Anybody know how to fix something so small?

  • Thread starter Thread starter altruistica
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altruistica

altruistica

Member
Hi Guys,

I picked up another MSR16 yesterday that exhibits quite a bit of wear on the head. I thought I'd look on how to remove it (or the block) in anticipation of sending it to be relapped. There are some pics here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33383402@N06/sets/72157644877521352/show

On removing the connectors, one of the pins of the REC/PLAY head snapped off. I've removed EPROMS and the like before and maybe I was just careless, maybe I was just unlucky, maybe it was already worn or fatigued. Anyhow, I'm left now with the problem of how to repair it. The stub that is left in the plastic is pretty secure and I don't want to disturb the fragile connectors and make it worse. I thought I'd consult the collective brain of Home Recording before trying a bodge of my own.

Cheers
Al
 
Last edited:
Probably the easiest/simplest (?) way would be to add a small jumper wire going from the wire of the broken pin, to the solder point on the PCB.

Just strip off a small bit of the insulation of the wire/pin in question, but leave it still attached as-is to the plastic block (don't cut it loose). Solder one end of the jumper wire to the pin wire....then the other end of the jumper right to the PCB point. Do the block end or the PCB first....depending on what feels more comfortable to you.
A lot easier than trying to somehow repair the broken pin.


Should work fine.
 
+1.
Either that or unsolder the appropriate wire and bypass the connector completely. Just tack in on to the corresponding solder joint on the board.
 
Steenamaroo said:
+1.
Either that or unsolder the appropriate wire and bypass the connector completely. Just tack in on to the corresponding solder joint on the board.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that would be good too.....+1.....it's just hard to tell from the pics tell if there is enough extra wire.

He can make that call....whatever is easier.
 
Thanks guys.

The heads have gone for a re-lap, but when it returns, I'll probably do the 'jumper lead idea' from what's left of the stub, as the wire from the head would then remain undisturbed.

Al
 
Hey Guys,

Just an update.

I received the heads back from Terry Summers from Summertone - Summertone UK, pic here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/33383402@N06/14195279567/

He wasn't sure whether he'd be able to rectify the worn nature of the trapezium, so we opted just to lap 14 tracks.......in the end the head was still good so he managed to get all 16 tracks back, and measuring the same inductance as before, so I'm a happy teddy.

He also fixed the pin that I'd managed to snap (when I asked 'how did you do that?'....he replied, 'I just put a new pin in'.........he made it sound so simple!) and rotate the guides. So, apart from rotating the lifters (which I'll do), I'm hoping once the headstack goes back on, the tape path will be sorted. I need to check the tensioning and the height of the tape path, also the azimuth (zenith on these heads is fixed). Is there anything else I should be considering?

Thanks
Al
 
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