UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc)

Notices

Vintage Audio (record players, hi-fi etc) Amplifiers, speakers, gramophones and other audio equipment.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 17th Mar 2019, 9:16 pm   #1
Robin_D
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8
Default Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Hi.

I've just joined and posted a query about my Leak Stereo 70 and was browsing the forum to find there are a number of members who are familiar with the inner workings of CD players. I have a c2000 Arcam CD23 that will not load a number of disks all of which load fine on other (lesser spec) players. I've been in touch with Arcam who will take it into their service dept via a dealer for £200 but as it's a 'non-text version', they "would suggest that a repair would not be possible due to the CD drive no longer being available." They would charge me £65 + VAT to have it confirmed.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or is there any recommendations for anywhere to take it for an honest appraisal. Just seems ridiculous that I can't just change out the whole drive assembly.

Thanks .... Robin
Robin_D is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 10:21 am   #2
ben
Dekatron
 
ben's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK
Posts: 7,484
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Presumably you have opened it up and tried cleaning the lens? (with q tip and isopropyl alcohol or similar). Even a fine layer of dust will affect it.

What makes you think you need a whole drive? Usually the optical pickup is all that needs changing if the laser is beyond hope (occasionally you need to change the sub assembly complete with sled, if this is not available as a spare).
__________________
Regards,
Ben.
ben is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 12:14 pm   #3
RojDW48
Nonode
 
RojDW48's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Bristol, UK.
Posts: 2,074
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Sometimes the rails on which the little sled runs need cleaning up because it sticks a bit. That won't necessarily happen with every CD.
__________________
'....don't go mistaking Paradise for that home across the road!' (Bob Dylan)
RojDW48 is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 12:26 pm   #4
paulsherwin
Moderator
 
paulsherwin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,787
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

While the above advice is good, these symptoms normally mean that the laser is getting tired and the mech needs a new optical block. I've no idea if this will be available - it will depend on who made the mech for Arcam.

AliExpress appear to stock it: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Repl...953949234.html
paulsherwin is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 12:48 pm   #5
mhennessy
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,241
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Suspect this uses the same Sony mechanism as the 7SE discussed here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=153013
mhennessy is offline  
Old 18th Mar 2019, 9:27 pm   #6
Robin_D
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

It looks very similar. It's definitely a Sony as the circuit board is branded. The part number looks like 1-645-722-51.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1Q...drbJpDMIT07L42.

Yes I've cleaned the laser, and it loads roughly 6 out of 10 disks OK. Can you confirm its the same drive as linked to in the other thread please?
Are there any instructions on setting the laser height?
Robin_D is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2019, 11:55 am   #7
mhennessy
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,241
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

I can't be 100% sure because I've never seen a CD23 in the flesh, nor the service manual, but Arcam were using the same mech in the Alpha and DiVa models at the time, so I'd be amazed if they used a different unit in the CD23 (which is essentially just a re-housed version of the CD92, which in turn is a re-housed version of the Alpha 9).

Looking at the CD72/92 manual, no instructions are given for setting up the transport. Arcam only supplied complete transports, and those would have been correctly set up at the Sony factory. But as that mech was widely used by many manufacturers, perhaps you'd find instructions in someone else's service manual. Though to be honest, I'd expect the optical block exchange to be plug and play.

The manual also confirms that the CDM14 is interchangeable between the Alpha and non-text DiVa models.

If you ask nicely, Arcam should send you a service manual for your CD23 - they always have been pretty good about that sort of thing in the past, and hopefully that will continue since the Harmon takeover. The only CD23 manual I've found is for the text model - if you do get the earlier manual, I'd love a copy.

Can't see the photo - it wants me to sign in to Google.
mhennessy is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2019, 12:26 pm   #8
vidjoman
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: East Sussex, UK.
Posts: 3,315
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

I have a manual for a CD73 which shows and lists a KS213C as the laser assy. The manual shows how to change that part and set it up. Inspection of the part you have will show if it's the same type.
Have you lubricated the spindle motor - very thin oil. That may not be spinning quite up to speed to read the disc.

Last edited by vidjoman; 19th Mar 2019 at 12:35 pm. Reason: added info
vidjoman is offline  
Old 19th Mar 2019, 12:59 pm   #9
mhennessy
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,241
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

The CD73 will use a newer mechanism than the non-CD text CD23. But the instructions might well be similar. To be honest, I imagine that the bulk of the changes were electronic (or maybe even just firmware), but I haven't yet compared the two yet.



EDIT: Just checked the CD73 service manual, and it's quite different. The circuitry for controlling the mech is now on the main PCB, not as a separate PCB supplied as part of mech. So that's why they provide setup instructions, as that is now in their domain, not Sony's (although the instructions seem to be about checking rather than adjusting). I wonder if the mech itself is a newer generation compared what's in the CD23-text?

Last edited by mhennessy; 19th Mar 2019 at 1:08 pm. Reason: Additional info...
mhennessy is offline  
Old 20th Mar 2019, 8:07 am   #10
Michael Maurice
Moderator
 
Michael Maurice's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Wembley, Middlesex
Posts: 7,219
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

The original Sony lasers are NLA from Sony, so what you get nowadays are copies. In my experience the quality is very variable and not usually very good.
__________________
Forum Moderator

http://www.michaelmauricerepairs.co.uk/
Michael Maurice is offline  
Old 1st Apr 2019, 8:45 pm   #11
Robin_D
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, UK.
Posts: 8
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Quote:
Originally Posted by mhennessy View Post
If you ask nicely, Arcam should send you a service manual for your CD23 - they always have been pretty good about that sort of thing in the past, and hopefully that will continue since the Harmon takeover.
Sadly not. Quote "I'm afraid in today's health and safety culture we can no longer support end users carrying out work inside consumer electronics. That would include distribution of service literature. We will supply such literature to third party repair businesses but I'm afraid not to people in general."

I challenged that given my background and experience and then received
"I appreciate that you may well have the ability however it would be very easy for someone without the ability to say they were skilled when they are not. It is not practical for us to start trying to qualify remotely whether somebody is or is not able to carry out work and so the policy is that we support repair businesses only.

This will certainly have the effect that some people who have the ability to repair the unit themselves may not be able to."


However, spending a hour or so working it out and tinkering, I now have it loading every CD.

Many thanks to everyone here for the help and guidance.
Robin_D is offline  
Old 1st Apr 2019, 9:30 pm   #12
mhennessy
Dekatron
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,241
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

That's a pity. Understandable enough given that a change in ownership that must inevitably bring about changes in culture, but a shame nonetheless. At least we know now. But well done for persevering and getting a result in the end
mhennessy is offline  
Old 9th Apr 2019, 8:53 am   #13
qualityten
Octode
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Wallasey, UK.
Posts: 1,308
Default Re: Arcam CD23 player - not playing all disks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Robin_D View Post
Sadly not. Quote "I'm afraid in today's health and safety culture we can no longer support end users carrying out work inside consumer electronics. That would include distribution of service literature. We will supply such literature to third party repair businesses but I'm afraid not to people in general."

I challenged that given my background and experience and then received
"I appreciate that you may well have the ability however it would be very easy for someone without the ability to say they were skilled when they are not. It is not practical for us to start trying to qualify remotely whether somebody is or is not able to carry out work and so the policy is that we support repair businesses only.

This will certainly have the effect that some people who have the ability to repair the unit themselves may not be able to."
This reply is regrettable. Are they saying that third party repair businesses would indemnify them against a health and safety claim?

With discontinued products, this is a motivation to place service manuals and schematics in the public domain whenever possible.
qualityten is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 2:49 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.