Akai VS-9500 (JVC HR-3320 / Ferguson 3V22)

[JornNL99]

Hi all, this is my first post in the forum

My name is Jorn, I'm from The Netherlands and I'm 25 years old. I've always had a huge interest for vintage electronics, especially TV's and VCR's. I don't have a lot of experience in repairing but I wanted to give it a try. Lately I've been working on one of the first VHS recorders that were available in Europe. It's an Akai VS-9500 from around 1979/80 and it's based off the JVC HR-3320 (correct me if I'm wrong) and it's the same as the Ferguson 3V22.

I expected the belts in the machine would be useless after all these years, so I already bought a new set of belts. The belts at the bottom side of the machine were indeed useless. They were all stretched out and hard. To be sure I changed the three belts at the top side of the mechanism also.

However, the machine still didn't respond to pressing the keys. The motor, take up spool and video head were spinning, but I didn't know why. I found out the cassette housing lamp didn't work and used a dashboard lamp to replace the old lamp. The machine still didn't respond to the keys so I tried to find out why all these parts were spinning. A friend told me it could be the unload switch. That switch has a leaf type actuator and it had bent, which caused the switch not being pressed, leaving the motor spinning continiously.

With all that being fixed it was time to test a tape for the first time. The tape loading went well but I had to hold the play key down because it didn't ''click''. I have the same issue with the fast forward key. Those keys are on the right side and in my machine they seem to stick out less than the keys on the left side, where the rewind key is and that one stays down. Maybe the machine has fallen in the past, causing something to bend? I've put some pics at the end of this post.

The latch part of the ff and play key levers seems worn and so does the slot in the plate in front of them. Does anyone know if this can be fixed?

[Refugee]

Those latch plates used to wear out before the heads.
You can sometimes get away with filing them back into shape.
Any more and the keys will bot latch down far enough.

[dj_fivos_sak]

Hello and welcome to the forum. I found this article from TV Magazine explaining how the piano key latching system works and what problems you might face with it. Your machine is a rebadged HR-3330E but there were 3 different variants of this chassis (referred to as MK1, 2 and 3 in the TV Mag), and the variant used usually depends on the production date of the machine. My HR-3330TR was made in July 1981 and uses the MK3 chassis with the FG generator board that sits over the capstan flywheel.

Regards

Fivos

[JornNL99]

Thank you for the document I'm sure it will be helpful.

First I want to find out why the keys on the right side aren't sticking as far out as the others. I think they don't make good enough contact with the latch plate because of that.

[Nickthedentist]

The author, Mike Phelan, is a member here, though doesn't post so much nowadays.

[JornNL99]

I got the machine out again last week and I think the problem didn't occur because of worn out latch plates. Although they look like they've had a lot of use, they lock in when I push the board behind the keys forward a bit. You can see it in the video below. So I think the steel rods on which the play and fast forward keys are fitted have bent, or some other part has bent pushing the keys a bit to the inside, causing the notch not falling into the latch plate correctly.

https://youtu.be/dSWWljHdxSQ

[Madcatz]

Was the machine shipped to you, or have you owned it all along? I ask because I have had a couple of these machines shipped to me in the past, on both occasions the piano key unit has suffered damage similar to your sticking out at one side problem. People wrap them up in a box and forget to protect those delicate piano keys.
Just as an extra check...try checking your tape counter belt for correct operation, a slack belt can make the machine click out of the function selected.

[JornNL99]

Yes, the machine was shipped to me indeed. The packaging was not the best, mostly paper. That will probably be the cause then. Did you manage to fix this? This weekend I will check the counter belt when I get the machine out again.

[Madcatz]

These machines always suffer this sort of damage in general courier transit. I managed to straighten one of my machines out, but the other one had to become a spares machine. As I remember...the job of stripping out the whole piano key unit and attempting to straighten out various plates was quite an undertaking and not one I would care to ever perform again. (Sure it would be easier doing open heart surgery...with a blindfold on) with a bit of luck you may find only a small amount of bending will save the day...but do check that counter belt before bending anything.

[JornNL99]

Do you remember how you got the piano key unit out? There are a few screws but I don't want to unscrew random parts. I have changed all the belts, including the counter belt, but will check it anyway!

[Madcatz]

Hi, i cant remember how they came out exactly, however i am away from my workshop on holiday at the moment. Once i return i will have a look at my notes. The Pulley on drum motor used to slip if the grub screw was loose...always worth a check...and be sure that no light is getting into the machine (put lid back on before testing or darken room)

[Madcatz]

Just done a quick Internet search and found that some of the rivets on the lever posts were a common weak point, can't imagine that would be helped if Postman Pat had a game of dropkick with your parcel...its the national sport of couriers in the UK.

[JornNL99]

Did a quick test with the machine last weekend. Got an older TV now to hook it up to. When I keep the play key pressed down, the machine works as it should. Very nice picture! The counter is working so I guess the belt is fine. I looked for the rivets on the lever posts but couldn't find them, where are they located exactly?

[Madcatz]

The rivets hold the levers to the main deck plate, they have a lot of pressure on them being used over and over for decades...they can just work loose.

[Madcatz]

Hi Jorn, Further to our PM, hope this helps.

[JornNL99]

Thank you! I was looking mostly at the upper side of the deck. I will look into it and post an update

[JornNL99]

I checked the rivets and compared the images to my machine, but I can't find any differences. So I think the issue is the key unit although I don't see anything bent there. I have uploaded another top view image, maybe anyone can see something I don't. When I push the key unit forward a bit at the side where the arrow is, the play and ff keys do latch correctly. Maybe bending the plate at the back of the key unit can solve it, but I don't really have an idea how and I don't want to damage the machine.

[HurtyAC]

We need a photo of the key latch looking along the keys left to right and a view of the square of the latching plate. These will have worn and are usually fixed by using a small needle file to square the edge of the key and locking plate. Not too much so don't go mad. It is the Play key edge that will have worn. The others will be perfect.

[Studio263]

Originally Posted by Madcatz

Hi Jorn, Further to our PM, hope this helps.

What that wants is a proper belt instead of an elastic band. You can use o-ring cord to make one if the originals aren't available.

[JornNL99]

Originally Posted by HurtyAC

We need a photo of the key latch looking along the keys left to right and a view of the square of the latching plate. These will have worn and are usually fixed by using a small needle file to square the edge of the key and locking plate. Not too much so don't go mad. It is the Play key edge that will have worn. The others will be perfect.

This worked! Thank you I was thinking that, because of the play and ff keys not sticking out that far, the key edge and the latching plate would be too far apart for the key edge to fall in correctly. But the file trick did the job. I started carefully but had to file quite a bit for it to work 100% correctly. The machine would latch fine but not at the second try. So I did file a bit more until the machine latched correctly 5 test runs in a row. I will post a before and after pic of the latch plate later.

Now I want to fix the things that weren't a priority first. Some of the glue of the panel on the cassette lift and of the front panel near the clock is gone and the clock itself isn't working correctly. The segments are mostly fine, only one of the dots is missing. But when I set the clock on 15:00 for example, it will stay on 15:00. I used the manual to set the clock but still can't get it running.