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.

 

[Transistorized]

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.

I was looking at the price. They seem to run around 25 to 30 dollars shipped. My left VU meter still swings it just doesn't swing accurately at the moment. To the naked eye, it appears fine as you expect them to differ due to stereo separation. It's mainly when off that I notice the needle doesn't go all the way back to zero. That and when I use the meter button to check the battery voltage it jitters back and forth quickly and bounces until tapped. Then it settles in and shows battery voltage. The interesting thing is that when the radio is laying on its back, the meter behaves. I am willing to bet this is a spindle tightness issue. Originally, I loosened the set crew on the front just until it became unstuck. This worked inside but outside in the humidity it would stick again. So I loosened it up a little more. That corrected everything....at that time.

The thing is, I never replaced the thread locking material on the set screw that they had. I had to use acetone to dissolve it so the set screw would turn. Since the meter works with the radio on its back, this would indicate that it needs a little more of an inward push from the front set screw. It is possible that the set screw could have walked out a bit as the needle moves or that after many hours of it moving after being unstuck, that it is beginning to free up and no longer needs the set screw loosened so much.

I plan to open it back up and every so gently turn that set screw in just a tiny bit and observe its behavior. If it clears up, I am going to make a tiny mark on the screw head and the bracket with a sharpie. If it acts up again, I can tell then if the screw is moving or if the mechanical pivot clearances are changing as it swings.

Well, that's the plan anyway. If it completely stops working then I will go ahead and swap. I have never removed a VU coil before but it looks like the face of the coil/motor casing has two tabs that either screw in or are glued onto posts to secure it. The back where the coil leads come out appear glued. That would be tricky to get those removed without damage.

I appreciate the posts you have made on this because knowing that those eBay meters appear to be compatible with the circuitry in the radio is huge. I do have a silver sharpie that I think will get the color close enough and also not affect the meters ability to move properly. These VU meters are so dang sensitive. The return spring on the front of them is so tiny, you can literally blow on them and they can get tangled or deformed. Almost like a spider web. Your swap saves lots of guess work on my part. The only other thing I would need to figure out is how to transplant them into the factory GE housing without destroying anything.

 

[BoomboxLover48]

These VU meters are so dang sensitive. The return spring on the front of them is so tiny, you can literally blow on them and they can get tangled or deformed.
I've done that mistake!
Once the hairspring gets a little out of shape it is practically impossible to fix it. Vintage watch repair guys can only do that kind of work.

In audio VU meters the needle assembly is not suspended in Jewels like in watches. The metal axle/pivot must be sitting in some hard metal alloy which can make it get stuck after years of use.

 

[Transistorized]

Well, I looked at the meter today and replacement VUs are needed. For some reason, I am not frustrated. I got a few more months out of a dead VU so that's not too bad considering they are not serviceable. It still swings like it did before I looked at it today so it's still not dead completely. One day when I have 20 or 30 bucks burning a hole in my pocket, I will get those other meters and install. This radio is not a museum piece so I would be okay with the red needles as long as they swing reliably..lol.

I know I could install LED meters but, I like the needle VU meters better. This project is on the back burner for now. I'll get around to it one day. No biggie. Cassette and radio work great so that's over half the battle

 

[Transistorized]

Ok so, I found a 20 dollar bill in my wallet. So......

 

[Tinman]

Super delicate.
I know I tried adjusting the one I had and completely effed it up which is why I had to replace them.

 

[Transistorized]

VU meter came earlier than I thought. Will post a new thread showing my repair when I get things swapped over. Process is actually almost completed tbh.