I have extra SF-3 boards if you need one or two.

Thanks for the tip Olive....now, what do you want for one of your extra SF-3 boards?

eBay now has a "Want it now" feature for people looking for krep like that. Otherwise just put a VMC-220 search on you bookmarks list.

You might also sniff around old electronics stores for new old stock leftovers. Sometimes you get a jackpot...

Thanks Olive...I will give RV22 a twist. BTW, I would love to get a VMC-220A...do you (or anyone) know a source for one at a decent price?

Should be RV-22

Olive: The problem with my SL-2000 that plays back in black & white only is the SF-3 board (swapping it with a friend's SF-3 board solved the problem). I can't see any cracks in it and I couldn't find the PB-C potentiometer you mentioned...which RV is it?

thanksproblem solved. the motor kept turning the wrong way because (i presume) a sensor somewhere was not being activated to let the motor know to stop and turn the other way. gave the machine a complete clean and overall (replaced a few worn connections etc) and have now got my first BETAMAX!!!!!may the good tapes roll

Max - I sent you eMail about having the boards. Clean off the -snail- and figure out the ISP puzzle to reply.

Don't know why loading ring motor is turning wrong way - perhaps the crossover resistor attached to it if there is one?

Das (and others): The board I need for the TT-2000 is the TD-2 board (Sony part #160579011)

Hi all.......been away for quite some time.......glad see ya all.....☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;☺;

These are always good for a laugh. Someone lists a Beta at some idiotic price based on the idiotic price listed for another of the same model listed some time prior.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5739472258&rd=1

Listed price probably inspired by:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5739394455&rd=1

In any event, I note that even decent quality images tend to hide minor flaws, so the flaws that are not hidden are always pause for concern. The scratches on top of the black unit look positively unnatural, and the remote for the sand colored one looks trashed. The blemish below the tape door doesn't look too promising, either. On the plus side, I should mention that the panel lights do work.

thanks for the reply das snailhave now cleaned the pulleys (they were quite dirty) and the belts seem fine.play light now comes on but still not lacing up the tape.it looks like the motor is turning the pulley in the wrong direction for it to turn the tape wheel.any ideas?thanks

The industrial duplicators seem to track problem tapes well, that's the SLO-1400 and SLO-1800.

Probably the loading ring belt on that VTC-5000. The Sanyo decks only lace up the tape when you press Play or Record or Pause. If the belt looks like it should be tight enough try washing clean it's pulleys. Grease can sometimes get on them and cause the belt to slip.

hi therei've a sanyo vtc5000 which i'm having problems with.got power (the clock and program select lights up) and have recently installed new gear kit. but i've no power to the play buttons (nothing lights up when i press play)there is movement from the motor but can't play tapes.is it a simple repair on the circuit board?hope someone can helpthanks

Does anyone here buy up lots of "blank" Beta tapes in hopes of finding little treasures on them? When I was building my VHS collection throughout the 1980's, I edited out the commercials from virtually every broadcast I recorded. In fact, the first part of my first VCR to fail was the pause button on the wired remote.

I really regret having done that, though. Given the finite time frame of Beta format recordings, I thought that that accumulating Beta tapes might help to "make up" for the zeal I exhibitied in commercial killing back in the mid 80's. That's really what got me started collecting Beta machines.

Anyway, I've bought up lots on eBay here and there, and have found some great stuff. Of course, a lot of it is really of no use to me - recordings of HBO broadcasts of "Witness," of which I have probably 20 copies, is one example.

But every now and then comes a real gem. I have a Sony L-750HG on which was recorded in BII a broadcast of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," recorded unedited from a local Tacoma television station in October, 1983. After the movie the tape continues with an epidsode of "Rat Patrol."

The only problem with buying collections of tapes from goodness knows where is that tracking can be a problem, especially with Zimag, Tech2 or Ampex tapes recorded in BIII.

My 2 main units are an HF500 and a Toshiba V-S36C. Sometimes, a tape that doesn't track well on one may track well on another, but not always. For example, on one tape I have the 1985 SNL season opener, hosted by Madonna, but I cannot watch it because it won't track on either deck.

Anyone have any suggestions for Beta models that have a wide ability to track tapes?

Thanks for the reply Olive!

Well, I went and picked up the SONY SL-2710 today, after removing a small toy hockey puck from the tape mechanism the tape loaded and unloaded perfectly. The picture and sound quality are excellent as well. Would anyone be able to tell me what these machines go for nowadays in good condition with manual and remote? Just want to see if I got a good deal or not (I'm pretty sure I did). Here are some pictures if you'd like to see it: http://www3.sympatico.ca/cdmesmith/ I'd like to clean the head, is this something I can do myself or should I take it to a pro? Is there any other maintenance that should be done to it? Anything I should lubricate, clean, etc..

Thanks!!

Das: The board I need from the TT-2000 is the front panel board that has all the button switchs on it. This is the beige-yellow board that you see as soon as you remove the front panel, and it includes the display and all the channel buttons. It is the only board in that area and it is all one piece, and it is very easy to remove (two screws). Thanks.

You got pix of the parts you need? I could probably come up with a front board if I knew exactly what you were looking for. I have two TT-2000s and a Zenith unit so I can alway Hannibalize.

Unfortunately that NEC didn't come with a remote so I'm gonna resell it as a known-to-be-working unit - bundled with an MTS decoder and the dead NEC for spares - so I can get another Sony unit.

It works OK but operationally I just prefer Sony's way of doing things in Beta-land. Don't like NEC's locking Betascan or the fact that you can't renumber the channel presets so you know what channel it really is.

Das: Thanks, but I only need the front board from the TT-2000. Glad to hear your NEC VC-N65EU works. BTW, did it come with a remote?

Anyone: Does anyone have an extra little little nylon piece from a shuttle block assembly (Sony part #A-6750-108-B). Sony wants $50 for the whole assy, but I just need the little nylon piece. Olive, videohead, das, anyone? Olive will tell us if there is an easy "workaround" for not having this piece.

To Matt - The SL-2710 is a pretty good non-SuperBeta VCR as it can get almost all the cable channels and doesn't stick you with a lousy 14 presets. If the machine checks out OK by all means snap it up....

To Mark with the SL-HF 1000. Yeah, that's one of the Beta 'dream machines' and even from the UK is well worth bidding for. Should fetch top dollar - I mean Pound Sterling for that...

Unless, of course you'd like to donate it to the Olive E Thomas Home for Wayward Betamaxes ;o)

Hi all ive just aquired an sl-hf1000 i know nothing about betamax and would appreciate some advice im uk based and assume it would have no value here as its a us model i have tested it using a step down tranformer and mechanically its all good but have no leads to check picture etc would this be worth listing on ebay considering shipping costs any help would be greatly appreciated

Hello, I'm looking for a Beta machine for my parents to playback and transfer old home movies. I've found a Sony SL-2710 for, what I think, is a pretty good price. The owner says it worked perfectly the last time he used, but that was over 10 years ago. He said I could bring a tape with me and test it out before I buy it. If I put the tape in the machine and the picture and audio are good, would you guys say this would be a good machine for me to pickup? Anything in particular I should look out for? How reliable are these units?Thanks!

If I recall that VCR was reasonably well packed (though obviously not for the hydrophalic moonbats working the UPS line) and there wasn't any external sign of abuse. And yes I was able to get that running.

http://uk.geocities.com/dasimperator/My_Betamax_Page.html

It's now a 'charcoal' Sl-HFT7...

BTW my NEC VC-N65EU arrived today and hosannah! It works! As soon as I finish checking it out and doing some final cleaning and adjusting I'll be able to record in BIS - and thanks to the NEC MTS processor in true HiFi Stereo sound!

Here's a Japanese site with a similar model...

http://www.kantama.com/annex/vcn63/vcn63.htm

Those pictures are awful - they should be posted on ogrish.com! Especially in this case - the "Sand" colored HFT-7s in my opinion are the best looking VCRs ever made. I have a mauve one.

Maybe you were able to at least salvage a working sound board from it. If it's any consolation, the local repair shop told me a new sound board from runs >$400. (For that price you can roll the dice on three from eBay and most assuredly find one working one.)

Please tell me that poor packaging contributed to the damage. I've always been under the impression that properly packaged, along the general lines of the two box method described in detail on the mrbetamax site, VCR's should be able to withstand anything that doesn't actually smash the box. Trouble is, almost no one packs them that way, so I haven't seen enough examples for a valid sample to support my theory.

If it's a unit I'm paying over $100-ish for, I'll tell the seller to spare no expense in packing and tell them to have it professionally packed if that works best for them. It can run a lot for the extra shipping, but it really is the only insurance you can trust.

You should see what Mongo at UPS did to my SL-HFT7 - luckily I saved the casing from a previous Mongo-fied SL-HFT7 where only the innards got shaken to death.

http://uk.geocities.com/dasimperator/upssux.html

The worst packing job I've encountered was this idiot who packed a VRC-100 camcorder and SL-HF 600 together with the most minimal of packing, maybe a couple crumpled newspaper pages. At least only the camcorder light they threw in took most of the physical damage of the lot but the VCR-100 proved to be inoperable. I ended up selling off the SL-HF 600.

I have a spare TT-2000 tuner module I could let go for $35 and shipping. It's pretty scuffed up but functions properly and includes the flipper door. For an extra $20 I'll throw in an AC-220 power brick.

The past few references to units damaged in shipment inspires this musing. I bought a great looking Toshiba machine a couple of months ago that recently arrived in a single box with zero packing material inside. The front end was in pieces. This was after the seller squeezed a six week delay out of a two week "auto accident" excuse (during which time they continued to list items). Of course, making a claim would be a complete waste of time, and they would laugh me out of the Post Office - or maybe even call security, if I tried to make a claim on an item shipped in that flimsy packaging.

On the other hand, I also recently picked up a cheap "untested" portable that was shipped vertically, faceplates down, in a produce box that exactly fit the two parts. Zero packing material. I had actually bid on it because I needed one of the doors. It arrived by FedEx Ground in perfect working order, with no transit damage. The size of the box was such that the pegs and notches that hold the units together when stacked remained in contact, so there wasn't even any contact damage from the units moving around inside the box. Luck of the draw, I guess.

I wish sellers would quit using the expression "built like a tank" to describe these units. First of all, only a few models of tanks every performed consistently and reliably in combat and second, VCRs, especially Betas, are as fragile as glass when it comes to shipping. Sporadic or one-time sellers get the impression from the listing descriptions of the marginal Beta flippers that these machines are indestructible.

Olive: Thanks to UPS, I got a TT-2000 with the front board cracked in half. I guess I could solder the 25 or so busted connections back together again, but do you know a source for this board? Also, any idea where I could get a VMC-220 (and maybe a case and carrying strap) for the SL-2000 without spending a fortune?Thanks,Max

HiI have a SL-HF950 with power supply fault(vcr is dead). I am trying to locat a service manual for same.I can purchase item direct or down load. I am also interested in purchasing a working power supply if not too pricy.

Can anyone help please best wishes woolleysox

Does anybody have any information on a CEL P147-12 TBC/Frame Grab?

I recently bought one but the friendly chappies at Australia Post managed to completely trash it. All cards were dislodged and even the transformer had broken loose and done some serious damge to the power supply. I have managed to stick it all together and fix the power supply, but I can't get a picture out of it, just black & white stripes.There are Chroma, Luminance and Black LED's that show 'over'.

Any help or suggestions will be much appreciated.If you want to email me direct, just remove all numbers from the address.

Many thanks, Roderick

Max - on the bottom cover there should be a plastic liner over the metal plating. If it's missing on yours that may be the problem.

BTW, I suspect all the metal plating is for isolating electro-magnetic interference since this is a field unit.

Videohead: thanks for the info....yes, I have the VCR, but no remote. You can use this e-mail addy.

Olive: the first thing I suspected was the lead to the battery, but it is fine. What I don't understand is why the bottom plate has metal parts (not the tabs, but the hole for one of the screw protrudes up) protruding up so they can very easily contact the underside of the bottom board. Why was the bottom designed like this with metal so close to the circuit boards? However, those flimsy tabs on the bottom also seem like a mistake. Seems like a plastic liner should be between the board and the bottom. What harm would that do? I mean, since everything works perfectly with the top and bottom off, why not just isolate the top and bottom from the rest of the machine?

Hi,

I'm looking for a parts SL-2700 or more precisely the reel motors assembly for this unit, please contact me on this chat page if you have it.

TIA

Max: when you take off the top do you disconnect the lead to the battery as well? There might be a flaw to investigate there.

Otherwise there is a metal liner (for grounding I think) under the top casing that can bend into electrical leads if it gets moved frequently. Doublestick tape or Elmer's Stixall glue (sorta like rubber cement but not as smelly) should keep the metal in place if it's coming out. Also note the metal tabs of the bottom plate and ensure that they aren't contacting parts of the circuit board - they do need to be in contact with the metal liner of the top casing to complete the grounding.

Hello all,

I have an SL-HF100UB which is mangling tape when using the picture search forward or back.

Play and record are perfect, wind, rewind and skip scan are fine.

Tape tension control in all modes appears good but I do not have the tension measurement tape to see if the torque has drifted into a region where problems can arise.

I cannot detect any wear or play in the guides and rollers in the tape path including the capstan/pinch roller and the evidence of the excellent picture/sound quality makes me think that general alignment is OK.

Am I right to be looking at tape tension and if so what part of the transport is implicated during picture search?

Many thanks in advance.

Joel.

Hi Max - To get that remote, the VC-36, you usually have to buy a VCR too! Some of the remote hucksters will quote you a price, usually around $90, but they don't have them. The database of their "stock" is usually just a master SKU index. So they have every known remote until 3 weeks after you give them your CC#, then they tell you, "Sorry." They don't take your money, but they might as well for as much as they piss you off by doing that. But I prattle...

I'll be glad to program a programmable remote for you. Here is a pic so you can see the layout, and maybe get you thinking about what an appropriate programmable would be:

http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=183169

The remote almost doubles the value of the machine, IMO. The V-S36C has outstanding still frame and slow motion, especially on tapes recorded on the same unit. You just run slo-mo and adjust the slow tracking until it's stable, and you're set for that tape - perfect still, perfect slo-mo in BIII and nearly perfect in BII. The variable cue/review I think ranges up to 30x. One other thing I like about this machine is the soft look of the video it records. I built my VHS collection on high-grade Maxells in the mid-80's and that formulation yielded the same effect, so I'm kind of partial to it.

Is that a good E-mail address you use here (mine's not)? Let me know and I'll drop you a line so we can coordinate.

hahahaha...... lol ya'llve been rippin on dem trolls, i've been away so long

Two questions:1. SL-2000 (Olive): I have one that intermittently makes the TT-2000 start "buzzing." Weird thing, if I take the top off, the buzzing stops and everything is fine, but as soon as I put the top on, the problem recurs, as if something somewhere is getting shorted or bent. Any ideas?

2. Videohead; saw your post about the importance of having the remote for the Toshiba VS36C....but where can one find such a remote?

Every so often a very rare Beta bird or two shows up on eBay...

SL-P7000 SuperBeta Player model

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5738410220

Rent-a-Beta portable player rental unit.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5738297645

Videohead. Only God stands in judgement. You are however entitled to an opinion.

Given how many items are put up for sale I very much doubt if they are all thoroughly tested.

Oops. It's a 360, not a 350.

But I maintain my right to continue to stand in judgment. :)

He also has a nearly continuous listing for a 350 he keeps referring to as a 300, and which he describes as "clean," apparently not in any sense of the word of which I am aware, unless he's making a moral evaluation.

For extra measure, he includes in the auction listing a picture of the back of a JVC VHS unit. Just so we get a complete picture, I suppose.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5737807156&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I just had a look at the "other" equipment up for sale. I can't believe how much stuff he has.

This "VCRGary" seller has a mislabeled auction:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3860682536&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

He says this is an SLV-R5UC S-VHS editing deck, when in fact it is the SLV-676UC, which is the regular VHS version of the R5UC. The SLV-R5UC has its jog/shuttle wheel inside a cover (I know because I have one), rather than on the face of the unit as here. Also, you can see in the pictures that the tape slot says "VHS Hi-Fi", not "S-VHS Hi-Fi" as the R5's does.

videohead: thanks for that info, but I already have the RM-151K on one of my GCS-50s, and it works everything except the Power On/Off. But, I have another GCS-50 and this extra RMR-210, which is why I was asking about the pinouts.

Last chance people - sanyo betamax machine FREE to good home, I just don't like taking stuff that is working to the dump. Have now tested the record facility and it seems to work but my husband thought it was faulty in some way when last used.

Hi Max - I don't have the pin data, but to adapt a GCS-50 for an IR remote, locate a Sony RM-151K kit for Video8. I bought one from http://www.accessorall.com about a year ago. I think they're in New York. I can't locate the kit on their website, but if memory serves, I couldn't locate it last year either. I just checked for kicks after I had ordered it over the phone. So they may still have them in stock. Might be worth a phone call. I paid I think $15 for it plus shipping. It contains the IR receiver already outfitted with the connector for the GCS-50. You also get a remote the RMT-151, which isn't too useful for Betamax, but does use the same remote "chassis" as the RMT 131, 136, 124, etc., so it's a good for rebuilding some models of Betamax remotes.

Question re: Wireless remote receiver Sony RM-CL6K (RMR-210)---I think my uncle once used this so his SL-C6 could have wireless remote function (does that make sense?). I'm wondering if someone knows the pin-outs (there are 4 pins) for this wireless receiver. If so, perhaps I can adapt it to work with a GCS-50, which has a Control-L plug that uses a 5-pin mini-DIN connector. Thanks!

My Betamax website has been updated and moved to a new domain within the Angeltowns hosting service. The new address is http://sphs.angeltowns.net/insanity/betamax.html Any links to the old address (http://www.angeltowns2.com/members/sphs/insanity/betamax.html) need to be changed or they will shortly become 404 error factories.

Dave,

I remember you getting that erase transformer off me. They are hard to get now. Same problem happens on SLHF100s and SLHF950s.

Re the SLC35 and SLC40, I have not had a machine with the Q606 fault but I have had plenty with forward takeup problems (due to faulty toggle arm) and also faulty reel motors. Given the type of problem you are suffering have you check the reel motor?I have also had units that have a stuck solenoid on the reel brakes. If the brakes are not released then the reel motor wil try for a while but will shut down. I pressume there is some current sensing or such coming into play.

From PALSITE technical page for SLC30, http://www.palsite.com/slc30tech.html See - "Stops in play, record and reverse/foreword wind.

Do not confuse this with the above symptoms. The problem in this case is due to lack of 4.43MHz colour sub-carrier reference in the servo circuit. This in turn is normally caused by failure of silicon fuse PS1 on the YC-25 board." Have you checked that out?

Videohead,

Wwhat can I say? Good point well presented. When someone is trading in second hand machines there will be good ones and bad ones. The pictures should always be of the actual unit. The cost is really what the buyer is willing to pay. I think selling on someone elses behalf is a problem and should be dealt with. If enough people become informed and contact Ebay when things go wrong sellers will have to lift their game.

At least what you are doing in some way compensates for the apathy many display.

cheers -Noel.

videohead: I tend to agree with you. For what it's worth, I can say that this seller shows the same picture to represent multiple units. For example, he has used the same picture of a GCS-50 or SLO-1800 in numerous auctions. This guarentees that the buyers are not getting what they see. Is he showing a representative picture or a worst-case scenario? I don't know, simply because I would never take the chance to buy from him.

Noel: Nah, I'm the person who bid on it first - only wanted it to try and get my SL-C40 going long enough to transfer some tapes, then I would have seen if you were interested in a donation ;)

Can I ask you, re: SL-C35 dropping out of REW or REV after 4 secs. This doesn't seem like it would be the Q606 problem mentioned on the tech pages here - since it seems to me that that, (Q606), affects the TAPE END sensing which would stop the motor immediately, (like rewinding a fully rewound inserted tape).

I would have thought this, (the 4 sec delay), had more to do with the tape rotation sensor, (RD-6/7 boards and associated circuitry) ?

Dave

PS: I bought a transformer, (T501 IIRC), off of you about two years ago to fix my intermittent audio non-erase problem on the SL-C40.

To videohead, from a non-affected observer, (i.e. PAL user not NTSC) heres my two bobs worth.

Your post about VCR gary is interesting but did you see how much stuff he moves and in what time frame? I notice that he at least attempts to resolve negative posts. He apparently gives 30 day warranty. If USA post is like Australia they can kill or lose a machine pretty easily. One SLC40 I sent across Austalia (Victoria to Western Australia) had the whole front panel smashed in. Not everyone has spare parts like that hanging around.

Keep him on his toes by all means but it is obviously a business for him so I doubt he would be happy with the negative comment you are giving him which he has absolutely no way of resolving. Ebay seems pretty solid in the way they handle these matters.

regards Noel

Dave,

Thanks for the thought. Was that your email to Mitchell. I didn't know who was selling it but I thought it was about time I got a proper guage. Before I checked this site I put a bid on the tension guages as well. You seem to be doing a bit of a garage cleanout.

I have heaps of radio test equipment I should off-load. I am sure a ham somewhere would be eager to get it.

regards Noel.

Checking a TT-2000 service manual, there's reference to a BO-220 antennae booster (available in the near future) that may or may not use that plug.

videohead: That is helpful, and makes sense. I am surprised that the Service Manual for the SL-2000 doesn't discuss it, although I expect Olive will shed some light on this issue.

The plug on the back of the TT-2000 is a bit of a mystery to me too. There is no lay reference to it in the SM either, and my level of understanding of circuit diagrams isn't of much assistance in this case.

However, the SM does refer to the plastic cover as the "lid, booster." The plug output is 12VDC. Because it's close to the antenna terminals, my guess is that it's for powering an antenna or signal boosting unit of some sort.

If I get a chance (and so remember) over the holidays I'll pop the lid off and see where the plug lead goes. The design for physically holding the unused plug in place in the little compartment is pretty clever, I think.

G'day Noel, really - I would have given you the Beta Torque tester after I'd finished with it :)

Since you'll probably end up with my old SL-C40 once I've transferred some tapes to DVD ;)

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=1504&item=3858746822&rd=1&ssPageName=WD3V

Dave

Question about the TT-2000: on the rear panel at the left there is a little door that is held closed with one screw. Behind this door I find a small cord with a little DC plug on it. The manual doesn't address what this is for. Does anyone know?

Got some used beta tapes (about 100) with films on @ 20p each. It's like cheap rental but you get to keep 'em. Buyer collects. London area.

Looks as though ubersleazebag beta trader vcrgary has added drop-shipping to his arsenal of ways to rip off buyers:

http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=vcrgary01

Feedback ratings should reflect recent trades - the last month or maybe six months - not entire trading history. It would be even nicer if they reflected the value of the transactions involved. Caveat emptor.

Its so nice to see so many Beta fans, I was wondering if 10 years from now will people still have a working betamax, I am in canada and I thought I was the only one to still use it and I am going to try to keep these machines going. I have a SL-1000 and 2 SHFR-0070 decks with the stereo prossesers and 4 Betamovie camerasLive Long and Prosper Betamax!!!!

Re: Cheryl: There are duplicating services that can copy Betamax to VHS or DVD. Here's a search query I entered for "Video Duplicating Services". See if any of these suit you: http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=104&FORM=AS4&q=Video+Duplicating+Services

If you think you must choose between poor accessorization and mangled aesthetics on the one hand or functionality on the other in order to buy a budget quality mono machine for what you can often find a working HF900 for, well, that's what the Buy It Now button is for. So why don't you put your money where your mouth is, smart guy?

Not everyone has $235 to waste on an eyesore that could be bought elsewhere with a little patience for $60.

This is addressed to videohead(ache): About the auction SL-250 you posted, would you have liked it better if it had the right remote and the door but didn't work? Listen here Missy, people are better off if a door is missing than if it doesn't play. Don't you get it, you blowhard? Go pontificate somewhere else, not everyone is as brilliant as you and can fix these old machines.

Have now tested the playback on the sanyo video and that is working. May take me a while to remember how to try recording. Video has its original dust cover.

I have a sanyo vtc 9300 that I no longer want. Free to anyone who thinks its worth collecting (west dorset/east devon). I think when last used it would play but not record and its been in a cupboard for quite a while. Delivery to aldershot or newport (gwent) might be available for a nominal fee if you don't mind waiting.

Wow, I didn't even know the Betamax format was still so popular. I came across a bunch of beta tapes this morning of my kids. They've been in a box for a good 15 years, since I owned a beta recorder. So now the dilema is, how to view them? I'd really prefer not to have to find a machine to play yet another format. I'd like to make copies of the movies, for myself and for my kids. Does anyone know of any way to get them transfered to VHS or even better, DVD? I hope the beta enthusiasts aren't offended by the thought of converting to a more modern format. I just want to be able to see those wonderful home movies from so many years ago. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

This is getting a little ridiculous:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5737573801&rd=1

Kind of reminds me of the weirdos who are still trying to hawk domain names for a million dollars. That cynical "list it and see if some sucker bites" strategy - I don't know. It just seems grotesque somehow. I could see $235 for maybe an HF600 in decent shape with a remote. Or maybe even $150 for this 250 if it had a door and at least a Beta remote like a 136. I mean, it's in pretty nice condition. But no door, and god knows what kind of "universal" remote? $235?

Whatever the market will bear, I suppose.

Hah. "Videodrome" was the first movie I ever watched from a videotape. It has my all-time favorite movie dialog:

Nikki Brand (Debby Harry): I think we live in overstimulated times. We crave stimulation for its own sake. We gorge ourselves on it. We always want more whether it's tactile, emotional or sexual. And I think that's bad.

Max Renn (James Woods): Then why did you wear that dress?

Nikki: Sorry?

Max: That dress. It's very stimulating. It's red. I mean, you know what Freud would have said about that dress.

Nikki: And he would have been right. I admit it. I live in a highly excited state of overstimulation.

Max: Listen - I'd really like to take you out to dinner tonight.

An episode of "Married With Children" involved Al Bundy's desparate search for "Oh Heavenly Dog" on Beta format - because he went and picked Betamax over VHS much to the chagrin of the rest of the family.

The movie "Videodrome" is chock-full of Betamax equipment.

An episode of Modern Marvels showing Air Force One has a glimpse of an SL-2000 in the cabin during the Reagan years.

I think Futurama had a Betamax deck make a cameo appearance.

TV show reference to Betamax: In an episode of "Red Green," Red demonstrates an outdoor clothesline you can load and unload from one spot without having to walk anywhere. He attached a Betamax machine to the side of the house, then pulled a loop of videotape out of the machine and looped it around a pulley on a post across the yard. You could use fwd and rev to move the line back and forth to load and unload clothes from the videotape, and if you wanted the clothes to dry quicker, you could use "shuttle mode," which when he demonstrated it, moved the the videotape from which the clothes were hooked back and forth quickly.

Of course, this took the use of some license regarding the functions of the machine. But the skit gets extra points for the line, "Of course, you can use an old VHS machine for this too, but we all know that Beta is Better."

Just curious: Anybody seen any movies and/or TV shows that contain Betamaxes? Bonus irony points if your copy of that movie/TV show is on a Beta tape. These are the ones I have:

-The Legend of Billie Jean-the heroine meets up with this videographer who uses a Betamovie camcorder (BMC-110 I think) to shoot her video message. Here's a link to a screenshot: http://sphs.angeltowns.net/images/LoBJBetamovie.jpg

-Malibu Express-Shane, the womanizing chauffeur who gets murdered, uses a Toshiba portable Betamax and its companion video camera to blackmail the women he sleeps with. He also keeps a full-size Toshiba deck on his video shelf.

-That 70's Show-Red Forman, father of main character Eric, buys an early Betamax model (can't tell which one they used, it's one of the toploader, piano key models) with his work bonus. He talks his wife Kitty into not watching the broadcast of "Roots" that she really wants to see-he'll tape it and they can watch it anytime they want. The plan backfires when he forgets to put a tape in the VCR.

Help ! , I have a lovely Sony C6 mk2 , like new , but it won't lace the tape up on inserting a tape , it will take the tape in and that's it , if you give it a helping hand in side you can lace it up but the motor dosn't work , however on ejecting the tape it unlaces like it was new .... it's a shame because it is mint , has had no use at all and the picture is perfect with no servo wobbles ! ... can you help me please . Please reply to [email protected]. Many thanks . Craig .

I've just picked up a Sanyo VTC 5150. It has a slight problem with occasional picture rolling. I've been told that certain electrolytics can "dry out" and cause loss of sync lock. Any ideas which caps these are? I don't have a cct diag.

Remember during the years listed in the above post, it was unimaginable that our cable universe would ever exceed 36 channels. Therefore US-market vcr's of that vintage were not equipped to tune all the "empty space" between 300 - 470 mHz. That excludes current US cable channels 37 - 66. VCR's that could access the full cable spectrum were uncommon before 1990. In this area we get Discovery, History, TBS, Family and the Space Channel on channels I cannot access except if converted to channel 3 before they hit my Betamax.

It's possible that the SL-5000 (1981) tuned cable channels, but I cannot tell for sure because I have no paper on that model. The SL-5020 (1982?) could tune cable channels, and its documentation indicated that that feature was the same in the -5000. If this is true, then the -5000 may be the first model to have the capability. I don't have a lot of information on the top loaders, but I know that neither the -5600 nor the -8200 could tune cable channels.

The 2700 came out in 1983 and could tune cable channels. By 1984, most Betamax models could tune cable channels and by 1985, all did. (Years are based on Ray Glasser's list at betainfoguide.com.)

It's an interesting question that is worthy of some more research.

There's usually 2 or 3 of the oldskool toploaders of the models you've mentioned listed on eBay every week. They usually go cheap but functionality is hit or miss as they are so oldskool. I have a working SL-5400 but I had to rebuild the timer control buttons because the old buttons had completely fagged out and could no longer be pressed. I also had to replace the BNC connector grafted on by the previous owner with a standard RCA jack. And recently a nice fellow in France sent me a couple of the idler tyre service kits (how SL-5400 kits got to France I'll never know) so I went ahead and replaced all of that. Otherwise it could record and play more or less with the best of them...

Which reminds me... are there ANY Betafans from the SECAM world out there with a page?

Info on VCR output color problemshttp://repairfaq.ece.drexel.edu/sam/vcrfaq.htm#vcrvcprbs

Does anybody know where I might be able to get one of these beta machines- Sony- SL-5400 Sony- SL-5600 Sony- SL-5800 Zenith- VR-9000W Zenith- VR-9700J Zenith- VR-9750J

What was the First Beta VCR that had a cable compable tuner?

Assuming it's not a bad RF-out (try changing the output channel) or something in the tuner module an SL-2000 only doing B/W is probably because of a cracked board. If you're lucky it's the easily replaced SF-3 Video Process board. (If you were really lucky it was a maladjust PB-C trimpot.) I have a few of these SF-3 boards lying around.

The worst case scenario is if the main board is cracked. Which is why I have spare SF-3 boards lying around.

Olive: I have an SL-2000 that works fine and has a nice picture, but only black and white, no color. Any ideas?

Olive: Didn't think of that.

Oddly enough, I did use a eyeglasses screw to fix the problem of the wearing out nylon bush for the reel motor - this gave me height adjustment and it's easily replaceable.Couldn't find a ballbearing small enough and didn't want to use plastic/nylon which would only wear out again.

Now to dig out a really, really small screw - only hope the plastic carrier is thick enough to take it.

Thanks,Dave

If you can find a really small screw - like out of a cheapo digital watch, you might be able to McGuyver it back to functioning by screwing it into the stump area so it'll hold that tension pin in place...

G'day all, I have a problem with a Sony SLC40ES, (stereo), that I want to get going long enough just to transfer some tapes I have to DVD. If you have a look at http://tinyurl.com/4shja you can see that the small retainer is broken off, (circled), resulting in failure to load/unload.

I suspect that this means the unit is effectively 'knackered' without changing the mechanicals affected, (pity since I recently put new video heads in it - still, not bad for 18 years of almost daily service).

I also have a SLC35AS, (mono version), which only has the fault of no rewind, (in the process of fixing this - know about Q606).

I would like to get the SLC40ES going, (better heads), however I may just swap the SS16 PCB to get the SLC35AS going.

Are the mechanicals identical and is there an easy way to get at them to swap them, (preferably without neccessitating arduous realignment)?

Thanks,Dave

Hi there all,I have a Sony SLHF950 beta video recorder in mint condition,that has been stored and also has a large number of tapes.The quality of this recorder is outstanding,has its original working remote and a handbook also.I would love to see it going to someone who can appreciate it,and importantly use it!I am looking for £ 200 and wish to stress this is an unadulterated,mint machine,kept well for years and not used.Anyone intrested?Cheers

I know this page has nothning to do with what im about to say right now, but i love women.

An SL-HF 300 has 14 channel presets which can be individually tuned though the standar VHF/UHF channels from VHF 2-13 and UHF 14 to 69 and cable channels 14 to 36 and cable channels 98 and 99.

Hello,I just bought a Sony Betamax SL-HF300 off of Ebay. I asked the guy I bought it off of ,how many channels the tuner has. He didnt know. Does any body out there know?

I have the cardboard Beta sleeves for 35 cents each.

Sadly that Indiahouse looks to be a dealersnail so keep an 'eyestalk' out for an EDV-9500

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws1/eBayISAPI.dll?MfcISAPICommand=ViewBidItems&userid=indiahouse&completed=1&sort=3&all=1&rows=0

I don't give these people more than a few more years in the high-price used VCR business though. It's hard to justify paying $400 bux for a near-decade-old mono 8mm VCR like this one...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3856865654

...when name-brand DVD recorders like my mom's RCA unit start at under $250. Those snails better get their garden munching done soon because the salad days will be over soon...

The SL-HF400 shipped with remote model RMT-124.

Your ultimate reference for matching remote models to vtr models is closer than you think!

http://www.palsite.info/pref_remotes.html

That's a pretty steep price for a 450, and NIB might not necessarily be a good thing. I'd have to see more pictures before concluding it was actually NIB. I doubt in any event that I'd pay that much.

Yeah, that EDV was a sweet deal for someone. Looks like the seller's specialty is used medical equipment, and this probably just came with a bunch of medical equipment that he bought, and for which he appears to have a much firmer grasp re market value.

We all snag some great eBay deals once in a while, but I would trade every one I ever had for just that one.

Well, I sure hope "laserguy" is happy with his SL-HF450! That one's not even tested! N.I.B. is no guarantee it's working...sitting still for nearly 20 years can be detrimental on a VCR mechanism.

Andy: Don't ya just love watching newbies bid? Did you spot this one?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&?ViewItem&item=5735395934

How the heck does this one seller, "soadv" get his hands on all these high-end Sony VCRs?

SL-HF2000 Betamax: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5735188441&rd=1

SLV-R1000 S-VHS: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3856865464&rd=1

EV-S5000 Hi8: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3856865520&rd=1

EV-A50 Reg. 8MM: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3856865654&rd=1

EV-S7000 Hi8: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3856865503&rd=1

DHR-1000 DV/Mini DV: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=21168&item=3856865242&rd=1

Thanks for the info on the Amray storage cases, but I really want cardboard sleeves rather than hard cases. Any ideas? BTW, would anyone know the model number of the remote for the HF400?

This SL-2400 is going for close to the same price. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5735918879&rd=1