# anyone know anything about electronics repairs?



## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

I have this Sony cd/cassette/radio boombox type machine:
https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/support/boomboxes-cfd-series/cfd-s05

worked fine. all of a sudden the volume +- buttons and the tuning button dont work. its the push-button types, which i never liked.(maybe some other buttons too) . so its "stuck" on current volume & current radio station. i started to take it apart, but didnt have a skinny, long screwdriver to get out 2 of the screws so i quit.
can this thing be repaired, if i get it apart?
or is it kaput, and a waste of time? any advice?


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> I have this Sony cd/cassette/radio boombox type machine:
> https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/support/boomboxes-cfd-series/cfd-s05
> 
> worked fine. all of a sudden the volume +- buttons and the tuning button don't work. its the push-button types, which i never liked.(maybe some other buttons too) . so its "stuck" on current volume & current radio station. i started to take it apart, but didn't have a skinny, long screwdriver to get out 2 of the screws so i quit.
> ...


Unfortunately, it's a disposable world now. I spent my working career in electronic engineering and it was sad to see the change that occurred over that time with regard to cost of repair. Electronics, of the quality of your device, is designed to be thrown out at the first fault. Sometimes you can fix a small problem yourself, but generally it's meant to fail and then be replaced by a new device.

Put your device to rest, and buy a new one with a ton of new features.

ltr


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

LTR is correct that these things are designed to be disposable. The cost to pay someone to fix it probably would be prohibitive.

But, with nothing to lose, I would go buy a skinny long screwdriver and take the S.O.B. apart. If multiple controls stopped working simultaneously, I would suspect a loose ribbon cable of some kind that leads from the push-button controls ( small circuit board ) to a larger main board.

Best case.... you re-insert the cable and it works. Maybe there's a break in the solder connecting the cable to the board - perhaps you can fix that if you're familiar with soldering techniques, maybe not.

Worst case... it's no worse than it is now. 


I once bought a "final sale" Carver stereo amplifier. For a few years, one of the channels would cut out, and I would have to bang on it to make it work. I finally decided to open it up and quickly found a cold solder joint behind the volume control. A touch of a soldering iron, a little flux, a little luck, and the thing worked fine for years.


Don't let this thing beat you!


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Wrt the need for a long screwdriver, many years ago I bought a nice set of jeweller's screwdrivers & tools in a fitted wooden case. They have come in handy countless times.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

...why did they have to stick those g.d. screws 6" down a hole the size of a plastic straw....??
LOL...


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

You can learn to fix anything on youtube nowadays

I have an old handheld GPS that I've fixed a few times with a soldering iron. I've fixed automotive cards and gaming console with the same method I learned from radar techs before youtube was this good. Had a geologist try to buy the GPS off me this year and we both agreed they don't make em as good anymore. And you can tell by how much they sell for on ebay..

Planned obsolescence is a bit$h


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

m3s said:


> You can learn to fix anything on youtube nowadays


Or on the web somewhere. Sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Always worth a shot before you throw otherwise good items out. 

Here is a start: https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sony_Radio_CD_player_and_cassette_player_CFD-S05

especially this link: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Sony+R...layer+CFD-S05+Circuit+Board+Replacement/19918

If the volume and tuning switches have a cable to the circuit board, check the connections and unplug, replug them a few times. There may just be poor connections. Do same with any other connectors you see.


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## *PetePerfectMan* (Jan 24, 2019)

jargey3000 said:


> I have this Sony cd/cassette/radio boombox type machine:
> https://www.sony.ca/en/electronics/support/boomboxes-cfd-series/cfd-s05
> 
> worked fine. all of a sudden the volume +- buttons and the tuning button dont work. its the push-button types, which i never liked.(maybe some other buttons too) . so its "stuck" on current volume & current radio station. i started to take it apart, but didnt have a skinny, long screwdriver to get out 2 of the screws so i quit.
> ...


It's a vintage radio now. Probably, you are the only person who has it in this modern world. If you want to save it, just buy a skinny screwdriver and do it by yourself. Nowadays, electronics repair shop don't have the tools for that type of radio, if they do - you will pay higher than you expect.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

*PetePerfectMan* said:


> It's a vintage radio now. Probably, you are the only person who has it in this modern world. If you want to save it, just buy a skinny screwdriver and do it by yourself. Nowadays, electronics repair shop don't have the tools for that type of radio, if they do - you will pay higher than you expect.


no, i dont intend to pay for any repairs.
just wondering what the consensus might be re even attempting to repair it myself, or chucking it.
like someone said...nothing to lose by trying....

jeez, went to can tire today & couldnt find a suitable screwdriver! they're phillips screws, but really tiny heads. even tried the long tiny 'slot' type. no luck.
the longer screwdrivers all have bigger heads.
i guess i'll toss it....


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

agent99: thanks for those links. ive used that site in the past...for other stuff but didnt try this time
Ill give it a try....


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## 1980z28 (Mar 4, 2010)

jargey3000 said:


> no, i dont intend to pay for any repairs.
> just wondering what the consensus might be re even attempting to repair it myself, or chucking it.
> like someone said...nothing to lose by trying....
> 
> ...



Princess auto should have what you need


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

jargey3000 said:


> jeez, went to can tire today & couldnt find a suitable screwdriver! they're phillips screws, but really tiny heads.


How deep are they? Canadian Tire do have this set:

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/certified-precision-screwdriver-set-6-pc-0573505p.html

Princess Auto a bit expensive for this set: https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/10-pc-precision-screwdriver-set/A-p8656183e

Home Depot also have a wide variety. https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/search.html?q=screwdriver set#!q=screwdriver set


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks guys.

thanks to 99's links above I managed to get the top of the radio off and get at the source of the problem without having to get at those 2 hidden screws on the side!
i got the circuitboard out from behind the buttons (I think its called the keypad....i cant find any good parts diagram for it).
I cant tell if its good or bad - by looking at it. Ive just emailed sony support.. & asked if they could send me out a new one....gratis..:subdued:. wish me luck!

anyway...nice way to spend a winter morning....


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

jargey3000 said:


> Ive just emailed sony support.. & asked if they could send me out a new one....gratis..:subdued:. wish me luck!


After they have picked themselves off the floor and re-booted their hearts, they might just send you a new unit still gathering dust in their inventory. However, I'd place my bet against receiving a 'part' either gratis or for $149 + shipping. They wouldn't stock them. But do keep us posted. This is the most curious request I've seen in a long time.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

haha you're prob. right red...but ....I've done it ...successfully...before.
free replacement part for my old mower from MTD?
free replacement part for my whipper-snipper from Black & Decker
& a couple others..
Ya gotta say the right things!!! Sales 101!!


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

And to think I actually paid for a new blade for my B&D mower last year! Course the fact that some local imbecile with the skill of a doughnut sharpened the original one poorly to throw it out of balance was the cause of the replacement might have something to do with it.


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

AltaRed said:


> Course the fact that some local imbecile with the skill of a doughnut sharpened the original one poorly to throw it out of balance was the cause of the replacement might have something to do with it.


I use to labouriously sharpen my lawnmower blades with a metal file, while (of course) checking the balance every few strokes. Very labour intensive. 

But then I read a tip somewhere and it made the sharpening much easier. I now clamp my belt sander upside down in my workmate and it makes a great sharpener for anything. Big saving in effort and time.

ltr


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

like_to_retire said:


> I now clamp my belt sander upside down in my workmate and it makes a great sharpener for anything. Big saving in effort and time.
> 
> ltr


A great idea....versus an imbecile putting it on a motor driven grindstone.... :stupid:


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

like_to_retire said:


> I use to labouriously sharpen my lawnmower blades with a metal file,
> 
> ltr


Me too. 

Now the lawn service sharpens THEIR blades. Saves me a lot of time and effort


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

AltaRed said:


> And to think I actually paid for a new blade for my B&D mower last year! Course the fact that some local imbecile with the skill of a doughnut sharpened the original one poorly to throw it out of balance was the cause of the replacement might have something to do with it.


sooooo......I sharpen my blade by hand, with file. done so forever....never check the balance....
how do you know? & what exactly happens - if its not balanced


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> sooooo......I sharpen my blade by hand, with file. done so forever....never check the balance....
> how do you know? & what exactly happens - if its not balanced


I suppose you would detect some vibration, like a car wheel out of balance.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

jargey3000 said:


> agent99: thanks for those links. ive used that site in the past...for other stuff but didnt try this time
> Ill give it a try....


You can download the full service manual for that Boombox. But probably not much difference. There is a part number for the keyboard on page 31. Picture of keyboard circuit board on P19. Given that volume and tuning are not re;lated, could be that keyboard traces are cracked - those buttons are at the boards ends and may have caused it to flex if pushed hard. But then problem may be something else!

There is a download link just below the picture of the manual:

https://elektrotanya.com/sony_cfd-s05_ver1.0_sm.pdf/download.html


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

agent99 said:


> Or on the web somewhere. Sometimes helpful, sometimes not. Always worth a shot before you throw otherwise good items out.
> 
> Here is a start: https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Sony_Radio_CD_player_and_cassette_player_CFD-S05
> 
> ...


That site is awesome. I've repaired a few smartphone camera, replaced smartphone batteries and screens with that site. They also sell the special little screw drivers that are purposely hard to find (planned obsolescence) It's surprisingly easy and cheap to fix something that people think is not possible, although the tech companies are purposely making it harder still

I don't want to replace my 8 year old laptop because all the new ones have horrible ifixit repairability scores (planned obsolescence)


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> sooooo......I sharpen my blade by hand, with file. done so forever....never check the balance....
> how do you know? & what exactly happens - if its not balanced


You have to balance the blade on something and see if it's heavier on one side or the other. I clamp a screwdriver into my vice and balance the blade in the middle.

If it's unbalanced you shake the crap out of the engine. Not good. Very hard on the bearing.

ltr


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

ohhhh.....i got 10+ years out of current mower....i dont notice any problems?
you mean, like perfectly balanced?? or just obviously not totally out of whack??
can a few shavings one way or the other make that much fifference?


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## like_to_retire (Oct 9, 2016)

jargey3000 said:


> ohhhh.....i got 10+ years out of current mower....i dont notice any problems?
> you mean, like perfectly balanced?? or just obviously not totally out of whack??
> can a few shavings one way or the other make that much difference?


I can't imagine a few shavings would make it too unbalanced, but you have some people who sharpen the heck out of their blades and remove way more metal out of one side and the blade will become unbalanced. It doesn't take much to place it on a round blade of a screwdriver and see if it's balanced - and if not, take some out of the one side until it balances.

ltr


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

You can clean electronic switches and rheostats with a shot of contact cleaner, Deoxit, or even WD40 although the WD40 is not very good it usually makes them work temporarily. In most cases you don't have to take anything apart but sometimes it helps to get better access. Try squirting some into the hole around the switch.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks rus'...im all out of Deoxit.....
and, the thing is already in 4 pieces on the table....:distrust:


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> You can clean electronic switches and rheostats with a shot of contact cleaner, Deoxit, or even WD40 although the WD40 is not very good it usually makes them work temporarily. In most cases you don't have to take anything apart but sometimes it helps to get better access. Try squirting some into the hole around the switch.


This looks more like a computer keyboard switch. I wouldn't spray WD40 or any solvent on it! Could cause damage. Maybe blow contact areas with air or use vacuum. I would look carefully for broken traces on the keyboard circuit board in the areas that service the malfunctioning switches. They can be repaired with a conductive pen. (Search for repair PCB trace) Or maybe there is just some dirt in those areas that could be cleaned off with a small brush or swab. Sometimes you can also clean contacts using a rubber eraser. 

By the way - Not sure how this particular keyboard works, but on TV remotes removing what looks like paste is the wrong thing to do. You need to add a conductive paste.


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

thanks for all the input guys!
love CMF-ers!
better than any "electronics forum"! lol. :excitement:

right now, ive just got it put aside....waiting for(any) response to my request to Sony...lol
will keep ya posted&#55356;&#57210;&#55356;&#57210;


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> You can clean electronic switches and rheostats


"Rheostats", there's a word I haven't heard for many many years; I had to look it up. I thought it was synonymous with "potentiometer", but it actually only has 2 leads instead of 3 as on a potentiometer. A potentiometer can function as a rheostat if the wiper lead is connected to one of the end-point leads. Live and learn.

Today, I'm not sure we see many rheostats or even potentiometers in circuits. There may be circuit board mounted "trim-pots" that fine tune analogue parts of a circuit, but typically, in consumer electronics, it's all done digitally. Digital potentiometers never need to be cleaned, and can be set to a precise repeatable value, unlike turning a mechanical dial. Also, it's less time consuming to manufacture. Unfortunately, that's why a lot of these things are disposable when they stop functioning - no user-serviceable parts inside.

Last week, when I needed 4 potentiometers to simulate 2 analogue temperature and 2 analogue humidity sensors ( for a weather station ), I couldn't find any in my junk bin; so I came up with the hand-wired circuit in the photo. What else I got to do with my time? If this were a commercial product, it would be less than 25% the size and all be surface mounted components. The board with 4 potentiometers would take up the space of a single mechanical rheostat. With this circuit, the onboard microcontroller connects to a PC via USB, and I can instruct it to set one of the four digital potentiometers to a value that simulates a specific temperature or humidity value. As modern as this may seem, I'd be considered a dinosaur by any current-day digital circuit designer.

Cheers


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## Rusty O'Toole (Feb 1, 2012)

Interesting that you know in detail the difference between a rheostat, potentiometer and trim pot but had no trouble understanding what I said. The point is, when the switches or controls on old electronics go wonky a shot of cleaner can help. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the switch is worn out or broken. But mostly it works. What have you got to lose?


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

Userkare said:


> "Rheostats", there's a word I haven't heard for many many years; I had to look it up. I thought it was synonymous with "potentiometer", but it actually only has 2 leads instead of 3 as on a potentiometer. A potentiometer can function as a rheostat if the wiper lead is connected to one of the end-point leads. Live and
> 
> Cheers


they had a couple of good songs though...


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Rusty O'Toole said:


> Interesting that you know in detail the difference between a rheostat, potentiometer and trim pot but had no trouble understanding what I said. The point is, when the switches or controls on old electronics go wonky a shot of cleaner can help. Sometimes it works. Sometimes the switch is worn out or broken. But mostly it works. What have you got to lose?


And I remember, as a kid, when our TV went on the fritz, my dad would open the back and tap on the tubes with a wooden spoon. Maybe jargey should hit his player with a wooden spoon? What's he got to lose?


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

Userkare said:


> And I remember, as a kid, when our TV went on the fritz, my dad would open the back and tap on the tubes with a wooden spoon. Maybe jargey should hit his player with a wooden spoon? What's he got to lose?


My dad would simply give the side of the wooden enclosure a good whack. That usually brought it to heel if something like the vertical or horizontal controls failed to do the job.


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## AltaRed (Jun 8, 2009)

Since we are telling tales out of school, I had a well used '57 Ford Monarch with a tube radio that would act up, mostly drop in volume, on an intermittent basis. I would have to take my foot off the accelerator and give it a solid boot from underneath to get it working again. Did that for about 3 years until I sold the car.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Sure, that's called "percussive maintenance". https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/percussive_maintenance Sometimes it was a temporary fix, sometimes it caused a permament failure - but at least it made the problem non-intermittent so it could be diagnosed. 

Today, I don't think I want to take my car in to the service dept, and tell them that the infotainment system was malfunctioning, so I kicked it. Might lead to some costly non-warranty repairs.


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## agent99 (Sep 11, 2013)

Userkare said:


> Maybe jargey should hit his player with a wooden spoon? What's he got to lose?


Spoons? Hey, maybe that is the answer Jargey? Throw out the Boombox and make your own Newfie music?






You can learn how here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5e0TVUC_ko


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## Mukhang pera (Feb 26, 2016)

The title of this thread reminds me of the joke that made the rounds about the time that a new type of cooking apparatus was gaining popularity. It starts with a parachute jumper who is falling to earth, and his chute won't open. As he is headed down, he sees some guy coming _up_. So he calls out: "Hey, do you know anything about parachutes?" The guy headed skyward calls back: "Noooo, do you know anything about gas barbecues?"


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

bump?


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

hey! its me (op) again....... if anybody cares, I took the thing apart , as much as i could, 
wiggled, jiggled and fiddled with it....put it back together......and lo & behold its working ok again!
but, heres the thing.... i got a post from a sony thread that my problem could prob. be solved by the old 
unplug -for-a-while, then-plug-back-in - again trick.....
Doh! maybe i shoulda just tried THAT first! lol
anyway....VOWR is coming in loud & clear again!


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Great........glad you got it working.

Now that it is working, I would suggest visiting some local Goodwill or Salvation Army Thrift stores for a "just in case" boombox.

I bought a nice one in perfect condition for $10. Our neighbor picked up a huge beauty for $17 (I was a little jealous and offered him $50 cash for it but he declined). 

You gotta keep checking though. Some people grab them to sell them on the internet for a tidy profit so they get scooped up fast.

Where I worked in the GM warehouse, they let us listen to our own radios. They even put antennae and a booster on the roof of the building so we could get the CFRB talk station out of Toronto and the Blue Jays and Leafs games. There were 600 employees and everyone had their own boombox. Rechargeable batteries were all the rage.......LOL.

It was great but the booster would only work on one station at a time, so people would be listening to the talk shows and the station would change to the Blue Jays game.

It was brought up so many times at union meetings, they negotiated another booster in the next contract.

I probably saw every boombox known to man in that warehouse.........LOL.


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

jargey3000 said:


> hey! its me (op) again....... if anybody cares, I took the thing apart , as much as i could,
> wiggled, jiggled and fiddled with it....put it back together......and lo & behold its working ok again!
> but, heres the thing.... i got a post from a sony thread that my problem could prob. be solved by the old
> unplug -for-a-while, then-plug-back-in - again trick.....
> ...


Ahhhh, the old tried and true maintenance procedure... wiggle, jiggle, fiddle, unplug, plugin.

Now if this were me, my wife would be saying "with the money you saved, I can go out and buy a ........."


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## jargey3000 (Jan 25, 2011)

sags said:


> Great........glad you got it working.
> 
> Now that it is working, I would suggest visiting some local Goodwill or Salvation Army Thrift stores for a "just in case" boombox.
> 
> ...


ya know... when we moved, about 6 years ago, I decided to sell a dandy little Yamaha micro stereo bookshelf system....receiver/cd combo , 2 speakers good quality.
Thought i wouldn't need it any more... Took a bath on the price compared to what I paid for it new! Regretted it as soon as the guy walked away with it!!! im an idiot sometimes !!!


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