Hi from Australia, old time cassette guy but new to Walkmans.

Hi to all.
I was into cassettes from about 1980 and stopped maybe 20 years ago when I either gave it all away or just threw out.
My portable back then was an Akai FS 490 boombox (my avatar) and many car stereos, usually Pioneer.
I’ve never had a Walkman, any brand.
But now I have bought a few that I like the look of and needing to repair so I can get back into cassettes.
First Walkman to try and get going is the WM-600. Nice looking, I think, metal case.

Be prepared for many questions

 

Welcome to Stereo2go On The Beach

 

Thanks mate.

 

Welcome! Same here, I was too young and then too snobby to have a Walkman then… and now I have D6C and AIWA walkmans but cannot figure out on why or when to use them…. My everyday lo-fi mobile rig is Pono player and a few iPods, 90min of a cassette does not sing to me

 

Hi there Jorge.

it’s been the last year I’ve wanted a Walkman (and deck). Something to mess around with, cassette wise. Friends think I am stupid, just stream or use CDs ….but I want the fun factor of cassettes.
Big issue will be to fix a Walkman, cassette stuff is so expensive in Australia. Silly expensive.

 

I'm in Australia too but luckily I started my walkman journey 5 years ago and got upto 55 walkmans just prior to the pandemic.
The prices have gone nuts for walkmans and more so the belts and shipping.
The WM-600 looks like the same mech as some of my walkmans models I have restored.
It depends where you buy from will depend on the price even today.
Locally their is still good priced stuff that shows up sometimes. Just have to patient
I have scaled back to just 3 walkmans recently just keeping the high end models.
I sold the rest at various prices but alot were about $100 AUD which is fair since they all are fully working with new belts from fix your audio.

 

Hi @rcpilot23 .
Fellow Aussie.
Selling for $100 is pretty good for Australia, most sellers think their broken, found in the ocean Kmart brand player is worth that

My Wm-600, cleaned it well and replaced the belt with one from DeckTeck (uk) not fixmyaudio (as they wanted $56 postage). it still doesn’t run well, not ffwd or rew properly, sound’s terrible, reverses and stops after a bit.
No idea where to lube if I actually need to. New pinch rollers are on there way, one has a groove caused by the capstan - does that mean it’s permanently engaged in Play?

I’m pretty disappointed as you read so many times about people changing belts and the devices starts working properly, I’m trying to do a great fix and have similar problems with both wm600 and EX651 that I also replaced the belt.

I have more Walkmans to fix one Panasonic sx11 that looks new in box, and Sony ex555, wm-172, and two fx551 in box bought local (still have the $259 price label).
Apart from the fx551 players all were from Japan auctions about $20. None work as I knew.
Even a pioneer deck I bought, seemed fine, but I find the auto reverse has a broken gear and there is zero fix (maybe I can 3d print a gear), a donor deck is a few hundred so don’t want to do that.

 

Yep correct I did not make any money on alot of them as I enjoy the restoration and then enjoy using them rather than making a profit.

Creased pinch roller does mean it was stuck in play when the battery died. Replace both.
I used to pay $10 for postage from fix your audio prior to March 2020
You need to lube any part that is included in the belt path.
You will get to know which models to avoid too like most of the Panasonics that have rubber rings on the capstan shafts and poor clutches.
The grease in some of the parts will need to cleaned and replaced as it can go hard.
Make sure that the is no left over belt in the belt path at all.
I have restored a number of boomboxes too like the Sony FH-100W, Sony CFS-9000, CFS-W900, CFD-5, ZX-3, ZX-5. All working very nice now.
They all pass the chrome tape playing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody slow piano intro. Great for testing Wow and flutter.
Same with all the walkmans I have restored.
I currently have a Sony CFS-F11 from 1981 to restore the tape mech. It is the same mech as the CFS-9000 and CFD-5 and CFS-W900
I have also restored 12 so far Sony Video Walkmans. The first GV-8 model from 1988 which are very rare and hard to get working again due to capacitor leakage.
GV-9, GV-100, GV-200, GV-500, GVD-800 digital 8 unit and HDV-700 HDV miniDV Video walkman from 2011

 

I am positive I cleaned the belt path perfectly, the ex651 the belt was just stretched and tangled, wasn’t broken or sticky. Lube, no idea what to lube or how, was trying to avoid have to pull them completely to bits.

Bohemian Rhapsody would be a great test, W&F would stand out so much..

Video Walkmans, old tape video is something I wouldn’t get into, prob because my working like I’ve been in the broadcast industry.
I’d still have my miniDV Panasonic somewhere.

hey, I have your name now so be prepared for some questions with my portables.
Perth must be lovely this time of year, my city Gold Coast is great but cold in the morning.

 

Remove both the capstans and use a drop of sewing machine oil on each.
I always used Video 8 over the last 30 years but liked the video walkman format.
I also have some miniDV video walkmans too
I also have alot of original movie titles on video 8 tape too like Term2 and total recall and top gun etc
All the star trek movies and others and I have an analogue TV transmitter to watch TV and movies on them over the air waves.
No worries happy to answer questions too. I have been involved in electronics most of my life so I enjoy that aspect too.
Your EX651 should work fine and I have had models with the same tape mech like the Sony WM-EX631
What is the issue with your EX651?
Yep Perth weather is great atm. I have friends on the gold coast and have to visit again soon.

 

@rcpilot23 , the 651 “seems” to work apart from sounding really slow and distorted. Play, stop, slow and fast speed work, ffwd and frew look to work as well.
I changed the belt as I only needed to desolder the metal power bar. Anything else I will have a fair bit of desoldering to do.
Funny thing was it sounded great when I first did the belt but after ffwd/frew and changing sides it went into horrible Slow motion W&F distortion. Celine Dion sounds like a man
Pinch rollers look pretty good, capstan very dirty and rough but I cleaned them.

If I use the remote, the remote display has a F (I assume F for fault)but the cable on it is damaged so I may hack into it and repair it someday. Lucky you don’t need the remote to use the player, made sure any I bought didn’t need the remote.

 

Have the pinch rollers been replaced ?
If not how did you clean the old ones?
I use Isopropyl and a micro fibre cloth and rubber roller restorer.

 

Not replaced, they look pretty good. Cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and an earbud.
I have new ones ordered but will be in a month.

it has a slider that varies the speed , that works, ffwd/frwd just beers once but doesn’t do anything. Play in either direction is super slow/distorted.
And you mention the click sound from the gear .. well I think I hear that now (I’d put up with it if the rest worked ok.

next step is desoldering to remove the board to access the gears so I can clean and lube. Not looking forward to it but hey the player is useless as it is.

 

Thanks mate. problem is in Australia no cassette item is super cheap like the US.
I bought 6 Walkmans that I like the look of , before I found this forum.
found out the Panasonic rx11 that looks like it’s brand new in box will be a pain to fix, first 2 (ex651, wm-600) I have changed belts are troublesome to say the least and sound crap. Others wm-172, two x fx551 I haven’t looked at until belts arrive.

Cheapest were 551, $80 for the two complete in boxes with everything, the others were around $30 each via Japanese auctions but double that for fees and post. These are cheap compared to what people want on eBay/gumtree etc.

no $5 player in a second hand goods store, throw in a battery and belt and it’s all good for me

 

Thanks, I will check out My Mate Vince.