What can I say other than wow and thank you ! This is my Walkman. Purchased with my pocket money when I was 15 from that famous catalogue store and cared for like nothing else until 3 years ago I put in a Panasonic zinc battery and forgot about it . I left it under my hifi cabinet and stumbled across it this year to find a leaky battery . The rest, well you can see for yourself ! Mark - your skills and patience are like no other - massive respect and a huge thank you 👍🏻 Paul
yep i agree with you he has done 2 of my hi-fi items one being the pioneer sx550 and he blew me out the water with how he went above and beyond with the repair i am waitng for the repair video on the other one i gave him and i recently gave him something else to sort out and he is a great guy as i have had the pleasure to meet him in person and he always has time for a chat when i drop of stuff to him
If there would be a real Starship Enterprise and the board engineer would not have been found yet, you were the perfect "Scotty" and nobody else! My greatest respect for both the technical and the human abilities!
There are many reasons to praise these videos. First of all, you seem like such a pleasant and humorous guy, second, it's so educational to follow every step and even when mistakes are being made, we learn from them as well. Cheers!
I hope you're going to show this video to the owner, Mark. That's not just a small amount of battery leakage. It's very large, and it looks very yucky. You are incredibly skilled Mark to do all this and not just electronics you are a mechanical repairer as well. Love watching a professional at work and you are certainly in that category. Thank you for sharing a part of your vast skills and knowledge with us Mark, it is very much appreciated, and just so incredible to watch you work Keep up the good work, Mark. Great videos.
OMG! When I was doing this kind of work, years ago, we had a deadly acronym BER = Beyond Economic Repair. A repair like this makes no business sense at all, but completely fascinating to watch! Had my heart in my mouth when you started to lever up that actuator arm, easy when watching, but thought this way be dragons... Wonderful fun, to watch anyway... more than 30 mins just flew by. Thanks so much for sharing! Been binge watching all the fixes - so impressed with your skills and patience! Kudos!
@capelhanbury-tension1288 No doubt about that! I wonder what Mark charges his customers for these repairs on this 'ancient' equipment though? He's probly spent 6 hours on this Walkman, so at normal rates that's gotta be easily $300 - $400, or £150 - £200? Are these 'love' jobs where he basically repairs stuff just cos he likes repairing stuff, or are these repairs just for friend's stuff? Or does he charge normal rates & his customers are prepared to pay way more than the unit is worth, just because of the sentimental value or 'uniqueness' of their device? I mean, it's always great to repair something to keep it out of landfill & extend the lifetime of it, but there are economic considerations I'd have thought!
I just stumbled upon your channel today and have been binge watching your videos. Your skills are extraordinary but what really makes you stand out is your upbeat and cheerful personality. You have such a great attitude even when confronted with really difficult repairs.
I had this model of Walkman back in the mid nineties. I seem to remember it had similar problems. While pretty handy repairing stuff I took one look inside and failing to dismantle it I gave up. Seeing this video having to desolder stuff to dismantle is probably where I got up to, without the internet or a service manual I had little chance. It was a great unit, auto reverse, track skipping etc.
Mark is a master of the manual solder sucker, those skills are incredible! What an amazing video Mark, thank you so much for the time and attention you put into each of your projects. By far my favorite repair guy on RUclips, I tell all my buddies about this channel
i dont think i ever got so hooked into a repair channel... i only learned about it yesterday and have not touched my Xbox controller as long as am used to. Mesmerizing from start to finish.
Have to repeat what others probably have stated - Mark's patience and ability to stick with a problem and see it through astounds me. This video really highlights his true ability to solve problems. Great presentation as always. The word genius in many ways applies. I have fixed things in the past but would never gone into the intricate details to try a repair like this.
Вы уникальный мастер! Спасибо вам что делитесь опытом и согреваете наши радиоэлектронные души. Вы все ремонтируете. Я когда был молодым в СССР, также пытался все ремонтировать, но тогда возможности были очень маленькие , не было интернета , поэтому информации очень мало, практически не было запасных частей. Сейчас все есть, но очень мало умных думающих мастеров. Наступила эра одноразовых девайсов. И если нужен ремонт, он заключается в замене блока , на уровне детали современная молодежь не умеет
You are a better man than me tackling this, it's a nightmare inside - however - boy this was fascinating to watch, week done!!! Miniaturization at it's best.
One should think they finally developed a non-leaking battery. Leaking batteries are an endless hassle, especially in clocks, remote controls etc. When the thing stops working, it's usually too late. You, sir, are an excellent technician and repair man. Hats off!
Jolly good i've binge watch all your other ones and i'd run out of things to watch lol Vinegar works really well for battery corrosion, either brown or white will do.
Crikey...what a repair! I don't think anyone else in their right mind would ever bother trying to resurrect something like that as it just isn't worth it. However, repairs like this are prime RUclips video fodder and very entertaining and watchable they are too 👍 Nice to see your subscriptions heading skywards, you definitely deserve it.
Not worth it?? These cost hundreds today - if you can find one! Is the alternative is to throw it away? There is no 'away', just the environment we pollute.
@@DeePaignall Really 😊... Well, I can't even remember the last time I listened to anything on a cassette or even wanted to. If I did have a need, the last device I'd think of for that purpose would be something like that Walkman. Btw, I have an old Sony CRT television in my garage that's in perfect condition and if you can carry it you are welcome to come and take it away. 625 line low resolution goodness just waiting for a new home 👍
@@chillidogkev "Sooner or later, everything old is new again". Cassettes are making a comeback - crazy but true - and if you'd heard that walkman play it might impress you more than a 128bit mp3. 'Retro gaming' is a thing too, so someone somewhere would prefer your crt over an OLED to play their video games on, well done for keeping it! Saving devices like these is fun and saves a bit of history too - personally I recommend it.
@@chillidogkev I wouldn't buy music or record it on cassettes, but I have a load which have been in my brother's loft for years. Getting something to play them on, in reasonable condition, would allow me to play them into my computer and digitise them. Sadly, new cassette mechanisms are rubbish. The solution would be to buy refurbished. Mend-it-Mark's videos are not just fascinating, they show what can be done.
Great repair! A walkman is a very delicate and diminute item. I specially love the fact that the a problem is turn in a smile, like a joke. Good point of view, a great life lesson.
These videos are so therapeutic! Watching something that would otherwise be thrown in the rubbish being revived, and with such attention to detail and a happy demeanour! 😃
Hi Mark, I've just found your channel and I love the videos. Much respect on how you repair all these machines by logic. Such a fiddly repair this one.
Great video on the Walkman WM-EX512 repair. I found the exact same model on ebay for $44.99 + $30.27 shipping. It is advertised as NOT working. It has corrosion in the exact same place as yours. If someone was adventurous, they could purchase it and perform a repair using your video as a tutorial. I stress the work ADVENTUROUS. Probably not advisable because Mark has a unique talent that is not likely to be duplicated.
Excelente reparaciExcellent repair - I have its brother WM-FX513 and it is a very good Japanese machine. I changed the strap and cleaned the entire mechanism and the heads and capstans with isopropyl alcohol. Then I adjusted the speed and that's it. It came back to life in 1995. Thank you for the Video and for the love you put into your work. I like it and I always follow you. Because nothing gives you up for repairs. Thank you very much, greetings and hugs, from Argentina!
Hi, I wonder how long is the belt for WM-FX513? I have the WM-FX571 one and I’m looking to buy the belt from stores in my country bcs the shipping fee from US/UK to my country is really expensive
I've learned something with every video I've watched of yours. Today's lesson - put little jumper leads on things if you need to test after you've desoldered the board. Why have I never thought of that! Love your channel, keep up the great work 👍
When I'm having a bad day I just watch your videos because your smile and laughter makes the world a brighter place. I love your videos Mark. Keep it up!
Mark as your customer/Owner of this Walkman says,your skills and patience are like no other. Obviously this Walkman has a sentimental place for him. I have a Texas Instruments calculator which has a special significance for me. And it still works perfectly apart from the display is degrading slightly. You are next level electronics guy. Love the Channel,so glad I found it. Your Channel should gain subscribers very soon. I love electronics,but don’t have your skill level. Keep up the good work. 👍
Was looking for a repair video for my Walkman and found your Chanel. Spent the next 30 min absolutely mesmerised. I found myself saying that it can’t go any further, but you did your tenacity is admirable thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately my problem is only a new belt required which is routine maintenance compared to what you did.
I had a Sony WM D6C Pro Walkman. Very high end recorder. Incredible device for it's time. It worked great and it was expensive. I used it to record many local rock band shows and to record interviews of famous artists who came to town. I used it a lot. But after many years I had switched entirely to digital recording devices which were cheaper and better. In 2010 I pulled the Pro Walkman out of a box and found I had left the batteries in. Something I try to never do. They had corroded and part of the PCB was etched away. I started doing the surgery and it got more and more involved. Then I stopped and thought "What for?" The digital devices are far superior. I wasn't ever going to record a cassette again. I lit a candle and stood it on the soldering iron station on my lab bench. I said my so longs, gave it a last salute, and pushed the remains of the pro Walkman off the edge of my bench into the trashcan. I'll always remember it and I will always know where it's final resting place is. The county dump. I shed a little tear every time I drive by. And I thank goodness I don't have to mess with cassettes ever again.
@kthwkr I had a Sony Walkman 'Professional' years ago too. I don't know its model number but it was black & had a leatherette case, Dolby C & a led bargraph level meter & could play & record onto 'metal' tapes as well. It cost me a fortnight's or a month's apprentice wages back then! Then one day the playback speed went stupid, & was varying up & down twice per second. It wasn't that old, so I contacted Sony & I actually got to speak to a Sony service tech! He was very helpful, & on his advice I bought a service manual & the two little surface- mount I.C's he thought were most likely causing the fault. Luckily I was able to remove & replace both I.C's successfully & the speed modulation problem was fixed! Such a beautiful, 3 colour original factory printed circuit diagram & service manual I had never seen the likes of before or since! Sadly, my Walkman was stolen from a friends house but I still have the MDR-70 headphones that came with it. The earpads that sort of stretched over the earpieces are pretty deteriorated now but I'd like to replace them if I can. Even today, in a quiet room, these headphones sound like they've got subwoofers in them they're so good! I fell in love with Sony gear after that!
You're a fool. They're worth hundreds, even in a state of disrepair. Beat yourself up about that, I would. Probably the most sought after and most frequently repaired of all decent walkmans.
I have to admire you attempting to even repair anything small from Japan! The last time I attempted a similar repair it was an absolute nightmare. The device was a Kenwood pocket sized cassette player (hardly bigger than the cassette itself!) no sooner had I managed to open it, than springs started flying everywhere and microscopic screws were lost just by breathing near them. Servicing that level of technology is not something the average technican can do. The parts are so tiny and all the PCB's are surface-mounted components. Too much heat does a lot of damage. You need very specialised equipment and the technical skill. When you see factories in Japan it's astonishing (I worked for a big Japanese electronics corp) it's like a hospital bio-hazard environment with guys wearing white suits with hoods and white gloves. Dealing with small Japanese electronic devices is often similar to watchmaker repairs. If you've ever seen what goes into servicing, assembling watch movements you'll see the incredible amount of skill it requires due to sheer complexity and precision of the tiny parts.
Very hard to imagine any other tech person working so hard and long on a device like a Walkman. Labor costs alone would be in hundred of pound/dollars in America. Plus, I would say an American tech wouldn't have a clue, desire, or the skills to any of this work. American repair people are nontechnical money grubbing S.O.B.'s who do little as possible for a maximum amount of money. 35 years dealing with repair people has left me hard and totally disillusion. Sick of paying $140 an hour to a meatball that can't fix or even explain what they just did. Thank you Mark, the best to you.
One could almost say it's a masterpiece of miniaturisation, with all those nylon (I presume) gears. What is doesn't allow for, unfortunately, is a decent flywwheel to provide speed stability. Battery corrosion is certainly the bane of portable electronic devices. Another marvellous video, and thanks once again for showing us how it's done.
@johnmarchington3146 Actually John, each drive capstan in this Walkman has a probly 1 inch diameter disc as part of it, & these become the flywheel; one for each direction of travel.
Absolutely terrific job of diagnosing the problem with the deck. You have an incredible amount of patience. It's interesting to see what kind of damage can be caused by a leaky battery.
Hi, technically, it is absolutely amazing! Small and very good made. Good to repair this. The thing is, today no one would pay (for the time spent) to make it work again. This how people think, they want new stuff and new stuff work not as good as 80's or 90's devices. Thank you Mark, every morning while having my breakfast, I enjoy your videos.
Señor... Mi enhorabuena por sus vídeos y mi agradecimiento por su generosidad al mostrarlo como lo hace. También le felicito por su buen humor y desenfado en su forma de trabajar. ¡Desde que descubrí su canal me he quedado enganchado! Muchas gracias de nuevo y un saludo desde Madrid.
The fascinating thing about the Walkman was it was one of the first electronic products to hit the market that didn’t have a market. People had no idea they wanted one till it was available.
Thank you for sharing your excellent repair series. I use vinegar to neutralize the battery basic electrolytes from the plastics and metals. Then scratch the oxidation at the end.
I got two of the newer versions of this in the 90's from a radio rally both faulty and made one good one for a few quid. The one I had didn't have the solenoids I don't think. It's incredible how complicated and compact they are inside. I also got 2 aiwa ones and made a good working one but they took a strange rectangular rechargeable battery. I enjoyed this video as it reminds me of being in my 20's 😂
And I've only got so far as to just replacing the belts in these Walkmans back in my "teenage" years. Everything else was pretty much all Chinese to me, but yet always fascinated on how they worked...the wiring, soldering, cogs, mechanisms, etc. If I had taken that Walkman apart the way you did, I couldn't remember where all those parts went.....knowing me. Plus, I don't have the patience anymore, lol. But anyway, great job Sir! Kudos! Very smart and always with a confident smile, I like that! I have the Walkman model number WM-F18 from 1985 and I have no clue on why it quit working completely, battery AND electric power. But I only keep as a momentum and place on a shelf of my 80's toys and radios I had through the years., nice collection. Thank you for sharing and posting this Mend It Mark...that was fun to watch! I miss my Walkman days! We could all use your smile in these times! 😁👍
Technically those last generation Walkmans were almost perfect portable devices. They were lightweight, slim, stamina, sensor-controlled etc. And expensive, of course))) I had one once, but not as good as this one is... Well done!
My god, the asmr the moment he opened the tape holder and inserted the cassette. It's like hearing a voice or smelling a scent you've not been around in years. Admittedly, I've had plenty of walkmans but never one that ran on just one 1.5aa, that's crazy. Then i had a discman cd player, im near sure it was 6 batteries. Digital is just so impersonal... Your own mix cassettes were the best. Time and thought went into them. Remember the stress caused if someone or you yourself recorded over a cassette or vhs? Gone.. no file recovery software here lads! Lol
Hey Mark, love your vids! Distilled white vinegar will neutralize and help clean up the potassium hydroxide electrolyte leakage from alkaline batteries (Vinegar is an acid and potassium hydroxide is a base). may even get some good fizz action, lol. One just wants to be sure to flush out all the vinegar when done. Distilled water then IPA has worked for me.
Nice repair, i was a bit nervous when you started bending that arm though 😀. Very educational for when/if i'll need to dig in mine some day. I do have a couple of these myself, well mine are the EX510 (without remote), one mint condition in box and one kinda rough used. I've replaced the belts in both, extremely easy, like a 10 minutes job at the most. What's sort of tough is to find the proper 0.6mm belt for them. The model 510 was also my very first "real" Sony Walkman back in 1994, but that's long gone. Great work man, i always enjoy your work.
Great job Mark. I have a beautiful sony walkman from 1988-89. It was dropped unfortunately years, and years ago, and some of the button were pushed in and one broke off. Would love to get it fixed. It's a sony WM-R202, in silver. A real beauty when it was bought. Thanks for sharing your video. Cheers.
I liked working on Sony gear pre-Interwebs as they thought about service techs from the design stage. Service manuals were easy to find. They were open about service code locks to third party techs. Ordering components was easy, even one manufactured by a 3rd party just for one model. They had detailed alignment and calibration instructions. They used to have bits on the cases to temporarily hold boards in place upright when servicing. I'm not sure how things are now. There are far fewer AV repair places still open while most citiesh ave heaps of mobile telephone repair shops.
I recently came across, and have now subscribed to Mark's channel, and find it fascinating to watch. Coincidentally, I used to sell consumer electronics for one of Sony's competitors during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but I have little detailed knowledge of the inner workings of this type of product. My goodness, the Japanese were tops in micro electronics during that period weren't they?
Nice to see you leaving the mistakes in the video. We all make them. An awful lot of these errors add a lot of time onto the repair. Surely this item was not worth repairing in a lot of respects (unless it is worth a lot of money on ebay).
Great work Mark. I’ve recently done one with the same mechanism and it had some nasty battery damage in exactly the same place. I’ve only recently discovered your channel and your videos are very good. I gave you a shout out on my livestream last Sunday so hopefully more people will discover you. Cheers Graham
Really enjoy your videos. Leaky batteries have a lot to answer for. I could certainly disassemble, but I’d never be able to put something like that back together!
That model tape mech has issues with the gears jamming and cracking. Nice work too and the joys of battery leakage. I have restored over 100 walkmans in the last 5 years. lots of fun and frustration :)
You're an amazing technician. Like the fact that you videos are are longer that many others. Just so you know I viewed about 4 hours of your videos and my wife was not a happy camper for "wasting my time" on this. She threatened to divorce me if I continue to behave like this so I wanted to thank you because I've been waiting 30 years for this day.
Nice job Mark, it's amazing how the corroded battery just eats through the plastic and embeds itself. I like the way you calibrated it. It looked like you used a tape with a set frequency, then just tuned it to match that recorded frequency.
Mark, people like you, are most certainly worth their weight in gold. Your abilities are extremely admirable in my eyes/mind. I wonder how much stuff I've binned over the years, when someone like yourself could repair it for a princely sum of sterling.
I know this video was made over a year ago, but just wanted to give you a little advice from one electronics technician to another. Hydrogen peroxide works extremely well to remove damage caused by a leaky battery. . It takes a few minutes for it to have an effect and needs agitation from a brush or other object to help remove the buildup but it will get rid of all of that sludge even on rusty metal. It restores it to almost like new.
What can I say other than wow and thank you ! This is my Walkman. Purchased with my pocket money when I was 15 from that famous catalogue store and cared for like nothing else until 3 years ago I put in a Panasonic zinc battery and forgot about it . I left it under my hifi cabinet and stumbled across it this year to find a leaky battery . The rest, well you can see for yourself ! Mark - your skills and patience are like no other - massive respect and a huge thank you 👍🏻 Paul
yep i agree with you he has done 2 of my hi-fi items one being the pioneer sx550 and he blew me out the water with how he went above and beyond with the repair i am waitng for the repair video on the other one i gave him and i recently gave him something else to sort out and he is a great guy as i have had the pleasure to meet him in person and he always has time for a chat when i drop of stuff to him
Remember to take the batteries out.
@@madtopp you are a lucky guy, congratulation to your functional Walkmann
What was the cost to get this fixed? Just out of curiosity.
Never leave alcaline or zinc (you've got to be kidding me) batteries in any device when not in use. It's what kills them all.
You have to admit that the Walkman is an ingenious piece of engineering.
No one does it like Sony. Always streets ahead
if you think thats insane go look up the service manual for the wm-7, they were doing many lines designing that one (and its glorious)
You never seem to get discouraged. The world needs more upbeat people like you 👍
If there would be a real Starship Enterprise and the board engineer would not have been found yet, you were the perfect "Scotty" and nobody else! My greatest respect for both the technical and the human abilities!
There are many reasons to praise these videos. First of all, you seem like such a pleasant and humorous guy, second, it's so educational to follow every step and even when mistakes are being made, we learn from them as well. Cheers!
Battery companies used to be liable for leakage. Time to clip the wings of corporations. Excessive margins, consumers suffer.
Courageous with nerves of steel tool.
happiest tech in the world
@@stripemaster9l
I hope you're going to show this video to the owner, Mark. That's not just a small amount of battery leakage. It's very large, and it looks very yucky. You are incredibly skilled Mark to do all this and not just electronics you are a mechanical repairer as well. Love watching a professional at work and you are certainly in that category. Thank you for sharing a part of your vast skills and knowledge with us Mark, it is very much appreciated, and just so incredible to watch you work Keep up the good work, Mark. Great videos.
OMG! When I was doing this kind of work, years ago, we had a deadly acronym BER = Beyond Economic Repair. A repair like this makes no business sense at all, but completely fascinating to watch! Had my heart in my mouth when you started to lever up that actuator arm, easy when watching, but thought this way be dragons... Wonderful fun, to watch anyway... more than 30 mins just flew by. Thanks so much for sharing! Been binge watching all the fixes - so impressed with your skills and patience! Kudos!
Amazing attention to detail. There are very few people who would bother with repairs like this today. Well done Mark.
@capelhanbury-tension1288 No doubt about that! I wonder what Mark charges his customers for these repairs on this 'ancient' equipment though? He's probly spent 6 hours on this Walkman, so at normal rates that's gotta be easily $300 - $400, or £150 - £200?
Are these 'love' jobs where he basically repairs stuff just cos he likes repairing stuff, or are these repairs just for friend's stuff? Or does he charge normal rates & his customers are prepared to pay way more than the unit is worth, just because of the sentimental value or 'uniqueness' of their device?
I mean, it's always great to repair something to keep it out of landfill & extend the lifetime of it, but there are economic considerations I'd have thought!
he sucks
I just stumbled upon your channel today and have been binge watching your videos. Your skills are extraordinary but what really makes you stand out is your upbeat and cheerful personality. You have such a great attitude even when confronted with really difficult repairs.
I had this model of Walkman back in the mid nineties. I seem to remember it had similar problems. While pretty handy repairing stuff I took one look inside and failing to dismantle it I gave up. Seeing this video having to desolder stuff to dismantle is probably where I got up to, without the internet or a service manual I had little chance. It was a great unit, auto reverse, track skipping etc.
Mark is a master of the manual solder sucker, those skills are incredible! What an amazing video Mark, thank you so much for the time and attention you put into each of your projects. By far my favorite repair guy on RUclips, I tell all my buddies about this channel
If this guy cant fix it, it cant be fixed. What talent and patience. Really enjoyable.
i dont think i ever got so hooked into a repair channel... i only learned about it yesterday and have not touched my Xbox controller as long as am used to. Mesmerizing from start to finish.
The fact that you can remember how it all goes back together is what amazes me. Always enjoy the videos
Looking at the miniature electro mechanical wonder that is the Walkman. I wouldn’t dare attempt that repair! Amazing job.
Have to repeat what others probably have stated - Mark's patience and ability to stick with a problem and see it through astounds me. This video really highlights his true ability to solve problems. Great presentation as always.
The word genius in many ways applies. I have fixed things in the past but would never gone into the intricate details to try a repair like this.
Mark you are gifted with your hands. other people could learn your placid ways of understanding and fixing of electronic items
it's amazing how many consumers don't realize the damage batteries can do, some of those old walkmans are very valuable.
Вы уникальный мастер! Спасибо вам что делитесь опытом и согреваете наши радиоэлектронные души. Вы все ремонтируете. Я когда был молодым в СССР, также пытался все ремонтировать, но тогда возможности были очень маленькие , не было интернета , поэтому информации очень мало, практически не было запасных частей. Сейчас все есть, но очень мало умных думающих мастеров. Наступила эра одноразовых девайсов. И если нужен ремонт, он заключается в замене блока , на уровне детали современная молодежь не умеет
Sony you are really genius... i lost myself in small pieces.... u r great .... Mark u r great too...
You are a better man than me tackling this, it's a nightmare inside - however - boy this was fascinating to watch, week done!!! Miniaturization at it's best.
Too right i would have slung it in the bin being impatient.
There is another use for alcohol, who would have thought.
I enjoy repairing stuff, but this was way above my pay grade. Your a smart guy Mark, very interesting video.
Cool, keep looking at these. I had one as a teenager and loved it… I bought it after being disappointed with a Discman.
Nice Walkman repair and battery's give's mostly problems when long time not using !
One should think they finally developed a non-leaking battery. Leaking batteries are an endless hassle, especially in clocks, remote controls etc. When the thing stops working, it's usually too late.
You, sir, are an excellent technician and repair man. Hats off!
Most special in these walkman is the fact that they work on 1 AA battery!
As always, well done!
You intimidate me....skills! This is the electronic-engineering equivalent of base jumping. Bravo sir....
Jolly good i've binge watch all your other ones and i'd run out of things to watch lol Vinegar works really well for battery corrosion, either brown or white will do.
Crikey...what a repair! I don't think anyone else in their right mind would ever bother trying to resurrect something like that as it just isn't worth it. However, repairs like this are prime RUclips video fodder and very entertaining and watchable they are too 👍 Nice to see your subscriptions heading skywards, you definitely deserve it.
Not worth it?? These cost hundreds today - if you can find one! Is the alternative is to throw it away? There is no 'away', just the environment we pollute.
@@DeePaignall Really 😊... Well, I can't even remember the last time I listened to anything on a cassette or even wanted to. If I did have a need, the last device I'd think of for that purpose would be something like that Walkman. Btw, I have an old Sony CRT television in my garage that's in perfect condition and if you can carry it you are welcome to come and take it away. 625 line low resolution goodness just waiting for a new home 👍
@@chillidogkev "Sooner or later, everything old is new again". Cassettes are making a comeback - crazy but true - and if you'd heard that walkman play it might impress you more than a 128bit mp3. 'Retro gaming' is a thing too, so someone somewhere would prefer your crt over an OLED to play their video games on, well done for keeping it! Saving devices like these is fun and saves a bit of history too - personally I recommend it.
@@chillidogkev I wouldn't buy music or record it on cassettes, but I have a load which have been in my brother's loft for years. Getting something to play them on, in reasonable condition, would allow me to play them into my computer and digitise them. Sadly, new cassette mechanisms are rubbish. The solution would be to buy refurbished. Mend-it-Mark's videos are not just fascinating, they show what can be done.
Great repair! A walkman is a very delicate and diminute item. I specially love the fact that the a problem is turn in a smile, like a joke. Good point of view, a great life lesson.
These videos are so therapeutic! Watching something that would otherwise be thrown in the rubbish being revived, and with such attention to detail and a happy demeanour! 😃
Hi Mark, I've just found your channel and I love the videos. Much respect on how you repair all these machines by logic. Such a fiddly repair this one.
Boy sir, you've got far more guts to take all of these tiny pieces than I would!!🤪
What an incredible piece of engineering- and seriously fantastic repair skills!
it is like a pocket watch. holy cow.
Yep I used to fix Sony gear to this level, all totally replaced by solid state I did try to warn them!
you re a magician.Asophisticated nice job with great amount of knowledge and passion.
Your RUclips movies give hope to those who have a loved one who is emotionally attached to it for a specific occasion or anniversary. 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹
Despite the mistake, this is fixing a Walkman like a boss Mark!
Great video on the Walkman WM-EX512 repair. I found the exact same model on ebay for $44.99 + $30.27 shipping. It is advertised as NOT working. It has corrosion in the exact same place as yours. If someone was adventurous, they could purchase it and perform a repair using your video as a tutorial. I stress the work ADVENTUROUS. Probably not advisable because Mark has a unique talent that is not likely to be duplicated.
Excelente reparaciExcellent repair - I have its brother WM-FX513 and it is a very good Japanese machine. I changed the strap and cleaned the entire mechanism and the heads and capstans with isopropyl alcohol. Then I adjusted the speed and that's it. It came back to life in 1995. Thank you for the Video and for the love you put into your work. I like it and I always follow you. Because nothing gives you up for repairs. Thank you very much, greetings and hugs, from Argentina!
Hi, I wonder how long is the belt for WM-FX513? I have the WM-FX571 one and I’m looking to buy the belt from stores in my country bcs the shipping fee from US/UK to my country is really expensive
I've learned something with every video I've watched of yours. Today's lesson - put little jumper leads on things if you need to test after you've desoldered the board. Why have I never thought of that! Love your channel, keep up the great work 👍
This is the equivalent to a computer controlled carburator!
Amazing all the work that went into that piece of history.
When I'm having a bad day I just watch your videos because your smile and laughter makes the world a brighter place. I love your videos Mark. Keep it up!
Mark as your customer/Owner of this Walkman says,your skills and patience are like no other. Obviously this Walkman has a sentimental place for him. I have a Texas Instruments calculator which has a special significance for me. And it still works perfectly apart from the display is degrading slightly. You are next level electronics guy. Love the Channel,so glad I found it. Your Channel should gain subscribers very soon. I love electronics,but don’t have your skill level. Keep up the good work. 👍
Was looking for a repair video for my Walkman and found your Chanel. Spent the next 30 min absolutely mesmerised. I found myself saying that it can’t go any further, but you did your tenacity is admirable thoroughly enjoyed it. Fortunately my problem is only a new belt required which is routine maintenance compared to what you did.
I had a Sony WM D6C Pro Walkman. Very high end recorder. Incredible device for it's time. It worked great and it was expensive. I used it to record many local rock band shows and to record interviews of famous artists who came to town. I used it a lot. But after many years I had switched entirely to digital recording devices which were cheaper and better. In 2010 I pulled the Pro Walkman out of a box and found I had left the batteries in. Something I try to never do. They had corroded and part of the PCB was etched away. I started doing the surgery and it got more and more involved. Then I stopped and thought "What for?" The digital devices are far superior. I wasn't ever going to record a cassette again. I lit a candle and stood it on the soldering iron station on my lab bench. I said my so longs, gave it a last salute, and pushed the remains of the pro Walkman off the edge of my bench into the trashcan. I'll always remember it and I will always know where it's final resting place is. The county dump. I shed a little tear every time I drive by. And I thank goodness I don't have to mess with cassettes ever again.
More e waste 😂😂😂😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
@kthwkr I had a Sony Walkman 'Professional' years ago too. I don't know its model number but it was black & had a leatherette case, Dolby C & a led bargraph level meter & could play & record onto 'metal' tapes as well. It cost me a fortnight's or a month's apprentice wages back then!
Then one day the playback speed went stupid, & was varying up & down twice per second. It wasn't that old, so I contacted Sony & I actually got to speak to a Sony service tech! He was very helpful, & on his advice I bought a service manual & the two little surface- mount I.C's he thought were most likely causing the fault.
Luckily I was able to remove & replace both I.C's successfully & the speed modulation problem was fixed!
Such a beautiful, 3 colour original factory printed circuit diagram & service manual I had never seen the likes of before or since!
Sadly, my Walkman was stolen from a friends house but I still have the MDR-70 headphones that came with it. The earpads that sort of stretched over the earpieces are pretty deteriorated now but I'd like to replace them if I can. Even today, in a quiet room, these headphones sound like they've got subwoofers in them they're so good!
I fell in love with Sony gear after that!
You're a fool. They're worth hundreds, even in a state of disrepair. Beat yourself up about that, I would. Probably the most sought after and most frequently repaired of all decent walkmans.
Excellent Patience! Great to see another tinkerer out there!
Fascinating process, Dom. I never knew so much went into panel making. Thank you for showing how it's done..I think they look fabulous.
Best camera work ever!
I have to admire you attempting to even repair anything small from Japan! The last time I attempted a similar repair it was an absolute nightmare. The device was a Kenwood pocket sized cassette player (hardly bigger than the cassette itself!) no sooner had I managed to open it, than springs started flying everywhere and microscopic screws were lost just by breathing near them. Servicing that level of technology is not something the average technican can do. The parts are so tiny and all the PCB's are surface-mounted components. Too much heat does a lot of damage. You need very specialised equipment and the technical skill. When you see factories in Japan it's astonishing (I worked for a big Japanese electronics corp) it's like a hospital bio-hazard environment with guys wearing white suits with hoods and white gloves.
Dealing with small Japanese electronic devices is often similar to watchmaker repairs. If you've ever seen what goes into servicing, assembling watch movements you'll see the incredible amount of skill it requires due to sheer complexity and precision of the tiny parts.
Very hard to imagine any other tech person working so hard and long on a device like a Walkman. Labor costs alone would be in hundred of pound/dollars in America. Plus, I would say an American tech wouldn't have a clue, desire, or the skills to any of this work. American repair people are nontechnical money grubbing S.O.B.'s who do little as possible for a maximum amount of money. 35 years dealing with repair people has left me hard and totally disillusion. Sick of paying $140 an hour to a meatball that can't fix or even explain what they just did. Thank you Mark, the best to you.
One could almost say it's a masterpiece of miniaturisation, with all those nylon (I presume) gears. What is doesn't allow for, unfortunately, is a decent flywwheel to provide speed stability. Battery corrosion is certainly the bane of portable electronic devices. Another marvellous video, and thanks once again for showing us how it's done.
@johnmarchington3146 Actually John, each drive capstan in this Walkman has a probly 1 inch diameter disc as part of it, & these become the flywheel; one for each direction of travel.
I can not imagine spending more than a couple of hours on that Walkman. At least you shared the knowledge. "Giggles" - the technician.
Absolutely terrific job of diagnosing the problem with the deck. You have an incredible amount of patience. It's interesting to see what kind of damage can be caused by a leaky battery.
Got my first Walkman with my wages from my first job in 1984, it was amazing to listen to that’s what I call music cassette on the bus.
Great persistence with this repair where most would have given up. Your light hearted happy manner makes for a great watch too :)
Hi, technically, it is absolutely amazing! Small and very good made. Good to repair this. The thing is, today no one would pay (for the time spent) to make it work again. This how people think, they want new stuff and new stuff work not as good as 80's or 90's devices. Thank you Mark, every morning while having my breakfast, I enjoy your videos.
You're tenacity is amazing. You just keep going untiIl you nail it. I would have swept into the bin once I saw the leaky battery. Great video.
What you did there was nothing short of a miracle
Señor... Mi enhorabuena por sus vídeos y mi agradecimiento por su generosidad al mostrarlo como lo hace. También le felicito por su buen humor y desenfado en su forma de trabajar. ¡Desde que descubrí su canal me he quedado enganchado! Muchas gracias de nuevo y un saludo desde Madrid.
The fascinating thing about the Walkman was it was one of the first electronic products to hit the market that didn’t have a market. People had no idea they wanted one till it was available.
so cool. thanks for this video. i had the 1st gen walkman back in 1980. looooooved it.
Thank you for sharing your excellent repair series. I use vinegar to neutralize the battery basic electrolytes from the plastics and metals. Then scratch the oxidation at the end.
Got one of these in the loft with the the same problem. Note to oneself: Don't leave battery in. Great video Mark 👌
Just love watching your videos!
I got two of the newer versions of this in the 90's from a radio rally both faulty and made one good one for a few quid. The one I had didn't have the solenoids I don't think. It's incredible how complicated and compact they are inside.
I also got 2 aiwa ones and made a good working one but they took a strange rectangular rechargeable battery. I enjoyed this video as it reminds me of being in my 20's 😂
And I've only got so far as to just replacing the belts in these Walkmans back in my "teenage" years. Everything else was pretty much all Chinese to me, but yet always fascinated on how they worked...the wiring, soldering, cogs, mechanisms, etc. If I had taken that Walkman apart the way you did, I couldn't remember where all those parts went.....knowing me. Plus, I don't have the patience anymore, lol.
But anyway, great job Sir! Kudos! Very smart and always with a confident smile, I like that! I have the Walkman model number WM-F18 from 1985 and I have no clue on why it quit working completely, battery AND electric power. But I only keep as a momentum and place on a shelf of my 80's toys and radios I had through the years., nice collection.
Thank you for sharing and posting this Mend It Mark...that was fun to watch! I miss my Walkman days! We could all use your smile in these times! 😁👍
Technically those last generation Walkmans were almost perfect portable devices. They were lightweight, slim, stamina, sensor-controlled etc. And expensive, of course))) I had one once, but not as good as this one is... Well done!
Last decent generation era for Walkmans were the late 1980's/early 1990's.
The happiest repair man out there👍 well done & lets not forget the people that actually designed that too.
And just as importantly, the people who built and assembled it
Awesome greetings from the super ancient megalithic antediluvian city of TIAHUANAKU BOLIVIA 🇧🇴 thanks for posting
My god, the asmr the moment he opened the tape holder and inserted the cassette. It's like hearing a voice or smelling a scent you've not been around in years. Admittedly, I've had plenty of walkmans but never one that ran on just one 1.5aa, that's crazy. Then i had a discman cd player, im near sure it was 6 batteries. Digital is just so impersonal... Your own mix cassettes were the best. Time and thought went into them. Remember the stress caused if someone or you yourself recorded over a cassette or vhs? Gone.. no file recovery software here lads! Lol
Nice piece of Sony engineering.
Fantastic work Mark, no electro mechanical device is too hard for you to fix. Very inspiring
Hey Mark, love your vids!
Distilled white vinegar will neutralize and help clean up the potassium hydroxide electrolyte leakage from alkaline batteries (Vinegar is an acid and potassium hydroxide is a base). may even get some good fizz action, lol. One just wants to be sure to flush out all the vinegar when done. Distilled water then IPA has worked for me.
Nice repair, i was a bit nervous when you started bending that arm though 😀. Very educational for when/if i'll need to dig in mine some day. I do have a couple of these myself, well mine are the EX510 (without remote), one mint condition in box and one kinda rough used. I've replaced the belts in both, extremely easy, like a 10 minutes job at the most. What's sort of tough is to find the proper 0.6mm belt for them. The model 510 was also my very first "real" Sony Walkman back in 1994, but that's long gone. Great work man, i always enjoy your work.
Back of the net - Great work and a bit of old tech saved to live again 👍
Pleasure to watch you work and listen to your banter Mark! Well done!
Great job Mark. I have a beautiful sony walkman from 1988-89. It was dropped unfortunately years, and years ago, and some of the button were pushed in and one broke off. Would love to get it fixed. It's a sony WM-R202, in silver. A real beauty when it was bought. Thanks for sharing your video. Cheers.
I really enjoyed troubleshooting and repairing the device
Well done 👍🏻
Didn't expect a watch repair video but, cool!
I liked working on Sony gear pre-Interwebs as they thought about service techs from the design stage. Service manuals were easy to find. They were open about service code locks to third party techs. Ordering components was easy, even one manufactured by a 3rd party just for one model. They had detailed alignment and calibration instructions. They used to have bits on the cases to temporarily hold boards in place upright when servicing.
I'm not sure how things are now. There are far fewer AV repair places still open while most citiesh ave heaps of mobile telephone repair shops.
I recently came across, and have now subscribed to Mark's channel, and find it fascinating to watch.
Coincidentally, I used to sell consumer electronics for one of Sony's competitors during the 70's, 80's and 90's, but I have little detailed knowledge of the inner workings of this type of product. My goodness, the Japanese were tops in micro electronics during that period weren't they?
Love your videos.
When it comes to corrosion and battery leak, vinegar/citric acid bath should be your number one action ! It really does the job.
The reassembly is the real miracle
Nice to see you leaving the mistakes in the video. We all make them. An awful lot of these errors add a lot of time onto the repair. Surely this item was not worth repairing in a lot of respects (unless it is worth a lot of money on ebay).
Sold 2 Walkmans with this issue, didn't know how to fix it. I wish I saw your video earlier.
Great work Mark. I’ve recently done one with the same mechanism and it had some nasty battery damage in exactly the same place. I’ve only recently discovered your channel and your videos are very good. I gave you a shout out on my livestream last Sunday so hopefully more people will discover you. Cheers Graham
Very nice work
I admire your persistance. I would have thrown that walkman away immediately. Anyway... Great video, great job, thank you, Mark!
Very satisfying video mark!👍
Really enjoy your videos. Leaky batteries have a lot to answer for. I could certainly disassemble, but I’d never be able to put something like that back together!
Unbelievable watch making skills as well as electronic skills! Good job Mark!
That model tape mech has issues with the gears jamming and cracking. Nice work too and the joys of battery leakage. I have restored over 100 walkmans in the last 5 years. lots of fun and frustration :)
We in Russia enjoy watching your videos ... and we really like it. True, we do not understand what you are saying "))). But still very interesting
You are so passionate about your work and I appreciate that so much, keep doing what you're doing. Blessing from Kosovo.
You're an amazing technician. Like the fact that you videos are are longer that many others. Just so you know I viewed about 4 hours of your videos and my wife was not a happy camper for "wasting my time" on this. She threatened to divorce me if I continue to behave like this so I wanted to thank you because I've been waiting 30 years for this day.
These video repairs are fascinating 👏 . I know where my hi fi and walkman will go for a fix !
Nice job Mark, it's amazing how the corroded battery just eats through the plastic and embeds itself. I like the way you calibrated it. It looked like you used a tape with a set frequency, then just tuned it to match that recorded frequency.
Mark, people like you, are most certainly worth their weight in gold. Your abilities are extremely admirable in my eyes/mind. I wonder how much stuff I've binned over the years, when someone like yourself could repair it for a princely sum of sterling.
Good job Mark. I love watching you repair this electronic equipment. I don't miss any of your videos. Greetings from Barcelona. Xavier.
I know this video was made over a year ago, but just wanted to give you a little advice from one electronics technician to another. Hydrogen peroxide works extremely well to remove damage caused by a leaky battery. . It takes a few minutes for it to have an effect and needs agitation from a brush or other object to help remove the buildup but it will get rid of all of that sludge even on rusty metal. It restores it to almost like new.