How to restore the Sony Digital8 Handycam? (DCR-TRV520)

KyleDigitalLab · February 6, 2019

Here's the problems:

2 pins of the 4-pin Firewire port are missing, and there's NO output from the Firewire jacks. I tested the same cable with a MiniDV camera, and it worked.
It's having issues reading tapes, such as just a blue screen, and digital "blocks". Playing analog tapes are even worse, with noise and glitches everywhere. When you try to record, it sometimes asks for a Cleaning cassette. But I've heard cleaning cassettes are trash, and will spread dirt. I don't have any 8mm cleaner, only a VHS cleaning tape. I've also seen the errors C:31:42, and C:32:11. Dirty or damaged heads.
Some scratches near the Firewire/video ports.

Any ideas? I'm ordering some chamois swabs and 99% ISO alcohol to clean the video heads. But I need to replace the Firewire jack. It shouldn't be that hard, should it? It should be like replacing a USB port on a PC, right? ^{How bad could it.. be?}

There's the same model camcorder selling on eBay, but there's a massive bidding war with 6 bidders and 16 bids, the product was originally $20, now it's at $38. I don't want to go over $50.

LyondellBasell · February 15, 2019

On 2/6/2019 at 4:59 PM, Kyle2000 said:

Here's the problems:

2 pins of the 4-pin Firewire port are missing, and there's NO output from the Firewire jacks. I tested the same cable with a MiniDV camera, and it worked/

Any ideas? I'm ordering some chamois swabs and 99% ISO alcohol to clean the video heads. But I need to replace the Firewire jack. It shouldn't be that hard, should it? It should be like replacing a USB port on a PC, right? ^{How bad could it.. be?}

I'm afraid I can't offer any advice on solving the issue with the video heads, but in regards to the firewire input:

in my experience with cameras all of the input jacks are located either on the camera mainboard or a subboard. I don't think you can really replace any of them individually, you'd have to replace the board your firewire jack is located on.

It's going to depend on the exact layout of your camera, I have no idea what the internals look like so I can only speak from anecdotal experience.

For something that retails for $50 only...I love DIY and hate to say it but I think your time is best spent just picking up a used, working model or finding another camera that works for you.