VZ2000 restoration project

[mmcodomino]

This is pretty much how I started out:

So far:

The good:
tape holder fixes
power switch mechanism fixed
applied contact cleaner to sliders and function knobs
entirely cleaned the front and speaker parts and re-installed them

The bad:
I broke one big slider :'-( deadly sin on one of those VZs :'-(
I am missing some sliders (which is normal and ok...gonna go for bredego for replicas )
The internal power switch is still broken and 5 attempts to glue it have failed
record deck belt is all sticky still on the drive

Things left to do:
Fix the internal power switch (with 2-component glue this time!)
assemble this thing again
install new belt (already ordered) on the record deck

I am going to kepp this updated through the next days and hope to have it up and fully running by next weekend .

 

[alfie]

Good luck with it, they're a big job!!!!!!!

 

[madbadger]

Hi there, you will struggle to get a internal power switch, the are like rocking horse pooh!!!....... i did however modify a 3rd party switch, and i managed to fit it to one of my VZ's, with a little care, im sure you could fit it like i did. have a look at this photo.....if you want a switch, you can have the one in the photo without the wire, all you would have to do is solder 2 wires on to the posts as shown, i have clipped all the other posts off so you cant (fingers crossed) get it mixed up. the only problem you would have is mounting the switch, if you look at where the original switch mounts, there is a cut out, you will have to widen this cut out so the switch body will slide in to the cut out. the switches in the photo are upside down, so the brown body will have to slide up into the cut out, if you understand what i talking about. I did mount the switch with 2 small screws and nuts, yes it was a pain to fit, but i managed to do it, so im sure you will have the skills. I have pre-cut the tip of the switch off as when i was fitting it, it was too long, this length seemed to be ok and the external on/off button pressed it ok. to be on the safe side, i glued a bit extra onto the bottom of the external on off switch to make the part that presses the switch longer so it would make good contact with the internal switch. It would be trial and error........but if your confident, you will do it......

you are quite welcome to the switch, just give me your address and i will post it to you. I broke one of mine as i put the two halves of the VZ back together, I have put on this forum a PDF on now to take the VZ apart and what to look for, like not breaking the switch when re-assembling the unit.......i did have the switch in the photo with the wires fitted to the VZ but i managed to get a second hand switch.........i searched the internet for days but i couldn't find one.

Also look at my fix for the RW/FF on the tape deck, just by cleaning the rubbers, your tape deck will FF/RW better.

Kev

 

[mmcodomino]

@ madbadger:
Thanks for the advise and offer . It looks like Blasterpunk will be able to help though by sending an original VZ2000 power switch to me .
In case it does not work out, I would be happy to get back to you though

What happened today:
I finally totally screwed up my power switch by using strong second-glue and now it is glued to "on"

Things I wanna do today:
The sliders all go really hard...I will try using some more contact cleaner .

 

[mmcodomino]

UPDATE

The power switch is rescued as far as of now
The basic idea is working (push in and out and it switches)

Sadly the spring I put on is not strong enough to puch it back out so it is theoretically not working right now. I searched like 5 pens to find a suitable spring and maybe I am going to look for one in a model-building shop tomorrow

Anyway, here is the restored and complete (looking) power switch

I think you can see the joint point where the plastic was glued .

 

[mmcodomino]

UPDATE:

The damn thing is working and clicking in and out correwctly with help of the spring system. I just installed two springs to add more tension and boom - it worked

Only thing left to do now is rebelt the turntable and assemble this thing again .

I also found the FM reception bug which was I basically only had to push the tuner (inside the unit) a little forward because there was some loose ocnnection I guess. Now it is working and receives beautiful stereo FM which I listened to through the headphones .

I used contact cleaner on this project for the very first time ever and this stuff makes miracles . The functions knobs all work without any contact problems now

 

[madbadger]

be careful with the extra tension, the on/off switch on top of the VZ is only plastic and the hinge pins are not that strong.....

 

[mmcodomino]

be careful with the extra tension, the on/off switch on top of the VZ is only plastic and the hinge pins are not that strong.....

Well, there is just enough tension to get the switch back out so it defiitely is not too much. it has been working really well in the last days when I tested it

 

[mmcodomino]

Update:

Today the new turntable belt arrived .
And of course I want to get this thing done and going again .
So after removing the icky icky old belt stuff with a sharp blade and lots of q-tips, I reinstalled the belt after lots of atempts .
Then i put the two halves bak together, plugged the speakers back in, installed the power switch which worked to my relief .
And then I put the turntable section back in as carefully as I could.

Oh, and in the meantime I ruined my FM tuner . I thought it was a bright idea to put some contact spry on one of those adjustment things which seemed to cause trouble in reception. Boom - only static :'-( .
Well, after a few minutes the tuner came back and it is fully working since then also in stereo

So now after a week of having it, here it is:
A fully working VZ2000
The only thing left to fix is side A of the turntable - the needle is kinda f§$%d up .

Clean again

 

[docs]

 

[stormsven]

Good job Max . After a year you can open the first boomboxery service in Berlin . Congrats for the fully workin shiny again VZ.

 

[madbadger]

congratulations on getting the VZ running......well done contact bredgeo he will sort you with some sliders......

Kev

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Great thread man! and Nice work....those look like allot of work! But you now have yours up and running!

 

[oldskool69]

 

[sjt1803]

When selecting cleaner for slide vr controls, you should not use anything with degreaser in it.
Slide controls often have a lubricant used in them, spraying them with a degreaser will clean them yes but remove the lubricant and cause the slider control to bind and stick when moved.

 

[Gluecifer]

Top work, Max!

The VZ's well worth the effort to restore properly, she's a mighty box!



Rock On.