Fidelity VCR 4000 repair - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

martin.m · 11th Mar 2020, 1:04 am

This model dates from the early 1990s so perhaps not exactly vintage. The machine has sentimental value as it belonged to my wife's mother who passed away some 20 years ago. It was taken out of service in the early 2000s and stored in our loft. Now the VCR would not switch on and there was no clock display. The power supply on this model is on the main circuit board and a few voltage checks showed that all the secondary voltages were very low. Blasting with a hair dryer didn't improve matters either. Back in the TV repair trade days I would have just changed the seven electrolytic capacitors in the power supply circuit. However, not having many low voltage high value caps, I decided to remove and check them all with my Chinese component tester. All were given a clean bill of health apart from C1017 (330uF 16v), which showed a very high ESR. Fitting a new 470 25v brought the VCR to life again and the old girl produced excellent pictures and sound. VCRs seem hard to come by these days. They are long gone from the charity shops and no one sells them on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace any more. I intend to keep a look out for a few at car boot sales this summer.

Nickthedentist · 11th Mar 2020, 8:58 am

Well done, it's nice to bring something of sentimental value back to life again, even if it's a cheap and cheerful basic video.

BTW, our "pile it high and sell it cheap" charity shop here in Didcot still has videos of all ages on a fairly regular basis. I even saw an Amstrad Double Decker in there a few weeks ago.

N.

P.S. If you want a couple of Hitachi VT-11E from about 1982, just let me know and they're yours.

ben · 11th Mar 2020, 9:12 am

Great news on the fix.
Wonder who made this one? Orion? Funai? Sanyo? Aiwa? The mech would probably give it away...

Welsh Anorak · 11th Mar 2020, 9:24 am

Fairly sure that's an Orion.

11th Mar 2020, 1:04 am	#1
martin.m Hexode Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK. Posts: 373	Fidelity VCR 4000 repair This model dates from the early 1990s so perhaps not exactly vintage. The machine has sentimental value as it belonged to my wife's mother who passed away some 20 years ago. It was taken out of service in the early 2000s and stored in our loft. Now the VCR would not switch on and there was no clock display. The power supply on this model is on the main circuit board and a few voltage checks showed that all the secondary voltages were very low. Blasting with a hair dryer didn't improve matters either. Back in the TV repair trade days I would have just changed the seven electrolytic capacitors in the power supply circuit. However, not having many low voltage high value caps, I decided to remove and check them all with my Chinese component tester. All were given a clean bill of health apart from C1017 (330uF 16v), which showed a very high ESR. Fitting a new 470 25v brought the VCR to life again and the old girl produced excellent pictures and sound. VCRs seem hard to come by these days. They are long gone from the charity shops and no one sells them on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace any more. I intend to keep a look out for a few at car boot sales this summer. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Regards Martin

11th Mar 2020, 8:58 am	#2
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,864	Re: Fidelity VCR 4000 repair Well done, it's nice to bring something of sentimental value back to life again, even if it's a cheap and cheerful basic video. BTW, our "pile it high and sell it cheap" charity shop here in Didcot still has videos of all ages on a fairly regular basis. I even saw an Amstrad Double Decker in there a few weeks ago. N. P.S. If you want a couple of Hitachi VT-11E from about 1982, just let me know and they're yours.

11th Mar 2020, 9:12 am	#3
ben Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Madrid, Spain / Wirral, UK Posts: 7,498	Re: Fidelity VCR 4000 repair Great news on the fix. Wonder who made this one? Orion? Funai? Sanyo? Aiwa? The mech would probably give it away... __________________ Regards, Ben.

11th Mar 2020, 9:24 am	#4
Welsh Anorak Dekatron Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: North Wales, UK. Posts: 6,927	Re: Fidelity VCR 4000 repair Fairly sure that's an Orion. __________________ Glyn www.gdelectronics.wales