Radio Shack TRS-80 cassette deck - Page 2 - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Eidolon · 10th Feb 2022, 12:01 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ben

This may sound harsh, but life's too short, IMO.You've already said you used that machine for years both for computer and audio use. It sounds like it's time to retire it and look for something better. There are clearly worn parts, maybe even the heads, which will take more money and effort to fix than it's worth. Mono cassette machines in good condition can still be found.

The Philips AQ 6455 is one I recently dug out to test my old Spectrum and it beat all the others hands down. It has a pitch control, and separate bass and treble, pretty much anything will load from it. Being fairly new, the heads had no wear at all.

Problem is that I need it for other things too. It's a matter of finding another one that's suitable and affordable isn't really that easy, modern efforts are all stereo output. I'll look up that Philps model.

SiriusHardware · 10th Feb 2022, 3:01 pm

I would say better the devil you know. it sounds like this machine has had new faults inflicted on it that it didn't have before it was repaired and really, it should have gone back to whoever did it as soon as these problems were noticed - although I can perhaps understand a reluctance to give it back to someone who has already messed it up once.

The alteration in the volume is the most puzzling aspect. Was my suggestion, of exercising the record-playback switch tried? I say this because many years ago my then partner asked me to look at an Acorn cassette recorder which had belonged to her ex, and was now used by her daughter to play audio tapes on.

I fixed the original (transport) problem but when I put it back together I found that it was playing very quietly even on maximum volume, the opposite of your problem - After a couple of minutes checking over what I had done I tried jiggling the record-playback switch and the playback level sprang back to normal - the record switch had not been moved in all the years since it had originally been used with a BBC model B some twenty years earlier, and as long as it was never moved, it kept working, but then I disturbed it while taking the unit apart and putting it back together.

I ended up taking it apart again to give the record-play switch a proper clean.

Eidolon · 16th Apr 2022, 7:49 pm

Ok, update time

I got on the train and took it into a reliable place I had used before a few miles away.
It seems that the problems with the deck not having enough strength to pull any tapes was because the previous person had fitted it with a wrong size drive belt. He's fitted the right size, so hopefully now it should at least pull the tapes correctly and hopefully get them to load.

Regarding the clicking, he said that the clicking noise is being caused by the main clutch which is worn out and is not available anymore. Is this something that I can maybe find as a spare part? I'm not sure what part to ask for, as in if these things are standardized across these make of decks maybe? I could really dfo with one.

Otherwise, it's try to find a replacement suitable deck, that can load tapes onto my Speccy Next, and also is capable of recording input from a microphone.

Eidolon · 27th Apr 2022, 9:48 am

So I've had a little bit of luck and managed to get myself another one of these decks, in very good qualtiy, off eBay for £12, complete will all the bits and instruction manual.
After trying it last night, I managed to get a few games to load, which is more than I managed on the old one. However it did become clear that the drive belt has gone on this one, as it has difficulty with certain longer or 'stiffer' tapes, and as such some couldn't load.
Hopefully I can sort that out.

The instruction book was a nice bouns, and it stipulated not to use Rubbing Alcohol to clean the pinch roller, heads etc, but to use Denatured Alcohol instead. I take it that this is because Ispropyl attack the rubber of the pinch roller, but Meths doesn't. Would this mean that using Meths to clean the pinch roller of a VCR would be a good idea?

10th Feb 2022, 3:01 pm	#22
SiriusHardware Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK. Posts: 11,560	Re: Radio Shack TRS-80 cassette deck I would say better the devil you know. it sounds like this machine has had new faults inflicted on it that it didn't have before it was repaired and really, it should have gone back to whoever did it as soon as these problems were noticed - although I can perhaps understand a reluctance to give it back to someone who has already messed it up once. The alteration in the volume is the most puzzling aspect. Was my suggestion, of exercising the record-playback switch tried? I say this because many years ago my then partner asked me to look at an Acorn cassette recorder which had belonged to her ex, and was now used by her daughter to play audio tapes on. I fixed the original (transport) problem but when I put it back together I found that it was playing very quietly even on maximum volume, the opposite of your problem - After a couple of minutes checking over what I had done I tried jiggling the record-playback switch and the playback level sprang back to normal - the record switch had not been moved in all the years since it had originally been used with a BBC model B some twenty years earlier, and as long as it was never moved, it kept working, but then I disturbed it while taking the unit apart and putting it back together. I ended up taking it apart again to give the record-play switch a proper clean.

16th Apr 2022, 7:49 pm	#23
Eidolon Hexode Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Worcester, Worcs, UK. Posts: 257	Re: Radio Shack TRS-80 cassette deck Ok, update time I got on the train and took it into a reliable place I had used before a few miles away. It seems that the problems with the deck not having enough strength to pull any tapes was because the previous person had fitted it with a wrong size drive belt. He's fitted the right size, so hopefully now it should at least pull the tapes correctly and hopefully get them to load. Regarding the clicking, he said that the clicking noise is being caused by the main clutch which is worn out and is not available anymore. Is this something that I can maybe find as a spare part? I'm not sure what part to ask for, as in if these things are standardized across these make of decks maybe? I could really dfo with one. Otherwise, it's try to find a replacement suitable deck, that can load tapes onto my Speccy Next, and also is capable of recording input from a microphone.

27th Apr 2022, 9:48 am	#24
Eidolon Hexode Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Worcester, Worcs, UK. Posts: 257	Re: Radio Shack TRS-80 cassette deck So I've had a little bit of luck and managed to get myself another one of these decks, in very good qualtiy, off eBay for £12, complete will all the bits and instruction manual. After trying it last night, I managed to get a few games to load, which is more than I managed on the old one. However it did become clear that the drive belt has gone on this one, as it has difficulty with certain longer or 'stiffer' tapes, and as such some couldn't load. Hopefully I can sort that out. The instruction book was a nice bouns, and it stipulated not to use Rubbing Alcohol to clean the pinch roller, heads etc, but to use Denatured Alcohol instead. I take it that this is because Ispropyl attack the rubber of the pinch roller, but Meths doesn't. Would this mean that using Meths to clean the pinch roller of a VCR would be a good idea?