rowe cd100 won't initialize any slots

pleasehelpme

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Hi - I just purchased a rowe cd100 and I can't get it to initialize any cd's - the motor spins but it pulses fast then slow - not sure if that is normal or not - no error codes or lights but I did notice that the rowelink response light on the decoder only flickers when the initialization is done and the disc is about to be put back in it's slot - not sure if that is normal or not either - I also noticed that the cancel button wire is not hooked to the terminal strip by the volume control wires and it doesn't seem to be there at all - not sure if the cancel button is a n/o or a n/c so I tried jumpering to common but got the same result - I have the repair / service manual which is vague to say the least - the version on the eprom is 2.5? - I am not interested in upgrades unless they are free as I just want to get this working to put in my shop - any help would be greatly appreciated - I am not in the least bit familiar with these but I am an industrial electrician so I can muddle my way through it with some assistance. It is a cd100 - no letters.
Thanks,
Ron
 
Cancel switch is N/O. It may have been removed to hook up a remote control. Check to see if it is wrapped around the other wires. The player slowing and speeding up indicates that it is simply not reading the info on the CD. Was it playing when you bought it? If so, check if the spindle in the center of the clamp arm is centered and has clear height adjustment when a CD is clamped in play position. Laser eye could have gotten dusty during a move, clean gently with CD cleaner or 50/50 mix of water and alcohol on a soft lint free cloth. If you never heard it play, the player could simply be shot. If the player is original to the box(something other than a CD Pro player), upgrading it might be more than you paid for the box in the first place. About $300 to replace an existing Pro player, roughly double that to upgrade the older players.
 
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I will try cleaning it - origionally the unit quit working completely and the guy messed with it and got everything to work but the player - it would load a disc and try to play for a few seconds and then put it back - I put discs in slots 1 thru 10 and tried to do a complete and also a partial initialization and since I did that it won't accept any entries, before I could hit popular and it would load a cd - now it just says not acceptable or something when I try to play one of those slots - I checked and none of the discs were recognized - some are burned and some are factory. The origional problem was probably a loose connection and I am guessing what is going on now is something the previous guy did while messing with it.
 
Should I be able to visibly see the laser lighting the underside of the cd when it is playing? I watched and it doesn't appear to light up at all.
 
Sounds to me like your laser player is SHOT and needs to be replaced.

Player models CDM3, CDM4, and CDM12 are obsolete and cannot be repaired due to lack of replacement parts.

If your machine has either a CDM3 or CDM4 player, you must buy the $600 player upgrade kit from a Rowe distributor.

If your machine has a CDM12 player then you simply need to buy a CDPRO or CDPRO2 player for $300. It is a direct plug n play swap.
 
If the player was not working originally, I would suspect the player is bad. There are some companies that will repair the old players for a reasonable fee (pinvan is one I have tried), but I have never had one of the repaired players work for more than 6 months in a route location, and have tried several. I sent one back twice under warranty and finally figured it was cheaper to toss it. However, they were all CP Pro players. On the other hand, I just recently upgraded a CD100B that still had one of the older players. It has been continuously out on route since the mid 1990s, so you may have better luck getting an old player repaired, as they appear to be pretty durable. Pinvan has info on their website to show what type of player you have. http://pinvan.com/

Edit: I just noticed that pinvan now has a tip regarding the CD Pro 2 players. It might explain why the Pro 2 players are so prone to failure.

Edit 2: And Ken beat me to the post while I was typing a reply. I did not know parts were no longer available for the old players.
 
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How do I tell which one I have? I don't see any numbers on it without removing it.
 
sorry - I posted that before I saw your post, I found new 12.4? player heads on ebay for $30 - is that what I need
 
A "CD Pro" will have that name stamped on the top of the player. Google CDM12 and you will probably find enough info to tell if that is what you have. If you have one of the ancient players, even if you get parts for it, the motor and other moving parts are probably about done anyway. Plus installing parts is an exacting process, and I would not attempt it myself. Unless you want to spend three to six hundred dollars to fix it, it might be better to stick a stereo in the box and just have it for looks. Since you never heard it play, there is no guarantee that the amp and sound system are good either. Gutting the box and selling parts might ease your pain some.
 
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Yeah - I think I will just hook an mp3 player into it and set it on random play, anyone need any parts? Thanks alot for the info.
Ron
 
If your player has no model number on it on the top plate then you have a CDM3 player (the oldest player out there).

Check with Bruce Wentworth at AB Jukebox repair. He claims to be able to repair CDM3 players providing he still has new old stock repair parts:

http://www.rowejukeboxrepair.com/
 
I hooked a mp3 player to the equalizer and it sounds great so I know that part works, I am getting a low battery error, could that have anything to do with it? it does have the 3 in it - what does it take to put a 12 in it - I found a brand new 12 complete for $25
 
I see what you mean, the rebuild guy you hooked me up with will do a complete rebuild on mine for $130 so I think I will just go that route he had some other bits and pieces that I needed also - thanks for all the help, you guys are great!
Ron
 
Another question, Is there any way to trick the unit into thinking it is playing a disc so I can run an mp3 player with the inside switch turned on? with it off it works but other things are turned off. It doesn't have much bass either, no matter how I adjust the eq. does the crossover get turned on with the inside power switch?
Thanks again,
Ron
 
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