Hitachi VT8

[Kiwick]

Hi you all,

I still have a Hitachi VT8 my dad bought in about 1984, it's a "dockable" two piece top loading VHS VCR, with a proprietary linear analog stereo sound recording system.

Sadly, it quit loading tapes a few years ago and had been in storage since then, now i'm planning to repair it to be able to get the stereo sound out of our old tapes, the small belt on the loading motor is obviously slack and is slipping, but the loading motor along with its belts and gears are packed between the mechanism and the PCBs beneath it (remember this is a portable VCR) so it seems almost impossible to replace it

Anyone knows how to disassemble this VCR to get at the loading belt?

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by Kiwick

Hi you all,

I still have a Hitachi VT8 my dad bought in about 1984, it's a "dockable" two piece top loading VHS VCR, with a proprietary linear analog stereo sound recording system.

Sadly, it quit loading tapes a few years ago and had been in storage since then, now i'm planning to repair it to be able to get the stereo sound out of our old tapes, the small belt on the loading motor is obviously slack and is slipping, but the loading motor along with its belts and gears are packed between the mechanism and the PCBs beneath it (remember this is a portable VCR) so it seems almost impossible to replace it

Anyone knows how to disassemble this VCR to get at the loading belt?

Remove the under cover, and then remove the circuit board (if possible), and then remove the screw mounted on the loading motor.

[Lady Ayeka]

those hitachi VCRs are a cast iron bitch to service... mitsubishi is much better. especially this model;

MITSUBISHI HS-U70 (1988)

[Kiwick]

Originally Posted by waltchan

Remove the under cover, and then remove the circuit board (if possible), and then remove the screw mounted on the loading motor.

The problem is, the motherboard under the mechanism has lots of hardwiring and it seems almost impossible to take the VCR apart without undo solderings and potentially destroying it... it would be a shame as it's my childhood's VCR

I'm hoping to find the right way to get at the mechanism's underside... just like a 1987 Grundig VS380 Hi-Fi VCR that seemed totally unserviceable due to the cramped construction and huge amount of wiring, until i noticed that the entire chassis just hinged out neatly... but it took quite a while to figure it out

By the way, this 1987 grundig is a real masterpiece, it has an U-loading system and direct drive coreless DC motors for the reel spindles, capstan and head... no idlers and belts to wear out here!

Sadly, this grundig, like 99,9% of VCRs on earth, is unable to play back the linear stereo soundtrack of my old tapes recorded on the Hitachi VT8