Old French Akai VCR.

[Tractorfan]

Hi,
One of my neighbours gave me this old thing. It's an Akai VS-2S top loader VHS recorder with 220/110 mains voltage selector and an IR remote receiver which looks like an optional add-on. I haven't got the zapper, alas. Interestingly, it's 50/60 Hz capable, so I wonder if these were exported to the French speaking parts of Canada?
There's probably a UK version too.
On switch on or switch off the LED on the remote unit lights for a second or two, plus a mechanical 'click' from within, but that's all.
I'm not bothered about repairing it, nor do I want to break it for bits either, so it will probably gather dust in the cellar.
Just thought I'd share it.
Cheers, Pete.

[TonyDuell]

What television system does it use? I assume if it was used in France it would be SECAM, whereas don't Canada use NTSC?

[cmjones01]

That's a nice piece of history. I always find it interesting to see equipment which was familiar in the UK market, but in its different versions for other countries. France is particularly interesting because of the whole SECAM and System L/K thing.

Chris

[Tractorfan]

Hi.
I have no idea, but I assume it's SECAM. I forgot that Canada used NTSC.
Cheers, Pete.

[dj_fivos_sak]

This is a SECAM-only machine! If you try playing a PAL tape, it will play back in black and white. I have attached a couple of pictures of the multi system version, the VS-2EGN with 5 systems (PAL, SECAM, MESECAM, NTSC 3.58 and 4.43) sold in the Middle East!

[Welsh Anorak]

Saw a few of the UK version of these machines. I seem to remember they were difficult to use for the customer. I have an odd Akai with a sloping front in the shed which I think pre-dated this one. Must dig it out.
Glyn

[dj_fivos_sak]

Let me refresh your memory. It's an AKAI VS-5 and I have one of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBUkjDLqTWc

[Welsh Anorak]

Thank you - my memory often needs refreshing!

[Nicklyons2]

Was there an earlier number that looked more like the OP one, which had a big square key which rocked so that each side was a function; terrible deck which wouldn't stay in interchange and only 2 head on a dual speed machine so it used LP heads even on SP.
VS2

[Welsh Anorak]

Don't remember that one, though there was a VS1 but I think that was a JVC clone. My memories of Akai VCRs were tainted by the VS23 that needed half the PSU rebuilding! Then there were the display problems with over-run VFDs. Can't say I was too sorry to see the back of them.
Glyn

[Clydeuk]

I can't remember the model, but is this one that doesn't have a display on the front, and instead uses an on screen display?

I remember in the 90's we used to sell a lot of JVC/Ferguson and Hitachi top loaders cheap, but we couldn't shift the AKAI's because the calendar only went up to 1996 I think.

[dj_fivos_sak]

The AKAI models that I know they are JVC clones are VS-9300, VS-9500 and the VS-10. The VS-1 is a front loading machine made by AKAI.

[Nicklyons2]

Clyde, I'd forgotten that, come to think of it the 'stinker' to which I referred was, I think the first machine I'd seen with an on-screen display; a thing I hated then and still did up to the end of 'clock set' recordings.

[Clydeuk]

I think it was unfortunate that they chose to have a calendar, presumably to allow recordings to be scheduled over a longer period of time, whereas the run of the mill Fergies and the like had a simple 7 or 14 day timer capability. Oh the memories.

[Maarten]

Originally Posted by Welsh Anorak

Don't remember that one, though there was a VS1 but I think that was a JVC clone. My memories of Akai VCRs were tainted by the VS23 that needed half the PSU rebuilding!

The VS-1 was not made by JVC (I don't think Akai ever licensed/cloned a design from JVC anyway but they did source some complete recorders from them); it was the low end model from their own sloped front+OSD line. I always liked their OSD system, I thought it was one of the more intuitive programming systems together with the Philips system which didn't require OSD. It's indeed a pity they had a calendar; it certainly wasn't "milennium proof".

Funny thing with those Akai power supplies. VS22 through VS26 definitely had their design flaws as did the physically smaller series that followed them. The latter, however, seemed to last forever after the power supply had a few electrolytics replaced. Apparently, they had learned something along the way. Later models had a conventional transformer though, but had some power supply failures as well (I still don't understand how they could **** that up, but the design was quite complicated for a linear supply).

[julie_m]

But 1986 started on a Wednesday, and 1996 finished on a Tuesday. So all you had to do was set the year to 1986, and then the days of the week would be correct.

I agree, though, it would have been simple enough and more future-proof just to set the day of the week manually and deal with leap years as they arose ..... Or just ignore the date and month altogether and work on the day of the week alone. For instance, on one of my old Amstrad VHS machines, selecting "WED" would record a programme next Wednesday, or "2ND WED" would record the Wednesday after next. There was no date or month display.

[Nicklyons2]

I always thought the VHSs which required the full date performance were a bit laughable, particularly so when all the prog info came from the Radio Times et al which at very best gave you 10 days 'warning'. I think the type Julie mentions above with the 1st Wk - 2nd Wk was perfectly adequate.

Akai did have a rebadged JVC HR3300 in their very early days but sadly I can't remember the model No. It was distinguished by very fetching real wood sides with lovely chrome 'bath-panel' type bolts/cup washers holding them on.

Despite the Egyptians having worked out most of the 60 minute 24 hour business 5,000 years ago, the video manufactureres managed to make clocks an almost unworkable and un-necessarily complex concept. Hitachi had machines which had a.m & p.m. almost everyone alse had decided to go for 24hr clock. Some machines adjusted the start/stop times like a bedside digi alarm - you held a button down and it whizzed around and you took your finger of the button at the required time. The most poisonous IMHO were the ones which began with the on time at the current time and you had to add or subtract days, then hrs and then min to get to the required settings; repeating for off times - ugh.

[Clydeuk]

The date problem shouldn't have been a deal breaker considering the low prices we were selling top loaders for at this time, but we did have people bringing them back saying they were faulty because it wouldn't let them put the right date in. I think we gave up and threw them in the skip in the end.

[dj_fivos_sak]

Originally Posted by Nicklyons2

Akai did have a rebadged JVC HR3300 in their very early days but sadly I can't remember the model No. It was distinguished by very fetching real wood sides with lovely chrome 'bath-panel' type bolts/cup washers holding them on.

It is the VS-9300

Fivos