Greetings,I have been given a Toshiba V33a,Iplug it in,nothing,is there a fuse or something that I CAN CHANGE?Or is just good for a boat anchor??

thanks Kevin, I agree with you, I've had bad experiences with Sony's for a long time, remember minidisk? my player lasted a year then went bust. Anyway, never had a major problem with Sanyo machines, did at one point have a VTC9600, my best machine. Rubber band city as I used to call it, but it rarely went wrong. My M30, had been good and faithful for ages, this is the only major work it has ever needed, although this idler problem is annoying me, the new idler seems to have made little difference. Good news however, the damaged machine is almost ready to go. Just got to repair the front load assembly which took the worst damage. She may appear on ebay, yet again I'm getting rather attached to her. My next job is on a Hitachi VHS machine. Unfortunately I have to have one of those things.

j'aime la vie

BjornAs to your last comment,that's why i don't touch the Sonys together with the head wear and tape wear issues.As well renound as the Sony name is ,i too am surprised at this finding.I don't think it did the Beta format any good either.Sanyo were definetley a godsend in the whole matter....I will send you my details to your private e-mail address..........................Kevin

Guy,

I tried to send that circuit to your email address and it bounced. Never mind. I would be checking out the lock of the capstan servo circuit. Sounds like an "out of lock" problem. Could be caused by something as simple as varying tracking pulse level due to tape ripple caused by poor path or back tension problems. I think you need to compare the servo lock waveforms and see if any changes are linked with the drop out. I suspect the heads video output will be varying in level also, which would prove that it is a tracking problem.

regards Noel

Thanks for the offer Kevin, I would be most interested, please e-mail me with details as to how much etc... I have owned a Sony F1, and dealt with similar issues. Not the colour issue directly, but the noisy lines on the screen whatever mode the machine is in. The ended up being a problem with one of the circuits in the Power supply unit. I'll try to remember how I overcame the other issues with the machine. Just give me a couple of days and I'll get back to you. I've serviced quite a lot of Sony machines, they always seem to go wrong more than the Sanyo ones.

Thanks Noel, but I have the service manual. The problem is that even with the service manual I haven't been able to figure out exactly where the problem is on the board. I was thinking that if enough of us had the same problem, I would have a better chance of figuring it out. It's like the "every 3 second noise" problem that the SL-2300s and SL-2400s develop; many machines have the problem, but no one knows what the problem really is (many attribute the problem to dried up capacitors, but I have replaced every one of the caps and the problem persists).

Guy,

I have a manual - do you know the board name? I can probably scan the circuit and board layout for you and send it if that is your correct email.

regards Noel (Betaheaven - Australia)

Guy:I don't have access too ,own or service Sony machines.....sorry........Kevin

Kevin and Bjorn: what issues are you having with your Sony F1 machines? The F1 looks like the UK version of the SL-2000 here in the US. I have several, and all but one work fine. The one issue I have with one is that it only plays in black and white. The problem is in the top board (with the chroma controls), because everything is fine if I swap it out, but I haven't yet been able to pinpoint the problem on the original board.

Omar:I'd try E-bay The online auction site...........................Kevin(UK)

Hi to everyone, first excuse me if i'll do some error but i'm not so good in english,Bw i want to ask if someone could tell me where can i sell about 40 - 50 videocassette BETAMAX L 125 and L 250 PRO because my uncle have found it in his old store. was hidden under other product and now he have close his job.Thank's to everyone can help meBye byeOmar P.s. I'm Italian an i live in Padua near Venice Bye bye

Peter,

That's great news - well done. I'm having issues with an F1 as well. similar problem.

To Noel Higgins,

I have fixed my C30, once you explained which the yc-25 board was I swapped it with the one in my c20 and it is now working perfectly. Thankyou for your help.... My F1 will have to wait a while....

Hi BjornYes you're correct it's the top board that has to be flipped up VD1.When you've flipped it up and locked it The chip your looking for is M51463P.If you look to where the tuner is and look directly up it's the biggest chip directly above the tuner board.I have heard of this causing monochrome performance in the Sanyo M10/20 (not in any i've owned or serviced though) and i see know reason why it should'nt affect the same for the M30. I have one i could remove (from a 'spares' machine) that i know works if you have difficulties sourcing one....................Kevin

Hi again Kevin,basically, I work better with service manuals. Which board are we talking about looking at for this chip? I can spend all day searching PCBs getting nowhere. I didn at one point have JPEG photos of all the boards in my machine as well as the components, to sort of build up a video map of my own. I use these to navigate my way around a lot of beta machines. Due to a computer problem I lost the lot and only have a C9 map now. I initially would look at the top board I think it is VD-1 or something like that.

Would you be able to help me with a Sony SuperBETA Model SLHF 870D? I am trying to find the capstan motor and pinch roll. Gracias

BjornYes.........I DO....ME......The only thing is i hav'nt got my scanner up and running yet.(shortage of USB ports :)If there's any info you wish to know i'll check it out if you like...................Kevin

thanks for that info Kevin, unfortunately, it isn't on the one that was dropped. I bought that one for spares originally, but decided to re-fit it after trying it out. The problem with that one was the front load assembly was badly damaged, probably during transit (rotten swines) but I have almost fixed that machine. I plan to complete repairs on one and either keep it or re-home it via ebay. Not sure yet. My original machine has the colour problem, I hoped that the heads weren't worn to start off with, because at £145 I don't really want to have to replace them yet. Anyway, the heads turned out to be fine. I'll try that suggestion. Just waiting for a couple of idlers to arrive, and I'll have a look when I fit the idlers. You wouldn't know anyone who has a service manual for this machine, or any similar machines. Even a scan of the pages would be great. These boards can be a pain to work on at times without the manuals. Thanks again. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Hi, Since i am the only one in the neighborhood with a DVD Recorder, I get all of the xfering jobs. One lady has her wedding, etc. on Beta and dug up her old Toshiba VX340 machine and tuner (two pieces). Problem I am having is that it is not playing in color, just black and white. Tried a "real movie" and that also is b&w. I am thinking it is either the cord or the player. Cord is only a two prong audio/video, both in and out. She only has three or four home movie betas (right now that she has found) to xfer so don't want to go to a whole lot of costs. Also, of course there is no onwers manual so I am not sure if I am missing a switch, etc. Thanks for any help!

One more tidbit that some may find useful is that, other than the pinch roller and plastic parts, the rest of the replacement rubber belts and tires for these Sanyo VCRs are easily found at the local hardware store. All the rubber needed to recondition three 6400s, two 7250s, and one 7500 cost less than $5!

Guy: You're very welcome my friend.It's finding these little problems which makes it nice to be able to share the conclusion.It also saves you pulling your hair out and looking somewhere that has nothing to do with it.Yes i have the experience behind that too.........Learning is so much fun.............It has it's rewards too..........THANKS.........Kevin

Kevin...you are absolutely correct. I straightened out the piece that was indeed pointing upward, and now (at least temporarily) the machine is performing perfectly. Thanks again!

Here's one we'll all enjoy:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GO-VIDEO-DUEL-DECK-BETA-VCR-BY-SENSORY-SCIENCE_W0QQitemZ9708158017QQcategoryZ39830QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Hi BjornI too have a Sanyo M30 in MINT condition and working order.I have also received a damaged Sanyo M40 ( that i luckily had a spare front panel for) that was poorly packed and obviously dropped......so i sympathise with you there.The black and white playback was a problem ( or could be on the Sanyo M20) due to one of the main colour repro chips no :M51436P.Although this info is based on a friend who had that trouble.I would look there first.Is the black and white occuring on the one that was dropped??The M30 is a mighty fine looking machine and quite rare too.....I have come across 2 that had worn 'third heads' for the 'clear still frame' even though the normal record/playback were fine.Let me know how you get on...........good luck.........Kevin

I found one of the most annoying things about ebay. The other day after paying for my beta machine, I waited in anticipation for it to arrive as you do!! Only to find that the damn courier had miss-handled the machine, throwing it about as they tend to, and leaving me with a smashed wreck. It's not ebay's fault I know, but you can imagine the anger. Luckilly it was only cosmetic damage, the insides had survived, so began th eprocess of rebuilding a machine. It took ages, bashing out dents, glueing some of the front panel back together. This poor machine had really had a bad time of it, but all was not lost. The following day I had almost completely restored the machine, just a bit of touching up, new parts and a nice warm room to rest in and she's as good as new. Plays nicely, well almost, I'm still waiting for an idler for her, but my Sanyo M30, is happilly running. There's just one thing baffling me though, I have another M30 that only plays in black and white, I've tested the pre-amplifier, the top board, and can't find anything wrong, she's got a good set of heads on her so why is she not playing in colour? any ideas? please e-mail me - [email protected]

Hi Guy:....Well the same thing has happend to me twice.i admit to being baffled too.It sounds to me like the upper idler assembly is ( with age ) pointing slightly upwards.On the newer replacement geared upper idlers i notice they have a silver metal plate attached....NOW I KNO WHY.......it prevents this happening.Basically the take up for eject is fine because the LOWER idler does this job and FF and REW.The upper does PLAY and both SEARCH modes.I also found if checking these functions with the metal cover removed ( as you have to when replacing said items) this fault won't show if you place your finger on the cassette loaded tab as the loading tray is'nt in the down postion.It's THIS ACTION which causes the upper idler to get stuck if the top idler is bending upwards.You can remove the upper idler and grasp it between your fingers and put a downward pressure to level it out ( and i mean quite a lot to stop it returning the same,don't worry though they are VERY strong items) and it will work.Although a new replacement with the metal plate installed on top would be a safer longer lasting sollution.The tape piling up on the deck tells you the capstan motor /pinch roller are working OK.It's the take up that obviously is the culprit.Ther is also a slight chance too many spacer washers have been installed on the idler assemblies.One way to check this is to hold the top idler when the holding washer is on and make sure you can move it up and down at least a millimeter or two.Hope this helps...........Kevin

Hi, I'd like to sell a Sony Betamax SL-8080F from 1979, does anyone know its price please (approximatively)?

Tips for stubborn/sticky stain on DRUM;Have cotton bud and a drop of Kerosene ,gently wipe around the surface (Careful not to touch the 'EYE' of Rotary Head), you can have the CO cleaner to remove kerosene residue. Hope you can have crystal clear picture result.RegardsBoby.

Disk Assy is the HEAD of Your Betamax wich is made from Aluminum Ring where the "EYE" stays on and Rotates in high speed when payled ;also reads Data on Casette Tape_.You can spot it when you open your deck, it's a short aluminum cylinder wich consist 2 component Upper and Lower DRUM and the Disk Assy is inside them. This part easily sight on SL-800ME. Known as 'Flying Erase Head' on V8/VHS etc.________#_______About the " HF150 -HF950" replacement you'll loose X2 function in doing so but others are fine.

It sopunds like clogged heads. I sell the Scotch head cleaning cassette for $11. I scanned the last 4 pages of the 3M white paper on the subject as 4 jpegs and will send to anyone interest.

To Kevin (and all), I have replaced all the rubber belts and tires (including pinch roller)in the Sanyo 6400. Tape loading, unloading, REW and FF work fine, but PLAY stops after a few seconds because tape is accumulating beyond the pinch roller. This seems strange because the take-up reel is working. EJECT also works and even the excess tape is taken back up into the shell. What could be wrong? Thanks!

What exactly and where is the Disc Assy on the Beta Machine? Thanks for the info on the cleaner. David

Just been sorting out my workshop and found a complete service manual for a Sony SL-C9E / C9UB VCR. It is in excellent condition. Offers invited.

About parts that is no longer available; I find several types of BETAmachine that have identical component/suitable for Canibalism. IE Rotary DICS ASSY/(Rotary Head DRUM) of HF150 suitable for HF950. [wich I still have 1pc Sealed in BOX] .Generally parts for BETAmachine still exists.

Hi, concerning your snowy BetaDeck . Have a CarbondiOxide Contact cleaner ( http://www.crcindustries.com.au )or similar product, spayed around the Rotary Head Dum at adistance ;carefully not to touch the "eye" of the Disc Assy. This commonly fix your problem.CO contact cleaner is the best tool for cleaning, it leaves no Residual Particel on your HeadDrum.

I just received free from a friend a Sony SL-HFR70 Beta max player and I hooked it up only to find that the Betas (old) are playing but showing alot of snow. I had these played on another player and they mostly played fine. Any suggestions on how to proceed to clean this problem up? Thanks, David

To Greg Hooke

Regarding the Sony SLHF950 power supply that you have. The second section of the power supply DC/DC takes 12V DC and creates all the other voltages. The current drain is a little over 2 Amps and I have used an external 12 Volt supply to drive a machine this way so I know it works. A good 12V DC/DC from say a laptop should do the job. regards Noel (Betaheaven - Australia)

Hi!! ,I have a load of betamax bits and bobbs I need to sell ,I don't want a fortune for them either ! Firstly I have over 900 tapes, most only recorded on once only , 200 ex rental tapes, including some classics like Alien, Star Wars ,Christine etc etc...There a few recorders also , 2x Sanyo 5150, excellent working order and in great ccosmetic condition,2x Sanyo VTC 5000, again in top working and cosmetic condition ,a VTC 6000 front loader, again all good ,a C40 with remote in very good condition but has servo issues ,a Sony C9 , in fantastic order with all the Sony improvements fitted, metal loading gears, head drum mod,DC converter etc, with remote and instruction manual ...sadly requires video heads , damage was caused due to me being a clumsy git !!!,I also have various other C5, 6,7 models, mechanicall good but suffer from the usual servo wobbles which is easy to fix if you have the time ! .I have 2 Beta movies, a BMC 100, AND a 500 !, 9 batteries, 2 of which are new ,all hold a good charge , multi battery charger along with 2 standard ones ,and a brand new car power supply too !.There are loads more bits, circuit boards, cases,4 boxes of new,unopened Sony L750 tapes ..... etc etc. Drop me a line and let me know what you want ...I might have it !! You can phone me on 07871023025 .

Hi Betafans: I just saw this on E-bay and thought i'd share...........some people are so uninformed ( i've just pointed that out to them )......http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9707163106.Made me smile though..............Kevin

Guy: I think i mentioned that problem in my previous message......Maybe it's more common than i thought???Although i've only ever seen it once........I know the cassette loading mechanism on that model was heavy.Compared to their better lighter 1984 models..........................Kevin

Kevin, I had to take everything apart because one of the two gears on the lower rod broke, which requires a new rod because these gears must be attached to the rod and rotate with it. If I would have known there was a spring inside the outer gear, I would have taken a few pictures before replacing the rod.

Hi GuyIt sounds as though you took apart the cassette loading mechanism.I have not attempted that or indeed had too.I'm glad you got it sorted though.Thanks too for the feedback...i'm here to help out whenever i can........Kevin

I have a SLHF-950 with a faulty power supply. It's the actual switchmode block that's the problem, fuse is fine, AC is geeting into it but no DC output at the 4 pin plug. So anyone out there have a schematic or sevice manual for the 950? Any suggestions. Anyone know what the DC output voltage should be? Maybe if it's a 12 volt supply I could buy an off the shelf type and mount externally. I'd need to know what current rating would have to be. Any help is much appreciated. Thanks from Down Under.

Kevin: Thanks for your advice. Your points regarding the belts and the metal plate are well taken, but I was already using a new belt. The problem was finding the correct way to spring-load the mechanism so the carriage would have that initial "give" to open the switch to start the loading motor. After plaing around with the 12 or so ways it is possible to configure it, I finally hit upon the right arrangement and now it works perfectly. Thanks again for your help!

Hi Mr. Olive, could you tell me who sell parts for Sony SuperBETA HiFi nodel SLHF870D.

Sincerely,

To Noel Higgins - Thanks very much for your detailed information, I will give both of these a go over the weekend, and let you know the outcome. Thanks again for your help ( so far !!....) Cheers Peter

Guy:Also if you removed the metal plate above the loading mechanism there is a plate that pivots up and down(it's purpose is to stop you trying to insert a cassette when one is already inside the machine.When you place this back ( if you removed this cover ) make sure the loading mechanism is down .This is easily done with leaving a cassette inside ready to play.....Then replace the cover and make sure the inside flap pivots freely.I replaced one with the loading tray up and it causes the flap to get stuck behing the sliding loading tray and could be causing what your describing.........Good luck.If you can send any pictures to my e-mail address feel free to do so....if you get stuck..................Kevin

Guy: Have you tried fitting a new belt Or if it has one a slightly smaller one......works for me.???I believe that model is the same as the UK 6500 Sanyo's first frontloader.If the cassette tray is on the kilter there's a possibility the nylon gear underneath the mechanism is cracked .I've only ever come across this once and i think it was down to owner abuse ( previous).Also with that model make sure the 'timer' button is'nt pushed by accident as it won't allow ANY tape to be loaded as it's in the 'timer' mode....................Kevin

To P Raven,

1/ Take of the base cover off your C30 and check the board that is the side away from the tape loading slot. It should have that YC-25 number on it somewhere. The electronic fuse is like a soldered in two leg black transistor and it is located around the middle of the board edge toward the centre of the machine. It will have an ID on it like N15 or N20 to designate its rating. I expect the C20 would have it's fuse located in a similar position but no guarantee of this as I don't have one of those machines. You can easily check the fuse with the machine on using a voltmeter with the negative probe (black) held on the chassis and using the positive (red) probe to observe that the same voltage appears each side of the fuse. If it's not, then the fuse is blown. You lose video output from the line out when this happens as well.

2/ The forward reel "loading down" will not cause the slowness you talk about unless the capstan roller has almost no grip. Most likely the problem is a capstan motor. These machines employ the same sort of back tension that a C9 uses so that should not be the issue. Swapping the capstan motors is a bit tricky, because alignment of the shaft needs to be correct. Better to take out the magnet/drive shaft assembly and see if the bearing has worn to the stage that the magnet is rubbing the coil wires as it turns. When the coils warm up the clearance tolence disappears. you may be able to pack out the bearing slightly using a small piece of plastic. (As suggested for the HF950 on Palsite)

cheers Noel (Betaheaven - Australia)

Problem with Sanyo 6400: The cassette loading tray lacks enough "give" to activate the sensor (open the switch)to load the tape. The motor, belts and gears are intact. If I advance it by turning the gearing manually, the loading motor will turn on and load it the rest of the way. From that point on, the machine works perfectly, including a normal EJECT. I'm not sure if I reassembled the gearing on the right side of the cassette loading/unloading mechanism correctly. There is a spring-loaded gear that may not be properly set, but I don't have any drawings for reference. Any help would be much appreciated.

seems to play bought tapes ok.. hopefully a bad batch of tapes

chhers kevin anyway.. you are very helpfull :)

need A crack for some protected Tapes here we are.....

http://www.radier.ca/pic/mv.php

the page offer complete PCB board assembly.

Thanks

Hi everyone, another question..... I have a Sony F1 which has a problem, It plays fine until so far through the tape then it starts to struggle. The tape appears to play slowly and the picture starts to drop out as if the tracking were out, with the sound obviously slowing too. I presume this to be a problem with the drive motor, being unable to cope when more weight is on the right hand spool?? Is it possible / easy to swap these over ( I have a broken down F1 so availability not a problem) or is there any other kind of cure? Cheers Peter

Re: reply from Noel Higgins - About your problem listed 28 March. Take the top off your C30 and observe if the drum motor spins when you press play. If not then you should be able to use the one from your worn out C20. Be carefull not to touch and damage the heads of the C30 when you have the whole drum assembly out of the C30 machine to change the motor over from the C20.

Thanks for that Noel, the drum motor does spin. From what I can tell from this site, it is possible the problem lies with a fuse having blown on the yc-25 board, but I don't have a clue which board that is. Anyone able to help me there? Would I be able to swap the boards over from the c20 to check this being the problem?

Carl: You're welcome.Please let me know how you get on...........Kevin

To K Lambert...yes, that is the problem exactly and I'm going to check out your tips and advise. I appreciate your help, especially since this is so irritating a problem.Carl S

Betamadmax: I'm sorry to say getting any engineer to help with a Beta machine is nigh on impossible and those that will, will charge a fortune,especially if head alignment is in order( that's what i've been reliably informed).I have never changed heads on ANY vcr because the ones i've come across are always in great shape and mostly (98%) Sanyo.As is now becoming prevalent the Sony's DO suffer from head wear quite frequently.......Sorry but that is the norm these days.However there may be a 'good soul' out there willing to help for a decent price.I would, but unfortunatley have no experience with the Sony's...............Kevin

buying a new head for my betamax (sony sl-c6 ub ) is no problem but fitting and aligning it is, does anyone know of anywhere near london that would be able to do such a job?

T P Raven,

About your problem listed 28 March. Take the top off your C30 and observe if the drum motor spins when you press play. If not then you should be able to use the one from your worn out C20. Be carefull not to touch and damage the heads of the C30 when you have the whole drum assembly out of the C30 machine to change the motor over from the C20.

regards Noel

Betamadmax:Yes....... worn video heads.....i'm afraid :(The luminance part of the signal ( extremley bright white objects such as text e.t.c) is struggling because the video heads cannot handle the full signal.However it IS possible to view a recording made from a machine that had worn heads and that effect will be part of the recording.Only if your OWN vcr does this with 'it's' recordings will your heads be the issue :)I believe a poorly set up video head amplifier would cause similar results but have never come across this.........Hope it helps............Kevin

hey how is it going

hello, would anyone have any ideas what would cause small black horrizontal lines to appear on a playback picture next to or over white areas (shirts, subtitles etc)

cheers

To Carl Hi I have had the same problem with a few Sanyo 5000's....... You turn on the machine press on ,on the vcr, reset the clock,everything OK until you put it into standby and turn it 'on' again ( the clock flashes like you disconnected the mains...that's it yes?)I found the problem to be due to a dried out capacitor in the power supply section.Seeing as your model is a NTSC version and has different power requirements i'm not sure what one to suggest.The one affected on the ones i've seen was a '16v 100uf' and is situated inside the metal heat sink near the forward part of the power supply board and in the center of the board.Sometimes you can see when looking at the end of the culprit capacitor it has the evidence like a leaky battery.I had that problem baffle me for ages until i started to check a faulty board against one that was OK.I can assure you it will cure it every time.........trust me :)I hope this helps............Kevin

This is a puzzle;I have to reset the clock on my Sanyo beta #4000 vcr each time I turnit on! The timer function is normal but if I just want to play a tape, it starts flashingthe four eights, requiring resetting again...and again. Would anyone have a fix onthis? The other problem with this otherwise well playing unit is in tuning some channels.There is a static line in the middle of certain stations, even though the image is quite clear. The other channels are normal. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thank you. Carl

Does anyone know a place in the UK where I get a new bottle of Rubber Renue? It seems they don't sell it over here, so is there anything similar on the UK market?

To adaltman with the beta 7500;what happened when you pressed play? Did it click in or just spring back? Let me know as I live in NYC..queens, and I might be able to figure something on this as I have several betas that I have repaired. Carl

Hi, I hope someone here can help me. I bought a used Sony sl-c7ub (Pal, UK Version), still in it's original box, with the remote and it seems to be in very good condition and hardly used. It shows no wear on the remote or the buttons on the unit itself so I don't think the problems come from exessive use. The mechanical parts seem to work fine, it loads the tape and plays without problems. Unfortunately the picture in 1x/3x play and pause is very bad. It flickers very badly, is more or less b/w and about every 10s I get a black screen for about 2-3s. I had a look inside the unit, it's not too dusty and the heads seem to be ok. I cleaned them with methylated spirit and a cleanig head-stick like the ones I use for the heads in my VHS units but I didn't help. Is there anything else that might cause this symptoms except bad heads?Thanks in advance,Peter

Hi - I have a Sony C30 which, until the other day, was working perfectly. It now has a problem whereby I put a tape in, but it will not play, infact the tape appears to move only a short space then the machine stops. Furthermore it will only forward wind / rewind just for a few seconds. What, if anthing can i do to repair this? I do have a Sony C20 also (the heads are gone on this). Are there any parts that I could swap from this to the C30 in order to solve this problem? Thanks in anticipation.... Peter

i was years ago a collector of betamax videos i have at least 5 machines still in the loft most probally working and a sanya betacord camera as well is there a value to these old betamax videos any more and if so what or where is the best place to try and find information about them Thank u if anyone would like to e mail me i would be happy to get them out the loft and have a look at what they are like i have a sony c 40 /toshiba v31 /sony sl-c9ub pal sanya vtc 9300 any one interested or could give me advice please e mail me

Thank uSteve

[email protected]

My local source for blank tapes dried up about a year ago. Thhe place I have been getting them from charges just shy of $187 for a master case (50) of Soy L-750s including shipping in the uS. It may vary from where you are living. I am in Peoples Republic of Illinois. If you are interested in contacting the guy his email is: [email protected]

He will sell less at a time for the same price although there is a min on shipping. I ussually get 50 at a time sicne that lasts a coupe of months.

To,Guy,are you swearing at me,I dont know weather to thank you or choke you,as to master of Betamax,there are many better than me Gunga DIN

Blank tapes are exactly that. Blank. NTSC PAL or SECAM signals are laid down during the recording process.

are blank betamax tapes different formats? ie pal or ntsc or does the recorder sort that out when it is first used? the 10 tapes i have are from the uk

Hi all, Any tips for a malfunctioning Sony SL-C9? Capstan stuck running forward full speed, except when machine set to standby by pushing standby button on front panel, where capstan runs reverse at full speed. Cheers, Bryan

The best retail prices I've seen are at http://www.totalmedia.com, where each Sony L-750BTHG goes for $4 .30, so a brand new box of ten is $43.00. Therefore, the maximum value of ten brand new Sony L-750 tapes in the original box is about $40. Of course, buyers can do better on eBay.

seems a bit cheep. what about a 10 brand new sony L750 tapes, sealed and still in the original box?

Really only worth a couple bucks at best. Unless you're close to a large gay community - then you might find a rabid Judy Garland fan willing to part with a few more sheckels to complete his collection...

Hi everyone. I picked up a betamax tape today at Goodwill. I had never seen one in my life so I thought it might be worth something. It's "A Star is Born" starring Judy Garland and James Mason. The box is in great condition and the tape appears to be near mint. Does anyone know what the value might be?

To Docjudd: Yes, all clear now. And thank you so very much for taking time out to so kindly and generously explain it to me. Clearly, you are brilliant, as your skillful use of commas and the spacebar illustrates. I sincerely apologize, and hope you can find some way to forgive both my ignorance and extraordinarily low IQ, which prevented me from completely understanding your initial crystal-clear post. I am certain that I was the only one who misunderstood. Indeed, you are a most efficacious, perspicacious, apotheosized, vicegerent; and it is only with the utmost pustulous pusillanimity that I dare to address thee, master of all that is Betamax.

Scothc head claening tapes have a messahge recorded on them that say " If you can read this your heads are clean press stop now" or some such. If they are bad you cant read it when you put it in and press play.

sapaninwho evaim talkin to

To,Guy,I will explain in syllables for you,I played the head cleaner thru the vcr,then tryed to play a tape,no joy,so found a brand new tape in my collection,result,picture,all clear now?

I am not sure I understand the post above: Of course, there is no picture when you play a head cleaning tape, so how do you know it didn't work?

Re,head cleaner tapes,DO NOT USE THEM,I tried one through my sl 2000,zilch picture,ran a good tape thru it,perfect

Here is something we all should havehttp://cgi.ebay.ca/Beta-Betamax-VCR-black-t-shirt-adult-XL_W0QQitemZ8355169628QQcategoryZ15687QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

More on the GCS-50 problem: it behaves as if the MUTING circuit stays on, comes on, or never turns off. Still looking for any ideas...thanks!

WOWIE WOWIE WOW! A JVC BETA VCR!!!!!!

http://cgi1.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=9702449034

Now I've seen everything!

I cannot imagine if WD40 sprayed in the Rotary Drum......

I have an interesting problem with a GCS-50 that exhibits strange behavior. It will record and play in the B-I mode, but it will neither play nor record in Beta II and Beta III. However, if a tape made on another GCS-50 has a sequential transition from a B-I recorded segment to a Beta II or Beta III recorded segment, then this tape will playback perfectly on the first GCS-50. If that tape is stopped and then restarted during a non-Beta I segment, the Beta HiFi A/V signal is again lost (only plays the conventional audio) until I rewind back to the B-I segment and begin playback from that part of the tape.

Needless to say, this is unusual behavior that I have not seen on any other machine. Can anyone offer an explanation for why this is happening and what might be done to remedy the situation? Thanks!

Whatever you do DO NOT USE WD40!!! Unless of course you need a well lubricated boat anchor. WD-40 will destroy all the rubber parts and work its way into everything ike it was made of that X-files "alien oil" stuff.

Guy: Thanks for the comments.Betamadmax: I'm not at all experienced with that model.I will say though that some machines were desigend to be noisy in operation.If you do investigate a tiny drop of oil should be OK but TINY and make sure you switch it OFF first and it does'nt get contaminated near ANY belts or rubber items.Also make sure it does'nt get on any of the tape surfaces ,head drum included.Good luck..........Kevin

ok its me again,

i have just copied the full series of the young ones on to blank tapes and the play back is suprisingly good, i have noticed that the gears that pull the tape round the video head are noisy, is there any way i can lubricate them to quiet them down, i dont want to damage anything or use grease that will be flung around inside the machine? any ideas?

cheers again ( i hope i dont start another argument)

Kevin: I agree with you regarding some Sanyo models. I have two VCR-7250 SuperBeta HiFi machines from 1985 that work perfectly and have great picture and sound. They also have the fastest REW and FF of most any machine I've seen.

i currently have a working sanyo 5150 beta vcr iam looking for one of the last frond loading machines that were produced in the mid 1980s iam willing to travel 60 miles of my current location which is banbury near the city of oxford. iam also looking for films on betamax cos i have none at all

I am looking for a prerecorded beta set Our American Century 1900-1979 NTSC

well, i thought id try both ways, i took the top off of my sony slc6ub mark 2 and manualy cleand the head by holding a chamis pad damped with head cleaner alcohol against the drum and turned the disc on top, i then played a head cleaner cassette through it dry and tried a tape, it recorded and played back fine, now im going to leave it to the new tapes i have to keep the heads clean. cheers everyone

GuyFair comments.The one comment from Mr Glassers site i don't agree with though is the 'fair to poor picture quality'.I have found most Sanyo's have good to very good to excellent.The one area you could say needed a slight oomph was the sharpness or resolution (Copmared to Sony anyways).Only on some though.For the money it was hard to beat a Sanyo 5000,5150 for picture quality.The VTC NX100 i found a bit dissappointing as the chroma noise was a bit disturbing although it only affected the playback ( a slightly grainy picture) If playing back a recording made on this model in another model it was fine.It is the same for all NX100 's i've seen so was'nt a faulty machine issue.I also notice a lot of the 80's magazine reviewers were all over the place in judging the picture quality for vcr's ,especially the Sanyo Beta's most scored highly with good and some suggested otherwise especially when making comparisons.I would say for the money you could'nt get much better..I think it was down to brand loyalty myself Panasonic and Sony being good examples.But look now at the longevity and, to a point, reliability. factor ..Sanyo ARE smiling very broadly ....(Or should be).The Sanyo 5000 may have had it's fair share of 'new model bugs' but they sure were easy to sort out.Sony machines verge on being a nightmare when things don't go too well.......yes it surprised me too.I think to sum it all up if the picture you're watching satisfies you then that's all that matters.Being able to use it and RELY on it matters a great deal too......i know this from experience too.The same for head cleaners ,if you want to use one fine, but i feel most unaware should be made aware of what CAN happen........horses for courses...........happy viewing Betaphiles...................Kevin

Yes, I've been selling quite a few of the Scotch head cleaners. In order for it to work it has to be abrasive. According to 3M's white paper on the subject, a 30 second pass with their cleaning tape is equivalent in head wear to 10 minutes play with a new tape. Most head clogs take less than 5 seconds to clear up. I made that post because I'm tired of uninformed comments on the subject over the years.

Picking up on the topic of cleaning video heads, I think most of us would agree with Kevin in that manually cleaning the heads is best if you have the expertise. The controversy seems to be the opinion on “head cleaning tapes” that vary from wet, dry, nonabrasive, etc. I suppose that because Sony themselves made cleaning tapes for their Betacams (BCT-5CLN), one would think they would be safe, but obviously not everyone agrees. Then there is the thought that only some cleaning tapes will not be abrasive to the heads (e.g., Scotch).

There are certainly those who advise avoiding ALL cleaning tapes, period. Olive has always said that holding a Pause on a tape you don’t care about is a good way to clean the heads. If effective, that approach makes a lot of sense because the abrasion should be minimal and you can’t beat the price.

Again, the fact that Sony machines all REW and FF with the tape kept wrapped around the heads (albeit at a low back tension), makes one think that no head damage occurs under these conditions. But, maybe Sony did this to minimize the delay time between STOP and PLAY. Kevin points out that Sanyo may have been ahead of the curve when they designed their machines to REW and FF without having the tape wrapped around the heads, despite the increase in delay time.

In this regard, it is interesting to look at what is said on Ray Glasser’s site (www.betainfoguide.com) about Sanyo:

“The Sanyo Betamaxes were a breed all their own! They were sold at rock-bottom prices, had fair to poor picture quality, and many of them threaded like the older VHS machines -- every time you hit STOP, the tape unthreaded!”

Maybe Sanyo had it right after all.