Great Tap dancing Sean, and if I had time I would try to decipher your comments.

So that the board will know what type of person that you are, because Vcr gary helped you, the fact that he sold our beloved Betas and kept the money mean nothing.

If Jeffrey Dommer helped you finance your college education then you would defend him even after what we all know about this subhuman.

You got more upset over Someko getting lots of money for his betas than you do at this creep. At least Someko delivers product.

I'm very dissapointed at you and will be very leary of anything you say about other so called "snails".

Well I picked just the time to check this board... and it's still its old self, I see.

@Mike: I have dealt with VCRGary in the past. He seems like a nice person, actually, and was quite willing to help me diagnose a VCR I didn't even buy from him. He's also sold me some really great VCRs in private trades. When one SLO-1800 turned out to be a junker, he sent me the pick of the litter. He's honest that he's no great shakes about Betamax decks, though, and doesn't really try to fix them since he doesn't know how in many cases. However nice people can be ruthless businessmen, and his Ebay prices have always stood on the high edge of fair for what he provides (With at least his SVHS machines you know he's gone over them and seen that they operate), yet right now he's dropped off ebay... I know he's got a bunch of EDV-9500s or Sports Systems that have a Certain problem that I know how to fix, but he doesn't, and I'm trying to work a trade for some real high-end SVHS decks that I've got that don't work... yet he's not returned two emails and his phone rings to no avail. I urge you to take him at face value.

A Betamax VCR operates no differently than their VHS cousins in terms of connection to a TV set. If you're still not getting audio after following these checklist you may have an equipment problem with either the TV, the VCR or the cables your using.

You should be able to get audio from a Betamax onto any TV. I'm guessing you tried using the standard RF cable. You'd need to check if the RF-modulator on the VCR is set to the channel (3 or 4) you tried to receive it on the TV set. Also make sure the TV/VCR switch on the Beta is set to VCR - an indicator should light up on the VCR.

SL-2300 uses a standard mono A/V cable so hookup shouldn't be an issue. If your Sharp is a stereo TV you'll either need a Y jack to get audio into both channels or to see if the TV requires you to put a mono cable into the left or right jack to get sound out of both speakers.

Check your TV's manual for audio input setup. Some TVs have an audio limiter than can decease or silence input volume (IE to protect against hearing loud static when inputting from a VCR not hooked to an antennae lead). This can give the false impression of diminished or no sound.

If you have other video equipment in you A/V setup make sure they're not interfering with the Beta's output. If you'd inadvertantly installed the RF cables backwards on one of the machines in the chain of video equipment that can cause a visible picture without sound.

Cables sometimes go bad and lose concuctivity. Check them on other A/V equipment to rule out any faults. The connections on a VCR can also suffer from oxidation. repeated inserting and removing a cable, twisting it in the jack a little can resolve minor corrosion-related problems.

Lastly make sure the audio head on the SL-2300 has been properly cleaned with isopropyl alcohol and a cleaning swab. Heads do get gunked up to silence with time and old tapes.

Hello I'm new to this page but I have a question about the audio on the betamax SL2300 video cassette recorder. I recently tried to play the machine on a sharpe tv set and there was no audio, now my questions are?Does it matter the type of tv you play the betamax on?Since my tv comes with outlets for both left and right audio is it possible to play the betamax on this television set?Do I need a cable to handle both video and audio all in one line that's to the back of my television set?If anyone can answer these questions then please get back to me.Kory from Georgia

I completely forgot that I had this archived...

http://uk.geocities.com/olive_e_thomas/BetaInfo.html

Was the old "Beta the Better Format" page that had gone to 404-land some time last year or so. I had downloaded it almost a decade ago at the NY State Library's internet terminal down at the South Mall in Albany and found I still had it on an old floppy disc.

This is why this board has deteriorated to a point where Sean Meskill had defended this miscreant and made excuses for his "indiscretions"--HEY SEAN< come on in and tell the people what a GREAT GUY he is--- got to give this creature VCRGARY credit, sold units for over $500,00 and never sent it -- Maybe that's why hes a hero to SEAN? Let me see if people knock me for pointing out a crook and his apologist.

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

to Olive Re flourescent display.disconnect machine from mains then power back up again. still does not work.display is like a valve. The wires pass through the glass encapsulation. Air may have got in (gone soft).The ribbon wire is quite hard and springy,and some may have broken. check this.If all is ok, then the power supply TO the board/s.On a (CN connector) The display is wired to will have to be checked. Look in block diag section of manual, possably TM board. let me know how you progress.

jeffoldbean.

My SL-T50ME 's flourescent display has completely gone out but otherwise the unit functions normally (at least playing tapes). This unit sits plugged in on a high shelf away from any possible source of damage. I hadn't done anything to it - it just went out. And it had gone out when I wasn't looking because I only discovered the outage when I went to play a tape.

Any idea where to start looking for the cause? I have the service manual. I suppose it's wishfull thinking that it's just gonna be a fuse problem

To John Paul.Intermittent Faults are the worst to find.SLHF 860 I think the problem is caused by dryed out electolitic cap/s in the YC board. In the chroma area of the board. You could replace them with new ones, a long job.Do not be tempted to adjust any of the Potetiometers, on the board, running your finger over the chroma area, on the board may localize the offending cap.If you replace any. make sure the new ones are fitted the right way round.I would also fit 105 degree c ones. Same working voltage or next, and value.

jeffoldbean.

In theory you probably could replace the head disc yourself but I'd really recommend having a professional do it.

Re: Heads for SL-360

Thanks Olive. I've eamiled for a quote. Could I replace them myself, or do the have to be specially aligned?

Taiko Company has SL-HF 360 head discs available.

http://www.taikovideo.com/Details.asp?Recordset2_Action=Find('ID','6794')&Recordset2_Position=FIL%3A%28Manufacturer+%3D%27sony%27%29ORD%3AABS%3A269KEY%3A6794PAR%3A

I have an SL-HF860 that has developed the following problem. It plays fantastically well for 30 minutes or so then the colour vanishes. Image quality is very good, just B/W. Forward and backwards Betascan reveal colour image. If the machine does not operate for a month or so, the colour image will remain a lot longer, but always kicks over to B/W. Any ideas?

As a second question, I also have an SL-360 with bad heads. All else is fine. How much for replacement head drum and does anyone in Eastern Canada repair?

Thanks

John

Regarding Sanyo Betacord, Model #4650. Problem is after playing tape for about 30 /45 minutes; the tape pops out. You reload, works great for about the same period. Any ideas or is this a problem for a VCR Repair Shop? Any help appreciated.

What more can one say about damn dirty Canadians that hasn't been sung by the cast of South Park.?

Pretty much cut and pasted his description from the old Betaphile Club site http://toyvax.glendale.ca.us/~vance/betaphile.html

Including a lot of stuff that really doesn't apply to the Beta camcorders...

I don't think that a Betamovie is all that rare according to this person,http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7519962729&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1I have 3 of them and I think $80 is a little too much

Hi try to check the fuses on the power cord maybe it just poped one

I have a mint Sony SL-2300 that will not power up. I got it 5 years ago and it had never been used. Tested it at that time and it worked great. Been setting all this time and when I hooked it up and pushed the power button I can not get it to turn on. The clock comes on.Please help. thanksGenePittsburg, Ks

Olive,those sandgropers in Western Australia are renowned for stealing things and would not pay copywright in a zillion years

I hope PALsite gets a cut from this flagrant theft of bandwidth...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5779046516

HELLO, I HELP TO YOU, I NEED SERVICE MANUAL SONY ED-BETA EDV-9500 DEAD (ADOBE ACROBAT, IF YOU HAVE SCANNER), THANK YOU (MERCI).JEAN-PIERRE

_@_oo - New content at my Betamax page!

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

Not much I admit, but I don't see anyone else adding to the Betamax body of knowledge...

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

The main page.

"Now we know that you bought this pile for a PARTS machine."

Oh yes you're the next Woodward and frikkin Bernstein. The whole world bows and fears to you. You've exposed my BIG FREAKIN SECRET! I spent exactly $99.99 for a machine worth at least 2 or 3 times as much that if for any reason I can't get working I'll strip for parts. Most likely I will just scrap the other 750 as it has a lot more damage done to it - it actually HAD been dropped and apart from a bent frame it worked OK till the video heads gave up the ghost.

Why don't you show everyone the honkin' huge prize you won for exposing my big frikkin secret evil Beta plan? Come on, lets see your trophies and awards! Where are the lanky supermodels posing beside the giant check they always give out for achievements of your magnificence? What... there are none? You're still a loser troll? Thought so...

Now me on the other hand will have a 20 year old super-deluxe HiFi Betamax SL-HF 750 VCR for everyone to bow and fear before...

And if not I still have a working Vidimagic FP60 to frighten the natives with...

By the way, Mike aka Salvador aka Alfonso, I'm still looking forward to an email conversation regarding the value of character identity. Here's my real address again in case you missed it the first time. [email protected]

look snail, your the one that crowed on here about this dropped and dented 750 that you paid over $100.00 .

Now we know that you bought this pile for a PARTS machine.

That make a difference even if you got taken...

_@_oo - I don't see how I've "changed my story" but then I don't think the squirrels are plotting against me like you do.

OHHHHHHHHH, I see a different crowing by the SNAIL.. Originally this thing made like he was going to try to fix this dented beauty.. Now he bought it for ONE part..Better get your crowing straight.. Since the seller said that he dropped the unit I hope that the ONE part is intact..There all the same,shove the truth in their face and they finally tell the truth .. Paid over $100.00 for a dropped, dented 750 that it hopes the one part is good ..LOL --

Lets see if he changes his story again

To Steve ([email protected]): I am interested in SL-HF950. Please send me an e-mail to address: [email protected].

_@_oo - I only need one part to work for that 750 to be worth the money as i have a 750 with dead video heads already. And this is NOT going up on eBay for 500 bux the minute I get it.

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

Hey Snail, it sounds like you got a good deal on the dented 750.. Let us know how it works when you get it.. Must work like a charm..LOL even if it dont work a $100.00 for a planter is nice. I love these people, the seller just didnt know that it was worth 3X the amount and this snail went for it ... I wonder who got taken..LOL --I love it and they crow about it

Dear All,I've recently acquired a 950 UK model, with slight ghosting on the screen. This occurs whether I'm watching live tv or cassettes. I'm guessing it's a problem with the RF out. Can this be converted to receive NICAM, and is there any significant improvement over Beta HiFi?Are there any service centres near Berkshire, UK?Can I obtain a service manual for this and the SONY service kit?Any help much appreciated. I have basic electronics experience, however I'm very cautious regarding this machine, due to its apparent complexity.

Help with a church building fund and take home a nice Sanyo portabeta outfit...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5778243748

15£ starting bid.

_@_oo - SLEECH OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5778468178

_@_oo - screw the cable bill! that'sa gonna be MINE!!!!!

Hello STRANGEDAY, your correct about that SL600 --WoW $250.00..

look at the moron that bought this unit..LOL

Does this unit ring a bell on one of your 4 names

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5765093405

StrangeDays: Those video shop stickers don't always mean it's a bad unit... Some overzealous shops stick those on there when the VCR is in for a head cleaning; and all that means is that the machine's seen more preventative maintenance than the average unit, which is a good thing.

To George: This is for Betamax VCRs not for waht sounds like a satellite reciever. If you can figure out the brand name you might be able to Google the phrase "satellite recevier codes" and get what you're looking for.

i have a reciver model BETAMAX BM-9500DP WITHOUT A CAM AND I NEED TO UPDATE THE SOFTWEAR TO OPEN THE CODED CHANELS I NEED THE SITE NAME AND THE LODER & KEY THANK YOU .....

Ugh. It's not rule #1, but it's in the top five. VCR repair is like major surgery. It may fix the immediate problem, but the unit will never be the same, and certainly not worth $205 for a "near-mint" SL-S600.

That sticker on the back is a scarlet letter to the smart shopper.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5776519046&rd=1

That Tokiyasite has been around a while but most of the pictures had been taken down for a spell. Glad to see it's back up. Now if only Betamax.TO would return...

Hey,Bobi,very interesting site and with pictures yet

At the price he wants and the 'minor' problem he glosses over (the sound heads 'need cleaned) I bet this baby stays home for quite a spell...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5777096099

SL-8600 Beta VCR $100 start bid.

"This was the TOP of the line machine when it was bought, more than$1000.00 new. The only deficiency in this classic retro find, is the sound heads need cleaned everything else works GREAT! If you want the machine that out-performed ALL the others in it's day, you want THIS ONE!

ÊBecause of it's cost there wasn't the high volume sales that later machines had. This is truly one of theÊRAREST machines you will find!Ê Good Luck!!!!"

Actually if this was a poor seller it was because it only supported the BII mode and didn't even offer BI playback which would've left previous Betamax buyers stranded with unplayable tapes.

However these aren't all that rare, maybe 40 to 60 of these have shown up on eBay in the last 4/5 years and the $1000 price tags that eBay listers want you to be impressed with was about going rate for VCRs back in the 1970s.

It wouldn't be till the late 80s/early 90s that VCRs of any format would start at under $150 bux or so and it's only been the last 4/5 years that even name brand HiFi VHS units could be had under $100.

What happened to U.......

http://www.tokiya.jp/vcr2/page017.html

hallo

Jeff, look for a possible slack in the tape when in play / rec. Emergency shutdows happens when there is a chance the tape would spill inside the machine. One possible issue could be excessive wear of the takeup reel which clutch mode would be too loose and wouldn't spin fast enough. Could be resolved by increasing forward torque.

Hi Can anyone help, ive got a C7 Beta and the Tracking will not lock, ive tried changing the capacitors and a couple of transistor and nothing, the picture is fine but there is no Tracking lock, also there is no recording Head Servo lock - thanks

Sux about the SL-HF 400. Any chance you can't just take off the top, flip it over and shake out any debris?

I still have a one of those letter magnets pulled from out of an old 'portable' IBM clone from the 80s that the garage sale people just gave me because it wasn't working or selling. The computer worked for a month or so but eventually the floppy drive died out and I tossed it.

Hello folks, i have an SLHF-400 that I purchased a year ago used, and it has been working well, but it has been stopping and turning itself off consistently over the last few weeks, and I am looking to have this serviced. There appears to be some kind of foreign matter in there, but I am in the Detroit, Michigan area, and am looking to see if there is anyone who could do this locally. Please E-mail me at [email protected] and we can then talk, and thanks in advance.

FOR SALE: BETAMOVIE BMC 100P WITH ORIGINAL BOX AND INSTRUCTIONS. AS NEW. USED ONLY THREE TIMES. I SEND PHOTOS.E-MAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS: [email protected]

The SL-HF 300 was a Japan and North American market VCR. This was one of Sony's entry -level HiFi Beta VCR released after the first and second generations of Hifi Beta units and was the first the the SL-HF prefix (previous 3 models were SL-5200 SL-2700 and SL-2710) but before the SuperBeta format had been developed. Oddly enough the non-Super HiFi units can play SuperBeta recordings - even BIS - without overmodulating.

The 300 seems to have been a brisk seller in it's day (around 1984/5-ish) as there are a fairly large number of them available on eBay - of course that could mean these have survived better. As I'd said it's a basic unit with no trick play features or audio dub (like the previous models) nor did it feature a full 125 channel tuner like that on the SL-2710 but it is a solid reliable unit - despite Sony's rather poor engineering of the flipper door that hides the level control and timer functions, 1/2 to 2/3rds of the SL-HF 300s on eBay seem to have lost them completely.

I found some info,there selling for $75 on ebayhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=39830&item=5775059985&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW Thanks Anyway

I have a Sony SL-HF300, I can't seen to fine out nothing on it looks like the SL-HF100, but she's a 300. did the 300 have a ery short life? Does anybody know?

hello hello test test 1234

Hi NoelNo the c110 and c111 cap are not ok , i have some new trans on order q101 and q102, the question to ask is are q203 and q204 and any of the caps on that board likely to be affected, this power supply gave up the ghost in 1995 but the machine it was in is running now with another power supply , my skills are not in electronics, regards jonathan

Jonathan,

If the caps are OK then the transistors may be also OK. There are other problems that happen besides reduced capacity. High series resistance makes the capcitors over heat and creates inefficiencies. If you have the manual then you should be able to work out which transistors are involved and check out that they stil exhibit diode junctions across their base to emitter and base to collector P/N junctions. In switch modes lots can go wrong, even the diode bridge rectifying the mains to provide input to the switchmode. Be very careful checking this part of the circuit live.

Martyn,

If the C20 is mechanically the same as the C30 then you broken plastic gear is the most likely cause. Goog luck getting a spare.

You need a belt kit for the VTC6500 unit. The belts are not as flexible as rubber bands. They are still available in Australia so the should be in the UK.regards Noel

P.S. I wont be on for a while so can't help you further.

Hi,

Can anyone help me with me 2 x Betas that have decided to expire.I have a C20 that won't load cassttes properly. If you completely power it off, put a tape in then power it on and "push" the tape in it load fine and plays perfectly (which is rather annoying!). I have looked at the little cogs that (I asume) operate the loading mechanism and one has a tooth missing. Could this be the problem and, if so, does anyone know where I can purchase a 2nd hand (or new) assembly.Ok, 2nd machine was given to me by my brother in law to replace aforementioned C20. It is a Sanyo VTC6500. It had dirty heads, which I cleaned and worked perfectly....until it decided not to load the tape. I think the problem relates to a small "elastic" band on the right hand side of the loading "tray". This is clearly visible with the cover off. The reason I think this is that the band is quite slack so I flipped the it over and it seemed to resolve the fault, but not for long! Does anyone know the name of this band and whether it is still available?Also, as a worst case scenario, does anyone know of any reliable repairers / shops in the South West who could undertake the repairs I require.I have tried two local repairers and one wasn't interested at all and the other simply said he couldn't fix it!Any help would be greatly appreciated, so please e-mail me.

Hi Noel,

Ive stripped down my other c7 power supply, there are several transistos and capacitors involved, , ive got the service manual and ive removed two capacitors 350v 4.7 uf , the capacitor values are not a problem , could you let me know the value of the transistors involved to change and what capactors , my other c7 packed up just as got it going , but this seemed to be a dry joint in the power supply and is now working again but i think that this other machine will need fixing in the same way soon , many thank - jonathan

Phil,

Glad to hear you had success to a degree. Capacitors form part of the timing circuit for the capstan (and drum) motor servo systems. These systems are preset by potentiometers (variable resistors) to a centre point within their "lock range". This is the range over which they can use tracking and picture information to keep their speed regulated and the picture stable. You will now have to adjust the capstan speed control RV8 (from memory) to see that is in the centre of the range between the points by turning the control either way to see where picture syncronisation is lost when playing back a previously recorded tape and set it to the centre of those points. Note where you started - just in case. I think the correct procedure involves measuring test point 2 voltage of 5.5V whilst recording.

regards Noel

Alex,

I am in Melbourne Australia and can help you if your after another beta. Reply at the above email but remove "nospam."

regards Noel

Lee,

STOP! You are confusing the capstan motor, which moves the tape by gripping it with a capstan pinch roller, with the head drum motor which rotates the video heads and sweeps then diagonally across the tape to record or retrieve video and HiFi sound.

Put the bits back together and take it to a service centre you trust. These machines are complex and demand respect. You can cause a lot of damage just fiddling around.

Jonathon,

Glad to hear you had success. The C7 was my first machine as well and they give a good picture when their working tip top.

regards Noel

I have a SL-HF 950 with manual but no remote if Fort Worth TX area if anyone is interested in getting one?

I believe it to be worth $4-500 with remote so I am asking $300 because I believe you can get a remote from sony for about $100?

Oooh! An LV1901 outfit is on display at the American Museum of the Moving Image (in New York City?)...http://gallery.maiman.net/movingimage/DSC00047

Could possibly someone here familiar with the Sony SL-2300 / SL-2400 series Betamax machines give a quick course on servo board capacitor replacement? Have seen quite a few posts all over the net about how these machines produce poor video (intermittent horizontal lines and garbled audio) when the servo board electrolytics dry out. I've got a like new SL-2300 that has this problem. Looks like Sony at one time offered popular capacitor replacement kit, so how many capacitors does this involve and how do I go about getting started?

Thanks,Steve P.

Dutch SL-C7 brochure...

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c701.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c702.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c703.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c704.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c705.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c706.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c707.jpg

http://www.io.tudelft.nl/public/vdm/fda/brochures/sony01/c708.jpg

Thanks for that Noel, I'm not sure it thats a bit out of my league, I'm assuming this means taking the entire head assemly apart, the top part comes away quite simply 2 screws on the cover and then another two screws to remove a plate with what look like sensor coils on them. From there on it looks a bit of a ping, snap and oh where did that bit go. Think I'm gonna do more harm that good!

I'm in the UK if anyone can recommend a good service place.

Cheers

Lee

Hi Noel,Ive changed the capacitors in the servo circuits of the c5 and the c7 i have both now work as they were new, I have one other c7 which is dead , so im going to stip down the the power and replace the capicitors and the transistor, im hoping that this machine will then work again, ive had one c7 from new and its 25 years old. many thanks noel

Hello,

Thank you for all your help to get my old sanyo betacord VTC-M10 up and running but since i have counted my betamax tapes which is over 2500 of them i am looking at buying a spare betamax machine. would there be any websites that sell (new or used) betamax videos in Australia and which is the best and most reliable brand,my sanyo has been with me since i was a young boy in the 80's and would hate to lose the format Kind Regards Alex "Long Live Beta"

Yep... 'Grampy' still runs like a champ

SL-5400 not playing like yours most likely a rubber problem. Check idler post and tyres.

Hmmm... I should drag out mine sometime and give it a working out...

I have just received a Sony SL 5400. Trouble is that it will not play. Every time you hit the play switch it pops right back up in about 2 seconds. After about three times you have to eject the tape and put it back in and start over. It does rewind and fast foward. I have read over all your possible things to check and this is not mentioned. Anyone that can help me? I sure would appreciate it. Ed

Lee,

Given that extra information you gave about about the capstan motor, you might be able to help yourself a bit before you call an expert. (I don't even know what country your in so can't help with any recommendation)

The capstan wear coupled with some buckling of the drive circuit board with the coils mounted on it as it gets warm can lead to the magnet rubbing into the coils and removing insulation, eventual shorting the coil out. This is similar to the reel motor wear problem described on Palsite. See if you can use a small piece of plastic to pack out the end of the capstan drive shaft to give the magnet extra clearance. Also ensure the board is as flat as possible against the chassis. I have not seen this problem on an SLHF950 but it is common on Sony SlV777 (VHS unit) made about the same time.

Johnathon

SLC7 switch mode power supplies die because of dried capacitors in their switchmode power supply. You will need to change the capacitors, two associated switching transistors and a fuse. Hopefully the transformer will not be damaged by overheating. If you can get a secondhand power supply from someone then OK, but they are all very old now so it is just a matter of time before that might fail as well if it has not been reconditioned. So if you get a second hand power supply - replace the two main capacitors at least.

regards Noel

Hi there

Thanks for the reply from Noel Higgins, I will try replacing all the light blue capacitors on the AS 3 circuit board.

I have a C7 Betamax and the power supply is completly dead, can anyone help.

Many thanks

Jonathan Sleep

Lee,

Your problem with the SLHF950 sounds a bit like a capstan sync problem or tracking variation problem. You may need to get someone with suitable test equipment (a CRO) and ervice manual to monitor the control waveforms and see if it's caused by a mechanical problem such as tape path, a capstan motor wear problem or it might also be that the eletrolytic capacitors are varying in value when they warm up throwing the servo to one end of its limit.

regards Noel

Yea you are right Olive that is way too much for that, I saw one before that went for 50, if someone was to pay $500 for that has money to burn

This one's gonna be on eBay for a long time at that price...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7514141605

20 times what he should've opened the bidding at and 5 times what he could expect to get on the best of days.

And a hint for those people who seem to think that the fact these went for $1600 bux 20 years ago should somehow factor in the price you can expect to get today - EVERYTHING was way way expensive back when they were first being made. Then as sales goes up more and more companies start learning how to make them cheaper and with more feature and eventually the prices bottom out.

Nowadays for the $500 bux this guy wants you could get a new digital8 camcorder that actually works out of the box and has way more features and you can get tapes, batteries and accessories more easily for.

Hi,

New to this site and re-born Betamax owner - offering a service in the UK converting ok Betamax tapes to DVD.

Anyway I've recently bought a Sony SLHF950 from E-bay and all seems to work fine with it. So my first paying job comes along, and all seems to be working fine. Accept after around 45 minutes or so I get quite a lot of drop out, which gradually gets worse until I just get a screen of white noise alternating with very noisy picture about every 1-2 seconds.

I've read something about static buildup on the heads and I have got a plastic thingy fitted. If I immediately put another tape in I get the same problem within a 10-20 seconds of playing. If I turn the machine off, walk away and come back then it seems fine for a while.

Any suggestions as to what the problem might be?

Many Thanks

Lee

sorry, i meant a sony hvc-4000p

Hi, I've got a sony hvc2000 camera...but it doesn't work...it's like it isn't getting any power..Ive checked the power on cameraplug of the recorder..and there is..I also checked de fuse in the camera...so i don't know what to do.. thomas

Phil,

Check out the comments above in my email of 10 May about SLC5. You need to replace capacitors as indicated at http://www.palsite.com/slc5tech.html

regards Noel.

Remember me mentioning that 1ziggi1 picked up an SL-HF400 and 2 SL-2000s for a song...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5770253192

Already has the SL-HF 400 on the block...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5774129409

I wonder when he'll list the pair of 2000s or is he waiting to get some power supplies or tuner modules for them....

Sounds like the heads are either totally filthy or shot. If you don't have a head cleaning tape and don't want to open the top to manually clean it you can get some tape you don't care about and hold it in pause mode for a few minutes to see if that clears it up.

Greetings. I recently acquired a Sony SL-HF360 machine. Upon initial startup I discovered that the vcr produces a completely white, snowy video screen. No amount of adjustment or tuning seems to help. Audio is fine and all other functions work well. Is the drum history or is there something else going on?

I am wanting to buy either a complete Beta head-cleaning tape kit, or the Bib fluid (or similar) to apply to such a tape.Any ideas, please?Many thanks.Stuart.

The M-10 sounds like it has a fault in the color processing section. There should be an RV adjustment (chroma) to maybe bring up color but I'm not familiar with that model. You might also want to check if you've tuned the TV reciever or RF modulator properly if you've connected this via antennae leads.

I have been a Betamax fan since the mid eighties when my parents bought a Sony SL-C35 -AS. I still use it today. But recently I acquired a Sony SL-C5 and have been slowly refurbishing it. I have replaced all the rubber belts and it now works well except that the playback picture wobbles and shakes from side to side. I have adjusted both RV1 and RV2 as suggested on one of the fault page lists but there was no improvement. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, I am unable to set the clock/timer. At first I thought the buttons were stuck but testing each with a multimeter showed them to all be open circuit and when pressed individually they all register between 200 and 500 ohms. Is this right? I would expect pressing a switch to result in zero resistence. Pressing the clockSet button after powering on causes the Day6 LED to light and stay on...

Hello,I have a sanyo betacord M-10 which i have had since new (21 years ago but today when i was wanting to play a movie on my favorate old reliable beta it was playing my tape in black and white, i tryed it with a few other tapes to only find out that they also had the same problems even after i cleaned the heads, i was wondering if anyone would know what could be wrong with my beta and if it can be repaired all help would be greatly appriciated Kind Regards Alex ""Long Live Beta""

You don't have any lesson to teach anyone about the value of true identity, Salvador/Mike/Alfonso (was that 3 names ???). Besides, we already had this debate about snails and everything at the end of january. Read the older posts.

This should not continue over here. I invite you to get in touch with me at [email protected] . Thank you.

Ok HOMER, Glad you didnt answer because it shows that you may also be doing the same thing.

If snails who hide their true identity doesnt bother you, then you are in good company.

Not a problem, because it was easy to knock me, but not one of your own kind..you too are a snail IMO.

When you or others buy one of his Betas off e-Bay, don't come back here crying about snails.

I was screwed by someone who I think was one of the 4 names. I was led to believe this because of his manner of writing and his knowledge of so many machines. Now you know why I was so upset by this "gentleman" and now you see why he was so upset about the NEC.

TO Joe with the SL-8600 and 10 tapes. That's probably the one Beta VCR with limited utlity value as it cannot play either the B-I tapes from previous Betas or the B-III of subsequent Betas. It is of historical interest however as it's the first Sony Betamax in the US market to incorporate a built-in timer as well as a remote pause. Probably would be good as a Betamovie edit deck.

What were you looking to get for it?

Been going through and uploading lo-res versions of my collection of Japan Home Market Betamax catalogs at Yahoo Groups Betamax http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Betamax/files/The_Betamax.TO_collection/ for anyone who cares to check them out. Have from 1975 up to 1977 loaded so far. Will probably get into the mid 80s by this evening and hope to finish up by the end of the week if I'm not distracted by other krep.

If you are concerned about one's behaviour on this page, I think you should file a complaint to the page owner about it and let him/her decide what actions should be taken. You are trying to get people on your side on a matter of opinion and obviously this doesn't work. Personal attacks won't get you anywhere.

HOMER,. I did use another name because of the fact that MAXBETA was using his different aliases BETADOC, StrangeDays (at college computer) and DOCTOR1024.5. . (Total of 4 names as of now)

But youre correct that I WAS a moron for stooping to MAXBETA'S level and I apologize to you and the posters and the originators of this site. You see, I am man enough to realize I have been a jerk by using 2 names and I seek you forgiveness.

Now that we have that out of the way, stop apologizing for the 4 names and tell the group how you feel about this creature using 4 aliases and talking on this page as different people..

lets see if youre a hypocrite or not/

Posting under 3 names is such a bad behaviour. But two names is ok, right Alfonso / Mike ?

Its funny OLIVE that your always have a mouth about SNAILS and impropriety on eBay and this board.

But when it comes to a person using 3 names for no reason other than trying to hide something that he is either buying or selling you defend this sneaky posting.

Maybe there is more than 3 names with this person and this is why your protecting a possible snail .

Good work Olive and now I know why your own site has only 3 names posting on it..

Johnathan,

Check out the second palsite suggestion at http://www.palsite.com/slc5tech.html about capstan servo problems and replacing the light blue electrolytics. The capcitors "dry out" and develop high internal series resistance with time. Audio warble is a capstan servo circuit problem affecting tape speed. Replacing audio or video heads wont cure a speed problem.

Mike-????????? who cares what you think!

regards Noel

Sadly, Joe, both are the case. Non-HiFi/SuperBeta machines, with a few notable exceptions, are usually of little value. The ones that do hold value have some other interesting or unique feature, like a tape changer, an especially durable mechanism, portability, etc.

And for some reason this board attracts the trolls. On another board I know (nothing remotely Betamax related, FYI) it somehow seems that a caustic, angry person somehow ended up as an admin. He does nothing but crap on the "Noobs" if they happen to post an idea that disagrees with his. Ugh.

lol, brenda, you want my AC powerbrick for the 2000amie? email me

and i love this queenfight going on the site, LOL

So after deciding to finally sell my Sony SL 8600 I went to ebay and looked in here. I guess my prestine machine and it's 10 tapes are next to worthless. Gee, and I thought I might make some money on them.

Oh, and ladies and gentlemen, please be respectful with each other. The chat site looks like a warzone exchange between some people. A little decorum please.

Joe

HiI have a SL5 machine with wobbly sound can anyone suggest a solution.Have tried the usual, adjusting tracking, replacing heads etc still have problem.

Many thanks to Roddney for pointing out the Betamax faults site, managed to solve another problem with C11 (horizontal picture jitter) on AS3 board.

Jonathan Sleep

Calling people "vermin" definately says alot about you, Mike.

Very good Noel, so you condone a poster using 3 different names and using this board to be a snail..??

It just shows a lot about you..

Do you have anything to say about the fact that this vermin uses 3 different names. I think its shady and he has an agenda.

Your answer about the 3 names will show this board what your about..