JVC HR-S10000U surplus-store find
 

Hi all-

While browsing in an electronics/computer surplus store here in the Silicon Valley area this past Saturday, I saw this JVC Super VHS VCR, and I immediately knew it was a high-end model from the glory days of VCRs. It has just a few small scratches on its top and the front edge, but the mirror-shiny rosewood side panels still look great. They also had boxes of old remote controls, and with a quick online search, I found its original control there in stock, too. Not a bad deal for $20!

The machine works well, too, except rewind may be a bit slow-I should replace the belts and maybe the pinch roller. Picture quality, even with a cheap prerecorded movie tape from the 1980s ("The Duke" TV show pilot from 1979, with Robert Conrad as a boxer who becomes a detective) is quite good. I need to try a Super-VHS tape recording to really put it through its paces.

Wow! That is a really nice one!

Weirdstuff Warehouse? :D I actually found the exact same model deck (sans remote) at Weirdstuff back in 2009 or thereabouts. It also had slow rewind issues and also issues with the hifi audio. I recently sold it on ebay for $100. Two kids under age 3 leaves me no time to tinker.

Yes, it was indeed at Weird Stuff!

While this deck can't compare to the 9900U you picked up in picture quality, it does have a neat trick up its sleeve. The HR-S10000U is one of two decks ever made that can do insert editing of Hi-Fi audio tracks on VHS/SVHS tapes.

I remember Weirdstuff when I lived in Silicon Valley 20 years ago. Across the street from the old Fry's, the building that looked like a giant IC. Was fun to browse Weirdstuff.

That is slick! I may have to try out that feature, just because I can. And, I appreciate the comparison comment about the picture quality. I have not yet connected both machines and tried the same tape, but I will.

WA2ISE-

If you have not been back to this area in recent years, neither business is in its old location anymore. Fry's moved a few blocks away to a much-bigger building, and it no longer has the "Enter" and "Escape" keys on its front doors. Weird Stuff is also bigger, and it is now on Caribbean Drive near Borregas, near the old Atari location.

They are both near enough, along with Ham Radio Outlet and Halted, that my friends and I call Lawrence Expressway "Geek Street". :)