It's a Zenith VCS442. Worked fine until the video playback started to look
like the heads needed cleaning (fuzzy picture a bit like bad tracking, but
audio OK), tried a wet cleaning casette, no help; opened it up and cleaned
the rotating drum and 2 stationary heads (erase and audio?) with a foam
swab and alcohol, then dry swabbed and waited 5 mins to dry further.
Seemed to solve the problem, but the next day the problem reappeared; did
same cleaning routine and again it seemed to do the job, but this time less
than a half hour later the video was totally blank (though it looks almost
normal on CUE and REW).

Seems like if I 'fix' it again it just might bite somebody.

Is this just another way VCRs go defunct or is there something else that
can be done? I'm strictly an amateur with, apparently, just enough repair
skills to cause damage. I bought it 2nd hand at a thrift store a few months
back.

Bob wrote:
It's a Zenith VCS442. Worked fine until the video playback started to look
like the heads needed cleaning (fuzzy picture a bit like bad tracking, but
audio OK), tried a wet cleaning casette, no help; opened it up and cleaned
the rotating drum and 2 stationary heads (erase and audio?) with a foam
swab and alcohol, then dry swabbed and waited 5 mins to dry further.
Seemed to solve the problem, but the next day the problem reappeared; did
same cleaning routine and again it seemed to do the job, but this time less
than a half hour later the video was totally blank (though it looks almost
normal on CUE and REW).

Seems like if I 'fix' it again it just might bite somebody.

Is this just another way VCRs go defunct or is there something else that
can be done? I'm strictly an amateur with, apparently, just enough repair
skills to cause damage. I bought it 2nd hand at a thrift store a few months
back.
Have you considered BAD TAPE

Yukio YANO wrote in
news
Bob wrote:
It's a Zenith VCS442. Worked fine until the video playback started
to look like the heads needed cleaning (fuzzy picture a bit like bad
tracking, but audio OK), tried a wet cleaning casette, no help;
opened it up and cleaned the rotating drum and 2 stationary heads
(erase and audio?) with a foam swab and alcohol, then dry swabbed and
waited 5 mins to dry further. Seemed to solve the problem, but the
next day the problem reappeared; did same cleaning routine and again
it seemed to do the job, but this time less than a half hour later
the video was totally blank (though it looks almost normal on CUE and
REW).

Seems like if I 'fix' it again it just might bite somebody.

Is this just another way VCRs go defunct or is there something else
that can be done? I'm strictly an amateur with, apparently, just
enough repair skills to cause damage. I bought it 2nd hand at a
thrift store a few months back.
Have you considered BAD TAPE


Yes. The tapes are good, or at least can't ALL be bad.

Yes. The tapes are good, or at least can't ALL be bad.

I think he means they're dirty and/or shedding.

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in message
...
Yes. The tapes are good, or at least can't ALL be bad.

I think he means they're dirty and/or shedding.



I have seen this with failing video heads. Repeated clogging. On one I even
saw a small "whisker" protruding from the coil wire of the head chip.
Actually built up a pile of the finest tape oxide shavings you could
imagine. Obviously, a new video head was required.

Seems unlikely this would be cost-effective for the Zenith in question
however, even if the part were available.


Mark Z.

On 15 mar, 21:16, Bob wrote:
It's a Zenith VCS442. Worked fine until the video playback started to look
like the heads needed cleaning (fuzzy picture a bit like bad tracking, but
audio OK), tried a wet cleaning casette, no help; opened it up and cleaned
the rotating drum and 2 stationary heads (erase and audio?) with a foam
swab and alcohol, then dry swabbed and waited 5 mins to dry further.
Seemed to solve the problem, but the next day the problem reappeared; did
same cleaning routine and again it seemed to do the job, but this time less
than a half hour later the video was totally blank (though it looks almost
normal on CUE and REW).

Seems like if I 'fix' it again it just might bite somebody.

Is this just another way VCRs go defunct or is there something else that
can be done? I'm strictly an amateur with, apparently, just enough repair
skills to cause damage. I bought it 2nd hand at a thrift store a few months
back.

observe the unit in playback. does the tape get slanted or wrinkled by
the pinch roller ? is the pinch roller hard or shiny? these fail often
and drag the tape unevenly, causing similar symprtoms to what you
have. If you don't see any black tape residue in the tape path which
would point to wear/head clogging, I would look at changing the
roller before ditching it.
also check the backtension band on the supply spool.

The mechanism works smoothly, pinch roller looks OK, a scrupulous re-
cleaning and close examination, followed by inserting a known-OK tape,
yields the same results. Looks like its curtains for this one.

Thanks to all for your advice.