Old VCR Requires Frequent Head Cleaning

[Chris F.]

Model HR-D840U, circa 1989. Had this for a number of years, it's always
been a great machine but it's starting to become troublesome. It worked fine
for years, but it slowly started to require more and more frequent head
cleanings. Now, it only plays for about 2-3 hours before the heads start to
clog and the picture gets noisy. Even cleaning the entire tape path with
acetone makes no difference. I've never encountered a problem like this
before, so the only guess I can make is that the rotary head is on the way
out. A new head (4/HiFi) would be too expensive to bother with for such an
old machine. Still, if there's any other chance of saving it, I'd like to
hear it.....
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Jerry G.]

Either the tapes you are using are not of good quality, or the heads are
badly worn. They will soon fail if they are worn. Considering the age of the
machine, I would consider replacing it before investing in servicing it.

--

Greetings,

Jerry Greenberg GLG Technologies GLG
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Model HR-D840U, circa 1989. Had this for a number of years, it's always
been a great machine but it's starting to become troublesome. It worked fine
for years, but it slowly started to require more and more frequent head
cleanings. Now, it only plays for about 2-3 hours before the heads start to
clog and the picture gets noisy. Even cleaning the entire tape path with
acetone makes no difference. I've never encountered a problem like this
before, so the only guess I can make is that the rotary head is on the way
out. A new head (4/HiFi) would be too expensive to bother with for such an
old machine. Still, if there's any other chance of saving it, I'd like to
hear it.....
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

A new head from Asti shouldn't be too expensive.

800-221-1828

Mark Z.

 

[Jeff Strieble]

A new head from Asti shouldn't be too expensive.

800-221-1828

Mark Z.

Your machine's heads are indeed failing if they clog so often. A VCR
made 15 years ago or more is generally not worth repairing; in fact,
you would wind up paying more in repair charges than you would for a
new one. (Note that all TV shops charge a steep fee just for an
estimate of repair cost as well.) New machines with all sorts of bells
and whistles (stereo/MTS sound, VCR Plus+, etc.) that work as well as
or even better than yours ever did (thanks to newer technology) can be
had for very reasonable prices these days, as VHS is being phased out
in favor of DVD/DVD-R systems. It is also possible to find good used
stereo VCRs at yard and garage sales, very often at dirt-cheap prices
(or even free, if the owner is in a hurry to get rid of it).

Remember that VCRs were never made to last as long as even the best
TV sets; this is especially true today, with some brands (notably
Zenith, which is actually made by Gold Star, and Philips-Magnavox
which is manufactured by Funai) having terrible reliability records.
These machines are meant to be thrown away and replaced when they fail
(after the warranty expires, of course) like everything else these
days.

Jeff (mailto: [email protected])

 

[Chris F.]

Service charges aren't a problem, since I happen to be a tech. A replacement
head is another story though....
BTW the tapes are all of decent quality (TDK, Maxell, etc.) No off-branded
cheapies or other such junk.

 

[Chris F.]

I always liked this machine, because it was EXTREMELY WELL-BUILT. No flimsy
plastic cabinet or anything like that. It looks, and always has worked, like
a quality machine.
I've had my eye on some new S-VHS machines by JVC, and I will probably end
up buying one sooner or later. I still hate to part with this old beauty
though..

 

[Andre]

Either the tapes you are using are not of good quality, or the heads are
badly worn. They will soon fail if they are worn. Considering the age of the
machine, I would consider replacing it before investing in servicing it.

Saw this on a VCR (JVC HRD560EK) - classic head failure (streaking).
Replaced the upper cylinder and it plays back like new.

Comparing the heads side by side you can see the difference.

(BTW, if anyone's got a scrap Panasonic NV-SD series I need the drum
unit as mine has the "tape tension sensitive" disease)- I also need a
chip off the tuner module thats getting red hot.


-A

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

A replacement head from Asti would be less than 40.00.

Maybe less than 30.00.

mz

 

[LASERandDVDfan]

I always liked this machine, because it was EXTREMELY WELL-BUILT. No flimsy

plastic cabinet or anything like that. It looks, and always has worked, like
a quality machine.
I've had my eye on some new S-VHS machines by JVC, and I will probably end
up buying one sooner or later. I still hate to part with this old beauty
though..

Well, if the rest of the machine is in good condition, is high-end (assuming
that it is really high end if it's an older S-VHS), and is feature-laden, I
would seriously consider going ahead and investing in the time and money to
restore the machine to like-new functionality.

You can buy new VCRs for cheap, but a reconditioned vintage VCR is going to
continue chugging along, usualy with better reliability and picture quality.

What new VCR today, with exception of high end professional decks, have VU peak
level meters, adjustable audio input levels, a full metal chassis, and a beefy
power supply? - Reinhart

 

[Jim Davis Nature Photography]

I always liked this machine, because it was EXTREMELY WELL-BUILT. No flimsy
plastic cabinet or anything like that. It looks, and always has worked, like
a quality machine.
I've had my eye on some new S-VHS machines by JVC, and I will probably end
up buying one sooner or later. I still hate to part with this old beauty
though.

Unless that old machine has recording volume controls you can't live
without I'd say buy a new one. I got a new one recently, and I'm
amazed how fast it can rewind. And, it actually slow down near the end
and finishes the wind slowly. Not to mention tons of other features
and generally excellent playback. I got a Mitsubishi.


Jim Davis
- checkout the Motorcycle Headlight Relay Kit at:
http://jimdavis.oberro.com/html/bike_acc_.html

 

[Grumpy OM]

I always liked this machine, because it was EXTREMELY WELL-BUILT. No flimsy
plastic cabinet or anything like that. It looks, and always has worked, like
a quality machine.
I've had my eye on some new S-VHS machines by JVC, and I will probably end
up buying one sooner or later. I still hate to part with this old beauty
though..

stuff deleted

I had the same problem but I tracked it down to mold on the tapes.
I use an old vcr for cleaning my tapes periodically.

Grumpy

 

[Andre]

Well, if the rest of the machine is in good condition, is high-end (assuming
that it is really high end if it's an older S-VHS), and is feature-laden, I
would seriously consider going ahead and investing in the time and money to
restore the machine to like-new functionality.

Yup, the older machines are really simple to fix (usually). The newer
ones IMHO are only useful as door-stops when they break after about a
year or less.

I tried to fix a "new" Panasonic, the upper cylinder is so expensive
its not true. £65 minimum (which is more than a new VCR). No wonder
no-one fixes them.
(this was after I had repaired the mechanism faults and got it to the
point that I could see the tension sensitivity)

 

[Chris F.]

The newer Panasonic machines are junk anyways. Panasonic never made their
own VCRs, that I'm aware of.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Wow. I'm tempted to be sarcastic here, but I'll let it go.

Panasonic always, without any exceptions I'm aware of, built there own
vcr's.
Note I'm considering Matsushita the same as Panasonic - they're the parent
company.


Mark Z.

 

[Andre]

stuff deleted

I had the same problem but I tracked it down to mold on the tapes.

Yup, had that problem.

BTW, the way to tell is look at the top of the tape.

 

[Asimov]

"Mark D. Zacharias" bravely wrote to "All" (02 Dec 03 05:56:29)
--- on the heady topic of "Re: Old VCR Requires Frequent Head Cleaning"

Which were they, Matsushita, Funai, and Sony?


MDZ> From: "Mark D. Zacharias" <[email protected]>

MDZ> Wow. I'm tempted to be sarcastic here, but I'll let it go.

MDZ> Panasonic always, without any exceptions I'm aware of, built there own
MDZ> vcr's.
MDZ> Note I'm considering Matsushita the same as Panasonic - they're the
MDZ> parent company.

.... Which sparks some mnemonic circuitry.

 

[Mark D. Zacharias]

Matsushita (Panasonic) always made their own. Funai made a very few for
Sony, then Sony went back to making their own.
Funai makes their own and is the worst of the bunch, but the others have
lowered their build quality in recent years as well.

Mark Z.