Definitely watching a master tech at work lots of tech people won’t work on decks tuners or receivers anymore and as vintage audio and a resurgence in tape decks we need many more people with your skill level.
I have worked on similar units like this and I never thought about fishing the reel belt on like that and changing the tires. I always took the damn things apart....LOL -Cheers buddy! 🍻 Learning something new is always a plus! Thanks!
Wow, that wasn't easy. Because I have experimented with VFDs allot, what can kill a VFD over time is a DC voltage (instead of AC) on the filament wire. What I quess is that something went wrong with the filament driver. You have to check the filament its output is AC, if it is not you have to fix this first. When DC, that is why one side is still working and the other side is burned out. In fact is only the wire that has some poisoning at one side, It has nothing to do with the quality of the VFD. When you put DC on the filament, one side (negative side) is always brighter than the other side (positive side). You can try to burn the 'corrossion' off to apply a DC voltage (max 3V) with heavy current in opposite direction for a couple of seconds. Use a 10 ohm resistor in series to limit the current a bit. In your case, the left filament negative and the right side positive. When doing this, filament wire start to glow red! This is a risc, because you can damage the VFD entirely when doing this for a too long period. However worth to try because the VFD is already useless. When doing this with care, it can survive and restore its functionality.
A quality tape machine, sounds spot on like the other one 😀 You short cutted the belts, a hell of a lot faster. It's a real shame about the vfd, "Unobtainium" and not easy to replace with anything else. Not impossible but a pain to interface a led display to the chip.
The display has come back to almost normal and I bet a few more hours and it will totally come back. Yes the belts can be done pretty quick once it has been done once or twice. Tricks of the trade.
Love this series for pioneer. I hear the ferrite heads on these ones go out a lot. I really love my Pioneer CT-8R. Even with the nightmare transport. Wonder how the Ferrite heads on this deck perform against there Ribbon Sendust heads
Will try to do one today. Feel like total crap today. At least I know the covid booster is working as my immune system is on high alert today. It packs a punch.
Love to see your repair vids Dave. I have a question if you don’t mind. Can you show how to calibrate the VU meters on a cassettedeck when you don’t have a testcassette with test tones? Is it possible to calibrate the VU meters with a DM (RMS) and just a tone generator? Thanks in advance.
Not the cathode but anode is wearing on VFDs, and not the anodes themselves, but the light emitting cover on them burn hit by electrons. If half of the display is dark, that is a problem of DC going through cathode's filament, it must be AC there, DC must be only between Anode and Cathode.
It's not my unit and i haven't heard anything from the owner of any problems so I guess it is holding up fine. It's a local owner so any problems i would have heard about.
@@12voltvids Well that would be nice but the unit is 40 years old and I can't find the belt anywhere, I simply asked your professional advice on which one would be better. I learned a lot from watching your videos but I can see you don't like to share information unless you want to.
@@catman58 i don't have that info. Do you think i know all the sizes of belts for every model? I don't. If i need a belt i will measure it and order from a parts distributers. If you want to buy a belt kit, try belt kits.com. I don't endorse them as i have never purchased from them. I get mine from kpcomponents but you have to have the size as the guy there just sells by size like most places. FYI when i was in the business i would order from manufactures which meant i had to look up part numbers or i would have to measure and order generic. I get asked every day what belt model x uses. I don't know. I never have. When i was in the business i had all the models of belts I had measured in a database i set up listed by model but that was on the shop computer and when i left that info was left behind where nobody could access as i set it up with my password. That shop has been closed for 10 years.
you can do a rejuvination on VFD's but is a very risky operation and may not last for very long maybe a year or just a few months i seen it done a few times but if it is worth it not sure about that
This one after running all night has almost returned to normal. Just like old radio tubes that have been sitting for 80 years. They are slow to work but most will return to operational condition if just left heated up and idling.
Couldn't tell you what i have. Over 2000 videos spanning 10 years. I believe i do have one of those beasts somewhere. I vaguely remember doing an inspection on one but it needs belts and I haven't done anything to it yet and i don't know if or when i will get around to sourcing the belts. It's mine so it is the lowest of the low in terms of priority as it isn't really worth anything.
@@12voltvids Thank you. I enjoy you videos. I repaired and calibrated signal generation equipment in the service in the '70s. I really could use a moderate oscilloscope. If there was a way to make one from an old computer and monitor that would be super!
@@callawayken650 i believe there are scope adapters that plug into USB to use a PC as the display. I work mostly on analog equipment and therefore an analog scope is what I use most.
@@12voltvids thank you. I just want to repair some of my old Stereo gear. So, something simple should work fine for signal tracing. I will have to check them out plus, another video recommended just buying an O'scope on eBay. I've just been getting ready to get a work area set up so your viewer recommendations would be helpful on which way to go on scopes.
@@callawayken650 if all you are planning on working on is audio then just a basic 20 MHz scope will be more than enough. I had an iwatsu 40 Meg for many many years until it burned out I still have it it's just the high voltage tripler is bad and someday I might actually get around to trying to get it working. the tech products I use on my bench was actually donated to me by a viewer so I didn't pay anything for it other than the shipping to get it to me I'm at little digital scope that I've got while I bought that I wish I hadn't that was money wasted as far as I'm concerned because it's completely useless working on anything involving video it just does not have the resolution for video the cheapest analog scope would do better than that. If you're looking for a scope don't look on eBay because people will rip you off go to a ham radio flea market you'll pick up a scope for probably 20 or $30 there
Hi i was wondering if you could help me my name is Angelo from Australia I have a 1250 and looking for a tape head and a capstan motor for it im in Australia and came across your video on UA-cam i would appreciate any help you could give me..Regards Angelo..
Definitely watching a master tech at work lots of tech people won’t work on decks tuners or receivers anymore and as vintage audio and a resurgence in tape decks we need many more people with your skill level.
I like the wire wrapping on the VFD. We don't see anything like that anymore!👍
Very easy to understand, disassembling every single screw and parts, helpful video, thank you so much sir.
I like those old units that can make both electrical engineers AND metal workers happy! That beast has some serious aluminium artwork.
I have worked on similar units like this and I never thought about
fishing the reel belt on like that and changing the tires. I always took
the damn things apart....LOL -Cheers buddy! 🍻 Learning something
new is always a plus! Thanks!
Especially when it saves a bunch of time.
Wow, that wasn't easy. Because I have experimented with VFDs allot, what can kill a VFD over time is a DC voltage (instead of AC) on the filament wire. What I quess is that something went wrong with the filament driver. You have to check the filament its output is AC, if it is not you have to fix this first. When DC, that is why one side is still working and the other side is burned out. In fact is only the wire that has some poisoning at one side, It has nothing to do with the quality of the VFD. When you put DC on the filament, one side (negative side) is always brighter than the other side (positive side). You can try to burn the 'corrossion' off to apply a DC voltage (max 3V) with heavy current in opposite direction for a couple of seconds. Use a 10 ohm resistor in series to limit the current a bit. In your case, the left filament negative and the right side positive. When doing this, filament wire start to glow red! This is a risc, because you can damage the VFD entirely when doing this for a too long period. However worth to try because the VFD is already useless. When doing this with care, it can survive and restore its functionality.
you do amazing job on these repairs
A quality tape machine, sounds spot on like the other one 😀
You short cutted the belts, a hell of a lot faster.
It's a real shame about the vfd, "Unobtainium" and not easy
to replace with anything else.
Not impossible but a pain to interface a led display to the chip.
The display has come back to almost normal and I bet a few more hours and it will totally come back. Yes the belts can be done pretty quick once it has been done once or twice. Tricks of the trade.
Love this series for pioneer. I hear the ferrite heads on these ones go out a lot. I really love my Pioneer CT-8R. Even with the nightmare transport. Wonder how the Ferrite heads on this deck perform against there Ribbon Sendust heads
I have a couple of those VFDs in my spare parts collection.
That was a big help for the belt changes. Thanks
Love watching your vids Dave, great work.
Will try to do one today. Feel like total crap today. At least I know the covid booster is working as my immune system is on high alert today. It packs a punch.
Ha! I had one of these transports. It was stolen 40 years ago when I was in college. I replaced it with a Nakamichi.
Both were very nice machines.
They are very nice tape decks indeed.
Thanks for sharing the video !
Love to see your repair vids Dave. I have a question if you don’t mind. Can you show how to calibrate the VU meters on a cassettedeck when you don’t have a testcassette with test tones? Is it possible to calibrate the VU meters with a DM (RMS) and just a tone generator? Thanks in advance.
A scope would be the instrument if choice to calibrate the vu meters
I have a silver Yamaha K-520 cassette deck that’s missing audio on the right channel, could I send it to you for you to look at or possibly repair?
I'm in Kelowna and working on a ct f950 where can I get an idler tire and pinch rollers. Where are you located
cool!!!! Amazing job
nice job ! That thing is sweet.
What kind of lubrication greese or oli you use and where to get them
Not the cathode but anode is wearing on VFDs, and not the anodes themselves, but the light emitting cover on them burn hit by electrons. If half of the display is dark, that is a problem of DC going through cathode's filament, it must be AC there, DC must be only between Anode and Cathode.
No, it's the cathode wire but emittingeven electron. The phosphor isn't burned.
Just curious how the glue is holding up against that spring pressure? Any update of that?
It's not my unit and i haven't heard anything from the owner of any problems so I guess it is holding up fine. It's a local owner so any problems i would have heard about.
When replacing belts can I use O-rings or should I buy the ones on Amazon the square belts?
Get the right belts.
@@12voltvids Well that would be nice but the unit is 40 years old and I can't find the belt anywhere, I simply asked your professional advice on which one would be better.
I learned a lot from watching your videos but I can see you don't like to share information unless you want to.
@@catman58 i don't have that info. Do you think i know all the sizes of belts for every model? I don't. If i need a belt i will measure it and order from a parts distributers. If you want to buy a belt kit, try belt kits.com. I don't endorse them as i have never purchased from them. I get mine from kpcomponents but you have to have the size as the guy there just sells by size like most places. FYI when i was in the business i would order from manufactures which meant i had to look up part numbers or i would have to measure and order generic.
I get asked every day what belt model x uses. I don't know. I never have. When i was in the business i had all the models of belts I had measured in a database i set up listed by model but that was on the shop computer and when i left that info was left behind where nobody could access as i set it up with my password. That shop has been closed for 10 years.
its quality
you can do a rejuvination on VFD's but is a very risky operation and may not last for very long maybe a year or just a few months i seen it done a few times but if it is worth it not sure about that
And you can easily burn them out and then you have no display.
This one after running all night has almost returned to normal. Just like old radio tubes that have been sitting for 80 years. They are slow to work but most will return to operational condition if just left heated up and idling.
@@12voltvids true why i stated a risky operation and often not worth it
@@Dutch-linux well this one is almost 100% now after running all night.
@@12voltvids that is great news the owner of that deck will be happy great video can't wait to see the next one cheers
hanks for all video you have video of repering recorder Tk46 gurnding
Couldn't tell you what i have. Over 2000 videos spanning 10 years.
I believe i do have one of those beasts somewhere. I vaguely remember doing an inspection on one but it needs belts and I haven't done anything to it yet and i don't know if or when i will get around to sourcing the belts. It's mine so it is the lowest of the low in terms of priority as it isn't really worth anything.
Mine have that problem, the counter won't even turn on.
OMG, now my Optimus SCT-55 display died today! :(
Where do you get your belt sets? Thank you.
The last ones i got from Amazon. I have no real source. All the shops that sold good belts are long gone.
Thank you. DO you do repairs on amps and Nakamichi ZXL1000?
Tape always seem to unstick over time.
Hola, cuál es el diámetro de las correas?
I have no idea. You need to measure.
Do you repair old GM 8track car stereos???
I really try to avoid all car stereos. Parts are the big problem.
@@12voltvids Thank you. I enjoy you videos. I repaired and calibrated signal generation equipment in the service in the '70s. I really could use a moderate oscilloscope. If there was a way to make one from an old computer and monitor that would be super!
@@callawayken650 i believe there are scope adapters that plug into USB to use a PC as the display. I work mostly on analog equipment and therefore an analog scope is what I use most.
@@12voltvids thank you. I just want to repair some of my old Stereo gear. So, something simple should work fine for signal tracing. I will have to check them out plus, another video recommended just buying an O'scope on eBay. I've just been getting ready to get a work area set up so your viewer recommendations would be helpful on which way to go on scopes.
@@callawayken650 if all you are planning on working on is audio then just a basic 20 MHz scope will be more than enough. I had an iwatsu 40 Meg for many many years until it burned out I still have it it's just the high voltage tripler is bad and someday I might actually get around to trying to get it working. the tech products I use on my bench was actually donated to me by a viewer so I didn't pay anything for it other than the shipping to get it to me I'm at little digital scope that I've got while I bought that I wish I hadn't that was money wasted as far as I'm concerned because it's completely useless working on anything involving video it just does not have the resolution for video the cheapest analog scope would do better than that. If you're looking for a scope don't look on eBay because people will rip you off go to a ham radio flea market you'll pick up a scope for probably 20 or $30 there
Good job! Where found the parts.
Hi i was wondering if you could help me my name is Angelo from Australia I have a 1250 and looking for a tape head and a capstan motor for it im in Australia and came across your video on UA-cam i would appreciate any help you could give me..Regards Angelo..
Good luck. I have no source for parts. Every place I have dealt with in the past are gone now.
No audio??
Your end. Sound is fine.
It's been working for me?
Anybody else missing sound?
Nope it's fine.