I am currently working on restoring a portable DCC 175.
First, I obviously replaced the belt – that’s a standard requirement. Playback works perfectly, and in “service mode,” the player shows no errors. I used a belt I bought this time from MFBfreaks in the Netherlands.
The problem I’m experiencing is that the player has trouble rewinding or fast-forwarding. In the last 10-20 percent of the tape, the player slows down and eventually stops. It gradually slows down until it reaches the “stop” position, struggling to rewind properly. This issue occurs with both the battery and the adapter as a power source. If I press rewind again, the player starts rewinding but, as soon as it tries to speed up, it stops again.
What have I done to try to solve this issue?
Just to be sure, I cleaned the wheels thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol. They are completely clean. The wheels move freely when I turn the motor wheel.
I checked the belt to see if it was warped. That wasn’t the case. I even replaced the belt with another one just to be sure, but that didn’t solve the issue.
I carefully checked the mechanism for any signs of sticking, but found nothing. Nonetheless, I applied a bit of lubricant to the moving parts just in case.
I did notice that the right pinch roller was a bit stiff (right one when the lid is opened). I removed both pinch rollers and cleaned them with isopropyl alcohol. Now, they run smoothly in the holder. By the way, I found a method to do this in under ten minutes using a curved tool, which lets you remove the pin easily without disassembling the entire player.
Tape Test
I’m aware that these issues mainly affect first-generation Philips tapes. Unfortunately, I’m experiencing it with both generations.
I ran a few tests with different tapes, and the problem manifests differently with each:
For first-generation tapes (new out of the plastic), I replaced the felt pads with ones from the DCC store. The problem seems slightly improved but is still not resolved.
This issue also occurs with second-generation tapes (with the drop of water) in 75-minute and 90-minute lengths (new out of the plastic). I replaced their felt pads as well, but the issue persists, though it seems slightly less severe.
Here’s the interesting part: with two pre-recorded tapes, the issue does not occur.
Note: All tapes play perfectly on non-portable DCC300, DCC600, and DCC951 units.
What could be the cause of the portable player issue?
I attached a photo of the belt, just to be sure. This is the first one I used, which is the same size as the second belt that I tried, both exhibiting the same issues. I have not replaced the SMD capacitors yet. Could this problem be due to an issue in that area?
It usually is the still the belt. As the tapes age, it will be harder for a single engine player with a very thin original belt (0.6mm) to pull the older tapes during FFW and REW actions.
Some tapes have more resistance due to storage, age etc.
Most pre-recorded titles do not suffer from this, as they are mostly shorter in length.
The original 0.6 mm belt sold in various places, is often too stretchy. This means that if you put a tape in there and the problem occurs, the belt will stretch immediately and the player will stop FFW and REW at that point. The belt recovers and you can try again. But the new belt will suffer from this in my opinion.
I have ordered from several places the 0.6mm belt and all of them have the same stretch problem in a lot of mechanisms. Some might be fine, but most are not.
We used to replace the belts with 0.8mm on all portables, but last year we discovered that 0.7mm is the best size to assure results. It still might not be perfect, but with the slip mechanism (the should stop the player when rewinding to the beginning) and these problems you are having with FFW and REW, the 0.7 might be the best shot.
0.8mm will work as well but is a bit tight.
If non of these belts work, you might want to replace the engine, to see if that helps.
Thank you for your reply Ralf.
Mfb freaks guaranteed me that they sold me the right size belt, so i first have to test the engine maybe. I don’t have a spare 175 available unfortunately.
Is it possible to swap the engine of a 170 with a 175 to test and what if that works? Do i have to throw away the original engine, or just change with maybe a slightly thicker belt to have the same outcome?
Can it be possible that the engine is defect and not repairable anymore because it lost it’s strenght?
Did this ever happen to you, or is it maybe possible that one of the gears needs lubrication or replacement maybe?
I am pretty sure they sold you the right size. But if you read my previous post, the right size belt is sometimes…. No longer the right size. Officially it was 0.6mm and that is what they sold you. In our opinion, this will not work in some portables. It has only partly to do with the belt (it might be more stretchable vs the original maybe), but everything with the torque needed to drive the mechanism and older tapes. For that you need a thicker belt in my opinion.
And Yes, you can swap the engine of a 170 and 175.
Also double check there is no debris of the old belt inside the engine. I have seen that multiple times.
I have also seen screws falling from the lid (they are all falling out unless you tighten them) and ending up in the engine, causing problems
Thank you for your explanation.
First i will do the test with another motor from a 170 deck, because i don’t have the 0.7mm belt.
Is the standard belt that you sell in the shop now 0.7mm instead of the 0.6mm most sellers sell?
Sorry to say, but everywhere the belts cost around 5 dollars/euro and in your shop 12 dollars. Is there a difference in quality that can explain this price difference?
Explaining…. Hm. Well using 150 portables and 200-300+ belts for testing might explain the price difference. We are using all this data trying to find the right belt…. And no longer use the others. That comes at a price unfortunately. The belts in the store are indeed 0.7mm. That is all we are using since last year.
Hi Ralf. It was not a complaint, more a question whether it might have to do with a different type of material or manufacturer or origin. Let’s say that quality, testing and service come with a price tag that makes sense. Thanks again for your feedback.
Hi, I did not really see it as a complaint. We are used to invent or at least reverse engineer a lot of DCC related items. That is what we do. As soon as we are successful the copycats move in. That is how it works unfortunately, but we have to be realistic about it (not happy… but still realistic). Patreons like you keep the dccmuseum going. The spare parts are a service. I am pretty sure there are 0.7mm thick belts to order somewhere cheaper as well. No biggie.
I’m not here to get a bargain, i was just wondering and you gave a clear and fair explanation. And I like service so my order with new belts and some other stuff is coming this week.
By the way, i have now replaced the motor, and rewinding is somewhat better, but you still notice that the player has a lot of difficulty rewinding the last 5 to 10 minutes. It gets to the end, but the last 10 minutes takes ages. Not with pre-recorded tapes only by tapes longer than 45 minutes. I’m going to order the new belts from the DCC museum and hope that will solve all the problems.
