Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:17:20 -0400
From: "Mike B." <yahoo at omniphile.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>, wsfa-forum at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Repair cheap casette player?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Madeleine Yeh wrote:

> I have a fairly cheap radio shack tape player.  It stopped
> working and I took it apart.  One of the rubber band like
> drive bands is broken.  Does anyone know if I can get
> parts locally?

Nope, but a quick google turned up a number of places to get them
mail-order.  For example:

http://www.action-electronics.com/belts.htm

Never dealt with them, but they seem to have a large selection.

Depending on the size, flexibility, etc., you might be able to find a
substitute for little ones at a plumbing store (o-rings).

Any advice on fixing
> this?

Save all the parts?  Take pictures as you disassemble it to refer to
when you put it back together? Clean out the old rubber dust with a
q-tip?  Clean the heads while you are at it?  Don't force anything
unless you are *sure* it's supposed to move the way you are
pushing/twisting it, and that it *isn't* glued or thread-locked?
(unlikely that there's any thread-locker on a cheap tape player...much
more likely on an expensive motorcycle ;-)  Don't over-torque the screws
when you put it back together again...it's easy to strip them when they
are in plastic, and even in metal given the likely size of the threads.

Look closely at the fasteners...an older unit is probably small (i.e.
"jeweler's screwdriver"...you can get cheap ones at Radio Shack)
Phillips screws, but newer ones might be Torx, square drive, or some
other sort that works better with power-tool assembly at a factory.  You
can get hex-bit sets that have all those at Radio Shack, or online at
tool places like McMaster-Carr
(http://www.action-electronics.com/belts.htm)
DON'T GO THERE IF YOU ARE INTO TOOLS!!!  IT WILL COST YOU!!!  YOU HAVE
BEEN WARNED!!!  For example,
http://www.mcmaster.com/#hex-screwdriver-bits/=11af1y has hex
bits...some of which you may never even have heard of.  They've got just
about everything.  Note that hex bits don't work well for recessed
screws, and these are really common on consumer electronics, such as tap
players.  You need something with more reach in some cases.

   I like to try to
> fix things even if it is eventually unsuccessful

I often take things apart to see how they work, even if I don't expect
to be able to fix them.  Sometimes you can get some interesting closeup
pictures (insides of PC power supplies are good for that), and you
almost always get a lot of little screws you can save in a jar for
someone to throw out when you are dead. ;-)

NOTE: if you want to play inside power supplies, learn what a
capacitor/condenser looks like, and how to discharge them safely!  They
usually are if the thing has been off for a while, and unplugged, but
it's generally best to be safe rather than surprised by big
sparks/shocks.  Some can hold a charge for an inconveniently long time.

-- Mike B.