Zenith Video Recorder VR 1830

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by Tripredacus

Here is what it looks like with the cover removed. It is quite dirty in the back portion where the transformer is. Also on the main PCB you can see three white tabs, these are actually hinges. There are two screws you can take out on the PCB (one has the "thingy" as previously seen in the temp screw list post above).


Here is my reference pic for screw placement, also you can see the thingy.


With those screws removed, I can open the main PCB up. Fortunately, no wires need to be disconnected to open it fully.


If you could read my temp screw list from above, tray spot 1 I had crossed something out. Well there are four screws that hold the cover on, and 3 are the same and one is different. This is an indication to me that this unit has been previously serviced and/or (at least) opened. In this picture I took of the transformer area, it would appear that one of the screws for the mount is missing. Not really certain, but that empty hold looks out of place.


While the tape can be put in, and it can "play" and rewind and fast forward, I do not get any meaningful video. I have not tried RF, currently only using composite video output to my PVM. I will have to bring in another deck to act as a go between to see if the RF works. I did not take a video, but generally the video output on composite is some form of what can be seen here:

I have a Zenith model 3300 Side loader...Basically the up optioned HiFi stereo version of yours...Mine needed only one thing: one of the big lytic caps (IIRC 2200uF 35V) on the power transformer board changed to make it into a runner...Video looked kinda similar to yours only brighter and hints of video from the tape were leaking through occasionally.
Change the big PS caps out and it will probably wake up.

Your "thingie" is a grounding spring or grounding fingers for the metal top cover....With that grounded to the circuitry it could act as a very large EMI shield.

If you've ever seen inside a normal VCR and watched tape loading it is not hard to logic out which way the tape should go in without opening it...There ain't enough room ot rotate the tape (that would also be double the existing overcomplication) and the machine is wide enough for a head drum to be left of the tape so the door flap on the tape has gotta face left.