Just picked up a Panasonic PV-1730 Hi-Fi VCR

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Post some pictures of inside and out, for posterity if nothing else. Hard to find.

I sure will.

[vortalexfan]

OK so I got a chance to plug in and power on the VCR and unfortunately its not working, when you go to power it on, it attempts to go through the power-up sequence but then it gets stuck at the part where it attempts to test the takeup reel motors and only the left takeup reel motor does anything the right takeup reel doesn't do anything, its just "dead".

This VCR did have a service shop tag on it from a repair shop in Salt Lake City, Utah that was dated 1989 and when I opened the VCR up to take a look inside it acted like the only servicing that was done in the VCR was on the topside (maybe the main loading mechanism belt was replaced at that time) as the underside panel screws were still torqued to factory specs and made the famous "crack" noise that screws make when they've been unscrewed for the first time in their history on vintage electronic devices.

With all of this in mind what might be wrong with this VCR and can it be repaired easily?

I have some photos I'll upload as soon as my google photos account starts to cooperate again, because right now its not loading correctly for some weird reason.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK so I got a chance to plug in and power on the VCR and unfortunately its not working, when you go to power it on, it attempts to go through the power-up sequence but then it gets stuck at the part where it attempts to test the takeup reel motors and only the left takeup reel motor does anything the right takeup reel doesn't do anything, its just "dead".

Do you have a dummy test tape to put in it? A tape shell minus the tape and innards? So you can run it through its paces without ruining a tape.You're finding out about the complexity of those machines.

With all of this in mind what might be wrong with this VCR and can it be repaired easily?

Without a service manual to check voltages and signals it will be difficult. Could be a reel drive IC. First thing needed is to check all power supply output voltages.

I have some photos I'll upload as soon as my google photos account starts to cooperate again, because right now its not loading correctly for some weird reason.

Why bother with Google? Just upload the images to the Videokarma website.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Do you have a dummy test tape to put in it? A tape shell minus the tape and innards? So you can run it through its paces without ruining a tape.You're finding out about the complexity of those machines.




Without a service manual to check voltages and signals it will be difficult. Could be a reel drive IC. First thing needed is to check all power supply output voltages.

Why bother with Google? Just upload the images to the Videokarma website.

Well the problem is the pictures were taken with my phone, and using Google photos is the only way I can get the pictures from my phone to my computer without having to mess with my phone's microSD card.

As far as sacrificial tapes go, I have some old blank tapes that were NOS that someone gave me that I can use for that purpose, and the VCR seems to be in a "lockout" mode as it won't let me load a tape into the VCR and without the VCR being able to power on it won't allow me to load a tape into the VCR.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

Well the problem is the pictures were taken with my phone, and using Google photos is the only way I can get the pictures from my phone to my computer without having to mess with my phone's microSD card.

I never do it that way so can't help there. I use either my Canon or Nikon cameras for my pictures.

As far as sacrificial tapes go, I have some old blank tapes that were NOS that someone gave me that I can use for that purpose, and the VCR seems to be in a "lockout" mode as it won't let me load a tape into the VCR and without the VCR being able to power on it won't allow me to load a tape into the VCR.

You MIGHT be able to trick it by turning the TU reel by hand when you power it on, which should send a PG signal to the microprocessor.

Other than that, without a service manual and putting it on a bench to check things with an o'scope and DVM, don't know what to tell you.

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

I never do it that way so can't help there. I use either my Canon or Nikon cameras for my pictures.



You MIGHT be able to trick it by turning the TU reel by hand when you power it on, which should send a PG signal to the microprocessor.

Other than that, without a service manual and putting it on a bench to check things with an o'scope and DVM, don't know what to tell you.

Ok. Let me try posting the pictures onto here from my phone.

[vortalexfan]

Well unfortunately when I was trying to remove the take-up reel assembly I ended up having one screw that happened to be torqued down too tight at the factory (which seems to be the case on every single VCR I work on) and when I was trying to unscrew the screw I ended up stripping the head out (because they used brass for the screw rather than stainless steel or some other harder material) so now I have one screw that's stuck in the take-up reel assembly and I'm able to get it out without having to resort to the possibility of having to drill it out.

What have you guys done in situations like this?

[redk9258]

You need a JIS screwdriver. I hear they prevent stripping screw heads out.
You see those are not Phillips screws, they are Japanese Industry Standard screws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ves#JIS_B_1012

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by redk9258

You need a JIS screwdriver. I hear they prevent stripping screw heads out.
You see those are not Phillips screws, they are Japanese Industry Standard screws.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ves#JIS_B_1012

Ok, I was wondering why all of the Japanese made electronics I've seen and worked on had "JIS" marked on the cases somewhere, it was a reference to the type of screws and screwdrivers they needed to use to service them.

Can JIS screwdrivers be bought at your everyday hardware store like Ace or TruValue or Lowe's or do you have to buy them online?

[redk9258]

Amazon sells them. I've never seen them in the usual box stores. I'm not saying that they don't, but I've never seen them. I've only read about them myself but people say they are real game changers.

[vortalexfan]

I did find a service manual for this VCR (its the Sam's version.)

I found the correct page for the Motor Drive Circuitry, hopefully that will help others follow along.

[vortalexfan]

OK, so I looked at the Service Data and it looks like IC2007 is the one that controls the motor control board and was the one you were talking about possibly being bad am I correct?

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

OK, so I looked at the Service Data and it looks like IC2007 is the one that controls the motor control board and was the one you were talking about possibly being bad am I correct?

It's possible but without doing some testing with a service manual, scope and DVM don't get me to lying!

[vortalexfan]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

It's possible but without doing some testing with a service manual, scope and DVM don't get me to lying!

I'm not going to, I'm planning on taking a look at it more closely after I get off work tonight.

Since I now have my 'scope figured out how to work it I'll see if I can figure out what's what on the VCR.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by vortalexfan

I'm not going to, I'm planning on taking a look at it more closely after I get off work tonight.

Since I now have my 'scope figured out how to work it I'll see if I can figure out what's what on the VCR.

Be sure to check for a shorted electrolytic capacitor somewhere in that motor drive circuit too, could be something as simple as that. As old as it is that's a possibility.