd rather no component CD player
at all
than a cheap one (this one was inherited from family who upgraded their
gear).

Also, it feels decidedly wrong to throw out a couple of kilograms of metal
and
plastic, mostly in perfect condition, just because (quite possibly) a tiny
plastic gear has a crack in it, or a belt has aged and streched :-P

**I agree. I hate it, but that is the reality of life in 2005.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

"Adam" wrote in message
...
"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept in a
couple
of days (uni bites!).

I've long been having problems with a C.D.C. brand component CD player
(don't
have the model # at hand, I'm writing from campus). Initially it'd have
trouble
playing the first track - it would check the CD and display the total
tracks/total time without any problems, but when you hit 'play' it would
spend
ages reading the disc (you can hear it spinning) but not get anywhere.

**Depending on the particular laser used, it may be worth replacing the
entire laser mech. It is usually not too expensive.

www.wescomponents.com will probably have the laser you require. They're in
Ashfield, Sydney. You will need to be able to identify the laser type.

Cleaning is usually a stop-gap method, at best.

Of course, you could pop into Aldi/Strathfield/Coles/Hardly Normal/etc and
buy a new DVD player for 50 Bucks. With warranty.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au



Trevor,

Thanks for the advice... I'd like to exhaust all possible repair options
before
replacing anything. I figure as long I don't make things worse, then
anything is
worth doing (like cleaning, etc) even it only delays the inevitable.

**I understand. Out here in the real world, time is money. It's cheaper to
replace the laser, rather than bugger around with the remote possibility
that a clean will fix it. Nothing worse than delaing with a client who
returns his player after a week or two, because it REALLY did need a laser.
The only time I consider cleaning as a viable option, is where the owner/s
are smokers.

I totally hear you; but I'm just some guy tinkering with his stuff, my time is
free (for me), so of course I'll exhaust all low/no cost possible fixes first,
and maybe learn something in the process.



I honestly don't know whether your posts about cheap DVD players are
sarcastic
or not :-)

**Nope. I was assuming your player was a low end model. If that is the case,
just replace it with a cheap DVD player from Coles (41 Bucks today).

It's certainly low-end, but not rock-bottom! If it can't be fixed (by a layman
like me pawing at it) then I agree it's not worth getting it fixed
professionally. Still my options for replacement would start with high-end
second-hand gear.


so I'll reply as though you are serious/since Although this C.D.C.
player is hardly high fidelity, it does whiz all over the CD function of
all
mini-"hi-fi"s that I've heard, including the one I own.

**Do you mean it sounds better? Or does it have more functions. The Sonwa
DVD player does MP3 disks. Very handy.

Definately that it sounds better, its options don't extend beyond the 4 control
buttons and some rudimentary program mode. The better sound is almost definately
a function of the receiver it goes through, and possibly the speakers. (There's
no almost about it).


If I were to replace it,
it'd be with something of decent quality... if money were no object, then
with
an audiophile level machine. In short, I'd rather no component CD player
at all
than a cheap one (this one was inherited from family who upgraded their
gear).

Also, it feels decidedly wrong to throw out a couple of kilograms of metal
and
plastic, mostly in perfect condition, just because (quite possibly) a tiny
plastic gear has a crack in it, or a belt has aged and streched :-P

**I agree. I hate it, but that is the reality of life in 2005.


I know :-( Still, whenever something good dies, I try to give (sometimes even
sell) it to a repair guy, at least the equipment gets stripped for parts or
whatever that way.


--
Trevor Wilson
www.rageaudio.com.au

Trevor Wilson wrote:
"Adam" wrote in message
...
Hey,

Firstly, apologies if I don't make much sense below, I've not slept
in a couple
of days (uni bites!).

**UPDATE! As of today, my local Coles store is selling a Sonwa DVD
player for $41.71. With a one year warranty! No point servicing cheap
CD players any longer.


Personally, I'd rather fix a quality player, if practical, than buy some
pice of crap.


Mark Z.

In , on 04/20/05
at 12:06 AM, "Adam" said:

[ ... ]

Something very important that I completely forgot about is the fact
that the drawer began closing awkwardly around the time the problems I
described started to get worse.

Suggests that a belt is failing. Some times helping the drawer close
will improve the situation for a while.

The drawer closes smoothly to the point at which it's only about 2mm
out of flush, pauses or at least slows suddenly, then slams into
place. This makes me hopeful that it's some kind of coarse mechanical
problem (like dirt) rather than a subtle electronic one. Sorry I
haven't mentioned this... profound lack of sleep has wiped away around
80 IQ points over the past few weeks.

No big deal, till you spiral past 100. Even then, if you want to enter
government service, you'll be at the head of the pack till 50.

-----------------------------------------------------------
spam:
wordgame:123(abc):14 9 20 5 2 9 18 4 at 22 15 9 3 5 14 5 20 dot 3 15
13 (Barry Mann)
[sorry about the puzzle, spammers are ruining my mailbox]
-----------------------------------------------------------