On Friday, November 2, 2018 at 6:32:50 PM UTC-4, wrote:
I don't normally do this but - that VCR is not a Sony and it is a piece of ****. I think the really last good Sony VCRs were like the SLV920HF, and I have one, and the SLV100HF. they do things right, they don't put the rubber pinch roller on the oxide side of the tape, which was known to be a nono since the sales of wire recorders dropped...

It is better to take those head cleaners out, they get dirty and unclean the heads. Use a coffee filter, place it on the drum and keep it stationary and rotate the upper drum. On the one you'll probably have to remove the drum motor from the top to do it. Use 91 or 99% isopropyl alcohol. Don't forget to clean the lower drum as well.

It looked like the head stalled, if so it is an extremely dirty head drum or tape. That could cause shutdown as well if it is trying to move the tape and doesn't get reel sensor pulses because it is stuck.



If you watch the whole video (it's long), you will see the head spin up normally later on. It sure looks like the head was still damp from cleaning when she attempted to load the tape, sticking the tape to the upper head cylinder.

Yep, it looks like an Orion transport, but it's been many years since I really played with a VCR. Definitely not a Sony built transport.

I think she broke the heads cleaning them. Once the upper cylinder dried off and the tape started to move, she had no signal on her monitor. It's possible that the wet upper cylinder may have transferred tape particles to the head chips and it needs to be cleaned again, but I think she smote them. People who have never cleaned a helical scanned head aren't aware that you can break them without even feeling them go.

I left some comments on her youtube video but she probably tossed the machine. At the end of her video, she goes into a rant about Sony not supporting an old VHS anymore.