Do CD cleaning discs actually clean? How?

A friend bought an old used SONY Radio/CD/Cassette.

When he puts a CD in, it displays NO DISC, and ejects the CD.

He thinks it's dirty, and I'm in favor of cleaning things, and I even have a CD Cleaning Disk, which I got for a dollar at a hamfest, have never used, but have long wondered about.

a) If the CD cleaning disk doesn't touch the laser or anything else, how can it clean anything????

b) Is there much chance using it will get the drive to accept and play the CD?

P.S. The radio works well, AM and FM, and one of the 2 cassettes plays, mabye too slow, but he was told they have belt drives and I can replace the belts. There is an electronics store here that sells pretty much all sizes .

Reply to
micky
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This is a frequent topic of discussion here. I live 3,000 feet up in the desert. The air is dusty and relative humidity hovers around 35 percent. There are winds from the west during the day as the sun heats the sand to the east, and then blow from the east as the sand cools and the water is still warm.

So everything here is dusty, and there is little moisture or hydrocarbons in the air.

The cleaning disks DO use a small brush.

If you touch them, they wick oil from your fingers and contaminate the lens.

If the brush is clean, they will do a good job cleaning the lens.

Other people, in environments which have more hydrocarbons in the air, or more moisture, have reported the opposite results. The brush just move around the dirt and since it is moist or oily you just end up with muck all over the lens.

YMMV.

Geoff.

--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM
My high blood pressure medicine reduces my midichlorian count. :-(
Reply to
Geoffrey S. Mendelson

I have one I've never used -- or needed to use -- with a brush on the data side. The disk's TOC positions the brush over the lens.

However, I believe someone made a disk with vanes that blows air over the lens. I think.

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

My experience with cleaning discs is that they don't do much.

Since you are mechanically competent enough to change belts, you should be able to open the machine up enough to get at the lens. Use a cotton swab SLIGHTLY moistened with lens cleaning fluid if you have some, but even even Windex will do. Gently roll the swab over the lens. Keep in mind that the lens is on a suspension that allows it to move up and down to focus. On most home players, removing the lid and opening the drawer will give you enough access to clean the lens. Portables are all over the place, from really easy to needing a Sawzall to get to the pick-up.

Regards, Tim Schwartz Bristol Electronics

Reply to
Tim Schwartz

Wow, I guess I should open the package and look at it. I might learn something, like whether maybe there is a brush or vanes I did look through the wrapper, but not carefully, since I just assumed it was a flat CD.

I only paid a dollar at the hamfest and he had a 20 or more, still wrapeed but no labels. Surplus from somewhere, either because no one bought them, or they don't work, but possibly ones that do do something from a company that closed out for other reasons.

G, I live where it's more humid usually, and I guess has more hydrocarbons than the desert. OTOH, maybe this was in a house with air filters and the windows never opened.

Plus what Tim said.....

Thansk a lot.

Reply to
micky

I have a Harbor Frieigh version of a Sawzall, so maybe I can use that.

If not, given the warnings you all have given, your way is may well be tghe way to go

Thanks, and thanks to all. I won't be able to gve any feedback for a long time. .

P&M

Reply to
micky

in

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So you can get the top of the lens but what about all the other surfaces inside the optical block?

G=B2

Reply to
stratus46

The lens is the top surface of the optical block. The whole thing is a (more or less) sealed assembly.

Reply to
William Sommerwerck

It's true that one is only cleaning the top surface of the top lens, but that is the most exposed one. If the player was in a really horrid environment, and you suspect problems below that, you might be right.

I have cleaned the under side of the upper lens on a couple of players as a last resort before replacing the optical block, and have had some success. It requires pulling the top dust cover (rather easy on a typical Sony laser) and either lifting the lens up enough to get under it, or having to lift the rubber suspension off its posts so you can flip it over. NOT something I suggest to the average consumer who is asking how to clean a lens.

Regards, Tim Schwartz Bristol Electronics

Reply to
Tim Schwartz

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