Hi
Back in the early 80’s my father bought a Philips LaserVision VLP-600, and we started to build a laserdisc collection back then, I still have that Laser player at home. The only problem we had later on that it didn’t like loading at times. It looked like it had trouble moving the plastic guide across where the lens sit on and where it travels along underneath the disc.
One of the closed posts on here states that the laser sledge loading belt needs changing, I presume this is the main problem with my machine. I haven’t, had a chance to find the box that the VLP-600 is in, I would like to take the top off the machine and take a look inside. I did purchase at the time from Philips the VLP600 service manual for it, now I got find that as well. I presume that the belt was a rubber type back then, so getting replacement for it now would be totally impossible, unless a belt say from a different type of machine would do if it was the same size belt. Do you have some ideas on the fault in question, any help would be appreciated.
Keith
Hi Keith,
as far as I'm aware, I'm the only one to have posted a couple of threads on the Philips Laserdisc on VRAT, one being the VLP600 and the other a VLP700. I actually have three players, one of them being new old stock in its box.
If the loading belt for the sledge is your only problem, then count yourself lucky. These belts are nothing special and can easily be sourced. Just buy a generic belt kit (available on Amazon or eBay) that contains various diameters, that's all I did and found the exact size among them, and multiples of them were included.
Your biggest hurdle, and I'd be amazed if yours does not have it, is the mirror glue rot problem. It does not seem even dependent on how you stored the device, but if it's been in a cold loft or worse a garage, well!
Philips not only used some god awful belts in their players (N1500 as an example) that turned to sticky tar, the glue they used to fix the mirrors in these disc players, fails. The result is the inability for the laser to align and thus unable to focus. This is the infamous ticking sound you here once the disc has spun up, the lens hunting up and down trying to focus, trying to read the disc.
Even the new old stock player I own has this problem, result, I gave up on VLP players. Yes, you could carefully remove and fix the mirrors back in place with new glue, however, you would then need to realign them for the laser. This requires the Philips alignment jig, and where are we going to find one of those. I've seen someone manage to do this by allowing the laser to project up onto the ceiling and then using one of those DIY laser levels to attempt an alignment. All credit to them, they achieved it, but it's not for the faint-hearted.
p.s
It might not be a belt problem, one of the players (VLP600) the sledge cog had a tooth missing preventing the sledge from traversing the bed, luckily I had spares.
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/community/vintage-vtr/1982-philips-laservision-vlp-600/
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/1982-philips-vlp700/
I've had zero luck in resurrecting 70s laserdisc players, reluctantly I gave up on them, so take no notice of me, you may have better Zen skills in laserdisc than I.
Various video disc systems
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/video-disc-systems/
I've had far more success getting C.E.D. disc players working, and recently the very rare Thorn VHD disc player.
One of the three CED Videodisc examples
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/hitachi-vip202p-c-e-d-player/
Thorn VHD Videodisc Player
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/community/vintage-vtr/thorn-jvc-vhd-videodisc-player-3d01-resources/
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/vhd/
https://www.radios-tv.co.uk/thorn-3d01-vhd-videodisc-player/
CrustyTV Television Shop: Take a virtual tour
Crusty's TV/VCR Collection: View my collection
Hi Chris
Thank you for the information, I take note on what you said. but I got to find the box it's in and take an look. The VLP600 has always been in a dry environment, not even in a cold loft or worse a garage like you said. The VLP has moved twice with me and I always make sure I put it's box inside the house. nice to know that a generic belt kit would work if this is the only problem.
The mirror glue rot problem is a interesting one and hoping it's not that as well. I did see the closed post with the photo showing the sledge cog had a tooth missing, luckily you had spares. If mine has broken parts, I could try and get a used VLP600 online and use that, but need to find out if this fault is just the belt, first of all.
Keith
