New Laser (VAM 1202) Wanted

maxward

I need a new laser assembly for my Music Hall CD player, mmf cd-25. I contacted Music Hall and they suggested the usual online auction sites. There seems to be a wide variation in prices and delivery schedules. Does anyone here have these for sale? Otherwise, can anyone recommend a reputable seller for them? Thanks.

F1nut

You might try these guys.

https://webshop.nedis.co.uk/en-gb/45129/vam1202

maxward

Thank you, F1nut.

maxward

Update: I ordered a new laser unit, soldered it in without any problems and it would not read the table of contents. I checked for cold solder joints, continuity and plugs to the pcb several times without luck. I discovered that I still had my father’s Marantz in the garage which is working fine. Before I get rid of the old unit, should I try anything else with the laser? I did not mess with the setting on the tiny potentiometer on the back of the pcb. I’m thinking about getting a cd transport and keeping the old Marantz as a backup. Any suggestions in the range of the Cambridge CXC ($450)?

agfrost

maxward wrote: »

Update: I ordered a new laser unit, soldered it in without any problems and it would not read the table of contents. I checked for cold solder joints, continuity and plugs to the pcb several times without luck. I discovered that I still had my father’s Marantz in the garage which is working fine. Before I get rid of the old unit, should I try anything else with the laser? I did not mess with the setting on the tiny potentiometer on the back of the pcb. I’m thinking about getting a cd transport and keeping the old Marantz as a backup. Any suggestions in the range of the Cambridge CXC ($450)?

I'm aware that some lasers come with a solder bridge that needs to be removed before it will work (the bridge provides protection from electrostatic discharge IIRC). Did yours have that/did you remove it?

F1nut

It definitely has a solder bridge and will not work unless it's removed.

maxward

Thanks, @agfrost. I had not read about that one and the online instructions I used didn’t mention it. They did say to use static precautions, which I did. I’ll look into it.

F1nut

It's nothing nothing than a blob of solder on the tiny PCB attached to the laser body.

maxward

Thanks. I’ll open it back up and get that done.

F1nut

That should have read, nothing more than...

agfrost

This thread refers to a "shorting clip" which may serve the same purpose on the VAM1202. Good luck getting it sorted out.

https://www.hifigear.co.uk/blog/marantz-cd63se-laser-transport-mechanism-replacement/

maxward

Thanks again, guys. I compared my old and new pcbs and the old one has a place where a solder bridge would likely have been, but there was no evidence that one was there. The new one has no solder bridge. Perhaps the metal shorting clip now serves the same purpose. I used the same link to help me with the installation, and it did not mention a solder bridge.

Viking64

Where's that confounded bridge?

Tony M

It's been burned.

maxward

And so have I. I’m tempted to order another laser and try again. Also tempting to labor over the player with a 10-pound sledge for a couple of minutes.

F1nut

maxward wrote: »

Thanks again, guys. I compared my old and new pcbs and the old one has a place where a solder bridge would likely have been, but there was no evidence that one was there. The new one has no solder bridge. Perhaps the metal shorting clip now serves the same purpose. I used the same link to help me with the installation, and it did not mention a solder bridge.

Interesting. Sorry, I thought they had a solder bridge.

billbillw

It should definitely have a shorting solder somewhere. The location can vary due to production mods through the years. I'd do some research and look closer. BTW, the best way to remove those solder pads is with solder wick. Any other way can put too much heat into the board.

maxward

Thanks, @billbillw. I will have another look. I’m now using my dad’s old Marantz CD-53,which has the same mechanism, so I’m not going to be in a hurry. I thought I gave it away when he died, but the younger person I gave his other stereo gear to did not own any discs at the time.

maxward

I’m resurrecting this to solicit some opinions. I dove into the old Marantz to clean old grease out of the drawer mechanism and put some fresh stuff in. Not surprisingly, the laser unit is identical to the Music Hall I failed to repair. I am wondering if there would be any audible benefit to completing the laser repair, given that I only use both players as transports. The Music Hall looks like it has a better power supply and is a little heavier, but the Marantz sounds about the same, as far as I can recall. Do you think I’m better off forgetting about repairing the Music Hall or should I keep trying? How about investing in a dedicated transport? Thanks for any ideas.

F1nut

There is another aspect to this that I didn't think about before. It is possible after changing the optical pickup that the player needs to be reset via a computer or CD-rom that only an authorized repair firm would have. You might want to ask Music Hall about that.

maxward

I’ll email Music Hall about that possibility. Thanks.