Technics RS-DC10 plays intermittently

Recorders, Players, etc.
1

Hi,
I’m a total newbie here so please be gentle ;->

I have a dcc deck that came with a Technics stereo system I bought a couple of decades ago that I have never used. My recollection is that it worked fine for a bit then started acting up on dcc tapes. It plays analog tapes fine but the dcc output is kind of regularly intermittent every second or so. I have only tried it with pre-recorded tapes and it happens with all of them. The meters show the drop outs even though they are very short. Occasionally it will play a few minutes before acting up. I haven’t tried recording anything to see what it does.

I have the service manual and I’m not completely unfamiliar with electronics but the thing is really surplus to requirements so I don’t want to spend lots of time and money on it just to junk it. If anyone has some possible easy fix suggestions or troubleshooting procedures I’d love to hear 'em - clean the heads? aztec(?) angle?

In any event it’s going up on eBay but I don’t hold out much hope for a sale being all the way down under in New Zealand.

Thanks for your help and kudos to you folks keeping old tech alive!

Hyram

2

Hi and welcome,
There is no quick fix, but there is a chance to restore.

Technics DCC RS DC10 Digital Compact Cassette Repair. Serviced with new SMD Capacitors

3

Does the problem occur on birth side A and B? And does an amazing tape really sound finger or do you have some wow and clutter?

If it only occurs on one side of the cassette, and the interruption is once every second or so, the problem could be a pinch roller.

===Jac

4

Auto correct is a pain sometimes…

5

Let’s try that again.

Does the problem occur on both side A and B? And does an analog tape really sound great or do you have some wow and flutter?

If it only occurs on one side of the cassette, and the interruption is once every second or so, the problem could be a pinch roller.

===Jac

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Jac,
Thanks for your responses. I’ve been away and very busy so haven’t had this small problem much on my mind.

I did have another brief look at it yesterday and here is what’s happening:
Analog tape - seems to play a music fine on both A and B sides with no real noticeable wow and flutter but the output is very low and there is a constant hiss. Both sides are the same.
DCC tape - side A plays at reasonable volume but has intermittent drop-outs about once a second but the drop-outs are not regular in time. Side B doesn’t play at all.

I did clean the head with alcohol and a cotton bud and the DCC playback on side A got better but only briefly.

Thanks for sharing any ideas you have.

Hyram

7

The answer was already given in my previous post, sharing the video.
The smd capacitors have failed.
Unless you replaced them already.

8

Thanks drdcc, you’re likely right, I was just hoping there might be a simpler fix. Oh well, I’ll put it up on eBay and if no takers it will get sent to the electronics recyclers.

9

Not after you harvested the still good parts and send it over to the dcc museum… these heads become very scarce, and if yours is still good, Ralph can use that someday to help another enthousiast!
So if it is not too much to ask… dismantle it and send it to dcc museum…

10

Interesting. So what are the good parts? It would cost me quite a bit to send it to the Netherlands and I’m not heading to Europe anytime soon.

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The dcc museum is situated in the United States…

Ask @drdcc about what he might be interested in…

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I have send you a PM