Sharp QT-5(L)

Hello! Throughout my childhood, I got a lot of use out of my Sharp QT-5(L) radio/cassette player. I wasn't sure if I still had it or not, but I recently found it.. I cleaned it up and put new batteries in it, but unfortunately, it does not work. Should I look into getting it repaired or do some upcycling? If I upcycle, what are my options? I appreciate the time and attention of anyone who reads this post.

Hi. Welcome.


I think you should first clarify what you mean by it doesn't work. No sound. No radio. No tape deck. Nothing?

Or, the tape deck makes noises but doesn't seem to do anything.

Deciding to upcycle or repair is a choice that only you can make.

I just bought the same boombox I had when i was a teen and while it would be nice to keep it stock, i don't listen to cassette tapes anymore, and i almost never bother with the radio, so i will be modifying it to have bluetooth. Otherwise it will just be a relic on a shelf. And i'm function over form guy.

It does absolutely nothing. Neither the radio nor the tape deck work. I prefer function over form too.

Yeah I'd just put that one on the shelf,for old time memories.Get yourself a real boombox.Might I suggest a Panasonic rx-5050.They have great sound can be had for anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks or so.That also have a fully dedicated line in so you can hook up a "device" of your choosing.Also welcome to Boomboxery.

Me personally, I would get it going again if it doesn't break the bank. Its such a good feeling for me, and worth every penny to have my boomboxes functioning the way they did 30+ years ago. Its like being a kid again. I would LOVE to still have my original boombox from my youth. In the end its up to you, but I say go for it And welcome!

I have good news. I found the adapter and ran another test. The radio works when plugged in, but it won't if I'm just using batteries (I used fresh ones). The tape deck does not work either way.

Now that I know that the radio works when plugged in (but not with batteries alone), and the tape deck does not work, I was wondering if there are any recommendations for any good people or places that do repairs. I know nothing about fixing it myself.

What country are you in?

If it doesn't work on batteries it could be a number of things from corroded battery springs (they can even have a layer of **** on thats not even particularly visible but still prevents a connection) to a blown fuse to a loose wire.

The tape probably has deteriorated belts that have now snapped or melted, if you plug it in and press play and put your ear to it can you hear the feint buzz of a motor?

I'm sure we can get this working again, if your in the UK i'll lend what help i can.

Like T-STER said, the tape deck fix might be something as easy as new belts. How far have you gone into disassembly?

I have not done any disassembly yet, Fatdog, but to answer your question, T-STER, I indeed can hear a sound like a motor running when I press play. I live in the U.S., but maybe we can find a way to get this baby up and running?

Ok well first thing to do is to pop the back of the box off and see what we're working with. The motor working suggests that just the small rubber drive belts that drive the cassette are perished. In Sharps they frequently leave a black gooey mess like tar so this may need to be cleaned off.

Removing the back should be easy enough, once that's off take a pic and we'll point you in the right direction. Hopefully we can solve the mains power issue while in there.

Here's what it looks like with the back piece removed. I used a flash in the closeups of the battery compartment, where I noticed some corrosion.

Well it seems that there is a fair bit of corrosion on the battery springs. I would start by cleaning this off, get an old toobrush to start with and clean off what you can. I did one for a friend last week and i sprayed some Servisol on the springs and it all came off pretty easily. I'm guessing you wont have any of this or anything similar. Just try to get off as much as possible to expose the actual metal of the springs, this may be enough to restore power on batteries.

For the cassette belts you will need to lift up the board to access, I imagine releasing the screw in yellow circle plus un clipping the clips also circled yellow it may lift up enough to access the rear of the cassette mech. I saw a little clip (the red circle) that may need to be removed for it to lift but i doubt it. Just try the screw/clips first, don't force anything just go slow. If you manage to lift it, photo what is underneath and we'll advise again..

I was able to loosen the screw and release the clips, but something still feels like it's anchoring the board. I'm guessing it's the pieces circled in red. Here are some close ups if that helps.

Looks to me like tuner string attachment is what's causing issue marked in red 🤔




Bad Boy Bill

Actually after a second look the tuner section should come out with board but the knob seems to have to be slid out in downward motion. Also deck door might either need to be opened or maybe removed 🤔


Bad Boy Bill

Good call bill i was going to say pop open the deck door

Here's what it looks like.

Press stop/eject so the cassette player door where the tape goes in pops open

I get the feeling I will have to remove the deck door. It opens just enough to pop in a cassette but not much else.