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-   -   Zenith VR3000 and VRD208, Panasonic PV1340 (http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=269442)

Adam 08-19-2017 08:51 PM

Zenith VR3000 and VRD208, Panasonic PV1340
 
1 Attachment(s)
While I have yet to find a thrift store in this area that carries VHS tapes, I did find a few VCRs.

The Zenith VR3000 (1985?) I think is one of Zenith's first VHS VCRs. This one came with a newer 1990s looking remote, but I had an original remote for a VR2000 I've been using with it. I got it going by replacing belts, but the picture gets vertically jittery sometimes. It will usually go away by itself in less than a minute, or if I rotate the tracking control back and forth.

The Zenith VRD208 (1989?) worked as found, and had a copy of "The 5th Element" still inside of it. It came with no remote, so I've been using the newer remote that came with the VR3000 with it. It's missing the control door.

The Panasonic PV1340 (1985) had eaten a recording of somebody's funeral which was still stuck inside of it. It was eating tapes due to a slipping idler tire which I replaced along with the belts. It works good now, and it even came with the original owners manual and remote.

Electronic M 08-21-2017 08:57 AM

The Madison St Vincent De Paul dig and save had a LARGE bin of VHS tapes by the pound last time I was there back in the fall of last year. It is in a bit of a lousy neighborhood, but not too bad if visited during daylight.

Some Goodwills still carry VHS tapes, but seem to stock less and keep them in hard to find places like the bottom shelf of the DVD section.

Adam 08-21-2017 05:31 PM

I've been to 4 St Vincent De Pauls in about a 30mi radius of here and have yet to see any VHS: just DVD, CD and vinyl records. None were in a particularly lousy neighborhood, so that might have been one I missed, do you remember the address of that one?

I've been to 5 Goodwills, and haven't seen any VHS there either.

Electronic M 08-21-2017 06:39 PM

I think it was this one: https://www.google.com/maps/place/St...2!4d-89.395092

A friend of mine who is a hardcore thrift shopper would know for sure.

I can't say I'm very familiar with the thrifts in Madison. I've only been on thrift runs there a couple of times.

The Goodwills I typically hit are Pewaukee (very close to me), Waukesha, and a few other near by.

Ed in Tx 08-21-2017 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam (Post 3188380)
The Zenith VR300... picture gets vertically jittery sometimes. It will usually go away by itself in less than a minute, or if I rotate the tracking control back and forth.

Probably the entry and/or exit tape guide rollers need a tweak. Those sometimes come loose even with the tiny hex set-screw they have.

If you dare, you can try and do that without an o'scope. If you do have a scope you would need the service manual to find the test points to hook up to. Start by marking the metal tops of the guide rollers toward the front with a mark from a felt tipped pen so you can get back where you started. Then play a known good tape and adjust the tracking control until the picture is noisy. If there's more noise at the top of the picture adjust the left tape entry guide next to the drum. If there's more at the bottom adjust the opposite right exit guide. Go back and forth until it's equal noise top to bottom as you adjust either side of the tracking control.

Adam 08-23-2017 09:15 PM

I have a scope, but not the manual. But I'm going to try that no scope method in the next few days and see what happens. I'd like to use the VR3000 connected to the 1984 Zenith 13" color set I have in the bedroom without having to get up and mess with the tracking all the time.

Ed in Tx 08-23-2017 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam (Post 3188585)
I have a scope, but not the manual. But I'm going to try that no scope method in the next few days and see what happens. I'd like to use the VR3000 connected to the 1984 Zenith 13" color set I have in the bedroom without having to get up and mess with the tracking all the time.

Probably 1/4 turn or less either direction one or both guide rollers, since it sounds like its pretty close. Look at the pinch roller too and make sure tape isn't skewing off path and looks smooth top and bottom edges traveling through the guides.

If you want to try the scope, you'd need to find the head amp RF test point, that's where you need to hook to. For some reason TP6 comes to mind on those old JVC built machines but don't get me to lyin'! And you'd put the scope in "line" to sync. Or connect to the cylinder PG signal test point for sync. Probably lots of examples on YouTube how to do this.

Adam 08-30-2017 03:39 PM

I did it and improved the problem, but didn't totally fix it. I gets jittery much less often now, and usually makes it through an entire tape only doing it once or twice, rather than once every few minutes. I suppose I'll eventually have to figure out how to do it with the scope.

I barely turned the left one maybe 1/8 a turn. But the right one actually seemed loose and turned much more easily. I wound up tightening that one about 1 and 1/4 turns.

Findm-Keepm 08-30-2017 07:07 PM

Service database results for the VR3000:

Findm-Keepm 08-30-2017 07:09 PM

Edit: Combined pages made for smaller file size. Can delete this post. Earlier post now has it all.


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