GE 8mm camcorder has snow in picutre, help w/diagnosing problem

[Doc]

Have a GE CG818 8mm camcorder. It's worked like a champ until today, suddeny
developed severe horizontal lines or snow.

Some observations regarding this malady:

-It's visible both through the viewfinder and from the composite out to the
computer
-It's visble in Rec mode.
-It's visible in play mode when not playing
-Banding *not* visible when playing a tape that was recorded before this
problem developed. Picture is fine in the viewfinder and through the
composite out when playing.
-It's visible on tapes recorded since problem began

Any guesses what kind of component might be causing this problem? I'd really
like to salvage this camera since it's worked great, is simple, yet has both
auto & manual focus.

Thanks for any assistance

 

[James Sweet]

Have a GE CG818 8mm camcorder. It's worked like a champ until today, suddeny
developed severe horizontal lines or snow.

Some observations regarding this malady:

-It's visible both through the viewfinder and from the composite out to the
computer
-It's visble in Rec mode.
-It's visible in play mode when not playing
-Banding *not* visible when playing a tape that was recorded before this
problem developed. Picture is fine in the viewfinder and through the
composite out when playing.
-It's visible on tapes recorded since problem began

Any guesses what kind of component might be causing this problem? I'd really
like to salvage this camera since it's worked great, is simple, yet has both
auto & manual focus.

Thanks for any assistance

Virtually any compact camcorder of that age will be suffering from failing
surface mount electrolytic capacitors. Often virtually every one is bad,
replacement is possible but usually runs a couple hundred bucks.

 

[AshTray700]

have you tried the simple things maybe you could re seat some of the
connectors and check solder connections. im not familiar with that model
so i dont know how old it is, if there are any pots make sure you clean
them, you can use wd40 but its slightly risky as few pots are made of
chemicals that break down in the presence of oil. depending on age , you
may have some bad caps, i usually look for any of the electrolytic type
that are bulging, or have already busted. above all - clean it well inside
an out, sometimes even dust can be conductive and will cause a lot of
problems

 

[No One]

Have a GE CG818 8mm camcorder. It's worked like a champ until today, suddeny
developed severe horizontal lines or snow.

Some observations regarding this malady:

-It's visible both through the viewfinder and from the composite out to the
computer
-It's visble in Rec mode.
-It's visible in play mode when not playing
-Banding *not* visible when playing a tape that was recorded before this
problem developed. Picture is fine in the viewfinder and through the
composite out when playing.
-It's visible on tapes recorded since problem began

Any guesses what kind of component might be causing this problem? I'd really
like to salvage this camera since it's worked great, is simple, yet has both
auto & manual focus.

Thanks for any assistance

The heads are probably clogged up, run a cleaning cassette for about
3 minutes. Or take it to someone that knows how to do it and have the
heads cleaned by hand.

hank

 

[Bill Farnsworth]

The heads are probably clogged up, run a cleaning cassette for about
3 minutes. Or take it to someone that knows how to do it and have the
heads cleaned by hand.

hank

WHAT!!!
Look folks. Those dry cleaning cassettes are NOT, nor have they EVER been,
intended to be used for any more than TEN SECONDS at a time. And as far as
I'm concerned they are nothing more than a short cut to hell for video tape
heads. Three minutes of running a dry head cleaner will take off hours, if
not ALL of the life you have left on the heads.
Figure out how to open the recorder and give your cameras a good wet
cleaning with a good video head cleaner and a lint free cloth or quality
chamois stick. It is time well spent.

Bill F.
www.billfarnsworthvideo.com

 

[david.mccall]

WHAT!!!
Look folks. Those dry cleaning cassettes are NOT, nor have they EVER been,
intended to be used for any more than TEN SECONDS at a time. And as far as
I'm concerned they are nothing more than a short cut to hell for video
tape heads. Three minutes of running a dry head cleaner will take off
hours, if not ALL of the life you have left on the heads.
Figure out how to open the recorder and give your cameras a good wet
cleaning with a good video head cleaner and a lint free cloth or quality
chamois stick. It is time well spent.

Bill F.
www.billfarnsworthvideo.com

I think some manufacturers say to only run them for FIVE SECONDS at a time.

 

[[email protected]]

What?? (again!!)

He did say it was visible in REC mode. Correct me if I'm wrong, but
most videocams run a direct feed to the monitor - ie they do NOT read
the recording display off the tape - in REC mode.
So head cleaning, wet or dry, is unlikely to be the issue.

 

[Doc]

Figure out how to open the recorder and give your cameras a good wet
cleaning with a good video head cleaner and a lint free cloth or quality
chamois stick. It is time well spent.

What I was told by a video repair guy was that to clean the heads, moisten
the cloth in clear acetone, and lightly rub across the heads perpendicular
to the axis of the drum but never rub up and down, i.e. never rub parallel
to the axis of the drum.

Since the camcorder is still useful in play mode, how I've "cured" the
problem is to find 2 more 8mm camcorders in a pawn shop that work great. An
RCA and a Sony Handy Cam. Got 'em both for $65. Geez, I thought I
practically stole the other one 5 years ago for $75. Hey, there's something
to be said for using technology that's on the downhill side of being
outdated.

 

[Richard Crowley]

What I was told by a video repair guy was that to clean
the heads, moisten the cloth in clear acetone,

Keep the acetone away from any of the plastic parts!
I wouldn't even trust it on the video head drum.

and lightly rub across the heads perpendicular to the axis of
the drum but never rub up and down, i.e. never rub parallel
to the axis of the drum.

The standard head/drum cleaning procedure. Alas many (most?)
consumers are not sensitive enough to the cautions to do this
without significant risk.

 

[James Sweet]

What I was told by a video repair guy was that to clean the heads, moisten
the cloth in clear acetone, and lightly rub across the heads perpendicular
to the axis of the drum but never rub up and down, i.e. never rub parallel
to the axis of the drum.

Since the camcorder is still useful in play mode, how I've "cured" the
problem is to find 2 more 8mm camcorders in a pawn shop that work great. An
RCA and a Sony Handy Cam. Got 'em both for $65. Geez, I thought I
practically stole the other one 5 years ago for $75. Hey, there's something
to be said for using technology that's on the downhill side of being
outdated.

That and the surface mount capacitors in those things are time bombs, even
sitting unused they'll fail after a shelf life of 5-10 years in most cases,
making older ones simply not worth much.

 

[Unspam]

[Veronica]

...

Keep the acetone away from any of the plastic parts!
I wouldn't even trust it on the video head drum.


The standard head/drum cleaning procedure. Alas many (most?)
consumers are not sensitive enough to the cautions to do this
without significant risk.

Use a cotton bud.

 

[Richard Crowley]

[Veronica]

...

Keep the acetone away from any of the plastic parts!
I wouldn't even trust it on the video head drum.


The standard head/drum cleaning procedure. Alas many (most?)
consumers are not sensitive enough to the cautions to do this
without significant risk.

Use a cotton bud.

Actually, the "chamois-like" cleaning wands were created
specifically because "cotton bud"s (or cotton swabs, or
"Q-tips", a US brand-name) are SPECIFICALLY *NOT*
RECOMMENDED for cleaning rotary heads. The reason
being that the sharp little pieces that you are trying to clean
are quite likely to snag and retain cotton fibres which will
do more harm than whatever crud you were trying to remove.

 

[Unspam]

[Veronica]

[Veronica]

...
What I was told by a video repair guy was that to clean
the heads, moisten the cloth in clear acetone,

Keep the acetone away from any of the plastic parts!
I wouldn't even trust it on the video head drum.

and lightly rub across the heads perpendicular to the axis of
the drum but never rub up and down, i.e. never rub parallel
to the axis of the drum.

The standard head/drum cleaning procedure. Alas many (most?)
consumers are not sensitive enough to the cautions to do this
without significant risk.

Use a cotton bud.

Actually, the "chamois-like" cleaning wands were created
specifically because "cotton bud"s (or cotton swabs, or
"Q-tips", a US brand-name) are SPECIFICALLY *NOT*
RECOMMENDED for cleaning rotary heads. The reason
being that the sharp little pieces that you are trying to clean
are quite likely to snag and retain cotton fibres which will
do more harm than whatever crud you were trying to remove.

Hmmm, they worked in Abbey Road for years until they went digital, but I
give way to your superior knowledge.

 

[Richard Crowley]

...

Hmmm, they worked in Abbey Road for years until they went
digital, but I give way to your superior knowledge.

They weren't using recorders with rotary heads "in Abbey Road
for years". For analog, linear machines (i.e. audio), they are just
fine. For that matter, if you are careful to inspect for stray snagged
fibres, cotton swabs are just fine for the non-moving parts of the
tape path of rotary-head machines.

But using them on rotary heads is just inviting disaster. And
many pro video users advocate avoiding them altogether just
because of the risk from stray fibres that you may not notice.

 

[Jay Beckman]

...


They weren't using recorders with rotary heads "in Abbey Road
for years". For analog, linear machines (i.e. audio), they are just fine.
For that matter, if you are careful to inspect for stray snagged
fibres, cotton swabs are just fine for the non-moving parts of the tape
path of rotary-head machines.
But using them on rotary heads is just inviting disaster. And
many pro video users advocate avoiding them altogether just because of the
risk from stray fibres that you may not notice.

You could always try doing it the way we used to clean 2" machines...

Just squirt the freon in there while it's on the air!

Provided of course you HAVE a 2" machine...and the feds will let you have
freon...etc, etc, etc.

Then there is the "light application of a thumbnail to the upper drum"
trick.

Seriously though...dense cotton cloth or chamois stick, DEnatured alchohol
(the 70% stuff has too much water content...heads can rust, believe it or
not), and just hold the alchohol soaked cloth/chamois against the heads
while you carefully turn the drum with your finger.

DO NOT scrub up and down (you can snap a head off) or side to side (you can
knock the heads out of alignment.) Just hold the cloth in line with the
heads while turning the drum and check the cloth/chamois each time. It
should show less and less crud after each pass and eventually come up clean.

Jay Beckman
Old Freelance Tape - EVS - Profile Op/Editor
Chandler, AZ

 

[AshTray700]

yes he did , if the video is distorted in record mode this is completely
independent of the tape mechanism/electronics, but concerning cotton buds,
regardless of what anybody says its better to just keep them off the
rotary head (use em on rollers and audio/erase head) that rotary head is
very sensative and in your case has nothing to do with the problem ,
however it never hurts to clean heads and i usually use a cloth that feels
pretty smooth, put a lil good old alcohol on it and rotate the head with
your finger at the top, dont apply much pressure to the side with the
cloth at all, just enough to bath it without snagging the cloth. make sure
you dry it or the next tape played will be swallowed.

 

[Richard Crowley]

You could always try doing it the way we used to clean 2"
machines...

Just squirt the freon in there while it's on the air!

Provided of course you HAVE a 2" machine...and the feds
will let you have freon...etc, etc, etc.

In a few hours, Mt. St. Helens just north of town here put more
greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere than 1000 years of using
Freon to clean electronic parts. But, alas, its no longer politically
correct to observe that Freon was such a great cleaner/solvent.

I suspect that it would work equally well for DV, et.al. but
we'll never know.

 

[Jay Beckman]

...



In a few hours, Mt. St. Helens just north of town here put more greenhouse
gasses into the atmosphere than 1000 years of using Freon to clean
electronic parts. But, alas, its no longer politically correct to observe
that Freon was such a great cleaner/solvent.

I suspect that it would work equally well for DV, et.al. but we'll never
know.

True, true...

However, I don't think that Mt St Helens caused lab rats to grow second
tails or third ears...

Freon did have it's dark side.

Considering the construction "quality" of some of today's consumer gear (and
even some "pro" gear) Freon may just be a little too "industrial" in nature.

Merry and Happy...

Jay B

 

[James Sweet]

...



In a few hours, Mt. St. Helens just north of town here put more
greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere than 1000 years of using
Freon to clean electronic parts. But, alas, its no longer politically
correct to observe that Freon was such a great cleaner/solvent.

I suspect that it would work equally well for DV, et.al. but
we'll never know.

Freon isn't a greenhouse gas, it reacts with ozone and is the cause of the
large hole above the arctic. There's modern equivilants that work nearly as
well and don't cause such a problem.

 

[Richard Crowley]

However, I don't think that Mt St Helens caused lab rats to grow
second tails or third ears...

The MSDS doesn't mention anything like this.

"Reproductive data on rats show no change in reproductive performance."

"In animal testing, this material has not caused permanent genetic
damage
in reproductive cells of mammals (has not produced heritable genetic
damage)."

Freon did have it's dark side.

If you compare the MSDS, it is roughly equivalent to alcohol.
Actually, I am at far greater risk from alcohol (or those who
have consumed it) than from Freon.

http://msds.dupont.com/msds/pdfs/EN/PEN_09004a2f8000789b.pdf