UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum - View Single Post

jasejames · 30th Jan 2019, 2:23 am

I have a Sanyo Betacord VTC5000 which I purchased second-hand, and have been using to transfer some old tapes.

I used to own a few of these units (and similar later versions) in the 80s and 90s so I'm aware of the issues these things have with idler wheels etc.

This one is acting a little weirdly however. When I bought it it seemed to be OK, but one day the reel motor belt snapped. I did think at that point to order a belt and idler kit for it. On finding that the idlers werent available I instead bought AVBELT56 and AVBELT60 from CPC. The latter was too loose, however the former seemed OK and so I fitted it.

The recorder is working OK, except for one issue; when cold it really struggles to rewind tapes near the start (I know this was an issue with these and indeed one of my 1980s one operated like this for many years and never got worse). It sometimes eats tapes when in this condition as well. I can get around this by winding a tape for a minute or so then rewind back to the start, whereupon the VCR works just fine for hours, only to return to the weak state after being left for several hours.

I don't recall whether this is a direct result of the new belt, or if it may have been like this immediately before the original belt broke.

Would this be caused by the new belt being too tight, or is it the motor/idler wheel becoming weak? I suspect the idler isn't slipping excessively as you can hear the motor straining when the rewind is weak, which I don't recall happening on the old recorder.

If it's the belt, can anyone recommend a good service kit for these, given the apparent lack of parts availability in 2019?

30th Jan 2019, 2:23 am	#1
jasejames Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, UK. Posts: 7	Sanyo VTC5000 problems when cold only I have a Sanyo Betacord VTC5000 which I purchased second-hand, and have been using to transfer some old tapes. I used to own a few of these units (and similar later versions) in the 80s and 90s so I'm aware of the issues these things have with idler wheels etc. This one is acting a little weirdly however. When I bought it it seemed to be OK, but one day the reel motor belt snapped. I did think at that point to order a belt and idler kit for it. On finding that the idlers werent available I instead bought AVBELT56 and AVBELT60 from CPC. The latter was too loose, however the former seemed OK and so I fitted it. The recorder is working OK, except for one issue; when cold it really struggles to rewind tapes near the start (I know this was an issue with these and indeed one of my 1980s one operated like this for many years and never got worse). It sometimes eats tapes when in this condition as well. I can get around this by winding a tape for a minute or so then rewind back to the start, whereupon the VCR works just fine for hours, only to return to the weak state after being left for several hours. I don't recall whether this is a direct result of the new belt, or if it may have been like this immediately before the original belt broke. Would this be caused by the new belt being too tight, or is it the motor/idler wheel becoming weak? I suspect the idler isn't slipping excessively as you can hear the motor straining when the rewind is weak, which I don't recall happening on the old recorder. If it's the belt, can anyone recommend a good service kit for these, given the apparent lack of parts availability in 2019?