CED VideoDisc and Player Discussion

ParkerVanc · Joined: 22 Jul 2020 Posts: 3

Hi, I’m brand new to the CED world with a machine I got at an antique shop and upon tearing it apart, I’m very confused. So I put one of the discs on and physically took the disc out (it was already scratched up and it wasn’t a movie I cared about) so I could see the motor running underneath. Of course the belt was bad so I removed it, but the motor, with the disc tray at its max height, was spinning clockwise, as if it was trying to go higher. So I manually spun it the other way and a metal bar hit a plastic piece which caused the motor to stop and the turntable motor to start, but that was around halfway down. I don’t even know where to start!

dumbchemist · Joined: 27 Oct 2011 Posts: 546 Location: Central New York

Man, I cannot help you very much. Go to this http://www.cedmagic.com/tech-info/belt-replacement-guide/belt-specs.html for belts.

I only have the circuit diagram for the player and a copy of the book: Complete Guide to "Laser/Videodisc Player Troubleshooting and Repair". (This book is available from Amazon; but, at a price of $106.) The guide is split about 50/50 between laserdisc players and CED players.

I have one of the Realistic players (16-301) which I bought from an E-bay seller. He said that the player lacked a stylus when he got it. He sold the player to me without a stylus. I put one of my spare styluses into it and the player worked very well.

This is what is lacking for the Hitachi chassis players. There are no service manuals available which makes servicing such players very difficult. Again, if anyone has a paper copy of the service manual, could you make a PDF scan of it and make it available?
_________________
Sears 934.54780150 & 934.54810350
CED-1
Hitachi: VIP2000, 3-VIP1000, VIP201P
GEN10301
RCA SJT-200 SJT-400
DiskLord DP-830

cbertra2 · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 221

Replace the two small belts. The timing belt in the back usually does not need to be replaced. The player will not start if the platter is not all the way down when you insert a disc. Manually rotate the gears until the platter is all the way down.

ParkerVanc · Joined: 22 Jul 2020 Posts: 3

By the platter, do you mean the area and rails where the disc is inserted? Because from the videos I’ve seen, it should be all the way up, and then when the disc is inserted, it lowers and starts spinning and then the arm starts moving over onto the disc. Unless the area where the disc sits on raises and lowers?

cbertra2 · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 221

Your right, got it backwards. Repaired a few of these over the years and that does seem to be a problem sometimes.

ParkerVanc · Joined: 22 Jul 2020 Posts: 3

Also I forgot to ask, where is the timing belt? The two belts that I know need to be replaced are the one that moves the arm left and right and the disc up and down. Is there a third one that could be causing issues as well?

cbertra2 · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 221

I know it's in the very back, maybe down low. It looks like a cogged timing belt. It is rather large and orange in color. These tend not to go bad.

ketonic_dude · Joined: 20 Jul 2012 Posts: 547 Location: Mankato, MN

Parker, what model player do you have? From the sounds of it you have a J/K model RCA player? Is that correct? If that's the case it sounds like your platter may not be seated all the way. With the player turned on rotate the platter and see if it drops down. There is a metal post that sticks through the holes on the platter that you may have to push down to rotate it. That model should only have one belt on the rear left side that rotates to load and unload the disc. Well let us know how that goes and what issues you are having from there.