SONY VO-2630 U-matic Video Cassette Recorder - Page 3 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

peterpixel · 1st Apr 2018, 8:36 pm

As far as I can accertain there were a number of versions of the system control boards.In earlier machines,s/n 10,001 to 14,900,there were 3 boards fitted together.These were sy-5-1,sy-35,sy-33 and a jumper board.The sy-33 is the small board in post# 39.It appears that sometime after s/n 14,900 these boards were combined into one making the sy-47 board.The next s/n block I have, 40,001 and higher, shows the sy-47-2 fitted.A very similar machine is the VO 2631 and this uses a sy-47,so as you can see these machines were going through constant development.I hope this has clarified things a bit.Peter.

monaro0162 · 1st Apr 2018, 10:01 pm

peterpixel my machine has a later serial number 41283 and uses the combined SY-47-2 control PCB. Would you know the lifespan of the VO-2630, and approximately what year my machine was built?

peterpixel · 2nd Apr 2018, 4:09 pm

Hi monaro0162,I have found a reference in the SMPTE journal about the introduction of the VO2630 in the USA dated February 1979 and think they were introduced here in the late seventies so that tallies.As far as the lifespan goes they were replaced by the 5630 in the early to mid eighties and in fact I have a Sony price list dated 1985 showing the 5630 but not the 2630.I suppose your machine must then fall between those dates.It may seem odd jumping from series 2 to series 5 but there were series 3 and 4. These were battery portables namely the VO3800 and VO4800.Peter.

1st Apr 2018, 8:36 pm	#41
peterpixel Pentode Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 210	Re: SONY VO-2630 U-matic Video Cassette Recorder As far as I can accertain there were a number of versions of the system control boards.In earlier machines,s/n 10,001 to 14,900,there were 3 boards fitted together.These were sy-5-1,sy-35,sy-33 and a jumper board.The sy-33 is the small board in post# 39.It appears that sometime after s/n 14,900 these boards were combined into one making the sy-47 board.The next s/n block I have, 40,001 and higher, shows the sy-47-2 fitted.A very similar machine is the VO 2631 and this uses a sy-47,so as you can see these machines were going through constant development.I hope this has clarified things a bit.Peter.

1st Apr 2018, 10:01 pm	#42
monaro0162 Pentode Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Stansted, Essex, UK. Posts: 185	Re: SONY VO-2630 U-matic Video Cassette Recorder peterpixel my machine has a later serial number 41283 and uses the combined SY-47-2 control PCB. Would you know the lifespan of the VO-2630, and approximately what year my machine was built?

2nd Apr 2018, 4:09 pm	#43
peterpixel Pentode Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Wilmslow, Cheshire, UK. Posts: 210	Re: SONY VO-2630 U-matic Video Cassette Recorder Hi monaro0162,I have found a reference in the SMPTE journal about the introduction of the VO2630 in the USA dated February 1979 and think they were introduced here in the late seventies so that tallies.As far as the lifespan goes they were replaced by the 5630 in the early to mid eighties and in fact I have a Sony price list dated 1985 showing the 5630 but not the 2630.I suppose your machine must then fall between those dates.It may seem odd jumping from series 2 to series 5 but there were series 3 and 4. These were battery portables namely the VO3800 and VO4800.Peter.