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Tribute to the VHS format.

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Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
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My recorder arrived, but was a bit worse for wear when it landed, and landed might be the operative word here because it looks like it took a few landings en-route. A couple of switches are bent now, and the piano keys have suffered. There is a round shaft behind the "key frame"? which is now significantly bent at one end - it is the shaft that carries the cassette compartment door (for want of a better description) gears, the ones that stop the door twisting as it is closed, and work in the fashion of an anti-roll torsion bar on a car.

Luckily, I see no damage to any PCBs, at least not yet, but all is not well when power is applied. The whole thing goes into motion as soon as the mains switch is 'on'. Naturally, I haven't tried a cassette in it as yet!

Belts? Well, they're all in situ, they all do their jobs, but all have kinks in them from being parked in the one place for too long. Good news is they don't fall off! - I reckon they will need changing though.

If I'm right, I may still have one of these stored away somewhere. It was retained as a source of spares many years ago and may still be here, unless I gave it away. I know it was still around when Jeremy (Pamphonica) wanted some equipment feet a couple of years back - I was going to let him have the feet off the scrap recorder, but they'd already been whisked away. in any case, I would think it far from salvageable and almost certainly missing some key parts, but may still be able to yield up enough to recover the 'new ' machine to as purchased condition.

These chassis are of the folded steel construction, and my concern in that corner is if the chassis has been warped by the bad landings in transit, bearing in mind that the piano keys have received a heavy frontal insult resulting in the keys at the right hand end of the frame appearing shorter than the keys at the left hand end.

I really should start a new thread for this one.........

 
Posted : 21/01/2018 10:14 pm
Terrykc
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Posted by: Katie Bush

Belts? Well, they're all in situ, they all do their jobs, but all have kinks in them from being parked in the one place for too long. Good news is they don't fall off! - I reckon they will need changing though.

 

If the belts haven't actually stretched - and there is no reason why they should - dropping them into hot water for a minute or two can often remove the kinks

When all else fails, read the instructions

 
Posted : 22/01/2018 7:27 pm
Cathovisor
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Ah, the old 'boiling belts' bodge!!

 
Posted : 22/01/2018 7:28 pm
TVJON74
(@tvjon74)
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I have never tried warming/boiling of belts myself, but I have heard that it works.

Jon

Jon
BVWS Member

 
Posted : 22/01/2018 7:47 pm
Marc
 Marc
(@marc)
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Posted by: Cathovisor

Ah, the old 'boiling belts' bodge!!

Tried that with my 3V00 and it served to prove the machine was viable but the belts soon reverted back to their previous state.....New belts please  🙂

Marc
BVWS member
RSGB call sign 2E0VTN

 
Posted : 22/01/2018 7:54 pm
Boingy
(@boingy)
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The first VCR I bought was a Ferguson 3V23. Glorious thing it was too. Aluminium fold down flap. Dolby noise reduction. Humongous remote control, about the size of a cut down house brick. Not bad for stills, or trick shots. I remember the rollers that used to pull the cassette in would get shiny and crack, preventing the cassette from loading in.

I went mad for my next VCR and got a brand new Ferguson FV57H, because it could record both pictures and hifi sound on long play. The remote wasn't brilliant. I quickly found out that there were JVC remotes with jog/shuttle dials and LCD programming. About 3 months later, we got the add on Teletext adaptor, which allowed direct programming of the timer using the TV schedule listings that were transmitted on Teletext (a bit like the EPG nowadays). I believe it could also record subtitles overlaid on to the video.

There were so many features on that VCR, that we must of had it for 10 years, or more. The JVC equivalent was the HR-D910, which had a much better, professional look to it, with a jog/shuttle dial on the fold down flap. The deck was pretty reliable, as long as you remembered to change the pinch roller, back tension band, belts and head cleaner every year, or so.

You always knew when the heads were getting worn, as there would be buzzing on the hifi sound. The hifi sound was recorded deeper into the tape and was always at least 12dB less than the video signal.

Aha, happy days!

All the best,

Tony

Standards are like toothbrushes. Everybody needs them, but nobody want to use yours!

 
Posted : 06/04/2018 12:50 am
Cathovisor
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Posted by: Boingy

 

You always knew when the heads were getting worn, as there would be buzzing on the hifi sound. The hifi sound was recorded deeper into the tape and was always at least 12dB less than the video signal.

A common trick at the time was to turn down the luminance record current as the heads wore: whilst I got away with this on my HR-D750 (which I still have) you couldn't do it on the later machines. However... one thing I noticed (in my ownership at least) was that the heads wore very quickly indeed on JVC machines, even when using premium-brand tapes (TDK E-HG was a favourite here).

As a result, I switched to Panasonic machines and never really looked back: although inevitably the sound went walkies on those too - just not after a year like it did with my last JVC!

The one Panasonic I really liked the styling of was the Panasonic F65- very clean lines, excellent pictures and sound.

 
Posted : 06/04/2018 7:36 am
crustytv
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Posted by: Boingy

The first VCR I bought was a Ferguson 3V23. Glorious thing it was too. Aluminium fold down flap.

If you've not already found it, you can see a brochure picture in our Ferguson VCR section here

 

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Posted : 06/04/2018 8:48 am
mfd70
(@mfd70)
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I have a 3V23 (possibly JVC badged) in a lockup, I doubt it's in very good condition, but if anyone wants it let me know.

I've worked on far to many VHS machines to enjoy restoring one....

 
Posted : 07/04/2018 9:05 pm
Katie Bush
(@katie-bush)
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Posted by: mfd70

I have a 3V23 (possibly JVC badged) in a lockup, I doubt it's in very good condition, but if anyone wants it let me know.

I've worked on far to many VHS machines to enjoy restoring one....

Ooh yes please! If you're putting names in a hat, I'm interested.....

 
Posted : 07/04/2018 9:32 pm
ntscuser
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Posted by: @till

Hi ntscuser,  I've always suspected there was a technical or a financial tie up between Philips and Matsushita Electric. Is this correct?

Sorry for the late reply, I somehow missed your post and only just found it when searching for something else.

Matsushita Electric was 85% owned by Philips - and by extension it's subsidiary companies such as JVC -  from 1953 to (I think) 1993 when the Japanese purchased a majority stake in the company. All senior Japanese managers were trained by Philips in Eindhoven. Kōnosuke Matsushita and Frits Philips were personal friends and members of an international peace group.

Classic TV Theme Tunes

 
Posted : 05/07/2021 8:40 pm
mfd70
(@mfd70)
Posts: 281
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Posted by: @mfd70

I have a 3V23 (possibly JVC badged) in a lockup, I doubt it's in very good condition, but if anyone wants it let me know.

I've worked on far to many VHS machines to enjoy restoring one....

So, three and a half years and I've still not been to my lockup ! I've forgotten what is there, a Phillips 14" (NC3 ?) an ITT 20" teletext set and the 3V23 at least. I will have to clear it out by the autumn.

 
Posted : 06/07/2021 10:14 pm
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