Anyone still running a Panasonic 'G' Deck VCR ?

[IanNVJ35]

Anyone still using a Panasonic G deck machine as a regular user please do add your experience and what the model is. How reliable has it been for you?

I know that they have a bad reputation, however I do believe that a good one (that was assembled properly) with regular checks and cleaning should last and give good performance.

I am using two. A December 1988 NV-F70 and a March 1991 FV-F65. I was watching a film on the F65 yesterday and it really does look good on screen. The deck still operates as new really and I really like the styling and half drop-down door. I find the best picture is with the sharpness at around 10 o'clock where tapes look almost filmic.

Of course I have seen a few faulty ones. One was absolutely worn out and witha new head fitted I got a good picture but the electronics were tired and I took the head out and binned it. The other worked fine bit the capstan was worn and knocked as it played. I used that one for parts.

So, any regular G deck users out there still?

[HamishBoxer]

I have a few G decks here and they have been good,main thing keep the mode switch clean or replaced.

Of course the elec caps need changing in the power supplies,the favourite was the 1uF which was ok till the power went off.

The others can cause oddball faults.

[John123]

Occasionally I'll run one of my Philips machines that use a variation of the G-Deck (G2 IIRC?). One is an all-singing, all-dancing S-VHS machine (VR-813), and the other's a standard VHS deck (VR-712).

Both have had repairs, but (surprisingly) never to the mechanical side! It's always been the odd bad cap here 'n' there, or little things like timer back-up batteries needing replacing etc.

I'm thinking about selling them, but I doubt they'll be worth that much. nowadays

[mhennessy]

Still have an FS-88 in the system, but I can't remember the last time I used it for anything in all honesty. It's been 100% reliable over the 2 decades that I've had it. I have a couple more in storage. Will I ever use them again?

Being S_VHS machines, they are quite good at teletext playback - useful for when you need to indulge in some nostalgia

[andrewn]

As it happens I am just in the process of repairing my Panasonic NV-J35. The display is dead although the machine still loads and plays a tape. I notice that C26 in the power supply had leaked and on trying to read the value, one of the leads snapped off so I think it must be the culprit. I think I will test the other capacitors while I'm at it. This VCR still gives a good picture even on an LCD TV but it doesn't get used much. I keep it connected up with its own Freeview box but I last recorded a programme nearly two years ago. I really ought to use it more to keep the mechanism moving.
Regards Andrew.

[Sideband]

I occasionally use a Philips VR6585 which uses a variation of the G deck. It was their first NICAM machine. As you say, assembled correctly and well maintained, these decks go on for ever. My particular machine was a 'write-off' by Philips and was replaced under guarantee to the original customer. It was only 9 months old and would have been consigned to the bin but I rescued it and found that the original repairer had been using the wrong repair kit (the Panasonic cam instead of the Philips cam) 'because it was the same deck' he said..... No wonder the brake lever was bent and it wouldn't thread properly!

A set of Philips parts and correct set-up and the machine hasn't had any mechanical faults since. I had to re-cap the power supply about 5 years ago but it is still working well although now very much retired since DSO. It has an audio only record function so I can still make high quality audio recordings from radio and of course I can still use the SCART to record off-air TV from a digi-box.

[camallison]

Not sure if it is a "G" deck machine, but I still have a Panasonic NV-F55 that I now regularly use for transferring VHS tapes to DVD. It has given excellent service since I bought it and, today, I transferred some old tapes for a neighbour quite successfully.

Colin

[HamishBoxer]

Believe that is a G deck Colin.

[peter_scott]

I bought my NV FS90 new in 1992 and I can't remember ever needing to repair it. I only use it occasionally to display stuff through an Aurora to 405 sets.

Peter

[IanNVJ35]

Good to see all these G Deck machines still running - thanks for the input.

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi
I have a customer that uses a J40 as his everyday (or perhaps that's everyweek) machine! I did a service on it recently (top gears, mode swittch and a carriage right side) and it has certainly seen some use.
I'm repairing one for a forum member at the moment - a Philips VR813 - which in addition to all the usual gears needs a couple I've never had go before. Luckily I've been able to get most parts from Donberg but still need one or two. If I draw a blank I'll post the part numbers of the ones I need.
Glyn

[IanNVJ35]

That's interesting Glyn. Was it the mode switch failing that caused the gears to break or did the gears just wear out? Why did the carriage right side need changing - tape load problems?

[HamishBoxer]

The carriage used to fail caused by the mode switch possibly and also clowns trying to remove tapes (i.e Customers) .Very often used to wonder what was on them that was so important though i think in most cases not a lot.

[IanNVJ35]

Quite often I have had home recorded tapes stuck in machines and I could see the customers had spent some time and energy trying to extricate their tape, with little success.

The tape holder is not called the cage for nothing!

[camallison]

Thanks HamishBoxer - the deck went out of alignment a few years back, but was simple to rectify. Must check the caps though.

Colin

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi
I never managed to discover what used to fail on the cassette right side - it has a sliding switch and some gears but would often cause the mechanism to jump out of alignment even though you could see no wear. A new side cured the problem. Since they weren't too expensive compared to a full re-gearing we used to change them as a matter of course when the cause of misalignment wan't clear.
Glyn

[Red to black]

Hi Glyn,
A plastic retainer ( a sort of clip or catch, it is a part of the plastic side piece) on the part of where the metal slide piece is attached breaks off, this causes the carriage to slip it's timing, it rests on, and holds the edge of the metal sliding part in place, this is part of the plastic moulding, not a separate piece.

If you compare a new side piece to the old you can see what I mean, if you don't have a new one to compare with then you would not know it is missing.

A bodge of sorts is possible by putting a (a short) self tapping screw through the metal slide slot and into an existing hole of the plastic part. This must not be fully tightened as the metal part needs to move freely, also it must not protrude all the way through the plastic side or it will jam the carriage on the inside..

It is difficult to explain in words, but once you know the plastic edge clip/catch is supposed to be there it makes sense (I think!).

Edit: This 'edge clip' or catch is to prevent vertical and some 'sideways' (left to right, looking from the front) movement of the metal slide/rack gear part wrt to the carriage driving gear on the deck, this is why it slips the timing if the retainer piece has broken off.

[Hybrid tellies]

I have the NV-HD640. Not sure if it's the G deck but it's the best VCR that I have ever owned. Great pictures, almost DVD quality and has never gone wrong. It's only recently that I have removed the VCR from our system because we don't use it very much after DSO.

[Red to black]

The NV-HD640 is two generations on from the G-Deck, that machine uses the Z -Mech.

[Phil G4SPZ]

I still have a pair of NV-FS90s that I inherited from my late father, who gave them plenty of use for editing his home movies. I still use them, but for long-duration sources of period music for my pantry transmitter. Apart from recapping the PSUs a few years ago, the decks have needed no attention.