I think word has got out in C.E.D. player land, the devices have learnt of a place called sanctuary, in other words crusty's retirement home of vintage media players.
I suspect you're all having a yawn at my exploits with forgotten formats but just for completeness, I shall recap in case someone other than a member, stumbles upon this thread first.
This all started with me finding the first Hitachi VIP201P and its forum thread is here and the blog tale here with more info on CED. Then I came across an Hitachi VIP202P, its forum thread can be found here.
The first two repaired, ready for use
Today another turns up from the British Heart foundation, assumed by them to be not working as when they plugged it in no lights. Little did they know that's how these work, they do not power up until a CED disc is inserted. To be fair nobody outside of the hobby even remembers these fleeting players so its not surprising they hadn't a clue.
The first VIP201P needed quite a few repairs (link above) to and some belts and lubrication, although working is the runt of the litter. The second player the VIP202P only required belts and lubrication, at present its the best example. Both players stylus are good which is great news as I fully intend to actively have a CED player in use and will no doubt need spares.
So again I bought this latest mainly for the unicorn dust C.E.D. stylus that lies within, however lets see how it fairs on its own merit and how it compares to the other two.
Despite obtaining these players as yet still no remote, remember the 201 is Infra and the 202 is wired. Apologies if you're bored rigid with forgotten media.
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Like the second player this one is in very good condition. Both belts are in need of replacement as they are soft and when stretched take an age to reform. Also like the second player, this third machines platter worm drive and linear worm drive and mountings are intact. Unlike the first player which had major damage to both that required repair.
The all important stylus is there and looks to be in good mechanical condition. Next steps; clean, lubricate and replace the belts then function test and see if the stylus is in fact OK.
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
Despite obtaining these players as yet still no remote, remember the 201 is Infra and the 202 is wired. Apologies if you're bored rigid with forgotten media.
The original remotes will be hard to find, unless you get one with another player. But you don't need an original remote! Several of the One-For-All universal infra-red remote controls can be programmed to operate the Hitachi videodisc player. A long time ago I discovered the JP1 Forum: http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/index.php
There's a lot of information there, but to summarise, some universal remotes have a small 6-pin connector inside the battery compartment marked JP1. Hackers discovered that the remote control's built-in memory can be read and written to via the JP1 port, using a cable (which you can make or buy) to connect it to a PC. Some one for all remotes had the ability to learn from an original remote. It became possible to learn the codes for devices that were not already in the universal remote's memory (like the CED player), then use the JP1 cable and some free software (RemoteMaster or RM for short) to extract the learned codes. These could then be written back to another universal remote.
The JP1 Forum has a huge download section for codes for all sorts of devices. The Hitachi CED is here:
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dload.php?action=file&file_id=14219
(note, you need to register and log in before you can download. It's free to register and there are no minimum post requirements, you can download straightaway.)
Even better, with some one-for-all remotes, you don't need to have a JP1 cable to upload the device code. I have the One For All URC-7562 remote control and a home-made parallel port JP1 cable, but the URC-7562 can also receive new codes without needing a cable by playing a sound file into it. It sounds like an old fashioned modem or fax machine. In years gone past, you could phone up One For All and ask them to add a code to your remote; they would play a sound down the phone for you. It's also possible to create the sound files on a computer and play them through the PC speakers.
Over the years, I've used the JP1 site a lot, to add new codes to my URC-7562 remote. It's been very useful when testing the modern items I've found very cheap at car boot sales without their original remote controls.
Of course, this won't work for the CED player that uses a wired remote. But if you're determined enough, a replica wired remote could be built. Those wired remotes usually work on a very simple principle. The remote keypad consists of a number of switches and resistors. When you press a button, the switch connects a resistor across the lead with a jack plug on the end of it. Different buttons connect a different value of resistance. The microprocessor in the player checks the resistance connected across the jack socket and acts accordingly. If you had the service manual, it might indicate what values of resistance perform which function. Without that, or without having an original remote to compare with, it's a bit of guesswork, but not too difficult. Start off by connecting a high resistance, then lower it and see what happens. Perhaps someone on the cedmagic forum has a Hitachi wired remote and a multimeter. If they could measure the resistance across the jack plug when a given button is pressed and send you the results, it would eliminate the guesswork.
Well an update to this thread the 3rd player is now working perfectly after having its loading and linear arm belts changed. Below is a boring video of the loading belt change and test. I was not going to upload but thought it might be of use to someone. To try and make it a bit more entertaining I increased the video speed, added some music and removed my dull commentary replacing it with occasional pop-up text, it is what it is.
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Crustys Youtube Channel: My stuff
Crusty's 70s Lounge: Take a peek
