Panasonic FS100 Problem (static brush?)

[Rennie93]

Hello all,

I have a lovely FS100 from a second hand dealer but the picture was breaking up.

I cleaned the heads and after doing some research/getting kind advice from forums I then cleaned underneath what I believe is called the "static brush" on the top of the head drum and everything was good again. Picture was excellent for a few months.

Today I tried the machine and the problem has come back. I've tried cleaning again but no joy. The machine makes a characteristic "switching" noise near the drum as it did before.

I've uploaded a clip of it here : https://youtu.be/V1Q4JN8PiE4

Here is an older clip of the problem when it first occured : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXp3K5cEx9s which also shows the resulting distorted picture.

Does anybody have any tips on how I can properly diagnose and fix this? Could it be a faulty brush? Can they be replaced? Any other thoughts on what I could rule out? I am very inexperienced with this sort of thing but keen to learn.

many thanks for all your help,

r

[Vauxfan2k]

Hi,

I have 2 of these machines and a 3rd on the way.

I haven't had any problems with the fs100's I have but I have a fs200 that was doing exactly this. Fraid it's not good news as it's the lower drum servo motor starting to fail. Youl either need a new lower drum or a complete unit from a donor machine (easiest way as it's only a few screws to remove and replace)

These machines don't come up very often and when working fully demand a decent price.
Maybe keep an eye on the auction sites for a donor machine that doesn't power up, but then no guarantees the heads are any better.

I have a spare complete unit that is really good but because I have 12 of these panasonics that use these heads I'm reluctant to sell them.

Ian on here may have a lower drum on its own but tbh it's not a job you'd want to tackle yourself.

Either he or I could do it for you, but you're looking at the cost of postage both ways aswell as whatever you end up paying for heads. (I'd imagine another machine would be cheaper)

If I were you and a bit brave, you could take off the static brush, undo the 3 torx screws, undo the fiddly cursed circlip, remove the top drum and use light oil to lubricate the shaft. It will buy you a few more uses.

Cheers

Steve

[Rennie93]

Many thanks for your reply.

Sounds like it might be kaput then. I might have a go at removing the top drum though. Is it do-able for a complete novice such as myself?

I've also got an FS200 - not quite in as good condition though. HIFI audio doesn't work and the picture is "ok" but not great (has intermittent drop out/speckled line which appears in the same place of the picture). Also an odd smell - perhaps something has broken hence the HIFI audio issue.

It does have a TBC though so I guess trying to move the video head out of this to the FS100 would be silly?

I'll keep my eyes open for another machine but like you say they are surprisingly expensive! I saw a "good quality" fs200 for nearly 400 euros recently. There are obviously no guarantees though.

As a matter of interest, it sounds like you do maintenance work on other peoples machines?

[Vauxfan2k]

I've done a couple in the past, mostly belts and idlers. The only things I don't really do is capacitors or soldering work, mainly because I don't have the gear and space to do so.

The problem you are describing on the fs200 sounds like the video pcb or the tbc module, and as you say the hifi isn't working. You could change the heads over as a process of elimination for the lines and dropnout on those heads. And if the fs100 is in better condition then it makes sense to try.

I much prefer the fs100 for playback and recording with, have 2 fs200's and as I said 2 with a 3rd on the way fs100. I don't see what all the hype about the fs200 is.

To remove the head unit in one go follow these steps.

Remove the top cover and bottom plate.

Undo the 2 connectors for the head amp and the lower drum motor. Undo the 2 screws holding the head amp in and remove it.

Remove the static brush (1 screw)

Now flip the machine over carefully, look at the base of the drum motor and note the 3 machine screws. You need to remove these but support the heads from below as they will drop to the floor or your knee if you don't. (Use a lint free cloth)

The unit will be ready to remove.

Reverse for fitting making sure the holes are correctly aligned.

Youl obviously need to do this twice if you want both machines to remain complete. But be aware you may need to swap back if your drop out problem still exists when the heads are in the fs100. Fairly confident it should be ok.

Good luck!

[IanNVJ35]

Just looked at the videos and it may be that the head is getting a very rough servo signal - could be the capacitors in the PSU. I had this with a J35 - strange bangs and grating sounds and no picture, but it was the capacitors in the PSU.

It may be worth changing all the secondary capacitors before condemning the deck - just a thought.

[John123]

Yes the head is not running at the correct speed so one of the phases is off. Possibly PSU caps or the problem is local to the drum motor (motor driver IC or bad caps). Check areas for dry solder joints first before swapping out any components.

[Rennie93]

Thanks for all your suggestions chaps.

[HamishBoxer]

Yes as stated power supply caps give very odd faults.All caps on secondary worth changing
and only if fitted the 1uf on primary side.

[IanNVJ35]

Did you manage to get anywhere with this?