How to Keep Your Portable CD Player Spinning

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How to Keep Your Portable CD Player Spinning

By Staff Writer

As with any portable device, the batteries will be the biggest problem you'll have with a personal CD player. A pair of alkaline AAs should provide, on average, about 11 to 12 hours of play. Using cheap batteries and keeping the buffer memory on will cut into that time considerably. Always, ALWAYS carry a spare set of batteries. And if money is an issue, we heartily recommend using rechargeable batteries. They won't last as long as alkalines will, but at $4 a pop for a pair of alkaline AAs, you're adding appreciably to the cost of each CD.

Be aware that when you engage the buffer memory, there is often a pause between when you hit Play and when sound is actually produced. The laser mechanism has to get tracked, but the buffer memory is filling at the same time. Some units may take as long as the buffer memory to start play; in other words, if the player has a 20-second anti-skip memory, it could take 20 seconds after you've hit Play to hear tunes. This is normal.

Handle with care
The other major problem that could develop in a personal CD player is mistracking. Mistracking, with or without anti-skip activated, occurs because the laser is not aligned and results in lots of skipping. A CD player's laser mechanism is extremely sensitive.

In a personal CD player, this sensitivity presents a problem. First, the laser mechanism, which is already exposed, has no protection from the elements (especially if the battery compartment is situated inside the CD compartment, mandating even more frequent opening and closing of the CD compartment). Second, the unit is constantly being jostled about. At first, misalignment might result in sound that is slightly off if the laser is not hitting the CD's pits just right. Then, the laser will have trouble starting because it can't locate the beginning of a disc (actually located near the sprocket hole, not the outside rim). Eventually, any tracking will become a problem. There is little or nothing you can do about this.

As with all small electronics, it's not worth repairing. The best advice is obvious — try to keep your player away from sand and dirt by not keeping the lid open longer than necessary, and try not to drop it... too often.

From information provided by etown.com.

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