Sony Walkman WM10 Repair

[@TheRetroFuture]

Great video! Got a WM-FM10 coming down soon!

[@Jamk04]

I love you’re content good job I love your Sony Walkman TCM-600 it is great to see that people still remember the old days

[@TheRetroFuture]

Thanks! I like it too!

[@Jamk04]

Just watched your latest video about the pen anyway hope we can talk again in the future see what I did there because you’re name is the retro future I am a fan living in the UAE and I love old electronics and finding them is hard and if you find them they are expensive and I watch you all the time thanks for responding you made my day :)

[@laust3998]

Hello

[@HyperBiker]

Pleased I see this video. I have a WM20 (which is the same) which I won on Ebay some years ago. BNIB it was. So I got it out, put a battery in it and started listening. It worked great, for about a few hours then suddenly stopped. An electronics engineer told me it will be the switch inside. Didn't know what I was looking for but now I do. Thanks a million.

[@rammyx121]

I wish I had this video thirty five years ago :-) back in the days when portable sound felt as real as it sounded. It was robust and durable.

[@tacofortgens3471]

All metal well built as well, and srrvicable

[@williamhelms9942]

My 1986 Sanyo M GR62 is really cool too, it runs for as long as it has, and sounds good after my having work done. I also have a 2000 Grand Prix C3023 I bought new for $6.99 from when I used to work for Circuit City, and a 1985 GE 3-5432A. The Volume needs De Ox, but it hardly has a scratch for being thrift store bought.

[@MrPacoloco75]

I had one when I was fourteen years old! Finally I was able to get not one but two of them They both had the same problem Thank you for refreshing my memory on how to change the belt, Thank you so much!!

[@tamtgirl]

i had one back in the 80's! was called the "super walkman" here in the states. used to keep in my cassette case with my tapes. mine came with "turbo" headphones they worked great.

[@jinky0u812]

All of these years, from a kid of 12, I had no idea that headphones HAD to be plugged into the unit in order for the thing to work! I just dug this out of a shoebox in the garage and plugged headphones in and pressed play and I can hear the motor running!! I have a bag of cassette player belts, so I am gonna take this baby apart and see if I can get her working again. You RULE!!

[@andypalm7061]

Sweet. Amazing the things Sony and others made that we took for granted. Think of the cost to do that today.

[@fflynnful]

I have 3 WM-F10s here, one works completely and sounds amazing after replacing the belt. It even measures wow and flutter at .15% WRMS. Amazing little rig. Another one goes "tick tick" at around one second intervals, possibly a broken gear at the takeup spindle. It could be a challenge to get that deep into it. The other one has not been opened up yet, but probably has a belt that has turned to a strange black goo. By the way, in FF or REW, at the tape end, the motor stops, but continues to draw current. I noticed this by running one on a variable power supply. The motor stalls but still draws around 300 milliamps.

[@robertgrlic6505]

Great skills! Are you going to make a speed calibration video for this model?

[@stepin666]

Many thanks to you! I've repaired my walkman with your detailed video.

[@Libher20]

What liquid do you use to clean it outside?

[@davidhamm5626]

Glad I found the video, my FM-10 came with a corroded battery, and I needed to get the back off to do the clean up. It looks like i just need to remove the knob to get there, I already did all of the screws !

[@abhishekmallik1194]

Just got one from my uncle. The black shiny ribbon thing just below the battery, next to where it's written 3v, is missing in mine. What is that part?

[@harj-spp8547]

Excellent video, all the walkman videos have knowledged me, allowing me to repair my fathers WM-22 and my WM-EX20 and WM-EX5, but I keep coming back to this video to find out if anyone has posted the track played near the end, around 14.40.

[@12voltvids]

The track is called starwalk by musicbakery.com.

[@1997loza]

I need to repair the flex cable on mine,any suggestions how to fix it or buy the flex cable

[@eskay1891]

Hi Great video, Thanks I was trying to fix my WM-10 II, and noticed a small L shaped part fall. Not sure where it fits in. Any help ?

[@normandomarcolongo7438]

Why don't you put a soft cloth on your bench? Why risk adding scratches over scratches?

[@HDXFH]

Normando Marcolongo good point

[@12voltvids]

Normando Marcolongo It won't scratch easily. It is brushed aluminum. The bench is relatively free of abrasive material and I am not sliding it around. Also it is my unit. It already had scratches from years of use.

[@javaking1000]

I've been thinking that for months. He has some really nice vintage electronics that he's sliding all over that unpadded surface. He's great at troubleshooting, but kind of a hack sometimes.

[@sunspot42]

I had one of these back in the day and it might be the neatest electronic gadget I've ever owned. Ridiculously tiny, sounded better than most decks (including some 2-3 times its size), could handle high-bias tape and had Dolby NR. Back when Sony's engineering was bleeding-edge compared to most of its competitors (although that occasionally had its drawbacks...). The incredible thing is, they weren't even particularly expensive, given all of their features and their tiny size. They also came with nifty (for the time) earbud style headphones. A marvel of '80s design.

[@sunspot42]

They came with a plastic & fabric jacket as I recall, which provided the unit with some protection as you carried it around.

[@12voltvids]

Especially that motor. So thin.

[@sunspot42]

@@12voltvids I never opened mine up but I was always curious. Of course it got stolen but once I got my Sony D-10 Discman a couple of years later I forgot all about it. That was another technological miracle for the time. www.just-cd.com/post/sony-discman-d-10-black-portable-cd-player

[@duncan-rmi]

I have a couple of these WM-10s, one of them BNIB. the story I heard was that following the success of the original (TPS-L2), one of the sony execs (ohsone, maybe, or ohga) came to the engineering design department with a block of wood: "next walkman, this big", & had signed the block on all six faces to keep them from cheating. "well, he didn't say we couldn't make it telescopic...." :-)

[@MeridaMX24Hrs7d]

4 volt 220uf capacitor on my wm-10 is overheating and the unit stopped functioning. I assume the capacitor failed and no one seems to have a small enough replacement. What do you recommend?

[@Tannicbadge]

what belt did you use, it seems really thin and small and I can't find the right size one to fix my Walkman

[@12voltvids]

The one I used was not the exact belt.

remarkably similar to the Sanyo JJ series of the era. You applied deoxit @6:40 to what? the tiny feather copper switches?? That's what I call them anyways. They can be a pain sometimes. That's what the sanyo's are loaded with. Sometimes they lose their springy ness too and need extra support to move away from a connection.

[@Gamer1st1]

Had the black model with metal tape capability. Mine died due to the capstan wallowing out which is sadly non-repairable due to parts not being available. I did love that player.

[@tristateflipperz7326]

Hello! Thank you for the video. We currently came across one of these awesome little machines and can’t figure out what is wrong with it. It appears maybe one of the battery (Negative end) connectors is possibly missing. We can’t get it to play. Do you ever assist on things if someone needs help fixing? Thank you!

[@jamesguerrero2993]

Thank you for the great video. I actually had a smaller one made by TOSHIBA at one point and the cassette would stick out when you put it inside. Too bad it did not last as long as my sony, but it sounded just as good if not better. ✌

[@quinorodriguez3827]

I have a WM-F30. It turns on but it needs a belt replacement and some cleaning. It can turn on without a headphone jack plugged in. However FM works best when it's in expanded shape, but only the left channel is audible. The right channel is super low on volume. Both channels low on volume in compact mode and the volume knob doesn't affect the volume when compact. Help! Maybe you can help me understand where to look and clean in this tiny contraption

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

What's the best of the DeOxit products?

[@davidtillwach5542]

I bought one in a drift shop for 5 bucks 10 years ago I cleaned it up sold it on craigslist for 50 bucks . the one I had there was a built in FM Radio tuner too .

[@lokesh5]

Great video brother.... i like all your videos.... Hats off to you

[@urzu117]

well this is good for me, cause I ordered a WM-10 a couple of weeks ago, this should help greatly. PS. Nice casio watch

[@jaydees4386]

I love that repair, Also the music on the tape !! Any idea what instrumental rendition that song was / is? Thanks in advance.

[@247smith]

Excellent!! Just grabbed a couple from eBay. I used to have one. Long ago. I Love music; going to start collecting these!!

[@sonics25]

Any recommendations where I can get my WM30 repaired? I'm in Oregon. Not sure why it isn't working.

[@selenabonilla2281]

Do you still service walkmans?

[@SpikerDragon95]

for all the Walkman models, the ones with metal or aluminum cases are the best

[@duanecummins9516]

I have a complete Sony WM-10 had since new. I replaced belt, but switch s acting up. Could you look at and repair for me? I put new belt on. Thanks, Duane Michigan

[@xmenken1]

@duanecummins9516 Use cotton swab with alcohol to clean and then use swab with silicon oil. It may help.

[@teddybeer6206]

Would you repair my walkman if I sent it to you?

[@lenco5994]

is a head demagnetiser necessary for walkman?

[@jesamani75]

Hi i just got one and it turns on and makes noise inside but the tape will not spin,could it be the belt?

[@sebastianchibrac4877]

Most likely. Take it apart

[@jesamani75]

Pufferfish will do it,thanks.

[@ColinGorman]

Hey man. Awesome video I have one of these WM-F10 and it’s so killer. But It needs a tune up. Do you do repairs?

[@12voltvids]

No access to parts.

[@ColinGorman]

@@12voltvids what if it was just a belt replacement?

[@12voltvids]

@@ColinGorman trouble is getting the correct belt.

[@razpones]

great videos, I have a question, where can I get a belt kit to fix several walkmans and some reel to reel players? Thanks for your answer.

[@12voltvids]

The Bay of "E"

[@razpones]

@@12voltvids ok that is where I was looking, just making sure, thank you so much for your answer and inspiration, am gonna try to fix a wm-2, I just found at that same place you mentioned. A Walkman that left an impression on my life.

[@12voltvids]

@@razpones WM-2 wow. I fixed a few of those. Nothing like the guy across the bench from me when I worked for Sony. I was fixing Betamax, and he was fixing walkmans.

[@razpones]

@@12voltvids hopefully it only needs a new belt, the description mentioned "RUNS WITHOUT A CASSETTE BUT DOESN'T RUN WITH A CASSETTE INSERTED" (caps are his) so sounds to me like slipping belt. I also want to fix a philips N 4504 (reel to reel) I found on the curb, Haven't opened it but I think it is belts that it needs....

[@Raptor50aus]

Just remember you can use Duracell AA batteries but not Energiser AA as they + cap is higher which can cause the tape head to jam

[@MrSlaughtematic]

My WM-F10 eats tapes at the pinch roller. Do you know what size pinch roller this is and if there's any recourse other than replacing the roller? I've tried cleaning it, and the rubber feels fine. The capstan itself also feels and looks OK, and I've tried cleaning it as well. Any advice would be appreciated!

[@12voltvids]

Check the take up torque. If too high it will cause the tape to ride up or down on the pinch roller and damage the tape.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Such beautiful machines.

[@thetelescopeworkshop]

Great video! Bought new belt before I opened my F10 and found old one completely melted. Acetone cleaned everything up and new belt turns smoothly. Unfortunately, left side spindle only rotaes 1 revolution in either direction before it hits a dead stop. This stops thje machine when playing or rewinding. Looking at the circuitboard side, can see no obstruction. Any thoughts? Thanks again!

[@quinorodriguez3827]

Hi! Not an expert here especially in Walkmen, but it sounds to me like it might be a motor problem. Similar happened to my turntable's brushed motor. It will start to rotate but only for less than a revolution. There's torque when I hold the motor spindle, but when I let the motor go, it doesn't continue spinning. Acetone fumes may have damaged the motor. These bits are very sensitive to contamination. But I could be wrong (and I hope I am).

[@alex.hanthorn]

What size screwdriver is that? Looking to do a similar repair to mine, but do not want to strip the tiny screws 😅

[@12voltvids]

It is size 0

[@sideburn]

Mine won’t power up. I can hear a tiny click through external speakers when I turn the radio on or press play. I also confirmed there’s 1.5v going to the power when the speakers plug into the jack. My guess is the dc/dc step up converter has issues. Any ideas how to fix it?

[@12voltvids]

The DC-DC converters did have issues on those units from time to time.

[@sideburn]

Any idea where it is located and how tough it would be to fix? Wonder if there are schematics available somewhere.

[@HOMEVIDEO71]

ken you show col on video ??

[@sean9820]

Thank you for making this! My old belt had melted into goo 🤢. Scraped as much as i could out...

[@CallanChristensen]

Has anyone ran into plastic shrinkage gear cracking issues on the left (facing front) take-up reel? I am 4 for 4 on ebay repair units having this issue and its a disaster! It is the same type of plastic cracking that occurs in the DD Walkman.

[@impr3ssion]

Did you ever find a solution? I have the same problem. I'm going to try using epoxy to fill the gap and create new teeth.

[@MysteryManBob]

could you possibly do a video on how to adjust the auto-stop? mine is stopping immediately and I don't know how to remedy it. no one seems to have a guide on it

[@hfrappier]

I seem to have a similar problem. FF and FW work fine. But the play button does not stay down. I hear a small click when pressing it, tape plays correctly if I keep the button pushed down. Comes back up as soon as I release.

[@maxfactor4209]

wow.. is this technology before CD?

[@12voltvids]

Cassette was yes. Long before CD. As far as walkmans go though. CD was already out when this model appeared.

[@QUADBOYification]

There is even a smaller DAT-Player that has an incredible tiny mechanism wit a rotary drum the size of a nickel. These have a very small production count and probably ended up in a museum somewhere.

[@12voltvids]

DAT itself used a drum the size of a nickle. The walkman dat used a drum the size of a dime, and there was another one, the Sony NT1 and NT2 which used a tape much smaller. Only 30mm wide was the cassette. It was a 2 sided tape and you flipped it half way. I have only seen this one once. As a sony dealer we had to carry that crap but they were very expensive and nobody bought them. Sony also had another micro videotape format called the MV1.

[@QUADBOYification]

@@12voltvids Yes, incredible days.

[@jova1962]

Very good job. Ι have an Exactly the same model. The tire is broken. I opened it According to your instructions I cleaned it very well and I can not find the same tire. You can give me the details to find a tire ? I mean the dimensions the thickness and the length. Thank you. John from Greece.

[@I2383R]

Hay man what is that song playing on the tape I must know this band they sound amazing. Great video.

[@12voltvids]

The track is star walk by Jack waldenmaier. (musicbakery.com)

[@jessede1970]

very small Walkman never seen one of those before is that going back into your collection

[@12voltvids]

jess ede Yes back into the drawer so the new belt can melt.

they don't appear often !

[@berniedoman7161]

I have one of this plays intermittently and battery gets very hot. Any idea as to what would cause this?

[@12voltvids]

A short somewhere.

[@berniedoman7161]

12voltvids thanks, found the problem half the negative terminal was missing. Stuck a bit of aluminium foil in and now works fine!

[@botany500kojak]

What fluid did you use to clean it? I noticed in some other videos you mentioned cleaning smoke stains. Is the fluid the same to clean those? Cheers.

[@12voltvids]

I used deoxit d100 to clean the switch

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Which do you think is more impressive, the Nagra SNST or the WM-10t? I used to see the Nagras on Ebay for under $500, and now there are a couple listed for over $14000. Absolute insanity!

[@12voltvids]

Well nobody in their right mind would pay that but you know if someone wants to pay me big bucks for some of my old gear like my ct101 world's smallest color CRT then I wouldn't stop them. It would be gone pretty quick.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@@12voltvids Ok, but I get a 10% finder's fee. : )

[@123clis321]

I have a gooey belt issue, do you have a suggestion for a cleaner?

[@247smith]

99% Rubbing alcohol works very well.

[@walkmancollectormexico2604]

I love your videos, a question where you buy the bands for the walkmans, greetings thanks

[@12voltvids]

ebay

[@MH61632]

Hi, I have a problem with my wm 10, everything works fine but when I press play, it works for like a second and then the button pops, just as if I had pressed stop. any idea of what could it be?

[@12voltvids]

Auto stop mechanism. If the take up hub is turning then either one if the little levers in the auto stop is stuck or damaged. If stuck it may be possible to fix if damaged or worn sorry the parts are not available.

[@NunYa953]

Nice to see something Sony made that wasn't totally crap.

[@12voltvids]

Sony made lots of good stuff. They also made crap too unfortunately. Theie TVs were in the crap category for the most part. I liked them though, as they were money makers. I made thousands, no tens of thousands repairing those intermittent tuners in the TVs and replacing all those MTS stereo decoder boards.

[@HDXFH]

Love your cat in intro, cute

[@PlanetIscandar]

I remember this model back in 1985-86. It was impressive and expensive, but not really what i wanted.

[@MrRaverion]

I have a sony walkman wmf100. Do you know where I can purchase a battery gum cover and also a AA battery cover? Any help would be very appreciated. Can I send you my Walkman for repair? Thanks.

[@12voltvids]

I have no idea where to get parts for an old walkman and no I do not repair them. The ones I have shown are my own.

[@alandura7964]

My son have a broken sony wm-f10, needs repair. Anybody know where can i found a parts for it. I think it needs a new motherboard. Thanks

[@okc405sfinest]

Gonna have to buy one on ebay

[@chazjon55]

Where do you find those tools? They look specific to open Sony wm10. Thanks

[@12voltvids]

The screwdriver is a standard japanese #0 cross point. The other tools are standard dental type picks available at electronics shops, or your local dentist. Only difference is the dentist uses stainless steel picks.

[@chazjon55]

Thank you for the information. I have a wm-10 (mine that I bought in 1983 or 84!) and I think the belt is worn. A little hesitant to open it up. If I decide to sell it I think most people would want a working one.

[@chazjon55]

Vincent: It was gold with blue letters, the original headset and belt clip.

[@phuglife3]

Where can I get a belt for one

[@solarwalkman]

Ebay

[@ashwadhwani]

Oh please, belt replacement s 'repair'???

[@12voltvids]

What would you call it?

[@rprakash7736]

Hi sir. I found your videos quiet exciting. Usually seen sony antique products repairing nicely. I want your little help. I've sony hifi music system model LBT - ZUX10D. Its hi fi powerful system Quiet old aswell. There is a problem whenever i start the unit it display shows Please Wait. Dvd tray open & close but disk doesn't play & continue show Please Wait. When it shows Please Wait sound doesn't come even in Fm & audio in, Tape mode. Pls suggest what is the problem in it. Thanks alot.

[@davidtillwach5542]

Those dam things cost like 300 bucks back in 1980 what great sound did they produce too .The day of Walkman's was popular in the day I use too see people wear them riding bikes too .this was before the evil apple ipod and iphones and mp3 sound

[@tw7522]

The transport seems quite noisy. It's a shame you didn't use the occasion to lubricate the bearings.

[@Graves92-y4l]

I have one I bought recently and I used your video to help me replace the belt I thank you so much 😊 🙏, but now I have a different problem the left wheel is slipping 🥺🥺 how can I fix that?

[@imsneeky]

is it for sale?

[@12voltvids]

Everything is for sale for the right price.

[@PileOfEmptyTapes]

I'm always amazed by how you're keeping track of a bunch of itty bitty screws on that surface... but that could be because I'm on 360p by default, 720p is much sharper :D "... and it works." **pop** **playback stops** - that timing, hilarious! :D

[@12voltvids]

At my age I am surprised I can remember where the screws go

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

I wish Sony would make these again. Tapes are making a comeback.

[@12voltvids]

Sure they are.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

@@12voltvids Well a niche comeback. Not a competitive one.

[@antonvasilev794]

Pretty good Walkman, but it is not the smallest ever made! For those old Walkman’s it is not enough to only change the belt and clean the contacts. It’s need to be fully disassembled, cleaned, lubed. It take about 10 hours, or sometimes more, almost like Swiss watch repassage. This model and many other Sony models with reels with Sony logos has a very sad malfunction - reel gear crack, and there are no normal way to fix it. Very attractive Walkman, but very trouble Walkman.

[@xmenken1]

It is not difficult to replace wm10/20/F20.. walkman belts yourself. Remove the tiny screws and use scissors tip to remove Volume knob screw. Sony does not produce walkman belts any more. Where can you buy replacement belts? I bought some from eBay before but they were too elastic, not good for motor driven.

[@shaun5427]

You would think a brushless motor would be silent. It's made of METAL can I tuch it ?

[@sjm4306]

Really depends on construction (materials can dampen and affect resonance modes) and how it is driven (frequency, multi-phase shifted sinusoidal or harmonic rich square or pseudo-square)

[@12voltvids]

Shaun Lomas Brushless motors are pretty loud. Especially when they are this thing. No casing to keep the noise in.

[@oggyosbourne]

I know the belts are shot in my mother old Sony Walkman WM-20 for sure. She had the light blue color version.

[@slt7139]

A beautiful piece of equipment

[@12voltvids]

Samuel Thompson An engineering masterpiece. That flat motor was a work of art. Only about 4mm thick.

[@slt7139]

12voltvids awesome

[@alvarengaaustin]

I have one of these and it had so much corrosion, even past where the battery sits. It was ALL OVER the device. I cleaned it up with vinegar. However, it doesn't turn on at all. Any idea what might be the issue?

[@12voltvids]

That unit uses a DC-DC converter to convert the 1.5v to 3v. That would be the place to start.

[@alvarengaaustin]

12voltvids I plug it In and it's static. Fm radio doesn't work nor does the cassette function.

[@InMemoWeTrust]

it need to had a cassette inside so it can rewin? i dont have a casset to try it xD

[@richardoremek2460]

iv'e had 3 of these ... they are very good.... line in..line out... mike in... stop go... speaker out ect...

[@CaptainZuurpruim]

Smallest? I have a WM-103, which is smaller. :) Great repair by the way!

[@HDXFH]

One like this for sale online for 350 AUD and has a speaker , recording and mic

[@igorpollick4283]

i doubt it is so compact,llike wm 10

[@From_the_mil]

Don’t see how he doesn’t loose those tiny screws

[@holmeh]

I have one were it automatic stops even tough it's not teh end of the tape. If I hold it vertically it won't stop.

[@musicnerd72]

I had the Toshiba KT-AS10 back in the day... I thought it was the smallest player ever.. the cassette just hung out of the unit.. Was a pretty cool unit though I thought.

[@dorfschmidt4833]

Hitachi CP88R is kinda smaller.

[@bruceb3209]

Good tutorial., just changed one. I did find I had to scrape the remnants of the old belt out of the pulley grooves for the belt to sit firmly. Just a heads up for anyone.

[@drteeth7054]

You would find a dental tool called a “flat plastic” easier for belt manipulation than the probe you are using.

[@12voltvids]

And I am sure based on your handle you are familiar with these tools.

[@ErikPAPATIE]

Silence stop is awesome this sony

[@igorpollick4283]

a little marvel from sony,i was having one a lot of years ago( side plastic by connector broked

[@pureblanc9957]

The smallest cassette player is the SANYO JJ-P4 !!!

[@12voltvids]

That's not a walkman

[@pureblanc9957]

@@12voltvids what is it ? a stereo cassette player only ?

[@12voltvids]

It is and when closed with no cassette it is the size of a cassette tape in its clamshell case. Since sanyo and others could not make a "walkman" they can't have the smallest walkman. Not possible because nobody else can make a walkman. Some tried to call theirs a walkie but nit a walkman. It's the same with betamax. That is a song trademark. Sanyo called theirs betacord, and others just called it beta. Beta was the format betamax was sonys trademark for their beta format vcr. Betacam was a format. Not a trademark. Other companies like ampex produced betacam recorders. That became the international professional 1/2 vtr format that made Sony a shitload of money. When it boiled down to things the format used 95% same parts as home beta did. They didn't cost that much more to make but they sold for between 12k for a basic recorder to 80k for ďynamic tracker. Every TV station in the world had dozens of them and they were in every production center. Unlike other formats it had staying power from the early 80s right thru to the end of tape around 10 years ago. They even had digital and HD versions all backwards compatable with the first generation tapes.

[@pureblanc9957]

@@12voltvids That’s Right. I have 250 walkman !!! No Joke……

[@gaelfrenchy]

time when electonicians was genius with mechanical skills...crazy

[@CraigTube]

I had one. Loved the thing!!

[@TheUnreal1982]

Amazing machine.