Funai VCR

[Paolo]

Hello,

I read your interested website about vcr repair and i understand that there
is some problem with idler stuff but i can't recognize where !!!
I explain you : my vcr problem is when i start play both of "takeup" and
"supply" things (i don't know the right word in english) rotate for some
second and then stops. The pinch roller continue to rotate and it cause a
tape goes everywhere. After that vcr stops to play (of course).
I check something on the newsgroup but i did not help.

Thank you so much if you can explain me better what i can do
Paolo

 

[b]

Hello,

I read your interested website about vcr repair and i understand that there
is some problem with idler stuff but i can't recognize where !!!
I explain you : my vcr problem is when i start play both of "takeup" and
"supply" things (i don't know the right word in english) rotate for some
second and then stops. The pinch roller continue to rotate and it cause a
tape goes everywhere. After that vcr stops to play (of course).
I check something on the newsgroup but i did not help.

Thank you so much if you can explain me better what i can do
Paolo

how old is the vcr?
the newer Funais (made after about 1999) are really 'throwaway' items,
designed not to be repaired. IF this is the case, I would not waste
much time on it. Often, disassembly is extremely time consuming, you
have to desolder the cables from the A/c head and drum. They're so
cheap that they didn't even put connectors in!

sounds like the spool clutch is sticking. You might be able to order
that part. Also clean the mode switch with contact spray like servisol
(not wd40!!)
-B

 

[Paolo]

Thanks for replying me
Maybe i can't explain well in english language because my mother language is
italian but i understand what you said.

how old is the vcr?
the newer Funais (made after about 1999)

it's a 4 head vcr but i did not remeber when i bought it. Could it be useful
for you if i tell you the exact model ?

sounds like the spool clutch is sticking. You might be able to order
that part. Also clean the mode switch with contact spray like servisol
(not wd40!!)
-B

I opened it before post a message here. I don't think that is the spool
clutch sticky because it works for a few seconds by the idler mechanism and
then it stops to rotate and the spool clutch also. But if i try to rotate
manually it rotate i don't feel it is sticky. I try also to use a fake tape
but with the same way.
Anyway, i try to explain what i did. I move manually the mechanism to get
the cassette in the "play mode" position and i noticed that the idler
mechanism does the right movement until the take-up spool clutch move for a
while, after that, with an undefinited reason, the spool clutch stops
because the idler mechanism move a little back from the spool clutch. And i
don't know why it does that.

Hope that i write more things so you can help me better and sorry for my
"not technical" english.
Paolo

 

[David Nebenzahl]

Anyway, i try to explain what i did. I move manually the mechanism to
get the cassette in the "play mode" position and i noticed that the
idler mechanism does the right movement until the take-up spool
clutch move for a while, after that, with an undefinited reason, the
spool clutch stops because the idler mechanism move a little back
from the spool clutch. And i don't know why it does that.

Hope that i write more things so you can help me better and sorry for
my "not technical" english.

Don't worry; your English is a *lot* better than my Italian!

 

[Paolo]

Ok guys thank you to everybody reply me (thanks meat plow but google
translation helps very bad expecially with technical english

I noticed yesterday that a tip of one round mechanism of idler was bent on
another tip soooooooo that was the problem about the take up spool clutch
!!!! After i fix it the vcr works !!!

I cleaned with a chamois cloth the video head, audio head and clean head. I
started to view a few cassette. I see that sometimes and not in a specific
part of the tape the output on the tv is "snowy" (hope that is the right
word). I tried different kind of tape (original and copied) but I must be
honest, those tapes are old. Anyway, i did not see anything bad on the
screen after a couple of minutes of the same tape. Do i clean more the video
head ?

Thank you again to the angels can reply me
Paolo

 

[Paolo]

Many many thanks to everybody

If the head is dirty the picture will be affected all the time. Make
sure the tape tension is correct all the time as this will cause snow.
You need a special tool to measure/monitor these. One looks like a vhs
tape and measures supply reel torque to translate into tension among
other things.

If you work frequent on vhs tape you need this tool and spindle height
gauge. Also good to have is a dial torque gauge.

 

[Paolo]

Many many thanks to everybody

If the head is dirty the picture will be affected all the time. Make
sure the tape tension is correct all the time as this will cause snow.
You need a special tool to measure/monitor these. One looks like a vhs
tape and measures supply reel torque to translate into tension among
other things.

If you work frequent on vhs tape you need this tool and spindle height
gauge. Also good to have is a dial torque gauge.

 

[b]

I cleaned with a chamois cloth the video head, audio head and clean head. I
started to view a few cassette. I see that sometimes and not in a specific
part of the tape the output on the tv is "snowy" (hope that is the right
word). I tried different kind of tape (original and copied) but I must be
honest, those tapes are old. Anyway, i did not see anything bad on the
screen after a couple of minutes of the same tape. Do i clean more the video
head ?

check if the problem happens on a new tape. Look on the drum for any
black tape dust residue. that will be an indication.
also, if you get persistent tracking interference, clean the A/C head
and check its connector is correctly seated - maybe you moved it
slightly when you were in there?

 

[JB]

check if the problem happens on a new tape. Look on the drum for any
black tape dust residue. that will be an indication.
also, if you get persistent tracking interference, clean the A/C head
and check its connector is correctly seated - maybe you moved it
slightly when you were in there?

Sadly there is no good way to clean tape and we wind up cleaning it off on
the heads. The snow is usually oxide debris that effectively shorts the
head gap. This might come and go a few times as the debris winds up back on
the tape. I had a VCR that ran well for 20 years by cleaning the heads and
transport every 6 months or snow, whichever comes first. Other problems are
crease damage to the tape that you can usually hear as it passes across the
head drum, and tape stretch that cause tracking problems and just wear that
results in a loss of frequency response.