CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

[Gunstar]

Hello everyone! I recently purchased an RCA CED player, model SGT 075. I know it's the budget model, now, I didn't know anything about them until I got it and started doing searches about CED players and found CEDMagic and this forum. I first saw one of the models that looks like mine in a thrift shop several years ago, and wanted to buy it as I'm really into vintage electronics, especially 80's computers, videogame consoles and movie players (I also own a Pioneer Laserdisc player and still use VCR's). But the owner said it wasn't for sale, that they used it themselves to watch movies in the shop. So, I forgot about CED players for a few years until I recently purchased a laserdisc player, and a friend of mine who is also into vintage electronics reminded me of the "movies on records/LP's," and I remembered RCA Selectavision, so I did that search on eBay and purchased the SGT 075. O.K., enough background.
Anyway, when I received the player, it worked fine, but I didn't like the fact that it only had RF coaxial output, so, being an electronics hobbyist with a year of electronics classes and also self taught, I started looking into the possiblity of upgrading the player to composite or S-video output. Then I cam across the FAQ on CEDMagic that told of the test points to hook up composite and audio output with RCA jacks. So I took the player apart and soldered a couple of RCA cables to the test points and what I assumed was a ground test point labled GND(since the faq only says to hooke it up to the two test points with the audio/video signals and says nothing about hooking up the ground wires). The FAQ also states that the video adjust POT might need tweeking to get a good picture, so with the machine still apart, I started it up, and I did get a video picture, but it was VERY fuzzy, only in B/W and with no audio, so I tried to tweek the video adust and audio adjust POTs with no real change and/or it got worse, and then proceeded to blindly try tweeking some of the other POTs to see if I could correct the problem. Well, it just didn't work for me, so I desoldered the RCA cables, put the machine back together and decided to settle for the RF coaxial output. Well, now that didn't work either! And on top of that, the player pickup arm wouldn't move as it should anymore either! It just stayed at the beginning of the disc. After searching the FAQ, I checked for some of the symptems listed for repairing broken players, and the one that seems to match my pickup arm problem is the "landing latch misalighment" one, since if I manually move the pickup arm about halfway onto the disc, it appears to work normally(the gears turn and the pickup arm moves, but of course I get no picture at all now, just a black screen with the "interference" lines occasionally). But I think it's not the rack that's the problem, but the secondary possiblity of the gear assembly clutch. But with only a description and no pictures, what it's saying to do to solve the problem is all greek to me. I'm not sure what the description is refering too.
Also, since I only payed $30 for the player including shipping&handling, I really can't see it being worth about $40 to purchase the service manual.
So I'm hoping I can get some help here. Before I start looking to buy a new player. I'll be satisfied with RF output if I can just get it working again. So, firstly I need help with the gear assembly, then I need help getting the picture back through the RF ouput. but since I stupidly started blindly adjusting POTs all over the place, I'm not sure what I did wrong and how to put them back where they should be. I know, I'm an idiot for doing all this, but I really didn't think attaching a couple RCA cables to test points would be that hard, especially since I'm not an electronics novice, but I am a complete novice with CED players. Please help!!!

[7jlong]

I can't really help with this question, but thought I'd let you know:

The J/K-series are so, so easy to fix that I won't bother going back to a G series. I used to have an SGT100 and cosmetics aside (they are very cool looking players) I couldn't stand the thing. Gave it away last year.

Not a very helpful or encouraging answer, I realize, but look at it this way: with a good J-series player (I recommend the SJT300, the 400 players are a little overpriced) you get composite video out, stereo sound, and a relatively decent needle supply.

[Rixrex]

I agree. If you like the look of the player you have, move up to an SGT-200 stereo model, keep the one you messed up for some parts. Or better yet, go on to an SJT or SKT stereo model, 300 is great but I also like the 200, and let someone else have the other one for parts or to fix. Don't know if there is anyone fixing these with a stock who'd give you some credit towrds an upgrade.

If you buy another one that needs to get shipped to you, make sure you get the folks packing it to do a really super job, even if you have to pay a few extras dollars for good packing. I cannot tell you how many CED players I got that had shipping damages because of cut-rate packing, but I always remember the folks who did the right thing by packing well.

Just use it as a learning experience and be aware that you are not the first one here who somehow messed up their first CED player.

[Gunstar]

Well, thanks for nothing! Just kidding
For now, in my free time, I think I'll just keep plugging away at this player and see if I can get it running again, and also hope that someone might yet respond with some help. But the fact is that I most likely will pick up a better model as you guys suggested down the road. I'm still buying or attempting to buy CED movies, even with my player broken becuase I know that sooner or later I will either get this player running again or get another. I just recently bid on three movies; Excalibur, Blue Thunder and Tron, but I only won Blue Thunder. Which is a shame, becuase the other two movies sold for about $3 and I would have bid higher, if I had been at home when the auction ended. I'll just have to keep trying, and enjoying my Laserdisc player in the meantime. Since I do have some knowledge about electronics, I usually do end up figuring thes problems out in the long run, but help to get it done sooner is appreciated. If worse comes to worse, the stylus that came in my SGT 075 is probably worth more than what I payed for the player anyway, it seems to be in perfect condition, and it just happens to be a 154100 stereo stylus instead of the original 149000 that was only mono, IIRC, so I may have a backup stylus for a new player too, if I don't sell it. It's funny that the player says to replace only with the 149000 stylus, yet the 154100 worked great before I broke the player, so obviously it can be used, and I looked in the faq and it also said the 154100 works with the SGT 075&100 models...

[mnallard]

Let me get this straight...you tried to make an antique machine do a few new tricks? Man...don't you know you can't teach an old dog new tricks?(just kiding). The F/G line player's mainboard doesn't hold spots for the type of connection you was looking for... the signal was sent to a sub board (like on mine) and has a seperate ICs for controlling the audio and video signals.

Acutally, it sounds like a similar problem I had with the SGT-200 (stereo model) I got off ebay as well. I got the same fuzzy picture with no sound. Come to find out, there's a machine-specific part on the main board that went out. I had a spare thanks to a SGT-075 I bought for parts.

One solution...re-adjust the POTs while the machine is running to see if you can get it to work again. Please, be careful...there's a lot of volts running in this system and it can be unforgiving.

The worse-case scenario is that you might have blown a special part that is responsible for the tracking of the stylus. I can't remember what this part number is...I think it was the LC3909. Its a square that has a tube-like object extending out the back of it. It has the same color as a carbon resistor and it sits close to an IC. Note...it will NOT show any visible signs of being burnt. This part is very sensitive to the voltage going through it so you adjusting POTs might have sent more than it could handle. The only way to get another one of these parts is by getting another player...these were an RCA Videodisc specific part...there's no aftermarkets available.

Hope this helps.