Scored an OLD Betamax

[Eric H]

I found this old SL-5800 top loader today for $10.
It's pretty clean, powers on but I can't find my Beta tape to test it yet.

Any info on this such as MSRP, year & so on?

I'm hoping I can get it running so I can dub some old Betas to DVD.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Eric H

I found this old SL-5800 top loader today for $10.
It's pretty clean, powers on but I can't find my Beta tape to test it yet.

Any info on this such as MSRP, year & so on?

I'm hoping I can get it running so I can dub some old Betas to DVD.

Came out in late 1980, for $1450-1500 new, very popular model in 1981. I replaced many seized capstan motors in those old beasts and that whole Sony line of that time. As I recall the SL-5800 had an extra 3rd video head for clear still and slow motion with a wired remote, a first for Beta.

[Eric H]

Hi Ed, maybe that's what's wrong with this one?

I tried a tape but all it'll do is fast forward, won't rewind, won't play or even load the tape, press play and it stops a couple seconds later, tape comes out slightly wrinkled too.

[zenithfan1]

I bet a good cleaning, lube and new belts and she'll play like new. That's a good score.

[Eric H]

OK, got it playing, the Capistan drive belt was stuck to the pulleys from sitting unused for so long, it wouldn't make a coherent picture at first but after cleaning the video heads with some lighter fluid and tissue paper it plays well, the sound is a little fluttery but I expect it's because that belt is not in very good shape.

The biggest problem now is it won't rewind at all, it doesn't even seem to be trying, the solenoid cycles, levers move but the motor doesn't seem to run and the tape doesn't budge.

It also doesn't quite unload the tape all the way before it Ejects but I suspect that's a cleaning and lubing issue.

This was a smokers set and it's dusty and somewhat smelly inside.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Hi Ed, maybe that's what's wrong with this one?

I tried a tape but all it'll do is fast forward, won't rewind, won't play or even load the tape, press play and it stops a couple seconds later, tape comes out slightly wrinkled too.

Could be, or it's not completing the tape loading. First thing should happen when you press the tape down is it should pull the tape out and around the head cylinder, but sounds like that doesn't happen or doesn't complete that load cycle. Normally they FF and Rew with tape fully loaded around the cylinder. Tape is probably loose and slack which wrinkles the tape, then retracts loose tape back into the cassette, because all the rubber is shot, and things need lubricating too. It needs a mechanical overhaul. I remember there was a Sony reel drive kit came in a blue box of all the wear parts that was a common thing to do to those back then.

[Eric H]

Hi Ed, I found out after removing the lid it was loading the tape, I found out why it wasn't playing also (see above)

After I made my last post I went back to it and now it's rewinding, maybe it was just stuck.

Only problem now is it doesn't pull the tape back in when it unloads, it ejects with the tape hanging out the case.

I suspect one of those rebuild kits would work wonders, wonder if any are still available?

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by Eric H

Hi Ed, I found out after removing the lid it was loading the tape, I found out why it wasn't playing also (see above)

After I made my last post I went back to it and now it's rewinding, maybe it was just stuck.

Only problem now is it doesn't pull the tape back in when it unloads, it ejects with the tape hanging out the case.

I suspect one of those rebuild kits would work wonders, wonder if any are still available?

The old rubber drive parts aren't making enough torque on the reel to fully take up the tape. Yep a drive kit would be a good thing to find. I Haven't see one of those kits in years. Among the parts in that kit were an idler wheel, a drive shaft, and a couple of tension springs. Probably someone out there knows of the availability of parts to get these things going.

[zenithfan1]

Let me know all the numbers of the machine and I can check at Chester Electronics, they have TONS of old rebuild kits for VCRs. I got one right off the shelf for my RCA VBT 200 from '77.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

As I recall the SL-5800 had an extra 3rd video head for clear still and slow motion with a wired remote, a first for Beta.

I think they called that feature "dual azimuth". Yes, the SL-5800 was a fantastic VCR, and the crystal-clear freeze-frame and variable-speed clear slow-motion were firsts for ANY consumer VCR; I don't remember how long after that it was until any VHS machine had those features.

That machine was also the first that could use an add-on tape stacker device that could hold three more tapes, for up to 20 hours of total recording time.

[Greg B.]

I bought one of these when they first came out. Background: I had just started my first job and even though I wasn't making much, I was still living at home so my expenses were low and I had some cash burning a hole in my pocket. I thought the relatively new idea of being able to record TV shows was the coolest thing ever. I had researched the whole Beta vs. VHS question and concluded that Beta was the way to go. A locally owned Sony store had just opened and I became friends with the 2 young guys who ran it. They sold me on the 5800 even though they hadn't actually received any yet, so they let me have a 5600 until their 5800s arrived. I had the first one in town.

I wanted it because of the truly clear slo-mo it offered, which at the time was quite unique. In practice, it was something I seldom used, but who knew? I mostly used it for recording off-air stuff, and I had a large library of things like Friday Night Videos, SCTV Network 90, SNL, etc., from the early 80s. Keep in mind that buying even a blank tape back then was an investment -- the majority of the blanks I purchased were over $20 each.

While I never had problems with it eating tapes, its performance declined over the years and it developed noise when running. I took it to a shop in the late 80s and they did the repair kit thing that was described. But that only helped it for a short time as a bearing or two somewhere in the motor was shot, and eventually it would not replay anything smoothly. By this time, '93 or so, nobody locally would work on it and I ended up just getting rid of it along with all my Beta tapes. A mistake, especially with the tapes. Wish I had kept all that history.

I remember seeing a demo of the tape changer add-on device at the store too. It seemed really Rube Goldberg-ish, but I think they came up with it to counter the criticism of Beta having a shorter recording capacity than VHS.

Edited to add: With taxes, I think I paid close to $1800 for it. It was more expensive than the car I drove.

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by ChrisW6ATV

I think they called that feature "dual azimuth". Yes, the SL-5800 was a fantastic VCR, and the crystal-clear freeze-frame and variable-speed clear slow-motion were firsts for ANY consumer VCR; I don't remember how long after that it was until any VHS machine had those features.

Was about the same time 1980 or so when Panasonic came out with the PV-1750 that would do clean slow and still frames. It had a wired remote too. That's what replaced the SL-5400 Sony I had. I paid $1299 for that PV-1750 on sale at Video Land here in Dallas, long out of business. VHS 6 hrs record time was very enticing with blank tapes costing around $15-20 each. I still have about 50 Beta tapes from '79-81 time, and nothing to play them on.

[kx250rider]

As said above, the capstan motor was the weak link. I replaced SO MANY of them, that I memorized the generic part number; BHF-11.

Great machine otherwise, and it's the only one of the top-loaders with good quality forward/reverse scan. It also has a wired remote. Great machine!

Charles

[bgadow]

Greg, I'd be in hog heaven if I had those tapes! Especially those early 80s SNL-as a snotty nosed kid then I thought that was the greatest thing ever. No vcr for us until Christmas '86 as I recall.

[ChrisW6ATV]

Originally Posted by Greg B.

I think I paid close to $1800 for it. It was more expensive than the car I drove.

Now THERE is someone with their priorities straight.

Here's my history:
First VCR (1979): $350
First new color TV (1979): $450
Second VCR (early 1981): $750
First car (mid 1981): $500
Second new color TV (early 1982): $1020
Second car (mid 1982): $450
Third VCR (1983): $1250