Servicing a Canon VR-HF600

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

The VCR in the den died today - it's a Philips VR660 from 2000. It acts like it isn't recognizing the tape after it loads. Well, c'est la vie, I was told it was one of those machines that NAP didn't even offer parts or service literature on.

Yes they did. I worked on those when they were still in warranty. Like Tony75 mentioned, it's a JVC-built machine and was serviceable.

What does it do exactly? Takes the tape and won't do anything else? If so, it might be in child-lock mode. I had a few JVCs come in like that, had inadvertently been locked. I recall that holding down the Power button on the remote for 4 or 5 seconds takes it out of Child Lock.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

What does it do exactly? Takes the tape and won't do anything else? If so, it might be in child-lock mode. I had a few JVCs come in like that, had inadvertently been locked. I recall that holding down the Power button on the remote for 4 or 5 seconds takes it out of Child Lock.

It loads the tape, then plays it at a faster than normal speed, like its searching for video. After about ten seconds, it just stops and shuts itself off with the tape still threaded in.

And thanks for the advice on the Canon - I will be ordering a kit this week.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

It loads the tape, then plays it at a faster than normal speed, like its searching for video. After about ten seconds, it just stops and shuts itself off with the tape still threaded in.

Not good. Likely one of the reel sensors has failed.

[AUdubon5425]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Not good. Likely one of the reel sensors has failed.

I'm going to try cleaning them and see what happens.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

I'm going to try cleaning them and see what happens.

What it sounds like it's doing is the tape slack take-up routine, it has to sense the supply reel turn a bit after load to sense no slack condition, but never senses the supply reel turns, so it just shuts down.

The sensors I am talking about (PC3001, 3002) are soldered to the main board, plastic, stick up, and have a phototransistor and LED arrangement that gets interrupted when the reels turn. Part number is GP3S123 (I own a JVC with the same mechanism so I have some service info.)

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by AUdubon5425

After about ten seconds, it just stops and shuts itself off with the tape still threaded in.

Tape still threaded means the idler tire has a crack or a slippage. Check it.

[Tony75]

Originally Posted by waltchan

Tape still threaded means the idler tire has a crack or a slippage. Check it.

That would be the case for the Canon which would have an idler tyre but not the Philips/JVC unit as mentioned. They have a gear and felt clutch system.
Just replaced the idler tyre on one of my old D-deck National (Panasonic) units after a failure to record on Wednesday night, took all of 4 minutes, most of which was spent looking for the little split washer that flew away

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Tony75

That would be the case for the Canon which would have an idler tyre but not the Philips/JVC unit as mentioned. They have a gear and felt clutch system.

Yep. JVC = gear drive.