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Didital Things
Topic: CEC fixing mystery.

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Posted by Romy the Cat on 12-26-2013
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As few days back my CEC TL0 MKII got broken. It severally mistracks and as it slides out of the optical grove it never goes back, creating horrible sound. The problem is pretty much even-distributed across the whole CD surface. It started on a few disks a few weeks back and not it happens on each disc with a few second of placing. Would TL0 be a regular transport then it would be bad but this is not a regular transport but rather irreplaceable transport. So I am naturally disturbed by this.

Of cause I clean up all transport’s optics with no result. Then I noted that the main axis, the spindle upon wish the CD sit has a wobbling, the bearing is worn out. In this transport the CD axis is not sit on a motor, it is belt driven transport. Still to preplace the main bearing sound a bit complicated to me. I would need to manufacture a new cylinder bearing, that is kind of doable but from what I observe the bearing’s external wall looks like is integrated into a larger body. So to remake all of it would be a nightmare. For sure the disc axis should not have any swaying but I wonder if it is the source of the problem. The bearing did not get work over a week or two but the problem begin to appear pretty much 2-3 weeks ago. So, I might suspect that the transport laser lost power or become dead for any other reason.

Well, I know that it is possible to add some laser power but it is kind of finicky ceremony and reportedly could easily burn laser. Still, I will try to do it as I need my CD transport back. The new laser assembly is sold by audio dealers for $400. The none-audio dealers sell the same ANYO SF-P1 Laser Head for $45. I have lorded one, just in case I do burn the original laser.

I wonder if any of you have any experience with fixing the CD lasers. So, will it be a fixing or performing a harakiri over TL0 I do not know at this point. If someone went over it before then, please share your observations. If somebody knows somebody who can fix TL0 for me then let me know as well. I do not need anybody to “modify” it but juts to return it to the original operation condition.
 
Rgs,
Romy the Cat

Posted by Romy the Cat on 01-02-2014
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Is my CEC TL0 stopped to work I was kind of suicidal as I do not feel to pay 10K for a new one and I will never find anything the sound as good. A friend of my suggested me to contact Nick Gowan who can fix CEC:

http://www.tsound.com/inquiries.html

Prior to do it I decided to change the laser myself, it not difficult to do and LT0 is notoriously bad for shipping. So, I get the new TL0 laser assembly for KRELL KAV-250 (they use the same SANYO SF-P1) from Liberty Electronics for $45 and was ready to install the new laser. As I said the spindle was raddling and I was wondering how accurate I can measure the elevation of the CD on the spindle with my micrometer as I have no tools to re-focuses the laser after I replace it. I flipped the LT0 a few time to see how the assemble work all together and then I realized that after I flipped the LT0 the main spindle stopped to wobble. I med the microscopic raddling that I had in the spindle’s bearing is evaporated only because I flipped the spindle and made a few turns of the spindle with spindle upside down.

This is kind of very strange as there is nothing know to me in bearing that would reset the worn of bearing by just flipping the bearing upside down. Anyhow, as I did it the bearing become very firm and very solid with no raddling of any kind. I assemble the transport back and make it to spin a CD. It worked perfectly, with fast tracing engagement and no tracing loosing…

Go figure, it is some kind of mystery. I spoke with a friend of mine who repaired a lot of older German tape machine and he toile me that he have seen them to use self-centric bearings that have a collection of clonuses inside for self-calibrating. I do not know if CEC has such a bearing but the fact it that as I flipped the transport it did fix itself and tight up the bearing. Very interesting…

The Cat

Posted by Paul S on 01-02-2014
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It might be that the (usually caged) bearings were very slightly tweaked in their races, or perhaps the inner race got unseated from its proper spot on the shaft, or maybe the outer race was moved relative to its seat. Any of these things might be caused or corrected by relative movement between the bearings, the shaft or the bearing seats. If the problem recurs you might want to secure the bearing seats with something like Loc-Tite.

Anyway, lucky you!


Best regards,
Paul S

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