SONY VO-2630 U-matic Video Cassette Recorder

[monaro0162]

I have just acquired this Sony VO-2630 U-Matic video cassette recorder from the ‘70’s I believe.

For a couple of years I’ve been having fun restoring audio reel-to-reel recorders as part of a project of mine to re-create the exact hi-fi system that my Dad had in the ‘70’s, a system that I enjoyed a lot and probably used it more than my Dad did. That re-creation is pretty much complete now.

For some time I’ve been thinking about getting a reel-to-reel video as a way of progressing the hobby into Video. I work in the electronics industry as a manufacturing engineer but I have no experience in video other than using VHS as a consumer up until around the year 2000.

Finding a suitable Sony or AKAI VTR proved difficult as they were rare in the day, and even rarer now, and those in working condition seem very expensive.
So this appeared on a certain website, and it seemed rude not to put a bid in. I got it for the price of a couple of rounds of drinks at the pub, and it’s now sitting on my desk. I believe that it was the first video cassette recorder aimed at the domestic market. So this a nice example of a milestone to go in my collection. I was surprised to find that it is stereo, runs a 3.75ips I believe. It’s a huge beast, very heavy and built like a tank.

It seems to be in good condition and allegedly worked when last used a year or so ago. I haven’t got a tape yet, I’ve run audio through it which seems fine, the motor is quite noisy though. It doesn’t have the RF modulator fitted, although that shouldn’t be too difficult to rig up a replacement. For a monitor I have a small Sony CRT colour television from the late 90s which I’m intending to use.

I love AV kit from this era and in retrospect the format wars of the 1970s was fascinating, I’ve been aware of u-matic for ever but never seen one until now. So this is going to be an interesting project. Any advice on the beast and how to service and maintain it would be appreciated.

[collisr]

Nice machine. I too wanted a u-matic but managed to find a NOS VP9000 which I believe is one of the last models.

I found 12voltvids YT effort quite useful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhcda8nlPEA

Be interested on how you get on.

Rob

[monaro0162]

Believe that there are two sizes of u-matic cassette.
Would Sony KCA-60BRS suit my machine?

[dj_fivos_sak]

Nice find. Does it use CX136A, CX145 and CX832 ICs for the chroma process? The tape you mentioned will work fine.

Fivos

[Graham G3ZVT]

The U-Matic format was aimed at semi-professional and professional market, it wasn't really a domestic format.
There was also a High Band U-Matic format.

[dj_fivos_sak]

And umatic SP later on.

[monaro0162]

The U-matic doesn't have a tuner, nor does it have the rf modulator, so to test the video path I need to use composite video. Here's the composite video source lash up made up from various bits of old av kit that I knew would come in useful one day

I used a Goodmans set top box to decode digital tv and send it out via scart to the Lower VHS VCR a Sony SLV-SE800. The SLV then sends out the picture via UHF which feeds into a Panasonic NV-870. The NV converts RF to composite video out, which connects to composite video in, on the U-matic. Composite video out from the U-matic then goes to the Sony TV which accepts composite video in. Stupidly complex, but due to the limitations of the various i/o connections available on the VCR's, it is the only way I can generate composite video at the moment. After a lot of fiddling about, I now have a nice stable picture (and sound) from the U-matic on the TV.

(Incidentally, the NV870 was another recent purchase from a boot sale, for £1. Back in the day I bought a new NV-830B specifically as it was one of the first VCR's with the HiFi stereo system. As soon as I saw this one at the boot sale, I recognised the logos on the front panel, so bought it for nostalgic reasons. Amazingly it works, but needs work. Another project ... )

First thing to do on the U-matic is fix the motor as it is very noisy. The speed sounds constant but it makes a rubbing / scraping noise. I think it is the motor, may be the noise could be coming from somewhere else?

dj_fivos - re the IC's for the Chroma process, I will have a look at the IC's on the PCB. What is the relevance of your question? (I'm a complete novice to video)

[cmjones01]

The Goodmans box will be generating a perfectly good composite video signal on its SCART output. All you need is an appropriate cable, not a pair of VCRs!

Chris

[monaro0162]

Ah that's good to know, it's years since I've used scart. I don't have the correct cable, so I cobbled the videos together just to confirm that the U-matic will pass video. I'll get the soldering iron out tomorrow

[dj_fivos_sak]

Just checked the service manual for the VO-2630 and indeed the chroma chips are the ones I mentioned. I was just curious because all of the late 70s-early 80s Betamax machines seem to use the same IC chips as the U-matic machines of the same era. That includes the early Sanyo models like the VTC 9100-9455 and some others. BTW, I really like that NV-870.

Fivos

[cheerfulcharlie]

Originally Posted by monaro0162

Believe that there are two sizes of u-matic cassette.
Would Sony KCA-60BRS suit my machine?

The early tapes (KCAs I think) had transparent brown or ivory cases..... a lot of them are 'sticky' these days and just lumber along in RWD/FFWD ..if your lucky.. if your not they just will not run properly at all..so don't condemn the machine mechanics first if that is the tape you have.but obviously you will want to try them if there is something rare from the distant past that might be on there.

The later tapes (KCS-BRS) are in grey cases with black tape they are available in small case 20 mins versions or standard case 60 mins..both will work in your machine and are a better bet.

You may come across tapes with 'SP' in the name...these are for the later high band players, these will also play in your machine but only in B/W with artifacts- but they will record in low band... however it's not recommended you use these over a long period as the tape formulation could wear your early heads excessively.

[Welsh Anorak]

Hi
If you need any tapes I have a few later ones that are used once and are in good condition that I doubt I'll ever use. PM me if you need any.

[Vintage Engr]

Nice solid clunky old machine.
I remember these when they were first introduced, an improvement on the earlier 1800 series. I must have serviced hundreds of them.

Make sure that the belts & pullies are clean. Likewise the heads & tape path. Not much goes wrong with them apart from general wear & tear. If at some point you are unlucky enough to find you have an intermittent transport fault, it is likely to be poor soldered joints on the syscon board.
This range of models used double-sided pcb's which did not utilize plated-through-hole technology.
Instead they used small roll-pins, which didn't solder very well. Over time they become very intermittent. They can be re-soldered, but the Sony official mod was to hard wire across the offending tracks.
Have fun with it, I used to have one of these, but I took it & all the spares over to the Vintage Wireless Museum over 20 years ago.

I may still have the odd belt if you should need it.

David.

[Retrotechie]

I also have one of these in these buried in the shed-I haven’t powered it up for about 18 years but it was working when stored-I used to record off air on it.
There was an optional RF tuner out module (but not RF in).
I have a brand new head for it somewhere, as well as some other spares.
There was a player only model, VO-2130 I think.

I recently saw an older VO-1810 model advertised on the web, which I was tempted by, however, space is always the challenge.

[monaro0162]

I made a cable to feed composite video and audio straight into the VO-2630 from the set top box scart, all working fine. I've ordered a couple of 60 minute u-matic tapes, hopefully they will arrive before the weekend and we'll see if this thing works. Thanks to all for the advice, and offers of spare bits, will keep you updated.

[monaro0162]

The tapes arrived so I tried the first one in the machine:

It loaded ok, and seemed to wrap the tape around the head, and I was able to eject it a couple of times. But now, the tape has loaded, but it seems that the tape is no longer attempting to wrap around the head. Previously the standby light would light up during the process, now it doesn't, and the tape will not eject. The Rewind light seems to be stuck on now as well. The head is spinning and pressing the stop button causes the head to spin down, but I'm still unable to eject the cassette. It seems like a relay or mechanical latch might be sticking somewhere?

[monaro0162]

I managed to unwind the tape back into the cassette by manually turning the motor that drives the loading mechanism, and turning the take up reel as well. The cassette then ejected when requested to do so.

It seems to have had a problem with the buttons and logic, as after I got the cassette out, the REW light was permanently on. On removing the button panel and moving it around a bit the FFWD light was then permanently on. I cleaned and re-seated most of the pcb cable connectors, then found that the mechanics were running, but there were no lights on the front panel at all! One of the fuses in psu had blown, so I replaced it, and the machine is (almost) working:

It loads a cassette, threads a tape and partially loops it, loops around the head drum and plays the tape, then will un-loop the tape and eject the cassette, all good.

Except that FFWD and REW are inoperative. When the buttons are pressed, the lights light up, one of the relays clunks, and the head spins up, but the tape doesn't attempt to unload and fast forward or rewind. The motor to the right of the head drum, that runs during play mode, doesn't run.

Any help on the cause of the problem would be appreciated.

[dj_fivos_sak]

AFAIK, the u-matic system uses a light bulb for the tape sensors just like VHS machines of up to the early 80s. Can you see the light shining through the tape?

[cheerfulcharlie]

Just remembered after dj Fivos Sak's post....that the machine can get a bit confused if the cover is left off (letting in light) while your trying to operate it.

[Refugee]

Have you checked the belt on the loading motor?
On VHS machines the loading motor runs on for a while until it times out and then the machine unloads again. If you cover the tape sensors the guides will "load" without a tape in there as they have less weight to pull if the belt is not too far gone.