Sanyo 5000 Chuffed

[nigelr2000]

After reading thing on here I idly did a search for Sanyo 5000 as I did a lot of repairs to them in the day and was amazed what they can fetch now. I then spotted one for £22.95 including post listed as untested with non UK plug. A quick look at the pictures revealed a 2 pin extension plug like you used to get on mowers so I took a chance and bought it.
Once it got here I stripped it and replaced the Idler drive belt just to try then cleaned the heads checked the reels were free to turn and loaded up without a tape in and to my amazement it all worked so in with a test test.
I got pictures and sound though with lots of comets. After a short while they cleared and it looked quite passable so I pulled it apart again, replaced the idler tyre and lubed up the reels and pinch roller and changed the loading belt.
The only other issue was that 3 of the buttons were missing from the clock set area, I fired up the 3D software and made up a prototype which nearly fitted, changed a couple of dimensions and printed 3 up and they fit and work.
I might have to buy more of them now!! it was fun working on one again.
Pic is a recording made tonight on it, pretty passable for it's age. The other one is replacement buttons.

I have one issue left to cure, if you use reverse search it runs ok for a short while but leaves a crease in the tape which shows on the picture when you go forward again. Anyone know what to look for here?

[mark pirate]

Looks good, I picked up one of these from a boot sale a couple of years ago for a fiver with over 30 tapes

It needed a good clean, but works well with good heads. It just needs a belt kit to make it perfect.
It was stored away since the mid 80's when the seller got a VHS machine, the tapes turned out to be a goldmine of early 80's TV shows, well worth the money for the tapes alone!

Mark

[nigelr2000]

Lucky find Mark, all the tapes I have contained BBC1 F1 coverage and bond movies but the adverts were entertaining

[ben]

Well done!
The creasing may be down to a slightly hard pinch roller, also check it is true /parallel on its bracket.
The comet tails on many Sanyos were noisy spool motor, if you cannot find a replacement then some careful disassembly and cleaning of the contacts on the rotor/armature may solve it. I have done this on other motors but not a Sanyo, so no idea how feasible it is.

[TIMTAPE]

Originally Posted by nigelr2000

I have one issue left to cure, if you use reverse search it runs ok for a short while but leaves a crease in the tape which shows on the picture when you go forward again. Anyone know what to look for here?

I'd watch the tape carefully as it reverses to see where the tape is getting damaged and why. It may be at the capstan and pinch roller area. On the Sanyo's I have it's difficult to access and clean the capstan shaft. Even seeing it clearly is not easy. I remove the bottom cover to allow hand rotating of the capstan motor for cleaning. Similarly for the pinch roller once engaged but at least it's accessible in stop mode.

Ed: Ben and I overlapped. Agree with Ben. I cleaned/polished the reel motor's commutator on one of my Sanyo's only a few weeks ago with a thin strip of 1000 carborundum paper cut to just under the width of the comm.

[dj_fivos_sak]

Nice. This was the first Betamax I got in 2014. Now I have 9 Beta VCRs including my latest acquisition, a VTC 5550, which is the same as the 5000 but also includes SECAM rec/playback, woodgrain cabinet and operates on 110-240V. Both of them need belts and the idler tyre as they are really weak on rewind/fast forward.

Fivos

[andrewferguson]

Wow, I never knew there was a VTC500-style model in woodgrain! The VTC500-style machines have always been one of my favourite betamax machines looks-wise (sadly all I have is a broken Sony SL-C5).

PALsite (what I use when looking up betamax VCRs) don't have the 5550 listed. Perhaps you should let them know about it?

[dj_fivos_sak]

Sanyo made some models for the Middle Eastern market which had the woodgrain finish. I also have a 5350 (see picture), which is the PAL/SECAM version of the 5300 and has the woodgrain finish too. They are kind of rare machines. PALsite lists the 5350 but has no info about it, even after I sent them an email. The american models VCR 4000, 4200 and 4300 also have the same finish.
http://www.betamaxcollectors.com/san...model4300.html

Fivos

[julie_m]

That one seems to have an AM/PM clock, too. Very unusual in a VCR!

[Sanbeta]

Originally Posted by julie_m

That one seems to have an AM/PM clock, too. Very unusual in a VCR!

Yes, usually the Australian versions have AM/PM. You can change from one to the other by removal or addition of a diode to that panel.
The VTC was perhaps THE most popular Beta (if not actual) vcr out there. No doubt the price had a lot to do with it ,but small issues aside, it was a great reliable vcr with phenomenal head life too.

[Sanbeta]

Originally Posted by nigelr2000

After reading thing on here I idly did a search for Sanyo 5000 as I did a lot of repairs to them in the day and was amazed what they can fetch now. I then spotted one for £22.95 including post listed as untested with non UK plug. A quick look at the pictures revealed a 2 pin extension plug like you used to get on mowers so I took a chance and bought it.
Once it got here I stripped it and replaced the Idler drive belt just to try then cleaned the heads checked the reels were free to turn and loaded up without a tape in and to my amazement it all worked so in with a test test.
I got pictures and sound though with lots of comets. After a short while they cleared and it looked quite passable so I pulled it apart again, replaced the idler tyre and lubed up the reels and pinch roller and changed the loading belt.
The only other issue was that 3 of the buttons were missing from the clock set area, I fired up the 3D software and made up a prototype which nearly fitted, changed a couple of dimensions and printed 3 up and they fit and work.
I might have to buy more of them now!! it was fun working on one again.
Pic is a recording made tonight on it, pretty passable for it's age. The other one is replacement buttons.

I have one issue left to cure, if you use reverse search it runs ok for a short while but leaves a crease in the tape which shows on the picture when you go forward again. Anyone know what to look for here?

Your creasing in reverse search IS down to either a shiny pinch roller, Slight wear to the capstan shaft (you can feel a light groove with your thumb), or even the one way clutch under the left spool needs a tiny drop of oil. It should spin freely when you flick it around with your finger. They sometimes lock up if the vcr has been left for many years without use. As so many have now.
If the crease is like a diagonal one across the tape it's the pinch roller area. If it's along the edge it's that area or a tape guide needs a tiny adjustment but only as a last resort.
You can also adjust slightly the pressure the pinch roller put's to the tape by moving the pinch roller top bracket.
The tape should look even and flat either in forward or reverse directions in ALL tape modes. If it seems slightly taught or not totally flat then check the other areas mentioned.

The reel motors can be opened up and cleaned and the brush level checked. Sometimes these have abnormal pressure to them making deep grooves to the commutator area. Not good as it can cause flat spots to this if too low.As well as removing brush debris .There is also a bottom and upper bearing that a tiny spot of oil help s greatly too. Tiny that is though like on a small flat blade screwdriver head.
Don't forget to check the clock caps in the PSU and for the correct 9.8 volts in STANDBY mode only.

.....Kevin

[Sanbeta]

Originally Posted by TIMTAPE

I'd watch the tape carefully as it reverses to see where the tape is getting damaged and why. It may be at the capstan and pinch roller area. On the Sanyo's I have it's difficult to access and clean the capstan shaft. Even seeing it clearly is not easy. I remove the bottom cover to allow hand rotating of the capstan motor for cleaning. Similarly for the pinch roller once engaged but at least it's accessible in stop mode.

Ed: Ben and I overlapped. Agree with Ben. I cleaned/polished the reel motor's commutator on one of my Sanyo's only a few weeks ago with a thin strip of 1000 carborundum paper cut to just under the width of the comm.

You need to remove the capstan and on the VTC5000 and other models that unlace is a lot easier than on their earlier VTC 53/400 versions.
I do this on ALL the ones that come my way.
New belt's and maybe rubber idler just doesn't cut it with these now ,especially after 30 odd years. Not if you want it to last for many more.

[TIMTAPE]

Thanks. It reminds me that in frustration I did remove the entire capstan motor assy on my recently acquired M20 and it made inspection/cleaning so much easier. A shame though that it should need to come to that. I'm used to tape recorders where cleaning the capstan shaft can be a daily routine.

[Sanbeta]

Exactly and if the jobs worth doing, it's worth doing thoroughly.

Was the M20 you acquired the one recently on E-Bay where it wouldn't accept a tape?

Just wondering.

[TIMTAPE]

No it was a local here in Western Australia. Not working but turned out to be the usual belts, clean and oil. My other Sanyo Beta is a 6500.

[nigelr2000]

Thanks for the pointers I have a crammed weekend but will have another play next week and report my findings. The comets have gone so perhaps the motor needed to run for a while.