Trying to fix VCR...
Good day folks. This may seem like something completely stupid and pointless to do nowadays, but I'm messing with a Samsung VCR mostly for fun and can't quite figure out what's wrong with it...I don't have it in front of me ATM to know the model exactly, but I shall post it soon, along with pictures hopefully.
It's from the era when VHS was used for surveillance cameras: the thing has a jog dial, alarm inputs and triggers and stuff on the back and when I got hold of it it came with a tape inside which holds actual CCTV footage from a casino...go figure. It's like archeology. The time stamp says 2004...doesn't that kick ass ?
Anyway, the problem: mechanically the device is fully functional: no snagging, no issues, tape loads, winds/rewinds, display picture...whatever, however it only likes to play back this one tape it came with (recorded by it): any other tape is unwatchable (noise on picture all the time). No amount of mashing on the tracking buttons changes anything (truth be told, I'm not even sure I know how to use the thing, because aside from the beeps it makes when I push the buttons, there's no other indication that's it's actually adjusting the tracking....). My rather brief knowledge of VCRs tells me that perhaps there's something wrong with the audio/tracking head. Since it's "broken" anyway and don't really care, I did something you're never supposed to do with a VCR and messed around with the alignment screws on the A/C head....no change. Still a lot of noise...not even a slight improvement or even a change in said noise. I even went stupid with it and removed the A/C head from the machine entirely...it didn't even care: the VCR kept on playing the tape very happily with no change whatsoever in the picture, even the counter kept on working...makes me wonder if that head is even working or not or if the problem is in a different area whatsoever :|
Not having a lot of knowledge in fixing VCRs, I thought I'd get some help, or rather tips, from those more skilled than me, who perhaps have been around when VCRs were ruling the market and made a living out of fixing them and encountered this issue before. I'm talking about "advanced" fixing techniques, leaving out all obvious ones like try another tape, belts, etc...the VCR plays, just not well enough...dead A/C head ? Can it happen ? :|
It's from the era when VHS was used for surveillance cameras: the thing has a jog dial, alarm inputs and triggers and stuff on the back and when I got hold of it it came with a tape inside which holds actual CCTV footage from a casino...go figure. It's like archeology. The time stamp says 2004...doesn't that kick ass ?
Anyway, the problem: mechanically the device is fully functional: no snagging, no issues, tape loads, winds/rewinds, display picture...whatever, however it only likes to play back this one tape it came with (recorded by it): any other tape is unwatchable (noise on picture all the time). No amount of mashing on the tracking buttons changes anything (truth be told, I'm not even sure I know how to use the thing, because aside from the beeps it makes when I push the buttons, there's no other indication that's it's actually adjusting the tracking....). My rather brief knowledge of VCRs tells me that perhaps there's something wrong with the audio/tracking head. Since it's "broken" anyway and don't really care, I did something you're never supposed to do with a VCR and messed around with the alignment screws on the A/C head....no change. Still a lot of noise...not even a slight improvement or even a change in said noise. I even went stupid with it and removed the A/C head from the machine entirely...it didn't even care: the VCR kept on playing the tape very happily with no change whatsoever in the picture, even the counter kept on working...makes me wonder if that head is even working or not or if the problem is in a different area whatsoever :|
Not having a lot of knowledge in fixing VCRs, I thought I'd get some help, or rather tips, from those more skilled than me, who perhaps have been around when VCRs were ruling the market and made a living out of fixing them and encountered this issue before. I'm talking about "advanced" fixing techniques, leaving out all obvious ones like try another tape, belts, etc...the VCR plays, just not well enough...dead A/C head ? Can it happen ? :|
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