CDROM2 laser swap

[nikdog]

So I got my hands on a Sony Discman d-2, and took the KSS-220A out of it. swapped it out for the KSS-162A in my CDROM². After I was all done I went to test it and it claimed there was no disc in it, tricked it into thinking the lid was closed and noticed that it didn't seem to light up either. Is there anything special needed to be done before I can drop a KSS-220A in place of a KSS-162A, other then move the corkscrew hand over? Also what do all of the 5 pots control?

[nat]

Focus, gain, sensitivity, voltage, etc.

Make sure you installed the ribbon cables facing the correct way (they will plug in facing either direction, but only function properly in one).

Did the eye move up and down when you observed it?

[nikdog]

Focus, gain, sensitivity, voltage, etc.

Make sure you installed the ribbon cables facing the correct way (they will plug in facing either direction, but only function properly in one).

Did the eye move up and down when you observed it?

it looked as the though the on board connectors could only get contact from one side so I lined them up that way. the eye did move up and down, how ever it can't see discs :/ I think it might just be a bad laser and I got screwed by someone on ebay. should have tested the CD player before ripping it open, however the head phones that came with it were amazing. i just recently got some birthday and bought a brand new KSS-220A. hopefully that will come soon.

[nat]

If you get one ribbon cable facing the right way and the other facing the wrong way, the eye will behave as you describe (move up and down, yet the laser won't actually come on).

You can fiddle with those, failing that, you can wait for the new laser to show up.

[nikdog]

OK, so I got my new laser. Came in a bilingual box from Sony. Put it in and the same thing happened. Then I finally see my mistake, one of the ribbon cables was backwards. So I fix it, but it still doesn't work!? Am I missing something or is this drive a lost cause? It was working perfectly until I ripped the ribbon cable of the original laser.

[Michael Helgeson]

If the laser is new, check it to make sure it doesn't have  a calibration jumper that needs to be removed. Some new oem lasers have them in place, and they have to be desoldered prior to install. If you dont, they just sit there and do nothing. I never bothered to look at the KSS-220A/162A closely enough, or look up info on them to see if they used them.

[nikdog]

Do you think you could give me a picture of what one looks like so I know what to look for?

[Michael Helgeson]

Not off hand. Its  a tiny little square thing that is soldered onto to leads bridging them together. You can take the newer laser and compare it to a older one to see if there are jumpers on the new one that are not present on older one, as on older used one they would just have solder spots from where it was removed. Thats the best advice I can offer you about it. Yours may not even have this issue,its just a suggestion just incase.

[nikdog]

Not off hand. Its  a tiny little square thing that is soldered onto to leads bridging them together. You can take the newer laser and compare it to a older one to see if there are jumpers on the new one that are not present on older one, as on older used one they would just have solder spots from where it was removed. Thats the best advice I can offer you about it. Yours may not even have this issue,its just a suggestion just incase.

i looked but i couldn't find anything like you discribed. any other thoughts?

[agt_dale_cooper]

Here's the jumper he's talking about on an Xbox laser unit....[llamma rules for nice repair tuts!]
http://www.llamma.com/xbox/Repairs/thomson_xbox_laser_installation.htm (it's all the way at the bottom of the page...)
This could be your culprit, have another look around the body of the laser once you've had a good gander at that solder point on the Xbox laser...

[nikdog]

Well I have no idea what I did, but the laser is working now! Now for the bad news, I'm back to what I was trying to fix when I ripped the ribbon cable on the original laser.  For some weird reason the disc wants to contently scrape on the bottom and I have no idea why. I had fixed it for awhile while the laser wasn't working but now it's back and all my methods aren't working.

[Michael Helgeson]

Well I have no idea what I did, but the laser is working now! Now for the bad news, I'm back to what I was trying to fix when I ripped the ribbon cable on the original laser.  For some weird reason the disc wants to contently scrape on the bottom and I have no idea why. I had fixed it for awhile while the laser wasn't working but now it's back and all my methods aren't working.

The assembly isnt level it sounds like, or its a tad too high. You need to work on adjusting it and making sure the disc can spin freely by hand before you put it back together completely.

[nikdog]

Well I have no idea what I did, but the laser is working now! Now for the bad news, I'm back to what I was trying to fix when I ripped the ribbon cable on the original laser.  For some weird reason the disc wants to contently scrape on the bottom and I have no idea why. I had fixed it for awhile while the laser wasn't working but now it's back and all my methods aren't working.

The assembly isnt level it sounds like, or its a tad too high. You need to work on adjusting it and making sure the disc can spin freely by hand before you put it back together completely.

it seems as if the assembly is what it's scraping on

[nat]

This is a huge problem with these things, I've found that 75% of the time after I replace a laser in one I have this issue. Continuously taking it apart/putting it back together, you will eventually find the "sweet spot" where it won't scrape. It can look totally fine to the naked eye and still scrape. Then you'll take it apart, put it back together, and it will look exactly the same as the first time and yet won't scrape any longer. I haven't figured out any rhyme or reason other than what Michael suggested-- sometimes in reassembly things get ever-so-slightly out of whack.

[agt_dale_cooper]

I'm getting this with the Duo I'm working on ATM as well....

The laser assembly itself is on rubber 'springs'...try just puching it up and down a couple times....

If the assembly fits into a plastic piece (like it does on the Duo), make sure this plastic piece is situated correctly.....I ran into this with this piece and the small ground wire nearby....

All I've been able to do so far is just tear down, reassemble, hope for proper operation....repeat until end.

GREAT GREAT GREAT that you got it back together and functional!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!