Legends of Robin Hood. Robin Hood

Music in the car, like no other, will help pass the time during a long trip, especially long-distance cargo transportation. So, your radio suddenly began to behave strangely: you insert a disc, nothing happens, noise, and then the disc “spits out” back. Nothing depends on the quality of the discs; they can be new and read without problems on other devices.

What are the causes of the trouble?

The radio does not "understand" the disc format.

There are types of laser discs (CD-R or CD-RW) that cannot be read on older models of radios.

The optic lens is dirty. The most likely reason. Dust accumulates in the player, especially if you have moved or you work as a mover; if the head is not cleaned for a long time, the laser will fail.

There is a problem with cables or wires that may become disconnected.

Cleaning lenses

Special cleaning discs are sold; insert it into the drive and if the contamination is not fatal, it will be clean. The whole procedure takes no more than 20 minutes. It is important to buy the correct drives according to the type of drive.

Clean the lens yourself: blow it, wipe with a cotton swab or dry cloth. Lenses are most often made not of glass, but of plastic, so do not use alcohol or other aggressive liquids, as they can be harmful. You need to clean it carefully, otherwise you can knock off the mirrors - then it will be difficult to adjust them.

Cleaning the lens almost always helps; after you clean it, the radio will not stutter. If the radio does not read everything, cleaning will not help. You can only clean the outer lens with your hands; other parts of the radio will also become covered in dirt. Since the laser is a complex structure, it is better to entrust its cleaning to professionals. By saving on paying specialists, you risk the entire radio.

If the laser current has “gone”, it is necessary to adjust the current of the emitting diode.

General steps:

We take the device out of the car.

put it on the table.

open both covers.

Let's inspect - we need to gain access to the head.

if there is no access, we remove other parts.

We examine the head.

take a clock screwdriver and turn the resistor 20 degrees clockwise.

inspect the condition of the lens.

We assemble the device.

If the device still does not read discs, then serious repairs are needed.

General conclusion: if you are not sure that you can cope with the problem yourself, it is easier, safer and better to give the radio to specialists. Otherwise (especially if you have no experience in assembling/disassembling or the device is complex, multifunctional), you can completely damage it.

So, the first step is to purchase a cleaning disc equipped with a special cloth and liquid. Next, strictly following the instructions in the instructions, you need to insert the cleaning disk into the radio and start it. Usually this procedure is enough to return the car radio to normal operation. True, there are situations (heavy contamination of the car radio) when such cleaning is not enough. This applies in to a greater extent, to cheap samples. Higher quality models, for example, Sony, Pioneer, Alpine, etc. are much better protected from such problems.

If it is heavily soiled, you need to carefully remove the radio from its standard niche and disconnect the electrical connector. Then you should place the device on some flat surface and, in good lighting, make a visual inspection of the interior of the car radio. If the top and bottom covers of the radio are not solid, then you need to carefully remove them, carefully inspect all the parts, remove small foreign objects and all dirt that have gotten inside. Then, gradually removing the parts (be sure to remember the disassembly sequence), get to the laser head and inspect it. If there are contaminants on the laser head, they must be removed using a regular cotton swab, pre-moistened in a solution of pure alcohol. It is also necessary to dry clean the lens using dry cotton wool or cloth. It is strictly forbidden to use alcohol-containing solutions when cleaning the lens, as this can contribute to its darkening or complete destruction. After removing all the dirt, you need to reassemble the car radio in the reverse order.

Some modern motorists continue to use cassette car radios. If such a radio tape recorder becomes dirty, you need to disassemble it and, in order to remove all the accumulated dirt, press the start and rewind buttons several times. Such simple manipulations are usually enough to clean cassette recorders.

In conclusion, I would like to recommend to all motorists: in a situation where the above cleaning methods could not revive the car radio, it is necessary to take it to a special workshop for repairing such equipment, where professionals will carry out correct diagnostics and high-quality repairs.

During operation, the car radio begins to become dirty and dust gets into it. As a result, “swallowing” of the disc may begin to occur, followed by its “spitting out.” With such symptoms, cleaning the radio is necessary.

Cleaning the car radio

Buy a special cleaning disc that has a cloth and liquid applied to it. Insert the disc and run it, following the instructions carefully. If this does not help, then carefully remove the radio from its normal place, disconnect the electrical connector and place the device on a flat surface with good lighting to carefully examine the interior of this equipment.

Remove the top and bottom covers; if one of them is solid, then remove only the one that allows you to do this. Carefully inspect the radio and remove any dirt or debris that may have gotten inside. small parts and objects. After this, provide access to the laser head by removing unnecessary parts.

Inspect the radio head; if there are traces of dirt on it, immediately remove them using a cloth or napkin, which you have previously moistened in an alcohol solution. If you have a cassette recorder installed, then, after disassembling it, press the start and rewind buttons of the cassette several times to remove any dirt accumulated there.

Examine the lens. Clean it with a dry cloth or cotton wool. Do not use alcohol or other liquids that may darken or destroy the lens if it is made of plastic. As a last resort, use a soap solution. This is especially true for pollution caused by smoking inside the car, because smoke deposits can only be removed with the help of a liquid composition.

Reassemble the radio in reverse order, connect the electrical connectors and check its operation. Repeat the procedure if necessary. In case of serious malfunctions, remove it and take it to a specialized center for repairing this type of equipment. Now you know the basic ways to clean a car radio.

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The other day I came across such a simple tape recorder, under the International brand, in a very poor condition, which can be assessed as complete junk. However, I noticed something about it and decided to wash it.

And I also thought that this device could serve very well good example how out of such garbage, at the cost of very little effort and accessible to everyone, you can make a very nice little thing.
So, what we have initially: – The body is dirty, but mostly intact, without fatal damage. – The chrome parts look very sad, covered with plaque and the familiar greenish spots of corrosion. – The receiver scale is cloudy and, naturally, also dirty, almost to the point of opacity. – Two LPM buttons are broken and dangling, making it impossible to turn on the tape recorder. – The antennas are broken at the root. – A large amount of dust under the speaker grilles and in the cassette pocket (naturally, inside the device too) – The radio turns on, but the controls crackle, the channels periodically disappear, sometimes left, sometimes right.

In general, a standard set of troubles for a device that was once thrown into the depths of the closet (in the garage, in the attic, etc.) and after a dozen (or more) years was brought out into the light of day. That is, the option most often found in our searches for vintage equipment.
Since this model cannot be called particularly valuable, I decided to limit myself to the most minimal set of works to put the device in order. Without any investments or problems such as painting the body or deep sanding of transparent parts.
And so we begin. First of all, remove all the knobs and switches and divide the radio into two halves. For this device, the back cover with the power supply mounted on it is removed, and everything else remains on the front of the case.

It also happens the other way around, when the front cover with speakers (or without) is removed, and all the parts are fixed to the back, but there is no fundamental difference here.
Afterwards we need to completely separate all the internals from the body parts. In my opinion, this is absolutely necessary for a truly high-quality wash, because no amount of wiping the outside can replace a good bath.
Here, for the first time, I would advise recording each step with a camera, a piece of paper, whatever is more convenient for you, and laying out the screws in the order of unscrewing in small boxes or on a lined sheet of paper or fabric.
And now the goal has been achieved - the plastic is separate, the filling is separate, you can begin bathing procedures.


I wash the body parts in the bathroom using dishwashing gel, foam sponge and a shower with a massage nozzle (it works well to remove dirt from hard-to-reach places). To clean the grates and grooves, you can use a soft toothbrush or a larger one, such as a clothes brush.


We leave the washed parts to dry and proceed to the insides. Remove dust and dirt using brushes, rags, cotton swabs(here you can choose what is more convenient). I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the CVL and circuit boards from dirt.
Passik in in this case I had to replace only one - which drives the tape counter, the main belt is in place and is well preserved. But there is a problem with the LPM buttons, two of them are broken. Fortunately, the broken pieces are inside the apparatus and I glue them back together with superglue. Good glue is a very reliable thing, the main thing is not to buy a cheap one.


Now it's chrome's turn. Here I recommend first thoroughly cleaning the parts with a toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol, and then using an anti-scratch brush. Even when the corrosion is quite severe and the original appearance cannot be restored, a very noticeable improvement can be achieved.




The glass of the receiver scale and the cassette cover are also treated with anti-scratch. If the device were more valuable, it would be possible to first sand them with sandpaper from 600 to 2000 grit, but for this toy this is too labor-intensive an operation, and the anti-scratch effect gives a quite noticeable effect even without pre-treatment.
Now switches and potentiometers. You can, of course, desolder them, disassemble them, wash them with alcohol, lubricate them, assemble them and solder them in place, but let’s leave these difficulties for more expensive copies and limit ourselves to simple washing with WD40 spray. Naturally, we try not to splash it in all directions and especially avoid getting it on the rubber parts of the LPM. We spray this preparation inside the potentiometers and switches, click and twist for several minutes, then use a napkin to remove what flows out of them. In most cases, this is quite enough for the crunching in the regulators to stop, and the contacts of the switches to be restored to for a long time. My radios processed this way work great. more than a year back.

Now assembly! We do everything in reverse order, checking, if necessary, with photographs and notes taken during the disassembly process. The main thing here is to be careful and not be lazy to look at the photo again if you have even the slightest doubt about connecting any wires or connectors.

There were no antennas on this radio tape recorder yet, but that’s a big deal. If there is a radio market nearby where you can buy suitable antennas, then everything is simple. If this is not possible, you need to come up with something. For example, I used an indoor portable television antenna, which we have at a flea market, like dirt for 50 cents.

So, let's see what we got.

In my opinion, it’s not bad at all, considering that we didn’t have to do anything special. No special skills are required for the entire procedure, only desire and accuracy.
So, in this way you can not only save money, but also enjoy the process itself and its result, as well as get better acquainted with the structure of our favorite vintage equipment.

Comments

Since sometimes the screws and screws are of different lengths, I would advise sticking them into the paper approximately in the same pattern as they were on the device. When reassembling, this really helps to remember where the extra screws came from.

Thank you, Volodya, for helpful advice! Indeed, it seems to me that it’s convenient, you should try it - because from the boxes it’s convenient and everything seems simple, but then you’re always racking your brain about which one to turn where. :)

And I wash it like this:
I have my own tire shop and it borders on a car wash.
After completely disassembling the body, I take it to the car wash, fill it with foam (which is used to fill cars), wait 5-10 minutes and wash it off with a Karcher at low power.
All the little crap is washed out!!!
You just need to hold the parts of the body tighter.

And everything else is the same as yours.

Andrey, I have a complete copy of the International you laundered, called Schmid)))
In about the same condition. I’m also going to wash it, but there is one nuance - among other things, mine has an aluminum scale on which ranges are marked, etc., covered with cockroaches)))
Can you give me any advice on how to wash off these same cockroach feces??? :)

Cockroach ugliness is not the worst dirt! Easy to clean. Only with the scale, of course, you need to be more careful so that the inscriptions are not accidentally washed off. I would recommend warm water with soap or dishwashing detergent.

Andrey, thank you for your answer! By the way (for information)), my copy was purchased by a relative in April 1985 in Stuttgart, Germany))
The copy is almost complete, only the design of the speaker grilles has been changed - they are square. Looks a little more brutal than International)))
And another unpleasant moment - one of the decorative bolts securing the cassette deck cover has been lost. I don’t even know if it’s possible to find a suitable bolt somewhere?

And I have exactly the same copy only under the Shmidt brand!

when disassembling, so as not to lose the bolts and screws... I advise, after dismantling the independent unit, tighten (by hand, as much as is strong enough) the bolts back to where they were unscrewed)))

I recommend, you should like it) (I am interested in motorcycle/auto (occasionally audio equipment) equipment, the boxes do not roll and the blind threads screwed in screw up when washing)

boxes, pieces of paper are quite labor-intensive and not entirely exact method because

“2.Thank you, Volodya, for the useful advice! Indeed, it seems to me that it’s convenient, you should try it - because from the boxes it’s convenient and everything seems simple, but then you’re always racking your brain about which one to turn where. :)”

What a junk. The cassette receiver is intact, the inscriptions are visible, there are no cracks.

Sooner or later, any car enthusiast is faced with the fact that his favorite radio tape recorder begins to distort the sound, get confused when playing songs and deform the magnetic tape if the radio is a cassette tape recorder. This means that the time has come for prevention, i.e. cleaning the tape drive or transport mechanism for playing audio discs (CD transport).

Remember that a modern radio is a rather complex device and requires some special skills when repairing. Therefore, if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to contact a specialized service center. Good luck on the roads!