Help with JVC HR-S8000U SuperVHS VCR

[Vincent Poy]

Greetings all:

I have owned this VCR since late 1988 but have really only used it
during the first 6 years and then it was left just plugged in until
using it daily for the past few months. I have only used VHS tapes in
the VCR and it still records correctly but there is a problem with
playback. What happens is that when Play is pressed, it will show
SVHS and then the Digital light for Digital Features comes on and then
the Front Panel will display Play and Fast Forward with the tape
playing at the Play and Fast Forward speed. Holding down Play button
while this occurs will make it play normally and the Digital light
will go off but as soon as I lift my finger off the play button, the
Play + Fast Forward mode will return. Pressing pause will pause for
1/2 second and then do the Play + Fast Forward mode. I cleaned the
tape path including the Audio Control Head and also replaced the idler
and idler tire as the idler tire did have a gap but it didn't make a
difference even when using a VHS see thru test-jig. Anyone knows what
is wrong and will this cost a lot in parts to fix? Will non-JVC
authorized servicers be able to fix this? Thanks for any help in
advance.

Cheers,
Vince

 

[JVC dude]

Hi Vincent,
Is there a lot of light getting in through the top/side? these decks have
optic sensors and can be tripped into doing strange modes with light
otherwise sounds like a faulty switch contact or something similar.
when you say play button do you mean on the set or the remote.
~Its possible the remote if someting was spilt into it may do that.
if its not related to the remote then there may be a faulty switch on the
front panel. its certainly not a common problem.
I presume you've unplugged and plugged in again to reset the machine!

Other possible causes, dirty mode switch contacts, or poss a capstan
motor control fault , but that would be very rare. its more likely to be one
of the above.

hope this helps
AW

 

[Vincent Poy]

Hi Vincent,
Is there a lot of light getting in through the top/side? these decks
have optic sensors and can be tripped into doing strange modes with
light otherwise sounds like a faulty switch contact or something
similar. when you say play button do you mean on the set or the
remote. ~Its possible the remote if someting was spilt into it may do
that. if its not related to the remote then there may be a faulty
switch on the front panel. its certainly not a common problem.
I presume you've unplugged and plugged in again to reset the machine!

Other possible causes, dirty mode switch contacts, or poss a
capstan motor control fault , but that would be very rare. its more
likely to be one of the above.

hope this helps
AW

Hi AW:

Right now, there has to be a lot of light as I was trying to see if things
are working with the cover off but originally, the cover was on when the
problem happened. What is weird is that randomly, it will decide to play a
tape correctly. As for the play button, I'm talking about the button on
the front panel and not the remote as I haven't used my remote in a few
years. I've already did the plug/unplug a few times just to make sure that
wasn't the problem. I'm just trying to figure out will this be a expensive
repair since I see a lot of repairers that aren't factory authorized but
don't most problems need a service manual or will equipment tell them what
is wrong? Since it seems lots of places have a fixed labor rate but then
you have to pay for parts and I hope they don't randomly change out parts.

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Vincent Poy]

Hi AW:

Right now, there has to be a lot of light as I was trying to see if
things are working with the cover off but originally, the cover was on
when the problem happened. What is weird is that randomly, it will
decide to play a tape correctly. As for the play button, I'm talking
about the button on the front panel and not the remote as I haven't
used my remote in a few years. I've already did the plug/unplug a few
times just to make sure that wasn't the problem. I'm just trying to
figure out will this be a expensive repair since I see a lot of
repairers that aren't factory authorized but don't most problems need
a service manual or will equipment tell them what is wrong? Since it
seems lots of places have a fixed labor rate but then you have to pay
for parts and I hope they don't randomly change out parts.

Cheers,
Vince

I just put the cover back on and the first play of the tape plays normally
but then the next play, it does the same Play + Fast Forward mode again.

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Sounds to me like the FF button or jog wheel may have a problem. Seen things
like this before.

Mark Z.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

P.S.

JVC had lots of problems with those blister-switch and flat key-matrix
panels in similar models.


Mark Z.

 

[Vincent Poy]

This VCR doesn't have a jog wheel. If if was the FF button then wouldn't
it FF even in the stop position?

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Vincent Poy]

Hmmm, is this going to be expensive to fix though in terms of parts costs?

Cheers,
Vince

 

[JVC Dude]

I would suspect that the soldering under the right hand sensor may be dry
jointed .
If you aren't familiar with repairing equipment then don't try to cure this
yourself, since it involves stripping the deck out, then removing the main
board (although some models access from underneath may be possible.) Its not
easy!! Also the mains psu capacitor can retain approx 380Volts- just waiting
to shake hands with anyone who doesn't know wheres safe and wheres not!

Your supposition is correct re the FF button it would FF when turned on or
if 2 buttons are effectively pressed, then other odd symptoms may occur.

Remember as I said these units are very sensitive to light. There was a mod
to cover the right sensor (a slim 2" black LED type of thing standing centre
right of the mechanism)- its use is primarily to detect if the tape is at
the beginning and then shuttle forward off it.

As to what you should pay, I would think £30-£40 to cover an hours time
would be typical- however it may not be this sensor and only an engineer
with the top off, probing around could really correctly diagnose this.

Andrew

 

[Vincent Poy]

I didn't realize you were in Europe but from what you're saying, it seems
like it doesn't really need any parts replaced but rather just labor.
There is a place locally that charges $US35 + labor but I know they are n't
factory authorized and I wonder if being factory authorized will make a
difference or not. Where exactly is the right hand sensor located or what
does it look like?

Since you might be familar with this, I had a Mitsubishi HS-U70 SVHS VCR
that failed a few years back and it had like missing audio as well as
missing color and the problem seemed to have been bad capacitors but when I
shipped the thing to be repaired, it was fixed but shipping caused the
Control Audio Head to not be aligned and the guy I think readjusted it. It
will play any tapes it records but when I take the tape to the JVC HR-
S8000U, it will only show scrolling black & white with distorted audio and
also, any tape that the Mitsubishi recorded on can't be re-recorded with
the JVC, is this just a alignment problem as the guy that fixed it didn't
have the factory jig for proper alignment.

Cheers,
Vince

 

[JVC Dude]

Ok I've just researched the HRS8000. we never had that here. Its the same
mech as our HRD530 but with SVHS from 1988 ish
Forget the stuff about the sensors, thats on much more modern stuff like our
HRS7000/8600 the nearest model numbers.
Unplug it, take the bottom off, and carefully tighten the 2 or 3 small
screws fastening the green pcb's onto the bottom of the mech, it will
probably be a loose one causing a bad earth. and perhaps your symptoms. If
not then you could have numerous other things like a shorting pole on the
capstan motor etc.

Also as reported by Mark, the membrane switches can be troublesome, but
usually just inactive buttons. they gave most trouble when juices were spilt
into them!
Since this mech was used in Fergusons-UK (don't know what brand US have for
that- Thomson?) and Toshibas there should be many time served VCR tech out
there with experience so it doesn't have to be a JVC seervice centre
necessarily.
Hope this helps
AW

 

[Vincent Poy]

Hmm, didn't the HRS8000 came out after the HRS7000 though since they both
had the same look except the 8000 had the digital features. I'll probably
take the bottom cover off later today when I actually can get the AC cord
off as it's in a cabinet and the only way I did the unplug was to turn the
power-strip off for 1 minute.

Any ideas about the problem with the tapes from the Mitsubishi HS-U70
playing on the JVC though?

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Vincent Poy]

Which 2 or 3 small screws are you referring to? I have the bottom off now
and it pretty much looks like the pics here:

http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mbk-42.htm

Thanks!

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Vincent Poy]

Just tried fastening the two screws on the green pcb on the right hand side
of the idler motor and it didn't make a difference. So VCR's are pretty
standard in mechanisms used except the PCB circuitry in each one will be
different?

Cheers,
Vince

 

[JVC Dude]

check your Email
AW

 

[JVC Dude]

I've tried to send you the pic but email address bounces.

conatct me service at wilkinsons dot tv

 

[JVC Dude]

there are 3 screws with soldering under them 1 on each of the 3 boards.
This mech was used for perhaps 2-3 yrs in all models but with some minor
variations, heads, trick modes etc

 

[Vincent Poy]

Interesting... I couldn't get to the screw above the capstan or the mode
switch since after taking the bottom metal cover off, the plastic housing
is covering a lot of the bottom still and I have no idea how to get it off
without doing some physical damage probably.

Cheers,
Vince

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

This VCR doesn't have a jog wheel. If if was the FF button then wouldn't
it FF even in the stop position?

Cheers,
Vince

Does it have "search" buttons as distinguished from a plain "Fast Forward"
button? Some JVC's do.

mz

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Which 2 or 3 small screws are you referring to? I have the bottom off now
and it pretty much looks like the pics here:

http://www.studiosoundelectronics.com/mbk-42.htm

Thanks!

Cheers,
Vince

They definitely had some problems with bad grounding on this chassis, the
small screws on the bottom PC board(s). This would usually do things like
trying to activate the tape loading when no tape was in the carriage, and
make the "Tape In" indicator light up in the display, and initiate Rewind if
there was a tape in the mech.

Mark Z.