Hello Charlie,I have now removed the hall effect IC from my old Toshiba Betamax but it only has three leads and the one on the Sony SL-CF40 has four. I can remove the Sony one but how do I wire the Toshiba one in? The Toshibs part number is N3006. This was taken from a known working machine so I know it is OK. Any helo would be so much appreciated. If you could Email me that would be great.

Many thanks,

Barrie

Charlie,I have had a look at my Toshiba but can't see hiow to access the Hall effect components.please can you advise me how to get at them?

Many thanks,

[email protected]

Hello Charlie,Thanks for your help. I have an old Toshiba Beta machine model V8600 but I can rob it for bits as the belts have rotted and I can't get replacements.. Looking at the Sony hall switch it looks as if I could cut the leads and join the replacement in by only removing the rotor. Yes the drum is held in a megnetic field so it looks as if you have the answer. Many than thanks again, Barrie

hi all i have a sony sl-6as vidieo recorder had it since new the problem is it will not accept a casset , there is power to the clock but that appears to be all i'm not into electronics however all the fuses test ok can any one help or direct me to a betamax tech.kind regardsJack Ellisph 0263761234 mob0407265623 email [email protected]

Barrie,What your describing is a bad Hall switch on the drum.I've never been able to clean that glue off and get the drum to work. The only way I've ever been able to restore the drum rotation is to replace the Hall Effect switch.To do this requires the entire drum assembly removal and locating another switch.Old Toshiba betas(ntsc) have 3 on their drums and I've salvaged some from my parts betas.If your drum acts like it's caught in a magnetic field when energized then the Hall switch is bad. Hope this helps.

Charlie

I have a CROSS HATCH/PATTERN GENERATOR free if anyone wants it.

SL-C40. I am now looking for dry joints on the boards. Can anyone tell me where abouts I need to look and if there are anymore ideas for the head drum not rotating such as component breakdown. Any help would be fantastic,

Many Thanks Barrie.

[email protected]

Hi I have a really old betamax video camera 2 piece free to anyone who wants it

[email protected]

Hi - I have a really old 2 piece betamax video camera kit I don't know if it works, free to a good home...

Please email [email protected]

Hi, just got another hf950 and seems to be ok, it has a cracked sled but loads and ejects fine, so im not fussed with this issue, but it has servo board issues. It plays fast and bunches after the pinch roller. ff rew and forward pic search ok though. Just play. Does anyone happen to have a spare good servo board for a ub 950? Also it needs the front right hand controls flap which is missing, and the top tuner control cover.

Since my last posting about me SL-C40 I have removed the rotor and removed the glue from the Hall effect device but still no different.The head drum energises but wont spin although it is quite free to turn when not energised.Please help if you are able.Many thanks.

I have a Sony SL-C40 and the head drum energises but wont rotate. I removed the nut from the bottom rotor but I am unable to remove the rotor. I assume it is a tight or taper fit. On rewinding it starts but heen stops which I presume is due to no head rotation. I read on this site that it could be conductive glue under the rotor. This machine has been stored for a number of years but worked fine before storage. Any help would be appreciated.

I have a SL-C40 and the head drum energises but wont rotate. I removed the nut from the bottom rotor but I am unable to remove the rotor. I assume it is a tight or taper fit. On rewing it starts but heen stops which I presume is dur to no head rotation. This machine has been stored for a number of years but worked fine befor storage. Any help would be appreciated.

Would anyone be interested in blank (?) L-750 cassettes? I have 2 plus a L-125 Beta Hi-Fi Demonstration Tape 1983. I want to clear the house and not fill the landfill. Pay for minimal (?) mailing cost and it's yours. I live in South Florida.

SANYO 9300 HAVING PROLEMS WITH PLAYBACK (NO INSTRUTIONS ) ANY HELP PLEASE

having problems with playback ( no instrutions ) any help please

Hi - just asking for some general help. I have an old Beta Machine, a Sony SL-8000. Works not too badly, picture is stable, but has a noise line in it. Line is adjustable in terms of position, but isn't able to be moved off the screen with the control.

What should I be looking for? Generally speaking, is this a head switching or head drum speed problem, bearing in mind the picture is otherwise stable, and plays at the correct speed.

Thanks,John

Ian, If the machine has been stored for a long time, the best advice is to keep it in a warm room powered on for a while.The 'DEW' light means the sensor doesn't like the humidity level much and trying to play a tape could cause it to stick to the head drum.Try leaving it turned on for a day or so.How are the rubber belts in the machine?

Hi Ivan,may I have a service manual of one of this item and could you send a copy of the IM attached to the SM. This is not a full IM but I believe very helpfullMike

I remembered I have a Toshiba Betamax video player in the attic. It is a V-9600B. When power is applied it powers up but the DEW light comes on and nothing else will function. The equipment is running however and parts are rotating. This happened to me once when moving house and it cleared on its own. I understand this is a dampness detector. Can this be overcome to allow the machine to run? or could I by pass the component?

I advertised a Toshiba v33 in the local paper, for 20 dollars all it need is anew belt,No takers

those are betamax machines are they? wrong page mate.

Sony PD 170P: £1250.00 (£1437.50 inc VAT) Drum Hours=330, Operation=2220, tape=220, thread=2000

Sony HVR A1E: £1300.00(£1495.00 inc VAT)Operation=50, Drum=10, Tape=10, Thread=10Comes with Standard accessories

Sony HVR Z1E: £1800.00 (£2070 inc VAT)Drum=980, Opr=1520, Tape=590, Thread=2440

Sony HVR Z5E: £2700.00 (£3105.00 inc VAT) (With Sony Warranty)Operation=90 Drum=40 Tape= 30 Thread=110

Sony J30SDI, 90 Drum hours: £6500.00 ex VAT

Sony DSR 450WSP, 500 Drum hours: £4995.00 ex VAT

Sachtler 20P, 2 Stage CF HD leg, Floor Spreader, with Tube case: £3250.00 ex VAT

Sachtler 18P, 2 Stage CF leg, Mid lever Spreader, with Soft case: £2250.00 ex VAT

Sony F900R Drum run 1375 hrs, Tape Run 707 hrs, Operation 3286 hrs, Threading 1857 hrs

Sony F900R Drum run 1240 hrs, Tape Run 589 hrs, Operation 2485 hrs, Threading 1308 hrs

Canon J20ax8B4 IRS Sx12 Internal Focus 2/3" Lens : £2450.00

Please call or Email for more info [email protected] Tel:+44(0)2083396021

hi i locling for the belts for sony c7 betamax nomber is threading 36530100-eject 365939700-capstan 365935100-ff 365947100-fwd 365332400-counter 365948500 two each thank you plus the betamax head vtc-5000 thank you again

hi anyone can send me a copy pdf or scanned copy of SL-5800 or 5400 instuction manual please? Thank you

Hi Dave, I saw your message about the remote for your SL-HF750. I have the original RMT-143 remote with jog shuttle for the Sony SL-HF750. I also have the HF750 and was planning to keep the remote so if I ever sell the VCR, I could sell the remote with it. However, I have a Sony RM-AV2100 learning remote that I have programmed all the functions into and most of the time find myself using this remote rather than the RMT-143. Point is I could probably live without it. It is in excellent condition. The VCR responds well to all buttons (no finicky buttons!) Jog shuttle works like a champ in forward and reverse. Battery compartment is nice and clean and battery cover is in place. I'll let it go for $150 US dollars including shipping to anywhere in the world. It will be shipped from California (Los Angeles area). If you or anyone else is interested, email me and I can email you a picture if you want and will also include my cell phone # in case you have further questions or concerns. Richard

Re betacam tapes. Bottom Line - BETACAM branded is fine as these are oxide formulation. BETACAM SP, BETACAM DIGITAL or ANY OTHER type of betacam tape are metal formulation and will ruin heads in a normal betamax machine.

Hi Mike Betacam are medal tape and you are right betacam run 6X faster I what I have found over time is that they can wear out the heads unless you have a EDbeta machine uses the same type of tapeIf someone else here has used betacams over a long time and had no problems love to hear

Hi beta people, anyone know what the difference is between betacam tapes and regular beta tapes? I have some Sony BCT-30MA betacam tapes I obtained and have been using them to record on a regular beta VCR. They work fine for my recordings, although I can not tell what I am recording over. It appears that the recorder they are intended for records at a much faster speed (6x faster than beta 2 speed). Is it OK to use them in a regular beta?

I took a look at my SLO-323 again. Didn't really do anything to it, but it seemed to start working for me. I was able to get it to play and today I tested out the record function. Wow. I've never seen a Beta I recording before and was quite impressed. Not bad for a 30 year old vcr! Anyways, I let it record for a while unattended, but it eventually stopped on its own. Any attempt to play, rewind, or fast forward yielded the same symptoms I was seeing before. It would stop after a few seconds. That is when I noticed that the tape counter wasn't moving at all (it had been working normally while I was recording). This leads me to suspect a belt problem. However, does anyone know of a good source of belts for this particular model? I looked at Studio Sound Electronics, but their website claims they do not carry parts for this model.

Anyone know where I can find RMT-143 for the sony betamax SL-HF750 tried Ebay but no luckThanks

James,

The DC/DC in your C9 should have no effect on the stereo indicator if the tuner is working and locked in.

Stuart,

In my opinion, that is too much money for repairing two DC/DC convertors. No one is going to replace all the components anyway. The transformers for one thing are specially made. I don't know anyone (other than myself) who has bothered to repair one by rewinding it from scratch. I still have one brand new MkII DC/DC in its original box. I am willing to sell it for $150au plus postage. (They ceased being available around 1995 according to palsite.)

I charge $90Au for a DC/DC changeover repair plus postage. I have a jig specially made to check them out once they are repaired. The fault is normally a blown transistor, maybe a cooked inductor to be replaced, the two 10uF caps, supply cap (330uF?) and sometimes a shorted cap or diode on the output circuit or a faulty cap on the switching transistors base. The hard part is getting the case unsoldered without cooking the board or causing dry joints. The MkII version requires holes in the can but also additional circuitry around the base of the switching transistor to prevent it driving itself to death when the capacitors dry out or go high ESR.

cheers Noel

hi to everyone has any else noticed another sony SL8080 on ebay £75.00.hi there to stuart and to mark I have attempted to repair DC-DC convertors and one is still working 2years on I used 105 tempature caps and this I think is why they are still okay.stuart yes £196.00 is very exspensive I wuold rather put that sort of money towards owning a sony 950 still would rather have anew set of C9 replacement video heads ,mark you can still record by putting a line in on the rear connectors I think reguards David Grant

Hi Ron(G'day matey):Many thanks for your interesting reply.The very last Beta vcr the UK received from Sanyo was the low end NX100. The ONLY Beta Hi-Fi UK PAL model was the superior M40. Maybe they thought they could re-create the MASSICE success of the Sanyo VTC 5000 in 1982?I get the feeling UK sales for Beta were getting pretty dire and hence Australia got the M50 (but no SuperBeta models) and the US got both Superbeta Hi-Fi and just Superbeta (No Beta Hifi) low end models.If nothing else you must praise Sanyo for trying to get more Beta sales with more variation unlike Sony who ONLY offered hugely expensive versions.I actually own the Sanyo VCR7250 Superbeta Hi-Fi model that is MINT but i would like the owner manual and correct remote for this.An interesting model as it's quite a bit slimmer than Sanyo's previous models, has one idler and a brass pulley for all modes and a very thin metal tape loading gear ( in place of their thicker plastc moulded but venerable earlier versions)..It's also interesting to note this vcr is the exact same style as their first VHS models in 1986 and mirrors the UK's Sanyo VHR1500e model in cabinet style.

I have the PDF file for both the M30 and M40. (alas NO M50 though)If you send me a contact e-mail address i'll send them both to you.....................Kevin

G/day Kevin Lambert

did you get any response regarding Sanyo VTC M50 I have a couple of them in my collection one is very near mint condition the other well used & in need of a bit of TLC!

I would be very interested in acquiring a owner/user manual for this model to add to my collection........[Also would like M30 & M40 manuals]

They really are quite unique machines with superb audio especially on headphones with the two machines linked together [the second machine seems to amplify sound from the first machine producing near perfect HiFi Audio??] Not to sure on the technical pros & cons of doing this ........ but what sound!!

Have not seen very many M50's out here in Oz [a few more M30's & M40 's & plenty of M10's & M20's] seems strange they were not marketed in the UK! - I wonder if they were sold in Europe etc?

regards

Ron

Hi, has anyone here had c9 dcdc converters repaired? What is the normal going rate for a repir on one of these? I just had 2 repaired with all new parts, and with holes drilled onto the can to make them as a mk2. Im not going to say where yet, but the bill came to £196 inc vat, parts, time and return postage.

I need help cleaning the heads on my Betamax SL 5600 top loader. I rescued it from my parents basement and it seems to work fine only the picture quality is not very good. I opened the top up and poked around, but could not find what seemed to be the actual "play-head(s)" to clean. Can anyone help? Pictures would be great.

Thanks,Russ

Anyone got any ideas on this? The stereo indicator light on my C9 is a bit erratic: I know it will not light with tapes recorded on it (according to the manual), but it will not light with pre-recorded tapes or tapes recorded on my C40 either. It is giving stereo sound, and if you power it up and press play within a few seconds of turning it on it will briefly blink on then go out, and will not light up again if you stop and start. Simple adjustment or serious surgery? I have a spare DC-DC but reluctant to start messing about if it's not this!

Hi BetaphilesI'd be interested to hear if ANYONE here owns a Sanyo VTC M50? I really like the look and style of that vcr but sadly the UK did'nt get this PAL Beta Hi-Fi model.A real shame that.Also i'd be interested in the remote control and owners manual for the (NTSC) Sanyo VCR7250 Superbeta vcr, that we also were denied...........makes me wonder why/Thanks in advance..................Kevin (UK)

Good one Stuart! Did you get a reply?

yes craig, I have seen the 8080 in question, I sent the seller a message asking if it was april the 1st...

Did you hear the one about the Irishman selling the Sony SL 8080 on e-bay for 1,500 Euros? No joke!...

Thanks for the suggestions for my two Betamax machines! The SLO-323 does give me a brief picture, so perhaps I need to look at a possible problem with the end of tape sensor? With regards to the SL5000, there is a Youtube video describing the capacitor replacement and subsequent adjustment of the VCR. I have attempted to adjust several of the pots on the board, but haven't really been able to get a good picture. Every once and a while I can get a good picture for a second or two, and then it breaks up. (More diagonally, than a rolling picture if I recall)

Blaire,

On the SLO 323 with the top off the machine can you see if the drum motor is spinning when you use any of those functions? Sounds like the fault at http://www.palsite.com/pcat_hmotor.html I have found that the hall effect sensor needs replacement in most cases.

If it does spin and you are getting a brief picture it may be that the tape end sensor is faulty or the machine is incorrectly sensing a broken tape.

Regarding the SL5000 (like the C6? ) Replacing the caps is not all you have to do. There are adjustments for the capstan speed/lock and the head drum speed/lock. These have to be set in the range where the macine can automatically adjust the speed according to the picture syncronising information. If the picture rolls vertically then its a capstan adjustment. If the picture breaks diagonally then its drum adjustment. When you adjust these without the right meters etc just set them to middle of their adjustment range between the points where picture goes unstable.

cheers Noel (betaheaven.com)

cheers Noel

Blair, Sorry I just noticed you already have already changed the caps. I wasn't reading your posting close enough.

Charlie

Blair, Your Sl-5000 has the same problem that the Pal C-6 has. Those two models are very similiar and share a lot of the same parts as well as the same problems.On this Pal site go to the home page then the betamax pal site then click on the Technical center. Click on model C-6 and read under the heading Poor Capstan lock which I'am pretty sure is whats wrong with your 5000.The picture might be clear for a second and then go bad.I've got a Zenith clone of the Sony Sl-5000 and after replacing the caps and adjusting the variable resistor like it says I was able get a very nice picture .C7 and C8 capacitors on the board are tantalum capacitors but I think a reg 105 degree cap with the same values would be ok.Hope this helpsCharlie

Also, I have an SL-5000 that I re-capped and installed new belts and pinch roller. I can't get a stable picture. Does anyone know where I can find a service manual for this model?

Thanks!

I have an SLO-323 that will play, rewind, and fastforward for only a few seconds at a time. Any ideas? Anyone know where I can find a PDF of a service manual for one of these?Thanks!

I have 2 Sony beta machines. Both will not accept tape.HELP!

Hi y'all, HF 100 tuners: Are they still available (new old stock)? Am thinking about restoring my parts HF 100 to working order.Regards,Craig.

Dave,

If you dont mind paying postage you can get aftermarket belt kits for Sony C7s from Wes Components in Sydney Australia. Google them on the net.

Marco,

I have never found removing the glue on the hall effect sensor to be the solution, I have always replaced them. Taking out the head assembly is a tricky effort because it is easy to damage the head chips and replacement heads if you can get them are way too expensive. I suggest you consult a Sony repair expert in the UK. You can get second hand hall effect sensors out of the capstan motors of many Toshiba machine and the reel motors of certain model sony machines but you have to lengthen the four leads. For a machine like a HF950 it is worth the effort.

cheers Noel (back from Bali!!!!!! No betas there that I could see.)

Hello Betalovers,

I need some help, i'm dutch so forgive me for my poor english. The sl-hf950 is a dreammachine and when i was 20 years old, i coudn't afford a model like this, en last week i saw one for just 50 euro... Ok so i bought it, but it's defective. Probleem: no rotation of the head drum. I've read some tips on the internet, to remove the glue on the hall-generator. I understand that, but i don't know were to begin to dissasemble the thing. So is there someone who can help me in words or foto's how to begin en unscrew the mechanism?I hope to hear from you soon, so i can play my old betatapes... Thanks in advance

Kind regards,

Marco

Used Broadcast equipment for sale

Sony PDW-HD1500 :£13000.00Sony DSR 1P, 10 drum hours: £1950.00 ex VATSony J30SDI: £7000.00 ex VATSony DSR-20 NTSC with 225 Drum Hours: £489.00 ex VATJVC SR-DVM-700E with Remote, Operation Manual: £549.00 ex VATSony DSR 45P: £989.00 ex VAT Sony PVV3P: £589.00 ex VATSony DXC D30P, CA 537P, CCUM7P and Lens : £4000.00 ex VAT

Please call for more info.+44(0)2083396021

PS; to Dave..last time I was offered a wide range Betamax sets of rubber belts (wholesale) but I didn't took it..I'm sure it's still there (the whole bunch of rubber belts).

When I open this site, it reminds me of my dearest friend Harlord...I don't know what to say but it's real sad to know that he's left us...

Thanks to Ian for letting us know.

All best Boby.

Hello gents!

I have been lucky enough to pick up a couple of Sony C7 machines this past weekend, in addition there was also a box full of tapes with recordings on them (about 30 in total!) and a quite unexpected bonus was the inclusion of the rare AG-7 Betastack with power supply and printed manual, these came free on the local Freecycle site!

Anyway, as you might expect, both machines do have problems. Both need a new set of belts, the capstan belts in particular are well stretched in both cases. I did get one machine to load a tape, and it did work, but with some signs of head wear. Of course I need to sort the belts out first of all, if at all possible, but just haven't been able to find anywhere in the UK still selling a belt kit, original or not.

The majority of the switches for the clock settings and timer in both machines are also faulty, most of them have collapsed, but I am not too concerned about those really.

Does anyone in the UK still have a full set of belts for sale for this particular machine?...I would appreciate any help, as it would be great to try and get at least one of the two VCRS working again, do let me know!

Many Thanks, and Best Wishes!

Regards, Dave (Bedfordshire UK)

Hmmm, I see there's somebody else posting here as "Andy W." as well. I'm the one in the USA. My last post should say Zenith VR-8500PT, not 5800. Sorry for the typo.

PS; I also have HF99ES with color problem, been around with the color process board but no better improvement yet.

G'Day Craig, thanks to you and your brother.I hope the new Head will extend the life of your Beta engine.

I see that Noel will go abroad again a week later, take care and stay well Noel.

Great to see ya all guys.

Cheers

Been awhile since I posted here. Not doing much with Beta now that it is no longer better than the de facto standard (DVD as opposed to VHS). Mainly just playing old tapes from time to time on my SL-HF600 and Sanyo 4030. However, I recently took delivery of a Zenith VR-5800PT from a family member who wanted to get rid of it. This model is not listed on Ray Glasser's site. Like one of the models listed there, it records in BIII only, but is a top-loading model unlike the one pictured. It does not work right, for some reason I get snow when playing at normal speed, and a picture only in fast forward/reverse scan.

Hi Noel and Betaphiles!...............

In regards to the query about differences for the Sanyo VTC5000 mk11 ,as far as i'm aware the only differences were the cabinet and fascia colour.I hav'nt delved that deep into electronic differences but i'd be surprised if there were any.The tape loading issue(if the bottom idler failed)certainly was'nt sorted at this stage.It makes me wonder why Sanyo introduced the Mk11 version.The origional 5000 was the best selling mass produced vcr ever i believe, the £299 price tag and it's simplistic and not to complex design had a lot to do with that,especially those, like myself, getting into video for the first time.Hope this helps is some way....................Kevin

BOBBY: Got the new sealed HF 150 heads in perfect condition from my brother-in-law last weekend (I still don't have an e-gay acc!), and once again, thank-you for your prompt, professional service...Hello to all the old posters, and quite a few new ones too, by the look of it. Good to see the doctor seems to be gone; at least for the last few posts!Cheers,Craig.

Hi Davy,

Yes betaheaven.com is my website. To answer your questions about the Sanyo VTC5000, the model II has a slightly different circuit component identification. Other than that I have not compared them in detail. The physical difference is explained on palsite at http://www.palsite.com/5000ovi.html.

The sanyo handbooks seem to come as three sections, circuit layout, parts listing and adjustment. I have also seen circuit operation descriptions but these might only have been sanyo training manuals. Kevin will know more detail about the sanyos. As for Amstrads have no idea.

cheers Noel

hi again I forgot to ask what is betaheaven is it a website?

hi to everyone can anyone tell me sanyo vtc5000 how can you tell a mk 1 from a mk2 and also does the servivce manual come in more than one section how many page does it have,also does any one who does sevicing have any experience with amstrad products i have a emailer+ videophone and there is double imaging problems on the screen and getting support from amstrads website seems none existent

Please note my VCR is a SL-HF99ES!

Cheers

Pete

Hi all, could anybody help me figure out how to get the auto-rewind working again on my Sony SL-99ES (Similar to the SL-HF950 )! At a loss on this one!

Cheers

Pete

hi, problem with my sl-hf100ub audio on playback lights level meters to full and all you get is a high pitched beeb, all other audio is ok tuner, av in and out ok just the beeb on playback of tapes, does anyone have any ideas?

Color noise or loss of color can be caused by bad surface mount capacitors. The problem was endemic with the ED beta machines.

Stuart,

Re the loss of colour problem, I dont have a solution yet mate, I think I have a 950 machine with the same fault.

cheers Noel

Thanks Guys + Girls,

I have a new home for these sets to go to now.

All the very best,

Chris.

Hmm. If you are getting bw through rf as well as av I would say the problem is more complicated, probably a failed component on the video processing board. Noel may be able to advise you further.

HI stuart,thanks for your fast reply.through rf - tv channel: BWtape playback:BWthrough av - tv channel: BWtape playback : BW

through rf - records in colour? through av - records in colour? I dont know that because I don't have another betamax videorecorder for to check.

Happening the same when I see a tape and when i see tv program trought SCARTMust I clean with air compressed into AV output?Best regards,thanksPaolo

Things to check with your 950 paulo-through rf - tv channel in bw or colour? tape playback bw or colour?through av - tv channel in bw or colour? tape playback in bw or colour?

through rf - records in colour?through av - records in colour? Check recordings on another machine if possible.

Playback a recording and check that both hifi and linear sound match. I have eard that if the t901 linear erase head is not working this can affect colour playback through the av. If the sound matches, the problem could be dust on the av connections INSIDE the rear of the vcr. I had this too, I blew out the area of the av connections to the circuit board with compressed air and had colour again.

Hi, do you mean tv is black and white through the rf, or is the tape playback bw through rf? Does the same happen when viewing though the av outputs?

Hi people,i'm Paolo from Italy.I've got a SuperBeta SL-HF950. It's working perfectly but I have black-white signal when i load a tape,when i see a channel tv.Why i don't see any colour image?Audio is perfect but images are black and white.My model is PAL/SECAM year 1985.I hope your help,thanksBest regardsPaolo

Hi all, thought I had a problem with my c9 yesterday, and I thought I would share with you incase it happens to anyone else. I was going to use it to view a tape using the av connections, not rf. However I had picture but no sound. The short of it is that I swapped boards am1 and the bottom av connections board before I realised that when cleaning the top of the unit a few days before that I had somehow moved the test signal switch to on position...in this position when viewing through av, sound is muted though you do see the picture being played.

Hi there. Newbie from the SF Bay Area here. I have 2 tapes of the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Opening Ceremony on Betamax tape (given to me). Have serached high and low to find a place that can trasnfer them for me to DVD reasonably. All I'm finding are $ 30 /tape transfers. Infinitely wayyyyyyyyyy too much for my budget. Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks.

HI ALL,

I have about 14 SONY Betmachines to GIVE AWAY FREE

C5, C6 mk 1&2 and C7 's

THE SNAG>>>They are in NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE (North east England)

These are a strict Pick up only, i also have loads of tapes to give away!

ANYONE???????

All the best,

Chris.

hi i bought a c7e sony betamax for 3 pounds on e bay and have got it to work. it needs a rewind kit. i have been online for days looking for one can anyone help. thank you. betamax is still beter than vhs

Paul O,The power supply is very easy to change. Three or four screws located in the bottom and if I remember right one or two on the back. All the wires coming in from the other boards and ending at the power supply can just be unplugged and the power supply lifted out. Keep in mind when you swap the power supply make sure the one you put back in is good or you could be swapping them for nothing.The power supply should be from another 2400 series unit because later Betas started using a different type of voltage regulator and although the physical size appears to be the same they will not work and can actually ruin your VCR. A lot of beta fans don't like the 2400 series because of this flaw but when they work right they give a beautiful picture and will track excellent.Charlie

Hi stuart,Actually, just between now and my last posting, in an attempt to clean what I could of the leakage, I found that it had indeed destroyed a large number of tracks on all 3 PCBs and the clock ribbon it had leaked onto just snapped clean off. Clearly the battery leakage had corroded through that too.

So, it turns out that I need to replace all 3 timer boards, (TM-10, TM-11 and TM-12).Has anyone got any ideas where to get them please?

Hmm. its probably an nicd backup battery for the clock. I would suggest replacing the whole board as battery leak tends to totally destroy any circuits it comes into contact with.

Heylo all! :)I was recently given a faulty Sony C7. A machine which I have previous experience of repairing but usually for head drum replacement or mechanism faults.The fault is a weird one... Firstly the clock displays only certain segments of the digits making it very difficult to read. Secondly, the machine won't fully power up.There is power to the clock, clearly, and with care you can set the timer and the timer light comes on when the button is pressed, but the time it's set for just passes and the tape does not start. The ON button at the top also does nothing. The green Power ON LED doesn't light and the machine stays in stand-by mode.

Now, most of the buttons in the timer are precarious and 3 of the day selection buttons are jammed solid, (in the up position), so I was stripping it down for de-soldering and removing of the buttons but I then found what may well be the fault.There was a large, black, cylindrical component, (either a large capacitor or a battery), behind the clock which had leaked all over the place, shorting some of the clocks ribbon cables.On removal this component revealed the schematic symbol for a battery on the board underneath.It has no markings of any kind on it, (except for the word Japan embossed in the top), and on testing it merely shows a short circuit (most likely due to the leaking).

Any ideas what this thing is? A capacitor or a battery? More importantly, can anyone please tell me, where can I obtain a new one?

Also, where could I find replacement timer buttons?

Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to make sure I covered everything.

Charlie, thanks a ton. A local VCR guy said it was a servo problem. I plan on taking it there for repair but I'm going to tell him about the power supply issue as well, as I'm told the capacitors wear out and might be the culprit. Is changing the power supply something a layman like me could do?

Paul O, The problem you decribed on your SL-2410 is common with the 2400 series. I have a Sl-2401 that did the same thing and after swapping the servo board with a parts 2400 I have it still did what yours is doing.Finally I swapped the power supply.That was 5 years ago and it still works fine.There must be a bad component in the PW or it was pure luck that it worked.My sound would really blare out loud along with the picture distortion.I still have the bad power supply and when I get some time I've been meaning to see whats bad in it.I suspect the voltage is being allowed to vary and affecting both audio and video boards, which is really strange. Hope this helps.Charlie

Is there a similar website that deals with NTSC Betamax machines?

Thanks.

Stuart, £51?

I bought mine from ebay for £34, front loading system was damaged but thanks to Charles for sending me a replacement :)

*pats C9 *

Oh, and to answer your question, yes it is all that is wrong with my C9. Your power supply works fine but I only have play back facility of course.

Thanks Stuart, on the subject of repairing them I have had two repaired in the past. They did both work for a short while but didn't last, even though the guy who repaired them drilled some nice holes in the casing for extra cooling. When working the display was very dim with both of them but the tuner was fine.

Paul, I may be wrong but if the vcr has a belt for the capstan drive then perhaps it's worn?

Have you checked the pinch roller?

Hello, I stopped by this forum to get an answer to a question. Thanks to everyone who reads. I recently picked up a Sony SL-2410 for a few bucks. I plugged it in and everything works great, even the remote, except for one glaring problem. Every two or so seconds, the picture and sound distort for an instant. Then the video and audio are perfect again until the next distortion, if that's even the right word. I thought it could be the cassette, but the same thing happens with two others I tested. A local VCR guy said it wasn't the heads. Does anyone have any ideas for how to repair? Also, when I pause it when the picture messes up, the freeze frame looks perfectly clean. Thanks again and I apologize if someone already posted a similar question.

Hi, ive not been online for awhile as my connection was lost, i have just noticed some reply's to my VTC5000 problem, i mentioned when playing back a recording made on the machine the picture dropped out, by this i mean that the sound goes and the picture goes black then it reappears with sounds very briefly and repeats itself again, but it can play tapes recorded on another machine perfectly. Also i have just fitted a new idler kit which has improved the machine alot, although some tapes get chewed when tape returns into cassette but some tapes load and unload perfectly, have i done something wrong as it never did this before or has fitting the new part highlighted another problem ?, Many Thanks, Andy

I am not sure what exact amount was for the new dcdc, bit £20 inclusive posgate rings a bell. I was the only bidder.

Is it just the dcdc amiss with your c9 mark? Yes I do remember your swap offer and I will make good on it. I intend buying a couple more c9s on ebay, and am after a spares repair one or 2. Of course also should I be able to get a dcdc repaired, i will send it your way.

Stuart, how much was the dc dc on ebay if you don't mind me asking? I purchased a power supply from you on ebay and gave you C9 heads and drum a while back if you remember. You said you would try and get me a converter in exchange for them if one turned up. My C9 is out of action for many years now :(

Stuart,

Re the 950 question. I have not had to fix that problem but I would be looking for dirt in a gear groove, lack of lubrication (dried out grease) or failing that a damaged gear.

I have to get a few 950s ship shape soon so no doubt I will learn.

cheers Noel

Mark? If you were referring to me and my c9? ? it was already working. But I do have a spare, brand new one bought on ebay last year. I am investigating getting a non working one repaired but its not easy.

Does that mean you have a spare dc dc converter?

Happy days! A recent c9 purchase on ebay arrived today and what a bargain for only £51! All that was amiss was the standard split threading gear and the associated rubber belt which was slipping. Both replaced. Its hardly got a mark on it and is in full working order, good upper drum :) Sometimes you do get lucky :)

thanks Stuart, sorry, must have misread the reply the first time! That makes £128 for the genuine Sony one sound a whole lot better! Will start saving now for next month...