Results 1 to 5 of 5

Sanyo Betamax VCR -- sort of alive

| More than Scrap Value
  1. #1
    ilyaz started this thread.
    ilyaz's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2010
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    425
    Thanks
    340
    Thanked 230 Times in 114 Posts

    Sanyo Betamax VCR -- sort of alive

    Another dumpster find: a Sanyo Betamax VCR player/recorder. Came with a remote and original box but no manual.

    The thing has a label on top saying something about the 1984 LA Olympics. So it's about 30 yrs old.

    Decided to give it a try. Bought a betamax tape from eBay. Used of course. Put it in, hit play. There was some noise that sort of resembled that of a tape being loaded, but louder. Hit rewind. More noise. Hit eject. Got a jam! Took of the cover. The tape is chewed up and ripped.

    Question(s): Is it likely that the whole mechanism is screwed up and I might as well scrap the unit, or sell it as "for parts"? Or is there a reasonable chance that there was something wrong with the tape? Is there also a chance that the mechanism can be fixed by, say, lubricating it?



  2. #2
    Sirscrapalot's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    A sandbar off the atlantic..OBX,NC
    Posts
    6,123
    Thanks
    11,885
    Thanked 8,783 Times in 3,854 Posts
    Hey Ilyaz, I know you said it was a beta, but you can try this, it's what I found for a vhs eating tapes.

    How can I stop my VCR from eating tapes? - Yahoo Answers

    The answer is old, but might help. The first one, an the second sound the best. I tried a search for the same thing using betamax but all the links I could find were dead. Even the one to a forum for electronics.

    an man I feel old, I remember when those first came out, an you could rent them from places like Errols (Pre Blockbuster..lol), same with laser discs! Man those discs cost a ton way back then.

    Nice find tho! I'd try another tape before opening it up an trying to fix things. Assuming the tape was cheap enough.

    Good luck!

    Sirscrapalot - Home is where the heart is. - Pliny the Elder

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Sirscrapalot for This Post:


  4. #3
    spinroch's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Posts
    675
    Thanks
    1,983
    Thanked 1,556 Times in 460 Posts
    Take the cover off the VCR, as well as the metal cover on the bottom of the unit.
    Look for broken belts.
    There are rubber wheels on plastic pulleys that dry out and crack, too.

    Look for tape residue on the posts and the rubber wheels the tape runs over.
    This residue can be cleaned off with alcohol & q-tips.
    The aluminum drum you will see is the tape head assembly.
    WARNING! WARNING! DO NOT touch the little heads on the side of the drum.
    Do NOT lubricate the VCR

    Ultimately, they are not usually worth repairing. But...There are still some old fools out here that can still do it.

  5. The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by spinroch:


  6. #4
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Feb 2012
    Location
    OK
    Posts
    5,728
    Thanks
    6,814
    Thanked 3,464 Times in 1,989 Posts
    I had an old VHS a couple years ago, finally just scrapped it. All kindsa goodies in there, even the inner casing was aluminum cast. The yard I was dealing with wouldn't even give dirty aluminum so I stripped it clean. Took awhile and wasn't worth it, but a learning thing it certainly was ; )

  7. #5
    ilyaz started this thread.
    ilyaz's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Sep 2010
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    425
    Thanks
    340
    Thanked 230 Times in 114 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by spinroch View Post

    Ultimately, they are not usually worth repairing. But...There are still some old fools out here that can still do it.
    Thanks, I might give it a try. If this were a regular VCR, I would have thrown it into the shred pile. But it's one of these, so even if I can't fix it, maybe I can sell it for parts.


  8. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Whats In A VCR You Say? Ill Show You
      By jackshmuc in forum Scrap Metal Videos
      Replies: 20
      Last Post: 07-13-2013, 02:18 PM
    2. VCR Results
      By BRASSCATCHER in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 19
      Last Post: 02-27-2012, 09:00 PM
    3. Stripping a VCR
      By Midnight in forum Off Topic Discussions
      Replies: 16
      Last Post: 01-03-2012, 10:36 PM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook