M70 (L) Super-duper s led kit

[H3NK3L]

Finding the original lightbulb a bit dull, and not being a fan of having to keep the dial light button pressed to keep it on, I ve gotten myself the (deluxe, yeah I m that kind of guy :=) ) M70 led kit at Analog Alley

Being me I ordered custom colour amber, highly impressed with the reactivity and speedy assembly and shipping and the very clear instructions. Even came with explanations on the updated version I got!

This is the V4 (updated version, smd leds), with 2 led option for the side. The pcbs are a perfect fit, and despite being Amber they are way brighter than I expected.

Pictures show the light a bit more orange than it is (it s Amber) and don't do justice to the contrast they give, especially on the VU meters. They don't "bleed" as much as they appear to on my phone-camera, and they were taken in daylight, next to a window (in the shade) on a sunny day.

 

[Northerner]

Looks great, like it

 

[H3NK3L]

Thank you

This night-time picture is a bit more accurate... Maybe I should start considering to stop buying boomboxes and parts and such and start looking for a new phone with a decent camera... Lol

 

[Reli]

That's a great color, close to the original incandescent bulbs. When you say custom, is it a custom film over the LED or something like that?

 

[H3NK3L]

Hi Reli, that was kindof what I was going for : original but better (the single bulb is SO unbalanced throwing it all to the right side and onlu barely lighting up the VU meters).

Custom with superduper : an amber "regular" spheric led to replace the bulb (on a custom cut pcb with the cutout to fit right in to where the bulb was, amber smds vor the VU meters (on a pcb that s a perfect fit above the meters) and 2 amber smd leds for the side of acrilyc plat, again the pcb just fits).

so when I say custom it s not a film or those good old 80s plastic thingies they heatgun onto a basic bulb, it s custom color leds.
Didnt want the "basic" white or blue thing, alhtough its aesthetic with the blue highlights on the M70, white or blue just didnt "feel" right (for me)

Personally find the amber has a nostalgic ring to it, it makes the digits and stripes and such glow just like they should...feels a bit like "this is what it should have looked like, if back then they could have done it with incandescent ones"

 

[H3NK3L]

@Reli
This is the kit, he sent me the picture right after he assembled it for me

Pictures sometimes say more than words

 

[Reli]

Yeah those look very good

 

[Brutus442]

One of the best mods I've ever seen. You kept the incandescent lighting as close to the 80's as can be as you mentioned yet never went overboard. Beautiful work! Now I want an M70....

 

[H3NK3L]

This is how it looks, when putting it in place, just to try how it fits and laying it all out in place before finalising. The side led (2 smds got a dab of hotglue, the single side led fits perfectly and didn't need any glueing, vu-meter led pcb has gotten 2 little strips of double sided tape - and the main board fits perfectly under the deck (behind the metal "mms" plate) the original bulb and wiring can easely be put back. Given one would want to roll back.

 

[H3NK3L]

Next project on my mind (and so far it's the only place it is) :

I have a few Amber 12v leds (the basic 3mm ones) and a few sockets/holders for them laying around, tested on 12v (with a resistance) and they give the same near-as-can-be incandescent light.

It would appear, from what I can make out from the service manual, that both tape deck (motor) , power led and dial light (now nodded with the full option led kit from Superduper) are getting. 12v from the same regulator. So I wonder if I could tap in there.

The idea being : if I tap into the 12v motor supply... Theoretically (unless I m not reading. The circuitry right)... If I were to put 1 led in (same hole the metal tape-spring in the bottom uses, seems to have room to spare and I don't want to make any holes)... That would mean... If. I turn the box on and put it on tape.. The tape led would turn on.

Preferably I d only like it on only when in tape mode, otherwise I d just parallel it with the power switch or dial lights.

Any thoughts or suggestions, or do not to that's are welcome.

 

[H3NK3L]

So... After hours and hours of trying to find a place to put a led light in the tapedeck, fulfilling a few conditions
- no holes, and easely undo-able
- useful (has to light the tape and the sticker on it)
- no Christmas decoration
- as close to incandescent and not spotlight like as possible
- indépendant from the dial light (superdupers led kit v4)

Oh and while I was in there... I put a window on the counter (no room inside though, which is a pity because with just the lightest bit of sanding a Sony fh7 tape counter window is a perfect fit inside, but looks bloody ugly when put outside...), and took the time to repair the soft eject mechanisme... @Superduper I think I saw a video of you doing that way back in time... Is that possible? Piece of worn belt (fh7 main belt is perfect size) on the little hardened and worn brake in the eject gear mechanism, works like a charm again)

Again my phone is horrible it s way less spotlighty as it all seems.

 

[Ghettoboom767]

Very very nice!! Especially rare that you got the deck lit up!!
I should do something like this to my M-70JW someday!!
Very nice job!