Grundig Stenorette 2000 Tape Access Door

[DMcMahon]

How does one open the tape access door, does it need to be powered up for this ?

David

[DMcMahon]

After a large number of attempts managed to get the tape cassette door open. Pushing the sprung loaded black operating knob upwards to the CASS position makes the tape door spring open. Previously tried this many times without success, so the door operating mechanism must have been jammed somehow, currently working reliably.

Inside was a Grundig steno-cassette 30 (dimensions 64 x 45 x 10 mm), a cassette smaller than a standard music compact cassette but larger than a Microcassette, this steno cassette cannot be flipped over and runs for 30 minutes.

Fitted batteries and Play, Rewind and Pause all mechanically work good, there is no Fast Forward wind.

No sound on Playback apart from motor noise which may be not be on the tape maybe just is mechanical noise.

Tried a test recording using the internal microphone but once again no sound on Playback. The red LED to the right side of the red Record button is not lighting when the record button is pushed in, so looks like Record mode is not being selected, the schematic shows that Play/Record switch contact 17 switching to contact 15 (ground) should illuminate the LED and I think it also enables the Bias Oscillator.

So need to strip it down to investigate, first port of call will be Play/Record switch cleaning.

David

[DMcMahon]

Got inside and found a disconnected red wire which goes to the Record LED, need to work out where the wire connects to, looks like it may have been in a bundle of wires some of which go to a switch behind the Record button.

David

[DMcMahon]

Worked out the red wire connects to + side of C21 (470uF) at the On/Off switch, while refitting this found another broken wire, at the same switch assembly, a tiny white core of a screen cable so reconnected that as well.

When I first opened it up the PCB flopped out, there is a missing tiny nut that secures the PCB to a tiny post, looks like someone has previously been inside I would say.

Re-assembled and the Record LED now works fine. But now there is a loud oscillation noise during Playback and louder oscillation noise when record is selected.

Also now the tape is struggling to Play and Rewind, this was working fine before, although I did notice that the drive belt looks quite slack.

So as often is the case 1 step forward but 2 steps back

So will go back inside, everything is very small and delicate so not easy to work on.

David

[DMcMahon]

Did 3 things, one or more appear to have fixed the loud oscillation noise, namely cleaned the Play/Record Switch, resoldered 2 cable screens that had come away from a contact on top of the Play/Record switch and resoldered several very dodgy looking soldered joints on the board.

Now have playback sound, can hear some old recordings, not great quality and speed is varying a lot, I think the speed issue is the slack drive belt. Recording also works but once again varying speed. Need to find a suitable replacement belt.

David

Update

The white cored screened cable found disconnected at Post above goes to the microphone which also doubles as a speaker, so this explains the lack of any sound originally.

Noisy motor fixed with a tiny drop of oil on its shaft.

[Uncle Bulgaria]

What better time to reference the track 'Stenorette 2000' by Stan's Cafe.

It all looks pretty clean inside, and you seem to have been able to track down all the faults so far. I'm sure a new belt will make a world of difference.

[DMcMahon]

First time I have actually heard the track, I think I remember it being referenced fairly recently in the Delia Derbyshire Thread.

Yes generally it is in very good condition.

David

[Uncle Bulgaria]

That was probably me as well David! I think I heard it on Late Junction years ago, and love the peculiar crossovers such as 'alternative' music and the actual name of a device someone wishes to resurrect.

As ever, your 'diary' threads are very informative as well as a good read, and, I have no doubt, jolly handy to anyone in the future who's going to come across them looking for information. How you manage to get through so many tape recorders I don't know!

[DMcMahon]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bulgaria

How you manage to get through so many tape recorders I don't know!

Unfortunately many of them are waiting in the wings to either start or progress when can find spare time and sometimes inspiration.

David

[DMcMahon]

Fitted a replacement drive belt, thicker than original but should be OK. Tape drive now working fine.

Not yet found a replacement tiny nut for the PCB clamp down so temporally holding it down with tape.

Re-assembled but would then not power up. Took apart again and found a black wire broken off at the base of the battery holder there are two 3 way sockets there but not obvious where the wire should connect. Traced the wire back and it connects to the metal cover over the capstan motor and appears to be the main ground connection point.

The battery -ve connects out via a black wire to one pin of one of the two 3 pin sockets and there is no other connection there, so the broken black wire must also connect there to connect the battery -ve to the unit ground. The broken wire was very tight and after soldering it back, it soon broke off again while moving the battery holder during re-assembly. So lengthened the black wire with a short blue wire.


Re-assembled but then the tape would not move, took apart again (impossible to see the drive belt/flywheel without taking apart and hinging back the PCB) but when opened up the tape drive worked fine. There are a couple of screened cables that drape across under the PCB that potentially could foul the flywheel so tried taping these down.

Re-assembled and now will not switch on getting a bit tedious now.

David