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Old 10th Jun 2020, 10:22 am   #16
ApogeeUK
Diode
 
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Glasgow, Lanarkshire, UK.
Posts: 8
Default Re: Advice concerning Philips N4414 reel to reel machine

So this post takes the form of a delighted victory lap

Yesterday afternoon I finally got round to another exploration of the insides of the N4414. A short while later I was listening to the great Bluesman Josh White on this beautiful Reel to Reel which now works PERFECTLY!

My wife and I were both amazed at the excellence of the sound quality and I'm so happy I persisted, especially given the machine might have been on its way to the recycling centre.

Michael, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to detail exactly what I should be looking for repair-wise. My electronics know-how is pretty basic but your instructions allowed me to quickly hone in on the problem. After some careful study I was able to confirm the voltages on the push button side of the machine were correct and so proceeded to unscrew the main motor section from its mount. When I started properly investigating the solenoid mechanism at the rear a major anomaly stood out almost immediately.

The black rectangular block (pictured), part of the mechanism that lifted the pinch roller, was out of position. At first I thought it had broken away from its plastic mount but then saw there was an identical component just behind it (also pictured) and this one was secured by a metal band. The misaligned one had somehow come loose. I don't know quite how this could have been knocked out of place as it took a fair bit of leveraging with a screwdriver to snap it back in, but once I'd done so the pinch roller suddenly worked as it was meant to.

There's no way I would have noticed this issue had I not been following your step by step diagnosis. So, again, MANY thanks. It's very much appreciated. It's a great joy to have this machine working again. I'd read on numerous occasions how many felt this technology produced a superior sound and now I believe it.

It just goes to show that knowledge and experience, even in the hands of a layman, can get the right result.

Massive kudos to you and your very kind community.
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