My minidisc / MDS-S30 page
Introduction and background
This page is a collection of miscellaneous pieces of information regarding
my experiences with minidiscs and minidisc players/recorders. I own a Sony
MDS-S30 deck which I inherited in non-working order in mid-2000, and
therefore most of this information will be somewhat specific to Sony models,
the MDS-S30 in particular. Having carried out the necessary repairs myself
the unit is now functioning very well.
These repairs were not without dramas though - see this
page for a full description of what I had to go through, and how an
authorised Sony repair centre reacted to one particular fault. For those
with similar models, you may wish to check out my
repair tips page for notes I made during my
exercise.
When faced with a fault...
Given my experiences as detailed elsewhere, the following suggestions may
help when a minidisc deck develops a fault. Note, however, that if you do
not have a technical background you will need to take it to a service
centre without attempting any of the following.
- If a deck goes through all the motions of recording but does not
actually record anything to the disc, there may be a fault with the
overwrite head; see repair tips for
details.
- Attempt to ascertain whether a fault lies in a specific area of the
deck. Some faults, like an electronic problem on one of the PCBs are
not economic to repair. Others, like a dead or dying overwrite head
are often justifiable if the deck is in otherwise good condition.
- If you think you know where the problem may lie but lack the test jigs
and equipment to fully confirm suspicions and/or to effect a
replacement, the services of a repairer will be required. Attempt to
find one who will listen to what you have done and what your
conclusions are. It is also important that they will take notice of
this information when it comes to inspecting the unit for themselves -
otherwise you're just wasting your time.
In any case, when using a repair centre it is a good idea to verify the
operation of the unit at the centre both when you submit it for work and
when it is collected afterwards. This is especially important if the unit
works perfectly well except for one or two specific functions.
Links
This section will be expanded in due course. For now, I can recommend
The minidisc community - they have
lots of information about many models, usage tips and more. Well worth
checking out!
Back to my homepage.