Panasonic RX- 5050

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scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Hello,

I recently purchased a Panasonic RX- 5050 boombox and everything works great except for the cassette player. When I insert and play a cassette tape, it sounds muzzled or as if it is playing underwater or in another room and sounds distant. The radio and input provide clear sound but when playing cassettes, it seems to have a "drowned" out sound. Any suggestions on correcting this issue? thanks!
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Here is a picture of the cassette deck. I wanted to know if it all looks in order? Are there supposed to be 2 pinch rollers? and which screw should I adjust to stop the distant, muzzled audio sound when playing cassettes? The speed seems fine as I can hear the cassettes at a regular pace but it's just that it sounds like I'm listening to it through a wall or something. Thanks again!
 

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scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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I just cleaned the cassette tape head and pinch roller and now the sound is back but it goes in and out a bit, does it need more cleaning? any other parts that I should clean? thanks!
 

jimmyjimmy19702010

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May 5, 2012
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Hi and welcome!

The 5050 has a single direction deck so no second pinch roller needed. Cleaning the head was the first step. If the sound is clear now from both channels in output level and tone then the head should be ok. Is their any signs of wear on the head surface? A dry, flat spotted pinch roller can cause the tape to drift a little as it contacts the head causing that 'coming and going' sound output so a new one may in order. The head may need adjusting but unless someone has been tinkering in the past, it probably doesn't need adjusting. Those decks are pretty simple and plentiful so parts shouldn't be an issue.

James.... :-)
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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There doesn't seem to be any signs of wear after I cleaned the tape head. It now looks shiny and clean but the pinch roller does look a little worn and stained with residue. I'll look online for a replacement, any suggestions of where to look? thanks for all the help!
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Also, when I'm playing cassettes, the equalizer lights do not turn on but they work with the radio and input functions, any idea on how to fix this? hopefully it's nothing that requires too much disassembly, thanks again!
 

jimmyjimmy19702010

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May 5, 2012
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I'm not sure where to find a genuine new replacement. You could possibly find someone who has a used part in better condition. Be careful when you pull off the black plastic 'plug' that holds that roller assembly in place. The small hook at the end can be damaged upon removal and then won't hold the roller in place properly. The decks on these Panny's are a bit cheaply built in comparison to the older models.

I've got a spare roller here somewhere but it's probably better if you can find one locally.

Good luck,

James.... :-)
 

AE_Stereo

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Apr 24, 2012
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scarletruby said:
and which screw should I adjust to stop the distant, muzzled audio sound when playing cassettes? The speed seems fine as I can hear the cassettes at a regular pace but it's just that it sounds like I'm listening to it through a wall or something. Thanks again!
Azimuth Screw.JPG

Screw shown. It is basically to correct the misalignment of cassette magnetic recording track with respect to the head - that is to make them perfectly parallel.
You will notice that one side of the head is fixed and other side is fitted with an adjustable screw on a spring.
To make it to the correct setting, you need to adjust it while playing the tape. Most decks have a hole aligning with this screw to adjust it while playing. See if there is one.
 

k2j

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Mar 28, 2011
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Hey man, you could just have a bad cassette too. I've got a bunch that haven't weathered the years very well and play odd like that. Remember they are magnetic so maybe a demagnetize the deck with a wand could help.
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Hello all, I live in Farmington, NM and it might be just the cassettes I have, some work fine and others sound warped and the sounds goes in and out. I'll look into a demagnetizer, I did buy a cassette tape cleaner with fibers from radioshack that supposedly cleans and demagnetizes too so I'll give that try. I'll look into the adjusting the screw and see if that makes a difference, thanks again everyone!
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Another question: If I want to change the pinch roller and adjust the cassette head, do I have to take a part the boombox to reach the screws? I'm not sure how to remove the cassette facing, thanks!
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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http://youtu.be/LiF8KrEbpsU

Here is the link to a video I posted to show the problems with my boombox. I cleaned the tape head and the sound came back but it still sounds monotone and not big or loud like it does when the boombox is in radio or line in mode. Also, the equalizer lights aren't working like they should when I have it in cassette mode. Any ideas? Thanks everyone!
 

jimmyjimmy19702010

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May 5, 2012
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I think it's time to get out the screwdrivers. Access to the deck is gained through the front of those Panny's so first remove the rear screws. The earlier models required you to remove the cassette door by pushing up on the door until it unclips. That model may just require you to eject the tape door to allow you to remove the front panel.

From your video, it sounds like the tape deck output is much lower than the radio/line in. The LEDs may not be sensitive enough to respond to these artificially low levels. Spray some contact cleaner in all the switches/pots and any micro switches on the deck (you'll have to remove the deck to get at the rear of the tape transport assembly.

Also look for a play/record bar that sits on a circuit board directly behind the deck. This bar contains many contacts that may need a quick spray.

All of the above will cover most 'mechanically' based issues. Beyond that, you need a more indepth knowledge/understanding of electronics to fault find bad components.

Good luck,

James... :-)

P.S These one piece Panasonics are amongst the easiest boxes to work on so take your time and take a few pics as you progress through the disassembly process to ensure correct reassembly.
 

Superduper

Member (SA)
To be honest, that pinch roller looks fine to me, just accumulated some residue over the years that looks absolutely normal. You can clean that roller to make it look and perform like new again, which is what I would recommend. Removing that roller also involves a bit of risk and if you don't know what you're doing, could cause more harm than good. The simplest thing to do is buy some of the long swabs available at electronics repair places or online. They look like regular q-tips but the tips don't shred easily and are stiffer, and they are much longer to allow you to reach. Use 100% tech grade (or strongest you can find) Isopropyl alcohol and scrub. That should restore the grip to like new.

As for the adjustment screw, I don't suggest you go there either. That setting does not change from factory unless someone tinkers and adjusts it when they should not. Once set by the factory, the screw is coated with a setting compound to prevent change. It is usually adjusted from factory with the aid of an oscilloscope although I'm sure some folks here will tell you to adjust it by "ear." However, that won't give you 100% accurate setting. With the aid of a scope, you can actually see when the heads are in perfect phase.

Keep in mind that a lot of older tapes won't perform like new anymore. I have some tapes that looks fine but have so much friction they cause the deck motor to stop in it's tracks. Playing a different tape is no problem. Trying to fix that would be like chasing ghosts. Record a new tape session and replay it. If the "new" tape works well without the issues you mentioned, then forget about messing with the mechanism. It's probably the tapes.

Did you demagnetize your heads yet? A lack of high frequencies is frequently a sign of a head that needs degaussing. Also, you should try the record bar cleaning trick. That is to engage/disengage the record function many times (as much as 50) to try to work oxidation off that switch. Over years of unused, oxidation builds up which inhibits proper signal strength from passing. A better way to clean it is to introduce some solvent into that switch but I would suggest employing the trick above first to see if there is any improvement.

Lastly. The issue with the equalizer lights.... I reviewed the circuit diagram for this model and it's as I thought. The equalizer gets it's signal by tapping directly into the preamp line. So as long as the equalizer works in the other modes, it should work on the tape mode too. However, it's not a linear response. Rather at low signal levels, it may not light at all. If you record a program with louder audio, it should work fine. Right now, I suspect your cassette audio is too quiet to register for the equalizer.
 

baddboybill

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Jul 14, 2009
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I agree 100% with Superduper. Follow his instructions and I guarantee you will be happy. 5050 is the perfect unit to learn the different ways to restore a unit as it's very easy to work on. Good luck :-)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

scarletruby

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Jul 20, 2014
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Okay, I finally took a part the boombox and now I'm staring at the cassette deck and I removed it but I'm not sure how to clean the record switch. It is stuck and doesn't push down like the play switch or other switches and I've sprayed some contact cleaner but maybe I'm missing the right spot to spray. So where exactly should I be spraying the contact cleaner? Thanks!

PS: I've realized that another user has also repaired their RX-5050 so I've been reading through that post and trying to apply those methods to my boombox as well.
 

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Beosystem10

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Feb 21, 2013
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Are you sure the record switch is stuck? Apologies if I'm stating the obvious here but you did push the record protect tab up didn't you? The record switch doesn't move without that out of the way as if a tape with its write protect tab were in there, this is to prevent people recording over prerecorded tapes, which don't have the tabs. ;-)
 
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