PS; I also got a BCT-20Ma (Betacam SP20) broadcast quality METAL tape, I'll try that on my HF950MARK2, I'll see if there's much of a differences...

I'd just tested SONY BCT5G (betacam tapes)-(back coated) it doesnt have much differences on PRO recording just a slight better or sharper image only. Wear on Heads(?) these betacam tapes have better coating on the surface other than ordinary tapes, why should it be said wearing the Heads(?) it's the coatings that floats accros the heads not the inside particle...Maybe someone have better idea on PRO recording and PRO-X criteria that can be shared among us...

Regards,Boby.

Bill, I cannot help out with the Pro-X, but I do have some sealed Sony HG L500s that work really well with my 950. I also have some next to new SP30 and SP60 Betacam tapes if anyone is interested, but they are NOT suitable for betamax use as metal.

Not sure if anyone is interested or not, but over the years I have bought several Beta VCRs and the old owners have given me the tapes they had with them. I have had little interest in these tapes and for awhile was using them in the recycle bin (retape over them not send them off in the blue bin). But after picking up a huge number of NOS tapes real cheap a year ago I have had no need to do this. Thus offering them up for sale. There area large variety of tapes here, most are 750s, but some 500s and 830s, might even be a few shorter ones. They all have stuff recorded on them as far as I know. I have no clue what it is some tapes are labled with names of movies, there may be some X-rated stuff on them. All NTSC. Most have the sleeves some do not. Appears as if I have several hundred of them, the oldest appear to be late 1970s or early 1980s, most of them are from the late 1980s early 1990s. Selling them as blnaks but you may find something of interest to watch on them Letting them go for 50c each, plus shipping. They are located in central Illinois USA.

You can contact me directly at [email protected]

My SONY Betahi-fi (model: SL-HF100SA) is working very well, the only problem being that it only gives a black and white picture. After a year of not being used, I took it out of the cupboard to play a Beta movie, and found out that it does not give a colour picture anymore, as it used to. What could have gone wrong? Is there something I can do to solve the problem? I am from Pretoria, South Africa. Is there anyone that can give me advice and help me please? Please note that there is no switch on it to select between colour and B&W.

If anyone comes across a source of Pro X or Betacam oxide tapes PLEASE let me know.

Bill

Ronnie,

Steer clear of metal oxide tapes. Even if they don't wear the heads (as much some say they do) the bias settings of the machine don't suit them. The Pro-X are high quality oxide tapes and I just looked at the published info on them which says "ultra fine, ultra dense magnetic particles equaling 230 million pieces per square millimeter. I have used betacam oxide tapes and they work great and are cheap relative to Pro-X because you can get them more readily second hand and lightly used.

cheers Noel

Hi Ronnie.

I believe Mark meant Super Beta PRO mode with the PRO X tapes.:)You can use Superbeta with normal tape.As to whether the PRO X formulation is metal orientated i don't know.

regards...............Kevin

Ronnie, use some Sony Pro-X tapes if you can get hold of them and set your 950 to super betamax mode.

Hi Javier

I know if you use the Sanyo global website and then Sanyo UK link you can download their UK model lineup instruction manuals.I cannot see why the same can't be done for your region.Good luck..............Kevin

Hi, My name is Javier from mexico city. I'm looking for the owner's manual for VCR-4030 from sanyo superbeta.Someone tell me where I can get or download

Thank youJavier

Hi, Now I have a working Sony 950, I am a bit confused as to what tapes it is able to record to. I have heard about some kind of special, "Metal Tape" which records in very high quality. Could someone advise me on information about this tape, and what tapes the Sony SL-HF950 is able to record to (Besides the normal ones)Many Thanks, Ronnie.

Desmond,

The fuse PS001 is located next to the connector CN003 at on the YC28 board in the centre of the board edge toward the centre of the machine when you have the base cover off and the machine upside down. You can easily check using a volt meter to see if the voltage appears both sides of the fuse when the machine is on.

To EON,

I have seen a fault on a C5 where the picture goes B&W so maybe your machine is on the verge of that fault but I don't yet know what causes that fault.

regards Noelregards Noel

Hi guys,I have an SL-C5 which is working fine (I maintain it myself), but what I can't maintain is the tapes. I'm in the processing of digitizing some of my recordings but some of the tapes have 'weak spots' where the colour will drop out. I'm wondering if removing the colour mute transistor (yet to be identified) will help in this regard.Thanks for any info.

Roderick - I took a look at the U-matic page, and it is indeed horrifying. I don't blame you for wanting to stay away from it. I cannot fathom why the moderators don't take some action. I don't know much about maintaining websites, but surely they could do something to get rid of that dreadful stuff. As it stands the page is practically useless.

Bill

Hi I have a Sony Betamax PAL SL-HF100 and there is No video or sound AV O/P, Drum motor runs too fast. Machine stops in FFWD & REW and i cant find where the solid state fuse PS001 (N20) in 9V supply on bottom Board YC-28 is to check it if someone could email me how i get to it and where it is that would be great

Bill, Have you been to the U-matic page lately? It is disgraceful! Completely taken over by nutters posting incomprehensible links for illegal software or other crap.Sadly, no one seems to care.....

Astro, you're on the wrong page, this one deals with the Betamax format. There is one on this site devoted to U-matic, go back and follow the link.

Hi, I'm interested in buying a u-matic player for myself, but would like to ask the community their thoughts on the best u-matic player. I realize "best" is a loaded term, but lets say, which model is known for giving the best picture/audio output quality. S-Video and XLR audio outs are preferred. Thanks.

Hi Mark:

The purpose of the capstan in any tape recording system is to pull or push the tape in either direction.The rubber pinchroller grips onto the tape and it gets slight pressure up against the capstan shaft.This turning causes the tape to be pulled or pushed in whatever direction is required.The capstan motor is speed regulated for all the different modes on a vcr.It is essential that the pinch roller and capstan shaft are cleaned and checked periodiaclly as if this is contaminated with tape oxide ( that will happen if used a lot) this will cause tape damage , especially in the reverse search mode which is more tortous for a vcr.The same thing will happen if the capstan bearings are dry or excessively worn or the servo motor is faulty.It is NOT in contact with the tape during the fast wind modes.

Betaman: If you look on the rest of Palsite you will see a whole list of common faults for the C9. This should help you with your current issues.

Good luck guys...............Kevin

Hello Folks,

I have here a Sony SL-C9ES with malfunction. The vcr goes on, but it doesn't do anything else, beside that when i press on the EJECT button it makes a sizzling sound for 2 sec. The display also doesn't show anything. The vcr also don't take casette.

Is it lost ?

Thanks Noel, ill check out and clean the brake system soon.

Does anyone know what the capstan is supposed to do? Is it supposed to rotate, and is the magnetic tape supposed to brush right up against it?

Hi craig:

No problem.Ah , now if that's the case Noel did tell me the M40 can suffer from overheating in good ole Aussie land and also the voltage regulator is probelmatic over there too.The UK, being a cooler climate, has no such issues in this area.Noel will be your man then............GOOD LUCK.

.............Kevin

Kevin: Thanks for you response. I have no electrical knowledge unfortunately, but the main fuse is still intact, and looks like I need a couple of new belts! I'm in sunny Brisbane, Australia, by the way. Might be another job for Noel soon, methinks!...

Hi Bill, Many Thanks for the information.

Regards Nigel.

Another addendum - I'd love to hear from anybody who has owned one of the Sony multi-standard machines - what they can and can't do, how they perform etc.

Bill

Nigel - the answer is no. Regionalisation - horrible word - is purely DVD technology. Regionalisation as per DVD does not exist for Beta - or for VHS for that matter. You may be confusing TV standards with regionalisation. Buy a tape in Japan or the US and it won't play properly in France or the UK in an older bog-standard VCR. France is a special case - compatible with nothing!

That is all about line, colour and sound standards, nothing to do with regionalisation, and if you use a Beta or VHS machine compatible with the appropriate standard there is only the question of whether or not your TV will handle the video output. I don't know about the US, but most TVs being sold in Europe now are multistandard to some degree. Nearly all do NTSC 4.43, which is video only, not broadcast, and is effectively PAL colour with NTSC 525 lines. Most recent PAL VHS VCRs will play NTSC tapes in this format. Unfortunately this was never implemented on Beta. There are four multi-standard Sony machines, but they are not converters - your TV would have to be capable in the native broadcast standard of your tape. Hope this is helpful.

Bill

Hi, Can anyone tell me are prerecorded betamax tapes regionalised like vhs ie- pal, ntsc.

Thank you, Nigel.

Sorry - that has nothing to do with your repair thread. Toshiba reel motors can wear and lose torque. You may need to replace the motor. Just be sure however that there is no drag on the reel because the brake has not disengaged or someone has taken the spool off the shaft and lost damaged or replaced the bearing and washer parts in the wrong order.

cheers Noel -betaheaven.com

Have a look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2v_qEVTh10&feature=related

An even better example:

http://www.betamaxcollectors.com/toshibabetavcrmodelv-m32.html

This is my exact model.

By the way my VCR looks almost identical as this one (just for a reference):

http://www.palsite.com/tech.py?model=v33tech.html

Mine is a V-32, not V-33.

Thanks again!

Hello once again, I have finally found out the problem with my Toshiba M-V32! It involves a problem with the right (takeup) reel. When play is pressed, the white idler gear inbetween the reels moves so that it will turn the reel on the right with a gear(as it should normally). However, the gears are turning fine, but the reel itself does not move.

The gear on the reel can be turned without turning the entire reel itself. This is why an image cannot be seen on play but can be seen on pause (the magnetic tape is already on the heads) and on FF or Rew (they use the smooth black idler, not the geared white idler, to turn the reels).

This happened because a spring above the gear on the right reel to push the gear down is not strong enough. Therefore, I crammed small objects into the spring's space to simulate the effect. The gear would not turn on its own, so I assumed it would work.

Now that the motor that powers the idlers has to turn the entire reel, it seems as if it was too much for the motor to handle. Any suggestions? I have pictures describing my predicament, but I don't know how to upload them here. It's a very complicated problem to explain, and I greatly appreciate the help. Thanks! =)

Need an instruction/repair manual (or copy of it) for SONY SUPER BETA HI FI STEREOCAST SL-HF750. Anxious to obtain at very reasonable price.

It looks like I may have answered my own recent question re SECAM L. I've checked the specs of all the SECAM-capable multi-standard machines listed in the index here, and not even the flagship Sony model SL-800ME will do SECAM L as opposed to Middle East SECAM. Having said that, some of the specs are slightly ambiguous, stating specifically that the machines don't have tuners for SECAM L. Does this mean they COULD record SECAM L video? I suspect not, but perhaps the moderators or whoever compiled the index or has owned one of these machines could give me a little more info.

A related query to anyone who might know, sorry if it's a silly question - my recent LG LCD TV has video output, and is multi-standard except for NTSC 3.58, although unlike my dear departed Loewe which stored standards with channels, switching standards is cumbersome. If I'm receiving a SECAM L signal, do I get SECAM L colour video out, or does it default to PAL and lose the colour? Is whether the broadcast signal is negative or positive modulation irrelevant to a video signal once past the tuner? I recorded the video output my Loewe produced from broadcast SECAM on my SLHF100, producing a positive picture in black and white, but of course as I didn't have another TV or monitor capable of doing any kind of SECAM - still don't - I had no way of knowing whether the output was in B/W, or in colour and just lost at the SLHF100 like any other PAL device. Sound of course is not a problem. I haven't been able to check any of this directly yet, as these days the ionosphere is not being kind to TV DXers! I'd be very grateful if anyone could shed any light.

Bill

Hi Craig

It's more than likely PSU capacitor related.It could even be the mains supply capacitor has gone high resistance and blown the internal fuse.This used to be a common issue with the Sanyo VTC 5000. probably down to a lot of mains spikes at the time ,as not all have been affected.Where abouts are you??If you'd like to send me an E-mail we can discuss this further.

................Kevin

Hi all...Went to power up my Sanyo M40 on the weekend for the first time in about 5 years and t'was dead as a doornail. Any ideas as to what the problem could be?Regards,Craig.

hi all of you <a title="Details on PALsite" style="text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(0, 204, 0);" href="http://google.com">SL-C20E</a>

Hello people,

I used to sell properly serviced Beta machines on a well known auction site, user name the same as above, if you want to have a look at my feedback, I also repaired/servised many Beta machines for many happy customers I have been a pro engineer for about 30 years now.

I have now gone in a different direction and as a result I have a lot of decent good condition "stock" I wish to sell on as it would be a crime if it went to "land fill"

I have a large number of Sanyo and Sony machines and some genuine NOS spares, the volume of stuff would mean it would be needed to be collected from the West Midlands or some sort of comprimise.

If anyone would be interested please mail me at [email protected] and we could talk about what I want to sell and prices, BTW the mint C9 and HF950 are not for sale nor is the HF 100 or the C5 LOL

Regards,

Tony

Addendum to the above - I seem to remember a long time ago reading about a true multistandard Beta, covering ALL standards. It seemingly had lousy performance and was monstrously expensive. I don't think it was capable of actually converting between standards, you got out what you put in. Can anyone confirm its existence?

Bill

Thanks, Roderick,

Unfortunately MESECAM and SECAM L aren't compatible. While they're both sequential, the latter uses negative modulation and a different sound subcarrier.

Bill

Hi. I have an SL-F1UB Portable, that worked fine for 8hrs when I used it to transfer the family video's to my PC. It now does not work as the tape is permanately ejected, in closing the door, it fails to engage, Has anyone any suggestions as what the fault may be, and how does one go about repairing it, or getting it repaired.

Bill,Sony made a range of multi-standard Betamax, mostly targeted at the Middle Eastern market.Not sure about SECAM-L though, most had M-SECAM. Look for machines with ME (Middle Eastern, duh) in the model number.

Hi matt ((EDBETA) If you want to sell your machine I would like to buy off you I am in Canada let me knowemail is [email protected] (replace hatmail with hotmail)

Hi I am looking for a NTSC ED Beta machine, I know they are rare, and I am checking ebayAny ideas?Dave

Does anyone know if there was ever such a thing as a Beta stereo machine, Sony or anything else, doing French SECAM-L? Not necessarily with a stereo tuner, as the French went to NICAM quite late in the game, but perhaps AV stereo record/replay with a mono tuner a la SLHF100 and SLHF950.

Bill

Hi Noel, thanks for your advice. I checked the brake solenoid, which is working fine every time. So, there could well be wear on the upper drum surface, causing a drag effect. This was an ebay purchase, so i dont know the history of the machine. When i have a bit more time, i will try the technique you suggested to the upper drum, though i might remove it first, to avoid damaging the heads themselves.

I'm interested in 105c caps...

Hi EveryoneI have bought a Sony SL C30 It was working lovely for a while until the tape loader would not eject the tape, One side of the loader had stopped working, I have tried to put feelers out for anyone who may have an idea where to find spares for this machine as I am told that the plastic loading gears may have snapped one side and they are easy to replace, Can anyone help me please :(

For Sale: Make an offer I can accept before all goes to Tip 10th May.Sanyo Betacord VTC 5000, Handbook and about 20 tapes.For a modest cost delivery could be arranged Durham, Northumberland, Cumbria, also A1 as far as London. John.

Kevin,

The 105 deg caps are most necessary for the Sony SLC9 DC/DC converters because they run hot.85 deg caps are OK when they are the original spec caps and it is not a high temperature environment. I would always use them in the SLV815 sony (VHF) power supplies and indeed the Sony SLHF950 because they do run hot. I think 105deg caps are sometimes hard to get in all ranges.

cheers Noel

Hi Noel.

Would you also agree that replacing 85 degree tolerant ones with those rated up to 105 degree is a good move for longevity?

My capacitance checker also checks the ESR too but i was led to believe the capacitance value was more of the issue??It IS these little things that make all the difference...........

..........Kevin

Kevin,

Yes the old capacitors usually get increased equivalent series resistance ESR which means that they heat up and the electrolyte is lost lowering capacitance. They can also break down shorting out which is more likely the problem in this case if the fuse is between the bridge rectifier circuit and the capacitor. I used to think a capacitance meter was the thing needed but now I realise ESR is the thing you need to check and even some new capacitors can have high ESR if they are of suspect quality.

cheers Noel

Hi Mark (& Noel)

I would suspect the probelms you are facing now are down to dried out or leaking capacitors in the PSU (Power supply) area.This is getting more common with a majority of the Sanyo 5000's i've seen.No doubt any vcr of this age will be showing the same.Have you a capacitance checker? A VERY handy tool to have:)Would you agree with this Noel??

.............................Kevin

Mark,

The fuses higher voltage rating is not an issue just as long as it is not lower. Another thing to watch out for beside the current rating is whether the fuse is a normal, fast or slow blowing type. It is probably a normal. Dimensions of the fuse must be the same.

regards Noel

Thanks kevin and Noel, I will look closely at those once I fix this new problem of utmost importance. So as I was running tests on what exactly is working, the main power fuse blew. All the power is gone, the fuse itself said "125v 1.2a". I went to an electronics store and all they had were 250v fuses, at varying amps. Would it work if I replaced a 125v 1.2a fuse with a 250v 1.5a fuse? thanks once again!

Noel:

Yes indeedy you are correct.That part mentioned was way down the list and i forgot he stated that:)

I did mention the audio/track pulse issue maybe being of concern and i believe was correct in that it would cause no picture for the play mode if dirty/worn or misaligned.I do remember seeing that mentioned way, way back..................Kevin

Kevin,

Re Marks problem machine Toshiba M32??? Don't know that model but the problem sounds like loss of tracking pulse. Could be an alignment issue or dirty audio/tracking head. Audio is on one side of the tape and tracking on the other. You might be able to see visually if the tape covers both head gaps.

Head motor must be spinning or no picture would show on pause.

cheers Noel

Hi Kevin,

If the other guy changes his mind, I'd like to have second dibs on it!

Cheers.

Hi Vudicus

I have a fantastic condition M40 but another guy has first dibs on it.Complete in every way.Near MINT condition, Serviced/tested, with remote, Beta Hi-Fi demo tape,origional manual, high quality leads,origional box and a 12 month back up for free..(£310)

You won't get a M50 in the UK, that was only for the Aussie and New Zealand markets sadly .Getting one in great 100% complete order with all accesories and in a serviced/guaranteed condition could be very difficult.I've seen many and they all have desperatley needed and overhaul.

Good luck in your search...........Kevin

Looking to purchase a Sanyo VTC-M40 or VTC-M50 in the UK.my email is [email protected]

Many thanks!

Noel:Sorry to offend..................!! (i know how passionae your are with th SONY breed ..warts and all:)

Mark.One thing it could be, are the heads spinning?If they aren't then the 'hall effect sensor' is probably the issue.This will not allow the tape to play but the fast wind modes would work.It could also be the capstan motor.Does this turn when you press play??let me know.I'm sure Noel will chip in here ................

.................Kevin

I have a Sony EDV -9300 ED-Beta recorder, which I want to keep for now even though it no longer records in colour, because I have a lot of recordings that I can still play back on it and transfer to DVD or Blueray. However, I also have a lot of used but good tapes available for sale. They are Betamax, ED-Beta, Betacam oxide and SP. Write to me if you are interested in the stock.

Thanks kevin, I'll give that a try! But I took a look at the inside of the VCR today, and whenever I hit play, only the right reel spins (to the right). As it spins, the magnetic tape itself does not move around the drum whatsoever. In FF or Rewind, it does in its respective direction. I'm guessing it has something to do with the idler, but I could be wrong. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

Stuart,

Your other problem the front sliding door. You have to take the whole assembly out to fix this issue. On the front slide door check that the return springs are in place and not damaged. Next check the door wheels are correctly on the slides top and bottom. Check the door is not bent or skewed. Make sure the slides are parallel to one another and have a slight gap to allow a little movement left and right but not enough to allow the rollers to jump off the slides. The use of a touch of grease on the slides might help the sliding door work. Job done.

Sony produced replacement doors but I have managed to repair most by adjustment. If all else fails - ditch the door- because they machine can still work fine, you just can see into the tape area during operation. If you persist using the machine with this fault, it jams the tape and leads to pressure on and breaking of the load gears. I suspect this is the main cause of the load gear problem in the first place.

regards Noel

I have not been checking the chat page for a few weeks and so here are some replies to questions.

James,

There are two other things that affect the tape friction on rewind and hence rewind times.

1/ The tape brake solenoid can fail leaving the brake on. Just check with the bottom cover off that the brake release is operating and holding via current through the latch coil. If not the fuse under the blue plastic wrapped around the latch coil is open circuit. You can replace the fuse if you can get one or cheat and replace the fuse with a quarter watt 1 ohm resistor.2/ The upper drum wear causes shiny surface and increased tape drag friction. Get an old ink rubber (mildly abrasive) and being careful to move (spin) the video heads out of the way roughen up the upper drum surface so that it is no longer shiny. A really fine grit wet and dry paper such as 1200 or a jex pad will also work though it sounds a bit brutal.

Stuart,

The SLC9 plastic gears can be repaired sometimes if they have not been broken in half.

What usually happens is that under pressure from a jammed tape or such they crack through on one side next to the D centre hole of the drive shaft and slip off the shaft. I have manufactured metal sleeves which I slide on to the circle of plastic beside the gear teeth. It need to clear the teeth so as not to damage the other gear meshing with these teeth and also in order to refit the gear to the shaft. You can make these sleeves by drilling out the right size hole in a nut the smoothing off the edges of the nut to make it rounder. I am going to look at some small telescopic antenna sections to see if I can find one with the right inside diameter then i will have a lifetimes supply of shims. I also use a dab of super glue on the gear crack before I slip the shim on to held restore some strength but be careful not to get glue in the gaps of the gear teeth.

regards Noel (betaheaven.com - Australia)

Kevin,

Enough of the SONY bashing already! For the SLC9 Sony bought out a replacement metal gear kit once the problem became evident. Sony also provided a replacement DC/DC MkII design and a replacement door assembly. That is the trouble with producing high end feature rich machines - more to go wrong. Considering all that, when repaired correctly they still produce amazing performance and are fun to use.

cheers Noel

Hi Kevin, many thanks for your advice on the SL-C20 problem i was having. I removed the reel chassis and whilst the stator didnt feel like it was rubbing, i inserted a couple of poly washers to raise it up a bit, also a bit of oil in all the right places. It now takes all the tape back into the shell every time! Though it takes a long time to spool, rewinding an L750 took about 6minutes, but i guess the machine has some wear on it or they never that good in the first place.

Hi Mark:

It definetley sounds like the heads to me.I know on Sony and i believe Toshiba Beta's if the signal quality is poor it blanks the screen.They could either be very dirty/blocked or worn.I'm not sure but i believe the control track head being worn/dirty could have this effect too.I would also suggest manual cleaning but whatever you do BE EXTREMLEY CAREFULL OF THE FRAGILE VIDEO HEADS.What you need is a proper tape head cleaning stick (NOT COTTON BUDS) and soak it with isopropyl alcohol.Then lay is gently against the side of the drum(you should see the heads just protruding around the slot in the center) ,then with your other hand put your finger on the top of the drum assembly and move the heads left and right until they gently pass across the cleaning pad, but DO NOT MOVE THE STICK and DON'T APPLY TO MUCH PRESSURE!

The audio and control pulse/erase heads you should be able to clean like a normal audio tape cassette player.Make sure the cleaning stick is wet with the cleaning solution though.It will dissolve after a while.

As for the SONY C9 i think it shambolic of Sony to develope such a highly regarded top spec Beta vcr and then fit flimsy/crappy gears which break easily.This problem i see and hear about time and time again.One thing with the Sanyo designs they were BUILT TO LAST in the all improtant areas.

Hope this info helps.................Kevin

Had to buy another c9 on ebay to get them...

Hi everyone I have a problem, I'm trying to get my Toshiba model V-M32 to play normally, but when I press play, there's no picture. If I fast forward or rewind, the picture appears until I hit play again, which it goes blank. If I press pause, I'm able to see the picture for that frame, and it goes blank once again after i hit play.

Any suggestions? Do my tape heads need to be cleaned?

Stuart,

Where did you get the gears? I have a C9 with the same problem but never have been able to find replacement gears!

Betaman.

What cable are you using to connect to the TV?Are you also plugging in a aerial lead from your roof antenna?It sounds to me like the cable itself is the issue.If it's the roof cable the centre core will need to be wired up correctly otherwise you will get a grainy tv reception.Is the roof cable good quality or the cheap and nasty thinner type that will always cause a loss of signal?

Mark:

I don't think re tunning the RF on the vcr will work and it will only cause diagonal lines at best if interfering with another close channel.Also Betaman has stated it's doing the same thing with another vcr, so would seem to highlight the cable.

James:There's is a chance the idler could be a bit stiff/tight and need a light lubing.Also the reel motor bearing may be wearing down causing it to rub on the motor coils.That is another common issue with well used Sony's.

.........Kevin

Noel!! I need your assistance with a c9 problem, if you know how to fix this issue. I had a c9 break one of its nylon loading gears recently, the left side one, and have just today aquired a replacement, but on fitting, the "cassette inside" flap which rises from below is higher on the left than it is on the right. Probably by about half a cm. How do I fix this? Can it be done without removing the whold cassette basket, or does it need to come out, and how do I realign the said flap? Cheers, Stuart.

SONY SL-C20E PROBLEM LOOPING TAPE ON EJECTHello everyone, i have a problem with my SL-C20E, everything works fine, apart from when i go to eject the tape-it leaves a lopp off tape around the transport, which doesnt get taken back into the shell. I have checked resistor R420 (3.3ohms) and transistor Q334 2SC10613 as suggested on the tech page, but both these check out fine. I also checked the circuit protectors PS1 & 2, on the servo board, and these also check ok. Anyone else come across this problem?

I'll repeat - Try adjusting the RF requency on the modulator (there should be a screw adjustment on the back) it may just be beating with a TV channel. Another way to check is to pull the TV Aerial out leaving the RF cable in place and checking test signal again through the RF.

Kevin,

It seems the problem is not with the Betamax VCR, since i connected a VHS VCR (Phillips Turbo Drive) the same way with cables...and yes the same grainy picture on the tuner channels.

Is there maybe something like a adaptor so that my Betamax can get a scart cable which i can put behind the TV ?

Hi, Can someone kindly advise me of a forum suitable for discussion of Sony SL-C6UB Mark #2 enquiries for service and repair.

Try adjusting the RF requency on the modulator (there should be a screw adjustment on the back) it may just be beating with a TV channel. Another way to check is to pull the TV Aerial out leaving the RF cable in place and checking test signal again through the RF.

Betaman.

It seems from your last reply you've solved your own problem.Unless i've read what you've just stated wrong.

The cable from the VIDEO OUT to the TV should be a BNC ended to the vcr output socket and either a phono or scart to the TV INPUT.The VIDEO INPUT should also be a BNC socket and the lead connects with whatever you are putting the signal in with ( another vcr, DVD player e.t.c)

If you are talking the RF loop through with the antenna going in to IN on the vcr and the tv loopthrough lead going to the TV's RF socket,then that's another issue altogether.So long as you are'nt trying to get the video output by using the BNC connector socket on the vcr to the TV RF input!

It sounds like the problem is either in one of the RF sockets or indeed the loopthrough booster that all vcr's have.It could be someone has been a bit rough with inserting the cables.Have you tried jiggling the cable about whilst watching the tv picture to see if it get's clearer?Also if the Tv antenna cable core is'nt properly seated inside the socket centre or shielded it will give you a grainy picture too.Let me know when you've tried these options.Also explain a bit more clearer exactly what cables you are using and which sockets, RF or the BNC/Phono rear extensions.

Hope this helps.................Kevin

Hello Kevin,

It seems that my problem is solved...at least when i connect the Betamax with the TV with just one cable. Thus from the VIDEO OUT to the TV, then i have clear Test Signal and also clear playback.

But as soon as i put the cable from the wall in the VIDEO IN, the picture gets snowy, i have figured out here that if you do the litte switch on the backside of the VCR on DX (instead of LOCAL or vica versa i can't remember now exactly) it will get a bit more snowy.

Why do it get it snowy when i connect the VIDEO IN ?

Keith,

Spot on with your comments. I recently repaired an SLC30E where someone used higher voltage caps than recommended (100V and 63V) to replace the originals and that caused a really big problem with playback and the tuner because higher voltage caps have higher ESR. (equivalent series resistance) Replace the caps with new ones around the 25V mark and all should be good.

cheers Noel (betaheaven.com)

Hi Betaman:

Looking at your query i would say as far as the tuner issues go it could be many things.Firstly make sure you are getting a good reception from your tv aerial by trying out other equipment from it.If the vcr IS causing the issues it could be failing capacitors( notorious for failing on vcr's especially in the power supply and if the vcr has been plugged in for most of it's life).Thankfully these are still in plentifull supply.The higher rated 105 degrees are preferred over the standard 85 degree ones as they withstand a higher temperature.The playback issue could be the heads being very worn/dirty or damaged.It could also be a tracking or tape alignment issue.Does the pinch roller look very contaminated?That is the heart of the tape drive system and needs to be very clean and in good condition for supreme and reliable playback and record functions.Ther is also a minimal chance you have a broken PCB track on the respective board ( somthing i've found a few times) or dry joints in the soldered points ( something you should always look over before even suspecting anything major component wise.The list is long my friend, but now maybe some realise what a wonderfull and testing job overhauling these classic vcr's is for some.

PLEASE let us know how you get on.......tread carefully around the vcr head drum as the heads are VERY fragile and PLEASE avoid those dreaded head cleaning tapes!!!!!!

............Kevin

Hello,

I have a Betamax SL-C30E, i have cleaned the heads but the picture quality is still poor. The channels via the tuner are also same poor quality. Can perhaps the poor tuner cause this poor video quality ? How can i solve this ?

James,

You have to take out the whole PSU to fget at the board holding the module and just swap that board over if you like. If you have a complete PSU I guess it is quicker to do a swap though.

cheers Noel

cheers Noel, will have a bash later on today. Am I right in thinking it's easiest to replace by removing the whole PSU or is there a simpler way?

James,

Those problems are usually associated with a faulty DC/DC convertor. TRy the spare and see how you go. They can usually be repaired, especially the Mk II versions.

regards Noel

HI everyone, just want a seond opinion on this before I attempt surgery! Out of the blue yesterday got home and found the C9 with no flourescent display. Plays tapes fine, outputs to tv fine but no tuner. Also tuner programming buttons work (ie AFT and search lights work), pretty sure classic DC-DC failure (fortunately bought a spare in anticipation when I got the recorder!), but any thoughts anyone? peversely the Stereo LED that has never worked now works but comes on with ANY tape I put in, including ones I know are mono. For a long time the display was a bit on the dim side but before I start taking things apart I like to make sure I'm not wasting my time!

The f1 is not stero, which you are looking for, and is also more prone to reliability issues than the c9, and certainly much harder to repair due to its compact nature.

Stuard i have read your post and i understand what you have said, but surely the sl-f1 which is a mono recorder will be cheaper, because it having bairly any functions without the tuner module.

hello? have you read my messages alex? you seem to be ignoring what I have advised you lol

If I was to buy an F1 all i would need is the recorder and the small power suppply nothing more all i want to do is plug it the BNC Port on my computer to transfer the tapes onto my computer

Recently A friend of mine told me about the sony sl-f1 he told me that it was a mono recorder but the quailty would be god for tranfering. Does anyone know where i can get on in working order for no more than £50. I would prefer not to buy it from ebay. Most people who sell them don't know much and their descriptions are vague.

Alex, the only true stereo betamaxes in the uk are the sony slhf100 and 950, and sanyo vtc-m40. The m40 is very rare, the hf100 and 950 being more common on ebay. What are you looking to pay? What do you consider cheap? In my opinion £ 200 for a fully working 950 is cheap. For a hf100 in full working order, £150. Add at least £50 to this to get a more realistic figure for these models. A c9 in full working order and complete with accessories look at paying £ 200 or so. A c9 wont play the hi fi stereo sound, only linear stereo recorded by the c9 or c40. The c40 is another model you may consider but again in full working order expect to pay into 3 figures.

Hi the reason why I got rid of my original c9 was because all the faults which it got over time. Can you reccomend the best quality stereo betamax which I will be able to get cheap, have no problems and will get the best quality out of my c9 recorded tapes. It seems getting a c9 again is not the best thing now because of their age!

Other faults with the c9 include worn upper drum causing rewind issues, this also affects the f1 as does the threading gear problem. Then you have the cassette loading gear issue on the c9 as well. I own 2 c9s, one is perfect, an ebay buy, and the other also from ebay was perfect except the threading gear, which I replaced, but 2 weeks later the loading cogs broke! This is now waiting for a replacement carriage which will be coming soon in a donor c9 again from ebay.

Hi Alex. What sort of figure are you looking for a c9? Faultless ones on ebay will go for high prices and its very rare that one is completely fault free. The split threading gear issue is one that always gets through! I only ever bought one c9 on ebay that had absolutely nothing wrong with it and that was 3 years ago. Most have the threading gear issue, or missing flap on the front, dead dcdc (I recently paid £100 each to have two of these repaired) For a fault free c9, expect to pay anything between £130 to £250 depending on external condition, and if it has manual and remote present.

Another model Which I am looking for is the sony sl-f1. I would prefer if it was not from ebay!Alex

I made a mistake in my last post I mixed up Cynthia with Cindy. Sorry

Thankyou kevin and cindy for your response. The problem with ebay is that if i would to buy a c9 which had a number of faults, It may be quite a challenge repairing it especally if the dc to dc converter was faulty. Mainly what I am looking for is a good quality stereo betamax to transfer my collection of beta tapes. I menentioned the c9 first because the tapes were originally recorded on a c9 which was top of the range. I want best quaility format reproduction. By the way Cindy the vo-5850 is a umatic video recorder which uses completly different tapes to what I need anyway thanks for the offer.Alex