Advice/help needed regarding hypothetical DVD player repair

[TYT-Carrie]

If anyone is in a creative mood, I could use some help, and this group
seems like the perfect place/people to ask. I'm writing a short story
for middle readers about a boy who loves to take apart and fix things.
In the story, his friend asks him to try to secretly fix a DVD player
of his sister's that he has accidentally broken, and this is where I
could use some help with regards to authenticity! I need a
logical/common problem with DVD players that someone (who thinks they
are an expert but isn't) might try to fix on their own, yet in the end
only make things worse. In other words, what might have been a
simple/cheap repair for a repair technician escalates into a repair
job that isn't worth doing i.e. would cost more to fix than the
product is worth.

Any ideas? This is loosely based on my 8-year-old son who loves to
take apart EVERYTHING in our house, yet so far we have managed to keep
our DVD player intact after instituting the 'Nothing with a Plug' rule
in our house.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
TYTCarrie

 

[Neil]

I can say this from when I was young, I did the same thing. I decided to
take apart my Moms plastic table-top radio, that was a wedding gift (I was
around 6, and my parents had been married for 15 years at the time, so it
was considered precious by her). The problem was, once I had it all apart, I
couldn't get it back together again. In a panic, I sort of placed the pieces
loosely together, and hid all the screws under a cabinet, then I took off
outside. Well, my mom, the consummate cleaner then came along, and vacuumed
up all the screws. She then decided to turn on the radio, which fell into a
hundred pieces, as soon as she touched it.
....Man, was I in trouble, but I am a electronics tech today.
Kim

 

[exray]

I think a scenario of sticking something other than a CD in the slot
would be the classic example. Food items seem to be popular.

-BM

 

[Ken Weitzel]

I think a scenario of sticking something other than a CD in the slot
would be the classic example. Food items seem to be popular.

-BM

Whoa... Carrie gave me a flashback!!! Wow, the
memories her story dredged up

Anyway, to share just one tiny idea; how 'bout
the youngster visit with his grandparents... happen
upon an old 45... can't figure out what it is or what
to do with it... packs it with him to take home for
further investigation, and puts it in his sister's
DVD player.... ??

Take care.

Ken

(an old, stroke damaged, retired guy whose just turned
14 year old grand daughter happened upon a turntable
last summer, and asked me "is that what they called
a record player in the olden days?"

 

[Stan]

(TYT-Carrie) wrote:

}...I need a logical/common problem with DVD players that someone
}...might try to fix on their own, yet in the end
}only make things worse. In other words, what might have been a
}simple/cheap repair for a repair technician escalates into a repair
}job that isn't worth doing...

The simplest thing I can think of is an improper seating of the
cable that runs from the laser assembly to the cd-drive electronics.
Sometimes these work themselves loose and all they need is a
re-seating. Of course, an inquisitive kid might decide to take
apart the whole laser assembly and proceed to loose some of the smaller
parts in the process.

Stan.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Sony Playstation 2 disc trays often become unseated from their track and
won't load properly, due to a child grabbing the tray while moving or
bumping it too hard, etc. Easy fix for a tech, but few people would
correctly see and diagnose this on their own.

Mark Z.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

Whoa... Carrie gave me a flashback!!! Wow, the
memories her story dredged up

Anyway, to share just one tiny idea; how 'bout
the youngster visit with his grandparents... happen
upon an old 45... can't figure out what it is or what
to do with it... packs it with him to take home for
further investigation, and puts it in his sister's
DVD player.... ??

Most 45s would be a bit hard to fit into a DVD or CD player....

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
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| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.

 

[Sam Goldwasser]

(TYT-Carrie) wrote:

}...I need a logical/common problem with DVD players that someone
}...might try to fix on their own, yet in the end
}only make things worse. In other words, what might have been a
}simple/cheap repair for a repair technician escalates into a repair
}job that isn't worth doing...

The simplest thing I can think of is an improper seating of the
cable that runs from the laser assembly to the cd-drive electronics.
Sometimes these work themselves loose and all they need is a
re-seating. Of course, an inquisitive kid might decide to take
apart the whole laser assembly and proceed to loose some of the smaller
parts in the process.

The classic situation is to turn all the pots...

--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Home Page: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Site Info: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: The email address in this message header may no longer work. To
contact me, please use the feedback form on the S.E.R FAQ Web sites.

 

[Ken Weitzel]

Most 45s would be a bit hard to fit into a DVD or CD player....

Yeppers. About 7 inches compared to less than 5, if I'm not
mistaken.

So the story unfolds... maybe if "he" took the dvd player
apart just a little...

Take care.

Ken

 

[Michael Black]

Most 45s would be a bit hard to fit into a DVD or CD player....

It was probably someone who has never seen a 45.

The other way is more plausible. A kid (or someone not so young at this
point) comes across "grandpas" old turntable, and puzzles over it. He
then decides it must be an old fashioned CD player. He runs to the
CD collection, pulling out a suitable one, and puts it on the turntable
and appies the needle. A 45rpm adaptor would almost fit in that CD hole.

Michael

 

[Ken Weitzel]

It was probably someone who has never seen a 45.

The other way is more plausible. A kid (or someone not so young at this
point) comes across "grandpas" old turntable, and puzzles over it. He
then decides it must be an old fashioned CD player. He runs to the
CD collection, pulling out a suitable one, and puts it on the turntable
and appies the needle. A 45rpm adaptor would almost fit in that CD hole.

Michael

Thanks, Michael, I appreciate that. Keep it up, young
fellow

Actually, when I was growing, we wound up the record
player. Played 78 rpm shellac's, changed the needle
after each and every play. Took the battery down to
the gas station to get it charged once in a while

Permanent magnet speakers too, wonder how many of us
remember those?

When I began my career in the broadcast business we
did have 33's, but no tape. Everything recorded
was done on acetate (soft cuts). Then they
invented wire recorders

And I agree, your suggestion would seem more
plausible. Except that Carrie's book requires
that the young fellow "break" his little sisters
DVD player

Take care.

Ken

 

[Mike Kennedy]

well... not quite a cd hole is ~ 1/2in wide where as the 45 is ~ 1 in
wide.... It wouldnt fit... I tried that as a kid myself.. : )

-Mike Kennedy

 

[jakdedert]

Maybe a bit obscure, but many CD players will not even spin up unless the
lense on the laser is clean. I once spent a couple of hours trying to
troubleshoot a problem with one...when the only problem was a dirty
lense....cleaned it and everything went back to normal. I just couldn't
believe it was merely a 'cleaning procedure,' when the thing wouldn't even
turn the disk.

I could have done some major damage in there in the process. I haven't had
too many DVD players apart yet, but could be they are similar.

jak

 

[TYT-Carrie]

Wow...You guys are good! Thank you for all of the great suggestions
regarding DVD players, CD players, game consoles and even the old 45's
(which I do happen to have a few of in the attic)! You gave me lots to
work with for this short story, and who knows...maybe I'll be able to
use all of your suggestions when readers demand a sequel! ;-)

As for my 8-year-old budding technician, I'm just praying he won't
electrocute himself before we can get him some formal training. I
swear he was born with a screwdriver in his hand!

Again, I truly appreciate all of your help!

Carrie

 

[Ken Weitzel]

As for my 8-year-old budding technician, I'm just praying he won't
electrocute himself before we can get him some formal training. I
swear he was born with a screwdriver in his hand!

Hi...

Thinking about your little guy, and your jest about
electrocuting himself, may I throw in one more
thought? I mean absolutely no disrepect of your
parenting skills...

One of these days he's going to start in on you about
a soldering iron. Maturally you'll be concerned about
the 'cord'; and about the intense heat, sooner or later
he'll get one anyways, but there's one more concern
to keep in mind.

It's soooo easy and instinctive to break off 6 inches of
solder, hold the 'part' in one hand, the iron in the
other, and use your mouth to hold the solder with.
From there it's a very short leap to keep the solder
in your mouth, kinda like a cigarette for an adult,
a toothpick for an old man, or Kojak's lollipop.

Don't ask me how I know, eh?

Course way back in my day solder was just
metal, sunshine was good for you, and fat and
cholesterol were of no concern either.

Now we know that solder, being 60% lead, is
a deadly cumulative poison.

So, please supervise the little guy well.

And, perhaps in your book, a little soldering
could be done, with a quick touch on the
dangers, as a sort of subliminal life lesson
for the youngsters.

Take care.

Ken

 

[Ken Weitzel]

}...
}Permanent magnet speakers too, wonder how many of us
}remember those?

Aren't all speakers nowadays "Permanent magnet"?

Perhaps you were thinking of the speakers that had no permanent magnet
and used the B+ current through a coil wrapped around a ferrous
material to act as a magnet?

Stan.

Hi Stan...

Yeppers, sorry about that. Just another shot at the
really old guy memory thing.

These electro magnets did make mighty nice chokes
as a side effect, eh?

Thanks, and take care.

Ken

 

[Stan]

}...
}Permanent magnet speakers too, wonder how many of us
}remember those?

Aren't all speakers nowadays "Permanent magnet"?

Perhaps you were thinking of the speakers that had no permanent magnet
and used the B+ current through a coil wrapped around a ferrous
material to act as a magnet?

Stan.