Reel to reel video: how to direct signal to TV

[RJMiranda]

Yes, maybe this was the first thing to do.

I have never seen worn heads on these machines, but many broken ones.

You can feel them with your fingertip to get an idea of their condition.

With the power OFF, move the lever to the REW position, and by turning the supply reel by hand, you can have the head drum spin slowly. Put your finger gently against the side of the head cylinder (where there is a recess in the black plastic piece that surrounds the video heads, near the erase head) while turning the supply reel (don´t move your finger up and down), and you should feel the two heads pass your fingertip as you turn the reel.

For each turn of the supply reel, wou will feel about 6-8 soft touches on your fingertip. That is, the head drum will do 3-4 revolutions, and you will have felt both heads in each one. If not, one or both heads may be broken.

Use a magnifying glass to look at the tip of the head. The surface that touches the tape should be a smooth curve. Any chipped appareance (or not protruding from the cylinder surface) means a broken head.

If your mechanism is slipping a little, you can´t move the heads this way, and need to do some light surgery. Loosen the two screws holding the black head cover with the Sony logo, and lift it.

Then you will see the silver head cover. Obey the printed warning: any strong downward pressure will permanently distort tne cylinder. Unscrew the cover (don´t use a magnetized screwdriver, and don´t let the screws fall into the machine) and wou will see the bar with the two heads at its ends.

Now, use wour finger to place the heads where you can inspect them.

Check the eight little brushes on the center of the cylinder. They carry the weak RF playback signal from the heads to the amplifiers, so must be perfectly clean. There are two sets of brushes. The tiny wires should ride in the middle of the golden slip rings (ask the old Sherlock for his glass). Carefully relocate any stray wire over the slip ring. You may put a drop of cleaning fluid on the slip rings and make the heads turn a little, to get the best contact.

Don´t touch or move the two coils hanging at the 12 o´clock and 6 o´clock positions, nor the metal vertical bar that passes below them: they are for the video switching and servo reference.

Cover the heads again when you are finished. Clean and demagnetize the heads, the guides and the drum surface.

And if you feel on the mood, unscrew the pich roller (don´t lose the spacer below it) and apply ONE drop of light oil to the spindle. Clean your hands, store the oil can a mile away, and replace the pinch roller. If the oil gets into the rubber, you are in for trouble.

For each reel table, remove the screw at its center, lift the reel table about 1/8 inch, and put 1-2 drops of light oil in the inside. Wait until the oil descends, and lower the reel table again. Replace the screw.

This in the ONLY oil your VTR ever needs (when they were used often, Sony did recommend oiling them every 6 months). Every several years you would oil some other parts inside, but believe me, it is rarely needed even with everyday use.

And remember: never leave the selection lever in other position than STOP.