Hi all

Just a quick line to let any Beta fans know that ive just put a big box of 50 Beta tapes on ebay....no reserve and a low starting price of just ten quid

Mike

A request to all Muslims

Don't go to Mecca this Ramadan. Take your Mecca trip money and give it to help rebuild New York City. To help the families of workers and firefighters and policemen and ambulance drivers lost when the buildings fell down on them.

Don't go about your lives like nothing happened, do something good with your money this year. Consider it your obligation to the needy or pennance or whatever.

Let an empty Mecca this year be a sign of your disapproval of Bin Laden and the jackels who kill in the name of Islam

Check this out, received on ICQ:

http://www.scripting.com/images/flippinTheWtc.jpg

Thanx Allen, I mean no direspect to others but there are other chat rooms where people can vent there frustrations on this sad situation that has happened to America. The "list" group I am on is still 99% "off topic" and at least here I can read about what this chat page is all about; Beta. And please I don't need anybody biting my ass about my comments, it's like I said "there are other chat rooms for venting your frustrations" about what happened on 9/11. I have said my prayers to my Gods for those who died and would like to get on with Beta stuff. Later. Pepse.

It's really hard to talk Beta when all there is to record is endless news of the WTC.

I didn't have a Beta when the Challenger blew up, or the Berlin wall came down and I wasn't around for JFK or the moon landings and I was in hospital when the Soviet Union had it's attempted coup in 8/91

Olive, that is one of the most ignorant and insensitive things that I have heard during this whole tragedy. First of all, followers of Islam do not make a pilgrimage, or hajj, every year. They are only asked to do so once in their lifetime, if they are at all able to do so. Secondly, I do not see how Muslims not going to Mecca shows that they disapprove of Bin Ladin- that is like asking Christians to not go to church to show their disapproval of Timothy McVeigh, or Matt Hale, or any of the other Christian extremists. Making the pilgrimage shows their true faith in the real meaning of Islam, not the perverted beliefs that some may call Islam. I am not Muslim myself, but I do not like it when people show their ignorance and attack a religion or people.

Muslims will get to ride a cushy charter flight without fear it will be slammed into a building or that Mecca won't be there. They can for the most part live their lives as if nothing happened. They can chuck their thirty nine stones at the devil while Americans are laying stones for the dead. The mullahs that call for death to the US and west have vast flocks in their fold. If the good Muslims want to claim that Bin Laden and the other anti-American sects don't represent Islam...

Well a pilgrimage to Mecca is an optional duty that you can do some other year. The money you spend could be better used elsewhere this year.

Or go to Mecca. Do whatever you want, I'm past the point of caring anymore...

I'm wondering what are human values in this sick new future...

Olive, I had a Beta when the shuttle went up in smoke. If I'm licky I might have 2 tapes with the news of the time. You see, back then I did record about 7 tapes worth of this disaster, but back then blank tapes were about $7.50 to $8.50 per tape and being that I wasn't (and still ain't) a rich man I eneded up recording over the top of all but one or two tapes. If at all possible I will try to find them for you and make copies. Being that I have over 300 Beta and 200 vhs tapes it ain't going to be an easy find as I have never been one to label and keep a record as to what's on what tapes. Always promised myself I would do that. That is one of the reasons I got into computers; to put all this stuff and more on my Tandy Deskmate 80286 high powered extra fast (compared to my Timex-Sinclair) computer. Obviously it never got done, but like I said if interested I will try to find it (or them). Later. Pepse.

Being about as welcome as Osama Bin Laden in these parts I don't see anything wrong with what Olive's saying. If the Southeren Baptist leadership or the Pope came out in support of bombing abortion clinics I'd stop attending services or switch churches.

Jerry Fallwell and Pat Robertson are saying on the 700 club that the WTC bombings are the fault of the gays and abortionists and liberal secularists who've offended God and that's why the center got bombed.

I'm also hearing from the peacenicks on the fringe left that this is just payback for all the sins the US commited in the past and all that rot.

I never thought I'd want to vote John Wayne Republican but these events have made a pissed off American out of me.

I'm sorry to see that some like what happened Tuesday could have happened in America! I still scarely believe it and was recording the whole thing w/ my AV-70M. I give my condolences and prayers all around.

But on lighter note, 2 days ago I chance across a garage sale. Looking thru loads of junk, I come across a pristine Sony SL-5200 w/ it original wrist-strapped (???) remote! The guy states that he tested it w/ the 1 tape he had (and threw in w/ the sale) and said it worked perfectly fine. I took it home for 20 bucks and sure enough he was right!

"The Beast (as I christened it)" is about as high as my HF300 & HF550 stacked on top of each other and has to weigh 40 pounds or more! But what I think is queer about this thing is that the tape compartment is on the right side (as in a few other of the SL-5XXX "right-loaders"). What was Sony's thinking on that one??

I was attracted to it because it was a beta hifi unit and I'm always looking for a few cheap backup units. Ray Glasser's beta site says it's THE one that launched hifi. Is there any other sites that have further info on this unit? I even swear I've seen at least one of these 5XXX models in the movie "Videodrome" which I love cuz it shows alot of beta!

Saturday Sept.15,2001 4:42P.M. est.

I will be out of touch for awhile as my P.C. keeps telling me it can't hear a dial tone (Wall plug O.K.) I'll use the Library P.C. every 3 days to check messages! I'm glad you folks are starting to get back to normal! Best Wishes Al!

Sept. 15, 2001 5:07 P.M. est.

This is a 2nd message! I shall be out of touch for a while as my P.C. is down(It keeps telling me it can't heara dial tone!) I' ll check back in 3 days! I'm gglad things are getting back to normal. Best Wishes Al!

Sept. 15,2001 6:06 P.M. est.

I'm back online (put in a new telephone patch cord to the wall socket)! A.S.

Just thought you decadent wasteren's would like to klnow I'm the one responsible for VHS taking over bwaahahahahahahah!

September 15,2001 8 :30 P.M. est.

Osana- its Osama and I have a question for you! "You talk the talk! Do you walk the walk?" Word originally by JW also found in Full Metal Jacket(Beta Edition of course!) Al.

Currently the only manufacturer making fresh tape is Sony but they only wholesale them to Radio Shack.

Hi, This is only half true. Sony also still makes Beta Tape under there own name a few stores still carry them though I admit it's hard to find, though it's easily available through Internet Sales.

Darrel

September 15,2001 9:01 P.M. est.

This will help me out! For those who are nonmuslims and are interested in learning more about "ISLAM" in a nonreligous way, there is a pretty good easy to read (albeit slightly dated) HISTORY and general description of its basic tenets in H.G. Wells "Outline of History" which can be found in any Library! Al

As for blank Beta tapes I shop Ebay for the Professional blanks like Sony, Ampex and Maxell. I've been going that way for about 2 years now as I am disappointed in the quality of the commercial tapes. If you don't like online shopping try your nearest TV station. Some still use the standard ferric oxide tapes yet. Now on a different note ("C" minor?) I and looking for a cord for a o-o-o-ld U-matic player I picked up at an auction for $2.00. Well, actually I got the U-matic with 19 tapes and a Sony SL-8600? VTR. I will check out the Sony after I get the U-matic checked out and then the Sony will go for next to nothing. I have checked the U-matic Chat Page and no one has an o-o-o-old U-matic. The power cord is similar to the power cords that plug in to the back of your monitor and computer case (3 prong), but the top ground prong is round instead of a slot like the other 2. Oh yeah, Not Twice the Same Colour format. USA. Later. Pepse.

To Pepse - Checked the 'Shack-alogue' and the closest to that animal is the Compaq notebook cord. Maybe Latin Pikachu has a spare from his dead U-matic.

Do you have any electronic supply houses - the kind repair shops buy from near where you live? They have all sorts of obscure goodies. In a pinch you might also opt to replace the power jack with one that can use a computer power cable if you're reasonably handy with a soldering iron.

September 16,2001 2:14 P.M. est.

Pepse; 3 prong power cords (round ground)are readily available @ hardware stores (such as Home Depot) here in the U.S.. I checked in the catalogue of my A/V parts supplier last night and they had 2 pages full of different types and size generic A/V power cords complete with pictures! They ship to U.K. and are slightly cheaper for goods than R.S. (but still retail). If you give them the model# they can usually crossreference it(although for something so old a visual description mught me more helpfull)! Their Email Website address is http://www.mcmelectronics.com I hope this helps! Al.

Olive and Allan, Dooh! I wasn't thinking again. There are a couple places in the city about an hours drive from where I live that would probably have such an item. I go to this city at least twice a month. And one of the places I get my vcr parts from and the guy has been in business forver. Come to think of it the other place has been in business that long, too. And being that I will be going down to Eau Claire this coming week I'll have to make a trip to one or both places. Then too, I forgot about places like MCM and the like. I guess things have been kinda hectic around the house lately and just didn't think. Thanx guys for waking me up. Now I should be able to find out in a week if that old Wollensak works. Later. Pepse.

well as this is my first time on here i would justlike to say hello to everybodyi know there is a lot of pain in the world at the momentbut my heart goes out to the people who have lost someonerecentle

Hi there,

I'm interested in talking to anyone who has got Bruce Lee films on Betamax. If you have any then please email me. Of interest is 'Game of Death' that was released in the late 1970's. Any help will be much appreciated.

Best Regards,Nick Clarkeemail - [email protected]

Hello!Another new person here! I need help finding new heads for a Sony SL-HF750 I bought broken at a garage sale for three bucks. It plays audio just fine, and mechanically, it works nicely. Well, besides the fact that you can hardly see the picture through the snow. If anyone out there knows of a place where I can send away to for new SuperBeta heads, I'd love to hear from 'ya. Let me know anyone needs more information on the unit or the heads. Thanks!

David in Los Angeles

To Dave - You might try cleaning the heads first before judging them to be dead by directly swabbing them with alcohol on a Q-tip. Check the PAL-site's or Ray Glassers Betasite directory of Beta repair persons for someone close to you.

By the way I got hold of a cheap old VHS camcorder with video output. I hooked it up to my SL-2000 and recorded a bit of the feed. It seems that interference pattern I'd mentioned a couple weeks ago is definately somewhere in the SL-2000 recording system. Now if someone could figure a fix...

I also noticed something in the VHS camera that had occured in an old BMC-660 I used to have in that some of the CCD pixels gone bad. In low light it looks like some sort of constellation when all the bad ones light up out of turn with the rest of the pixels. Has anybody else noticed CCD chip 'burn'?

Anyways it's still a good camera for VHS. It's one of those Sharp 'SlimCams' with the 'catseye' 1 lux capability. It's pretty decent for indoor use where my Betamovies'd crave more light than available. And with video output it makes for a decent webcamera or for hooking up to my HiFi Beta. However since the battery that came with this new camera is no good (it uses ancient lead acid batterie technology) I'll still be using Beta for my imaging needs out of doors because compared to my BMC-550 even SP recorded VHS looks like a grainy tube camera recording.

http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/ProductsPark/Models/Current/EDV-9000_J_1/index.html

I think this Beta model is still available in Japan. It's still on Sony's Japan webpage.

It is a bad idea to use Q tips on video heads--you might break the heads. Better to use a chamois on a stick, or the 3M head cleaning cassette.

I've looked at the heads. They are physically dammaged. I'll call around to see if anyone has new ones. I've compiled a list of numbers off one of the pages in the Beta web ring, but if anyone else has any input that would be great. Also, tips for successfull head replacement would be appreciated. Thanks so much for your quick responses, by the way! Later. David

WHUZ UP P****S (LOL)

hello all people !!!

i want to buy a SONY SF-HL950 superbeta vcr only intrest the pal - pal/secam modellnot NTSCplease give offer for your selling price

thx. csaba

September 19,2001 8:53 P.M. est.

To L.A. Dave: With all goodwill in the world I want to suggest that you DO NOT try changing out the Video Heads on your machine unless you know exactly what you are doing AND you are absolutely sure there is nothing else seriously wrong with the unit, because the heads are expensive, too many things can go wrong, and if the old Heads are stuck inside the Drum you will need what is called a "Beta Video Head Puller" to remove the stuck head which is a piece of equipment almost impossible to find to say nothing of the expensive test equipment you will need to recalibrate the head if necessary! I'm not saying it can't be done but as long as you can find a shop to do the job it a much better investment to let a professional do the job, because its one of the hardest repairs to make on any VCR! To Whit-from looking at your address I think you live somewhere in California. This seems to me to be a double bonus first your machine is probably NTSC which means there are both parts and shops that can fix it ( I am thinking specifically of Sonys' huge Repair Center and parts Depot in L.A.(the biggest in the U.S.). If it were a PAL machine you would have a harder time finding needed parts. So if I were you I would decide if it is financially worth it to fix the unit and if it was I would get it fixed by Sony in L.A.! They should also guarantee their Repair!! Best Wishes and Good Luck! Al Smith.

FOR SALE: Sony Betamax Cassette Recorder, Model SL-2401, front loader;Video out, audio out, clock to set program, month date and time; good condition. Reasonable price $90.00, plus shipping; located east coast USA

I'm a long-time Betamax user, but my Sony HF-950 has just died as hasthe tuner-timer / power unit for my Sony F1 portable. Anybody know if replacement power supply units are available anywhere? Or if anyone in UK could repair these units?Is Betamax still sold anywhere in the world?

I'm still looking for a motor for my SL-HF450.

As far as trade center bombing I agree it's bad but we should move on and last thing I knew this site was for Betamax not a memorandum on religion and world news.

I mean no disrespect I'm an athiest and these circumstances presonify why. My study of religion has led me to belive a majority of them have skeletons in their closets. Note I did not say all :) A. Choate

hello there!i'm male..27..from iran.i'm a chemist working as QCin a factory producing polystyrene foams.i very much like to marry with a japanese,good girl.if you are a japenes girl,if you are good,and if really want marriage,please write me to the address given above..i have a golden heart...full of love..for you!sayonara for nowmehdi

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinks this is a Betamax site!I would like any new links that are Beta related E-mailed to me so I can add them to BetaLore II links page. I'm updating that site and would like to be as accurate as possible.

A. Choate

HERE IS YET ANOTHER TESTIMONIAL ON MY BEHALF FOR THE QUALITY WORK I DO ON BOTH BETAMAX AND V2000 FORMATS: Hello to all who read this. Yes I had a Sony SLC9 that was not feeling so well. A severe case of DC converter sickness. I took it to numerous so called medics but nobody could make it well and it got put into the attic to ferment. Then one day I was on the net and came across WWW.Betapals and found Lucreciagalaxy and in no time what so ever we were in touch and a cure was on the dispensing table. My unit was parcel posted (well insured as instructed) forthwith and once again I received rapid response. The C9 problems had been diagnosed and surgery to put right had been identified. All I had to do was submit the necessary from my "drink token" account and the C9 went under the knife. The treatment was not cheap but when born neither was the C9. So far the unit (patient) is responding to all commands and if all goes well has undergone a full reincarnation. No I am not in the medical profession, actually I am a mechanical biased person. But to finish I must say well done lucrezia as all the credit goes to her. All the best and keep operating Stan REMEMBER MY PAGES CAN BE FOUND AT http://members.aol.com/lucreziagalaxy/index.html THANK YOU

I don't know if this has been posted before but I came across this site which does video heads for various Betamax players:http://website.lineone.net/~harrison.elec/video.htm#INDEX

Also, I would dearly love a Sony HF950 but doubt I can afford it. If anyone is selling one would they just e-mail me and let me know the price it's going for so I have some idea, thanks.

Hello everybody knows about betamax, I appreciate you if youcould send me schematic, part list and every technical data of Sony betamax video recorder model SL-T7.

Thanks,

Does anyone know what might cause my SL-HF900, to drop-out both audio & video during playback, it records fine, because I can take that same tape and play it on another machine with no drop-out. The drop-out on the HF900 is that it would play for awhile drop-out and play again for awhile, any ideas?

September 23,2001 8:25 P.M est.

To Dave; I am a little confused by your use of the term "Dropout" i.e. Dropout usually refers to a interference pattern of fine black lines in the picture but You use it along with the term A/V indicating some ?Audio problem also? I have a feeling you are trying to say that you lose both your picture & sound intermittantly! If you could explain better what you mean by "Droupout" maybe I could come up with some ideas. Best! Al.

I've never heard of such a tool as a "Sony Video Head Puller". Sony's head discs even have supplemental threaded holes so you can use the screws that normally hold the disc to lift a hard to remove disc, if it is at all hard to remove. Even better, they explain the process in detail in the service manual.

Also, replacement head discs are factory-adjusted with a microscope so most of the time you don't have any other adjustment to perform.

September 24,2001 12 :30 est.

Charles; Its a Beta (not Sony)Video Head puller and like I said the proceedure while not impossible is very difficult for a number of reasons (I only listed one!). Another would be that the tolerances of the A/V circuits change significantly over a long period of time and depending on the age of the machine involved may need adjusting regardless of whether the changeout is sucessfull or not(its NOT just a case of out with the bad Guts and in with the good Guts!) Considering the cost of investment in a new head and the additional costs that may be involved in trying to fix any further damage that may happen during the changeout, the smart thing would be to take it to a professional! A.S.

hello to every beta enthusiast!!i found something very very interesting in the net:

http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/products/Models/Consumer/VD/BV/Thumbnail-a_1.html

http://www.sony.co.jp/cgi-bin/search/sd/search.cgi?q=edv+9000&restrictoption=japan-drive-all

i think you should take a look. i wonder if there is a possibility to turn these japanese ntsc betas into PAL because i'm from germany!!

Grrrr! Sony's been holding out on us! Makes me want to fire up the Enola Gay for another flight to old Nippon. One sight of that plane and they're sure to hand over all the new Betamaxes we want...

Sony does not want to sell beta machines to anyone outside of Japan. I am an american and a year or so ago attempted to get a Japanese unit sent over here (we are both NTSC). I found a place that had a web apge saying they'ld ship one here but after contacting them I was told Beta machines could no longer be sent to the US, anything else made by Sony could but Sony had told them they would cut off their supply of new products if they sent beta decks to america! I would think a business would want to generate as many sales as possible and would not care (unless they were selling weapons or something else dangerous) where the products ended up as long as they were paid for them.

Seems like an opening for someone to 'smuggle' new Betas from Japan! I am in England and would absolutely CRY for a new Beta brand new (PAL format) which, like the American markets are just not available at all now. I am sick and tired of desperately scouring all the auction pages and so forth to grab an ancient Beta machine, probably on it's last legs anyway, but just to preserve the format just a bit longer for me. Then even if I can find one they are not going to be as good as these new models that are available in Japan.

I think this is a wrong that definitely needs righting!

Barry.

To Al; yes I lose both audio and video together on an intermittent basis. I thought I had heard the term "dropout" refering to a defective tape or bad tape. Could a tape cause this? I have researched this a little bit and wondered if it could be the tension of one of the reels in the unit needs to be adjusted or perhaps one of the rollers needs replacement? Thanks for your input, Dave

Greetings,

Yes, I've seen those two beta decks on a few Japanese sites. The SL-200CD is (I think) the Japanese-domestic version of the SL-HF2000 we got here in the US. But from a Babelfish translation of the page, this Japanese baby does Highband [ :þ ]!

Direct URL: http://babel.altavista.com/urltrurl?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sony.co.jp%2Fsd%2Fproducts%2FModels%2FLibrary%2FSL-200D.html&lp=ja_en&tt=url&urltext=&doit=done

Also yes, I've tried to contact a few of those "grey market" importers a year or so ago about getting a NEW beta deck. They can get ANYTHING else Sony except betas. They gave me that same story about Sony cutting their supply if they continue to export.

So it would seem to me that the only way to get one/some would be to actually go to Japan. Believe me, if I had me a trip to Tokyo (or whatever), I'd buy me a few 200CD's (maybe even the other ED-Beta deck, too!) and have them FedEx'd home. :)

But for those wanting a PAL unit, I'd guess that those went the way of the dodo bird and the dinosaurs as far as the Japanese market is concerned.

September 24,2001 8:45 P.M. est.

Dave; A couple of more questions and one suggestion. When you play a tape and you lose your picture and sound A.)Does the tape continue to play or does the tape stop playing and/or does the machine shut down? B.) do you see any other unusual interference or hear unusual noise when you play the tape on another machine? Let me know! Meanwhile try checking for loose connections between the VCR and T.V. and if they are loose try tightning them! Note If your hookup is from the output RCA jacks on your VCR you can try reseating (plugging the jacks in and out a few times) to remove any rust build up which can cause this problem. Best Al.

Okay people above - now that's uncalled for. Miss Lucrezia may be pesty but geeze it's not like you're being forced to click on this site or anything.

As for Lucrezia, we get it someone liked your repair service. If you have other testimonials besides that one try putting them in your next advert. and try to space them about a couple weeks or so. People here have a sensitive spleen when it comes to some other users.

Oh by the way to Graham in the Docklands looking for replacement Sony Beta cassette loader belts I just posted a couple today. I don't know how long it's gonna take what with recent events messing up all delivery schedules but it went out today anyway. I found two separate sizes and since I don't know which yours takes I sent both. Hope this keeps your beta in top shape for another 20 years.

To Dave with the HF900

It sounds like the tape is moving out of allignment as it travels through the mech. If by "dropout" you mean picture and sound turning to a black (or blue if your beta has OSD) screen, then it is because the control track of the tape is not being "read" correctly. All sony betas (I think) work this way. A test is to press the pause button as soon as the screen goes blank/ "dropout" occurs. If the picture comes back instantly - it's a control track problem. The reason you lose sound is probably down to your TV muting the sound when it receives no picture signal.Does your VCR have a headphone socket? Try listening to the sound from that and see if it drops out when the picture does. Try switching between HiFi and linear sound.

The fix for this is usually a new pinch roller and a good clean of the tape path,. At the worst, though, it can mean a new ACE head assembley [ACE: Audio/Control/Erase] but what do you know... they probably don't stock them new anymore? Though I'm sure for 2,500 quid/ 3,500 dollars, lucrezia will sell you one.

I hope you get it sorted somehow.

And a short note to Alan A. Smith:

I've changed plenty heads on Sony C20 / C30 / C9 / F1 and HF100 [all UK machines using the fixed drum/head disc system, but doubless any different to US ones] and have never had to 'allign' anything - including any preset adjustments. Only once, when I changed a complete drum in a C9 did I need to adjust a preset on the control board [d-shift I think it was].

I think you're thinking of really old betas, where you needed an ecentricity gauge to line up the heads (like the SL-8080 and the old SL3000 portable) - though really, these arn't worth fixing anymore, unless you're exceptionally keen. Or, maybe you're thinking of Sanyo stuff - because I know you seem to prefer that manufacturer. I've never had to change a Sanyo head - they seem to be a bit tougher than Sony's.

Where would be a good place to sell beta movies?

the betas from japan....there is one thing i don't understand. if i went to a dealer and told him to get something for me he would get it. if any japanese dealer would order some of these babies and send em...elsewhere how could sony know?? the only thing you have to do is find a dealer in japan that orders the decks and send them to you. is this a problem??

September 25,2001 7:36 P.M. est.

Steve; Its not a matter of alignment its a matter of tolerances in the circuitry IC's the can weaken over long usage and may not be able to handle the signal strength they were built to handle when the unit was new! A chain is as strong as its weakest link what good would it do dave to install anew head for S50-100 parts cost and then have an IC blow and not have a scope or RF meter ect. to find the bad Ic and change it out also! Better he should try getting a used but still hopefully completely functioning machine from EBAY or some other Auction site for the same cost as that of a new head! People are still offering used machines for sale at reasonable prices and remember there is the question of possibly other costly repairs that may be needed in addition to replacing the head which will make fixing the machine impractically costly(unless hes' Bill Gates). If he takes it to a good shop they will check the whole unit out list its problems and the cost of repairing them and in addition will usually guarantee their repair! Best Wishes! Al Smith

Sony Iis not wanting to sell Americans beta decks for unknown reasons, if one notes on thier Japanese websites, the Beta pages are the only ones that do not have a translate to English button on them.

The place I had tried ordering a deck from said that if the continued to advertise they'ld send them here they'ld be cut off from Sony products. Dont know how they found out. I did have a friend who went to Japan and asked him to find me one. Do not know how through his search was but he informed me that no shops over there would send a Beta deck to the US although they would send other items.

Alan

I understand the message above. But what would stop me from walking into some electronics shop, say in Tokyo, and buying a deck off-the-shelf, walking out of the store w/ it, then taking it down to FedEx and having it sent to the U.S.? The dealer would have no say in that nor would be responsible (IMO) since HE didn't ship it. All this, assuming that beta decks are still readily available for sale (vs. having to special order á-la the HF2000). Seriously, if I got to take the trip, I'd certainly take advantage of my situation! :)

To Steve & Al; I took apart the HF-900, and checked out the tape path, everything looked pretty good, but when cleaning the pinch roller there was some residue on it, so after cleaning it, i tested the unit with the same tape which played fine, I took Steve suggestion about pressing pause when the A/V was lost and it came back immediately, but still the audio was lost through the headphones when I tried that. Everything appears to be noramal now, I want to Thank you both for your input, Dave.....

Back In Action... after a while away.ANY WAY came back with a massive amount of new BETAS to add to my already massive collectionof rare & pre certs.just got another 600ish.Anyone wanting to trade etc get back to me.....& hey I lost contact with a couple of guys out there get back to me will ya.Cheers all.Long live Beta...............

if it is really that hard to get a beta in japan, you could ask a japanese if he bought one for you. you would give him some $$$ and the deal was made. but, ok, that would be the last way i would go.but what else can you do??

Yay! One more Beta user saved from VHS!

WHY IMPORT FROM JAPAN WHEN I CAN SELL YOU LIKE NEW SONY C9 !!!

HERE IS YET ANOTHER TESTIMONIAL ON MY BEHALF FOR THE QUALITY WORK I DO ON BOTH BETAMAX AND V2000 FORMATS: Hello to all who read this. Yes I had a Sony SLC9 that was not feeling so well. A severe case of DC converter sickness. I took it to numerous so called medics but nobody could make it well and it got put into the attic to ferment. Then one day I was on the net and came across WWW.Betapals and found Lucreciagalaxy and in no time what so ever we were in touch and a cure was on the dispensing table. My unit was parcel posted (well insured as instructed) forthwith and once again I received rapid response. The C9 problems had been diagnosed and surgery to put right had been identified. All I had to do was submit the necessary from my "drink token" account and the C9 went under the knife. The treatment was not cheap but when born neither was the C9. So far the unit (patient) is responding to all commands and if all goes well has undergone a full reincarnation. No I am not in the medical profession, actually I am a mechanical biased person. But to finish I must say well done lucrezia as all the credit goes to her. All the best and keep operating Stan REMEMBER MY PAGES CAN BE FOUND AT http://members.aol.com/lucreziagalaxy/index.html THANK YOU

Oh come on now! Can you at least find another testimonial? You've been using the same shill for the last half dozen or so times. Make something up if you can't get another costomer to flak for you...

Hi all! Still trying to find out where I can turn to buy a used (in working condition)Betamax that will play tapes recorded on an old Betamax in the US in the early 80's. I'd really appreciate any help. Thanks!

Thanks to eBay I recently purchased an SL-8000 in almost perfect condition.It's obviously been kept clean and tidy, but has one fault:In play-mode the video mutes, it only gets visible when in pause-mode.Reading the specifications on palsite (http://www.palsite.info/8000ovi.html) I think it should be the other way round:)Has anyone got any clues as how to fix this problem?

One other thing:The machine came together with two cardboxes full of betamax-tapes (and cost only 20 Deutschmarks:)On one I found the original cassette that came with the recorder.It's recorded with a ten minute-piece called "Die Geschichte von Sony Betamax" (="The Story of Sony Betamax") in which two actors play Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy and explain this novelty item, a so-called "video recorder:).It's very funny, but of course...in german!Was this also available in the UK or other countries?

hii have a sony slf950+arcam nicam tuner+sony pcm digital recording unit also f1 portable set up all in perfect order[ the 950 has had a recent check up ]. lots of pre-recorded and quality blank tapes.anyone interested ? make me offers for what you want or e-mail for listsbyestuart

Ralph,

Congrats on the bargain SL8000

I bought one (in England) way back in 1979 and it was one of the first VCRs to appear in this country (even before VHS). The model I had was SL8000UB which of course means it is a UK standard version.

With the machine was a feature film on a L500 cassette called 'Those magnificent Men in their Flying machines" I had great service with this machine but recall it had problems in fast forward and rewind as the lever keys would not 'latch' very well and it was a case of continually pumping the lever until it 'caught'. Great machine s though.

I still have the Sony catalogue brochure which describes this machine.

Regards,

Barry.

Hello Everyone

I have a Sony SL-HF860D to sell. It's the one that offers digital effects (circa 1988-89).

Obviously it's used. But it has been sitting in a box for the past 5 years. I tested it and it works fine. The remote control is lost, but I do have another Beta remote control that works with the unit. It does have a couple of scratches on the frame, on top. Otherwise, it works fine. I would sell it AS IS. No need to worry about receiving DOA.

If you are interested, or if you know where I can sell this (aside from Ebay), please email me. I would appreciate the help.

Thanks and take care

September 28,2001 7:40 P.M. est.

Dear Stephanie: I must apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I have 2 excuses first I actually wrote about 2 paragraphs to you last night but Hotmail went out 3 minutes before I pressed the send button and I lost everything also my Mother is in Hospital and I was too tired to write again at that time!. You are welcome to send me a private Email from time to time so long as it is not frivolous. To answer some of your questions if your tapes were made in the U.S. chances are they were made on a NTSC machine(not PAL/Secam), and that is the type of machine you should purchase! They are still available in the U.S. and Canada from about $80.00 U.S. depending on what you want. Most people want the Sony brand name and they are available but you will pay extra for the brand name only! I prefer Sanyo just about any model because they are relatively sturdy and inexpensive and you can still buy some parts for them. The opposite holds true for other off Brands such as Toshiba and/or JVC et al.(no parts availability). I'll get to where to look in a minute but first as to your question regarding if the recordings you have are still good! If they have not been exposed to excessive amounts of Heat, Moisture and/or Electrical or Magnetic Energy for example sitting next to a electrical outlet or furnace then chances are at least the deeper parts of the recordings should still be good! As far as looking to buy a machine here are a few hints! I would start first with the online Auction Houses i.e. EBAY,Auctionwatch ect. To find more type in the word Auction in your search engine & see what you come up with.If you go to Ebay either the words "betamax"(which is the brand name for Sony) or "Beta VCR" will bring up many ads for used Beta machines. I purchased one last spring (A Sanyo Vcr 4200) which works just fine (thank you very much) for about $70.00 including shipping. The key to buying off of Ebay or any other internet site is one to avoid any ad for a machine that does NOT tell you that everything works! I always asked the seller if their machine made a good recording as well as played well. Never buy any machine from a ad that says something to the effect of "everything works EXCEPT" or "AS IS" meaning once they have your money you are out of luck! Ebay has a system for setting up "ESCROW" accounts where you deposit your payment with Ebay and they do not release it to the seller until you are satisfied with your purchase. Some but not all sellers will agree to this arangement! If they do you will know that they are relatively honest! Now as to where else to look here is where I have found good working Beta Units it the past TV/VCR repair shops- they often have units sitting in their storerooms left by customers who never picked up the fixed units. You can canvass the Repair shops in your locale by phone and save gas. They shouldn't be too expensive depending on how good a bargainer you are! Other places to look are Flea markets, Pawnshops, Local Librarys sometimes have working units left over from the time they were renting Beta Tapes! The Audio/Visual Departments of colleges and universities often have periodic sales on used equipment including Vcrs where you can get them cheap! That all I can think of at the moment! I hope my comments are helpfull! Good Luck!! and I would like to know what you eventually end up doing if possible. Best Wishes; Al Smith.

hello again people

I just enquired at my local sony-only repair centre, and aparently theres alot of people around like me with a fetish for betamax, and they'll happily service my machine, the technicians an expert with these c9 's and can fix them with his eyes closed. but they arent cheap, but im quite happy to pay a price for my machine to be as good as new.

is there a newsgroup for this kind of descussion ?

Hello everyone, I've a SL-C9e and its great, but its in need of service. I'm in australia is it worthwhile taking it to a sony repair centre or is it no longer supported?

If there was a new machine being made like this one, id buy it, and be happy to spend over a thousand dollars. I refuse to use vhs. the only thing id take over beta would be a digital video recorder that uses the same tapes that digital video cameras use, but unfortunatly they are $10,000!

if anyone in australia has the last of the top of the range beta sony's, id like to buy one

If you want to sell your beta at a fixed price Excite Classifieds at http://www.classifieds2000.com/ has free online classified ads service. They run for about 12-14 weeks but you can keep renewing and you can add a photo if you like.

All.I have just been sorting out the spare room and come across my Sony betamax vcr along with about 60 films. Switched it on and it still works but needs a service. Model no. SL C33EC PAL.Anyone interested in this then let me know.Iain (London)

Question to you all:can a super betamax like the HF750 or HF950 be modified to play and record betacam sp and other betacam variants? Thanks.

To Bill - No a Betamax cannot be modified to play or record Betacam tapes. The formats are too different to be compatible with any 'simple' modificaction. For one Betacam is an RGB format - Beta a compsite one. Betacam runs a 3x the speed of Betamax X1 speed, 6x the Betamax PAL speed.

Hi,

does anyone have an idea what might be wrong with my SL-C9?

It stops after a few seconds in play or in rec. mode. I checked out that the capstan and drum speed is much too high. Variable speed is working well forward and backward.

I already exchanged the whole cassette compartment including reel motor, capstan drive and drum from a second machine which is working fine. Speed pulses from capstan and drum are ok but too fast.

Shall I exchange the servo IC? Is there any danger of destroying it?

Thanks a lot

Gerhard

Hi,everybody knows about betamax, I appreciate you if you could sendme schematic, part list and every technical data odf Sony betamaxvideorecorder model sl 800 me, sl 700 me and slhf 860 d.Thanks,

Well, since I didn't see anything helpful on either PALsite chat page I will pose this question to anyone knowledgeable about Beta camcorders (for you picky people out there I have a Sony GCS1 not a BVU or BVW series). The format is irrelevant (i.e. PAL or NTSC). The question pertains to the lens area. As I recall it is said that I can use various types of screw-on filters for my Betamax camera, but my question is can I also use screw-on telephoto or zoom lenses?? Or would that make the system redundent?? I would love to have more than the 6X zoom that is standard with my camera. Any ideas lame or good will be appreciated. Later. Pepse.

Olive, that helps to know that someone else had that. As I remember from somewhere 35mm SLR cameras with the screw-on filters (and now apparently other attachments) are the same as what the Betas use. And, as I recall, I got a couple friends that are into 35mm cameras and they might have something for me, I hope. Otherwise I'm sure Ebay or where ever might be helpful. Thanx Olive. Later. Pepse.

Hello there

Pepse, you can screw on lenses without problem, except the manuals warn it may upset IR auto focus and they recommend you focus manually.

If anybody can help me with a few problems with my EVO-510P video8 I would be greatly in debt to you please drop me a line [email protected]

Has anybody had problems, with changing HF950 heads, where they have had to replace a pair of transistors in the head amp to clear up a grainy picture?

Also anyone have a SL-700ME they may part with? Maybe an SL-800ME? Or equivalent? Working or not.

As for "smuggling" beta VCR's out of Japan, it’s not all that easy. They are actually on the list of items not to be taken out of the country by Japanese customs. There are many quirky techno toys - things they wont let out. As for the PAL half or the world there’s no point anyway there is no way the decks can be modified to play back PAL tapes.

On the other hand it wouldn’t cost extreme amounts for Sony to do a few runs of the HF-99 but it would be a technically stupid move putting an older obsolete technology back into the market place competing with the newer formats they want us to move onto.

I have heard comments from the Sony techies saying they wish at least a basic player might be made to allow people to play or convert there existing tape stock as they don’t like working on some of the older betamax vcr's much now with problems getting some parts and cost of repairs compared to buying a brand new VHS.

Personally I would love something like the great Hi8/VHS combo deck Sony put out a few years back, with maybe a SuperBetahifi / SVHS or a DV side, even a D8/beta. Maybe even with a DVD like the Samsung VHS/DVD deck you can buy now, which has an RF output, a point someone was moaning about a while ago in regards to DVD players.

I think allot of people need to realize beta maybe a great format but its pasts its prime. I am an eager hobbyist who as managed to also work a bit with the format, but seriously the newer formats coming out will in the near future be cheaper and are technically superior. I will always keep my beta decks in tip top nick for conversion of tapes and viewing my large tape library but I see in the near future all my new recordings being made on a digital format, with the introduction of 16:9 television and true surround sound making good use of 4 and 5 channel audio systems a digital VCR is just around the corner. Possibly tape less.

Its a strange thought that maybe in as little as 10 years there will be a page just like this one devoted to VHS with people cursing the digital formats both disk and tape just as users here curse VHS and cry out betamax.

To me half the excellence of the beta format is not the debate over picture and sound quality, but the build quality of the machines, the feature set of some models, the simplicity of some models, the character of the design of some models. Look at the HF-950 and HF-99k, what was the person thinking or how on earth did they come up with the linear skate loading mech in the first place? Was it a fantasy? Or someone said it would be cool if it loaded like a cd player? Look at the SL-C9, here is a practical VCR for someone wanting to use a VCR for checking out something in detail, with easy yet advanced picture search in either direction with great picture. VHS machines with these functions came along...much later (I have heard of a similar loading JVC VHS to the HF950 /99 but never seen one).

That’s just my 2 bobs worth.

John - B2

PS: Ullo B1

I've seen demos of digital video, I've seen HDTV and I've done work on an Avid non-linear editing machine and personally I think digital video is a steaming load of bovine fecal contaminant. A good analog recording - even a Beta III recording - kicks ass compared to a DV recording. To do anything in digital you have to apply compression to the signal which always seems to have more artifacts than King Tut's tomb. As much as I dislike dropouts on analog the digital quick freeze when it gets a bad hunk of tape looks even worse.

As for Beta being 'past it's prime' well that's the fault of Sony's decision not to keep at least one Betamax VCR in their lineup , not the format itself. Hell they've stuck by 8mm this long.

At any rate the patents for Beta should've run out by now so anyone with an electro-mechanical bent might seriously consider building a 'micro-brew' Beta VCR for those who want something brand-new whether or not Sony wants to be in the Betamax business or not. Maybe the threat of bootleg non-Sony Betamax VCRs would be enough to force Sony to reopen it's Beta plants to us 'geijin foreign devils'.

To Pepse - I've seen on E-bay a BMC-220 camcorder (that I tried to get but was outbid) that had a bodacious screw on telephoto lens attachment so the answer is a qualified yes.

You won't be able to stick a second zoom lens onto the lens you already have without risk of damage - and not to mention that it might not work anyway. You can put telephoto attachments to the lens you have and they do exist, though since most camcorders are the puny ones with dinky lenses they'll be a little scarcer for larger cameras.

Of course since Betamovies use a 52mm lens there's probably a lot of standard photo stuff you can use. Photo-Video stores should have the size you need. They go for a little over $100 bux and some lense attachments can be reversed for the wide-angle

WHY IMPORT FROM JAPAN WHEN I CAN SELL YOU A LIKE NEW SONY C9 !!!HERE IS A SECOND TESTIMONIAL. From: john pike

After a lot of years sterling service my Sony C,9 gave up the "Ghost" in a big way. The PSU, including the DC/DC Converter was u/s. "Sony don't make that part any longer ".I was told by my Sony Parts Center. Eventually I gave up looking for that elusive part. "Was I the only Beta user around here?". I thought. It seemed like it The trusty old C.9 was put on the bottom shelf, where it gathered dust, for many a year. That is until recently I ,quite by chance came across the "Beta Palsite" in a magazine Reading through the emails I came across the "Advert " for Lucreziagalaxy With high hopes of seeing my C.9 back in action again I contacted this." Help Line". telling my tale of woe. Having been convinced by a quick reply to my request, that a repair was definitely on the cards, I sent my C.9 away, insured against damage as advised, for a report on its condition. Within a couple of days of its arrival, I received a detailed report of the faults found, the parts required, and the estimate for the lot. It did not appear cheap at first.,but considering the availability of the parts for a C.9, the equipment and expertise required to fit and test them, it seemed to me pretty reasonable. So I went ahead with the repairs. I was kept informed all the way through the "restoration", until ,the day arrived, when I was informed that after a long Test program my C.9 was ready for home. My first impressions of the restoration? Its works like a dream. The picture on Pause and X 2 are marvelous. Why buy a DVD for picture quality, when with Beta Sony C.9 and a" Diggie". Box you can get a Better deal. It is a machine in its own class, I have insured it separately under my House Contents Insurance, after receiving a report of its market value. Thank you Lucreziagalaxy for a 1st Class Job.& Many Thanks for all Your Help and Sound Advice . The cost was worth every penny. If any one out there has problems with their C.9,do what I d ,consult the" Experts." They are only an email away. John. REMEMBER MY WEBPAGES AT http://members.aol.com/lucreziagalaxy/index.html

Does anyone know where I could buy a Betamax player, I have a dozen tapes I need to convert.

My Sony SLHF900 finally broke and I can't seem to find a replacement partanywhere. (the cassette transport cage) So, I am going to give up onthe Beta format. Unfortunately, I stockpiled beta tapes and I'd liketo sell them. I have 34 brand new tapes, half Sony HG and half ES. I will throw in 12 movie tapes that I bought used from a video store, 28 used tapes and 1 head cleaner.

Contact me at my [email protected] account

2 betamax recorders e-mail me sony c20 and a sanyo ntx100

To Grasser with the broken SL-HF 900....

You just threw 'chum' in the shark tank with that one. I'd love to know the top offer for that VCR so far...

HiJust a quick line to let any british beta fans that ive got a batch of 50 old beta tapes on ebay for a low starting price of 15 quid.

hello i have a sony slh950ub and even though it has had new heads problem remains that is picture losing vertical lock and at same timesound drops out (if you switch to linear sound thats ok) any ideas nick

Were the new heads a self install or by a repair person? If by repair person you should demand that gets fixed proper. If by self install any number of things could be wrong. If you had to disassemble the Head assembly to put a new disc in you've probably;

A: misalligned the upper head shellB: improperly soldered the leads to the new shellc: bent, scratched or broke it putting it in

If you replaced the whole head and drum unit (as opposed to putting in a new disc unit) it's probably not electronically adjusted to it's new home - pot and/or ceramic filter settings - don't mess with them because there's likely to be so many variables to adjust for that test equipment is called for and the heads might not have been the problem all along. That pesky ACE head could've screwed the tracking up..

At any rate you'll have to have a pro look at it as it's completely bunged up now.

On this day in her-story five years ago, O.J. Simpson was aquited in the double murder of his ex-wife and some poor shlub who happened to be returning some sunglasses.

October 04.2001 4:01 A.M. est.

Nick & Olive; Greetings I vote for the ACE head! which is adjustable (if not broken) and/or replaceable by someone who knows what they are doing!

P.S. Olive I'm going to canvass the Detroit area to see if i can order a new Beta! I'll let you know! Best Al.

Hi, I have 5000 betamax tapes, where can I sll them? Thanks (Ooops! they and I are in South Africa)

Ebay: Sanyo 4650 Excellent working condition. 10 tapes with t.v. 1978-1984.http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1280160731

I have an NEC PVC-744E (PAL) that was working when I put it in a box in the attic 10 years ago. Anyone interested?

FOR SALE: Betamovie BMC500P (PAL) with strap battery charger etc. This item is on ebay at http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1282207525

FOR SALE: Sanyo M10 mk11 Dual I/D PAL front loading Betamax video also on ebay at: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1281438195

Hi all I notice there is some new info on the Sanyo M30 machine. It says that the machine has Beta hifi mono sound. I have one of these machines and it does not say hifi anywhere, it is a good machine with slow motion etc. Can anyone explain?

Has anybody here heard Scott Veazie lately? I know something going on the Beta Informer website is gone and the last Informer was issued in August. Any info apprciated

Pepse Camra leneses aren't as light as filters so I think it is imperitive that you turn off th AF fuction to avoid damageing the motor and asociate mechanics.

I'm still looking for the reel motor asembly for my 450.Because my last message was not specific enough I will out line the conditions I would prefer

1. I'm not goning to sell the VCR.

2. I am on an extremly limeted budget and would prefer the total cost including shipping not exceed the $80 or $953. I'm willing to give a Sony eject mechanisim Toshiba eject mechanisim or power supply for either of these units. I also have video heads that were good when they were removed. Ill let the lot go if you can give me the mechanisim. A. Choate creator/editor of the BetaLore II website