Entertainment Center: TVs, Stereos, VCRs and DVDs - 2 vcrs in one day
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : 2 vcrs in one day
rickyc
06-07-08, 07:49 PM
I have a Memorex MR1020 vcr which I was using to play a tape to transfer to DVD. I noticed DVD wasn't recording anymore and turned it off and found the VCR playing only sound and no video. I tried a head cleaning tape, still no video. I tried a different tape and it ate it. I then brought my Sanyo VWM 350 from upstairs, hooked it up and it was working fine. I then tried the tape I extracted from the Memorex to see if it worked and the video stopped working. I now have sound but no video on the Sanyo. What's happening? Am I in hell?
craftsman_50
06-07-08, 08:15 PM
Sounds like your tape is worn out and clogging up the heads.Throw it away! If you put it in another vcr it will clog the heads on it too.Try the cleaning tape first,if that doesn't restore the picture then you will need to clean the heads manualy.
Rick Johnston
06-08-08, 07:25 AM
Tapes that are old or improperly stored will literally shed oxide due to a breakdown of the binder, or they will become "sticky tapes" that shed a gooey mess onto the VCR head. The fact that the second machine clogged so quickly tells me the tape is in pretty bad shape, but if the video is important to you it might be able to be salvaged long enough for you to transfer it... then you can throw it away.
This is going to seem really "Alton Brown-ish" and out there, but it does work to re-activate the binder and dry out the tape. You'll need:
-- A corrugated cardboard shipping box, minimum 2 x 2 x 2 feet.
-- A digital thermometer with a remote probe capable of 130 degrees.
-- A 40- or 60-watt light bulb in a lamp or base small enough to fit inside the box.
-- An inline dimmer would be nice, but not necessary
-- A small soup bowl
Put the tape on the upside-down soup bowl a couple of inches from one side of the box. Hang the lamp about halfway down and 1/3rd of the way from the other side of the box. Put the probe as near as you can to the tape without touching it. Poke two or three pencil-size holes on the side of the box where the lamp is, as close to the bottom as you can. Poke two or three more holes on the side where the tape is, as close to the top as you can. Seal the box.
The purpose of all this is to slowly (over the course of one hour) bring the temperature up to 122 degrees, hold it at exactly 122 degrees for about one hour, then let it cool to room temperature over the next hour or two. This will re-activate the binder and remove moisture. Put your hand on the top & side of the box periodically to make sure the lamp isn't overheating the cardboard. (That's where the dimmer comes in to play.)
To clean the heads you'll need to unplug the VCR and open the case. You'll need denatured (not rubbing) alcohol or tape head cleaner and some coffee filters.
Shake the coffee filter to remove any small fibers, then fold it into quarters. Saturate it with alcohol. Hold it to the side of the drum stack so it's centered between the upper (spinning) and lower (static) drums. Slowly move the drum in a clockwise direction "two steps forward, one step back" while you apply slight pressure to the coffee filter. Do at least two complete revolutions, then repeat with a second saturated coffee filter.
When you're finished, saturate a third filter and use it to clean all of the metal parts of the tape path and the erase head. Let it dry for at least 15 minutes before you power it up.
This is going to seem really "Alton Brown-ish" and out there, but it does work to re-activate the binder and dry out the tape. You'll need:
-- A corrugated cardboard shipping box, minimum 2 x 2 x 2 feet.
-- A digital thermometer with a remote probe capable of 130 degrees.
-- A 40- or 60-watt light bulb in a lamp or base small enough to fit inside the box.
-- An inline dimmer would be nice, but not necessary
-- A small soup bowl
Put the tape on the upside-down soup bowl a couple of inches from one side of the box. Hang the lamp about halfway down and 1/3rd of the way from the other side of the box. Put the probe as near as you can to the tape without touching it. Poke two or three pencil-size holes on the side of the box where the lamp is, as close to the bottom as you can. Poke two or three more holes on the side where the tape is, as close to the top as you can. Seal the box.
The purpose of all this is to slowly (over the course of one hour) bring the temperature up to 122 degrees, hold it at exactly 122 degrees for about one hour, then let it cool to room temperature over the next hour or two. This will re-activate the binder and remove moisture. Put your hand on the top & side of the box periodically to make sure the lamp isn't overheating the cardboard. (That's where the dimmer comes in to play.)
To clean the heads you'll need to unplug the VCR and open the case. You'll need denatured (not rubbing) alcohol or tape head cleaner and some coffee filters.
Shake the coffee filter to remove any small fibers, then fold it into quarters. Saturate it with alcohol. Hold it to the side of the drum stack so it's centered between the upper (spinning) and lower (static) drums. Slowly move the drum in a clockwise direction "two steps forward, one step back" while you apply slight pressure to the coffee filter. Do at least two complete revolutions, then repeat with a second saturated coffee filter.
When you're finished, saturate a third filter and use it to clean all of the metal parts of the tape path and the erase head. Let it dry for at least 15 minutes before you power it up.