Can I replace a laser on my CD rom unit?

[jayrawk007]

I had a problem with my briefcase unit:

>Hi everybody, btw.,  Dancing I Everything else works, but when I press the run button, the "PC" light comes on, but the CD doesn't spin. Also noteworthy: >There is a very low sounding "click" noise whenever I press the run button that comes  from the CDrom2 unit... and when I detach the CDrom2 unit from the >briefcase from the dock and plug in the adapter by itself, it will not play music CDs, or anything at all. It seems to only function when attached to the main >briefcase unit.

I took the CD rom player to a electronics repair shop, and he said that I need a new laser. I don't know if he is right, but does anyone know if I can repair a laser
for the unit? If so, where can I get one? If it's too much work, I'm just gonna pawn the whole thing, and get a Duo that works!!

[Kitsunexus]

[nat]

The Kitsunexus photoshop strikes again!

[Turbo D]

lol, great pix kitsune 

[kokuryu]

This is the same thing that is happening to me, but I was thinking it is the motor and not the laser unit that is bad.  Am I thinking wrong?  If the laser unit is bad, will the motor not turn?

[Turbo D]

Most of the time the motor is good.

[termis]

This is the same thing that is happening to me, but I was thinking it is the motor and not the laser unit that is bad.  Am I thinking wrong?  If the laser unit is bad, will the motor not turn?

You're correct.  The system will try to "check" if there's a CD in there _before_ activating the motor, so if you're laser pickup is shot, it will not spin at all. 

The symptoms you're describing are classic signs of a laser pickup gone bad.  The "clicking" sound is probably your laser eye moving up & down and trying to "find" a readable CD.

This is likely cure your problems:
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/435_440_450_456/products_id/14472

Replacing this one shouldn't be too hard - I think black_tiger put up a site somewhere explaining the process step-by-step.

[Necromancer]

This is likely cure your problems:
http://www.electronix.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/435_440_450_456/products_id/14472

Replacing this one shouldn't be too hard - I think black_tiger put up a site somewhere explaining the process step-by-step.

Isn't the laser pickup in the briefcase and TG-16 drives different from this one (hop-m3 for Duos)?  I don't believe that anyone has found a source for the original CD add ons, so jayrawk007 and kokuryu might be up poo creek, sans paddles.

[termis]

Isn't the laser pickup in the briefcase and TG-16 drives different from this one (hop-m3 for Duos)?  I don't believe that anyone has found a source for the original CD add ons, so jayrawk007 and kokuryu might be up poo creek, sans paddles.

Ah-hah.  I jumped the gun.  Thanks for pointing that out.

Though I've never verified it myself, I do believe that people here have said that they weren't compatible with each other.  So yes -- you guys might up SOL. 

[chop5]

ive done very little research on the tg-16 cd unit cause i dont have a broken unit but i have taken down some notes about it just in case i ever get one.

I see the tg-16's laser KSS220A mentioned with sony discmans and they have replacements of KSS225A and KSS162A.
They look identical from pics ive seen:
KSS-220A
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jetbue7/KSS-220A_2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jetbue7/KSS-220A_3.jpg
KSS-225A
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jetbue7/Kss225a.jpg
KSS-162A
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v238/jetbue7/sony_20-_20kss162a.jpg

The kss162a is more common to find and electronix.com says they have some in stock for $19.99 but the picture they show for it is of another laser unit. I would request a proper picture from them just in case before ordering or more info on it,description etc.

In the picture i posted in the other tg-16 cd thread you will see an opened pc engine cd with a kss162a laser in it.

So much experimenting to do here on it but im sure it can be fixed. Mabey you can lead the way.

I haven't checked old discmans yet but will later.

More info from other sources over at nfg.forums in the repair division.



update:
I emailed electronix.com and they said:

Don't rely on the photo....sometimes we use a representative photo for
all like items.   (we haven't taken a photo of every single item) If you
order the correct part number, it will be what you need.
thank you,
sales

Thats good enough for me.

[jayrawk007]

Chop5, thanks alot for the notes... I wonder if I could just buy an old discman, and swap the lasers..? I would have to make sure the discman is using the kss162a laser... I wonder how I could find that out.......

[jayrawk007]

ive done very little research on the tg-16 cd unit cause i dont have a broken unit but i have taken down some notes about it just in case i ever get one.

I see the tg-16's laser KSS220A mentioned with sony discmans and they have replacements of KSS225A and KSS162A.
They look identical from pics ive seen.
In the picture i posted in the other tg-16 cd thread you will see an opened pc engine cd with a kss162a laser in it.

The kss162a is more common to find and electronix.com says they have some in stock for $19.99 but the picture they show for it is of another laser unit. I would request a proper picture from them just in case before ordering or more info on it,description etc.

So much experimenting to do here on it but im sure it can be fixed. Mabey you can lead the way.

I havent checked old discmans yet but will later.

More info from other sources over at nfg.forums in the repair division.

Well.... funnily enough, I went to the flea market today, picked up 2 Sony Discmans for 4 bucks each. The D-34 model has a kss162a laser in it, and CAN replace the PC CDrom's laser I think. There is even a sticker on the back of the laser that notes *kss162' and the PC CDrom unit has a sticker saying the same thing. 
Not knowing exactly how to replace it, though, my CD rom unit is not just broken anymore, it is DEAD. I took it completeley apart. It was fun, though.... I did it for the cause!!! So from seeing that yes, the lasers in the Sony Discman D-34 and the one in the PC-CD rom are the same... I would say that they should be interchangeable with the right equipment.. maybe a soldering iron. If someone does happen to try this, and gets it to work, let me know, cause that would just be f---ing awesome 

[chop5]

interesting jayrawk007. What do you mean right equipment,soldering iron? Can you take any pictures? There should be some tiny screws somewhere on the slide rails to loosen them and slide the laser off.

[termis]

Yeah, I'd really like to see if this one works out myself.  Take a screwdriver to it, jayrawk!  The Duo, at least, does not need a soldering iron IIRC.  I'd think the same for the TG-16 CD-ROM, but I've never opened one of those.

Here's how it's done for the Duo -- I can't imagine it'd be too different for the TG16 CD unit.  Use it as a guide if necessary.
http://www.teamfremont.com/features/TurboDuoRepair.shtml

[jayrawk007]

Hey guys... Well, unfortuantately, I completely took the CD rom unit apart, The ribbons broke off, and I figured it was dead. The guide for the Turbo duo isn't compatible with the CD rom unit.