DIY cassette decks repair

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Fri 23 Jan 2015

Views: 18 857 Category: Car audio

Recently, in a radio technical store, I was able to buy a car radio from AddZes very cheaply (for only 100 rubles), with only one problem - there was no sound. I brought it home, found all the necessary connector pinouts on the Internet, and successfully connected the car radio.

As a result, it turned out that there was sound, but not always, and the first thing to do for repair was to buy a connector. However, in stores such a connector cost about 500 rubles, so I decided to make it myself. But it turned out that ATX computer power supplies have about the same connector, which, having slightly altered, we get an ideal option for our device. And for this it was only necessary to remove 4 slots, as shown in the picture.

Next, open the radio.

We take a tester and a magnifying glass and start troubleshooting. There was a smd resistor on the board with the number 681, its legs fell off the board, soldering it again, I connected the radio tape recorder.

And there was another problem - this car radio was produced by Japan, and it could not catch the ranges of our FM radio. Having learned all the details on the Internet, how exactly you need to remake it for our range, I decided to just go to the store and buy for 150 rubles. the most common converter.

All the problems were solved, when I connected the converter, all the ranges were caught, only the frequencies on the display did not coincide with the real ones, but this is not so critical.

After that, I decided to slightly modify our radio tape recorder, and add a usb input to it, for playing music from a flash drive. Since there was no audio input, I decided to use an FM transmitter for this, but as experience has shown, this reduces the quality of the music, and this is not necessary for us. To avoid this, we will use only the audio path from the transmitter (the Audio path is a chain of devices responsible for transmitting audio information) and the DAC, leaving the radio chain unused.
And so one of the cheapest versions of the BORK transmitter was bought (for only 420 rubles). The transmitter had a usb and audio input, as well as a control panel.

Having disassembled the device, I found 3 transmitter boards, a stabilizer and a connector.
Below is a photo of the transmitter and connectors.

So, at first I wanted to remove the cassette deck in order to use its audio output, but I did not succeed, since this output did not turn on in any way without this cassette deck.

The cogwheel was the culprit, it kept track of the normal state of the soundboard. Photo gear below:

As a result, I left the deck in place, I just altered it a little, turning off the tape drive motor (so that the sound of the motor stops). But a new problem appeared - the cassette went off unloading autonomously, since the car radio considered that the cassette had jammed.

I had to study everything in the deck and finally found a sensor that is responsible for the movement of the tape. This sensor was assembled on the basis of a receiver and an infrared emitter. The problem was solved with the help of an infrared diode (it can be found in the TV remote control), a cap from a simple knob and a flasher. The blinker was in the form of a star, which blinked blue and only 3 batteries were enough for operation. And so instead of this LED, the infrared diode from the remote control was soldered.

Here is the tape movement sensor itself:

And here is our infrared diode:

And everything is already assembled:

And so the idea turned out - the car radio thought that the cassette was playing and turned on the audio input. It remains only to modify the front panel of the radio.
The USB port was installed instead of the cassette return button, but nothing changed - the port clearly entered.

But there was a piece on the board that interfered with the insertion of the USB port, I had to cut it off and solder wires instead of tracks.

Then in the garage I found the front panel from the old music center, and I removed the buttons from it to insert into the hole of the cassette receiver, since I had removed this socket in advance. Result in the picture:

Next to the buttons, I also inserted an audio input for connecting mobile phones, players and other sound-reproducing equipment. A 3.5mm mini-jack was used as an audio input.

Then, instead of the factory IR receiver, I inserted a previously prepared IR receiver of the transmitter (there was no remote control with the car radio, so it was useless).

To power the USB port, I added one stabilizer to charge any equipment (USB is constantly connected to the plus from inside the car radio).

And one more stabilizer, which goes to power the infrared diode and the transmitter, which was turned on instead of the tape drive motor, and it turns on autonomously when the cassette deck is working. These two stabilizers are built on the 7805 microcircuit, if this is not found, then you can use KREN5A as an analog.
After soldering all the parts, our car radio looks like this:

As a result, we got a car radio with a USB input (for playing music from a flash drive), with a remote control for the transmitter, and of course with an audio input that was not available before. That's all, good luck to everyone in the assembly.

What for? if for the spent 560 rubles you can buy a normal used radio tape recorder with a decent looking front panel

It is not the result that is important, but the process itself. Of course, you can buy it, but it's interesting to do something with your own hands. Well done author))))

Data (D-, D +) USB where can I connect if the designations are different?

Good day, dear gurus!

Please enlighten me - I bought a Technics RS-AZ7 deck (just don't swear - nostalgia tortured me - I love this brand, and the process of recording / listening to cassettes is much more interesting / romantic than disc cases)

And immediately a problem came up, for which I have always disliked cassette cases.
When playing a cassette, it feels like it moves in small, small, small jerks (that is, the sound seems to cling to something) - it is very noticeable on the strings, the piano.

What is this bullshit and how to deal with it?

Thanks a lot in advance for your help!

P.S. It seems that everyone somewhere swore at the drying pressure rollers. What happens by ear when the rollers dry on the decks? Do they dry on all decks? And where can I look for new ones? Like I read that some craftsman makes super-videos himself - who? Where?

P.S. Guys, I ask for advice precisely on how to eliminate a specific drawback of this particular apparatus. The option “sell it (shameful bullshit) - buy something else (Super Duper) ”Does not fit. I know I’m not Nakamichi Dragon, but I want RS-AZ7. With all its other shortcomings

Are rewinds working properly?

Specifically, I did not have this apparatus, but on Akai there was something similar, it was cured by replacing the belts and flushing everything that came into contact with them with alcohol, a little later I replaced the motor. Before me, some "craftsman" stupidly smeared the belts with something like rosin in alcohol, and spread it unevenly.

Have you done prophylaxis against CVD? Necessary .

In theory, all of them, in practice, no. Moreover, the top decks are different. At XK-009, for example mine, like from the assembly line.

Rewinds and everything else - works perfectly. The heads are zero.

Didn't do anything with her. What needs to be done specifically?

Outwardly, it is 5 with two pluses - it seems that they really did not use much. Everything in it suits me, except for the above-described jamb. But this jamb is still on the muses. centers and players got out. And on Sonya (player), a similar troubles began after a spiritual flight under the table.And at the muse centers of Panasonic and Technics, the same garbage began to appear after several years of operation - but then I switched to CDs and minidisks - so I did not bother. And now I'm confused

P.S. Well, I like her. Like I would like a dragon - I would buy it. But I do not want. I do not like it outwardly.

2Alex Nikitin: Let me explain why I need this particular deck. The sound of her suits me 100%. The design is great too. I'm not going to find fault with her over trifles. Sometimes I need to record from CD to a good cassette such as TDK MA, MA-X and Denon MX-G my favorite bands such as Mirage, Freestyle and listen to them exactly from the cassette, looking at the luminescent level indicators. Those. this is my little time machine, you know?
I don't want a dragon, a Teac 8030, or a Sony 6ES. I just DO NOT WANT them. Thank you for your recommendation about 965th. I guess it is better than the AZ7 in all respects, but my youth was in the late 90s and her design was originally from the 80s. Moreover, I'm not sure that having bought another deck, especially even older in age, I won't get a bunch of other problems. The trouble is that you want exactly the technics and the AZ7!
I do not think that the above cant is a terribly difficult problem for professionals. Maybe the whole thing is to change the video. But I do not know for sure, and therefore I ask the professionals for advice. Or amateurs who have encountered a similar problem and have solved this issue. I am sure there are no unsolvable problems.
If it breaks, we will fix it.
And which goat took them out of production? I would buy a new one for 30,000. "Lateness is an eternal drama" - (c) I. Talkov
In general, I'm waiting for some practical advice

Didn't do anything with her. What needs to be done specifically?

Outwardly, it is 5 with two pluses - it seems that they really did not use much. Everything in it suits me, except for the above-described jamb. But this jamb is still on the muses. centers got out.

P.S. Well, I like her. Like I would like a dragon - I would buy it. But I do not want. I do not like it outwardly.

If you like it externally, put it on the shelf and admire it. The main problem of this soundboard is precisely that the broach there is at the level of the musical center. ...

For those who want to understand in more detail, here is a link to the service description:

from which, by the way, you can see that the passport detonation of this broach is 0.2% DIN (!). This is for the new device. I say - the level of the musical center. By the way, there is one roller and a belt drive. I can also add that the UV in AZ-7 is perhaps the only thing that has been done more or less decently.

Alexei! Let's say I sold the deck. I do not need a super-duper apparatus for 30-60 thousand for one simple reason. And her name is second-hand.
And I’m not a fan of tape recording. This is nostalgia, a hobby.
Okay. What do you recommend? The 965 is out of the question - this kind of design is not interesting to me.
In general, if you go through the firms, then your personal impression is the following:
Aiwa - I didn't listen to the deck. music centers - the sound is harsh, ugly, rough.
Sony - everything that was - got sick of glitches
Pioneer - bought by a fan buddy. After a couple of years, he scolded terribly about flowability and unreliability
JVC - after 1996 is not listed at all - apparently the audio production was either transferred to China or sold to someone - and the sound, etc., became Mr.
Nakamichi is a nightmare, not a design
Teac was one. In principle, there are no complaints. But the prices for it start from 20-30 thousand. Status - unknown
Sanyo - really, except me, no one hears that the speed of the tape there differs from ALL other firms in the big direction. And the design.
Akai - shoot designers right after the Nakamichevsky
And what remains? Nice kind technician! Did all the new Technics decks have a similar problem? Unlikely. So you can fix it! And not by replacing the entire tape drive with a Nakamichev one!

Music level. center? And to hell with him - that's fine with me. The level of good music. center is a very good level. Anything better than a tape recorder "beacon"
I listen to MUSIC, not hardware. Moreover, only a live orchestra can sound like a “live orchestra”.
One drowned? And thank God - the film will not stretch.
Alexey, since you are here (and probably there are reasons) called the main master, then tell me - what could be the decks (in general, decks) the reason for the occurrence of the "twitching" described by me above? I’ve heard the same effect on other decks! It means - a common disease! Is it really so incurable.

But there is no ideal. As soon as you buy something, someone starts shouting - fu, they say, byaka
Can you find me a PERFECT deck? Both internally and externally?

It is unlikely, since if a person is a fan, and he has a really serious soundboard at home, then he is using it. This means that the tape drive and the head are worn out to the point of lawlessness. And if he is not a fan, then, given that decent decks have not been produced for almost 10 years, then he sold it a long time ago.

P.S./ “Car from Germany, mileage 100 km per year, granny only went to church on this five-liter turbo lighter, and so she bought it in the garage” - we already went through this.

By the way, ""Engineering is about making what is required from what is available.""- this is what I need now! It is it. Right now. Very, very required.

Alexei! Let's say I sold the deck. I do not need a super-duper apparatus for 30-60 thousand for one simple reason. And her name is second-hand.
And I’m not a fan of tape recording. This is nostalgia, a hobby.
Okay. What do you recommend? The 965 is out of the question - this kind of design is not interesting to me.
In general, if you go through the firms, then your personal impression is the following:
Aiwa - I didn't listen to the deck. music centers - the sound is harsh, ugly, rough.
Sony - everything that was - got sick of glitches
Pioneer - bought by a fan buddy. After a couple of years, he scolded terribly about flowability and unreliability
JVC - after 1996 is not listed at all - apparently the audio production was either transferred to China or sold to someone - and the sound, etc., became Mr.
Nakamichi is a nightmare, not a design
Teac was one. In principle, there are no complaints. But the prices for it start from 20-30 thousand. Status - unknown
Sanyo - really, except me, no one hears that the speed of the tape there differs from ALL other firms in the big direction. And the design.
Akai - shoot designers right after the Nakamichevsky
And what remains? Nice kind technician! Did all the new Technics decks have a similar problem? Unlikely. So you can fix it! And not by replacing the entire tape drive with a Nakamichev one!

Music level. center? And to hell with him - that's fine with me. The level of good music. center is a very good level. Anything better than a tape recorder "beacon"
I listen to MUSIC, not hardware. Moreover, only a live orchestra can sound like a “live orchestra”.

Alexey, since you are here (and probably there are reasons) called the main master, then tell me - what could be the decks (in general, decks) the reason for the occurrence of the "twitching" described by me above? I’ve heard the same effect on other decks! It means - a common disease! Is it really so incurable.

But there is no ideal. As soon as you buy something, someone starts shouting - fu, they say, byaka
Can you find me a PERFECT deck? Both internally and externally?

It is unlikely, since if a person is a fan, and he has a really serious soundboard at home, then he is using it. This means that the tape drive and the head are worn out to the point of lawlessness. And if he is not a fan, then, given that decent decks have not been produced for almost 10 years, then he sold it a long time ago.

P.S./ “Car from Germany, mileage 100 km per year, granny only went to church on this five-liter turbo lighter, and so she bought it in the garage” - we already went through this.

By the way, ""Engineering is about making what is required from what is available.""- this is what I need now! It is it. Right now. Very, very required.

Let's go in order. I can write in detail in the evening, now it's hard from a mobile phone. But, nevertheless, a few points:

1) normal decks have not been produced for a long time, therefore, even if an excellent deck was bought in its original sealed packaging, it needs maintenance, often even more than a device that has worked a little, but regularly.

2) more than a hundred “used” decks have passed through my hands lately. There are devices that have been killed in the trash, but there are not so many of them. They come across as close to new ones, like the Marantz SD-60, which I now sell, and most of them after service work, practically, like new, although they do not look so outwardly. Often even noticeably better than new ones after visiting me.

3) I recommend the 965 Technics not for its looks, but for the fact that after maintenance and a simple modification, this deck sounds better than any other cassette device that I have come across. If you are looking for a music machine, this is one of the best options.

4) The decks that I sell I put out in the flea market. But you have very specific requirements, I'm not sure if I can help you.

5) There can be many reasons for increased detonation - from problems with the belt or pressure roller to dried grease. The broach needs to do a full service, but even after that the quality will be very average.

The idea is great, of course, but it's clearly not about the costs. Skills and show-off, perhaps, for the sake of.

And if you look at the costs, then a wireless speaker for $ 3 is much more profitable. Mobile, without the pain of soldering and killing the best rarity "boombox". In addition, the sound in such radio tape recorders is still poor

Not everything is so simple. They gave me a Panasonic SC-PM09 microsystem not so long ago. I got it without a remote control, antennas and with worn-out disc ejection pads. Those. in fact, only a cassette player is completely serviceable in it. But her sound is very decent. The idea immediately arose to attach it to the kitchen for sounding kitchen gatherings, but this device does not have AUX (line input). For me, this is a very simple and affordable scheme to fit a tablet (and through it the entire home media server) as a signal source.

In the process of watching, the idea arose to turn off the cassette drive motor, so that only the preamplifier and amplifier would work.

He gave a second life to the radio tape recorder with the help of such a thing. The only thing is that the wire did not go through completely and the lid did not close, but after the use of force it passed.

funny shit. what is the name, where to get it?

Name - Car Bluetooth adapter in the form of a cassette.

"Cassette adapter" links dofiga.

It's a good thing if there is an AUX input!

The wire is inserted into the signal source (player, phone, tablet, laptop). You press [PLAY] on the cassette deck and the signal goes to the head in a form that is digestible for an old Mayfun. The only big disadvantage of this solution is the limited reproducible frequencies, since in most music centers, the range on a cassette deck is much lower than on a CD. Although for the "modernization" of an old balalaika without a CD it will do.

I confirm. they did so often too.

Yes, you are an expert in sophisticated mockery of sound. Phone speaker sound is mono. Reading head of most radio tape recorders and muses. centers of stereo. Why bother so much over the already miserable sound of the built-in speaker. For field conditions, of course, the option is working, but if you spend 2.5 bucks, an old charger and a little solder, then the collective farm structure will decrease significantly, and the usability and sound quality will increase immensely.

the fact is that when the working speaker is brought to the head of the mafon, the sound will be transmitted not as sound, but as electromagnetic oscillations caused by the current flowing through the speaker winding. So, if you do not take into account that the sound will be mono, the sound itself can be quite high quality, oddly enough. Moreover, theoretically, it will be an analog signal transmission without compression / compression / re-encoding, which can and will take place when transmitting sound via a bluetooth.

A particularly sophisticated way of such a device can be a cassette emulator - AUX-input, which is essentially 2 coils located right in front of the gaps of the magnetic circuits of the stereo head, wired to the 3.5mm jack and the cassette body, possibly with rollers that will "twist" the feeding unit from the reception, so that the hitchhiking does not work.

Yes, it is clear that the head will not reproduce mechanical vibrations into sound. I mean that the frequency range with which the speaker of the mobile phone and the head of the tape recorder work is very far from the normal sound of the system. I proceed from the fact that cassettes are no longer used, which means that there is no need for a head, as in a very narrow link for transmitting an audio signal. I did not say that the sound will not be amplified - the head is in the magnetic field of the speaker and then the amplifier will do its job. But this is the wildest collective farm - sticking the phone in the deck. What people will not go to in order to save 2.5 bucks. 😀

Author, thank you for this post!

I revived my old cassette player. Although not a specialist in radio engineering.

I don't know if your video is or not, but I was inspired =)

By the way, a 12 volt to 5 volt converter can be removed from an old car charger. If you move the giblets of the car charger from the battery compartment deep into the body, then the Bluetooth function will be preserved even when operating on batteries (I think that the total voltage of all batteries will be exactly 12 Volts).

@ Alkar2, something got me wrong. If you are the author of this video, then you have a thought.

You can cram three 18650 batteries into the battery compartment, connected in series with the following charge controller:

Power the compartment itself from the built-in power supply of the radio itself. You can also change the standard speakers to decent car two-way speakers of a similar size. And there will be generally a song with dances.

And here's what I did with the cassettes

Nice. You can also rewind the film in cassettes in different ways, you get a kind of ornament))).

Previously promised video of the tape recorder:
I apologize for the quality of video and sound recording (I shot with my Samsung GALAXY Note smartphone).

see would have seen the work of the unit

I still use the device at work :), but shooting video is problematic there :)

but, it will be necessary to try to shoot, since it is interesting.

The author is well done, hands off where necessary, in 2001 I carried out a similar work, but there was the integration of all human benefits into the "Comet 225" tape recorder

Gorgeous, I read it with pleasure! It's nice to read, and to contemplate the wonderful result =)

An interesting device turned out! I read the article with pleasure.

It worked well. Nice. Well done.

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I have no experience and I don’t know people, so I appeal to those who went through this, namely, they gave their priceless brainchild (soundboard, tape recorder) to a specialized workshop.
I don't want to bump into crooked people.
Advise a workshop (phone number, address) for the repair of cassette decks - where you can send it for repair without fear that it will be damaged there (spoil the appearance, break off parts), replace or fall out original parts, in general, replace parts with high quality and carefully or carry out repairs.
Of course interested in the city of Bryansk, but given the specifics of technology that is in the past - no one has been doing this for a long time.
Interested in a workshop in Moscow

p.s I did not want to offend anyone with my own words from the masters who are full of enthusiasm and are still doing this good deed

Your consumer goods parts with a developed resource are not of interest even for scrap metal collectors.
Search for yeng audio.
Your cockroaches will grow cold and nourished there.

Nobody owes anything to anyone. And doing it cheaply means not respecting yourself and your work.

Each work has its own price.

If you want to fine-tune the machine,

then you need EXPERIENCE and the corresponding WEEKEND devices and dough tapes.
And this also costs money (for the one who carries out repairs)

_________________
Don't forget Ohm's Law

And what does SONY have to do with it.
You have Nakamichi.

You are completely impoverished there in Bryansk. There are as many as two such workshops in Ryazan. It is legal entities

_________________
If you feel bad, smile
tomorrow it will be even worse.

Does this aunt dormouse have a model?

I have a Sony cassette deck in which I need to replace the pressure rollers.
I don’t want to change or cripple the device myself, I’m looking for a workshop.

In this case, I agree with Dronych
You are not a Client_ YOU are hemorrhoids. If your hands don't hold a trivial screwdriver and your eyes don't see anything, sell the deck and buy a working one.
There will be no freebies - anyway.
For: if you do not understand this, then how did you decide that only the rollers need to be replaced.
Of course, it will seem to you that after the renovation she sings badly and essesenno (even on the recommendation), you decide that you have changed everything in the soundboard to Chinese.
Mind you, in your first post, you already outlined what you are afraid of - that means it will be so!
Aless - Mr. Gimor, definitely

And it is necessary to draw up a written agreement, which specifies specifically what needs to be done, and indicate that the stupidity of work and adjustments will not be made. And do just that. And sometimes they will bring with rustling volume controls - a tone, like just clean it, or the same as the author of the topic, just replace the video, and then after the repair they start saying why they didn't make a record, for example, or didn't adjust the tape speed, the line-in does not work, and so on. With the contract it is simple - what is written is done, this is the price for this work. I have been doing this lately, otherwise hemorrhoids are always 100%. And when a conversation starts with a customer about a written contract and that only a specific work will be done and nothing more, then you can immediately see what the customer wants, if hemorrhoids, then conversations about the type immediately begin there, check everything else, you never know what else will be. refuse to repair or, of course, include all requests in the contract and naturally increase the price.

We repair cassette tape recorders of any year of manufacture, with any malfunctions, we adjust, adjust and diagnose equipment, clean internal mechanisms and boards, lubricate units, and complete maintenance, urgent repairs, testing, quality control, restoration after mechanical damage, corrosion, restoration ... The workshop was organized in 2004 and during this time we have gained tremendous experience in solving incredibly difficult problems with any brands and models of cassette recorders. Call us and we will repair any tape recorder at a high professional level!

Cassette tape recorder is a device for recording and reproducing sound signals using special cassettes with magnetized film. The signal is read using a special head, against which the film is rubbed, which is set in motion by a scrolling mechanism.

Repairing cassette recorders is not an easy task, and if there is no certain experience in this matter, then it is extremely undesirable to climb into it. As practice shows, in 90% of cases the “master” grief is carried with his faulty equipment all day long, he will find a bunch of “extra” spare parts and in the end he will still take the failed device to the service.

Therefore, you should not make such mistakes and in the event of a breakdown, you should immediately take the tape recorder to a specialist who will accurately determine the cause of the malfunction.

Most often, the following elements fail in cassette recorders:

• Power amplifiers on the surface of microcircuits.
• Power amplifiers on the surface of transistors.
• Power supplies.
• Various elements of the power supply.
• Defective tape drive.
• In rare cases, dynamics.

By contacting our service, you will receive detailed advice on the breakdown of your cassette recorder and will be repaired by our specialist in the shortest possible time.

Kenwood, Sharp, Elenberg, Samsung, Philips, JVC, Tehnics, Aiwa, Olympus 005, Lighthouse 233, Nota 220s, Ampex, Harman / Kardon, Akai, Lurkmore, Aiwa, Funai, JVC, Marantz, Nakamichi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Sony, Skywin, YS, OEM, aoyue, ezcap, KLYDE, CBT, EzCAP, JYK, LG, romantic, spring, comet, electronics 302, lighthouse, boombox, elfa 332, pioneer, rostov, astra, note, jupiter, vega, union, song, yauza, orbit, sonata, snowfall, timbre, wilma, tom, elf, rus, technis, vhs, fisher, legend, teach, mystery, daewoo, Ilet 102, wave.

Even if you haven't found your manufacturer in this list - we can probably fix it - bring it!

An old cassette audio tape recorder somehow broke down at leisure:

Photo 1 [Enlarge]. Sony CFS-B7S

Photo 2 [Enlarge]. Auto-reverse, headphone output, stereo radio, microphone. Recording capability (from radio or microphone)

Photo 3. Powered by 6 R20 batteries (1.5V each) or from a network of 110 or 220 alternating volts

It is written that it was made in Japan, but as will be seen below ... this is unlikely. It is curious that this is a 1999 model, although in the 90s there were already CD players and radio tape recorders, and the level of this device was 80s.

So, the symptoms of a breakdown were as follows: the speakers at any volume emitted inarticulate wheezing and grunting. The culprit:

Photo 4. LA4597 [datasheet] - 2-channel LF amplifier 2 x 3 W

Initially, the tape recorder had a yellow sticker with the words "60W" and "Integral dual cone speakers". Those. the buyer is misled by this sticker (and Sony, Zhapan does it). We Buyer thinks these speakers are:

Photo 5. Speaker Sony "30W"

have a power of 30 W, the black bulge around is the rubber suspension of the diffuser corresponding to this power, the metal garbage in the center is a high-frequency (HF) speaker. But all this turns out to be fake:

Photo 6. Sony Integral dual cone speakers

The diffuser turns out to be a plastic decoration on the case, the tweeter is just a metal patch with a cone on the core of a paper cone (perhaps this really improves the reproduction of high frequencies a little). Power 2.5 watts:

Photo 7. Speaker Sony: diameter 4 inches 2.5W 3.2ohm

On the speakers is written "Sony" ... Like quality, brand, everything. It is also written on all boards:

Photo 8. Inscriptions on boards

We still believe everything that is written. But are Sony (and even more so in Japan) radio parts made? For example, on the transformer (left) it says BILLION E 1-450-015-31 24/97:

Photo 9... Wirewound transformer AC220V-DC9V (left), RF amplifier under the radiator (right)

It is curious to note how orthogonally located boards are attached here by means of thick conductor wires. Microphone (it also says "Sony", but also on the board ...):

Photo 10. Microphone Sony

In all Soviet technology, even made in the 90s, all the parts stood exactly. In Japanese, even more so. How can they be put crooked? It seems that at the exit of any radio-electronic production in China there are specially trained workers who, according to some secret decree of the party and government, specially press and bend the initially level capacitors, so that everyone immediately understands that it was made in China, regardless of whether what is written on the boards and on the device outside.

The tape recorder has a mechanical autoreverse (automatic "flipping" of the cassette) and two modes: endless playback and back-and-forth-stop. These mechanics look very complicated and of high quality:

A large plastic bright green beam from above is needed here only so that, while shifting during the reverse, with its small part, paint over one of the two triangles of the direction of movement of the tape (coral arrow):

Photo 14. Front Panel

But the turquoise arrow points to the worn paint ... It turns out that these metal panels are made of plastic painted with metal paint, and not entirely of metal, as it seems - another tricky, terribly realistic Sony-Japanese fake.

The tape recorder can record on cassettes (from a microphone and radio). But here one more fake is observed: a pseudo demagnetization head. There is essentially no erasing head. In Photo 13, to the right of the read-write head, you can see something similar to it and it moves out to the tape when you press the record button, remove it:

Photo 15. Erasing head

It's just a piece of plastic, to which no wiring goes (so that it is an active head that demagnetizes with a high-frequency harmonic vibration), and the square below is not a magnet (does not magnetise), as is the case with other recording tape recorders:

Photo 16. Typical erase head (magnet)

In addition, if it really was an erasing head, then, taking into account the autoreverse, there should be two of them, to the left and to the right of the recording head. In short, a dummy, which for some reason was made difficult and even with an even larger lever for pushing it towards the film.

So you can only record on such a tape recorder on a blank cassette. From the back side, the cassette deck looks like this:

Photo 17 [Enlarge]. Tape drive mechanism. Flywheels, beads, MABICHI MOTOR motor
EG-530AD-9B

A brush that cleans a belt ... It is ineffective (cleans only from one side).

The plastic body consists of two halves, every 15 cm along the groove of one of the halves, very neat seals are glued:

Conclusions. The device is very high-quality in terms of thoughtful design and mechanics, not very high-quality in the execution of electronic boards, a bunch of specially thought-out fakes that simplify / reduce the cost of the device, but depict something more. And this is from Sonya. Although made, apparently, in Taiwan.