Thanks Ben.
Rather than spend time on your present machine which will possibly
need a schematic and test equipment to rectify completely, it may be
simpler to get a decent , tested, quality 3 head machine from a
reputable dealer if you really want a good spec cassette machine.
Ya, I know that, but I hate to throw something away that I might be able to
fix (it's a little "problem" I have). Also, if I can do it, it would be cool
to learn how, especially in light of your above comment - if I screw
something up irreparably, I can always pick up a used cheapie (hell, I've
pulled decks out of the garbage that were working fine), and I have another
one lying around anyway.
"b" wrote in message
om...
"tempus fugit" wrote in message
...
Hey all;
I've got a Technics tape deck (RS-B18) that is about 20 years old. I had
some problems with intermittent channels (rec and play) and took it
apart to
see what I could do. I found a cold solder joint in the signal path and
resoldered it, which (so far, anyway) has fixed the problem.
However, there are a few things I'm wondering about. First, the levels
(as
indicated on the meters) are lower in playback than record. IOW, if I
record
a cassette with the levels reading around 0, the tape will play back
with
the levels at, say -3 or so. It also varies depending on how the noise
reduction and bias is set:
1. No Dolby, CrO2 - levels are pretty much the same
2. Dolby B, Cr02 - levels slightly lower on playback
3. dbx, Cr02 - levels considerably (3 - 6 db) lower on playback
4. any or no noise reduction, Metal - no playback at all (this has been
a
problem since I got the deck)
I can post more combinations if need be, but I hope that this will give
the
general idea. I also cannot remember if this was the way things were
going
before the repair (I think it was though).
Are these type of discrepencies normal, or can/should I adjust things to
equal them out?
I also noticed that the playback was a little dull after the repair (to
be
honest, I hadn't used the deck in quite a while, so it may be the way it
always sounded). Would this be a bias setting that I may have
inadvertently
moved while repairing? or perhaps it needs some adjustment in another
area?
Thanks
I sympathise with all the above, but when all's said and done we are
talking about a 20 year old machine using a format which is rapidly
growing obsolete. there must come a point at which one asks: is this
worth spending time and money on?
Second hand markets are full of cassette decks, even hi-spec ones,
going for ridiculously low prices (seeing as CD-R has occupied the
mainstream for home recording.)
Rather than spend time on your present machine which will possibly
need a schematic and test equipment to rectify completely, it may be
simpler to get a decent , tested, quality 3 head machine from a
reputable dealer if you really want a good spec cassette machine.
Ben
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