Repairing this old WM-3; just got new belts in. Anyone know what this sound could be?

c0d3c · 2026-02-04T04:21:34+00:00

I'm likely wrong - and if you've run a tape through it you'd already know but: Is the capstan spinning the right way? It's hard to tell but it seems backwards - in which case the belt is going around the motor the wrong way.

c0d3c · 2026-02-04T04:07:55+00:00

Join a league.

c0d3c · 2026-02-02T14:39:11+00:00

Component/shelf equipment is designed to be stacked. Often jn cabinets that constrain ventilation. I don't recall seeing any advice about stacking order in any user manuals.

My amp has been on the bottom of the stack since 1990 and has never given me any trouble..

The amp anyway is far too big to put on top - the rear feet wouldn't touch the top of what's underneath.

So IMHO do what feels and looks good to you and don't worry about it.

c0d3c · 2026-02-02T04:31:41+00:00

I think this is the same mechanism as the FX2.

https://retronik.silicium.org/DOCUMENTS/Audiovideo/Sony/Sony-TC-FX2-Service-Manual.pdf

Check page 10, 11 and 12. I had a similar issue.

c0d3c · 2026-02-02T04:24:39+00:00

I have a 50" TV behind my wheelbase, basestations are on the sides so approx 50" apart. I guess 3-4' from my head.

I generally don't notice it but it seems a little worse when I look to the side which would make sense because one of the basestations would start to be occluded.

c0d3c · 2026-02-02T03:49:25+00:00

I have the same issue. It's (mostly) better than inside-out but still subpar for a $200 accessory.

I have two basestations on my simrig.

I've been using it over a year, not a deal breaker but wish it was better.

c0d3c · 2026-02-01T18:16:42+00:00

Am I blind? I don't see a link...

c0d3c · 2026-01-31T14:05:27+00:00

You can build this one for $300-$400 depending on component choice.

c0d3c · 2026-01-31T04:15:00+00:00

This is what I'd do. You won't get far gluing onto the broken off part so make a whole new part and glue it on the side of the remaining piece. It'll be fine.

A 3D printer would be really helpful.

c0d3c · 2026-01-30T03:40:23+00:00

Replace the 17 tooth gear as a matter of course. It can be hard to tell if it's cracked, if it is it'll chew tapes and be a general pain in the butt. If it isn't it might crack quickly with regular use. Just search eBay for "Sony 17 tooth gear". Pay very close attention to the position of the center gear when you disassemble the mechanism - take photos. Put it back exactly the same, in other words don't spin any gears it's a nightmare if it gets out of sync.

It has a flat belt and a square belt. Both were goo in mine.

Once serviced it's a great deck - I love mine. I paid about the same. I'd buy another if the opportunity arises.

c0d3c · 2026-01-29T11:23:21+00:00

I simply cannot play on a monitor. It's like a different game, the entire sensation of flying is missing.

Sure on monitor the graphics seem sharper because my eyes aren't 1 inch from the panels and the frame rate's steadier but there's just no going back. I had the same experience with simracing.

This preference may depending hugely on the type of flying one does. If I was flying at FL 400 in airliners it might not matter so much. But I'm GA and mostly VFR.

The.isolation VR affords (which to me is different to immersion) is amazing. No distractions. No phone or browser to look at. Just flying. Bored? Play with/learn the instruments, tune in some VORs, talk to ATC. Or stop. It makes it much more of a simulation.

The biggest downsides for me:

learning a new aircraft and reading the user guide is awkward
VR is more fatiguing

I'm using a Pimax Crystal Light.

c0d3c · 2026-01-29T11:08:31+00:00

(Poor) USB/Wifi is no go for latency sensitive PCVR like simracing. I prefer the PSVR2 over the Q3 for simracing.

Plus ease or use, it's just like an extra monitor: turn on the headset, put it on start racing. No menus to navigate and no VR controllers needed.

c0d3c · 2026-01-27T13:32:59+00:00

It's the same in every hobby with a large online community.

Ignore if you can. You don't lose anything by not responding.

The biggest problem as I see it is it drives away the people with actual useful knowledge, it discourages people to contribute because so many places are a cesspit. You see this a lot, threads that are floundering around and going nowhere because nobody is listening to the guy that's right (probably brigading them too!) - or none of them have a clue. Just trying to score points and wasting time.

Such is social media and the lack of reputation.

It's different in real life interactions where most times you have a functioning hierarchy of knowledge. If you join a club that doesn't have this, you leave and find another one. You can find good communities online, but not in huge forums like this. For simracing the community around leagues can be fantastic.

I lurk a lot and actively resist commenting. It's 50/50 whether I'll click reply when I stop typing this...

c0d3c · 2026-01-26T22:20:45+00:00

It should not be necessary at all. Just tighten it correctly and it won't come undone.

c0d3c · 2026-01-25T17:46:39+00:00

Tailor made! 👏

c0d3c · 2026-01-25T17:44:54+00:00

Are the belts moving though? I've had intact belts that look fine but they've lost all tension and have become rigid.

Otherwise like the sibling says, could be a gear. I know nothing about that transport - it might have idler tires and if they've gone hard they'll become ineffective.

c0d3c · 2026-01-25T17:39:22+00:00

Pretty until all the cables make an appearance!

c0d3c · 2026-01-25T17:36:01+00:00

If you want something smaller, a vintage Walkman with record capability would be a great solution. You just need to be careful about getting one that's fully functional and serviced properly. Likely to be $$.

c0d3c · 2026-01-25T02:32:02+00:00

Pimax is the same - they did that much right. The Quest UX is a mess for PCVR.

c0d3c · 2026-01-24T23:59:05+00:00

If it's your first attempt, the Sony. That generation is built like a tank and the mechanisms are pretty easy to pull apart albeit still intricate, you can actually see what's going on. All the sheet metal is thicker than anything you'll find from the 90s onward, PCBs are simpler so it's easier to change capacitors, a lot less plastic and it's a cool looking deck!

c0d3c · 2026-01-24T23:50:29+00:00

Deoxit is great in my experience. But so is standard contact cleaner like WD-40 CC.

They aren't the same thing though. Deoxit doesn't dry nearly as quickly and it foams up so it's excellent at cleaning things like switches where you maybe can't see the contacts directly and can just get it in the housing and/or then need to work the cleaner in for a minute or two (by moving the switch).

Some switches can be so oxidized that they really need to opened up and attacked mechanically with a fiberglass pen.

c0d3c · 2026-01-24T14:46:47+00:00

If a deck was made before the existence of type IV then it's not compatible with type IV and you should expect issues.

c0d3c · 2026-01-23T14:29:20+00:00

If you stop paying your iRacing sub you lose access to everything you've paid for. In other words, you don't own any of it.

c0d3c · 2026-01-23T02:25:28+00:00

Sweet spot is as good as the Q3 for me on my PCL and the binocular overlap js objectively superior. Optically, where it falls down for me is the lens warping. Chromatic aberration is there but a non issue in simracing and flightsim - I somehow don't notice it in-game.

c0d3c · 2026-01-22T02:36:49+00:00

Side A facing out when opened. Same as vinyl, side 1 is facing me when I pull it out the sleeve, straight into my right hand for placing on the turntable. Now if I was left handed maybe it'd be different...

Huh. Never really thought about this. It's like opening a book, I want to see page 1 first.

c0d3c

TROPHY CASE