Sony 777ES laser

[fmak]

Re: Laser allignment & Defeating Top Cover

During servicing the unit can be operated without the top cover by temporarily bridging the solder pads marked "loading assy short lands" just to the left of the main board connector that receives the ribbon cable from the top cover.

Good luck.

Dave [/B][/QUOTE]
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Dave

I am about to do my 777. I assume that one shorts the 'land' and use the remote. If not please explain.

Fred

 

[fmak]

Re: Warning!

Having repaired many CDPs I concur. The mechanism is very similar to cheap CD-players.

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Elso

In the case of the scd777, you are talking rot. Plastic gears are not necessarilly cheap or nasty; in fact they are preferred in certain applications calling for low friction etc. If they have the technology in 1700 for plastic gears, they would have used them.

 

[David Garretson]

Fred,

Put a blob of solder on each of the two pads to bridge the two crescents into two circles. Unit will function as usual but without the top connected. Remove solder with braid when done.

If installing a replacement laser, note (as documented in the service manual) that the replacement laser pickup is shipped with two such shorted lands on the laser PCB, that need to be desoldered prior to operation. Apparently they are shorted to protect against static during handling.

Elso, there is nothing that's cheap about the SCD-1/777ES transport build quality! It is just fairly complex in order to slide the platter instead of the laser. But the service manual sucks as a source for information other than schematics & parts list.

Dave

 

[djmiddelkoop]

But the service manual sucks as a source for information other than schematics & parts list.

Indeed Dave, thanks for the service remarks about operating without the top cover.
Didn’t find this in the manual !

I also don't find anything cheap about the transport assy either.

I feal lucky as after browsing around found a KHS 180A on EBAY for only 74 euros ($89), NIB.

Needless to say that there was little doubt clicking on the BUY NOW button.

Here are some addresses I found that should have stock :

http://www.tritronicsinc.com/sony_parts3.htm

http://www.allproducts.com/ee/genglin/showroom1.html

http://www.pltv.org.uk/laser.htm

http://www.kalinatek.com/products_lens.php

http://www.wideg.nl/Wideg Electronics DVD laserunits Sony Philips en Pickups.htm

http://www.onlinesemiconductors.com/Opticalpickups.htm

http://www.unionel.com/catalog/cat_item_idx_4383.html

Dick

 

[fmak]

Also, if the CD/SACD main spindle assembly shows excessive lateral play at the collar bearings or sounds noisy during play, then the associated wobbling will first manifest as SACD read errors. The jewel end-bearing and the collar bearings should be lightly lubed from time to time to prevent premature wear.

After lubing the sled motor and gears, you will immediately notice smoother operation during loading/unloading, with no grinding of gears. Hopefully the SACD will track! The SCD-1/777ES has one of the best transports but it does require periodic maintenance.

Dave [/B]

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Dave and others

I managed to get the scd777 working by lubricating the gears and guide. I also put a drop of light oil with a tooth pick into the sled motor bearing. Brushing a mixture of teflon and lithium grease into the cogs with a painting brush makes the job easier.

A couple of questions as I think I shall need to work on the sled motor and lube the spindle motor.

1. What is the best way of removing the sled motor? Remove the transport first and tyhen the gears or the gears and optical assembly first?

2. The plastic circlips - how do they come off; just by prising the gears from below?

I have not noticed this before. The 777 is fairly quiet when a CD is played. However, on SACD, there is some motor-boating noise when the ear is pressed against the top plate.

Has anyone noticed this, or is it a case of a failing motor/ grinding shatf/bearing?

I have a replacement sled motor; looks rather flimsy compared to other components in the SCD!

 

[David Garretson]

Glad you could get it working with lubrication.

To remove the sled motor, first remove the entire transport billet assembly with its PCB from the four standups and pull out the two wide ribbon cables from the main board. Leave the laser pickup untouched. Remove the circlips retaining the round gears (I believe the circlips are made of light spring steel) by twisting circlips slightly with needle nose pliers or dental pick. Be careful as they tend to fly away. Remove large round plastic gears, leaving small gear on sled motor spindle untouched. Unscrew and remove the sled motor with its housing from the transport board. Desolder & remove sled motor from housing. Spray deoxit or equivalent into motor and run in lubricant both ways by reversing polarity of 12V battery.

Yep the sled motor appears to be of the el cheapo Chinese $.10 variety, resold with proprietary housing by Sony for over $100.

I will check the noise level on my SACD platter shortly.

Dave

 

[georgehifi]

I use a very fine grease for the plastic gears which works great, it's translucent blue in colour and made from natural caster beans, it said to acually preserve plastic while lubrcating, made by PBR here is the link, comes in a small tube couple of dollars.

http://www.pbr.com.au/products/replacement/ancillary.shtml


Cheers George

 

[fmak]

I use a very fine grease for the plastic gears which works great, it's translucent blue in colour and made from natural caster beans, it said to acually preserve plastic while lubrcating, made by PBR here is the link, comes in a small tube couple of dollars.

http://www.pbr.com.au/products/replacement/ancillary.shtml


Cheers George [/QUOTE]

It's a rubber grease! Maybe too light for gears?? Would try it except it's in Australia and I am in Cyprus where you can buy surprising things but not some ordinary things.

The English sausages here are all heavilly spiced!! It is impossible to get the real thing.

 

[georgehifi]

Quote
>Would try it except it's in Australia and I am in Cyprus<

PBR is a global company, look in the suppliers section all PDF files, bet there's one near you.


Yes it is a rubber and plastic grease that preserves, made for brake parts, it's consistency is perfect for plasic gears not too thick as to cause drag, not too thin as to run away.
It's perfect for letting the teeth slide and mesh without causing any restriction.
And it's natural, not petrolium based, so it won't attack and harden the plastic, as it says, it preserves.

Cheers George

 

[fmak]

Glad you could get it working with lubrication.

I will check the noise level on my SACD platter shortly.

Dave

Thanks for all the help. With the cover off, I can now tell that it is the spindle motor that makes the motorboat noise. Anyway you know of of lubricating from top, like dripping oil down the sleeve under the CD support? Or is it a case of strip down?

The old sled motor is actually smooth in operation.

Fred

 

[David Garretson]

I believe the spindle assembly needs to be horizontal in order to drip teflon oil into the collar bearings. It's too much heartache to disassemble the spindle shaft entirely, but it's worthwhile to remove the motor housing base plate at the bottom of the spindle & clean/lube the jewel bearing and bearing cup with white lithium or moly grease. Maybe this will quiet it down. Is there much lateral play in the spindle?

Dave

 

[fmak]

Maybe this will quiet it down. Is there much lateral play in the spindle?

Dave

No, everthing is tight.

Fred

 

[djmiddelkoop]

Finally found the time to replace the laser assy (KHS-180A) for a new one.

Great dissappointment, after playing a (new) SACD still the TOC error*.

Examination showed again the second laser dead.
Well, the one that is closest to you while sitting in front, emitts red light while the second appears to be dead. This was the same before replacing the assy.

Can anyone give me a clue what to look for ?

Thanks, Dick

 

[Zero Cool]

I wonder,....I have never looked at the schematic, but is there some switch circuit that turns the second laser on? maybe that switch transistor is dead? maybe the control logic isnt working correctly or something... I would start looking in that direction if it were me.


Zc

 

[djmiddelkoop]

Thanks for the answer,

was thinking off something like that.....

For clarification attached the interface with the laser head.

Cannot identify where the laserpower or switchover should come from.

Any help ?

Thanks, Dick

 

[Elso Kwak]

Finally found the time to replace the laser assy (KHS-180A) for a new one.

Great dissappointment, after playing a (new) SACD still the TOC error*.

Examination showed again the second laser dead.
Well, the one that is closest to you while sitting in front, emitts red light while the second appears to be dead. This was the same before replacing the assy.

Can anyone give me a clue what to look for ?

Thanks, Dick

No static protection solder bubble present on the flex cable you have to remove after installing?

 

[djmiddelkoop]

Good Question Elso, but no.
There is a little leaflet inside the box of the laserunit reminding you of the 2 shorting bubbles.

Here is the other part of the schematic :

 

[David Garretson]

Are we certain that SACD laser light is visible to the naked eye?

If not, did you first try to lubricate the transport sled & motor as previously posted? The TOC read problem typically first manifests during SACD play (before showing up in RBCD play) if there are mechanical problems in the transport such as friction or bad motor/bearings.

If you replaced the laser & lubed everything and don't have mechanical problems with the sled or spindle assys, then I'm afraid the problem is probably a bad RF or Main Board.

Dave

 

[djmiddelkoop]

Are we certain that SACD laser light is visible to the naked eye?

Dave,
I'm not shure either. The SACD laser is described as DVD laser, and these emit visible light.

I have lubricated the transport & motor assy before replacing the laser assy, but that didn't help. That's why I thought the laser was bad.

The next thing in line that could be the problem must indeed be the RF or Main board, but how to troubleshoot if it looks like the laser is not operating?

Any help is appreciated.

Dick.

 

[Hardi]

Hello,

my SCD-1 has also the Toc Error Problem, but i have one SACD that the player will always play without any problems....

very strange behaviour.!

So i changed the Pickup...still the same...CD plays fine, SACD will not play except this one hybrid SACD (David Bowie)

My 20 other SACD still have the "Toc-Error" problem.

Any Ideas?