Sony CDP207ESP Needs new optical pick up

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My wife is pretty computer illiterate so using the computer to play music is not her cup of tea. So I need to resurrect the Sony CDP207ESP she has used for years and is now skipping. I cleaned the optical pickup but no help there so I assume it needs a new optical pick up. I don't know what pick up is in the unit and where to order such a replacement. Can someone help.
I can download the service manual but am a little weary of the Pronto PDF reader you need to install to obtain it. Anyone have trouble with that software and viruses?
 
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The manual is available from Elektrotanya.com. The trouble with many sites offering manuals is that the actual link for the manual alone is obscure. On the site mentioned, wait until the small print saying 'processing' changes to 'get manual'. Click on nothing else.

The player appears to use the KSS150 pickup but there are other things to check before replacing it. It may just need attention to the sled assembly.
 

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Thanks Mooly, great advice especially on obtaining the service manual, as you said with obscure positioning of what you really want after going to 5 other sites.
I think the sled assembly is working fine but it does a lot of skipping now which it did not previously do. I haven't tested it much but it may be mostly on CD-R disks than commercial CD's.
Where do people on this site buy parts, i.e. the KSS150, besides eBay perhaps.
 
The KSS210A would be the proper replacement for the KSS150. But, as Mooly said, skipping is most often not a bad laser, but rather dried up lubrication on the guide rails for the laser sled. If it uses the mech that has laser tracking drive gears that are held with screws, then there is also a good possibilty that the final drive gear("gear A" in manual) has partially broken teeth on the small gear part underneath that engages the laser's gear teeth. Generally, it's only the counter-sprung upper gear rack(laser's straight gear) that breaks the teeth, so totally proper function can be restored by simply removing that upper gear rack part & it's spring.
 
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Where do people on this site buy parts, i.e. the KSS150, besides eBay perhaps.

Depends where you live I guess. I couldn't vouch for any Ebay stuff tbh (as I've honestly never bought a sausage on there ;))

You need to check the basics of the mechanical operation first as Stephen outlined, and certainly before diving in to replace the pickup. If it skips on only CDR then you need to start doing more detailed investigation of the 'signal' on the disc and what it looks like on playback. CDR should play on most machines but its not guaranteed. Contrary to popular opinion you can sometimes get much better results burning discs at the slowest speeds rather than the fastest.
 
Thanks for the help there. Obviously I'm no repair person but enjoy trying to figure things out. I will check out the lubrication situation and see if that helps. If that doesn't help I'll be back to ask about where to get an optical pick up.
I have some teflon lubricant that will hopefully do the trick after cleaning things up and seeing if there is a gear that is stripped.
Good heads up on making CD-R's. I used to do that and have since gotten more careless.
 
OK. You guys were apparently correct although I'm not sure where the problem actually was. I cleaned and lubed the optical transport sled and cleaned the rubber belt and belt pulleys. Unfotunately now it seems the belt is slipping. It does play CD's fine though but obviously with the belt slipping the drawer doesn't always close properly, engaging the optical pick up.
Can anyone tell me where one can get a replacement rubber belt? I live in Spokane, WA and we certainly don't have a plethora of places to get parts from.
 
cleaned the rubber belt and belt pulleys.

Well that obviously wasn't needed....:)
You most probably got some lube or 'finger grease' on them.... so if you can, gently remove the belt/s and put them in a small zip-lock bag with some plain talcum and shake about to coat.
Remove them and, without touching them with your bare fingers shake off any excess and reinstall.
 
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I've never heard of the talc thing before :) Talc and optics doesn't sound a great combination tbh.

I think I would clean them with iso first (belt and pulleys). A clean belt and pulley should be able to stall the motor if the tray is momentarily held.
 
That's interesting how opinions differ. I did clean the belt and pulleys with isopropanol but may have gotten some body oil on the belt when I replaced it. I asked about getting a replacement belt because this belt would be some 30 years old and seemed a little loose when I put it back on. I can try recleaning and using white photo gloves or tools to replace and even talc and see either work again in stalling the motor.
So the original question is still unanswered, if I need a new belt is their an online source for such parts?
 
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You need to measure the belt size which isn't always easy. Two or three ways. Try placing cotton around it and measuring the length, try placing string around the pulleys in place of the belt and measure the length and finally squeeze the belt tightly between both hands pinching but not stretching it and place it on a ruler. Double the distance you measure to get the length.

Check if its round or square in section. The belt will only have stretched a little over the years and so don't go to small.

Where to order... depends where you live but component wholesalers aimed at the repair trade often have a good range. For example,

Belts - Square Section | CPC UK
 
Thanks to everyone, all of whom were very helpful. Before trying the talc, I cleaned pulleys and belt again with isopropanol and then put it on without touching it with my hands and now the tray works fine without the spinning motor. So I'm in business for the time being.
Interestingly while trying to figure out this out I managed to pick up a nice NEC CD 730 for 20 USD and am actually very impressed with the sound. We'll see which my wife prefers.
 
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