A Betafan convention would be a nice idea but where to hold one? Given that Beta users are concentrated around New York, Hawaii, Illinois or California (acorrding to Ray Glasser's Beta population chart http://www.geocities.com/videoholic2000/Bmap.jpg ) it's gonna be a major trip for 3/4ths of the users who might show. Not to mention overseas Betafans...

Still it would be nice to see other Betafans. Maybe we'd meet that Snaling fellow...

I was in Cleveland once and it seemed like a nice enough place. There was this really nice acrade gallery from the 1890s that would be a great place to hold a convention? Maybe if we ask nice - and promise not to dissappear with his SL-HF 1000s - we could all stay at Ray Glasser's place... ;-)

If we are going to have a BetaCon, I vote we hold it in Hawaii. Hawaii is still a major Beta holdout, with many used beta VCRs still available for sale at TV/VCR repair shops, thrift stores, flea markets, and swapmeets (I once found a mint SL-HF450 at one of these shops). Also, with the high concentration of local Beta users in Hawaii, I'm sure we will get a high local turnout for the BetaCon. I can just imagine it...after the beta history seminars and the SL-HF1000 beta-editing demos end at the Sheraton Waikiki, we all organize ourselves into beta-hunter groups and scour the many TV/VCR repair shops and second-hand thrift stores around Honolulu and Oahu looking for used working betas. Also, since Honolulu is halfway between the US mainland and Japan, I'm sure we can attract many Japanese beta users and betafans to the convention; perhaps the originator of the Japanese http://www.betamax.to website can give a seminar on domestic Japanese Betas. We can also invite Sony USA, Sony Japan, and EuroSony to set up historical displays of Japanese, American, and Euro PAL Sony Betas. Finally, we can climax this convention with a betaluau on Waikiki Beach. So what do you say, Betafans, should we go for it?!? Howard (who would love to go back to Hawaii to attend a BetaCon)

Howard: Sounds awesome! Especially if you could get Sony to come! And if they do, could we talk them into rolling out some more betas for us? Or have them bring a load of SL-200D's from Japan or maybe even clear out that "lost warehouse full of HF750's?" ;) Even though I'm as far away from Hawaii as I can be (MA), I'd come!

Oh, and as for the luau, don't forget to bring those Betamovies and/or SL-2000/Camera combos to capture every last moment! It would be an excuse for me to have those tired NP-11's rebuilt for my BMC-550!

Ich habe einen SL-F30. Bei der Wiedergabe spult der Aufzugsbandwickel scheinbar etwas langsamer, wie die Geschwindigkeit, die der Capstan vorgibt. Es bildet sich allmählich eine Bandschlaufe hinter dem Capstan, die immer größer wird, bis sich das Band verfängt. Wer hat Rat??

I have an SL-F30. At Play-Mode the Tape loops behind the capstanslowly, but more and more by time. I Think, the right Winch is running to slow. Who knows the matter ??

No doubt a Hawaii Betafest would be cool but I'm too poor to go :(

or at least given a choice I try to buy an SL-HF 750 or 1000 or ED Beta first...

At any rate while there are like scads of Hawaiian Betas floating around one must remember the Hawaiian climate is murder on VCRs - all that salt air...

Ironicaly enuogh all-plastic VHS boxes have an edge on mostly metallic Betas in that one respect...

Any more people try that STOP-AUDIO DUB-PAUSE button pressing thing I'd mention on their SL-2000/ SL-F1 VCRs? I talked to someone else and their SL-2000 siezed up as well. Could it be that this 'bug' had been laying there dormant all along for the past 20 years or so and nobody ever caught it till now?

hi guys,

i have a SONY SLHF-1000 Super Beta editing VCR in near new condition. believe it or not its up to you... i brought it back here with me in '94 and i can count the number of times i've used it. in fact the only thing i watch on it is my wedding video which was edited on an older beta machine i used to have. the machine runs 220 volts and i have a step-down trasformer that i use with it. i also have the old SONY cuts only editing control unit with 2 5-pin L connectors. this can be used as an editing deck for any SONY camcorder or VCR w/ Lanc connectors. this machine has loads of features but the important ones include; independent audio/video insert capable, 330 lines Superbeta mode, built-in 8 segment cuts editor, and many more. any interested bidders?

In addition... i also have the EDP-10F ED Beta Camcorder (Asian CODE EDC-55). this would make a great acquisition and editing combo with the SLHF-1000 i had previously talked about. any interested parties, let me know. thanks and best regards.

Wow! The results of my idea have been overwhelming. I'm trying to contact sony, sanyo, and the other major beta manufacturers. The local TV repair shop would be glad to have a hand in this, and they relly want to get this idea rolling. and i'm now the proud owner of a sanyo betamovie vrc100. My friend andy is finishing the deal as we speak.

To Olive: My school has some of the same model, (Didn't catch the number) and it's been recently serviced, and there is a way to fix it. I'm not sure, but the TV repair shop did fix it.

To All Betaphiles: I think we should get a news letter going. So we have some decent reading material. And I'd love to hear about the new japaneese beta players. If anyone wants to start one/help with it, email me.

And my economics class was interesting. my teacher brought in a JVC 1986 VHS player, and a sanyo VCR4010 beta, and we had a playoff. He was talking about the better one (VHS in his opinion)while the VHS was shredding his tape, and the 4010 kept on rolling. He was infuriated, and he pulled out a DVD player and watched as his technology was overpowered by as he calls it, and antique. It was a great way to say I love you to his wife, when the only copy of their wedding tape lay in shreds in his hand. -ED

Re 3 posts up: An SL-HF1000 that runs on 220V?? How's that possible if this is an American model? Or is the power supply auto-switching for anything from 100-240V? Can't look closely @ mine since I ain't home right now.

Where can I find 2-way Beta rewinders and new or slightly used Beta tapes?

2-way rewinders can usually be found new through companies that sell broadcast equipment and/or tapes (Betacam tapes are essentially Betamax tapes with an 'attitude') or you can go on E-bay.

If you see a beta rewinder/winder brand called Mustang keep on looking. They're crappy (re)winders that leave the tape rippled in spots and have an annoying melody alarm when (more like if) the get to the end of the tape. The counter the come with rolls backwards when you wind forward and forward when you rewind. All in all the Mustangcompany is probably a secret division of JVC created to destroy everyone's Beta tape collection so they'll have to go VHS...

To Bernd Steinmuller: Sounds like your machine's got a bad idler tire. (If it's indeed a rubber tire idler, not a geared one). If you take the cover off your machine, you'll find a little job in between the reel hubs with a rubber tire on it. It's the idler, and it's what drives the tape reels. In Play, Rec or FF modes it engages the right (take-up) reel, and in rewind mode it engages the left one. In older machines that rubber tire gets worn out and starts to slip against the reel hubs, not turning them fast enough. In play mode a tape loop will form after the capstan, like you described, since the capstan is pulling the tape through but the reel is not taking it up. Another symptom is if the rewind mode stutters or is really slow. Hope this helps. The Betacon sounds like a great idea!

Got an interesting query: On some decks (i.e . HF300 's) the display dims w/ age and I guess this is fairly common. But does anyone know if it this is caused by the display itself meeting the ravages of time? Or could it be the circuitry driving it that's aging?

Most likely the phosphorus in these displays is degrading with use.

Actually, what tends to happen is that the DC-DC convertor tends to go away slowly with time, reducing the voltage that the display has to work with (this will also affect the tuner to an extent). The cause of this is generally the electrolytic capacitors in the convertor. Sometimes these can be replaced, in other instances, the convertor itself needs replacement. (the little metal box on the tuner/timer board that runs very hot.)

I'll have to check the power supply board on one of my 300's w/ this problem. But do they generally have a DC-DC can like that of the PAL SL-C9? If I only would need to replace a few caps, then no biggie.

If you do, be sure to replace them with ones that have a very low internal resistance, and a very temperature rating. Standard cheapo caps will die very quickly from the the heat generated... that's what kills the ones that are in there to start with, and they were designed to handle it.

I am looking to buy a working old or unwanted non pro type beta style camcorder or an old vhs camcorder.I am on a slight buget if you have this please email me.

[email protected]

One of the better buys on E-bay are the Betamovies and VHS camcorders. I got a Sharp camera from the early 90s for about 60 Euros or so with shipping. While HiFi Betas are getting out of reach for a lot of people NTSC Betamovies can usually be had for around $50 US if you don't go into a bidding war.

Were can I buy a Betamax Video Recorder?

Hello all,

Just a quick question, if a vcr cannot play ff or rewind with a tape in but will do these without a tape in does it mean that the drive belts are worn?? or something more serious??

The VCR in question is a General Beta Model VG200B

Ta Bill

Bill,

I assume that you tricked the VCR to make it believe there is a tape in because it's not normal to be able to run the transport without a cassette.

Then, the issue is related to a lack of torque and it is a good idea to think about the belts as a possible problem. Also check the idler tire.

For sale: EDW-30F (Industrial version of EDV -9300 /9500). This unit records in BIIonly, playsback BIs/BII/BIII beta, BII/BIII ED Beta. There is no built in TV tuner. Unit has been remote enabled- it will respond to Sony wireless remotes (Sony VTR remote codes (1,2)). Included with the unit is the factory service manual , 30 Betacam SP tapes (new).I am selling this great unit with hesitation, I have a heavy duty traffic ticket topay, and with business slowing down (spring time) what can I do? This unit has been refurbished by Andys Beta Repair and works to perfection. If anyone has any questionsplease feel free to email me. I can provide pics upon request. The unit is in excellent condition, and appears to have very low hours useage. I am asking $900 for the package but would consider offers. I'd prefer to sell it here than goto to the EvilBay website if at all possible. Andy

Just wondering if someone here can help. My father-in-law asked me to find him a beta vcr. The problem is lives in Greece and I am in the U.S. I am not sure what he needs or where to get one. I believe he owns a Sony and is not working. It is VERY used so I don't know if it can be fixed. Any ideas? He found one there but said it was very expensive. Any help will be appreciated.

Well, on any of europe ebay webs yuo could find a cheap one. None of US betas are compatibe with PAL betas, except if you find a multisystem (SL-__ME). Please be sure if your brother in law has PAL recorded cassettes.

Sorry, not brother-in-law, father-in-law

Geez! I got my 4010 back from the shop, and I'm po'ed. The guy says he got rid of the squeaking noise and the tracking problems, but he wants $115 for a new fine tuner and an advancer. I'm not sure what an advancer is, or where to find one, so I'm asking anyone that knows. -ED

Sounds like you're repairman's from Roswell NM 'cause you've been 'alien probed' big time...

Hey all. I have some helpful news for some beta owners with some One For All and RadioShack brand universal remotes. Many of them can control the advanced functions of your betas that others simply can't. These functions include Digital Scan and all the digital functions you're SL-HF840D/860D/870D/ED-Beta's. Check this page here for more info: http://www.hifi-remote.com/ofa and go to the advanced codes section. This worked perfect on my RadioShack 15-1935 remote. I'm working on compiling a full list of all the advaced codes for the SL-HF860D I have, and would be glad to send it to anyone interested.

8 PIN DIN SONY PROFEEL & PVM MONITOR CABLES (ALSO JVC (B000H!)

They are hard to find but I discovered that Alpine Car Audio CD chargers use those to the radio head-unit, they are 8 PIN DIN male to male and come in different lengths.You can buy them on Ebay.If you need an extension male to female you can buy a Sony Car CD charger cable on Ebay!!!Also those 8 PIN DIN cables are used for Lighting mixers to routers, here is an address where they are sold in the U.S:

DIN-EX6 6' Male to Male 8 pin DIN cable $9.95 DIN-EX25 25' 8 pin DIN Extension cable $24.95http://www.wholesalemusic.com/catalog/brandname/americandj/controller.htm

Fabian proud owner of:

1 Sony SL-F1F (SECAM) + KV 1211 DF (first Secam Trinitron model 1973, still working! Perfect picture!)1 Sony PVH 1272 Q RGB PAL/SECAM/NTSC High Def Projector3 Sony KX 1901A Profeel monitors NTSC with 3 VTX 1000R Profeel tuners1 Sony KX 1211 HG (High Grade) Profeel monitor NTSC1 Sony PVM 2730 HG (PAL/SECAM NTSC) Cube Monitor bought in Saudi Arabia!!!!Hawaii is still a Betaland!!! You can buy blank Betamax cassettes at the local drugstore! L-500 & L-750! Hawaii is a Betamax and Macintosh State, Ah! Ah!

Cheers to all Betafans!

Fabian

Hawaii eh? You make it sound more and more like I'm on the wrong side of the country! ;) I mean beautiful weather all the time, bronzed boys....and a beta paradise? Sounds good ta me! If I was there now, I'd get my Betamovie and put it to good work! <g>

A sad day for me. My 4010 finally kicked the bucket after 16 years of hard work. I needs $115 worth of work, and I know a 4010 isn't worth that. If anyone has a working SONY TOPLOADER FOR SALE, let me know. (BII/BIII) THANKS- EDWARD

SANYO-4010 1986-2002 "Nobody ate tapes less than you. At least from Sanyo."

I cancled the deal with andy. No camera.

A question or two.

If beta made it, would we be VHS supporters?

How did you find out about beta?

-ED

That's an interesting question, Edward IV. If Beta made it, we might have been VHS supporters, but VHS would still be the inferior videotape format. I think the reason so many people have tried to keep Beta alive is because it's still the better format, even the newest VHS decks coming out today are no better. Then again, 8-Track was an inferior audio tape format that died out, and it's attracted quite a following. Anybody else ever checked out that "8-Track heaven" web page? It's tough to call, but I know if Beta had made it my family would never have even bothered to get a VHS VCR.

Hi all! I'm a long time beta fan, and lurker to this board. I am selling my Betamovie 660 on eBay and I thought someone here may be interested. It comes with case, batteries, re-charger, instruction book. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1348609746

To Edward IV: If Beta was the ruling format and VHS died, I would be happy as a clam and reveling in the choices I can make and the value buys I can look for at Circuit City and Best Buys. First of all, Beta IS the better format in terms of performance, picture resolution, and ESPECIALLY editing functions. Beta's editing performance runs circles around VHS's clumsy editing functions. Beta's editing pause function is sharp and snappy and responds in a fraction of a second, while even a top-notch high-end S-VHS VCR editor's pause control takes forever to respond and go into action, somewhere between one and two seconds; clumsy clumsy! Again, Beta editing vastly outperforms similar functions on VHS. I tried editing with a S-VHS once just as an experiment; I will never try it again! If Beta had won out, we would be seeing Sony ED Betas for sale at Tweeters and Best Buys for less than 300 bucks, and improved Super Beta Hi-Fis for less than two hundred. I would be in Beta heaven. But alas, it didn't happen that way...

This guy's got some verve. He's asking 14 American dollars (shipping included) for a sealed Sony L-750ES beta tape blank. Ouch! Wonder if some sucker's going to bite this bait on THIS one! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1348771989

I would think that without VHS around Sony wouldn't have felt the need to improve Beta as much as it did, unless having every company on the beta format would have spurred more competition to add features like high band and fidelity. I can't imagine that a JVC or Penisonic Beta would be any good though...

We got or SL-HF 950 from the Intourist shop in the old East Berlin because we wanted to be able to get West TV stations (Eastern sets could only tune East TV stations). The SL-F1s we have were 'reappropriated' when the wall came down and the lab father was working at shut down.

To Edward IV; I saw this SL-10 EZ Beta for only a $45 Buy It Now price on E-bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1348748724

If you haven't given up on Beta this is a pretty decent starter unit. About the same as your VCR-4010 but with Sony construction.

Does anybody know anything about the Sony SLO models (industrial - for school use). Would they be a good model for general home use?

Thanks!

To Edward the IV-

I do agree with Howard that if Beta had turned out to be the mostpopular video format, we would be seeing really great deals on allsorts of ED Beta and SuperBeta equipment. I have very little doubtthat ED Beta machines would be available with both S-VHS and componentvideo outputs for higher deffiniton video screens. I think it should also be pointed out that there are a number ofpeople I know who work at the local TV stations who still use Betamaxand SuperBetamax VCRs at home. People who work in broadcasting KNOW agood picture when they see one - and we all know beta is better! One last point to ponder - Betacam and Betacam SP, which are stillthe most popular broadcast video formats, use a tape and transportmechanism similar very similar to the Betamax. These machines are ultra reliable under hard daily use. Just one more reason to stay withBeta.

BRAND NEW HIGH GRADE BETAMAX TAPES FOR SALE!!!

I have another box of Sony HG (High Grade) L-750 video cassettes Iwould like to sell. Will sell the box of 10 tapes for $40.00 and to"sweeten" the deal will send by UPS ground to any of the lower 48states at no extra charge! If interested, send me an e-mail. Remember - these are BRAND NEW SONY TAPES IN THE FACTORY WRAPPER!

Need some doors for my Beta collection.I have a black Sanyo 7200 that's missing the door on the right front. The hinges aren't important (I'll fabricate them). Also have a Sony SL-HF-300 thats missing the lower right front door that they're always missing.The unit is black. Again, the hinges aren't important. Last but not least I need the black door that covers the tuner section on top of most Sony Beta's. Let me know what you've got.Thanks a lot!

To Daniel; As the SLO (S-ony L-ine O-ffice) units were designed for heavy use they're pretty nice for home use. One thing though, many of them (as in the ones built before 1983) were built to record and play back the B I speed only so you'd have a prblem if you only have BII and III speed tapes to play. The SLO-325 (a BI speed linear stereo recorder) and SLP-305(an industrial grade linear stereo player unit) play back the I, II, and III speeds so if you can get one, get one.

A best bet for non HiFi units is the SLO-420 which is the industrial version of the SL-2500. This offers Linear Stereo like the PAL SL-C9 but leaves out the camera, tuner, timer and IR remote controller.

If you want HiFi there are the SLO-1400 and 1800 and the GCS-50 and if you want ED Beta there's the EDW-30f available. You'll find a surprising number of GCS-50s on E-bay (at least 1 a month) often for around $350 or so, making them a good buy for the features they have - HiFi and linear stereo recording, A/V insert editing and BIs High-Band recording capability. Try getting a professional VHS deck for that kind of money.

Virtually all of the industrials lack a tuner, timer and IR remote by the way so if you like to cut out the commercials as you're recording a show, you'll want a regular consumer Beta...

Are new Betamax VCRs being made anywhere? I imagine that Betacam equipment is still made, I imagine. Can Betacam decks be configured to play regular consumer Betamax cassettes? Thank you for your replies.

Regarding all the "if it did happen posts": In MY perfect world it would all have happened! Beta rules, VHS went the way of the 8-track and by now, yes, cheap and readily-available ED-Beta's & SuperBeta/Superhighband Units at every A/V Superstore & Walmart! Maybe a large & cheap supply of L-1000's for the latter? Lesse, what would the near future have brought? Maybe a component-video-equipped digital betamax that could record in true 16:9 Widescreen w/ a Dolby 5.1 soundtrack (I think Betacam digital and SX can do this NOW!)? And maybe further down the road, a "High Definition Digital (HDD-Betamax)" machine for 1080i HDTV? Of course, ALL these babies would be backward compatable w/ all existing beta modes. Well, I can dream! :)

To Jessee: The only place I know of where a few models of beta machines are still being sold new is in Japan. Finally, betacam and betamax are completely incompatable w/ each other. The former records in RGB whereas the latter is composite. Also BC's recording speed is 3x faster than BI (6x BII). Maybe a betamax tape could be recorded on in an oxide machine, but it would be an RGB tape.

Well as long as we're dreaming... How about a HiFi High-Band Betamovie? A 'Baby Betacam' if you will with 2 channels of both linear and HiFi audio? Maybe even 'Sports' Betamovies in designer 80s primary colours like Red, Yellow, Blue, Black and White like some of the VCRs (or those 'sports' Walkmans) that Sony did? Perhaps a Beta-C compact cassette Beta Camcorder?

I'd settle for an SL-HF-F1ME multisystem high-band HiFi portable with a camera jack and industrial grade construction.

as long as we're dreaming...

Did they ever make a hifi Betamovie? I was thinking of the GCS-1 or the ED-Cams, but not sure if they were hifi.

Hi Beta fansI have a question for you.I will shortly be the PROUD owner of a %100 working (with good audio/video heads) Sanyo VTC M40, all the way from Aussie land.As i live in the UK what i would like to know is ,will the power requirements be the same?Also,i know the Australian transmission frequency is different to ours (UK) but would i be able to transfer the tuner unit from one of my lesser Sanyos to this model.if so what will this entail...thanks in advance..........Kevin

I just found a Sony Beta hi-fi SL-HF 100EC Pal VCR for sale and am thinking of buying it. There are 2 problems - 1)the owner says that the display is low because he has not used it much and 2) the door covering all the adjusting knobs does not close. Can anyone tell me if these, especially the first problem, is actually a problem and about how much I should be willing to pay? Thank you for any help.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention: I added yet another cheap find at from a garage sale. I got a complete Sony TT/TU-2000 combo w/ charger & 2 batteries along w/ the camera that plugs into it (HVC-something?) in the hard case. I haven't messed w/ it much, yet, other than hooking the TT/TU up to my TV and verifying that it plays well. Couldn't go wrong for $25.

Is it possible to use the cam/TT-2000 to view "live" video on the TV (w/o recording)? If so, I could use this w/ my capture card for a "better" webcam. ;)

Betamax SINGLE VIDEOHEADS: Does somebody know where to get single videoheads for the the old slc9 -/slc-7 series.

To Madness do you mean to say you had just the TT-2000 tuner/timer module and an HVC-xxxx camera? Or the you had the full SL-2000/TT-2000 outfit? because the TT-2000 uses the RF modulator in the SL-2000 to deliver an RF signal to channel 3 or 4. If you do have to whole works then yes you can use an SL-2000/TT-2000 outfit as the core of a webcam. Mind you HVC cameras, being tube cameras, don't see that well indoors and if you leave them trained on one spot (like you would for a web cam) there is the danger of image burn. If you can find one, a Sony CCD G5 camera would be your best best for using an SL/TT-2000 in a webcam system as it uses the K-connector plug and being a chip based camera shouldn't burn an image as readily as a tube camera will.

To Olive:Thanks for the link. I'm going to buy it if I can. It's very nice, and problems don't seem to arise. Thanks.

To Madness: I think, that if you A V white/red/yellow plugs you sure could.

To Everyone:I think snailing is a dead beat bidder on ebay. He's been on no auctions lately.

And To the spammer:I'm not intrested in your MUSTANG REWINDER! STOP MAILING ME!

Hello there beta fans ,I am looking to buy A Sony Beta Cam model BMC-110or similar .i am willing to pay a fair price for it.

I've got an old betamax player and camera. Unfortunately though the player just packed up so I am stuffed!! Is there such a thing as a converter from betamax to VHS? If so where can I get one?CHEERS!

I looked up E-bay's bidder list and Snaling's last purchase was on 20 April. You have to include completed items in your search as he usually bids at the last seconds of an auction.

And Ben, the only way to play a Beta tape is on a Beta videodeck. There is no and never was a converter to play Beta tapes on a VHS deck.

Olive: Yes, my mistake; it's the SL-2000/TT2000 set and an HVC-2200 "Trinicon" camera. The webcam was only an idea. It might be funny to put in the webcam page description that the setup is an old Sony Beta portapak combo. ;)

STILL ON THE LOOK OUT FOR ANYONE WANTING TO DO TRADES OR SELL BETA TAPES.I HAVE A COLLECTION OF JUST SHORT OF 5'000 RARE & DELETED ORIGINAL TAPES A LOT OF BETA'S APPROX 2'000ISH.YES I AM SHOUTING, I'M IN THE PROCESS OF SHELVING THE COLLECTION IN TWO SPARE ROOMS.AND IT'S TAKEN ME SO FAR TWO WEEKS TO TRY & SORT THROUGH THE DOUBLES.ALSO AFTER ANY COVERS ANYONE HAS GOING.BUY, SELL & TRADE ALL FORMATS OF VIDEO.FANATICAL COLLECTOR. I AM ABOVE ALL A COLLECTOR BUT I DO SELL THE ODD BITS TO FEED MY HABIT.

If there are any other Betafans in or around southern Wisconsin, the other day I saw a Sanyo VCR-4400 (top loader!) at the St. Vinny's in Stoughton. It was selling for $15.50. I didn't buy it because I didn't have any cash on me, but I did plug it in and confirm that the display and clock works, I don't know about the actual playback because I didn't have a tape with me. It's really cool, if you're in this area, check it out! It's the first top loading VCR I've had a chance to handle, I had fun just pressing EJECT a bunch of times and watching the cover flip up!

FOR SALE: SONY BETAMAX, MODEL: SL 2401; Video cassette recorder front loader; 39.5 watt; It has video out and audio out; VHF in and out; It has an RF Unit, 3 channel and 4 channel; It has a clock to set program, date and time. Size: 15' x 17'; 3 inches thick; metal case.

I also have 29 movie tapes for sale. Make offer on either or both or as a package deal.

Good afternoon or evening folks! I came across your forum and need a bit of help. I've got a collection of over 300 tapes and my beta machine conked out a couple of days ago! It's a Radio Shack Realistic Model 20 that I bought back in the mid-1980's when they were closing them out. Worked flawlessly all these years! Well taken care of; used but not abused; heads and tape path clean regularly. I can even proudly say that it outlasted 2 vhs units!

So here's the scoop: I loaded a tape into it the other day and hit play; made this "whirr-er-er" sound and then went into shutdown mode. I try to eject it, it does the same thing. So the tape is stuck in the machine and won't play or eject.

My first instinct was to call Radio Shack for a repair inquiry. Ironically, I've lived the same area for nearly 20 years and called the exact R.S. location where I bought the machine! So a guy who sounded like he was 18-20 years old answered. I explain my problem and he suggests I call the 800 # and speak to the repair center directly (I doubt this kid knew what a beta was, anyway!).

A call to the repair center gets me tossed around in a bit of phone tag until I finally get a tech. Again I explain the problem! The tech can't seem to give me any assurance that he/they could fix it! His best advice was, "Bring it in, we'll see what we can do!" Obviously, I'd rather not pay anything if they can't repair it!

So I was hoping that anyone on this forum might be familar with this machine and it's innerds. My immediate concern is getting the tape out without damaging either it or the loading system. Is there anything I could check myself in the machine before I consider sending it out? Any help or advice would be appreciated!

Jeff

Hello, I am in the United States and I have a friend in England who has some old Betatapes he recorded in Beta that he wants to send me. Is there any place in the UKor the USA can convert PAL beta to NTSC video. If so, any idea of how expensivethis would be to do. Thanks for any help you can give me in trying to track down thisinformation. Regards.....

Just look for a video duplicator service in your phone book. Even some TV stations will make transfers through their production company (that many stations have to make commercials for air).

I'm at a weird point. I don't know wether to buy a VCR or a CAMCORDER. The VCR I wanted was just bid on (Darn), and I don't believe that a CCD Camcorder can play tapes back (2x DARN). If your find anymore vcr's or camcorders (BETA! DUH.) for a buy it now price of $45 or less, let me know. -ED

P.S. Or if you have a working one for sale, (TOP Loader if possible BII/BIII) Let me know.

P.S.S. I don't mind a $20.00 s&h

My Sanyo Beta machine has finaly quit. I need a machine ASAP. Anyone know where I can get one. I am in Utah.

To Kirk : Can you be more specific about how your Sanyo 'quit'? It may be a simple fixable problem like below. Otherwise you can find lots of Betas on E-bay. Most of them under $150 or so.

To Jeff Cresbo with the Realistic(Sanyo OEM) model 20; Sounds like one of the belts that loads the tape has finally gone out. It sounds like a fixable problem for Radio Shack technicians but belt kits are available to fix that problem yourself. Off the bat, I can think that either the belt for the loading ring or the cassette loading tray are gone. Sometimes though you get a tape jam for no specific reason or fault of the machine itself. Like if the tape was badly wound the last time it was used...

By the way Radio Shack has some tech documents about the Model 20 online here http://support.tandy.com/support_video/26324.htm including user instructions and an exploded views/parts list

Edward:

It doesn't have a Buy it now price on it, but I'm betting if you bid $40 on it, you would get it (and obviously, if you don't, you're not out anything for trying).. but here's a machine that is just what you're looking for, a Sony SL-5400. Top loader, BII and BIII speeds, even has the remote and original box (no, it's not mine, just trying to do a fellow Betaphile a favor by looking around).http://cgi3.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ShowEmailAuctionToFriend&item=1347534463

To see that SL-5400 (at $35 US now) goto http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1347534463

Well Well. I've been very,very lucky. Finally, I have an Ebay account, and I am hoping that I will recieve a Sears Betavision in a few weeks. I just hope crazieweirdo doesn't mind. I don't want to be rude. But minimum bids can save a sinking ship, you know.

I wanted the 5400, but it is now at $81 + S&H. Darn.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me out with my quest for a beta.

And 5 years from now, or sooner, I am going to try organize a BETACON!Now if that warehouse is by sony headquarters, It'd be kind of like those pink copies of bon jovi's slippery when wet that appeared.

and now for a rambling.........

I hate school. The teacers are constantly talking about how bad I am at video editing, because I refuse to use the vhs or Video 8 camcorders. But I've taking a shining to the VHS-C type. (Boo! Hiss!) But really, I like it better than hi8 or the VHS cams. Higher quality picture than video 8, but time restrictions suck. But if I had a beta movie....My teacher took a bulk tape eraser, and erased my project! He didn't think I would know to make a backup copy or two.

Thanks. That's it on my side of the world. I own half of it. Everyone knows that. And if you're curious about the origins of my name, watch cartoon network this saturday at 11 :30 (Cowboy Bebop) and see. (Or tape it. Which I know you love taping things) Your western hemesphere leader, Edward Wong IV, the one and only.

If I was still in school and taking video editing, I'd bring in a GCS-1 & GCS-50 and show these to the class. Betamax: Accept no editing immitations!

Does anyone know where I can find a brand new boxed betamax? Namely the SLHF-2000 (made in 1993). Thanks

To Edward IV; I saw a second SL-10 up for bid at about $25 the last I looked http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1349706430

And here's another one for the optimistic seller catagory...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1349826103

Wants $100 minimum for a Sanyo VCR-4200 - $150 to buy it now...

Betamacks: I think it's generally impossible to find a new beta machine these days. The HF2000 was discontinued around '97 and usually had to specially ordered from Sony. Your only option (IMO) would be to find some place w/ some new old stock (maybe a Sony outlet?). Probably a long shot at best. Used units show up on eBay from time-to-time, however.

http://161.58.152.172/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=5031066&Category_Code=Beta+VCRsYes the prices are high but if you seriously need one right now, well there it is.

I am at the mercy of the bidding gods. Ebay is too unreliable, but I'm on a limited budget.Does anyone, ANYONE, have any beta machine they don't use anymore that works? Sony or Sanyo if possible, but I'm not very picky. just good working order, (Maybe a head cleaning), and playback BII/BIII. Front-load or top-load. Whatever you've got. $55 + S&H. Ebay hates me. You are my only friends. (Groveling. Begging. Whimpering.) I am not going to use Ebay! You just can't win! Please! I may have to resort to a flea market, or robbing some hic's place. Help is a necessity. I'l trade you my half of the world if you'll sell an SL-5800 for that price. - Help Me- ED!

I'd like to cancel my last message. I'm the proud owner of an SL-2300 VCR with a Remote and the manuals. There is a god. Edward's curse has been broken. And here are some tips for anyone ebay shopping!

1. Find an item with 45 minutes or less left in the bidding period.

2. Complete any Bidding wars you encounter.

3. Do this all while listening to Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train. (Or if you don't like ozzy, try Journey's "Any way You Want it" Just as Good.)

Happiness is a new beta owner. My 4010 will be moved to rewinding duty.

Love You All (NOT IN A HOMOSEXUAL WAY)- Edward Won Howpepalu Tivruski IV (Long Name, Huh?)

STILL ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY UNWANTED BETA TAPES.I'M WANTING TO BUY OR TRADE FOR OTHER TAPES HAVE NOW APPROX 2'000 ORIGINAL BETA RARITIES.I'LL BUY ALL YOUR BETAS, SO C'MON GET SHOT, YOU KNOW YOU DON'T WANT THEM.THEY'RE CRAP ANYWAY(i'll just keep trying to get away with that one)

I'M STILL ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY UNWANTED BETA TAPES.I'M WANTING TO BUY OR TRADE FOR OTHER TAPES HAVE NOW APPROX 2'000 ORIGINAL BETA RARITIES.I'LL BUY ALL YOUR BETAS, SO C'MON GET SHOT, YOU KNOW YOU DON'T WANT THEM.THEY'RE CRAP ANYWAY(i'll just keep trying to get away with that one)SO C'MON DROP ME A LINE WITH ANY TAPES FROM ANYWHERE.

To Anton; .....uh I think I'll hang on to my hundreds of 'crap' Beta tapes for the time being - thank you very much.

Did some tinkering with my old SL-5400 from the 70s - That 70s Beta!. Hooked up this old (1993) VHS camcorder to the video in port of the VCR and using it as a camera tried some taping with the SL-5400. For a 23 year old VCR it records a nice image after it gets over the first 30 seconds of trying to overwrite the old tracks of the tape - you get a lot of tracking static all over the place then it goes normal. Even in BIII mode it does a commendable recording job, though record pauses aren't so hot at that speed - they look glitchy in BIII mode but are OK in BII. I wonder if there's an adjustment to fix that overwriting problem....

Message for CasimirHi, I've just been looking through some of the archive. I have an SLO-1700 (sorry, not for sale!) but it has something which may relate to your earlier query about different sound levels between channels. Unlike most stereo machines, the 1700 has both Hi-Fi _AND_ linear sound in stereo. The linear stereo tracks cover a wider area on the tape than the original linear mono, and therefore when playing a tape recorded on a standard (mono linear) machine, half of one head (right if I recall) is playing back mush which never gets recorded on mono linear. I hope this makes some kind of sense...!

Olive:

Those older machines didn't have flying erase heads (on the video head), but had a fixed position erase head like an audio tape recorder. This is normally the first head that the tape goes past, but there are several seconds of space, especially on BIII, between this head and the video head, so you end up with X number of seconds that the erase head DIDN'T get to before the video head started recording. This is why you get the patterns that move through the picture on tapes recorded/edited on the old machines.. you still have part of the old video information underneath what you have just recorded. This is not such a big deal with the linear audio track, since the linear audio head is next to the erase head, which serves both video and audio tracks of the tape.

Brenda; I'm well aware of the rainbow effect you get when you overwrite a tape and this SL-5400 is doing something else. It's more like something gone wrong with the control track for the time it takes for the machine to get to recording on an erased sectin of tape. It seems worse if you record at BII over an old BIII recording (or the other way around) but since this unit is not going to be used for much of anything other than playing back camcorder tapes and maybe audio dubbing, I'm not going to fidget it to death.

Just a drop of 2¢: In regards to reusing tapes, I always bulk erase mine, first. Especially betacams that haven't been erased. I don't know if anyone ever accidently played a tape recorded in betacam format, but it's rather unpleasant! Nothing but snow on the screen but it emits this very high-pitched whine if the sound isn't muted. Eek!

Saw this interesting item whilst checking out E-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1350000069

Something called a 'Rent-a-Beta'

Olive Tomas, hahahaha right but if youre into trading any rare doubles gis a whistle.Same to anyone else out there.

Where can I find a BetaMax VCR in Michigan?

Hi there,I have a fault with a sanyo 5000 Betamax vcr. The problem is as follows it will lace up and play, fast forward and rewind all with good tension however when the stop button is pressed it will try and rewind the tape into the cassette but it wont and as a result it leaves a loop of tape out side of the cassette. I have serviced it with new belts and idler, etc., changed the reel motor and still the same. With a DVM the reading on the reel motor when its playing is 2.8v when its FF. its 6.7v and when its trying to unlace the tape i.e. when the stop button is pressed its just over 3v and as a result just not enough to take up the unlaced tape.Thanks in advanceand i hope u can help me outcheers Gordon Work

Did you also change out the belt for the loading ring motor? And did you make sure the idler tyres are the same size as the old ones? Even a seemingly insignificant size difference will leave a little tape outside the reel. As a workaround, try hitting rewind before ejecting the tape (just long enough) to take up any slack.

I'm wondering if anyone has taped miami vice, and has a tape they'd copy or sell of the show. I sound like a loser for asking, but miami vice is before me. And if you have any nickelodeon tapes from the 80's- Early 90's let me know.

I am fairly new to beta, and I got a chance to read the notes from the betamax case. Why isn't VHS mentioned? I have a hypothosis. I think that the companies thought that VHS wasn't going to make it, so why shoot a dead man, and they picked on beta.

Manny- I feel your pain. I'm in MI, and it took me 3 months to find my first Beta machine.

We were assigned stations in manufacturing technology, and I got DIGITAL video editing. I was expecting to get to work with betacam equipment, and there is a shoody panisonic vhs player with no power button, and no eject. And they gave us a 12" monitor to go with it. Hah.

I was wondering if anyone has any pics of their machines that they'd send me. I'd like more pics for my beta photo gallery.

Life is a virtue. Live by it.

good day- ED.

I am going to give you something to laugh at. Olive says she has hundreds, ray glasser has 2500, Anton has over 2000, I have 6. Funny. Ha Ha. Laugh at myslef. Ha Ha. And the funny thing is, I've never had enough time to watch one entire tape. Ha Ha Ha. My sanyo died before I had the chance. Ha Ha Ha. I'm as ignorant about beta as my friends at school. Ha Ha Ha. I know little, yet I come here to learn. HA HA HA. I can be friendly. Will someone be the teacher, and I the student? I need to learn, yet I am the only person in town with a beta VCR. I really want to learn. I can admit, from what I have seen, I agree with myself. Teach me. Teach me or I hack into your pc and fry your hard drive like the last chump who po ed me. (Just Kidding) I am curious about the 80's, and beta was the obvious way to go. -ED

To E4 all you need to know about beta you can learn at these pages...

Site 1 URL http://www.geocities.com/videoholic2000/index.html

Ray Glasser the guru of all that is Beta - to the Max! We all genuflect to his vast storehouse of knowledge...

Site 2 URL http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/Thinktank/1935/beta.htmlA nice gallery of tasty Betas to lust after...

Site 3 URL http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~vance/www/betaphile.htmlRead EXACTLY why Beta is superior to that other format...

Site 4 URL http://www.palsite.com/home.htmlThere's more to PAL site that this chatpage my dear....

Site 5 URL http://www.betamax.to/See all the Betas Japan keeps for herself - best seen through the Babelfish at URL http://babel.altavista.com/tr

Site 6 URL http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheBetamaxVideographer/And finally a plug for Olive's and my page... join our cult... join our cult... join our cult...

Hi everyone, I have a wonderfull Betamovie BMC-200 PAL video camera.Unfortunately it now only reccords sound onto the tapes with no video.Has anyone got any idea why?I am despirate for an answer please help.

To mike

Maybe you need to clean the video head??

:)

I have cleaned the video head with a head cleaning cassette and it still reccords no picture, the caution light is also showing on the side!

Sounds like you need to manually clean the head with a=some alcohol and a swab.

Edward the 4th, As for your query of Miami Vice; you seem to be stating a single episode. That's the way I read it. Anyway, I did record and have a few episodes from '85; but being that TNN is re-running them I was able to make some new copies; in STEREO. I have one episode in particular that I wore the tape out, because to me it was that da*# good. I was happy when TNN started showing them so I could get a new copy of that ep and now I can crank it in STEREO from my SLHF750. Meanwhile back to here and now; to me the first 3 seasons were the best.Madness I have a GCS 1 camera and it is not stereo. Later. Pepse.