Hi all I’ve been using this deck for years, as part of the AIWA 30 series from the early 1980’s. It was playing just fine the last time I used it a few weeks ago, and then when I came to use it a week later, the left channel had dropped out, no output showing on the LED meter as pictured, and just hissing noise from the speaker. I’ve owned the deck for about 10 years, and it had new belts a few years ago. I’ve had other issues like a buzzing RH channel and LED’s maxed out, which was sorted out by repeatedly depressing the record/playback keys (like 50m+ times), which I learned about doing on this or another forum, to clean the rec/playback switch, wherever that is. I’ve tried this again this time and no joy. I’ve also pressed the tape selector buttons in and out lots of times, following advice to do that refthe buzzing problem, and I’ve also checked the RCA connectors on the back of the unit are both working, which they are. In any case the lack of LED showing indicates to me that the channel is just not working, and yes I’ve examined and cleaned the tape head, which is AOK. I’m not someone who is that familiar with electronics, but I do have the service manual and original schematics. I’m wondering if I’ve just got a loose connection somewhere, though I’m yet to dismantle the unit more fully than pictured to explore further, so that I don’t know. I wondered at this stage if anyone has any thoughts as to what the problem might be.
Sorry, I've got about the same skill set but here's the basic's I'd do. Check the tiny wires coming out of the head, they can get loose after decades of moving in and out. I always mess around with the buttons (not the piano keys) and see if there's any LED flickering, sometimes they need a good DeOxit Cleaning I don't think the Record Level Knob would cause issues but I'd still clean it with DeOxit (or whatever you guys use). Those things are packed with capacitors, I don't see any bulging but it might need a new set.
I can't help with your problem, I fear, but you might be able to help with mine...if you're open to me pinging you a question? I think the mechanism on your SD-L30 might be similar to that on my SD-L10, and a video of it working might well give me a clue what is wrong with mine. Let me know and I'll explain further. What do you say?
Seeing it open and running, I'd try moving the wire from the head, following it, and see which board it reaches... it could be anything, from a loose wire, to soldering that needs re-doing, or the recording switch. But if the signal doesn't reach the VU meter, the error is usually in the initial part of the circuit, i.e., the head preamp or immediately after it.
Nice, thanks. My main thread is here: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/showthread.php?p=1707757#post1707757 (I think people there have lost interest) Specifically, this photo: http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20250615_144149.jpg but, essentially, the problem seems to be that the take-up reel isn't being driven...and I'm not sure how/why? I can turn it manually using the pulley on the underside of the deck, and it seems to take up the tape ok (so I guess there's nothing wrong with the little wheels just under the cassette that you can just see in your photo) ... but nothing seems to connect (what I call) the "idler drive" pulley to any motor. The pulley has a band that connects it to a smaller pulley (I've labelled '???'), but that doesn't connect to anything or drive anything - it spins freely and I can even easily take it off its spindle. You can see what happens when I press 'play' here: https://user.fm/files/v2-53d3e179046d3e30eb559c8213edcfb2/VID_20250615_141926.mp4 I'm sure your deck is a little different, but I'm hoping similar enough. So, in short, what I *think* might help me is if you took a video of the underside (compared to the photo you have above) while it is playing a tape - ideally, also what happens when you press play (similar to my video)....what connects that 'idler drive' pulley to the motor? Is that something you can do? Thanks
That’s a really simple one - you’ve got one belt incorrectly positioned, and one belt which shouldn’t be there at all.. The lower belt on the motor spindle (as you look at your underside video) is the square sectioned one, and the upper belt on motor spindle is the main drive belt which is flat sectioned, and goes around the main flywheel (far left on your vid, grey chunky metal wheel). The problem is that you’ve got the smaller square sectioned belt surrounding the smaller flywheel on the right, which is incorrect - the belt needs to be repositioned (assuming it is the correct length) so it has contact with the second flywheel across the top only - see the image attached and look at how the belt between positions E4 and L7 is connected to the smaller flywheel at points G5, H5 & I5 only. This is why your deck isn’t working as it should. The small belt you’ve got going around what you’ve labelled as ‘idler drive, and ‘???’ On your image should also therefore be removed.
Ah, brilliant. I'll have to wait until next weekend to try it, but it all looks pretty much the same, so you're surely correct I'll update on Saturday. I'm excited to learn it is potentially straight forward
OK, well that did improve things enormously...ie it now plays, for some definition of 'play'. I've not plugged it into any amp, yet, so I don't know what it sounds like...maybe later today or tomorrow (I have a pair of active speakers I can use, I think). Still, there are more problems. With the tape 'transport' - something odd with the rewind/forward. There's a little white plastic gear on the 'tape' side (I don't have any photos/videos of that, yet - I'll try to get one this weekend) which keeps "jumping". There's also one for the forward, slightly hidden under the front aluminium, and "box" the tape goes into...I guess it is doing the same. Looking at your photo (above) of that side of the unit, I see a hint of one of these gears through the slit on the bottom of the "box" the tape goes into....hrm, actually, maybe the top one is visible too, but yours are actually rubber tyres, not gears...mine are gears that mesh with the gears on the actual tape spoolers that fit into the tape spools (I wish I knew the names of these things). Also, I suspect I have the same electronic problem as you have - ie the VU meters only show levels on the top (L) channel. I'll have to listen to it later, as I mentioned, so learn if it is actually a problem with the output too (undoubtedly it is, but...). Still, we move forwards I'll have to take it all apart again and do some more photos/videos....and look forward to anything you find out about the problem you're having.
I think you are referring to the idler wheels, which in the case of the L30 have rubber rims, called idler tyres, though it sounds like yours has cogs instead. These operate the ff and rw functions and can be seen in the underside image above in positions C5 and I5, there are connected/corresponding wheels in the cassette compartment, which I’ve circled in red in the attachment, plus another two (a big and a small one from memory) which you can’t see properly, just a bit of the big one, and these sit in the middle between the spools. Essentially, when you press ff or rw, the lever pushes the small idler tyres onto one of the spinning flywheels on the underside, and hence turns the idler, and above in the cassette compartment, the corresponding wheel is pushed against the side of each spool (which also has a rubber tyre on each), hence using the power of the flywheel to turn the spool and ff or rw the tape. It seems like you’ve got something jamming the flow, making the cogs jump and not turn smoothly together, so need to find the source of that issue. Do you have the service manual for the L10, as that would help. .
Yes, those are the things...mine on the top/cassette side are gears, not tyres. I guess you can see the underside here, just under the word 'idler' and a similar position (more hidden, under the main fly wheel) on the left of the photo: http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20250615_144149.jpg Yes, I have a manual...I copied the page for the underside is here (the manual is all in one for the whole of the M-101 system, all 4 components): http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/# Frankly, I think I need a qualification just to understand these 'exploded views' (yes, I also have the electronics schematics, so maybe they will be useful later) Aside: my first struggle was undoing the screw as shown here, so I could the get the new belts in: http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20241109_035010-edit.jpg http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20241108_161734.jpg I had to use a screw extractor, and find a replacement, which I couldn't purchase in singles, so I now have a big bag of them, lol - still, they're cheap so all good
Here are the gears on the top side: http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20250719_183329.jpg http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20250719_183310.jpg http://maxw.fastmail.co.uk.user.fm/aiwa-sd-l10-repair/#single:IMG_20250719_183323.jpg Though, they're clearly the same as the ones you describe, so I don't think these photos buy us anything. NB, your photo of where the belts go is really useful, I think. When I opened mine, they were mostly gone, so I had no idea where they were supposed to go...just had to guess. The service manuals didn't seem to show this info...though, now I look again...perhaps the 'shape' they're drawn in gives a clue, once you know
Hi again...some time has elapsed, but I'm now back home in the UK where I have a big bottle of IPA and contact cleaner (deoxit), and have given the heads and capstan/pinch roller, and idler wheels a good clean, and I have the amp/speakers too, so I can actually plug it in. ...and it actually works, but much only on the one channel, much like you describe with your L30. I had a close look at the thin wires coming off the play head, and they look sound, and I followed the cable round to where they plug into a circuit board...it's a common white thing, but it is, er, "snug" in there...so I've been reluctant to try and unplug it, to clear the contacts and plug it in again...that's my next step, I suppose. I could also spray some contact cleaner into the buttons, but it's only the two tape-type, and dolby buttons---could they being dirty have this effect? I wonder if you managed to fix your, and, if so, what you found to be effective...
Yes, mine got fixed - despite the wires attached to the play/rec head looking fine and being well attached, one of the wires had a break inside the plastic insulation, which was not visible of course. I suspect the movement of the cassette compartment up and down when a cassette was loaded or ejected many times over the years, hence bending the wires slightly each time, had led to the issue occuring. Once the wire was replaced, all worked fine.
Ha. Congratulations. I imagine that is quite satisfying So, I wonder if there is a way to test if it is broken...perhaps I could join the top two wires to the bottom two and see if it comes through on both channels...that might be easy enough to try, and would maybe tell me something? WDYT? Also, is there anything special about the wire? What did you use to replace it?
I had it repaired by these guys in the end https://www.wilkinsons.tv/home/hifi-repairs-2/ As for working out if there’s a break, other than using a multimeter if you have one, or a cheap voltage tester which you can buy online, the old fashioned way is to use some spare wires, an old mini bulb from a torch and a AA or similar battery to make a circuit including the wire in question and see if the bulb lights up or not.
Yeah, I have a multimeter (Fluke 79III), but I'm hesitant since they usually involve putting a voltage across the wire, and I don't know enough about how it all works...ie don't the wires need to be disconnected from the circuit board to be able to test continuity, and are the wires in the head crazy thin, so some voltage might fuse them? Anyway, that's something to try, for sure. Wilkinsons...Lancashire...hrm. That could work. I wonder if Mend It Mark could do it too...perhaps it has some other issues. Maybe I could do his course and learn to do it myself - Mend it LIKE Mark
I followed the wires from the head to a plug/socket, managed to prize it off, and used my multimeter to test resistance - both were about 200ohms, so I think the wires are ok. I plugged it in again, and used some tweezers to touch the contacts on the head itself, and confirmed that touching the top pair didn't have any effect. I suppose I should have tried the pins on the plug/socket on the other end of the wires, which I had disconnected to test the continuity, but it didn't occur to me until I had plugged it back in again. Maybe tomorrow ...but, so far, I'm thinking it's a problem on the circuit board. Any ideas welcome.
