Any VCR experts up in this mo-fo???

944S Boyeee · 03-05-2003, 12:34 PM

This is a technical question and is Porsche related, seeing as I want to record Victory By Design next time it's on and my VCR is on the fritz.

Ok.....I have been dabbling in VCR repair (basically too cheap to buy a new one or get mine repaired, plus I love tinkering).

Here is my problem. I have an RCA 4-head, Hi-Fi that has wayyyy too many hours on it. I have taken it apart and cleaned it about 50 times. The very first time I cleaned it I rubbed up and down (with a Q-tip, mind you) on the Hi-Fi head and ruined it. I can see a lil wire that is frayed - so that was a learning experience.

What the problem is now is that I'm getting a "pause" thing going on when the VCR gets hot (runs more than two hours). It will pause itself for a second and then keep playing.

I have taken out the capstan motor and cleaned all the black tape residue off the capstan arm and the pinch roller it spins against. I have cleaned the heads (the right way this time), cleaned all sensors, cleaned the drum, and cleaned the entire tape path. VRC works perfect, but after playing for a while, the "pause" thing happens.

I think it's the capstan motor bearings being either worn of lacking grease.

My question to the VCR experts is what parts of the VCR need grease? There doesn't appear to be any left in my VCR anywhere. None on the capstan bearings and none of the roller guide paths have grease. I suspect the VCR is getting hot and causing poor electronic pulses, thus screwing up the capstan. I think if the capstan bearings are greased, the heat won't effect it as much.

Could this also be an old capstan pully problem? Perhaps the rubber stretched due to age?

Also, does anyone know if I can transplant a Hi-Fi head from another RCA VCR into this one? Anyone ever install a VCR head? Do you need to solder anything or is it just plug in?

Any help would be great!

944S Boyeee

Pam B · 03-05-2003, 12:41 PM

...another one that likes to take things apart...sheezzz..

Why don't you ask Frank to help you...after you guys put the VCR back together maybe you can reassemble all the stuff that has been "taken apart to be fixed" at my house...

Better idea...why not add this to the agenda for the Fan Club....put Mrs. B's house back together, including hanging the $300 crown moulding... Who's in charge of that fan club agenda anyhow???

Frank B · 03-05-2003, 12:47 PM

What?!?!?..

buy a new VCR.

944S Boyeee · 03-05-2003, 01:05 PM

....but if all it takes is some grease or something - why spend the $$$?

Plus, it's a higher-end VCR that has features I can't find on any other VCR's out there today. Believe it or not - I paid over $800 for this VCR only 4 years ago and it's not even super VHS. You can get one now for like $2, no?

Even the high-end VCR today max out at like $599.....and they are super hi-fi/Dolby Digital 5.0 with super VHS heads ones. The most expensive ones are the muti-format ones (so you can play Canadian porn in Britian.....that's why my friend has one - he, he).

I also have a few clunker/daily driver VCR's. I have two other RCA's, a Proscan and one JVC. If you wonder why I don't use those to record what I need....well, on most nights I have at least 3 or 4 VCR's recording at one time. I watch a lot of TV.

Pam - when Frank is done "fixing" stuff, does he always seem to have extra screws laying around and just says, "Ahhhh - I don't need those"???

944S Boyeee

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

** Moving to OT forums: maybe the 911 guys can help you: they tend to spend more time fixing things anyway... -Z-man. **

944S Boyeee · 03-05-2003, 01:34 PM

Thanks Z-man - I thought I did post this in OT, but I can't delete topics, so it ended up in the wrong spot. Sorry.

Any VCR gurus in the Porsche community???

944S Boyeee

scottmandue · 03-05-2003, 03:00 PM

I know you hate to hear it but...
VCR's are dead!
You can move on to a hard drive recorder - Tyvo etc.
or DVD burners are coming down in price although I don't know if they are user friendly. At work we have started useing SSVP's (solid state video players's) however they are not consumer products (yet). I know how you feel, it sucks to throw out something that is 90% functional but for the most part they don't make parts for them and in a few years they won't make them at all. Remeber the large satilite dish(s) and the five thousand dollar PC?

Good luck

P.S. I'm a tech in real life, but I don't play one on TV.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-05-2003, 03:07 PM

You might also want to de-magnetize the heads. Over time, tape heads build up a magnetic charge that can cause interference. I used to just use a little alcohol and a clean rag to clean my heads off.

AFJuvat · 03-05-2003, 03:56 PM

Canadian porn....... going at it doggie style so you can both still watch "Hockey Night in Canada"?

Sorry, couldn't resist

AFJuvat

bell · bell's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Z-man
** Moving to OT forums: maybe the 911 guys can help you: they tend to spend more time fixing things anyway... -Z-man. **

but that's because 911's are actually fun to work on......and we don't have to deal with water lines

AFJuvat · 03-05-2003, 05:00 PM

Yeah, but we won't get into oil return tubes or head studs (or rocker arms, or valve adjustments....)

AFJuvat

fty · 03-05-2003, 09:43 PM

D...V....D...89 bucks...

Gordon Rankin · 03-05-2003, 10:56 PM

VCR??
Hhmm get some lighter fluid (or gasoline if you like),,Take VCR and flammable fluids of your choice, to middle of drive way. Down a can of beer,, Apply fluids to VCR and light with blow torch.. This is much more satisfying than fixing

Hey call my analyst..Im going pyro

Z-man · Z-man's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by bell
but that's because 911's are actually fun to work on......and we don't have to deal with water lines

All in good fun!!! When at Watkins Glen during a DE my water pump malfunctioned, my good friend and 911 owner, Frank said he never has to worry about that problem!

-Z.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-06-2003, 08:23 AM

I still have my parents' old Beta player, lol. Better quality format than VHS in my opinion.

I also dig laserdisc. I got a a laserdisc kareoke thing at a garage sale for $20, that oddly enough has S video output and a really killer set of speakers built into it. The great hing about laserdisc is that you can go to any mom n pop video store and buy like 5 laserdiscs for $15. They are dying to get rid of them. Plus I just like the idea of having a tangible piece of art to look at. Same with records. You can't get that cool LP artwork on a CD cover.

944S Boyeee · 06:32 AM

Ok - ok......

I know DVD is better - that is why I have a PS2 to play movies.

I am waiting for a more user-friendly burnable DVD player before I run out and buy the 1st generation "test" model, I'm not a VCR freak, but it's all I have access to right now.

I'm going to be honest here.....the real reason I want this particular VCR fixed (besides the options it has) is because I have a rather large collection of "best of" tapes I have made over the last 10 years. The first six years are just tapes that I rented and didn't really put to much effort into dubbing them cause I had to have them back the next day. I then bought this VCR when I started working at a video store, so I could dub. Yes, these "best of" tapes contain adult video, and yes, the store was an all adult video store - and I got movies for free (the main reason I worked there) and I dubbed pretty much the entire store - they had 3500 movies.

So, bottom line is I have over 80 6-hour tapes FULL of porn that work perfect on this VCR. I have other hi-fi VCR's also, but the tapes have lines thru them when played on the other VCR's. This particular VCR is my "porn" VCR. I use it specifically to watch the tapes and to dub new ones and my friends are always asking for copies ** Edited for content -Z-man** I need this VCR to dub copies because if I use another one, the dubbed version has lines and isn't as clear (even with a video booster).

I certainly will entertain the idea of sending copies to anyone here who wants them, especially if they help me cure this VCR's gremlins.

** Edited for content -Z-man. **

Thanks again.

Oh, and I pulled the capstan to clean and grease it last night and realized my drive belt from the capstan is very loose and I'm guessing this doesn't help. The belt is quite hard and doesn't stretch very much. Now when I plug the VCR in, it just spins the front gears and say's "Err". If I put a tape in, the rollers pull the tape up around the drum, but doesn't hold it there and it backs off and ejects and says "Err" again. Yes - I put cardboard over the open VCR so the "laser" lights inside still worked.

I'm going to pull a belt from a parts VCR and try it later tonight.

944S Boyeee

Jared at Pelican Parts · 09:43 AM

OH man, im LMAO! I understand your dillema more clearly now.

Just remember we have to keep the message board family oriented.

AFJuvat · 03-06-2003, 09:42 AM

Wow... I take back my "Hockey Night in Canada" comment

Jared, Müssen Sie warum Sie Vorsicht der Deutsch? Sind Sie französisch?

AFJuvat

944S Boyeee · 03-06-2003, 10:58 AM

Sorry Jared - I tried to explain my dilema as safely as I could....I started using the "adult film" word to describe my collection - but a bunch of people he think I may be gay, so I had to "butch it up" a bit and say P**N!!!

AFJ - I liked the Hockey Night In Canada joke! But don't say "doggie style" please - too many people already think I'm gay!

944S "trying to fight the gay label" Boyeee

924S-fast · 03-06-2003, 11:04 AM

um, porn can be gay too there shortstick