Conion lower tape deck issue..should i buy?

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jasatc77

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Jun 4, 2014
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Hey guys,

I drove an hour to see a mint condition conion c-100f two weeks ago, when I got there the lower tape deck was jammed up. In other words, the head was stuck in the up position. and I noticed the tape deck door was a little sticky.(it didn't want to open very well) He was asking top dollar and I was willing to pay it was mint as mint as it was described. My question to you experts is, should I still buy at a discounted price? Has anyone ever run into a similar tape deck issue on this beast of a boombox and was it a big deal to fix? :huh: The box is still in great shape and I like the fact that I don't have to worry about it getting broken in shipping. As always l look forward to you guy's input. :thumbsup:
 

-GZ-

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Oct 8, 2010
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Dude. If you were willing to pay top dollar for mint and he gives you a discount for the deck....its a no brainer. Plus you get to see it and touch it before purchase. Plus no shipping. I'm sure it can be fixed. Get it. That's my two cents.
 

blu_fuz

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When will you ever get another mint condition one? Mechanicals can be fixed. Do eeeet
 

superlew

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Apr 22, 2012
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jasatc77 said:
Hey guys,

I drove an hour to see a mint condition conion c-100f two weeks ago, when I got there the lower tape deck was jammed up. In other words, the head was stuck in the up position. and I noticed the tape deck door was a little sticky.(it didn't want to open very well) He was asking top dollar and I was willing to pay it was mint as mint as it was described. My question to you experts is, should I still buy at a discounted price? Has anyone ever run into a similar tape deck issue on this beast of a boombox and was it a big deal to fix? :huh: The box is still in great shape and I like the fact that I don't have to worry about it getting broken in shipping. As always l look forward to you guy's input. :thumbsup:
The lower deck is a "soft-touch" deck. When it finally throws a belt while playing, the head assembly will stick in the play position. Never try to force the deck door open when this happens.
Remove the back case.
Unscrew the board on the back side of the lower deck and move it to the side.
Rotate the flywheel until the head assembly falls back into the stop position.
Re-belt.
*You don't necessarily need to remove the chassis to get the deck going, but you will if the counter and tape-run LED's are not working.
Others may beg to differ, but I really like Deck 1 on the C-100 - Soft-Touch, MSSI, Manual Recording Level - Its got a lot going for it.
:yes:

P.S.: You'll probably find the belts have turned black goo. Swing through the drugstore and grab some isopropyl, and Q-tips, if you don't already have some.
 

jasatc77

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Thanks Superlew, That gives me the confidence was looking for. I am always more apprehensive about getting inside a real expensive grail. I will message the seller today and keep you guys updated. A year ago when I began to be interested in these awesome pieces of history, this was the box I really wanted so I am definitely excited.
 

JT Techno

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May 10, 2014
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If it were me, it would be home with me now :yes:
But then I don't mind getting elbow deep in the back of a box - ooh err ;-)
That is one box I would love to own but we don't see them this side of the pond in UK and it costs so much to ship across.
Anyway, good luck with your purchase - the above advice on a fix looks very promising - looking forward to your pictures :drool:
 

-GZ-

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Oct 8, 2010
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JT Techno said:
If it were me, it would be home with me now :yes:
But then I don't mind getting elbow deep in the back of a box - ooh err ;-)
That is one box I would love to own but we don't see them this side of the pond in UK and it costs so much to ship across.
Anyway, good luck with your purchase - the above advice on a fix looks very promising - looking forward to your pictures :drool:
If it were me I would have already bought it and accidentally broke it by now.
 

Styleking

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Mar 16, 2011
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Good luck! I assume you're making a trip to Brighton? He's been listing those boxes forever. Try and haggle with him. He put a Discolite on CL as best offer a year ago, so I offered $400 and he shot back with $2000. It's still for sale.
 

jasatc77

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Jun 4, 2014
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Styleking said:
Good luck! I assume you're making a trip to Brighton? He's been listing those boxes forever. Try and haggle with him. He put a Discolite on CL as best offer a year ago, so I offered $400 and he shot back with $2000. It's still for sale.
Haha.. hello neighbor and yes you are correct. He's a nice guy with really nice boomboxes, and his prices reflect that. I don't want to jinx myself but I think i'm doing ok pricewise.
 

jasatc77

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Jun 4, 2014
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IMG_2034.JPG
IMG_2033.JPG

Her she is!!! Very minty, though she is a little scratchy when adjusting knobs. I would guess she spent most of her time on display not being used. So its deoxit time, then time to get into tape deck 1.
 

jasatc77

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Jun 4, 2014
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superlew said:
The lower deck is a "soft-touch" deck. When it finally throws a belt while playing, the head assembly will stick in the play position. Never try to force the deck door open when this happens.
Remove the back case.
Unscrew the board on the back side of the lower deck and move it to the side.
Rotate the flywheel until the head assembly falls back into the stop position.
Re-belt.
*You don't necessarily need to remove the chassis to get the deck going, but you will if the counter and tape-run LED's are not working.
Others may beg to differ, but I really like Deck 1 on the C-100 - Soft-Touch, MSSI, Manual Recording Level - Its got a lot going for it.
:yes:

P.S.: You'll probably find the belts have turned black goo. Swing through the drugstore and grab some isopropyl, and Q-tips, if you don't already have some.
That worked like a charm! The head returned to the off position and the door will open now. The belt seems to be fine, but I put a tape in, pressed play and it ate it. Maybe belts? Anyone know the size off the top of their head? As far as the static in the knobs, I hit them with some deoxit and discovered something discouraging. It seems this static, which can make the speakers cut out at times, wasn't dirty knob switches as much as it was the turning of the knobs moving that main circuit board... and that is what is causing the issues. There must be a bad connection somewhere. Ugh :bang: . Not sure how I will determine where it is yet.. :-/
 

superlew

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As nuts as it seems, the only way to properly clean the pots and switches in the C-100 is to pull the chassis - a daunting task if you've never done it. Stay organized and take lots of photos and you'll be fine.
The "in-and-out" channel is very likely a pin connector or two. One way to test this without pulling the chassis is to take the handle of a small artist brush (non-conductive) and touch the pin connectors on the main boards. If your channels are in and out while touching the connectors, they should be pulled, cleaned, and re-connected.
While your in there, you might as well re-belt both decks. If Deck 1 stuck in the play position once, it will probably do it again (sounds like a slipping belt).
There is a guide to pulling the chassis on the C-100 somewhere here on Boomboxery. I may be able to help with a few pointers, as well.
Take your time getting it just right. When I first got my C-100, I had it in pieces for 2 1/2 weeks, just to make sure I got everything.
When all the issues are addressed and the radio is all buttoned up, it's a very reliable (and very awesome) blaster.

Looks beautiful, btw. :thumbsup:
 

jasatc77

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Jun 4, 2014
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Thanks Superlew,

I took your advice and attempted to isolated the area where the bad connection is, however it seems that any movement of the circuit board which has the volume bass treble balance knobs on it causes the issue. The left or right channel may go out or it may play quieter. The right manipulation of that circuit board has those speakers pounding though. And I am noticing that it is getting worse the more I wiggle it. Looks like I will be dismantling it. I am worried I won't find which connection is the problem. Do you happen to remember belt sizes off the top of your head?
 

blu_fuz

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A lot of the issues with the sound going in and out on the left and right have to do with the loudness, mode, and function switch. Start with those for cleaning and working the switches, it might just clear up.
 

superlew

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Apr 22, 2012
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Found this in an old thread:

Conion c100
tape 1
FBM 9.6
SBS 8.9 x 2

From what I remember, one of the 8.9's was a little too big (or was it too small?), but these sizes are very close. I'm pretty sure the flat belt size is dead-on.

Did you check the pin connector near the front, in the middle of the box on the top board? It's hard to see with just the back case removed. That one gave me a lot of trouble in the beginning of my resto. If it's not the culprit, you may need to remove the board and search around for a loose solder joint. Several months after I finished the C-100, I had a solder joint on a transistor start to let go, causing the "machine gun" effect.
You will need to remove the chassis to remove the board, but the chassis needs to be removed to properly clean the pots and switches anyway.

Here's the connector that gave me trouble. The arrow is pointing to the connector between the switches.:

Help.jpg
 
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