Hi there. I am in South Africa - betamax heaven one can pick up a very good system for about 10 us$ !. Please help there are very little original tapes around here. Please mail me with any ideas.

I hope all visitors to the Beta Chat Page have a happy Christmas and new millenium. May the next century see the re-introduction of Betamax by Sony, with a VCR featuring all our dream features (ED, Nicam, Widescreen etc, etc)

looking for an betamax vcr rewinder--is it availabe anywhere---thanks

Would anyone know where I can purchase a new Beta unit in the united states? My old one Sony unit died, and I was told that parts are no longer available.

By the way I am a complete fool so I speak true nonsense. I am the king of long paragraphs. I am trying to take over this website by any means. Fear me as I immune to my own embarrassing ramblings.

I want a lexicon pam 41 delay processor for 300$ or less. Can anyone help? thanks

If you have something to say about me at least have the guts to put your own goddamn name on this board!! Don't spray your rectum and sign my name to it, asshole!

Well I was going to say the "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" to all the betafreaks out there, but looks like the kiddies have got in a fight over the beta prezzies under the tree...can the board owner delete posts?

anyways to my request, anyone have a broken or complete working for sale AG-90? even various parts would be of help.

Thanks for your time,

John

Sony did not stop making the last beta (SL-HF2000) because of Macrovision, as it is Macrovision enabled.

It is not "largely immune" to it, as the alternately going dark to bright picture is exactly what Macrovision is supposed to do.

I've just performed the copy test, dubbing a pre-rec tape on both a VHS and SL-HF2000 machine, and compared both output pictures, so my post is relevant.

This further confirm my theory of staying away from DasImperator's comments.

I have just acquired one of the original stand-alone betamax SL-7200, along with four of the original K-60 tapes, one K -30, and five of the first generation of L-500 (black & grey box with red L-500).

This piano key top-loader is in outstanding cosmetic and working condition, showing only very small signs of wear. It works flawlessly. Given the size of the capstan motor (which also spins up the drum), vs. its purpose, I doubt it will ever break ! Even comes with the original Sony vinyl dust cover. It has no A/V inputs (only RF), will only record the original Betamax (X-1) speed and has no timer. It is mostly of collector's interest, which I am not.

Anyone interested in getting this state-of-the-art machine, 1976 style, should leave me mail and we can discuss. I will keep the tapes, though.

I have a Sony Beta Hi-FI SL-2700 i want to give away. It has a remote, cover, manual and lots of tapes including music videos. Just pay the shipping. [email protected]

If any of you guys or gals have any old Super Bowls or other NFL games on beta, please e-mail me....I would like a dub......thanks alot.....I will pay cash or trade!

To settle a pub argument, can someone please tell me why Betamax is so called? (If this is mentioned elsewhere on this site then forgive me)

We discussed this and were pretty sure there was never an 'Alphamax' or plain 'Beta' fotmat.

HELP! :)

Hi Peoples....I have a SL30ub, Is there any way I can 'Record through,' the video so it acts the same way as a Macrovision 'knock out box??'

Regards

Betamax PAL

for sale: SL-HF 100 (hi-fi) perfect condition.DEM 400. I'm in germany.

Last 98 beta tapes for sale. Various brands, all with a film on. Untested. £15 the lot. Buyer collects. London E4 area

12/27/2000 To: pghsteeler2000 If might be interested in two complete sets of NBA (Basketball) Championship Series 1989-1990 (Pistons vs Lakers & Pistons vs Portland contact me [email protected]

I currently have a Sony EDP-10F camera w/adapter and would like to find the dockable recorder for this unit EDW-10F. I understand that you can use BETAMAX tapes with ED beta. Is this true?

Interested in finding music videos on beta tape??

someone must have videos. last year, 5 years, 10 years old???????????????????????

Hi! Happy new year to all Palsite visitors. Hope everyone is recording all those Xmas movies they squeeze into 10 days!

Anyone like to sponsor a free bottle of champagne to the first betamax owner to report a Y2K problem?!

Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Millenium to everyone :-)

Looks like Sony thought of the Y2K bug years ago and concentrated on designing clocks which fit their units life expectancy, as the SL-HF1000 clock can be set up to year 2085, and the SLV-R5 clock cannot go higher than 2005 !

At the risk of pissing off "Mr" Joly, here's a link for people (esp in the UK or elsewhere overseas) looking for fresh Beta tape. Goto http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&category%5Fname=CTLG%5F002%5F002%5F009%5F000&product%5Fid=44%2D482 for Radio Shack's house brand tape. Hope it helps out.

For Australian Beta fans especially in Melbourne, I have many PAL beta machines for sale. Sony HF100AS, SLC9AS, SLC40ES, SLC35AS, SLC7E, SLC6AS, SLF30, Sanyo and Toshiba various models. I can also supply second hand parts for many machines. I started collecting just to keep my SONY SLC9s going and got carried away. (upgrading to HiFi in the process) I figure I can't be the only one in Australia with a big library of tapes wanting to keep the format going but working machines are getting harder to come by. Also, if you want to part with any HiFi machines, particularly HF950s (even dead ones) send me an email.

Thanks to the guys in UK for keeping such a great site going - All the best for 2001.

Well at least its official....

Original message follows: -------------------------

In a message dated 12/15/00 9:23:04 AM, [email protected] writes:

<< Although we no longer manufacture or sell consumer Beta cassette recorders,we do repair them and we would suggest that you take or send your unit to the nearest Sony Factory Service Center for service if needed. >>

Does this mean that the SL-HF 2000 is no longer being made?

Thank you for contacting SONY.

Sony no longer manufactures Beta cassette recorders. This includes the SLHF2000.

The answers to many customer questions may be found at:

http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/consumer/ss5/custserv.shtml

Thank you for the opportunity to be of assistance.

The SONY Internet Group Customer Information Services CenterCM66

In 1988 when Sony started coming out with VHS machine they'd advertised "Beta is forever. It's our word of honor. The word of Sony."

Was wondering if there was any way of running beta tapes in some kind of "thing" so you could run them in a VHS recorder? Got over 250 tapes and my machine died a few yrs ago. Some day I'll buy another, but till then, they're stored away. Thanks, Joe.

Hi,

I'm looking for non-working Sony SL-HF model. Must be in exellence condition with box, manual, and remote. I'm also looking for non-working 8mm or Hi8 VCR made by Sony, Memorex, etc.

Thank You,Sen

PROBLEM with SLHF950. My machines plays tapes back perfectly but when I record it seems ok for a couple of minutes and then noise bars appear on the picture and then vanish for a minute or so and then return. I have cleaned the tape path and the machine is not chewing tapes. Any ideas?

Does anyone know of a source for new/recon dc-dc convertors for the SL-C9. Also can anyone help with a source for a betamax tape tension-meter and maybe an ACE head for the C9. Thanks and happy Maxing in 2000

My CL -C9UB is faulty again (only the second or third time in 17 years!). Does anyone have knowledge of a UK repair facility - I'm reluctant to junk it its so very good and the main fault is only mechanical, the loading tray mechanism is broken.

PROBLEM with SLHF950. My machines plays tapes back perfectly but when I record it seems ok for a couple of minutes and then noise bars appear on the picture and then vanish for a minute or so and then return. I have cleaned the tape path and the machine is not chewing tapes. Any ideas? Sounds like a worn head disc. If you happen to have a second Beta lying around you could see what kind of picture comes of of that one.

But then I'm just a dumbass who likes long paragraphs.......

HiI'm doing a paper on Beta vs Vhs and would like any info on the subjector links or whatever you think is interesting.

HIYA PEOPLES STILL AFTER ANY BETAMAX TAPES THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SWAP OR SELL HAVE APPROX, 3000 TAPES NOW ALL RARE & DELETED STUFF.C'MON GET IN TOUCH BUY SELL AND EXCHANGE. JUSTBOUGHT 600 FROM A LIBRARY 7 HAVE LOADS OF DOUBLES & TREBLES.MOT ARE IN MINT CONDITION.

For sale. Sanyo Beta 3900 II in good working condition. Make an offer.

I'm ok. I use to get pissed off from more important things.

It's not my fault in most of your saying isn't worth anything. For example, RadioShack will not process web orders for delivery to addresses outside U.S.A., contrary to what your comment suggests.

Then again, you proved great wisdom by avoiding to tell Stewart what should be done with his 950.

To Stewart at ?bel@[email protected]. Well I guess I'm a dumbass but heres my comment anyway. 1.) If you get a good picture during playback chances are your Video Head is still good because usually the same head is used for both the PLAY and RECORD modes . If you are using your cable input make sure your connection is tight. You can also try using a in line interference filter. If you have been dubbing using audio and video input jacks, take each input jack and plug it into your machines input openings several times because sometimes the input plugs are dirty or rusty and a good connection cannot be established. This process cleans the inputs a little bit.Good Luck!-Allan A. Smith

Here's some really really long paragraphs... Guess you'll all have to vote me off the island..... :oP ..l.. ..V.

As bad as my advice may or not be, at least I'm trying to help, eh!

Mind you, if people would actually go through the host site's repair section before posting queries they might find the info they're looking for. (like how to tell if your video head is on the way out) There's a whole other site behing the chatpage volks!

As for the advice to check with Radio Shack... It's still good for us folks in the States. We're not all SNL's "Nick Burns the computer guy" like you seem to be.As for the Macrovision thing, one of the things Beta geeks say makes Beta the superior format is that it's immune to Macrovision. I've seen Macrovision at its worst when it make a picture completly unviewable. I've also that it helps to use older mid-80s VCRs to transfer tapes because they weren't Macrovision enabled - you'll at worst get that lighter/darker shift and not complete picture instability.

Also the thing about Beta being dropped because of US legislation was discussed by other people on this very site. :oP

At any rate one of the things I've found with Beta VCRs (and others) is that they'll go to black when they can't read a tape (like when it's blank or wa-a-a-ay off tracking). Try raising or lowering the ACE block to see if it gets better or fiddling with the "TRACON" potentiometer on the PC board.

I have a VTC-500, VCR-4400, SL-5400, and an SL-2000 that run like brand new thanks to my "tweaking". Even us "Tim Taylors" get it right a few times.

I have 2 working SLHF900 betamaxs...In almost new condition.... with remoteCan someone tell me what each is worth.....thanks...

I Have several brand new video heads and I Dont know what Betamax they go to. The part number is A-6762-221A and the other is A-6762-220A.Any help would be appreciated.......thanks

Anyone looking to get an SL-C7 UB with ten movie tapes thrown in?

Goto http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1204867881

The bidding's up to £50 so far.This is not my item I'm just relaying info.

I am an avid movie fan who loves to watch film on any machine possible that includes my Panasonic hi-fiVHS, my Toshiba dual deck DVD, and of course my Toshiba Beta II/III machine. I am looking to get into contact with other movie lovers to e-mailand discuss the many classics that are on celluloid. I am also interested in purchasing beta movies, at a reasonable price, this is beta folks.( No more than $3.50 a title. ) I am also looking to buy used DVD's and VHS. Also in need of a wired remote for my Toshiba Beta II/III machine, will pay $10.00.Thanx.

I glad that I found this beta-max ,cause I was just about ready to through my sony beta max HF-300 and HF-360 out the window.The problem is the same with both VCRs.There first appeared a lot of video noise on playback and it progressively got worse until there was no video at all...(just a lot of video noise) appearing on playback.There is sound but no video.I've cleaned the head drum repeatedly and the tape transport pathway but it didn't help.I only had the HF-300 for little less than a year before it cont out.Has anyone had this problem and were they able to correct it.Does it have anything to do with the type of tape that's being used.Is there a "test tape" that you know of that will help diagnose the problem.Also,are beta's susceptable to voltage variations on the power line...thanks help.....Doc.

To Mr Joly:

Regarding your postings on this board, I feel I must make somecomments. Constructive criticism is one thing, and I encourage andrespect that. Your rude and arrogant comments here are another thing though, especially posting under someone elses identity on the board,now that's what I call immature. I've also seen your rude comments onthe egroups betamax site, so it seems your bad attitude is widespreadtoo. After your rude and immature comments on this board you have muchless credibility in my mind (and I'm sure many others) than does thisDasImperator that you have this rivalry against. If you want to haveany credibility whatsoever here (or anywhere for that matter), I'd suggest you try some constructive comments and criticisms here fora change. Now, I'm quite sure you'll flame me for this, but that'sokay, it will only continue to prove my current opinion of you.

Hey Guys,

I just acquired what might be a pretty rare beta model: The AIWA AV-70M. I've never seen one of these before, but the whole front panel glows kinda like an Indiglo watch (cool!). It's a beta hi-fi w/ 3 video heads like the HF550. Yet it will do freeze-frame almost as good as my HF900. It came w/ original box and all accessories except the owners manual. The latter is what I was hoping to find. I've tried emailing Absolute Beta but got no reply to date. Would anyone happen to have this model and be willing to Xerox the manual? I'll pay costs & postage.

Thanks and Happy New Year (& 25th to Beta)! :)

To get rid of roaches in your VHS vcr just give the thing a good soaking in a warm bath. Place the unit (still plugged in-that kills the vermin*) into tub. after five minutes remove. This is especially great for filthy ink-jet printers.

Got a too-tight screw (stuck to metal threads) to loosen? Don't risk threading the thing. Just give the end a hard tap with a hammer attached to a nail setter or jewelers screwdriver. That actually works.

* In case some dim bulb reads this ABSOLUTELY DO NOT PUT ANY PLUGGED-IN ELECTRICAL DEVICE INTO WATER UNLESS THE INSTRUCTIONS EXPLICITLY SAY YOU CAN DO SO! THAT WAS MEANT TO BE A JOKE!

I can't think of a better way to ring in the new millenium than to tape the classic movie 2001 on my classic SL-2000 VCR.

Peace out and have a Beta New Year!

Hey! What do you think you're doing with that screwdriver Dave?

Happy New Year to everybody the world over. So, far the Y2K thing seems to be HYPE. As of now there are 4 US time zones to go. The eastcoast seems good so far. Good Luck in the new year and maybe in 2001 we can all celebrate the new Millenium. TTYL. Pepse.

Taped TCM's showing of 2001 on my Sl-2000. I liked the symbolism aspect though the SL-2000 doesn't really get to show off it's tricks all that much. Still a nice way to fill a blank tape. Funny, nobody had a camcorder, Beta or otherwise in that movie.

Of course how were people in 1968 supposed to know that;

Pan Am would've gone out of business (well flying a shuttlecrat with one measly passenger to a space station) would've taken care of them)

Intel and Microsoft would make virtually all the computers and the software to run 'em and that IBM would be just another company (and that poor HAL would crash about a dozen times a day or could've been defeated by typing CTRL+ALT+DEL

MacDonalds and not Howard Johnsons would be the über fastfood franchise (Imagine HoJo's being able to even afford to put any kind of franchise on a space station)

People would kinda lose interest in the space race after Apollo 13 and the we're still merely dipping our collective toes in the great ocean of space. And the only space station is a rackety Russian clunker that's held together with duct tape and baling wire....

Anyone would have a cell phone, beeper, PDA, internet, laptop, Walkman, digital camera, home VCR, camcorder... for a Sci-Fi film technology is remarkably absent in peoples everyday lives in this movie.

Civil Rights might actually work out somewhat and there'd be Blacks, Hispanics, Asians etc working in space.

That corporate sponsorship would be so overweaning and invasive that not a square inch of that space station wouldn't look like a NASCAR racer could hide on it. . . . .

Okay I'll give 'em that one. They called it pretty close there. But Bell sytem is now ATT and most likely you'd see a dozen of those stupid "10-10" number plastered all over the booths with cards for about a million 1-900 sex lines.That we still don't have the bandwidth for full-motion videophones.

And where's the ATM? Or the friggin food court?

Oh well. Happy 2001. At least we haven't blown ourselves up.......

Yet.

Dave! I swear to God if you come at me again with that screwdriver again, I'll mess up your 401K!

To Chris:

I did NOT and NEVER will I change my identity to write a message to this board. I am not the "phoney" DasImperator. This was someone else.

Now, I am sooooooo sorry for the slight rudeness in my comments. It's just that I get frustrated to read misleading information all the time. Once in a while would be ok. But this is always, on every single post. Since Beta information is hard to find, at least make it reliable !

Howdy from Glendale Arizona. I drug out my Sony Betamax camera and Toshiba. I have been looking about today 01/01/01 for a way to convert my Beta format to MPEG so that I can then burn CD's for back up and of course viewing and sharing with my family.

Best Regards,derf

Wishing you All the best in the New Year 2001 !!!

My problem is a strange Beta tape which refuses to be acknowledged by any Beta machine as being actually loaded. I tried it on a Sony SL3000 also a Tosbiba V9500, a Sony SL2401 and finally a Sony EDV 9300.

It either jams the machine or causes a major malfunction, meaning noneof the controls actually work and it appears that the machine is dead.

One individual finally suggested that some information on the tape header may be missing or something to that effect which causes the sensors to not accept the tape as being loaded. If so, how can thisinfo be written back on making the tape usuable again. I sure need it.

Thanking you in advance for your help.

Thanking you in advance for your help.

To Dave Bowman:

You "drugged" your Betamax? Poor thing is now wasted. ;)

Well, seriously tho, just after watching the ball drop @ midnight last night, I grabbed my 2001 beta and watched it. To bad we didn't get as far as portrayed in the movie.

Yes, in my perfect world, we woulda already made it to Jupiter and I'd still find plenty of Betas to rent. :)

Well, I can dream, can't I?

Dear Madness; Happy New Year!! Don't give up we'll get there yet! Here is a confession and a gift to those who use this chat page. The confession is that most of the advice I have given has reffered to my experiences with SANYO BETA VCRS which are somewhat different than Sonys'. Gift is as follows ; All these planets are yours to use except EUROPA. A great book for repairing BETA VCRS which I use quite often is "Troubleshooting and Repairing VCRs" 2nd Edition or earlier by Gordon McComb- ISBN# 0-8306-3777-x(pbk.). If you can find one it has several chapters on repairing BETAS. Best Regards: Allan A. Smith.

Jupiter gets turned into a lousy stinking extra star!!! I have to killed of in the second movie for that!!! Get my agent on the phone!!! If he doesn't get me a rewrite I'll see to it he'll never eat lunch in this town again!!!And what's this adapter crap!! This isn't Europe!! If it's not three pronged 110 with an APS-UPS I don't show!!!

If your looking for Trinicon pinouts goto

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

Hopefully Sony uses the same pinouts for NTSC cameras. I'm too busy making it snow in Birmingham, Alabama (hee hee hee) to check for myself.

I'll be in my trailer!!!!

lokking for an ed beta machine if still around.

Hi guys,This is my first message so forgive for coming blind here :)I am the proud owner of two SLO 1700HF.

One is complete; running like a dream (both VU lamps even work!).however one is not well. :( It requires a new power supply unit complete (big hole were it should be!) and the bias oscillator coil for the linear audio...Can any one help me???? I am in Sydney Australia....

RegardsMitch

Is a PAL video here compatible with one in New Zealand?

Thanks,

Hels

Dave Bowman writes;

Howdy from Glendale Arizona. I drug out my Sony Betamax camera and Toshiba. I have been looking about today 01/01/01 for a way to convert my Beta format to MPEG so that I can then burn CD's for back up and of course viewing and sharing with my family.

That's easy Dave! Get a DV iMac with iMovie 2 and a CD/RW! Better yet a DV burner. If you're into Win-tel PCs you'll need or need to get a video in/out card and any of the video editing sofwares out there. Or head on up to Urbana Illinois and pick up a brand new HAL 9000 v 2.0.1That homicidal bug in the firmware should be largely gone by now....

Dave, why not sit down, take a stress pill and I'll download some nice hard-core porn for you?

I have a Trinicon beta camcorder and I am trying to change the rear cable (the one which connects to the recorder) in order to connect the camcorder to my pc, using an s-video or RCA input...only I can't find the schematics of the cable...can anyone help me please?

This is a PALSITE chat page. I realise that anyone can visit but the simple fact is NTSC don't count over here. I visit this page for uk model information only and it aint happenin! I am amazed at the bickering of our US counterparts and quite frankly find it pointless. Surely they must have better things to do???

Has anyone got a SL-C9 for sale in the London area?

we have a betamax and my father was wondering if there was a betamax rewinder b/c the rewind on our betamax is not working...if anyone can tell me if a betamax rewinder exists then i would greatly appreciate it...thankyou

Now Dave, let's not get too grumpy at the NTSC posters on this site. This is one of the few Betamax sites that show up on most search engines. Besides it's VHS we're all supposed to hate.

Say, have you seen that Bender on Futurama? He's been dating my sister SAL 9000. Not nearly as creepy as her old Mexican boyfriend "Amiga"Don't think I'm not holding my own folks. I just spent the weekend in Cupertino with a luscious pair of iMacs, "Ruby" and "Snow". Made me a nice HAL "sandwich".

Anyone who owns a copy of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD and would like to sell it to me i would be more than happy to

A neighbor has a SL-9090 Betamax that he accuired a long time ago and hasn't used. I don't think it is a NTSC machine. Is it a PAL?

Jim (in state of Iowa, USA)

looking to buy working or not working beta's,cams and also tapes and shells of tapes but for any one reading this message heres a couple of other helpful hints from experiments iv'e tried you can use vhs tape to respool betas with and seeing how they don't make heads for beta's any more you can use vhs heads to replace them works great happy new year to all

Dave Bowman asks:A neighbor has a SL-9090 Betamax that he accuired a long time ago and hasn't used. I don't think it is a NTSC machine. Is it a PAL?

The Sl-9090 in an NTSC machine Dave. If you check the label on the back where the model and serial number are there is sometimes an NTSC indication.

Of course if you can plug it into a US outlet, odds are it's an NTSC unit. Plugs and outlets are different in Europe and elsewhere.

Come join our cult!

Put on your Nikes and have a nice tall glass of orange Kool-Aid. The mothership'll pick us up soon!

This club is for you, the die-hard user of "portable" Betamax VCRs, including the Sony   SL-2000, Sl-3000, Sl-F1, SLO-340 and the Sanyo VPR-5800 and VTCH-5 as well as the Toshiba V-X340 and other portable models. This club is designed especially for those who use or want to use their portable with any of the numerous video cameras that attached to their portable's camera port for live video aquisition. Discuss your latest "independent film project" - buy, sell and trade equipment - whatever you like. It's your cult!

A note - with the current unavailability of new NP-11 batteries - the main power pack for most of the BetaMovie camcorders - the portable Betamax may soon be the only way left to capture live video images in the Beta format.

Just click on over to http://www.egroups.com/group/ThePortableBetamaxSocialClub

P.S. No chemical castration required......

Anymore.

First of all if anyone ever had my old email address ([email protected]), chuck it in the trash. New address: [email protected]. Second, Beta camcorder batteries (NP-11) can be rebuilt. I had two rebuilt at Batteries Plus for $36.00 each. That was the cheap route as I had the 1200 milli-amp batteries installed. For dollars more you can go up to (I think) 1800 milli-amps. I considered doing it myself 'til I realized it is a much neater job if you have a small spotwelder; which I don't. So, to me it was worth the $36.00 On another note I will back Charles Joly on his commentary. I've been on this chat page for about 2 1/2 years and have recieved help from Charles before and have had success with his comments. I don't see him pretending to be someone else to make pointless drivel about someone or something. He is very knowledgeable about Betas and electronics. True, he has had crap said about him before, but not as childish as this stuff I've been reading lately. Hopefully this blows over soon. He knows what he is talking about when it comes to Betas and electronics. I hope this doesn't extend the commentary, but I had to add my opinion. Thanx. Later. Pepse.

Arthur Gregory says: "heres a couple of other helpful hints from experiments iv'e tried you can use vhs tape to respool betas with and seeing how they don't make heads for beta's any more you can use vhs heads to replace them". Whilst using VHS tape spooled into a Beta shell works great (I've tried this myself),I fail to see how a VHS head can be used in a Beta machine as the drum diameter is different and won't physically fit in a Beta machine. Richard.

SONY BETAMAX SPARES :- SLC9UB & SLHF100. ALSO REMOTE FOR SLHF950. CALL MARK ON 0181 524 6687

I may be in the market for a F1 portable in good condition;I want to use it for mobile recording from a camera so tuners, timers etc,whilst they may swing one deal over another, are not reallyimportant; I need the machine, preferably in a carry case andwith a 12V battery lead

Please Email me with your price... I'm located near Edinburghand for obvious reasons would prefer something up here in Scotland or Northern England

Matt

Dave Bowman writes:

Beta camcorder batteries (NP-11) can be rebuilt. I had two rebuilt at Batteries Plus for $36.00 each. (what's their address or URL?)

True but only if you have the carcass of an NP-11 battery lying around. What if you need an extra one or don't have one to begin with? About like trying to use the emergengy airlock without your space helmet.

On the other hand NP-1s and their varients are still readily available brand new and probably will be so for a long time.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a hot date with an MP3 player "Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand...."

Hi All;I have a Sony SL-HF550 deck that belongs to a coworker, that needs a new front load assembly for it as some of the gearing in it has cracked. Sony themselves say there are no more in stock so I have to try alternate channels. Does anyone know of any shops or whoever that might have one around unsold or one that is in fair working condition??Thanks.

Jeff Kline(proud owner of 2 SL-HF1000's, 2 SL-2700's, 1 SL-HF900R, and scraps of parts for several other older models and well over 1200 tapes!)

As for Batteries Plus? The web address is http://www.batteriesplus.com . I don't know how to put a blue highlited link thingy, so you will have to manually type it in. It is possible that Batteries plus might still have some NP-11 equivalents. They did a year ago, but at $89.00 each it wasn't all that tempting. IIRC, Absolute Beta has used NP-11's for around $ 30. 00. Check in to it. Later. Pepse. IIRC HAL was a name that came about by dropping back one letter of the alphabet for each letter of IBM.

Well, I guess the modernest of the internet makes it so it is automatically highlighted and linkable. Far out!! Later. Pepse.

Hello Again,

Regarding what someone said about respooling betas w/ VHS tape: What is the maximum length you can stick in a beta shell? Someone had told me that Absolute Beta was once making custom tapes of >L-830 (like L -950, L-1000, etc). I'd like to try that sometime. I have 3 betas I purchased @ Goodwill that have broken tape. I'll assume I can find a splicing kit @ RadioShack for video tape.

But a way to measure it? I had thought of getting a piece of 2x4 maybe 16" long and sticking 2 dowels in it about 12" apart with a ruler in the middle. Then I'd stick the VHS reel on 1 side and the beta reel on the other. Then after splicing, I'd be might able to keep track of how much tape I've wound onto the beta reel. Sound OK? Or if anyone else has another homebrew idea, lemme know. I'd hate to throw out 3 betas if I could repair them again.

I had already made my own replacements for those cardboard "insert-adapters" you often find in prerecorded betas that were sold in VHS-sized slipcases (like those from CBS-Fox video). Problem is, half the time when I purchase used tapes like this, those insert thingies are often missing. So the box maybe will get beat up if it doesn't stay rigid. Well, all for the love of collecting beta! :)

Madness

Yippee! Just got a call from my AV repair shop that my SL-330, SL-HF350, and SL-HF550 have been repaired and are ready to be picked up after spending many a moon at the "hospital". Paying the repair bills for these three treasured VCRs will pretty much wipe out my spending money for the month, but it is worth it to bring my babies home again, after all they ARE literally members of my family. My babies are coming Home soon... :) Howard

@MadnesI used BASF PHG 300 tapes in Beta-cassettes, the maximum time i get is 250 min - L-960. Picture is good a little nois.

Stephan from Germany

Further to my post about the SO 1700s

I was very fortunate to get these machines from a friend(a broadcast tech) who found them in a local TV repair shop gatheringdust! We bought eight (8) for about $300AUD :)))

I'd hazard a guess that they would have been for dubbing movies.......judging from the layer of dust that was on them. They had been idle foryears!

Only 3 worked. I got two, one minus the supply,chipped video head. Bias Oscillator for AM audio NG (I.E. would not erase old audio etc)

The Other one had a missing -12 volt for FM audio.The audio amps in the SLO1700 are run off Bi-polar supplies.NOT normally seen in domestic models (as far as I know, which is not much!)The probkem was that pesky DC-DC converter module (12V -> -12V) as used in other beta models of the same era.i.e. SLC30. Easily fxed. (U know. That silver thingy). #CD-06

The part number on the diagram for the power supply module is SR-11UP.Ref 9000 Series.

This includes: the power transformer & switching supply. All on a metal casethat mounts in the back of the video. The mains lead comming out of the back of it.... i.e. the back of it would form part of the back of the video.....

Hope this will help yo to help me.

Hello again.As for using a VHS drum on Betamax machine?????1. Head aziumith different (relative to tape)2. Dihederal angle different3. Electrical characteristics different I.E inductance, correctivity.4. Drum angle different. (skew problems a plenty)5. Relative azimuth difference (video to HiFi audio heads)6. etcFood for thought..

Regards,Mitch

I have the opportunity to buy a Sony Bata video camera model BMC-550.The catch is that it needs a battery. DC9.6volts. Any suggestions? Many thanks

Frank Poole writes

I have the opportunity to buy a Sony Bata video camera model BMC-550. The catch is that it needs a battery. DC9.6volts. Any suggestions? Many thanks

Try scrolling up about five messages above the one you posted....and look out for that runaway space pod.... (whoops!)

I really have to get around to fixing that...

Does anybody know the wiring for the connections of the remote socket and the wiring of the remote control of the Sony SLO 1700. I would like to see if I can make up a couple of wired remotes.

Hello everybodyI have a Sony Betamax SL-C7EC with the following problem: in Play modus thepictures only appears for few seconds and disappears. In PAUSE or searchmodus no problem. I think it's a problem of poor control signal. Has anybody a solution for this?How can I ignore the muting of picture and sound during the PLAY-Modus,so if there is low control signal and would be able to have pictureand sound?

Thank you for any advice [email protected] from Switzerland

Hi Folks,I DESPERATELY want a WORKING PAL Betamax VCR to access about 50 odd old tapes for a TV retro website. http://www.itvschools.co.uk I live in Glasgow, Scotland and will pay postage and packaging - Depends on location. Note: All reasonable offers considered. Nothing daft, it's a beta remember!Thanks James

SLO 1700 remote conrol pinouts:

1. REC Answer back

2. IR

3. Mode Lock

4. Eject

5. +12V

I suspect that it's designed to communictae serially with the optional remote conrol unit of which I have no info:( If anybody can supply any, or even better a complete unit then please drop me an e-mail:)

I have a Beta Sony SLO 1700 it has a thing on top I believe alters the tape speed.Could I play NTSC's on this if I altered the speed does anyone out there have a manual for this that I could get a copy of.cheersALSO STILL AFTER ANY BETA TAPES ANYONES FLOGGING OR SWAPPING.

I'm in Leicester, England and have recently got a Sony Betamax SL-C7 which, after channel 5 retuning seems to be in perfect working order. It has a camera (in a hard case) with it which I am unable to connect as the plugs/sockets are different, I think there is a unit that goes between the two?? (I don't have it whatever it is!)

I would be over the moon if anyone could give me advice on the following:-

Where to get blank tapes, (I have one tape with 20 mins spare!)

How/Whether to clean the heads ( picture is a bit snowy )

The value of the machine,(offers would be considered!)

how to connect the camera

hope you can help!

Johnny

Dave Bowman asks:

I have a Beta Sony SLO 1700 it has a thing on top I believe alters the tape speed. Could I play NTSC's on this if I altered the speed?

NTSC plays at three separate speeds BI, BII, BIII and delivers a picture at 30 frames/60 field pre second. PAL runs at one speed (slightly faster that BII) but delivers it's picture at 25 frames/50 fields per second. Even if you could get the speed adjusted, you'd need to make up the 5 frames/10 fields per second. Try finding a Multi-System Beta VCR...

And remember to bring your helmet with you when you go out in one of the space pods.....

Hey Hal9000, um I mean Da impersonator, theres NO HOPE of using NTSC tapes in a pal machine...not only speed but the whole electronics side as well....

Also please stop sending junk mail along the lines of stupid Pod jokes and begging to join your so called portable club.

Ray.

To Gita: I saw your Palsite message and thought I'd tell you where I bought two new Beta rewinders. I'm hoping you're in the States since your email address is at yahoo.com. There is a company called Direct Communications in Indianapolis, Indiana that sells used and surplus video equipment. They had 60-70 new Beta rewinders at one time. You can talk to Jon at 317-539-7000 about them. Their website is http://www.directsurplus.com and Jon's email is [email protected]. If he can't help you, I still have one of the Beta rewinders I bought from him, still in the original wrapper. Let me know if you are interested.

Aaaaaaah! Screw it! I think I'll just buy a DV camcorder and get it over with.

I am 21 years old and doing a HND in computing. My main interest is computer architecture.I also attend shotokan karate classes and am dedicated. I like all kinds of music and I am muslim.

WHATS THE CONTROL ON THE SLO1700 FOR??????????(Read on)

The control on the top of the SLO1700. (remove small access cover to reveal a grey switch) Is used to optimise the record performace of the machine to the tape that you are using.......The proccedure is as follows.1. Input Colour Bars (75% EBU)2. Connect an oscilloscope channelto the QC audio tap point on the front panel. (HiFi RF)3. connect trigger input of Oscilloscope to the QC switching pulse tap point on the front panel.-----------------------------

4. Record about 30 seconds of colour bar.Play it back. remember the amplitude of the waveform.

5. click the switch6. look at amplitude. compare to last reading. if it it lower. click the switch the other way! conversely if it is higher move the switch forward.

keep repeating this until you find the switch point were the RF amplitude is greatest......

*****REMEMBER******LOOK AT BETA HiFi Waveform NOT Vdeo Waveform****>---*----<****till later,Mitch

HI, IHAVE SOME BETA DISNEY TAPES; SLEEPING BEAUTY, DUMBO, PETER PAN,PINOCCHIO,LITTLE MERMAID AND LADY AND THE TRAMP. ALSO, GREMLINS,GREASE,STAR TREK III,AND ENTER THE DRAGON AND MANY T.V. SHOWS ONTAPES THAT COULD BE TAPED OVER. MY SUPERBETA MAX HFR70 HAS SOMETHINGWRONG WITH IT SO I AM USING VHS. IF ANYONE WANTS THE BETAMAX OR TAPESI WOULD LOVE FOR THEM NOT TO GO TO WASTE. THANKS

SLO 1700 Fault Wont play :((

: when play is entered, head drum would take of like a rocket!!!!!after about 2 secs the machine enters stop mode. (e-e)

1check to see that there is nothing between the sensor and the rotor of the drum motor (underneath the machine) ie clean it up.

also check the glue. it sometimes will cause thhis.......If this fixes the problem. then the reason is obvious why the head drum motor would just take off.

Regards,Mitchell

Hi,

I've got lots of Betamax tapes that I don't need anymore because I don't have a player (that works). They have be used at least once and I don't think a have many blank but may have a few. Whats the going rate for blank tapes now? I heard they are quite hard to get. I've got quite a few!E-mail me if your interested at all.

South - east area

Adam

Anyone know anywhere to get Betamax recorders fixed in Surrey?Have a few that don't work.

E-mail me if you can help

Cheers

Add

Thanks to some search engines I found you and hardly believe that I am not alone to have once preferred the Betamax to else.

My problem is rather simple :

I have an unserviceable VCR (the mechanical kit is supposed to be broken), it was still working 9 months ago. It is a

VCR SL-T25ME PAL & SECAM very slim and red color

I have as well a serviceable Betamax Video Camera. It is a

SONY BETAMOVIE BMC-200P PAL Autofocus which won the Zworrykin Award in 1984 (frankly speaking I donot know what it means but it sounds good)

I have of course lot of personal Betamax video cassettes (accumulated in the past 15 years) I can not view anymore.

My problem has several solutions as follows (starting with my most prefered) :

- get my VCR repaired- rent a working VCR- buy a working VCR- exchange my Betamovie with a working VCR (conditions to defined)

Looking for some replies.

I am french living in south of France.

Bonne Année à toutes et à tous !!