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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 22nd Mar 2020, 3:05 pm   #1
EF80TVVALVE
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Default TP Soundmirror

I've just picked up one of these tape recorders and decided to take a look at it this weekend. It is needing some work having lost the lower tape head cover and also one of the metal tape guides has snapped and is missing so the tape slightly rubs on the erase head.

The main problem I'm having is it's refusal to stay in any setting. When I select play the stop catch moves into place in the lower part of the lever control but when I let go of the lever the head pressue pad moves away and the motor switches off. I can move the lever down to completely disengage/stop the mechanism but it finds itself resting somewhere in between play and stop when I select play and let go of the lever.

Is there anyone that has one of these players and any photos of the deck, such as the underside etc who could help? Seems to be limited info on these that I can find so far which isn't helping the repair.

On a good note I did manage to have a listen carefully to some of the tape contents which seems to have some 1950s? BBC radio band on which I hope to transfer off of the tape and upload it somewhere once I get this sorted properly.
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Old 22nd Mar 2020, 7:33 pm   #2
kalee20
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

When you put the joystick into Play, there should be two clicks. Releasing after just one, gives the symptoms you describe. The lever needs to go right to the end of its slot.

Then, pulling back part way, selects Rewind; pulling all the way back selects Stop.

Any help?
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Old 22nd Mar 2020, 8:06 pm   #3
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

Thanks for the help, looking at the machine it makes only one click being made by the stop mechanism lever moving into place, onto which the joystick presses against when selecting stop. The mechanism doesn't actually latch anywhere and I'm not sure where it is supposed to. I've photographed one part of the mechanism where it looks like it should be latching but there is nowhere for it to latch to when selecting play. First photo show it resting in play when selected, the second and third I am physically holding the lever all the way into play whilst taking the photos. the last photo shows it in stop where this lever mechanism pulls away from this area as can be seen in the photo.

I did try to look for some info, the only thing similar type I can find is the Brush BK411 which shares the same chassis for the mechanism but the latching arrangement is different as it also features an auto rewind mechanism which this unit does not have.
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Old 22nd Mar 2020, 8:39 pm   #4
kalee20
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

Either it's different from mine, or there's something wrong somewhere. Maybe a spring missing.

I'll try and take a few photos through the slots later, though may not be till Tuesday that I can post them up!
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Old 22nd Mar 2020, 9:06 pm   #5
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

That would be great if you could, it would certainly be of real help so I'd appreciate it! I suppose this is the trouble with these machines, there's a real lack of info around and this is definitely different to the US models so I can't use an American datasheet for the mechanism either. Is your model in the wooden case? My one is a portable which I believe was released slightly later.
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Old 23rd Mar 2020, 2:21 pm   #6
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

I've finally got somewhere with the mechanism. After more searching I found that the erase head was actually causing the mechanism to jam before it latches into play. Some bending of the latches on the erase head has now cured this and it now selects and locks into play correctly. Can anyone confirm if the mechanism locks into reverse at all? This one doesn't latch when selecting ff or reverse, I don't know if this is normal for this machine or not.
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Old 23rd Mar 2020, 2:40 pm   #7
kalee20
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

There are two reverses...

There's fast forward and fast reverse, you have to hold the lever in position.

And there's rewind, which you don't- but it can only be entered from Play (you pull the lever part way back). Rewind also mutes the sound, the others don't.

Erase head in mine is a permanent magnet, arranged to have several field reversals as the tape traverses it. The erase head lifts into position when you press the Record button, while moving the joystick into Play.

Glad you're getting somewhere though!
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Old 24th Mar 2020, 12:27 pm   #8
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

Thanks for confirming, the mechanism is now more or less working properly. It could do with some cleaning and relubrication but at least it is doing what it should now. Just the amp to go through next, I've already changed a lot of the wax caps but I'm waiting on a few more to arrive to change the last two.

Faults with the amp is no speaker O/P and very noisy/intermittent pots. I do however get an output from the aux out socket, although I don't know exactly where this is fed from having not had a look in too much detail. Hopefully today will bring some better results.

I'll also take some photos of this example when I get it on the bench, it's starting to come up nicely but it was absolutely caked in nicotine which I'm still struggling to get off!
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Old 24th Mar 2020, 1:49 pm   #9
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

Mine doesn't have an Aux Out socket! Though does have extension loudspeaker terminals (and a removeable link to silence the internal LS).

Mine is the wooden one, yes.

Amplifier... A bit curious! Dedicated valve as bias oscillator which is good. Output stage is 6SN7 double triode, with another 6SN7 as phase inverter (I'd have thought 6SL7 would have been better?). No negative feedback anywhere. But it works well all the same! And, power supply on separate chassis.
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Old 6th Apr 2020, 8:58 pm   #10
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Default Re: TP Soundmirror

I've finally managed to get some photos of the Soundmirror, not the best as I was in between moving it after testing, I'll take some better ones shortly.

After changing a lot of capacitors it is now working very well, it actually sounds quite good considering how early it is, I found a capacitor dated early 1950 so I think that dates it very well. The speaker is now working too, the connection between the coil and terminal wires had broken so some careful soldering close to the cone and some araldite to secure has worked wonders.

I've still some capacitors to change and then I need to play with the spool tensions on the mechanism as the full reel tends to over pull and then stop before the tape drags it back into motion causing some flutter. Once that's done I suppose a new belt would do it good and attempt to find that missing cover on the front of the tape path.
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