Advise requested on cleaning the laser in a CDP

Most eye glass place carry these and recommend that only this method be used for cleaning PLASTIC lens'es.

I use it on mine, and on the CRT outputs on my projector.

It works like a champ.

loontoon

When my 8-year old transport developed some erratic skipping behavior I gently cleaned the lens using a Q-tip dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol and dried it with a clean one. The result: the transport wouldn't even initialize CD's. A call to the manufacturer informed me that a new laser assembly offering about 95% of the performance of the original one was available for about $300. In a fit of wishful thinking I pondered whether the alcohol shorted something out. The manufacturer suggested I leave the cover off overnight and retest.

The next day the transport continued to play dumb. I studied the mirror finish on the lens with the aid of a magnifying glass. This worked best at an acute angle because looking directly down upon it did not yield an accurate picture of its topmost surface. Only then could I clean it flawlessly. But despite my best effort the transport still refused to initialize any CD. Clearly my cleaning efforts had disturbed something.

I got to thinking about lenses and focusing and repairs and technicians. I dove back into the unit. This time I noticed my lens rests in an elastic cradle. Apparently the Q-tip's pressure on the lens had depressed the lens out of range, too deeply into the cradle. I pried it back into intuitive alignment with the top of the swing arm in which the lens assembly rests. The result: the transport was working again. Yippee! I was back where I started with a perfectly clean lens. Unfortunately the transport still skipped.

In desperation I returned the unit to the manufacturer who replaced some capacitors and lubed the bearings for $225. Result: no skipping at all and normal operation restored. Ta da! The moral: no condition is permanent. Dig into that NAD and give it a bash.

Loontoon what is it that most eyeglass places carry that I should get for cleaning the CDP laser ?

Elizabeth is right. Keep your grubby hands off the laser. The laser is on something like an arm which is servo-controlled and very delicate. Also the laser shines through a miniature lens system that is continuously adjusted to maintain focus on the spinning disc. It's a wonder that it works when new. If the player reads the disc at all, but skips, the problem is most likely in the arm control or focus servos.