Greets from New Zealand. Thanks for the vid, bought some batteries from the same ebay supplier, works well. For other people attempting this fix, be careful there are two "pads" in very close proximity to the old battery clamp mech, it's not them, it's the two nubs about 1mm away. If in doubt connect the old battery and measure where you get current before you start. *closeup shots in tutorial videos saves electronics*
After all these years, I finally decided to replace the battery on mine today. I noticed there are protective resin dots covering the battery soldering pads, so I decided to use the original battery protection circuit board and connector without soldering directly to the main unit. For anyone who is interested, the negative is the middle lead on the original battery but absolutely double check with a multimeter. when it's installed this way, you might have no battery output when you press any buttons. Don't panic, all you need is to charge it for a few seconds then it will be all good to go! Have fun!
Which battery did you use? I tried using a 302060 (Liter brand from Amazon recently) and found one of the protection board ICs to be too thick to fit inside and couldn't install the rotary switch. Thanks
The N10 was my pride and joy back in the day. I bought it after having used the bulky R50 for quite some time. I loved using NetMD instead of having to actively record tracks on the discs using line in, and the N10 really felt like a premium product and the sound quality was amazing. It truly was an amazing unit. I never jumped on the MP3 player craze when it came, I was a die hard MD user until phones had MP3 players worth a damn. This really brings back memories. Thanks for a good video!
Hi guy, thanks for your video. That was really helpful. I looked for a solution for ages. I bought my Sony MZ-N10 brand new when it has been released, back in 2002. The battery fell after a few years of usage. I could use it only with the external battery option which was not the best convenient. I bought the battery thanks to the link you provided and I just swap it. After a few issues with the thickness of the battery which prevented to close the drawer properly, I pushed it deeper and that's fine now. It's working great. Thanks a lot!
I have one of these with all the peripherals. The case does not latch properly, but the battery works and the displays are functioning. Happy to send it to anyone who wants it for the cost of shipping.
Hi Ted i'm very interested in the player as I need the cables for another player that I have. And maybe i'd be able to fix them both up, If you still have it available please reply and we can work out a deal for it, Thanks
Reminds me of a Sony Discman that I bought for cheap as the seller said it didn't turn on, but it worked fine. I'll never know for sure but I think what happened is they saw the "OFF - RESUME - ON" switch on the side and interpreted that as a 3-position power switch, it's not, it turns the resume function on or off. To actually turn it on you just press the play button, and I think they somehow didn't try that.
@@sjm4306 I also like when they don't even bother to describe items accurately. I just scored a MZ-N10 myself listed as "operation unconfirmed - junk / parts only", but the second pic showed it turned on reading a disc perfectly fine. I got it for around $40 including the remote and external battery pack, but sadly no dock.
I've also had the opposite situation, the seller conveniently forgot to mention the device went swimming and took pics in such a way as to make it difficult to tell by just looking at them. Either that or it was a scrap unit and half the parts are missing. Obviously return material, but still annoying to think you got a deal when in fact all you got was wasted time.
Thanks. This really helped me out. I hope you'll do a video on the USB port on the cradle as well. Or I might have to go out and buy one. I'm kind of hoping you'll help us out with this. If you can't make it please can you help us with the pinout?
Check out the service manual. I don't know if there is one for the cradle, but there is one for the player and I suspect the cradle is just a pass-through.
Thanks for the video. I've gotten back into Minidisc after 15 years in storage. I just picked up two MZ-N10s and have ordered the battery you linked to replace a bulging and dead battery in one of the units. I have read that you should take the protection board from the old battery and attach it to the new. Obviously you'd remove the board from the new as well before doing this. Have you seen any issues using the battery as is without swapping the boards?
The new battery should have it's own protection board built in that is basically identical to the old one so no worries with just plopping the new battery in. There's nothing special or unique about protection circuits, what's important is that there is one in there.
@@sjm4306 Great! Looking forward to installing the battery when it arrives. How long did shipping take when you ordered it? What battery life do you get with it? On the USB front, any progress? I did find a picture showing a USB cable soldered up to the dock.
I think shipping took about two weeks or so. As for battery life, I can't really say as I tend not to listen for longer than a few hours at a time and I leave it on the dock or in a drawer most of the time (I have a ton of different sony models and often switch players to suit my mood). I really haven't had much time to mess around with the usb dock mod although I did figure out the pinout for wiring the usb port, just need to design a little drop in board.
@@sjm4306 yup ~ 70$ for that *** data cable is why i made it myself. the cradle was already in pretty bad shape when i purchased the md player so it's not pretty. But it does the job. What bothers me is the difficulty i have to put music on discs . I don't have any computer running windows to use sonicstage and virtual machines can't handle the connection for some reason. Any suggestion ?
There are newer 3rd party means to burn minidiscs on netmd recorders. Namely Web Minidisc (a website that can be loaded up in chrome and does all the heavy lifting, requiring no program installation except potentially drivers) and platinum md (which I think can run on windows, mac and linux).
I purchased a 302060 (Liter brand from Amazon) and found one of the protection board ICs to be too thick to fit inside and couldn't install the rotary switch.
Any idea how to fix the latch mechanism on this MZ-N10 model unit? Thanks. I haven't received it, and so not have taken it apart yet. Thanks in advance, and I really enjoy watching you refurbish these fine devices.
I'd start with carefully removing the lid and inspecting both the latch on the body and the metal clasp on the lid to make sure both aren't damaged or move as expected.
@@sjm4306 Ever taken the lid off an MZ-N505? I've loosened the screws, but can't get the face to come off - it's stuck in the bottom right-hand corner... There's a few small metal shavings sitting on the display inside that I'd like to remove as they're obstructing the view. Sorry to impose, but I really don't know who else to consult. 😊🤙
You cant just lift the lid straight up as the delicate ribbon that connects the front pcb to the body is located in the bottom right corner. You can wiggle the top side loose and pivot the lid away from the top. If you want to be safe though it's best to remove the bottom case and detach the top lid ribbon first to minimize risk of damaging the ribbon before taking off the top lid.
@@sjm4306 Thanks for the response: I'm aware of the ribbon cable down there - I think I saw it in one of your teardown videos. On the right hand side, there's a plastic little arm (part of the outer shell) that hugs under the guide rail for the MD. It obviously needs to be pushed free to the side before the face can be lifted off. I can feel the spring mechanism also down in this corner area, with a few more little plastic arms reaching down into the bottom half. Can't see how or if they're connected. If I had a non-working device, I'd be less afraid to tamper with 'em. By the way, it's incredibly generous of you to field these questions, and I want to tell you that I'm very grateful for your time and attention. I can see you have a real passion for these devices and for repairing gadgets. I'm the same way. Thanks again, and I look forward to all of your videos. Aloha from Big Island. 🤙
Soetimes the disc are defective. i have a MZ-N707, that i was buyed for usd 10 with no read , i clean the optical unit, include internal lenses, with a self made earcotton (i put a cotton around a rigid coper computer network cable), and works! I have another one, with display broken and optical unit competely destroyed (MZ-R500), where cai i foun this optical units for sale?
Hi SJM, i just got one of these MZ-n10 MD players in great condition of ebay. Problem is the lid will not stay shut? any ideas loooks like the hook latch does not meet the part its supposed to latch again? it also came with just the external battery box...i can not even get it to turn on (i guess the internal battery is shot) but not sure why the external battery box with new AA battery does not work as the seller said "will not stay closed and says no disc on lcd" well like i said can not even get it to power on.....sorry for all questions as i'm totally ne the MD and never owned one even though i'm old lol any help appreciated as i really would love to get this working and use it....so small and awesome looking.
Yeah it wont turn on unless it can detect the lid is shut. Can you see if the metal hook latch that's used to secure the lid shut is bent or anything (or the mating metal piece on the top lid is damaged)?
@@sjm4306 Hi i actually got another unit and found out on the other unit where the latch hooks is broken. So this newer unit has dock and power adapter.....but does not charge.....i have the external battery and this does not turn the unit on either so i'm guessing the terminals foe the unit are bad? any tips without me opening up the unit......really appreciate your replys.
Hi, I just bought a MZ-N10 from japan and its not working and wondering if you could help. I opened it up and saw that the previous owner attempted repairs (pretty bad soldering) and was wondering if you can take some photos of the pcb? Apparently there was a soldered a resistor jumpering a test point and unused pad, I checked the service manual and the resistor is not there but he claimed that he got it like that and it worked before sending it off. If you could take a photo of your pcb to help me compare the 2 boards it would really help me fix this awesome minidisc player. thx
I dont get why people get so up in arms about this. The skill and practice is infinitely more important than how one pronounces the word so why try and divide our group based on something trivial. I honestly dont care how someone says solder, I care that they know how to do it.
@@sjm4306 Just a dig mate, no offence intended. I'm sure i pronounce stuff pretty weird to your ears as well.. It's just a common pronunciation I hear from American and Canadian content makers. No big deal :P Without your video my N10 would be stuck to using it's chunky Battery pack and not the internal one :)
Sorry if my response was a bit gruff, I didnt realize you were just poking a little fun. I've seen a lot of people get in heated arguments about it that I just dont want to get into all that mess on my channel. Glad to hear about your n10 though, anything that keeps a minidisc unit ticking is worth doing.
sjm4306 yeh buddy was totally joking around. Your videos are fantastic and have gotten me out of a lot of pickles! I love reviving old tech, I only just got into soldering from one of your videos.. I’m still yet to purchase an AGS-101 screen (so expensive now!!) and finish off my custom GBA project.
I ve got 2 units of these...one does not boot but is beautiful, the other words good but got scratch...do you think it's possible to replace the mechanism in the beautiful unit?
Did the battery change. New battery showed some charge to start with but its still not charging. Red light comes on but very little charge going in. Mystery ?
Is it possibly your battery is old/worn? Sometimes these batteries you get from overseas have been sat on the shelf for quite a long while and not properly maintained.
Thanks for the video! I've been considering getting my first Minidisc recorder recently. So far I've been prioritizing getting a Hi-MD unit (M10-or if I'm really lucky a rare, decently-priced NH1). Now, if I had to choose NetMD instead, I'm thinking the NH1. The unit is beautiful! I'd describe the design as a kind of "New Millennium" Sony-style. I've noticed plenty of N10 units on eBay coming from Japan. Hesitant to buy a Japanese unit as opposed to NA or EUR, considering I don't know a lick of Japanese... or are the menu and operation on the units in English regardless of region?
The few japanese md players I've ended up with have english menus (and from what I know you should be able to switch the region in the service menu, but the process may differ for different models).
The output of the N10 is very LOW!!! If you are using certain headphones its no fun!!! So getting a japanese or international model has the advantage of more output compared to the european model. Hi-Md model N17NH1 doesn`t have that issue!!! check the output power on Minidisc.org!
@@sjm4306 Well, I was wondering if there is a way to use a different battery with the MZ-NH1 and other players that use the LIP-4WM. The way I see it, one way would be to manufacture a 'shell' with the exact same dimensions as the LIP-4WM and then use a smaller-sized battery to insert into the shell. The contacts would have to be an exact match too. I've been trying to find someone do make a 3-D print of this shell but have not been successful so far.
Ah, yes I think I've seen talk of someone wanting to do just that (though I think they were going to reuse the original ribbon/protection pcb). If you would want to make everything and not have to harvest the ribbon from old batteries, you can design custom flex pcbs and have them manufactured now from china for not too much.
If it doesn't come with the dock and ac adapter you wont be able to charge it as sony put a proprietary connector on the bottom of the unit (and the usb cable plugged directly into the unit cant charge it either).
Hi There, I'm using my late husbands account (He died in April) because I don't have one but he bought me a mini disc player back in 2000 that I still own and use and love so it has sentimental value as well. It's an MZ-N1 type R. The rechargeable battery died years ago and I've been running it on the double A battery supply for many years now. For some reason lately the player will just randomly shut off completely in the middle of play. I assumed it had something to do with the way the battery was connecting to the player but I'm not sure if that is it or how to fix it. Do you have any ideas of what could be the issue. I also cannot figure out a pattern to this shut off...Thanks so much in advance for any advice you may have to offer.
Hi, I'm so sorry for your loss. Just to get a clearer picture about the MZ-N1, is there any visible corrosion or battery leakage on either the AA battery contacts in the external attachment, or the metal contacts between the attachment and and MZ-N1? Also if you aren't touching the player does it ever shut off by itself or does that only happen when you are holding it? How does the screw and contact mechanism feel when attached to the player (is it firm, or is there some wiggle)? Sorry to bombard you with questions but this will give me a better idea on what to suggest based on any info you can provide. Thanks
I have a Sony MZ-RH710 Hi MD which I had thought was dead. I noticed a little corrosion on the battery terminal and cleaned it and now it powers on but when I put a disc in the display says NO DISC. Is there a solution to this problem?
First thing to check is if the laser sled moves freely, you may need to lubricate the rails. It could also be the laser is dead/dying or needs to be recalibrated using the service mode (details on how to do this are in the service manual).
Just to let you know I have managed to get my long dormant Hi MD working used the MD head cleaner and now it sounds great. The controls are a bit stiff but I can live with that. I'm glad I didn't throw it out. Thanks again for your help.
I replaced the battery, used it but now when I try to charge it, it looks like it charges but the moment I take it off charge, it shows as low. I'm charging it with the battery adapter and a mains plug, any suggestions?
@@sjm4306 hehe yea Im not sure how to use this multimeter I swapped with a friend for some reason anyways on the 20v setting (pretty sure that's the right setting) it read as 3.37. the battery was 3.7v with 300mAh when I got it, I think I'm in over my head I appreciate your patience
I never got around to it but still want to (I did end up getting one of the proprietary usb cables but having a mini or micro usb port of the dock would be so much better)
@@sjm4306 Totally! I have two cables sharing between my NH1, NH3d and N10 but they are very fragile and the new ones cost a lot and getting harder to find. I don't use them a lot these days but I'm slightly OCD over those things lol. I have two docks and would like to convert one if possible. You mentioned the service manual, does that have the diagram on it? I have never looked at the manual and I will need to dig through my storage room ☺️. Would love to see your update about this. Great content and nice MiniDisc collection you have there.
Thanks! The service manual has the player side dock connector pinout that can be used to figure out the pinout for the mating dock connector. That was as far as I got, I'll probably design two pcbs for either mini or micro usb.
@@sjm4306 Great! Would like to see that working one day. I did download the service manual and found that main board diagram. I have some micro USB pcb board on hand and might give it a try someday lol. Remind me, do you need 10k or 15k resistors for the Data+ & - ? Thanks.
For low speed data transfer I've seen something like series 220 ohms for microcontroller reference designs but no idea for higher speed circuits. I was planning on just following the design on the original dock pcb, just swapping the connector with usb.
You would have to find the usb cable with the proprietary plug on the end that fits into the recorder and open it to bridge 5V usb to the pin that the cradle passed 5V dc from the adapter. The service manual has all the pinout info necessary to do this. I haven't been able to do this myself as the usb cords are stupidly expensive and hard to find and mine didn't come with one.
sjm4306 Like this? www.google.com/search?q=usb+cord+5+pin&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiQoajm8PPlAhWZL7kGHRmKDegQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=usb+cord+5+pin&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3...16229.18694..19178...0.0..0.69.337.6......0....1.........0i19.bbsQ-H8z51U&ei=nZ7SXdDeK5nf5OUPmZS2wA4&prmd=imsvn&rlz=1CDGOYI_enCL837CL837&hl=es#imgrc=-NDYSwsf6UDDxM
Neither of those will plug into the mz-n10, sony designed a proprietary connector on the bottom of this md recorder that as far as I know only this recorder has so you have to buy the original cord that it came with. Here's what the plug looks like: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1mvV8IVXXXXbzaFXXq6xXFXXXQ/USB-Data-Cable-Cord-For-Sony-NetMD-MZ-N10-MZ-NH1-MZ-NH3-MZ-DH10P-19.jpg
Yep, I'll be getting a tiny board made for the mod soon so it will be a drop in replacement. I doubt it would really sell but I'll make a few and keep them on hand in case someone wants one.
Picked up a "damaged" one in a local market place for $100AUD .. just a battery replacement but the usb cable going for more than what I paid for it deffinatly not worth the effort. Keep me updated, happy to post a response vid when I mod mine to suit =) cheers man
Great video, My Mz-N10 has been sitting for years because the battery was dead. I remember searching in 2013 or so but at that time the only replacement battery was new old stock at an extremly high price. This evening for some reason I decided to do a quick search to see if some one started making replacements again and I found this video. Battery is on the way. Question, if you dont mind my asking, what are you going to use the USB for? the SW is out of date at this point?
Sean; I have this recorder with the same battery issue. I'm not that great with a soldering iron, so I have a question for you: If I send you my MZ-N10 and a replacement battery, what would you charge to implement this fix for me (if you even do that kind of thing at all)?
You need to find the installation files for sony sonicstage. I can confirm everything works fine for windows 7 but there might be more issues to contend with if you have a newer os.
Here's an ebay affiliate search for the correct sized battery: ebay.to/2zwRDED You will need to solder these though as the exact replacement batteries are no longer available.
Not really worth keeping spares imo because these batteries degrade even when you dont use them so they may be useless when you go to change out the 1st battery.
Many thanks for this! Very very useful. Got question, not sure you or someone reading this might be able to help: my MZ-N1 was working perfectly well UNTIL last week: when recording (both analog or via SonicStage), it does the recording, and writes TOC etc but the minidisc is BLANK in the end. If I put disc with some other music in it, after attempting to record and extra song, it deletes the rest of content...the player works well. Could it be the magnetic head? Does anyone had same problem and managed to fix somehow? Many thanks to everyone for reading this and hoping someone out there will help!
It`s a common defect almost all N1 have after some years. Its a broken flat plastic cable (Write head cable cracking). Long Time ago that was known in the MD Community ;-)
Hi guys! I've got model MZ- N710 Net md walkman,years ago i hacked it but it went wrong and now the buttons and menu have changed! 😢😢 Anybody could help me to reset it or restore it to the original functions ?? Please help me!!
The only way to reverse the changes is to go back into the service menu and write back the old values to the memory locations that you changed with what they were originally. If you don't remember what you changed then unfortunately there's no going back.
page 13 of the service manual (www.minidisc.org/manuals/sony/service/sony_MZ-NF810_service_manual.pdf) explains how to solder a jumper on the pcb to force it into service mode in the event you cant do it via the button press method.
Greets from New Zealand. Thanks for the vid, bought some batteries from the same ebay supplier, works well. For other people attempting this fix, be careful there are two "pads" in very close proximity to the old battery clamp mech, it's not them, it's the two nubs about 1mm away. If in doubt connect the old battery and measure where you get current before you start. *closeup shots in tutorial videos saves electronics*
After all these years, I finally decided to replace the battery on mine today. I noticed there are protective resin dots covering the battery soldering pads, so I decided to use the original battery protection circuit board and connector without soldering directly to the main unit. For anyone who is interested, the negative is the middle lead on the original battery but absolutely double check with a multimeter. when it's installed this way, you might have no battery output when you press any buttons. Don't panic, all you need is to charge it for a few seconds then it will be all good to go! Have fun!
Which battery did you use? I tried using a 302060 (Liter brand from Amazon recently) and found one of the protection board ICs to be too thick to fit inside and couldn't install the rotary switch. Thanks
The N10 was my pride and joy back in the day. I bought it after having used the bulky R50 for quite some time. I loved using NetMD instead of having to actively record tracks on the discs using line in, and the N10 really felt like a premium product and the sound quality was amazing. It truly was an amazing unit. I never jumped on the MP3 player craze when it came, I was a die hard MD user until phones had MP3 players worth a damn. This really brings back memories. Thanks for a good video!
Always happy to hear from another md fan!
The N10 is indeed a premium product
It was made out of magnesium!
Thanks! ...
expect I will bring my old n10 to life !
Hi guy, thanks for your video. That was really helpful. I looked for a solution for ages. I bought my Sony MZ-N10 brand new when it has been released, back in 2002. The battery fell after a few years of usage. I could use it only with the external battery option which was not the best convenient.
I bought the battery thanks to the link you provided and I just swap it. After a few issues with the thickness of the battery which prevented to close the drawer properly, I pushed it deeper and that's fine now.
It's working great. Thanks a lot!
I have one of these with all the peripherals. The case does not latch properly, but the battery works and the displays are functioning. Happy to send it to anyone who wants it for the cost of shipping.
That's very kind of you! Hopefully a well deserving fellow viewer in need of it will chime in.
Hi Ted i'm very interested in the player as I need the cables for another player that I have.
And maybe i'd be able to fix them both up, If you still have it available please reply and we can work out a deal for it, Thanks
You deserve 1 million subs your videos are always so interesting to watch c
Thanks, glad you like them!
You know it’s gonna be a good day when Sean uploads early in the morning.
I've got a massive backlog of videos that I need to thin out so look forward to more!
Glad you mentioned the PSP adapter thing, my charger is fucked and the PSP adapter works! Time to listen to some old skool shit!
I prefer the 302060 model battery which is thinner (so it doesn't push out the walls of the battery compartment) but anyway with higher capacity.
Reminds me of a Sony Discman that I bought for cheap as the seller said it didn't turn on, but it worked fine. I'll never know for sure but I think what happened is they saw the "OFF - RESUME - ON" switch on the side and interpreted that as a 3-position power switch, it's not, it turns the resume function on or off. To actually turn it on you just press the play button, and I think they somehow didn't try that.
I'm not complaining, their misunderstanding is our benefit lol!
@@sjm4306 I also like when they don't even bother to describe items accurately. I just scored a MZ-N10 myself listed as "operation unconfirmed - junk / parts only", but the second pic showed it turned on reading a disc perfectly fine. I got it for around $40 including the remote and external battery pack, but sadly no dock.
I've also had the opposite situation, the seller conveniently forgot to mention the device went swimming and took pics in such a way as to make it difficult to tell by just looking at them. Either that or it was a scrap unit and half the parts are missing. Obviously return material, but still annoying to think you got a deal when in fact all you got was wasted time.
@@sjm4306 Yeah, that sucks.
Thanks. This really helped me out. I hope you'll do a video on the USB port on the cradle as well. Or I might have to go out and buy one.
I'm kind of hoping you'll help us out with this.
If you can't make it please can you help us with the pinout?
Check out the service manual. I don't know if there is one for the cradle, but there is one for the player and I suspect the cradle is just a pass-through.
Yep, you are correct
Thanks for the video. I've gotten back into Minidisc after 15 years in storage. I just picked up two MZ-N10s and have ordered the battery you linked to replace a bulging and dead battery in one of the units. I have read that you should take the protection board from the old battery and attach it to the new. Obviously you'd remove the board from the new as well before doing this. Have you seen any issues using the battery as is without swapping the boards?
The new battery should have it's own protection board built in that is basically identical to the old one so no worries with just plopping the new battery in. There's nothing special or unique about protection circuits, what's important is that there is one in there.
@@sjm4306 Great! Looking forward to installing the battery when it arrives. How long did shipping take when you ordered it? What battery life do you get with it? On the USB front, any progress? I did find a picture showing a USB cable soldered up to the dock.
I think shipping took about two weeks or so. As for battery life, I can't really say as I tend not to listen for longer than a few hours at a time and I leave it on the dock or in a drawer most of the time (I have a ton of different sony models and often switch players to suit my mood).
I really haven't had much time to mess around with the usb dock mod although I did figure out the pinout for wiring the usb port, just need to design a little drop in board.
Hi! Do you know where I can order the same battery? Thanks
Same here , no data cable included so i also had do solder a usb cabe directly inside
It's such a shame that this beautiful portable is chained to a proprietary connector that has become ridiculously rare and expensive.
@@sjm4306 yup ~ 70$ for that *** data cable is why i made it myself. the cradle was already in pretty bad shape when i purchased the md player so it's not pretty. But it does the job. What bothers me is the difficulty i have to put music on discs . I don't have any computer running windows to use sonicstage and virtual machines can't handle the connection for some reason. Any suggestion ?
There are newer 3rd party means to burn minidiscs on netmd recorders. Namely Web Minidisc (a website that can be loaded up in chrome and does all the heavy lifting, requiring no program installation except potentially drivers) and platinum md (which I think can run on windows, mac and linux).
sony sports netmd player doesn't power up anymore after i insert a battery into it and press play. any ideas on quick fixes? thanks in advance.
The 302060 is a much better replacement for the N10!, Fits better and it has more capacity
I have also seen someone using 570mAh, 342262 LiPo, also fits.
I purchased a 302060 (Liter brand from Amazon) and found one of the protection board ICs to be too thick to fit inside and couldn't install the rotary switch.
Any idea how to fix the latch mechanism on this MZ-N10 model unit? Thanks. I haven't received it, and so not have taken it apart yet. Thanks in advance, and I really enjoy watching you refurbish these fine devices.
I'd start with carefully removing the lid and inspecting both the latch on the body and the metal clasp on the lid to make sure both aren't damaged or move as expected.
@@sjm4306 Thank you very much for responding. I'll follow that advice and let you know how it goes. 🤙
@@sjm4306 Ever taken the lid off an MZ-N505? I've loosened the screws, but can't get the face to come off - it's stuck in the bottom right-hand corner... There's a few small metal shavings sitting on the display inside that I'd like to remove as they're obstructing the view. Sorry to impose, but I really don't know who else to consult. 😊🤙
You cant just lift the lid straight up as the delicate ribbon that connects the front pcb to the body is located in the bottom right corner. You can wiggle the top side loose and pivot the lid away from the top. If you want to be safe though it's best to remove the bottom case and detach the top lid ribbon first to minimize risk of damaging the ribbon before taking off the top lid.
@@sjm4306 Thanks for the response: I'm aware of the ribbon cable down there - I think I saw it in one of your teardown videos. On the right hand side, there's a plastic little arm (part of the outer shell) that hugs under the guide rail for the MD. It obviously needs to be pushed free to the side before the face can be lifted off. I can feel the spring mechanism also down in this corner area, with a few more little plastic arms reaching down into the bottom half. Can't see how or if they're connected. If I had a non-working device, I'd be less afraid to tamper with 'em. By the way, it's incredibly generous of you to field these questions, and I want to tell you that I'm very grateful for your time and attention. I can see you have a real passion for these devices and for repairing gadgets. I'm the same way. Thanks again, and I look forward to all of your videos. Aloha from Big Island. 🤙
Soetimes the disc are defective. i have a MZ-N707, that i was buyed for usd 10 with no read , i clean the optical unit, include internal lenses, with a self made earcotton (i put a cotton around a rigid coper computer network cable), and works! I have another one, with display broken and optical unit competely destroyed (MZ-R500), where cai i foun this optical units for sale?
Hi SJM, i just got one of these MZ-n10 MD players in great condition of ebay. Problem is the lid will not stay shut? any ideas loooks like the hook latch does not meet the part its supposed to latch again? it also came with just the external battery box...i can not even get it to turn on (i guess the internal battery is shot) but not sure why the external battery box with new AA battery does not work as the seller said "will not stay closed and says no disc on lcd" well like i said can not even get it to power on.....sorry for all questions as i'm totally ne the MD and never owned one even though i'm old lol any help appreciated as i really would love to get this working and use it....so small and awesome looking.
Yeah it wont turn on unless it can detect the lid is shut. Can you see if the metal hook latch that's used to secure the lid shut is bent or anything (or the mating metal piece on the top lid is damaged)?
@@sjm4306 hook does not seem to mate up to other side? could you take a pic of what it's supposed to look like?
shoot me an email at sjm4306@gmail.com so I can forward a pic I took of the latch and catch.
@@sjm4306 Hi i actually got another unit and found out on the other unit where the latch hooks is broken.
So this newer unit has dock and power adapter.....but does not charge.....i have the external battery and this does not turn the unit on either so i'm guessing the terminals foe the unit are bad? any tips without me opening up the unit......really appreciate your replys.
Hi, I just bought a MZ-N10 from japan and its not working and wondering if you could help. I opened it up and saw that the previous owner attempted repairs (pretty bad soldering) and was wondering if you can take some photos of the pcb? Apparently there was a soldered a resistor jumpering a test point and unused pad, I checked the service manual and the resistor is not there but he claimed that he got it like that and it worked before sending it off. If you could take a photo of your pcb to help me compare the 2 boards it would really help me fix this awesome minidisc player. thx
I like to "solder" not "sodder" things. But cool vid mate! I'll be doing this replacement soon to my N10.
I dont get why people get so up in arms about this. The skill and practice is infinitely more important than how one pronounces the word so why try and divide our group based on something trivial. I honestly dont care how someone says solder, I care that they know how to do it.
@@sjm4306 Just a dig mate, no offence intended. I'm sure i pronounce stuff pretty weird to your ears as well.. It's just a common pronunciation I hear from American and Canadian content makers. No big deal :P Without your video my N10 would be stuck to using it's chunky Battery pack and not the internal one :)
Sorry if my response was a bit gruff, I didnt realize you were just poking a little fun. I've seen a lot of people get in heated arguments about it that I just dont want to get into all that mess on my channel. Glad to hear about your n10 though, anything that keeps a minidisc unit ticking is worth doing.
sjm4306 yeh buddy was totally joking around. Your videos are fantastic and have gotten me out of a lot of pickles! I love reviving old tech, I only just got into soldering from one of your videos.. I’m still yet to purchase an AGS-101 screen (so expensive now!!) and finish off my custom GBA project.
How is the mod going since the video? Battery still holding charge? I found a slimmer version I might try, 352060 Lipo battery.
I ve got 2 units of these...one does not boot but is beautiful, the other words good but got scratch...do you think it's possible to replace the mechanism in the beautiful unit?
You could just swap the scratched parts of the shell so you end up with a working, beautiful unit and a scratched, non-working one.
Did you ever modify your dock with USB mini out? I'm considering doing the same but I need some guidance. Thanks!
Did the battery change. New battery showed some charge to start with but its still not charging. Red light comes on but very little charge going in. Mystery ?
Is it possibly your battery is old/worn? Sometimes these batteries you get from overseas have been sat on the shelf for quite a long while and not properly maintained.
@@sjm4306 strange but external battery only works when built in battery switch is On.
Yep, that's an oddity of the design that goes against how the gumstick models handle external batteries.
Thanks for the video!
I've been considering getting my first Minidisc recorder recently. So far I've been prioritizing getting a Hi-MD unit (M10-or if I'm really lucky a rare, decently-priced NH1). Now, if I had to choose NetMD instead, I'm thinking the NH1. The unit is beautiful! I'd describe the design as a kind of "New Millennium" Sony-style.
I've noticed plenty of N10 units on eBay coming from Japan. Hesitant to buy a Japanese unit as opposed to NA or EUR, considering I don't know a lick of Japanese... or are the menu and operation on the units in English regardless of region?
The few japanese md players I've ended up with have english menus (and from what I know you should be able to switch the region in the service menu, but the process may differ for different models).
The output of the N10 is very LOW!!! If you are using certain headphones its no fun!!! So getting a japanese or international model has the advantage of more output compared to the european model. Hi-Md model N17NH1 doesn`t have that issue!!! check the output power on Minidisc.org!
Hi! thanks for the great video, unfortunately my battery bought from the link does not hold the voltage you think may be faulty?
Yeah, a new battery should be able to hold a charge for at least a few months. I'd contact the seller to get a replacement.
Hello! Do you have any ideas on the LIP-4WM battery that came
Sorry I'm not sure what exactly you are asking?
@@sjm4306 Well, I was wondering if there is a way to use a different battery with the MZ-NH1 and other players that use the LIP-4WM. The way I see it, one way would be to manufacture a 'shell' with the exact same dimensions as the LIP-4WM and then use a smaller-sized battery to insert into the shell. The contacts would have to be an exact match too. I've been trying to find someone do make a 3-D print of this shell but have not been successful so far.
Ah, yes I think I've seen talk of someone wanting to do just that (though I think they were going to reuse the original ribbon/protection pcb). If you would want to make everything and not have to harvest the ribbon from old batteries, you can design custom flex pcbs and have them manufactured now from china for not too much.
Dude you just saved my exact player :-) thank you!
The 302060 battery is a better choice than what he used
@@BavarianM Is it a thinner one?
I just scored one on facebook. hopefully I just have to replace battery. says on the ad no charger and battery needs replacing
If it doesn't come with the dock and ac adapter you wont be able to charge it as sony put a proprietary connector on the bottom of the unit (and the usb cable plugged directly into the unit cant charge it either).
Can't I use the protection circuit and connector of the existing battery?
Yes you absolutely can so long as it comfortably fits with whatever battery you use it with
hi! good video, the link to ebay doesn't work, could you please detail the specs of the replacement battery, thanks!!!!!
Added link and more info about the battery in the description.
thanks! new life for an mz-e10
Hi There, I'm using my late husbands account (He died in April) because I don't have one but he bought me a mini disc player back in 2000 that I still own and use and love so it has sentimental value as well. It's an MZ-N1 type R. The rechargeable battery died years ago and I've been running it on the double A battery supply for many years now. For some reason lately the player will just randomly shut off completely in the middle of play. I assumed it had something to do with the way the battery was connecting to the player but I'm not sure if that is it or how to fix it. Do you have any ideas of what could be the issue. I also cannot figure out a pattern to this shut off...Thanks so much in advance for any advice you may have to offer.
Hi, I'm so sorry for your loss. Just to get a clearer picture about the MZ-N1, is there any visible corrosion or battery leakage on either the AA battery contacts in the external attachment, or the metal contacts between the attachment and and MZ-N1? Also if you aren't touching the player does it ever shut off by itself or does that only happen when you are holding it? How does the screw and contact mechanism feel when attached to the player (is it firm, or is there some wiggle)? Sorry to bombard you with questions but this will give me a better idea on what to suggest based on any info you can provide. Thanks
What is the model number for the new lithium battery ?
Battery is 3.7V, 350mAh, with dimensions of 40mm x 20mm x 4mm. Iirc that'd be a model with the number 402004 or something like that.
Awesome video as always
I have a Sony MZ-RH710 Hi MD which I had thought was dead. I noticed a little corrosion on the battery terminal and cleaned it and now it powers on but when I put a disc in the display says NO DISC. Is there a solution to this problem?
First thing to check is if the laser sled moves freely, you may need to lubricate the rails. It could also be the laser is dead/dying or needs to be recalibrated using the service mode (details on how to do this are in the service manual).
@@sjm4306 I will try to get a download of the service manual and give it a try. Thanks for your help.
Just to let you know I have managed to get my long dormant Hi MD working used the MD head cleaner and now it sounds great. The controls are a bit stiff but I can live with that. I'm glad I didn't throw it out. Thanks again for your help.
That's great news, enjoy using it while you can!
I replaced the battery, used it but now when I try to charge it, it looks like it charges but the moment I take it off charge, it shows as low. I'm charging it with the battery adapter and a mains plug, any suggestions?
Sounds like the battery is bad (like it sat on a shelf for too long without proper periodic charging). Can you measure the voltage?
Hmm I did get a reading there 06.5 using the 200v~ setting on the multimeter
Lipo batteries when fully charged can only be up to around 4.2V. You have to be on one of the DC volts settings since batteries output DC, not AC (~).
@@sjm4306 hehe yea Im not sure how to use this multimeter I swapped with a friend for some reason anyways on the 20v setting (pretty sure that's the right setting) it read as 3.37. the battery was 3.7v with 300mAh when I got it, I think I'm in over my head I appreciate your patience
That does sound a little low, try leaving it on charge for awhile to see if it recovers with time.
So upon doing some research, it looks like a 402060 cell will also fit, and give you 500mah of charge
Ordered one and just finished installing it. Fits great, plenty of room
Next video is you hacking a micro or mini USB adapter to it? Love the video btw!
Yes, a USB adapter mod video would be super useful!
Any chance that you can show how to add that USB adapter to it
This is awesome man. Did you successfully make the micro usb conversion? Thanks.
I never got around to it but still want to (I did end up getting one of the proprietary usb cables but having a mini or micro usb port of the dock would be so much better)
@@sjm4306 Totally! I have two cables sharing between my NH1, NH3d and N10 but they are very fragile and the new ones cost a lot and getting harder to find. I don't use them a lot these days but I'm slightly OCD over those things lol. I have two docks and would like to convert one if possible. You mentioned the service manual, does that have the diagram on it? I have never looked at the manual and I will need to dig through my storage room ☺️. Would love to see your update about this. Great content and nice MiniDisc collection you have there.
Thanks! The service manual has the player side dock connector pinout that can be used to figure out the pinout for the mating dock connector. That was as far as I got, I'll probably design two pcbs for either mini or micro usb.
@@sjm4306 Great! Would like to see that working one day. I did download the service manual and found that main board diagram. I have some micro USB pcb board on hand and might give it a try someday lol. Remind me, do you need 10k or 15k resistors for the Data+ & - ? Thanks.
For low speed data transfer I've seen something like series 220 ohms for microcontroller reference designs but no idea for higher speed circuits. I was planning on just following the design on the original dock pcb, just swapping the connector with usb.
Hello, how can I charge the unit without the cradle? Thanks in advance.
You would have to find the usb cable with the proprietary plug on the end that fits into the recorder and open it to bridge 5V usb to the pin that the cradle passed 5V dc from the adapter. The service manual has all the pinout info necessary to do this. I haven't been able to do this myself as the usb cords are stupidly expensive and hard to find and mine didn't come with one.
sjm4306 Like this? www.google.com/search?q=usb+cord+5+pin&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiQoajm8PPlAhWZL7kGHRmKDegQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=usb+cord+5+pin&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3...16229.18694..19178...0.0..0.69.337.6......0....1.........0i19.bbsQ-H8z51U&ei=nZ7SXdDeK5nf5OUPmZS2wA4&prmd=imsvn&rlz=1CDGOYI_enCL837CL837&hl=es#imgrc=-NDYSwsf6UDDxM
sjm4306 This? www.google.com/search?q=usb+cord+5+pin&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiQoajm8PPlAhWZL7kGHRmKDegQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=usb+cord+5+pin&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-img.3...16229.18694..19178...0.0..0.69.337.6......0....1.........0i19.bbsQ-H8z51U&ei=nZ7SXdDeK5nf5OUPmZS2wA4&prmd=imsvn&rlz=1CDGOYI_enCL837CL837&hl=es#imgrc=-NDYSwsf6UDDxM&imgdii=xO5G6IsCxmTOYM
Neither of those will plug into the mz-n10, sony designed a proprietary connector on the bottom of this md recorder that as far as I know only this recorder has so you have to buy the original cord that it came with. Here's what the plug looks like: ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1mvV8IVXXXXbzaFXXq6xXFXXXQ/USB-Data-Cable-Cord-For-Sony-NetMD-MZ-N10-MZ-NH1-MZ-NH3-MZ-DH10P-19.jpg
Great vid, can you please keep us updated on the mini/micro usb pin out/mod? Much appreciated dude
Yep, I'll be getting a tiny board made for the mod soon so it will be a drop in replacement. I doubt it would really sell but I'll make a few and keep them on hand in case someone wants one.
@@sjm4306 put me down for one, if I could be bothered I'd find the pin out but immediately happy to pay you to damage yours before I damage mine haha
Yep these certianly arent cheap nowadays. It pains me that they were never as popular here in the west as they were in europe and japan.
Picked up a "damaged" one in a local market place for $100AUD .. just a battery replacement but the usb cable going for more than what I paid for it deffinatly not worth the effort. Keep me updated, happy to post a response vid when I mod mine to suit =) cheers man
@@sjm4306 Any luck with this mod? Would also love to hear an update.
Great video, My Mz-N10 has been sitting for years because the battery was dead. I remember searching in 2013 or so but at that time the only replacement battery was new old stock at an extremly high price. This evening for some reason I decided to do a quick search to see if some one started making replacements again and I found this video. Battery is on the way.
Question, if you dont mind my asking, what are you going to use the USB for? the SW is out of date at this point?
Sonicstage works just fine with my windows 7 machine. I use it to burn discs at faster than real time.
just got around to installing the battery, the soldering was not the best but it is playing and charging now. Thank you for the tutorial.
No problem, glad you got it up an running in the end!
Sean; I have this recorder with the same battery issue. I'm not that great with a soldering iron, so I have a question for you: If I send you my MZ-N10 and a replacement battery, what would you charge to implement this fix for me (if you even do that kind of thing at all)?
Shoot me an email at sjm4306@gmail.com
Will do. Thanks!
Do you sync it with you PC? If so how? Because I have a netMD player myself and can not find a way to sync it anymore
You need to find the installation files for sony sonicstage. I can confirm everything works fine for windows 7 but there might be more issues to contend with if you have a newer os.
I uploaded the file to Sendspace. Here's the link to download the version that works with Win10: www.sendspace.com/file/t84hc6
@@reprinted3D Hello, can you upload again? Thanks in advance.
Hey, I'm looking for a spare battery but cant find anywhere. Not even on ebay. Could you tell us where you found it?
Here's an ebay affiliate search for the correct sized battery: ebay.to/2zwRDED
You will need to solder these though as the exact replacement batteries are no longer available.
@@sjm4306 Thank you for your attention. Is this the same replacement you bought?
Yes, this is the same battery I used in this video.
@@sjm4306 Thank you so much! It's so cheap. You believe worths keeping some spares?
Not really worth keeping spares imo because these batteries degrade even when you dont use them so they may be useless when you go to change out the 1st battery.
Can you name the battery so i can buy it too?
I used a 402040 (link in the video description) but a user suggested a 302060 as a slightly better fit.
Many thanks for this! Very very useful. Got question, not sure you or someone reading this might be able to help: my MZ-N1 was working perfectly well UNTIL last week: when recording (both analog or via SonicStage), it does the recording, and writes TOC etc but the minidisc is BLANK in the end. If I put disc with some other music in it, after attempting to record and extra song, it deletes the rest of content...the player works well. Could it be the magnetic head? Does anyone had same problem and managed to fix somehow? Many thanks to everyone for reading this and hoping someone out there will help!
Yep, sounds like your overwrite head has died. It is possible to swap the head from a donor player if you can find a broken one for cheap.
It`s a common defect almost all N1 have after some years. Its a broken flat plastic cable (Write head cable cracking). Long Time ago that was known in the MD Community ;-)
Hi guys! I've got model MZ- N710 Net md walkman,years ago i hacked it but it went wrong and now the buttons and menu have changed! 😢😢
Anybody could help me to reset it or restore it to the original functions ??
Please help me!!
What exactly do you mean the buttons and menu have changed?
@@sjm4306 i can't turn the volume up or down,the menu is not the it used to be ,etc
The only way to reverse the changes is to go back into the service menu and write back the old values to the memory locations that you changed with what they were originally. If you don't remember what you changed then unfortunately there's no going back.
@@sjm4306 I can't even enter into the service menu!!!
page 13 of the service manual (www.minidisc.org/manuals/sony/service/sony_MZ-NF810_service_manual.pdf) explains how to solder a jumper on the pcb to force it into service mode in the event you cant do it via the button press method.
Remind me not to get a MZ-N10'do to have an unusual battery lol===================I seen them going 3 x that $40
Theres a 400mah version around half an inch longer ^^
... that's what she ... nevermind ...
Battery model #? Ty
@@chadwickhell 302060 , much better replacement
@@BavarianM ty for the reply!
Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome mix? :P
Yep
Sweet dude! Just need a 1gb disc! (Or UMD ;) )
I plead sleep deprivation for that slip of the tongue :-)
These dont use HI-MD, UMD doesnt have anything to do with MD lol
@@BavarianM He said umd by accident in the video XD
Lol I've created a misunderstanding
@@sjm4306 Ah, so that's why my PSP won't play MiniDiscs.
If you want to know everything there is to know about MiniDisc, check out the book: www.amazon.com/dp/B07WV7GFXW enjoy!
Muy bien!!!!
you know my address, you may need it to send me that sweet player
7:23 samsung with the note 7
I love them, myself
Lucky boy
Indeed! I wish it had the AA battery case but for the price I paid I really cant complain.
noice
First :)
양질의 정보입니다.. 무조건 추천!!!! ^^;;