Different world, this digital telly... I don't understand it!
You may say that, but I sometimes look back on the whole shebang of shadowmask CRTs, tube-and-iceblock cameras and magnetic tape video recorders and think, "That's bonkers, how could it ever possibly have worked.....". It could be made to work very well, though!
Hi @jayceebee,
Yes, it is that machine as posted by @Cathovisor. I suspected that the timer was that basic, I just didn't know for sure - I suppose that's what you got with it being the very first VHS machine! Part of its charm, for me. Having said that, I was aware it only had a 24-hour timer - but - I am surprised there's no end time / time limit. It almost makes the clock on the VCR a gimmick, given that you could probably use some kind of plug timer to achieve the same thing (more, in fact, such as the aforementioned off time).
Do you know the answer to my earlier question, i.e. is it normal for the channel indicators to remain lit when the machine is in standby?
It definitely does have 6Mhz sound however, as verified by trying the different modes on my UHF modulator - I don't know about the other non-3300 models, but from what I've read I'm reasonably sure the HR-3300EG was a UK model. There's also a period sticker attached from an independent London dealership, which (it was nice to discover) is still in business and run by the same family!
Now I need to figure out why it wouldn't start recording the second time...
@turretslug I despair at the loss of those kinds of things and the ingenuity that led to them. These days everything is solved by what I call "lazy engineering" - basically applying software and microprocessor brute force to all problems. And this is coming from a software engineer!
Do you know the answer to my earlier question, i.e. is it normal for the channel indicators to remain lit when the machine is in standby?
It’s a long time ago but I’m pretty sure the channel LED should go out when it’s in standby.
These machines also had a trick up their sleeves. If the programme you were recording was in B&W the chroma circuit was turned off and and some extra luma bandwidth became available, I think it may have gone up to about 3.1MHz giving a useful amount of extra definition. Sadly about this time the broadcasters stopped turning the burst signal off for monochrome material and the extra bandwidth wasn’t switched in. You could force the issue by setting the slide switch on the rear to B&W.
John.
@jayceebee It seems that you were correct about the 'EG' being the European standards model, I should've realised with the VHF bands on the tuners 🙄. I wonder whether my machine has been modified for UK use? On both TVs I tried, the TV would only tune properly when set to standard mode 'I' (UK). It would affect playback via RF, I assume?
It also seems that there is a problem with the record timer. I can't get it to operate again, with the cover off I can hear a click from a relay in the PSU section, the video head drum spins momentarily and then stops. Together with the power LED not working, I suspect a logic chip somewhere.
I intended to ask about bandswitching but it slipped my mind. I'm wondering if this could be a grey import modified by the vendor, the modulator would be simple to change to 6MHz but I suspect the IF strip would need to have a couple of ceramic filters change and some slight tweaking of coils.
Before you start looking for a logic fault in the mechacon check all your supplies are present from the PSU if you have a manual.
John.
@jayceebee Just after I posted that I had a look at the service manual and I see there's not actually much between the power regulator board and the VCR / tuner, so yes I think the problem might well lie in the PSU.
I have a JVC 3320 and was quite amazed at the substantial circuit differences that there are between all the various models that look very similar. JVC 3320 Transport Failure - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum (vintage-radio.net)
Peter
OK, the power "LED" is in fact a 12v pilot lamp on my machine! The filament has blown and there is voltage present, so that will be easily solved (although I am going to solder a current-limited LED in its place I think, as replacements appear to be a bit hard to find). I really don't understand why it isn't an LED, given that it's been made to look just like an LED poking through the front panel and it's surrounded by LEDs on the tuner panel. (Would saving maybe a pound or so matter on something so expensive?)
As for the channel indicators staying lit when in standby - the only service data I have is for the 3660E, from the technical library on this site. The power board in my machine seems to have differences to this one, one being that certain numbered connections are not present, some of those being connections taking the 18v supply out to the on/off/timer switch and back into the power module. The 18v wire leading into the tuner board, which powers the LEDs, seems to come directly from the output of the bridge rectifier on my VCR, rather than via these connections and the switch. I would wonder whether it had been modified, but as I say, the pins denoted on the 3660E schematic that connect to the switch are just not present on mine. This is a little odd because I've spoken to another owner of a 3300 who confirms that the lights do go out in standby.
I've also investigated, a little, the problem with the timer, which is currently working 50% of the time. When the timer kicks in successfully, the voltage on the "RELAY CTRL" pin of the power board drops from around 18v to 10-11v and stays there, until the on/off/timer switch is moved from 'timer'. On occasions when the timer fails to start the VCR, the voltage on that pin drops only momentarily before returning to 18v. Looking at the schematic, I can only see this as being a problem with the timer module itself. I haven't yet attempted to remove the timer to investigate, although I did wonder whether it was something to do with how I was setting the timer and maybe a firmware glitch with it; perhaps the seconds past the minute at the point the timer was set or something, and relating to the fact that I was only setting it 1-2 minutes in advance whilst testing.
@peterscott Thanks for that link, I hadn't seen your post. It's made me aware of another possible problem with my machine... when I pause playback the signal cuts off - there is no picture still. Until now I'd assumed that this was just a feature not available until maybe the 3600 series, mine being very basic.
Does anyone know whether the 3300 should display a still when paused?
Aha... no, the pause should not display a still on the 3300: http://www.totalrewind.org/vhs/H_3300.htm
