Audio Note CD3.1x FAIL ... false alarm

[Mike H]

[IslandPink]

I'm ( finally ) on the case ...!
I think I can do this .
Watch this space.

[pre65]

Good luck Mark.

[IslandPink]

Thanks.
Unfortunately it's only been a partial success
The disassembly and re-assembly went well, after all - it wasn't too complex, and I don't think I made any mistakes. The unit I bought appears to be idential to the original Audio Note transport/laser . Once everything was back together, I switched on, loaded a disc, and it still comes up with the same 'no Disc' error message and fails to read the tracks & total time. The laser unit is moving into position and doing its 'thing' so I think the problem must be elsewhere .
I was so pleased I'd done the job, wasn't ready for it not to be working when I switched on

[Nick]

You have unsoldered the link?

[IslandPink]

Hello .
Link...unsoldering ... ? D'Oh ! - was there something on the laser unit I needed to do ?
As far as the connections to the board go there is a ribbon connector and a six-wire connector jobbie.

In the dim distant depths of me memory I remember you saying something about a little 'tweak' that needs to be done before fitting the unit . Is it a safety connection they have on it before it's fitted ?

[Nick]

Most laser assemblies are shipped with a solder ball linking two pads on the PCB to protect the diode from static in storage, needs removing before use. Where it is depends on the laser, but its this sort of thing.

[IslandPink]

OK thanks - I'll have another go at that later .

[IslandPink]

Found a solder bridge . Removed it .
Re-assembled and switched on . Still doesn't work ( same error ) . Disc isn't spinning up btw.
Damn !

[Nick]

Silly question, but is the motor plugged in? Normally a separate connection.

[IslandPink]

Yes, that's the 6-way one I mentioned above. Definitely connected at both ends again after the second rebuild.

[IslandPink]

I'll do one more dis-assembly and re-build now and see if there's anything different I could do . Then I'll need to think of a wider recovery plan, if it doesn't work out.

[IslandPink]

Found another ( tiny tiny ) solder bridge on the circuit board where the ribbon ( laser ) connector comes in . Fingers crosssed my ordinary non-EMC soldering iron will not screw the thing with static
....

[IslandPink]

Crikey it works
From bodger to expert in 2 days !

Now back to the OB speaker ...

[IslandPink]

Spoke too soon !
Now it's incredibly picky about how flat the discs are. A couple discs I've been playing happily for years are scraping as they go round and jumping . I wonder if I can put a thin washer under each end of the 'gantry' thing that holds the magnetic top-cap assembly to lift it slightly ? Perhaps removing and replacing it several times has altered the position it's in ?