UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > Specific Vintage Equipment > Vintage Television and Video

Notices

Vintage Television and Video Vintage television and video equipment, programmes, VCRs etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 6th Mar 2017, 1:14 am   #1
Snootchies
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Chester, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 6
Default U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

I hope someone on the forum can give me some advice here!

I've been digitising some old U-Matic tapes for a client (have MANY to go through). The player I have been using has been working absolutely fine, having successfully played through about 60 tapes.

However today, it didn't like a particular tape - the visuals had a great deal of static banding. You could barely make anything out. Must be a bad tape I thought. I ejected it and reached for the next tape.

But the next tape resulted in sound only. And the next after that too.

So to check, I went back to previous tapes I know played fine that very morning, but now it's audio only.

I figure something has been knocked out of alignment perhaps by one of the tapes? Would be great to understand how I can fix this.

It's a Sony VP-5040.
Snootchies is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 10:46 am   #2
paulsherwin
Moderator
 
paulsherwin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,787
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

Have you cleaned the heads? The old tapes are probably shedding a lot of oxide, so frequent cleaning will be needed.
paulsherwin is online now  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 10:52 am   #3
Boater Sam
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

Paul is on the nail, you probably have loads of c**p in the head drum gap, If you don't know how to clean the head I'm sure there is either a "sticky" or a post on here. Do a search. The audio is a separate fixed head, like an audio tape deck.
If not...Just Ask!
Boater Sam is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 11:12 am   #4
Nuvistor
Dekatron
 
Nuvistor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Wigan, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 9,427
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

Not sure about U Matic but Video heads in general are very fragile and need to be cleaned the correct way, cleaned incorrectly and they can be damaged beyond repair.
As Sam says, if in doubt ask, someone on the forum will have experience with U Matics.

Frank
Nuvistor is offline  
Old 6th Mar 2017, 11:22 am   #5
Boater Sam
Banned
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Middlewich, Cheshire, UK. & Winter in the Philippines.
Posts: 3,897
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

I did a search ( box at top centre ) "u-matic head clean" and struck gold, loads of info.
Boater Sam is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2017, 1:56 pm   #6
Snootchies
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Chester, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 6
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

Just to come back to you guys.

I got some Isopropyl and sprayed some on a bit of folded printer paper. When a tape was playing I carefully touched the video head with the paper and it was surprising how much muck went onto it. Sorted it!

Wouldn't have thought about it without you guys, so thanks!
Snootchies is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2017, 6:45 pm   #7
Vauxfan2k
Hexode
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Inverness, Highland, UK.
Posts: 300
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

You should have held the paper against the heads with light pressure and turned by hand,doing it when the heads are running increases chance of damage and with a tape in, the isopropyl can cause the heads to be momentarily sticky and the tape can get caught and wrapped round the heads. Count yourself luck neither happened.
Vauxfan2k is offline  
Old 24th Mar 2017, 11:50 pm   #8
Nicklyons2
Octode
 
Nicklyons2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 1,517
Default Re: U-matic player suddenly had audio only - no visual

Very Lucky! I think that's not a 'trick' you'll get away with twice.
Nicklyons2 is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 6:56 pm.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.