teac pd-h300 cd reading issues

[miklek65]

Hi
I have not used my cd player too often recently. i purchased a cd that it struggled to read and at the time it was fine with other cd-s so i returned it. Now i bought another and it was doing the same again, clicking noisy while reading and i have to ejetc the tray multiple times before it reads. It didn't take that much to work now, but then it skipped a few tracks a few times(cd is slightly scratchy, but shouldn't be a problem), then after i went back to the same tracks it was fine. and now it reads everything fine. So after i leave the player for a few days or weeks it seems to have this issue. i have cleaned the lens today with alcohol so we will see, but what is the next step if the problem still comes back?

(Now that i'm thinking there could be some humidity in the air this time of the year and it was raining a lot recently too)

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi
I have not used my cd player too often recently. i purchased a cd that it struggled to read and at the time it was fine with other cd-s so i returned it. Now i bought another and it was doing the same again, clicking noisy while reading and i have to ejetc the tray multiple times before it reads. It didn't take that much to work now, but then it skipped a few tracks a few times(cd is slightly scratchy, but shouldn't be a problem), then after i went back to the same tracks it was fine. and now it reads everything fine. So after i leave the player for a few days or weeks it seems to have this issue. i have cleaned the lens today with alcohol so we will see, but what is the next step if the problem still comes back?

(Now that i'm thinking there could be some humidity in the air this time of the year and it was raining a lot recently too)

My guess is that this is mechanical, and the mechanism that moves the laser is getting stiff. You need to keep it in regular use, but it could well be nearing the end of its useful life. Be prepared to have to replace the player.

 

[miklek65]

i ended up adjusting the laser and it seems sorted for now. i could reproduce skipping on a cd at the exact same second of some tracks. Playing skip free now.

 

[Eppie]

i ended up adjusting the laser and it seems sorted for now. i could reproduce skipping on a cd at the exact same second of some tracks. Playing skip free now.

I was going to suggest cleaning the lense for the laser. Sometimes you just need to blow out the dust with compressed air, but other times you need to open it up and clean the lense with alcohol. Some CD pressings can go bad with age so that one particular disc may be getting defective. It is not common, but the aluminum substrate can separate from the plastic. If you have discs that are skipping, I would rip them to FLAC on a computer so that you have a good copy. You then have the option to get some writable CDs and burn a new copy if needed.

 

[miklek65]

I was going to suggest cleaning the lense for the laser. Sometimes you just need to blow out the dust with compressed air, but other times you need to open it up and clean the lense with alcohol. Some CD pressings can go bad with age so that one particular disc may be getting defective. It is not common, but the aluminum substrate can separate from the plastic. If you have discs that are skipping, I would rip them to FLAC on a computer so that you have a good copy. You then have the option to get some writable CDs and burn a new copy if needed.

'i have cleaned the lens today with alcohol so we will see, but what is the next step if the problem still comes back? '
1st thing i did.
i will also polish the scratches on that cd just in case, but as i said the laser works fine for now after adjusting the small potentiometer(?)

 

[Eppie]

'i have cleaned the lens today with alcohol so we will see, but what is the next step if the problem still comes back? '
1st thing i did.
i will also polish the scratches on that cd just in case, but as i said the laser works fine for now after adjusting the small potentiometer(?)

CD transports are not really designed to be serviceable. I think you got lucky adjusting the potentiometer. It may have been an adjustment for beam intensity but who knows? Any further attempts to make adjustments could just as easily make things worse. On the mechanical side, you can make sure that the slide that the laser rides on is smooth an clean. Check for any old hardened grease or oil. If there is no lubrication you should not have to add any as the plastic on polished metal should have low friction. If there is old lubrication, I would just use a very light machine oil, like sewing machine oil, or 3-in-1.

If it's the same CD skipping in the exact same place, it may be that the CD is the real issue. If you polish it, do not rub in circles. You want to clean perpendicular to the CD tracks, from the outside edge to inside edge. Toothpaste and water is mild enough not to scratch the surface. If the metal is delaminating inside the CD then there is nothing that can be done.

 

[miklek65]

CD transports are not really designed to be serviceable. I think you got lucky adjusting the potentiometer. It may have been an adjustment for beam intensity but who knows? Any further attempts to make adjustments could just as easily make things worse. On the mechanical side, you can make sure that the slide that the laser rides on is smooth an clean. Check for any old hardened grease or oil. If there is no lubrication you should not have to add any as the plastic on polished metal should have low friction. If there is old lubrication, I would just use a very light machine oil, like sewing machine oil, or 3-in-1.

If it's the same CD skipping in the exact same place, it may be that the CD is the real issue. If you polish it, do not rub in circles. You want to clean perpendicular to the CD tracks, from the outside edge to inside edge. Toothpaste and water is mild enough not to scratch the surface. If the metal is delaminating inside the CD then there is nothing that can be done.

I think it was the beam intensity. if they wouldnt be serviceable you wouldnt have this option. everything is serviceable it is just a matter of cost/reward.
the same cd was skipping only in that cd player it was fine in my car and dvd-rom.
for polishing i use automotive compounds sometimes wet sand, and a drill with my home made cd holder in it. Scratches gone, cd player working, happy days.

 

[miklek65]

i had to replace the laser. if you good at diy the laser cost me about $15 on ebay. wasn't a big job at all.