Can I fix the CHEAPEST cassette deck on eBay? The challenge - Philips FC444

[@Oklawolf]

I did the same kind of thing not too long ago - ended up with a Sony TC-FX5C for ten dollars Canadian. I think this Philips comes out to about a third the price, but the Sony didn't have gears made of expired cheese either. First thing I thought was, "that's going end up as a parts deck." Great video!

[@brunoserwaczek5232]

Like your attitude, Paul. Win some lose some. But experience gained is the best teacher. From 🇨🇦

[@pwrestoration]

I won in the end, catch the follow up video!

[@user-9sidfgsxgj]

You're like a surgeon with this one, good thing you have steady hands! Cheers from Ukraine! ❤

[@jomjom1207]

These gears were made to be very soft to make the transport more quiet when its in operation. Sadly they do not stand the test of time and turn brittle.

[@pwrestoration]

I've actually had a guy email me tonight who has designed some gears to be 3d printed that may work in this transport, he's seen the video and may be able to help. There may be hope yet!

[@Sierra747]

That would be interesting to see you get some new gears and get it working again.

[@Scrobner]

"Always look on the bright side of life" (whistle, whistle, whistle) Now that song is gonna be in my head for days...

[@txerapng]

Another great video, sometimes you just gotta let the machine rest in piece.

[@LuxmanPD272]

Micro = Microphone. Sellers remove mains plus as they are prone to causing cosmetic damage to units in transit. Remembering a lot of sellers are novices at shipping so it’s preferable if they remove the mains plug as very often they are not always properly secured and float around causing damage in transit.

[@AJComputerServicesUK]

I’ve just added a comment saying exactly that! 😂

[@thinlizzysupporter]

Another excellent video Paul, I really enjoy seeing the differences in design between decks. I have an Aiwa ADF-770, have you ever worked on one of those (or a 660 or 990) ? I had a peek inside and the amount of wiring in it is frightening ! Be very interested to see you work on one.

[@pwrestoration]

I've seen a few of them, theyre not so bad really. It's not majorly different to later gear they just replaced all them wires with ribbon cable 😁

[@dean6816]

I think people cut the plugs off as a way of covering themselves if the item goes bang and electrocutes someone!!

[@rafacq]

Sad, but loved the video! Thanks.

[@ju6452]

Hey Paul. Sometimes you can find such plastic parts in model-building kits. I used such wheels in one Akai deck. You get a bunch of wheels with teeth and washers in all sizes😉

[@davindameron9092]

Real bummer, but a fun video to watch

[@jasejj]

Patience of a saint. Rather you than me lol - and they wonder why Philips and Thomson got their arses handed to them by the Japanese - would you rather spend your days fixing these or a 1980s Sony? Some of these decks do have the cogs available as STLs online.

[@pwrestoration]

I can really see why the Japanese companies decks have lasted. Not only for the purposes of longevity as shown here but also the purpose of not frustrating whoever is servicing it 😅

[@joatmonuk]

I talk to myself, it helps my imaginary friend to reassemble what I've blitzed apart, lol

[@W.2]

KZbin m'a conseillé cette vidéo et je suis pas déçu carrément je me suis abonnée

[@pwrestoration]

Thanks! The algorithm is being kind to me at the moment

[@CBitsTech]

Oh no. Looks like they made it out of toffee. Still a good video though.

[@pwrestoration]

Thanks, I may have a plan, it might not be dead yet!

[@CBitsTech]

@@pwrestoration Ooh! Sounds good. I don't have space for spares, or knowledge to use them. I thought of sending my crap to you lol.

[@AJComputerServicesUK]

Regarding cutting the Plugs off items, I bought a PC recently off eBay & I wish the Seller had cut the Plug off because the Pins caused some cosmetic damage to the PC, Oh well, Not the end of the world as they say, Shame the Deck couldn’t be repaired in this Video, Good effort though!

[@paulb4uk]

One of the basic Sony tc fx220,s i have i got just because it was £4.99 start bid. I did get a £1 deck a sony tc fx 211 but that was cheap and nasty but parts have got 3 other. decks working.

[@ksnstechtopics8650]

Common for Philips decks of this era. The orange plastic parts are past their sell by date and virtually impossible to replace.

[@jasonhandy8442]

If the live and the earth on the plug brass legs do not have a black edge round it they do not meet you case standards anymore if they're illegal half the leg has some protective coating on it

[@pwrestoration]

Like Austin Powers, danger is my middle name

[@tracerx6324]

These gears are the worst. As soon as you see those brown gears with white particles on, you have to replace them. They all go into a "cookie" condition. Luckily some guys on ebay do very good replacements for a decent price. But to be honest, these decks and some others with this plastic mechanism are a nightmare to repair.

[@VLC8792]

My guess is the plugs are removed for electrical safety reasons. The cassette is being sold in an unknown condition. You are accepting the responsibility for safe use by fitting a plug to the equipment & using. In other words covering one’s arse.

[@buitenb]

Indeed you can buy new gears and they are great quality

[@pwrestoration]

Have a look at part 2, I 3d printed some!

[@ashleycox432]

people take the plugs off to stop the plug pins damaging the devices, and probably ot limit liability. IF someone can't wire a plug onto a device, they shouldn't be servicing a device is the logic. Drives me mad though as I never seem to have a plug immediately to hand no matter how many of them I have.

[@jasejj]

I did once have a tablet that arrived with a cracked screen because the seller had "helpfully" included a mains adaptor that didn't fit in the box properly. I have some sympathy for folk who cut the plug off, although I'd prefer they just wrap it in bubble-wrap or stick the pins in a block of polystyrene.

[@pwrestoration]

Ah all of those make sense! I'm in the habit nowadays of cutting plugs off anything I see that's scrap. Even at the tip I always have pliers to hand and salvage some. The bakelite plugs from the 50s and back are also worth a pretty penny - for some reason!

[@ashleycox432]

@@jasejj that's just common sense, completely the seller's fault in that scenario. if the item is packed properly there should be no need to remove the plug. it's just irritating. If it's packed in a way that the plug can do damage, the item will probably get damaged anyway plug or not.

[@bonno666]

The gears are available on ebay. Not 3d printed.

[@PaulRoss-es4mt]

I bought a cassette deck from eBay recently and I didn’t check inside the plug before plugging it in, I got a blue flash from the plug. When I opened it up afterwards both wires had about an inch stripped off them and looked like they had been touching the central screw. There wasn’t any relief strain either. Lesson learned to check the plug on arrival. The deck was returned to the seller for a full refund.😮

[@SolarLantern424]

Think you should have still gone for play/record if you could have. :) Rewind and wind aint all that.

[@t0nito]

What a terrible mechanism design, making a simple task of replacing belts a nightmare...

[@ferrograph]

Awe no way - I think you could have collected all the bits and lined them up on a piece of paper and then take picture. Bring the image into fusion and scale it with a measurement from the centre hole to the teeth (I saw a larger piece you could measure from). Then you could use Fusions gear making tool to overlay and alter the parameters until it lines up. Bingo you have a model for a new 3d printed gear.

[@pwrestoration]

Thanks for the great advice - I'm not sure I'm that confident to create them myself as there is also a part on the rear of one that is like a mode select pin, and turns a further cog. It did come through a little simpler - the gears it turned out were available and I'm actually printing some now to see if I can get them to work. Making the video as I go so hopefully soon I might have a result! I had to shell out £8.50 for the STL file as there was literally one in the world suitable - after some research the Philips range from the time shared this transport over a few models thankfully, and searching for those came up trumps.

[@ferrograph]

@@pwrestoration Wow that's cool you found the models. 8.50 is ok given what you paid for the deck. I look forward to watching part 2. Let me know if you need help in the future with creating gear files.

[@thefreestylefrEaK]

OMG it's a cassette player. YuuuuuuuuUUUUUUUUUUKKKKKEEEE!!

[@pwrestoration]

Exactly, Yuke.

[@WansbeckBikecam]

Hi Paul, thought you may want to edit this video so we can't make out your address!

[@pwrestoration]

Moved house since then so to be honest all that's there now is dust and someone else!

[@WansbeckBikecam]

@@pwrestoration haha cool. No worries then. Loving the videos BTW.

[@MASK256]

Philips turns simple mechanisms into disaster one. Its too hard for the mechanics to fix philips sets. Wether is deck or an radio set. In our country ( India) . Simply ignores to fix or repair any philips systems.