Please help fixing Pioneer PDR-555RW

[moermusic]

Just found & read this thread. Gonna start the investigation as to why I get *check disk*, for all the different types I try. I had gotten about 20 disks recorded before unit went awol ! now does not record or play (even store bought prerecordeds)
if I cant do anything it can become a boat anchor or cheap donor unit.
Later

[cheryl]

It is probably the notorious Elna capacitor. There are good instructions in this thread for removing the cap and repairing the damage to the mainboard from the leaking cap.

My recent troubles are something different and rather unusual. I live in Hawaii by the Kilauea Volcano. The high humidity combined with the sulfur in the air does weird stuff to electronics and metals. But I too have gone through the check disc problem and it was the capacitor and resulting mainboard damage. Once I fixed that the check disk problems went away.

[moermusic]

Got the elna out. Too much of the other stuff for me to tackle. Far too fine of a work for my *older* eyes. Best mag on hand is a 10x jewellers rouge. Would never be able to solder threads of wire to traces . Hands far too unsteady. Gonna look for a full PCB.

[cheryl]

It's not that hard -- mostly just a royal pain. You do not solder the wires to the traces, you solder the wires through the little "through holes" that go from one side of the board to the other side. I wore my jeweler's visor and wore my reading glasses under them (I'm old and have a hard time with close vision). The problem in getting another board is that it will probably have the same problem.

[ColinD]

Hello Cheryl,

Received a routine email from the moderator to say you were baaaaack!, but I wasn't in a position to study the posts since then as I was on the other side of the world on a ship (Oz and NZ area). Wondering what your current state, did you obtain another (ex-unit) laser assembly?

My machine has been untouched this last month or so due vacation, but I did take service manual photocopies with me to keep my worry levels up. My machine does not record but it does still play discs, albeit the disc recognition not 100 percent reliable. I understand yours, and one or two others, do not now even read them. Have you put the machine into test mode, moved the sled out from under the turntable and looked at a SAFE DISTANCE at the laser to see if you can the see the familiar cherry-red glow in a darkend room? If not, I'm wondering if your VRDC (read power-level voltage) might be missing? Anyway, do bring us up to date, and will try to help whilst helping myself (albeit slowly as still recovering from the jet-lag - location here Buckinghamshire, England). I've taken many voltage readings over the months, something of which may give you and others a clue. Colin

[afecu]

ColinD, I was able to send cheryl a working laser assembly out of my "parts" machine, plus a photo of how the pots on that main board were set, and she installed it and that did the trick. (I'm sure she'll fill us in with more details.) Her post had said that there was visible damage to a cable and board in the laser assembly...

[ColinD]

Hello afecu, Thanks so much for your update, and pleased to know Cheryl is up and running again. One thing about these machines I never asked to have confirmed was the very hot running of the RF Amp chip, IC103. I was initially concerned about this but later came to conclusion it was normal in a properly working machine, as it cools again very quickly. It is really the only hot-to-the-touch chip in the whole machine. Any comment / confirmation please, from anyone.

[johnfm]

I registered here because I can't find any helpful information regarding the "check disc" error for the pdr-509. I do not have any experience in fixing electronics. It went bad, over time. At first unpluging did the trick, then when that stopped working I would unplug the ribbon cables and that worked for a while. Now it completely stopped recognizing anything. When I turn on the power, the door opens but the "check disc" flashes through everything. I just need it to play, not record. I am hoping someone might know things to check for the pdr-509, perhaps similar to the 8 years of discussion this thread has! Thanks for any help. I did get the error code, if that helps - 82 19 00 00.

[afecu]

Hi johnfm,

The PDR-509 isn't prone to the same backup capacitor problem as it uses as different type than the 555RW, and it seems to be generally a reliable unit. (I have one too.)

I couldn't decode the error code, but you can download the service manuals yourself - at Index of /pioneer/tricomp/Audio/PDR, RRV2055 is the service guide for the 555rw/509/v500, and has detailed error code information, and RRV2167 is the service manual for the 509.

And FYI, you can get an audible improvement in the sound by replacing the NJM4558DX op amps at IC404 and IC801 in the D/A and A/D circuits on the audio board with NJM4565D's (or DD's). The 555RW uses the 4565D's there. It's an easy mod - these are big old DIP-packaged IC's.

Hope this helps!

[johnfm]

Originally Posted by afecu

Hi johnfm,

The PDR-509 isn't prone to the same backup capacitor problem as it uses as different type than the 555RW, and it seems to be generally a reliable unit. (I have one too.)

I couldn't decode the error code, but you can download the service manuals yourself - at Index of /pioneer/tricomp/Audio/PDR, RRV2055 is the service guide for the 555rw/509/v500, and has detailed error code information, and RRV2167 is the service manual for the 509.

And FYI, you can get an audible improvement in the sound by replacing the NJM4558DX op amps at IC404 and IC801 in the D/A and A/D circuits on the audio board with NJM4565D's (or DD's). The 555RW uses the 4565D's there. It's an easy mod - these are big old DIP-packaged IC's.

Hope this helps!

Thanks for all that detailed information. It is almost too bad that it doesn't have the same problem. Mine died over time, I did put a lot of hours on it, mainly recording all of my vinyl collection. I do have a working pdr-509 as well. I have a rare cdr that won't play on my computer (due to an alarming amount of C1 and C2 errors), or on my blu-ray. The only things that can play it are an old boombox, and the 509. I really wanted to make a digital copy, from 509 to 509. It isn't the end of the world if I can't .