Sony Mindisc Player MZ-N707 Refurb 

Thanks so much for the tips! I'd be worried with the Brasso getting inside the unit, but careful application would be okay I suppose. I saw an idea of using Brasso to remove scratches in plastics that I wanted to test too, so I'll pick some up. Thanks again.

@@CBitsTech try a small amount of tooth paste on a cotton bud too, it's a mild abrasive polish, good on metal and plastics.

Thanks David. It's difficult to do more videos at this time, but I'll upload when I get time. Thanks for subscribing!

Yes, the RM-MC10L is for the N707, and I think the RM-MC11L that you have came with the MZ-R900 and MZ-R909 (and others). Yours had a backlight, doesn't it? Nice remote!

Thanks. I have a blue one now, but it's not working. I'm hoping to do a repair video for it, but that won't be up for a couple of weeks at least.

Rodney Trotter??? Hardly a compliment. Besides, souf London, I'm Essex mate!

@@CBitsTech lol

I'd love a RH1, but the batteries aren't available and the displays have usually faded by now. And they're expensive! I haven't refurbed a NH900, but I have fixed a different player with a similar problem (with help from RU-vidr SJM4306). The video is here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5NqQvNLfzaY.html. Check that video description for another repair video from someone too.

@@CBitsTech Mine came with a reasonable battery and I found another good one on EBay before the prices went stupid. Right hand side of display a bit faded but still useable. However it lives in it's box and only comes out to play when I need to import to my PC from a minidisc, the control layout is terrible and delicate, I wouldn't wander around with it in my pocket, I have others for active duty!

@@CBitsTech That is probably the video about dodgy buttons that I watched this morning.

Yep, probably.

You can buy SonicStage from Ebay, or download it from here forums.sonyinsider.com/files/file/95-sonicstage-43-ultimate-edition/page/3/ However, I would first try this newer method as it's easier to set up ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Frs8qhw0g9Y.html

Sorry for the delay, I wanted to test things before answering. The label on the bottom of the cradle says it charges Ni-MH and Ni-CD batteries. The N707 can charge a rechareable battery only when it is in the cradle. I've tested it, if you plug the power cord directly into the bottom of the player/recorder it does not charge the battery. I suppose the charging circuit is in the cradle, not the player/recorder itself. I suppose the power input on the bottom of the recorder is for providing power for playback and recording only, not for charging the battery. There's no mention of this in the manual though (I checked). Curious!

It's probably cheaper and easier to buy a replacement player/recorder

Hard to say, but I'd guess it's a power issue. Is it the same on mains power and battery? Maybe the battery contacts are dirty, maybe the power adapter plug or socket are dirty.

@@CBitsTech thanks for reply. Will try it on mains to see if it work. What type of battery to put in with mains connected? Regards hugh

Hi Hughie, sorry for the late reply, your comment went into the spam box (RU-vid's fault). Here are the troubleshooting steps I would take. 1. Make sure the power adapter you are using is the correct voltage and polarity. My UK player is 3V, centre positive. On the bottom of the player it should tell you the voltage and polarity required (there is a picture showing + (positive) connected to the centre pin, and - (negative) showing on the outer ring. Whatever your player shows, make sure the charger matches it. Remove the battery from the player and connect the power adapter directly to the player to see if it works correctly. If not, the charger or the player's power socket might be faulty. 2. Now connect the power adapter to the cradle and place the player in the cradle (still with no battery in it) and see if it works reliably in the cradle. If it works, you know the power adapter and cradle work properly. 3. Put a standard, non-rechargeable AA alkaline battery in the player. Do NOT place the player in the cradle when it has a non-rechargeable battery in it. Now test the player (not in the cradle) to see if it works on a standard battery. If not, either the battery contacts or the battery circuitry inside the player need attention. 4. If the player worked in step 3, try the same with a rechargeable battery. Ideally, charge the battery first in some other charger that you know is working. If the player worked in step 3 but not with a fully charged battery in this step, maybe the battery is to blame. Having done the steps above, you might be able to narrow down the cause. If there's a problem in both steps 1 and 2 then it could be the charger, or the part of the circuit inside the player that deals with power from the charger. Likewise, if there's a problem with both steps 3 and 4 then there's a problem with the circuit that deals with battery power. If there's a problem with all four steps, then I suspect there's a problem with the other circuitry in the player. It could be a bad connection (maybe corrosion), a cold solder joint (where the solder has cracked), or maybe a capacitor needs replacing. The fix for this would be fiddly, and beyond my skills I'm afraid. Sorry for the long reply. Let us know how you got on please. Colin.

@@CBitsTech much appreciated colin. Will try this. Thanks very much

3v centre positive. I don't know the tip size, but it's pretty small.

@@CBitsTech Thanks allot :]

No, sorry. If I do decide to sell anything, I'll do it through eBay, and probably announce it in a video.

NiMh.

Actually, I assume it was an alkaline battery that leaked before I bought it.

@@CBitsTech Quick reply, thanks. Did the NiMh charge okay? I got this model from new and it came with a NiCad battery which has long died. I still have the charging cradle but I’ve not tried to charge a NiMh in the player in case it damages it.

@@nigelwyn Yes NiMh charge fine too. I just checked the label on the bottom of my charger and it says it charges either, so I assume the recorder/player recognises the battery type and applies the correct charging profile. I'm currently using up alkaline batteries that show as 'low battery' in other devices but are fine for MD use. One of my more recent videos 'Free power' deals with that.

@@CBitsTech Thanks for that. I'll give it a go.

eBay is good for used Minidiscs. Check the description to see if the owner has erased then first. Is your player MDLP? If not, you'll only be able to play tracks recorded in Standard Play mode. Later recorders could fit twice or four times the music on each disc, but only MDLP players can play discs recorded like that.

@@CBitsTech it hasn't arrived yet but I think it's post 2005 so should be mdlp. Do you know if the deck recorders are worth getting as I don't see the point of 2 portable ones if a good deck will work.

Hi Thiago. Sorry to hear about your problem. First off, let me say, I am not an expert with minidiscs, I purchased my first one about two years ago. I am not experienced in repairing them. Although I do tech support for a living, that's mainly for computers and phone, and not very much repairing, mainly software. I am probably not the right person to repair your unit, sorry. Is the N707 in bits? Have you tried the repair already? What makes you think it's a ribbon cable problem? I don't doubt you, I'm just trying to find out how much you know and what you have done already. Have you cleaned the laser lens with a cotton bud and isopropal alcohol? That would be the first and easiest thing to try. Be gentle though. For now, read throught his Sony Forum thread I found. It's about a problem similar to yours. It does say that it took someone two days to fix the problem, that's another reason you don't want to pay my hourly rate for a repair attempt that might not even work. forums.sonyinsider.com/topic/8680-a-solution-to-blankdisc-and-recording-problems/