In this video I service some problematic mode selector switches on this mid 80'e Bang and Olufsen Beosystem 10 portable stereo receiver / cassette player (little ghetto blaster). #ghettoblaster #vintageaudio #audiorepair #retroelectrotech
Unfortunately nowadays most people stream music and stories. My child explores this tape/cd player and she enjoys it so much. I really want her to understand that not every content is always available and she enjoys my old tapes 😅 i want her to have decent quality when listening to the tapes and CDs
That's cool your daughter is showing an interest in tapes and CD's, I see my share of youngsters digging the music and equipment of their dads and grand dads. It's not too rare to see some youngsters come in the shop wanting turntables and tape decks etc., repaired, or at the very least they're curious about the cost, and sometimes that's where it ends unless they are serious about the vintage audio adventure and have the funds ;-)
How is the sound? I can listen at the end. Would you recommend this b and o blaster? The reason I am asking is , I purchased a inexpensive Sony and my daughter is listening to old school tapes. The tapes are ok but the boxes and sound is horrible. I assume the sound is so poor due to the low quality of the boxes in this compact cd/ tape player. Therefore I am thinking about replacing this one with a vintage/ old tape/ radio 📻 deck .
The majority of the little "boom box" cassette / CD combo, AM/FM units came into existence after "the great boom box wars" of the 80's, when there were boom boxes / portable stereos that actually put out some decent sound quality. I grew up in L.A / the hood, so back then all the "homies" had ghetto blasters, and they were "pop locking" and break dancing, so, it was all about having a serious blaster. That's not to say there wasn't some decent CD / tape combo units out there somewhere, but usually you had to get into those "mini systems" that were popular in the 90's and earlier 2000's etc. But the smaller portable "carry" units weren't very good, at least that I'm aware of, but portables of that era weren't my thing.
Hi, thanks for the video. I have a question since you've been in there. I have an issue with the one I just bought. When playing a cassette, the left side is very muffled. Radio is ok, it only happens with the tape. There seems to be some kind of contact issue because it seems a bit sensitive to shock and movement on the right side. Do you have any idea what the issue could be and how I can repair it ?
Hello there, it's a bit difficult for me to know for certain (via internet conversation) what the problem is, without having the unit on the bench undergoing testing etc. However, I would start with a thorough cleaning of the tape path. Use alcohol and a swab and thoroughly clean the head surface, pinch roller, capstan, guides etc.. If a dirty playback head and tape path isn't the issue, and assuming the head is good (no excessive wear etc.), there may be an alignment issue involving the playback head (azimuth; i.e., angle of the head gap to the tape position / travel), or perhaps tape skewing, i.e., improper contact / angle of the tape to the head on account of the tape / the manner in which it's being moved through the tape path (in simple terms). Have you tried other tapes?, maybe you just have a "funky" tape. In short, there could be multiple reasons for misalignment if that's what's causing your issue, which is what it might be if it's not a dirty head or excessive wear affecting your left channel. That's not a process I'd be able to walk you through over the internet, due to all the variables. Nonetheless, at least try the tape path cleaning, otherwise, you'll need to research the other issues in depth and decide how you want to approach such servicing and if it's worth it for you. My best to you, hope it works out.
@@retroelectrotech Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer. Following your answer I played a bit with the unit yesterday and I found out that the problem is... The tape source button ! It clearly has some contect issues inside and crackles and makes one or the other channel not work right depending on the position. If I'm careful I can have both channels good. So I guess your video will come handy after all because I'm going to have to clean that... Is your applicator something that can be readily bought ?
@@gaetan4164 Hello again, good to hear you found the problem. The applicator is one that I made using the straw that comes with the contact cleaner, a needle applicator that you commonly find on those "generic" plastic bottles they sell all over the net / eBay etc., and some heat shrink tubing which I usually apply a few layers of. You may need a few different sizes of heat shrink to get the needle applicator tightly sealed to the straw, but I think you'll see what I'm talking about if you make one. Also, I carefully bend the needle so as not to "kink" it. Once the needle is curved 90 degrees, it of course helps to get the contact cleaner into some of the harder to reach areas depending on the layout of what you're working on as far as space / accessibility etc. Hope that helps.
