Realistic CD-3350 restoration

Based on its internal schematics, Realistic CD-3350 was made for Radio Shack by Denon. To my eyes, it is the most beautiful Discman in my collection, rivaled only by another “flying saucer” from Philips:

Philips AZ6892 was restored for me by Kaosun at kaosuncd.com, but Realistic was an easy case of dead electrolytics:

unscrew the bottom plate:

desolder R+Blk spindle motor wires

pull up the rounded side, disconnect two flex boards plus sled motor connector, while watching battery spring wire flip the board

you have to lock the lid switch, next to the battery spring, into ON

check all electrolytics, if it looks like this one below, or has leaked onto the board, it must me changed.

 

Check that sled motor has no dried-out grease or frozen gears. Move laser away from the center position.

With lid switch locked, put everything back together and with lid opened connect an adapter, press Play.  Laser should move to the center, then you should see red laser, then it will try to focus onto non-existing CD, then shuts down.