LaserActive:CLD-A100 Important Recommendations

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Exclamation-triangle-fill.svgNot following these recommendations could result in damage to your Laseractive!


Assembly, disassembly and packaging the Laseractive are fraught with various pitfalls that can result in damage to the player (physical and/or electrical). These recommendations are provided to prevent many of these issues encountered by various techs.

Initial Checks Before Using a Laseractive

While many players purchased as "working" may indeed do so for a time, if they have not been serviced, it is advised to perform an initial set of checks upon receiving a Laseractive. These checks will go a long way in making sure that the optical pickup and audio demodulator are less likely to be damaged, prior to performing maintenance on the player itself.

  1. Disconnect AC power.
  2. Remove the top cover.
  3. Remove the 4 screws securing the VIDEO board. Lift the board up 90 degrees, then rotate the small board holder on the rear of the CONT board. The VIDEO board can be inserted into this support.
  4. Remove the two stopper screws from the rear of the LD tray.
  5. Using your fingers, rotate the pulley under the front of the LD tray clockwise until the tray begins to move forward. At this point, you can gently pull the tray forward until it stops.
  6. Depress the clip on the tray to fully remove the tray from the player.
  7. Disconnect the 7 pin ribbon cable that connects from the Power Supply to VIDEO (VIDEO side is easier). This cable supplies +5V to the VIDEO board. If the PSU is missing -5V, it will cause the analog audio demodulator to overheat and fail if +5V is supplied while -5V is absent.
  8. Disconnect the large flat flex cable that connects FTSB to CAMB. This will protect the pickup in the event that either of the +/- 14V supply rails are missing.
  9. Connect the mains power and power on the player. The loading motor should begin spinning freely. Slide the Cam Plate while the motor is running to allow the carriage to complete its procedure if desired.
  10. On the FTSB board, locate the set of jumpers with voltage labels, which are near the power supply ribbon. Ensure that the voltages are within 5% of the labeled voltage. One of the jumpers may not be labeled, depending on the FTSB revision. This is the -5V jumper. Take note of any missing voltage rails, if any.
  11. Also on FTSB, locate C835 and C836, which are adjacent to the 4 large transistors. Measure the voltage on the leads that are visible with respect to Ground (can use the chassis as ground). These two capacitors are fused by ICP-N10 fuses and should measure +/-14V. Take note of any missing voltages.
  12. At this point, if all voltages are present and within tolerance, the player may be powered up safely. However, if the unit has not been serviced (new capacitors, fuses, etc), then there is still a risk of component failure.

Move Laser/Pickup to rear before manual tray ejection

If the pickup rail is too far forward, trying to manually eject the tray or physical shock could result in the plastic pickup rail being broken. Manually move the laser pickup rack/rail as far back as the pulley will allow it.

Lubricant

When lubricating the carriage assembly, ONLY use white lithium grease to ensure maximum material compatibility. Failure to do so could result in breakdown of the plastics and eventual failure.

Bend the Chassis front lip

When sending the Laseractive in the mail, it is advised to bend the top-front lip of the chassis cover. This prevents a condition in which, when encountering a physical shock, could cause the side edges of the lip to cut through the sides of the front fascia of the player. Simply bend the two corners inward as shown to prevent this.


FTSB-Carriage Assembly Ribbon Orientation

When reassembling the player, be mindful of the orientation of the CD/LD Carriage-to-FTSB Ribbon orientation. Failure to properly install this ribbon will result in improper operation of the tray, as the loading position switches are among the signals carried on this ribbon.