A colleague asked me to apply my repair skills to a Pioneer CLD-2950
laserdisk player, which he bought cheap on Ebay (should know better!)

The PSU was tripping out due to overcurrent which I traced to a
shorted TA8464K power amp which drives the focus/tracking. With this
chip removed, the machine ejects/loads etc, the sled runs, and it
turns the laser on for focus search (won't lock, obviously) which I
thought was hopeful.

I got a new chip. Thought I'd check the focus/tracking coils weren't
shorted before I power on as I don't wish to fry the new chip.

Ugh! Both are open. Lifting the plastic cover from the voicecoil
assembly, I find one of the 4 suspension wires loose (unsoldered)
which explains the open focus circuit. The tracking coils look rather
fried.

I wonder if the chip failed and blew the coils, or the coils shorted
and blew the chip? The loose wire is presumably someone tampering,
I doubt it could have unsoldered itself, unless it was very badly
attached at the factory.

My usual UK sources (CPC, Grandata) don't stock this pickup. Can
someone suggest a source (UK preferably, European or US otherwise)
that would still have one for this rather old technology, preferably
at a sensible price. I don't know if the voicecoil+lens+suspension
might be available separately, it comes out readily from the rest,
one screw after the flex is unsoldered from it.

Can someone who knows this machine or has documentation give me
some guidance please. Knowing the part numbers of pickup and/or
voicecoil+lens+suspension would help ordering the right bits.
(Or a scan of the relevant page of an exploded diagram / parts list.)

Better yet, is there anyone out there with a dead Pioneer optical
block that I could scavenge parts from? One with a dead laser might
be ideal to me as I think the laser is OK in mine (it certainly
comes on).

As a last resort I might have a go at repairing the coils. I know
that wouldn't be considered by a professional, but I do repair as a
hobby (I design chips professionally) and am willing to spend far
more time on it than it really deserves - I hate to be beaten and
feel I've invested too much time (and some money) in debugging this
to give up now!

Thanks for your help.

Regards,
Mike.