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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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12th Jun 2020, 10:27 am | #1 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
After my experiences (good and bad) repairing my friends 4000 I thought it would be good to get one myself, so just brought one, quite cheap so if I can get it going properly, it will be a good buy.
It is a later model with the brown casing and all Perspex lid, with its original leather carrying case and strap (both well used). Ex BBC so has had the tape speed fixed to a single speed, should be 7.5 ips There is a blanking panel over the tape speed selection switch, so I assume the switch shaft has been cut off, it maybe possible to undo the modification later but in the meantime am happy as long as the fixed/set speed is 7.5 Reasonable condition, was sold as not working, with comment that after a clean up after leaking batteries it would no longer power up. The battery box area is still in a bad way so have removed for a proper clean up. No sign of the battery leak having got to the electronics underneath. The main drive belt from the motor has gone with gooey remnants stuck to the 2 pulleys, initial attempt to remove the belt remnants got my hands covered in sticky horrible mess, amazing how much mess a small amount of belt material can generate, I will wear gloves on next attempt. |
12th Jun 2020, 10:11 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase
Spent quite a time cleaning the remnants of very sticky belt from the 2 pulleys, very difficult to get the sticky mess completely off the small pulleys, IPA & meths struggled to clean well (did not want to use anything stronger). For the motor pulley had to lift up the motor to access the pulley better, as per photo 1.
I was wondering what had become of the rest of the belt as there was no obvious sign of it. I can now see it (3 black sections) stuck to the circuit board as per photo attachment 2, almost looking like black wires. Found that the previous battery leak had to some extent made its way to the PSU board below and stained a bunch of black earth wires and the soldering to them, so cleaned up, one wire broke off as per photo 3. Did some general cleaning including the heads (which look OK to me) as per photo 4, even though unit generally clean looking a lot of dirt came off it. See that this unit has 2 start switches unlike the single switch I was used to, as per photo 5. I think this maybe is a modification to power the motor drive because of the BBC fixed speed modification. Still to tackle the battery compartment battery leak damage. |
13th Jun 2020, 3:33 pm | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 870
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Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase
That should read Report Monitor. My experience of BBC "modified" Uhers is that a more apprpriate adjective would be "butchered".
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13th Jun 2020, 4:05 pm | #4 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase
Yes that was a silly typo error, can one of the Moderators please correct the Thread title.
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14th Jun 2020, 9:59 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Spent quite some time removing the drive belt pieces from the PCB, difficult as any attempt to remove bits/clean only initially spread the mess over the small components.
Powered up from external power supply (battery box still removed for cleaning). Powered up OK and motor runs when Play, Fast Forward (FFD) & Rewind (RWD) selected. Meter illumination & Record LED work. With 5" tape loaded FFD & RWD basically work but at times struggles a little particularly in RWD when a lot of tape on the Supply spool. Does not seem to be mechanical in nature but look like the motor is struggling. I remember when working on the 4000 before, that the motor is not that powerful, more checks required on this. Cannot check Play as do not yet have a suitable replacement drive belt. The tape counter did not work at all, removed and found it gummed up with old dried up oil/grease, so gave it a good clean, looks like it may be OK now, need to refit and try again. Next will inject in test signal from signal generator to see if the record amp works and maybe get some sound out. |
14th Jun 2020, 12:01 pm | #6 |
Octode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Lund, Sweden
Posts: 1,632
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Doesn't the speed selector lift the motor from the flywheel rubber rim or something like that when in the 'off' possition, if so, don't the modified machines get a dent in the rubber if left unused for a long time (possibly not an issue when in daily use at the BBC?)?
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14th Jun 2020, 1:26 pm | #7 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Yes I did wonder about that myself. I must check it out.
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14th Jun 2020, 10:16 pm | #8 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Quote:
Last edited by DMcMahon; 14th Jun 2020 at 10:22 pm. |
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14th Jun 2020, 10:41 pm | #9 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Checked out the Record amp and audio monitoring all OK using signal generator input. The Tone control operation is quite noisy/scratchy, will check out the pot to see if an opening to spray contact cleaner inside.
After cleaning, the tape counter is now working. After reasonable FWD & RWD operation yesterday, today both are struggling , can now see that the fast wind drive belt is somewhat slack and slipping on the pulleys, hopefully new belt will remedy that. Checked out the Speed change shaft, it has been cut off/butchered, it looks like it is pinned, so I wonder if the original shaft part can be obtained and fitted. if the unit turns out to be a reasonable runner, then will look into more what needs to be done to undo the fixed speed modification. |
15th Jun 2020, 12:35 pm | #10 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 870
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
In my experience of the BBC-modified Uher Report monitors, in one case at least, they not only sawed off the selector knob shaft but also removed a plastic widget which faciltates the movement of the speed changer - have a look at the picture. If that plastic part on the left of the photo is missing you have no chance of rehabilitating the speed changer without buying another machine for spares.
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15th Jun 2020, 3:14 pm | #11 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
I think I may have that piece thank you barretter.
In photo 1 there is another white piece, that is different. Also can just see a brass shaft sticking up that I think is the widget in question. Nearly impossible to see (cannot get meaningful photo) but I can see a white piece (that I think the brass shaft connects to) that has teeth that a small white plastic gear (I think driven by the speed control shaft) meshes with. Have a look at photos 2 and 3, do you think it could be a broken section of the widget ? This part fell out of "David001"s 4000 and FWD/RWD no longer work but Play still does. David |
15th Jun 2020, 5:11 pm | #12 |
Hexode
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, UK.
Posts: 329
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Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase
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15th Jun 2020, 6:04 pm | #13 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 870
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
I don't think it is but I've no idea where it might come from. If David's speed-change still works, presumably it can't be part of that. Here are some "naked" pictures of the speed-change mechanism! Maybe somebody else has the answer.
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16th Jun 2020, 12:07 am | #14 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Yes I thought it unlikely that David's part was from the speed change mechanism because he said Play was still working (I assume the tape speed could also could be changed) but as I cannot see where his part can be from and am not really familiar with the speed change hardware, wondered if it could be the widget in question.
I cannot easily see the widget in your latest 2 photos, is it there ? In the second photo, is that with the control shaft cut off ? |
16th Jun 2020, 12:10 am | #15 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 870
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Quote:
As to getting the speed change in your purchase to work again I'm afraid you won't find anybody who can sell you a new mechanism ; and the shaft has probably been cut too short for a Uher knob to fit onto it. You can probably change the speed with a pair of pliers but if you want to restore the appearance you would need to buy a fixer machine and transfer the speed control and knob from it into your purchase. This is very fiddly. |
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16th Jun 2020, 12:18 am | #16 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 6,600
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Will have to find out from David001 if when he said Play still worked, did it also change speeds OK.
What is the little pin for (first photo in Post # 10), at the base of the cut off shaft ? |
16th Jun 2020, 8:18 am | #17 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
Location: Worthing, West Sussex, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Tested ALC (Automatic Level Control) recording level all OK, so the BBC modification of disabling ALC has not been implemented on this unit.
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16th Jun 2020, 8:29 am | #18 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Todmorden, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 870
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
Quote:
Yes the second photo shows the cut-off control shaft. Yours looks much the same so you won't be able to fit a Uher knob to it. Last edited by barretter; 16th Jun 2020 at 8:30 am. Reason: Typing error |
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16th Jun 2020, 8:39 am | #19 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Apr 2019
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Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase
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16th Jun 2020, 9:15 am | #20 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Kington, Herefordshire, UK.
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Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase
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