Linn Karik Lasers Available

[Paul Ennis]

Are you sure about the HOP-M3A bing correct for the Ikemi? I just bought one and it does not look correct (components look the same, but disk spinner is at back, not front, if that makes sense).

I'm surprised how much of the business end of the "100% Clydebuilt" Ikemi is made by Hitachi ;-(

 

[david ellwood]

what does it say on the laser assembly in your ikemi?

 

[Albertb]

Just bought an old and venerable Karik and a more modern Numerik. I'm blown away with the difference the Numerik makes.

Like you I'm looking to source a HOP-M3 laser unit or 2 for the big when. Everything else should prove to be fairly easily replaceable. CPC are a bloody pain! They can't recognise my name, email address and password all at the same time to get me logged in, but they each get recognised in different places! And trying to pay for things and get them delivered to a work address as a non-account holder is a non-starter. Take a day off work to wait for a delivery of a couple of parts....?

The real reason for posting here is the serial output connector on the Karik. As a software developer, assuming it is a standard serial pinout, I should easily be able to set up something that can peek at the data coming from that port. Not knowing the format of the data coming out it may need something a little more off the wall to decode it but who knows if you have the time?

Does anyone have any knowledge of what is output here and in what form? And is there any return chat to be sent back in? (Better be careful with that aspect!)

 

[DSJR]

Have you tried registering with the parent Farnell UK? I originally registered with farnell in the states and had a heck of a confusing time. I found customer services to be very helpful, the chap finding which site I'd registered with. Now I use the UK site with no difficulty as long as I can order £20 at a time. RS components are good but you have a £5 P&P charge at least, with every order.

Hope you can all get fixed up with Hitachi laser assemblies for your Kariks (Linn probably bought by the thousand and didn't re-order when the model was replaced). I look forward to the day when the early Philips lasers and mechs can be in plentiful supply again (well one can hope.......).

 

[Albertb]

David,

put you scope on the Vrf test point and adjust the focus servo trimmer (just north of the test point) for clear eye pattern.

turn the trimmer (on the laser assy) anticlockwise til eye pattern is 1.4V p-p.

I'm not sure what you mean by "eye pattern", could you explain a little more? I'm assuming this is in normal sweep mode and not some sort of Lissajou type setup?


I use both Farnell and RS at work and have personal logins for both, but CPC seems to be a little more quirky in their setup. At the moment I'm waiting for their service dept to get back to me with details of the original login whose password I can't remember, and whose username the password prompt section doesn't recognise even though other areas of the site do. Crazy but true! Experience tells me it will probably turn out to be no more than confusing and inappropriate error messages which don't really describe the real error at all. The "doing" bit of the code is the only important bit right? Yeah, right!

 

[Keltik Klown]

I'm not sure what you mean by "eye pattern"

It's a measurement commonly used to measure or assess the "quality" of high-speed digital communication signals/links.

You'll get some idea of its general application here (if you ignore the 40G specifics).

http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/5988-6625EN.pdf

 

[neilo7]

My Karik III sometime reads discs and sometimes it does not. It takes a while when it finally gets round to it. This only happens with CDR ! Can someone tell me what is wrong.
It plays normal CD's with no problems.

 

[Wolfmancatsup]

My Karik III sometime reads discs and sometimes it does not. It takes a while when it finally gets round to it. This only happens with CDR ! Can someone tell me what is wrong.
It plays normal CD's with no problems.

I had a Karik for years from new and it was always fussy with CD-Rs, even after it had a new laser. So long as it reads 'real' CDs I wouldn't worry too much.

Mick

 

[9designs]

Change the brand of CDR and or burn them slower worked for me.

 

[CJ1045]

I spoke to Linn about CDRs a while back. They said the Karik was only designed to work with Redbook standard CDs and anything else was a bonus. I too had difficulty with CDRs - slower burning sounds like a good idea but I think CDRs are always going to be a bit hit and miss.

CJ

 

[Willie Eckerslyke]

I spoke to Linn about CDRs a while back. They said the Karik was only designed to work with Redbook standard CDs and anything else was a bonus.
CJ

I got exactly that explanation too. Luckily the MP3 player/ipod arrived for my kids, so the issue of CD-R went away. Always seemed wrong that their cheapo CD players would cope with CD-R, but not the Karik.

 

[david ellwood]

Been meaning to properly write up the karik laser replacement for ages and just had one to do so I took pictures.

Heres the karik on its back.

1. remove the four case screws and slide off the sleeve revealing the mech.

2. now remove the small ribbon cables connecting the mech to the main pcb.

3. now remove the four screws securing the mech.

4. lever the mech out lifting the back first and pulling out of the front.

5. remove the two ribbon cables connecting the laser.

6. now turn the mech over and remove the plate holding the cd clamp (four small screws)

7. This allows access to the laser from the top. Next turn the two camlocks securing the laser transport bars.

8. Remove the bars and turn the laser through 90 degrees allowing removal

9. Here is a picture of the new hitachi laser next to the old pattern laser. Can you tell the difference?

10. insert the new laser and replace the bars and cables and refit the mech to the chassis.

11. now we turn on the machine and at this point it should play disks. attach a scope to the vrf point shown here.

12. here is a picture of the eye pattern before adjustment.

13. Adjust the laser output potentometer (mounted on the laser assy) for a level of 1.4V peak to peak (as shown here)

14. A this point i recommend the use of a cd alignment disk. This disk has errors deliberately painted on (the more tracks it plays the better the machines alignment)

15. Adjust the trimmer next to the VRF test point with a non magnetic trimming tool in order that the machine plays as many tracks as possible.

16. reassemble the casework.

 

[derudie]

Thanks David for your instructions on changing the laser for the Linn Karik.
As mine ended up refusing to play any CD's, i bought a HOP-M3 laser replacement on eBay. It was announced as 'original' but i did notice some minor differencies still. As there was no scope at hand, i 'temporally' set the laser output by try and error in small steps, until the player started to read 'all' my CD's -even the ones that never played before and that i considered 'defective'. I intend to check my settings with a scope in the next coming days but i am convinced that they will be quite OK. Thanks again!

 

[Stevew1965]

Thanks David for these instructions to replace the karik laser. Forgive me for being thick but I cannot see the pictures .!! should I have loaded something like dropbox as well so I can view them ? in other words help? , I'm interested in the vrf test point - what is it actually called on the karik main board? ie TPxx BTW . I have found replacements from donberg electronics www.donberg.ie . at a reasonable cost both HOP3 AND 3A Cheers

 

[david ellwood]

Apologies that the photos evaporated in the photobucket debacle. post a photo of your board and i'll point you in the right direction.

 

[Stevew1965]

https://www.flickr.com/gp/166419013@N04/y1c0Nf

 

[Stevew1965]

hi David try that link in the above thread . cheers steve

 

[david ellwood]

That is somewhat different to mine but I would start with the connector marked FM OP.

Also that particular revision PCB has major issues with capacitors especially the two at the top of your picture between the white connectors.

Absolute priority to change these before damage to the board results.

 

[david ellwood]

Just bought an old and venerable Karik and a more modern Numerik. I'm blown away with the difference the Numerik makes.

Like you I'm looking to source a HOP-M3 laser unit or 2 for the big when. Everything else should prove to be fairly easily replaceable. CPC are a bloody pain! They can't recognise my name, email address and password all at the same time to get me logged in, but they each get recognised in different places! And trying to pay for things and get them delivered to a work address as a non-account holder is a non-starter. Take a day off work to wait for a delivery of a couple of parts....?

The real reason for posting here is the serial output connector on the Karik. As a software developer, assuming it is a standard serial pinout, I should easily be able to set up something that can peek at the data coming from that port. Not knowing the format of the data coming out it may need something a little more off the wall to decode it but who knows if you have the time?

Does anyone have any knowledge of what is output here and in what form? And is there any return chat to be sent back in? (Better be careful with that aspect!)

The rs232 on the back of the karik is for remote control not fault finding and responds to a linn proprietary protocol.

 

[Stevew1965]

That is somewhat different to mine but I would start with the connector marked FM OP.

Also that particular revision PCB has major issues with capacitors especially the two at the top of your picture between the white connectors.

Absolute priority to change these before damage to the board results.

Thanks David - Do you mean the electrolytics between the connectors . ? How many versions of the Karik main board pcb are there? I thought there were two : through plated and surface mount.. or are there more? cheers for your help .