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Vintage Tape (Audio), Cassette, Wire and Magnetic Disc Recorders and Players Open-reel tape recorders, cassette recorders, 8-track players etc.

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Old 12th Jun 2020, 10:27 am   #1
DMcMahon
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Default Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

After my experiences (good and bad) repairing my friends 4000 I thought it would be good to get one myself, so just brought one, quite cheap so if I can get it going properly, it will be a good buy.

It is a later model with the brown casing and all Perspex lid, with its original leather carrying case and strap (both well used). Ex BBC so has had the tape speed fixed to a single speed, should be 7.5 ips

There is a blanking panel over the tape speed selection switch, so I assume the switch shaft has been cut off, it maybe possible to undo the modification later but in the meantime am happy as long as the fixed/set speed is 7.5

Reasonable condition, was sold as not working, with comment that after a clean up after leaking batteries it would no longer power up. The battery box area is still in a bad way so have removed for a proper clean up. No sign of the battery leak having got to the electronics underneath.

The main drive belt from the motor has gone with gooey remnants stuck to the 2 pulleys, initial attempt to remove the belt remnants got my hands covered in sticky horrible mess, amazing how much mess a small amount of belt material can generate, I will wear gloves on next attempt.
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Old 12th Jun 2020, 10:11 pm   #2
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase

Spent quite a time cleaning the remnants of very sticky belt from the 2 pulleys, very difficult to get the sticky mess completely off the small pulleys, IPA & meths struggled to clean well (did not want to use anything stronger). For the motor pulley had to lift up the motor to access the pulley better, as per photo 1.

I was wondering what had become of the rest of the belt as there was no obvious sign of it. I can now see it (3 black sections) stuck to the circuit board as per photo attachment 2, almost looking like black wires.

Found that the previous battery leak had to some extent made its way to the PSU board below and stained a bunch of black earth wires and the soldering to them, so cleaned up, one wire broke off as per photo 3.

Did some general cleaning including the heads (which look OK to me) as per photo 4, even though unit generally clean looking a lot of dirt came off it.

See that this unit has 2 start switches unlike the single switch I was used to, as per photo 5. I think this maybe is a modification to power the motor drive because of the BBC fixed speed modification.

Still to tackle the battery compartment battery leak damage.
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Old 13th Jun 2020, 3:33 pm   #3
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase

That should read Report Monitor. My experience of BBC "modified" Uhers is that a more apprpriate adjective would be "butchered".
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Old 13th Jun 2020, 4:05 pm   #4
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase

Yes that was a silly typo error, can one of the Moderators please correct the Thread title.
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Old 14th Jun 2020, 9:59 am   #5
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Spent quite some time removing the drive belt pieces from the PCB, difficult as any attempt to remove bits/clean only initially spread the mess over the small components.

Powered up from external power supply (battery box still removed for cleaning). Powered up OK and motor runs when Play, Fast Forward (FFD) & Rewind (RWD) selected.

Meter illumination & Record LED work. With 5" tape loaded FFD & RWD basically work but at times struggles a little particularly in RWD when a lot of tape on the Supply spool.
Does not seem to be mechanical in nature but look like the motor is struggling. I remember when working on the 4000 before, that the motor is not that powerful, more checks required on this.

Cannot check Play as do not yet have a suitable replacement drive belt. The tape counter did not work at all, removed and found it gummed up with old dried up oil/grease, so gave it a good clean, looks like it may be OK now, need to refit and try again.

Next will inject in test signal from signal generator to see if the record amp works and maybe get some sound out.
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Old 14th Jun 2020, 12:01 pm   #6
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Doesn't the speed selector lift the motor from the flywheel rubber rim or something like that when in the 'off' possition, if so, don't the modified machines get a dent in the rubber if left unused for a long time (possibly not an issue when in daily use at the BBC?)?
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Old 14th Jun 2020, 1:26 pm   #7
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Yes I did wonder about that myself. I must check it out.
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Old 14th Jun 2020, 10:16 pm   #8
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by ricard View Post
Doesn't the speed selector lift the motor from the flywheel rubber rim or something like that when in the 'off' possition, if so, don't the modified machines get a dent in the rubber if left unused for a long time (possibly not an issue when in daily use at the BBC?)?
I checked this out. The rubber coated drive wheel only makes contact with the brass flywheel when Play is selected, the same as an unmodified unit, so as long as the Play button is not left selected, then there is no risk of denting the rubber when unit left unused for a long time.

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Old 14th Jun 2020, 10:41 pm   #9
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Checked out the Record amp and audio monitoring all OK using signal generator input. The Tone control operation is quite noisy/scratchy, will check out the pot to see if an opening to spray contact cleaner inside.

After cleaning, the tape counter is now working. After reasonable FWD & RWD operation yesterday, today both are struggling , can now see that the fast wind drive belt is somewhat slack and slipping on the pulleys, hopefully new belt will remedy that.

Checked out the Speed change shaft, it has been cut off/butchered, it looks like it is pinned, so I wonder if the original shaft part can be obtained and fitted. if the unit turns out to be a reasonable runner, then will look into more what needs to be done to undo the fixed speed modification.
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Old 15th Jun 2020, 12:35 pm   #10
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

In my experience of the BBC-modified Uher Report monitors, in one case at least, they not only sawed off the selector knob shaft but also removed a plastic widget which faciltates the movement of the speed changer - have a look at the picture. If that plastic part on the left of the photo is missing you have no chance of rehabilitating the speed changer without buying another machine for spares.
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Old 15th Jun 2020, 3:14 pm   #11
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

I think I may have that piece thank you barretter.

In photo 1 there is another white piece, that is different. Also can just see a brass shaft sticking up that I think is the widget in question. Nearly impossible to see (cannot get meaningful photo) but I can see a white piece (that I think the brass shaft connects to) that has teeth that a small white plastic gear (I think driven by the speed control shaft) meshes with.

Have a look at photos 2 and 3, do you think it could be a broken section of the widget ?

This part fell out of "David001"s 4000 and FWD/RWD no longer work but Play still does.

David
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Old 15th Jun 2020, 5:11 pm   #12
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by barretter View Post
That should read Report Monitor. My experience of BBC "modified" Uhers is that a more apprpriate adjective would be "butchered".
Seconded. I used to work for them in a previous job & we all thought it was a horrible bodge.
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Old 15th Jun 2020, 6:04 pm   #13
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcMahon View Post
Have a look at photos 2 and 3, do you think it could be a broken section of the widget ?

This part fell out of "David001"s 4000 and FWD/RWD no longer work but Play still does.
I don't think it is but I've no idea where it might come from. If David's speed-change still works, presumably it can't be part of that. Here are some "naked" pictures of the speed-change mechanism! Maybe somebody else has the answer.
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 12:07 am   #14
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Yes I thought it unlikely that David's part was from the speed change mechanism because he said Play was still working (I assume the tape speed could also could be changed) but as I cannot see where his part can be from and am not really familiar with the speed change hardware, wondered if it could be the widget in question.

I cannot easily see the widget in your latest 2 photos, is it there ?

In the second photo, is that with the control shaft cut off ?
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 12:10 am   #15
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcMahon View Post
Have a look at photos 2 and 3, do you think it could be a broken section of the widget ?

This part fell out of "David001"s 4000 and FWD/RWD no longer work but Play still does.
Having now taken a look inside my later-model Uher Report Monitor 4000 I would say that the fragment of plastic with the vertical metal rod is indeed a broken part of the widget which enables the speed control mechanism to work. The vertical metal rod in the earlier version is just a straight cylinder rather than the taper seen in your picture.
As to getting the speed change in your purchase to work again I'm afraid you won't find anybody who can sell you a new mechanism ; and the shaft has probably been cut too short for a Uher knob to fit onto it. You can probably change the speed with a pair of pliers but if you want to restore the appearance you would need to buy a fixer machine and transfer the speed control and knob from it into your purchase. This is very fiddly.
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 12:18 am   #16
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Will have to find out from David001 if when he said Play still worked, did it also change speeds OK.

What is the little pin for (first photo in Post # 10), at the base of the cut off shaft ?
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 8:18 am   #17
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Tested ALC (Automatic Level Control) recording level all OK, so the BBC modification of disabling ALC has not been implemented on this unit.
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 8:29 am   #18
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMcMahon View Post
Yes I thought it unlikely that David's part was from the speed change mechanism because he said Play was still working (I assume the tape speed could also could be changed) but as I cannot see where his part can be from and am not really familiar with the speed change hardware, wondered if it could be the widget in question.

I cannot easily see the widget in your latest 2 photos, is it there ?

In the second photo, is that with the control shaft cut off ?
Ah, missed those questions. No the widget is not there. The lowest cogwheel moves the widget along a groove immediately behind the front panel.
Yes the second photo shows the cut-off control shaft. Yours looks much the same so you won't be able to fit a Uher knob to it.

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Old 16th Jun 2020, 8:39 am   #19
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Report Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Yours looks much the same so you won't be able to fit a Uher knob to it.
That sounds like a good challenge
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Old 16th Jun 2020, 9:15 am   #20
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Default Re: Uher 4000 Remote Monitor Purchase

Quote:
Originally Posted by The General View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by barretter View Post
That should read Report Monitor. My experience of BBC "modified" Uhers is that a more apprpriate adjective would be "butchered".
Seconded. I used to work for them in a previous job & we all thought it was a horrible bodge.
Even if the execution left something to be desired, the modification was necessary to ensure that jounalists with minimal training actually came back with usable material. The machinery had to be made as simple as possible. Nagra knew this - their single speed reporting machine was coded IS, standing for "idiot-sicher" (idiot-proof). You wouldn't believe what some operators did...
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