Trying to FIX a 1990 Sony Walkman WM-FX43 (6th video in Walkman series)

[@Japandaman]

This is the Walkman I used as a teenager and I just turned 50! Radio works in mine but the tape doesn't. Will watch this video with a keen eye!

[@shadowcat76]

Just found this video because I was searching for this walkman, I had this one when it just came out, and I can tell you it was AMAZING! Somehow that thing got lost tho after several years. I'm 47 now and I want one, so many fond memories of using it 🥰

[@genghisbunny]

They're fabulous. I still have mine, luckily, going to swap the belts soon.

[@genghisbunny]

I've had one of these since the early 90s, saved and saved from my first job and bought one which I used for many years. This year I pulled it out and found I have to replace the belts, but otherwise it looks like it did several decades ago. They sound amazing. I'll be using this to work out how to change the belts. By the way, they used to sell pillow speakers you'd put under your pillow to either go to sleep with or wake up to music without disturbing the house. My grandparents had them from the 60s, they used a standard 3.5mm headphone plug.

[@drgusman]

Hey, it got my curiosity why it played backwards and checked the schematics, the responsible of the reverse function is a switch (S301) which attacks a double transistor (Q310, it reads FWD/REV HEAD MODE) and this sends the reverse signal to the preamp (IC301, pin 17) to switch between the two coils on the head, check that section, maybe a bad solder or just a broken trace, follow it from pin17 to the transistor. Here you can download the service manual: elektrotanya.com/sony_wm-fx43.pdf/download.html Check on the mainboard schematic the F-1 and C-4 sections. Hope it helps!

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks for the link and the help. I have been looking at this for quite a while today and I am about to release a revisit video on it :-)

[@drgusman]

@@Mymatevince Just saw the video, I left a comment with more info, hope it helps! Good job!

[@tasmedic]

When the side A/side B switch is pressed, the motor switch is reversing as it should but the other switch is not enabling the second 2 coils on the head. Probably dirty contacts on that switch, or a dead switching transistor downstream of that.

[@dash8brj]

This is what I was yelling at my laptop when the tape ran "backwards" - "Vince, two parts to auto reverse as theres 4 tracks on a stereo cassette. First is mechanical direction and second is tape head coil pair selection, usually done by a leaf switch actuated by the gears, usually in one direction only.

[@drgusman]

@@tasmedic It's a bit more complex, it's closed on fwd and open in reverse, the switch has been checked and the transistor works because when he grounded the base it switched sides... so there's somewhere with a +V short.

[@BrotherTmusic]

This helped me fix mine! I just replaced the belt but it gave directions on how to do it, I've never messed with something like this before. Thank you!

[@HR-uc9bz]

Hey Vince, quick tip for you my friend, try to avoid using too much radio station sound on a video. After watching people like Ashens, I've learnt it's a way to get your videos "Kicked straight in the knacker's". You didn't use much so I doubt anything will happen. But I think it's a thing to keep an eye on. Tbh I haven't read on it much so I don't know how badly it can effect a video (if it'll get taken down or striked etc) but it's a good way of staying safe. I really enjoy watching your videos. Really educational and fun video as always. Keep em coming!

[@sethrd999]

Hey Vince, I dont think the 'FWD' means Fast Forward when play is displayed, when you auto reverse it most likely will say 'BWD or perhaps REV' to display the switch position / state. But until you get the issue solved you cant be certain ;), you might want to lookup those IC's..

[@RichardMander]

Great series Vince. You should do a series on fixing MP3 players. There are some classics out there faulty on eBay including the Toshiba Gigabeat my favourite. Really nice bit of kit that you can put the open-source OS Rockbox on. Superb sounds. You can even play Doom on it!! Other classic MP3 players apart from the obvious Apple iPods came from Samsung, Creative and Rio. Have fun!!

[@PUHCsi]

Watching techmoan's Vids will explain how data is speed on various media and how the hardware reads it, he makes fantastic videos, I'm sure you already know, I love personal audio equipment please finish this series mate and the discman ones too, love your attitude to fixing stuff, keep it up

[@PUHCsi]

* stored not speed

[@jlawson910]

They are recorded track 1 and 3 side A and track 2 and 4 side B. I had a 4 track recorder inv the 90s that allowed for mono recording on each of the four tracks, allowing for 3 hours of recording on a 90 minute cassette at standard speed. It also had variable speed and pitch control. That allowed the recording and playback at as little as half speed, allowing the 90 minute cassette to hold 6 hours!

[@georgemartinezza]

what a series!! ! finally I came to the final chapter. I got one FX43, excellent, very nice. 24 hours later I let it fall down and the Direction button was broken. :( maybe the Autoreverse/AutoStop mode was broken too, that's why I decided retire both. still it works! I've thought to buy another one to replace the buttons, I'm not sure. - thank you! best wishes

[@thomasharper9087]

23:15 youre meant to be fixing a walkman vince!! not releasing demons!

[@BloodyClash]

:D ah damn. didn't read your comment before i posted mine. I also thought about demons

[@etiennevanharen3893]

Ow what a,pickle this one, it is actually a 3 separate systems merger with 2 faults. In the lid there is a separate buttoncell battery operated clock with alarm which is working fine. The print in the lid is the radio and also acts like a monitor for the tape to show its action, the bottom print with mechanism is the tape player and amplifier. The flatcable to the lid gives power to radio, unamplified radio audio back and send the display signals from tape to screen.all these signals seem to work so cable is fine. The fault in lid print is local because if you press a button the correct signal shows through the fast forward signal, so this display fault is localized in the lid print, like maybe fast forward is stuck on signal and blocks showing the actual signal. A button press might push signal through so both show on display. In the bottom print is second problem, the head always reads all 4 tracks but there is a chip on there that decides which tracks go to the amplifier, there is your second fault because that selecter chip is failing and stuck on 2 tracks. Mechanism, audio and amplifier are fine. So you have to figure out where this selection is done because once again, head always reads all tracks and is not half shut down or something. Just my 2 cents to maybe point you in the right direction. Great video anyway.

[@ovalwingnut]

Yes.. it is a bonus (aka feature) to play tapes backwards at no additional cost. Very good Mr.Vince You RoCk.

[@LaitinenVeeti]

Is the belt going right way? (Upper or lower on the wheel , wheel spinning direction can change when the belt go wrong side of the wheel)

[@Kalleblaha1]

On autoreverse issue: You have an IC named LA4581M responsable for switching heads, check if the signal for headswitch get to it. On pin 17 should be connected to ground for using one set of heads and not connected to ground for the other. You can test that by checking voltage to ground from that pin If 0 V one head... Any volt greater then 0.2V the other one If the signal works like that it's a BAD IC, else it's a problem with smd components connected to pin 17 (bad cap, resistor or logic-switch)

[@Ratzfaz]

Datasheet u can found here www.digchip.com/datasheets/parts/datasheet/413/LA4581M.php @Vince if u don't know wich Pin is Pin 17. The Chip has a dot. count from this corner, anti clockwise around the chip. in this caser, the 5th pin on the top row from right

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks for the help. With your help I have been working on this for quite a while today. I am editing the revisit video on it as I type :-)

[@HiruS22]

Vince regarding what you say at the end, a C90 tape holds a total 90 minutes ie 45 mins per side, so you still can’t listen for 90 minutes before turning it over

[@Mymatevince]

Thanks, yeah I got that a bit wrong :-)

[@lukasbudz3397]

Hi Vince, hope i will give you some help with that, As far as I know... some models, could have a problem with a small swith that tells the circuit which side (or which head) has to be played. If this switch fails, the mechanism does reverse but the circuit continues reading the same head for the other side :) check all switches for oxidentation..include this. you use for reverse

[@SPEXWISE]

That's the best clock display I've ever seen......tells the time regardless of batteries.

[@arsler]

I did not see you try and stop the tape between switching the direction. Try stopping the tape, then change the direction.

[@el_moraz8767]

I thought the same 👍

[@dmcintosh1967]

I'm no expert but I did notice that the Walkman has some SMD capacitors and the caps are on the control board. the capacitors look to be the same kind that the Sega game gear uses and the are known for failure.

[@backyardgarage3049]

Everyone like this so vince can see it

[@OCDRex11]

I know your comment is +/- three years old but I had to respond. I have recapped Game Gears and I have this Sony unit. Odd that you referred to the Game Gear. When I open my FX43 up I will change caps. Cheers to us 40 somethings living via our old tech!

[@brutlern]

Very nice as usual, can't wait for the remaining episodes.

[@slavomirkysela4497]

Always push STOP before change directions 😉

[@2711Lex]

Not necessary. It can be done even in play mode.

[@pegasus8978]

Fascinating. Please fix some Sony Discman units in future

[@Tacticalpanic]

The tape sounded like the red dwarf episode where they go back to earth but everything is happening backwards

[@cliffburridge]

Tacticalpanic The Cat at the end 😂😂

[@HiruS22]

Cliff Burridge Still makes me laugh thinking about it 😀

[@SMAAAASHTV]

Imagines it's the Red Dwarf episode about everything backwards but it's be played in reverse, so everything is actually moving forward.

[@Evaldas256]

Love the music that you use in your videos.

[@tasmedic]

Ah the sound of plastic creaking in the hands. Takes me right back to the 1990s!

[@jameswheeler111]

I believe they are micro switches on the play, rewind, fast forward and stop buttons. I think you may have a bad switch on the rewind as it says on the display that it is always in this position.

[@phreapersoonlijk]

Don´t stretch that belt until you measured it to know what to change it with ! :D

[@GadgetUK164]

The possiblity I can think of (still watching atm) - maybe when you switch the tape direction over its not toggling the head (it should switch to the 2nd head which reads the lower (or upper) half of the tape. Or maybe the azimuth has been adjusted way out so its only ever aligned with one side of the tape, but it doesn't sound like that. The way to measure the heads - each head is basically just a coil (almost a short), so I would imagine you measure them in pairs there - each connection next to the other. eg. one pair at the top, one at the bottom probably. It looks like a digital fault, whatever controls the heads is not switching to the other head. The head is unlikely to be the problem, unless its it well out of alignment. If you record some of the audio from reddwarf "backwards" episode, you could play it back on this and hear what they didn't expect you to hear =D

[@Mymatevince]

Red Dwarf - Good idea Chris. How good was Duane Dibbley :-) I just spent half the day on this and I am just editing the revisit video. I am going to need some further help to get it working but progress has been made :-)

[@WesleyNixon]

what happens if you let it get to the end of the tape and switch automatically? Maybe switching to reverse while it is playing does the backward thing on purpose as a feature? getting to the end of tape and switching to the other side might tell the player to switch to the other track.

[@TechGorilla1987]

You have just won out over bigclivedotcom. THAT, sir, is an incredible feat. Your content is some of the best on the Tube. Please don't ever quit. Do you have a mailing address for gifts?

[@hunterwowhunterfr7225]

Isn't the belt supposed to go on top of the first ring ? Might be the trick for the side it turns and then also be able to reverse " correctly " ?

[@Mymatevince]

Hi, I tried that off camera and unfortunately it didn't work. Thanks for the suggestion though :-)

[@drgusman]

I had that walkman 25 years ago I think. I had a lot of problems with the screen and buttons, the ribbon cable between the front pannel and the main board broke very easily. Besides that, it was a true joy, the Megabass was excellent! Nice video as always :D

[@jessede1970]

Have you tried tracking on the head that works sometimes

[@QsTechService1]

Hello @Vince did you try stopping the tape then switching the switch ? I remember you had to do that on some of the old school players .. might want to check some of the capacitors maybe too weak to power the memory control ic 20 year old capacitors 😳

[@Retroaria]

1:20 To use the Alarm to wake up in the morning: just plug the Walkman on an external speaker. Grettings from Seoul.

[@leenewby2563]

The auto reverse switch is mechanical on the outside .. This is reversing the mechanical side because it starts playing backwards ....... My question would be, the mechanical part must press on a switch on the circuit board to tell the electronics to change over .... is this switch working?

[@radiologe9271]

Very good reply ! There must be a Switch to change the Head-Tracks

[@stevesstuff1450]

Yes... exactly! There should be a mechanical switch/leaf switch to tell the tape head block that the tape has reversed and to use the other heads on the other side of the head-gap to read the new tape direction......

[@wimseffelaar8950]

Not a Walkman specialist but are you sure that is the way the belt goes over the pulleys?

[@shabulrahman4635]

I think you need to play around with the belt on the pullys also you need to find out if when you switch the auto reverse switch is the tape rolling in the opposite direction.

[@leenewby2563]

Tape must be rolling backwards, as the sound is playing backwards.

[@peter11914]

Hi vince i always watch your videos your a great inspiration and help me solve lots of problems i have a dvd recorder which i got from the auction its got its power lead and remote i looked at trying to fix it but its to technical i would like to donate to you to make a fix it video please accept the challenge i am also in the uk i will send to you if you want thanks peter its got no power the fuse is good power seems to go around the board but nothing happens

[@marksmith5156]

Hi Vince I have trouble with storage of things I've bought to try and fix and the mrs. Moving things about and earache for the mess of bits while I have a go lol

[@richardhudson3014]

You had a paper rout so did when I was a kid in the 70's-80's and I made very little money.at it and I am sure you will get that walkman working again

[@damonfisher7124]

Hi Vince At 10:57 I think that it did change I had the other side that why I am thinking that you just have to stop it first be for you switch it on again .

[@game_master_rukia]

I have a console that needs repair that you can have and it will be a challenge. It would also be cool to see you try to repair it

[@michaelallaire6296]

Maybe you have to stop the tape hit the reverse switch then hit play?

[@gimble8638]

yeah lol, nodnol, its in bulgaria!!! :)

[@coachbritt431]

I think I used to have that Walkman! Wonder where it is now.

[@TheHotredfox]

when the tape is going say side A it goes right to left direction and when you flip the switch to side B it goes left to right so the direction of the tape should change. I think what is happening is its not going in the right direction when playing side B so look and see which direction the tape going if its still right to left playing side B that's what may be making the sound backwards. see which way the tape is moving when you flip the switch so side A would be right to left and side B would be left to right. it may be the problem

[@TheSlysterII]

Vince! Could you make a normal walkman play in reverse like the one you have there?!

[@Mymatevince]

I bet you could be reversing the wires feeding the motor or maybe changing the path of the belt to make it spin the other way :-)

[@TheSlysterII]

@@Mymatevince Thanks Vince, time to dig out all my old Slayer tapes lol!

[@johnbutcher125]

why not get battery holders of different configerations and double ended shrouded crocodile clips so yoou will not have to worry about holding the batteries

[@Puremindgames]

Where's the fun in that?

[@specialallsorts935]

On my Technics system years ago, and on the Pioneer that i got now CT-Z360WR tape deck the heads spin around 180 degrees, and the motors play in reverse, to play the other side, & this unit is just over 30 years old.

[@maelieluc]

it is simply the mass of the track that is read to envert that no longer has to make contact on the sheet that connects the head of reading

[@martinmeyer2008]

Playing the music backwards has an extra bonus...no copyright strikes! :-D Nice vid!

[@damonfisher7124]

Hi Vince I have been watching you for some time now and in this youtube video I notice that when you flick the switch to the other side you don't hit the stop button first, I"m just thinking that maybe you need to stop the tape and then flick the switch over and hit the play button again . some times it is that simple or maybe not hahaha good luck. Damon

[@josephnealescratchcards]

Nice video

[@majoryoshi]

You should really invest in getting an iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit. I have one and I use it all the time doing any sort of repairs. It pays itself off extremely quickly not to mention the lifetime warranty you get with it, makes it a worthwhile investment.

[@richardevans4386]

a universal dc supply would make these much easier Vince !

[@gimble8638]

only watched till 9.53 so far, yes the heads are changing side but the direction of play isnt changing, il have to watch the rest later, im sure youl fix it by the end vince :) ps put simply auto reverce also loops (continuos play so when it gets to the end of one side it then plays the otherway (without rewinding), getting me bud? :)

[@gimble8638]

watched it all now vince and yeah i thought what cool fault tho for playing things backwards :), and no its no hardship changing a tape over aft "45" mins not 90 bud :)

[@robertrobinson6785]

You could try a head alignment. It maybe slightly out of adjustment.

[@r3playretro]

Try pressing 'stop' before you change direction

[@mrvx]

I have one... My radio switch is broken.. Can not off radio.. I think i have to replace its... But i dont know how to open front door, but i can open back side

[@SecondHandDIY]

i belive your problem is the mode switch witch is located on the tape deck part not the board side hope this might help you .

[@KorAllRBare]

Bummer yo did-n fix it.. Meh.. Like yo said yo now got a novelty worth its weight in gold oh and it earned many likes..

[@klitzkop]

Check the components around IC 601.

[@jurgenmetcalfe4520]

it could be the belt because the tape is staying in one direction and not turning in the other direction

[@zincmann]

YAY ! Another walkman trying to fix!

[@CeZero4]

I think belt there has wrong path. These 2 bigger wheels must be moving in opossite directions. When you change position of reverse switch tape should be start movin backwards and it isnt. Cheers Greg

[@etiennevanharen3893]

The tape does change direction else the sound would not be backwards. Belt is fine

[@CeZero4]

@@etiennevanharen3893 you are right. Something is not switching upper head channels when tape is moving backwards. Cheers G

[@joeh.9110]

That tape has a recording of an exorcism on it when you play it around the 23 minute mark

[@discoHR]

Bloody templars.

[@Chaostheory1971]

Back to listening to Vince's favourite radio programme "The Archers" :) Another good video Vince, keep them coming!

[@eldabasa]

Maybe the connector is dirty or not correctly attached to the board ...this model never get faulty

[@craigwaddington4965]

C90 tapes are 90 mins total - 45 mins per side

[@halitmarmaris]

Thank you 🎵

[@dodgydruid]

Oh I would have loved it if the organ music after the prayer said in mass turned into the theme tune of TV's Bottom... sorry just a mad moment there ;)

[@TheBackdrafter80]

you always having bad reception on the radio part i think has to do with the antenna. i think usually the headphone leads are used as antenna and therefor they have to be sort of straight and vertical. like when you're wearing the thing. just imaging you with the boombox on your shoulder. good old days. ;)

[@nordin_gh]

The auto-reverse is only for Germany tape.

[@kangjhha]

this one was my first hi-end walkman i think i purchased from either circuit city or the good guys back in the day hahaha but i think that one is cursed..

[@andersfrihagen3656]

I would think that the belt needs to go on the outside of both the big wheels......

[@DaveRepairs]

i was wondering where the rest of the walkmans were lol .... i seen most of the vids

[@Valveus]

Never mind the broken Walkman, I want to know who this Jethro is and why his opinion is so important

[@mansdaz]

open the tape door.. press play without a tape in it... observe the the cassette reel.. press reverse and the other reel will move if it does not theres the problem.

[@tashkolota]

Very poor quality belts. I bought exactly the same on aliexpress. I tried to use them in the player. The sound is floating. The section of the belt is uneven.

[@antonkanervikko]

hi like your vidios I have an old one dell inspiron 6000 can't you try to fix an old laptop

[@yabuzza3259]

Salut J'adore ta chaîne vert good 👍, J'ai le même walkman sony et la courroie a fondu à l'intérieur, nettoyage 🤯,ou puis-je en avoir une autre. 😊👌

[@caseyplayz4975]

“ i’ve got to be careful with this one I might get copyright” plays it anyway

[@CollaroRC54]

I would love a cassette player that played backwards!

[@Puremindgames]

Today on My Mate Vince Summons Lucifer. It's not broke, it's a feature.

[@klitzkop]

IC601 MM103BF servo control. Check components and traces around that IC.

[@THEANYTHINGCHANNEL001]

"Sounds German" My Mate Vince.

[@asylumkid100]

I thought it sounded Welsh!

[@THEANYTHINGCHANNEL001]

@@asylumkid100 but at 23:20 it sounds like some random ghost chatter.

[@Valveus]

21.28 Cue Johnny Nice Painter

[@markwatney8641]

maybe it was modified to play backwards to listen to the hidden messages in heavy metal songs

[@Loony69]

sssshhhht, do not tell anyone: we actually DO talk backwards, thats the reason the killer joke didn't work as expected

[@BloodyClash]

:D this walkman is possesed by a Demon. You can hear it when it plays backwards. I bet Vince is not trying to fix it but to talk to one of his long gone ancestors

[@TheChiptallent]

It is from 1990. That is when I bought mine

[@coreym162]

The Devil's Walkman xDD

[@superluigiodyssey1337]

Wow

[@DEmma1972]

Need to click the WCM button. It turns off Welsh Conversion Mode

[@dodgydruid]

Is that the one with the rare Dolby that suppresses the bleating of sheep in the background?

[@DEmma1972]

lol

[@mlight6275]

tape tracks usually go 1,3,2,4. with 1 and 3 playing left and right of side a, and 2 and 4 playing left and right of side b. this is how the amstrad studio 100 used normal cassettes to make a 4 track tape.. in non auto reverse you turned the tape over. in auto reverse, head dropped a track and played in reverse, like an 8 track in a way.

[@mlight6275]

ps. noticed your deliberate mistake ;-) a c90 only plays for 45 mins each side, which allowed typically, an album per side...

[@CeZero4]

Little mistake... If track 1 is lesft then track 4 should be also left. Multitrack recorders thats another story. You have point that they play and record only one way. If you change tape to side B then every track plays backwards. Also tape moving speed is incompatible to consumer tape players. Often multitrackers were recording - i think - twice faster. i dont remember exact speeds of Tascam, Fostex, Alesis or Yamahas. Cheers Greg

[@Mymatevince]

Haha, yes I wish it was deliberate ;-)

[@mlight6275]

@@CeZero4 often multitrack recorders were adjustable with their midpoint being normal.

[@CeZero4]

@@mlight6275 you mean speed or also called pitch? Yes they had that possibility but almost in every machine, tape speed was higher just to record in better audio quality.

[@peter11914]

Sony HDD Recorder RDR-HXD860 thats the dvd if you interested i will put up for £1 and free delivery

[@masahiro0009]

TIF, British English sounds like German when it's played backwards. :D

[@TechGorilla1987]

@21:30 CAROL ANN...GO IN TO THE LIGHT. I heard it...