One of those weeks

[Transistorized]

I really enjoy the hobby of collecting and resurrecting old boomboxes and I normally don't share my lows but, I am having one today. My little GE Blockbuster needed to have one of the plastic feet on the cassette door that pushes the tape towards the transport repaired. I noticed that after putting in a cassette the transport would sometimes bind up every now and then when it went to engage play. I pressed stop and ejected looking at the tape in the door and that is when I noticed it was sitting a little crooked. The pressure foot on the left had a tiny crack where it flexes and it was no longer pushing the tape and holding it with the correct tension. No problem. I glued it with epoxy and that is going to work nicely. But then after all of that, my left VU has decided that it has had enough. It was stuck when I got it and I managed to free it up by loosening the front pivot screw slightly. It has worked for a bunch of hours but now, it quivers back and forth every now and then which sometimes requires a tap to get it to stop so I don't think it is a main driver board fault. It no longer wants to rest back at zero like it used to either.

So yeah. I'm a little in the dumps about it because I use this thing a lot on batteries and I use that left VU to tell me the battery voltage so I know when to recharge. On the plus side, the cassette deck still works great with Cautions head assembly and gear. Also available on eBay I see
I also put all new PRB belts, new motor, new gear and a new pinch roller in it so, it should sing well for a while. All is not lost but dang it, the VU meters are one of the things I really like. Sucks to only watch one flopping around with the other occasionally having a seizure

Before all of this, my Panasonic RX-5050 decided that the cassette deck would not do anything. This was the night before last. I usually have it play a tape when going to bed because it shuts down afterwards. I press play. Nothing. No motor.....nothing! As Shango066 would say "Deader than a toddler in a bag factory". Good news is that it was a simple leaf switch cleaning and that machine is back up and running.

My head is above water but man am I having a streak of crappy luck this week. It could be worse. I can see myself eventually grabbing as much of a compatible VU meter as possible and trying to swap out the drive coils. I know that there are many things to consider when replacing these. MV / Resistance, etc. but I just need to get these things to swing reliably again. As a bonus, being able to see tuner and battery strength would be a huge plus also. Since the right meter is good, may be I can find another VU that has one good working VU and swap it into the left side of my housing.

Anyway, I guess I will put this radio to the side and save the VU meter project for another day. I have lost interest in using it due to the VU issue. I know that sounds dumb as it works well in every way but that, but my OCD kicks in when the VU meters aren't working as they should and this is such a tedious project to tackle that I need to be in the right frame of mind when I take it on or I will just end up getting mad and frustrated and I don't want to make things worse.

Welcome to the world of vintage electronics.

 

[Superduper]

............Welcome to the world of vintage electronics.

Yeah, it's like that. I know you like to listen to tapes Ryan, but it's exactly because of this that I really only play sets with CD's anymore. They do fail, but not nearly as often as tape decks do. And I rarely listen to tapes. So when I restore a deck, it usually goes back on the shelf until the next time, which is usually a very long time, after which I usually have to hold my breath if I decide to try the deck again. It gets old after awhile. Get one of those cheap portable CD players from goodwill, plug into the line in, and burn your music to CD's. Use it up til it breaks, then repeat.

 

[goodman]

Yes, I understand you very well, guys.
Time passes and boomboxes and other electronics get old, and we get old too...
I have 5-6 boomboxes that still work fine, but the time will inevitably come for their repair and what will I do then?
Will I be able to repair them myself?
Will I have the peace of mind to disassemble and reassemble everything without problems?
Will I find spare parts - hopefully just belts...
Or will I leave them as museum exhibits?
Maybe only time will tell what will happen...

 

[Transistorized]

@Superduper
You're right. I need to start using my newest and most enjoyable boombox. My China-box Aiwa. It plays CD,s but most of the time I use Bluetooth on it. I need to start using it more over my vintage stuff. If that one breaks, it's no biggie. That poor GE Blockbuster has been through the ringer. After 40 years and likely 20 of that sitting, I acquired it and brought it back to life only to punish it relentlessly. I have had that little GE for 3 or 4 months now and it's been used every day. I work from home for 4 to 6 hours 5 days a week and I rarely listen to line in or the radio. That entire time, the cassette deck is going tape after tape. To make matters worse, I do the opposite of what you said. I put my CD's onto tape . Yes, I know I am weird. Even on my days off it's outside playing tapes until the sun goes down while sitting on the back deck. Usually from 6 or 7 PM until 9 or 10PM. Surprisingly the tape deck has held up but the VU meter is shot. I'm not going to give up however, time and age has taught me patience so I will get to the VU issue in due time. Like you said, the thing needs a break anyway. It probably wasn't used like this when it was new. One thing is for sure. That 3D head assembly is very durable. It is holding up perfectly after 4 months of continuous playback of 4 to 6 hours a day for 4 months. Very nice!

@goodman
I hope that my radios outlive me because I don't want to go a day without enjoying them. I just love my old school stuff. At night on my deck I will occasionally light an old school Coleman lantern. I have one of the old school ones that I installed the Peerless mantels doped in Thorium. Nothing quite like a few radioactive particles floating in the air off a hot Coleman lantern to get the party started But I digress. Being mechanically minded, I tend to enjoy watching moving parts while listening to my music. Old jukeboxes included. You used to get a show with your music. Now it's all go and no show. With old school, I can visualize the hidden spinning components, gears and moving parts in my head while the device plays and it's all part of the fun. When things are operating smoothly, I feel justified and accomplished relaxing with a beverage on the weekends. It's an addiction that I never get tired of. Unfortunately, some radios want to live and some want to die. Sure, I can force their submission but that is less fun to do. I hope your radios last as long as you need for them to my friend

 

[BoomboxLover48]

I am so addicted to these electronic gadgets, and they all bring back memories of that time period. The smell of a tube radio warming up, the smell of new boomboxes like GF9696 when you open it up, the record players like PYE Black Box when I saw it new in our house, the AKAI reel to reel tape recorders and Holland Philips stereo tube radios in my house. I remember the days I couldn't sleep when I had a new Panasonic R-5310, R-5410, later a RX-5230, seeing Sharp GF-777 at a duty-free shop in Gulf. Seeing first time JVC RC550 at an airport!

The beauty of duty-free shops was gone when boomboxes and Walkman's disappeared from the glass display shelves!
It was all high priced but a heart throbbing experience!
Now it is all cologne, watches and sunglasses there. I see many people spending a lot for those.

Badly wanted the high-end tube radios of the past like SABA with auto tuning and Holland Philips 14 valve stereo types.
Now I have it all. Philips B7X-44A was a dream to have and now I have it all. Talk about receivers and amplifiers.... I have a nice collection!

Once in a while I try to play cassettes on my fully working boomboxes and found many had issues. I was all disappointed in the beginning and I am happy I can play from the line in and make good use of the radio.

I use my cassette decks and CD players via line in. I then go back and forth to high power amps and speakers and enjoy LOUD music.

In fact, songs and music gadgets bring lots of good memories of that time period in life.

Occasionally I bring out my favorite ones out of plastic cover, shine it again and put it back on the shelf!

When I brought my Sharp VZ2000 to the upper floor of my house I knew I am getting old

 

[Tinman]

Here's a thread about the meters that might help you 5259.

 

[Transistorized]

Here's a thread about the meters that might help you 5259.

Thanks a million. I saw these on ebay. Figured they would be the closest match. They are certainly on my radar

 

[Tinman]

Thanks a million. I saw these on ebay. Figured they would be the closest match. They are certainly on my radar

It sucks they're not white but they were all I could find at the time.
They're a good length and seemed to move correctly.
Unfortunately, I'm sure the price on them has gone up considerably since I bought them.
I remember the guy I sold that box to contacted me a couple of times over the next several months to tell me how much he was enjoying it.
It still bothered me that they were orange.
Maybe the white Sharpie paint pen would work like BoxBeats said in my linked thread.