Pleased you found it helpful.
The grease I use is this which is a bit pricy,
SPG35SL - ELECTROLUBE - SPECIAL PLASTICS GREASE 35ML | CPC
Isopropyl alcohol is a good general purpose cleaner and degreaser,
PPC103 - PRO POWER - IPA SOLVENT, 400ML AEROSOL | CPC Products
(couldn't get your links to open. If they are images then try attaching them direct to the forum using the go advanced buttion)
The grease I use is this which is a bit pricy,
SPG35SL - ELECTROLUBE - SPECIAL PLASTICS GREASE 35ML | CPC
Isopropyl alcohol is a good general purpose cleaner and degreaser,
PPC103 - PRO POWER - IPA SOLVENT, 400ML AEROSOL | CPC Products
(couldn't get your links to open. If they are images then try attaching them direct to the forum using the go advanced buttion)
Arcam alpha 9 laser unit replacement
Hello All,
I have just replaced the laser unit (KSS-240A) of my Arcam alpha 9 CD player. The player had started to skip within tracks and it now appears that I was listening for a good part to the player’s error correction instead of the actual bits on a CD. I had almost forgotten what a great CDP the alpha 9 actually is. With the new laser it really sounds much better than it did even before it started to skip.
I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time but I was afraid to damage the player and I wasn’t sure whether the new unit was plug and play and I wouldn’t quite know how to adjust it. Anyway, the replacement proved to be very simple. Using a sharp knife, I cut out a small piece of the plastic bit that holds the slider axle at one end and then the axle can easily be slided out of the laser unit. The little piece I cut is pointed at in the picture below. I cut it such that it remained connected to its thin plastic extension that is also visible in the picture. Then I lubricated the axle, slided on the new unit, reconnected the ribbon connector and put the cut out piece of plastic back in place and applied a drop of superglue on its thin extension to secure it. That’s it. It can be done in about 15 minutes.
The picture was taken after the replacement. The new unit I purchased was plug and play and didn’t need any adjustment. There's no solder bridge and the only antistatic precaution I took was touching the metal frame of the CD player a few times during the operation (just don’t wear woolen socks).
Hello All,
I have just replaced the laser unit (KSS-240A) of my Arcam alpha 9 CD player. The player had started to skip within tracks and it now appears that I was listening for a good part to the player’s error correction instead of the actual bits on a CD. I had almost forgotten what a great CDP the alpha 9 actually is. With the new laser it really sounds much better than it did even before it started to skip.
I’ve wanted to do this for quite some time but I was afraid to damage the player and I wasn’t sure whether the new unit was plug and play and I wouldn’t quite know how to adjust it. Anyway, the replacement proved to be very simple. Using a sharp knife, I cut out a small piece of the plastic bit that holds the slider axle at one end and then the axle can easily be slided out of the laser unit. The little piece I cut is pointed at in the picture below. I cut it such that it remained connected to its thin plastic extension that is also visible in the picture. Then I lubricated the axle, slided on the new unit, reconnected the ribbon connector and put the cut out piece of plastic back in place and applied a drop of superglue on its thin extension to secure it. That’s it. It can be done in about 15 minutes.
The picture was taken after the replacement. The new unit I purchased was plug and play and didn’t need any adjustment. There's no solder bridge and the only antistatic precaution I took was touching the metal frame of the CD player a few times during the operation (just don’t wear woolen socks).
Attachments
Pleased you have had success with this. Yes the KSS240 is essentially plug and play. Static isn't much of an issue because of the on board circuitry effectively providing a low impedance across the laser iode itself.
The plastic you cut the other end of the metal slider actually has a moveable piece of plastic to allow the rail to move forward. That frees it from the end you cut and it can then be pulled free. No matter. Well done !
The plastic you cut
the other end of the metal slider actually has a moveable piece of plastic to allow the rail to move forward. That frees it from the end you cut and it can then be pulled free. No matter. Well done !Ah, okay.. I’ll try that next time.… The plastic you cut
Hi community! This is my first post here. I have a Denon DCD-890 and sometimes (rare, but it does) skips tracks (or good portions of it), simply jumps from middle of track 3 (so to speak) to the end of track 4, always at the same point. Discs are either brand new or practically like new (since I take good care of them) and only pressed discs (with mechanical pits and all, not CD-R or CD-RW). My unit is supposedly equipped with KSS-240A pickup system (being a Denon DCD-890) and I found plenty of those on ebay. My questions are if those replacements need adjustments or are calibrated from factory, is ebay a good a reliable source for buying such things (I mean, are they original parts or just equivalent) and finally, will I be able to replace the pickup system myself, using simple tools (like a screwdriver and that's it) ? Or do I need also grease to lubricate the gears, some soldering iron to solder/unsolder things and so on ? Thanks and waiting for an answer.
Usually the KSS240 works straight out of the box. There is no soldering and its typically a 5 minute job to change it. As to ebay offerings, well I have no idea what the quality is like and they are almost certainly not original Sony parts but 'unbranded' devices.
All that said, to do the job properly (and to check its all OK) then you really need to be familiar with CD alignment procedures and use of an oscilloscope.
Have you read this thread,
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/226288-sony-cdp790-kss240-restoration-project.html
All that said, to do the job properly (and to check its all OK) then you really need to be familiar with CD alignment procedures and use of an oscilloscope.
Have you read this thread,
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/226288-sony-cdp790-kss240-restoration-project.html
OMG! CD alignment procedures. :O So, it's not a job to be done by anyone ? I don't have an oscilloscope. I thought, based on what I've read so far on this thread, you take out the old pickup mechanism, put the new one and that's it. No need for other adjustments. As for pickups on sale on ebay, I read that those are third party parts, but I hope, being new, work better than an used original part.
They should work OK straight out of the box but personally I always advise checking and making sure the alignment is optimum.
So if your original is faulty then fitting a new one stands a good chance of fixing the problem. We used to fit these as field repairs in customers homes way back yonder and they always worked.
So if your original is faulty then fitting a new one stands a good chance of fixing the problem. We used to fit these as field repairs in customers homes way back yonder and they always worked.
My original is faulty, I have the problem with very few discs, but discs are 100% ok (they work flawlessly in every other player I have), so the pickup mechanism has some issues I guess. I will try to clean the lens first and see if the problem still occurs. If not, I should try and replace it with a mechanism found on ebay. My only concern was (and that's why I asked here on the forum) If I can do it myself, with just a screwdriver, a lot of care and caution, but not oscilloscope, soldering iron, adjusting the laser power, etc. I only have basic tools (plus a multimeter, don't know if that would help me).
I've tidied your posts up
There is no mechanical alignment, its all electrical as I show in that thread of mine.
Taken from the thread,
The KSS240 has three presets mounted on the pickup. APC (automatic power control) or "laser power", FB which is "focus bias" and TB which is "tracking balance". TB is also more correctly or universally called E-F balance. At the end of this post are two short zip files containing videos of actually performing E-F balance.
You don't ever alter the one marked APC. It is the laser power and is factory set.
FB or focus bias is important and should be adjusted using a scope. An experienced technician can adjust this by ear by listening to the noise produced by the pickup itself and find the point where there is a null in the white noise produced. You will see in the thread that I have extra length trimming tools to reach these while playing.
TB can only be done with a scope.
The bottom line is that you should be able to replace the pickup and get a fully working player without altering anything but you also have to bear in mind that repairing and adjusting players is also a skill that requires knowledge of all the theory (so you can interpret the results) the use of proper test equipment and tools.
There is no mechanical alignment, its all electrical as I show in that thread of mine.
Taken from the thread,
The KSS240 has three presets mounted on the pickup. APC (automatic power control) or "laser power", FB which is "focus bias" and TB which is "tracking balance". TB is also more correctly or universally called E-F balance. At the end of this post are two short zip files containing videos of actually performing E-F balance.
You don't ever alter the one marked APC. It is the laser power and is factory set.
FB or focus bias is important and should be adjusted using a scope. An experienced technician can adjust this by ear by listening to the noise produced by the pickup itself and find the point where there is a null in the white noise produced. You will see in the thread that I have extra length trimming tools to reach these while playing.
TB can only be done with a scope.
The bottom line is that you should be able to replace the pickup and get a fully working player without altering anything but you also have to bear in mind that repairing and adjusting players is also a skill that requires knowledge of all the theory (so you can interpret the results) the use of proper test equipment and tools.
Very late replying, sorry, but I can't find the link to the zip files you mentioned. Are somewhere else or you forgot to attach them ? Thanks.
There are at the end of post #1 in the main thread,
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/226288-sony-cdp790-kss240-restoration-project.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/digital-source/226288-sony-cdp790-kss240-restoration-project.html
Came here to look how to solve a problem with my Arcam Alpha 9CD reading discs and came across this excellent thread. If the thread is still active and read, if someone would send my the much talked about PDF it would be greatly appreciated. Please send to John.gibbin@ntlworld.com
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