VCR refurbishing guide?

[VideoSaver]

Can anyone direct me to an online video that illustrates the steps needed to completely refurbish a VCR? I have found many videos that describe troubleshooting specific problems, I have found a video that documents the tear down and reassembly process, but I have yet to find a video that teaches how to perform a complete inspection, repair, and rebuild. Thank you for your help!

[lordsmurf]

Part of the problem is having tools needed -- not something you can buy (at all, or easily).

For example, to refurb JVC decks, I have to realign the units. The guide alignment is spring loaded, and gravity and tensions takes a toll in time. It's been 15-25 years since the recommended decks were made and sold new, and the likelihood of it not needing an align tweak is nil. Here's where things get tricky. You can scope it, and it may be close, but it may not be ideal. Some folks think that scoping is best, and tape-based is imperfect, but the opposite is actually true. I've seen far too many imperfect scoped realignments in the past year or two, and I refer specifically to EP mode. And to do a good tape-based alignment, you need a deep library of test tapes with different properties.

I could "show you" some of this stuff, but it does zero good with tools. Reminds me of car videos where the guy is using a special lift, special wrenches, etc -- stuff I don't have.

With just basic novice tools, no experience, Youtube learning, you can do some basic cleaning. However, too many Youtubers are morons, and are more likely to show you how to ruin a VCR (ie, using cotton swabs to clean video heads, wrong foam, cheap chamois). So you need to be careful, vet your sources carefully.

More often than not, true refurb work requires donor decks, as you'll be swapping out parts. Boards, motors, buttons, heads, etc. I've had to get creative more than once, and repurpose something else to repair a deck (or TBC, or DVD recorder, etc). This is why I have an "attic graveyard" of many decks, TBCs, etc. All parts for picking, essentially a video junkyard that gets more picked clean as the years go by. I've already recycled a few items, there was nothing worthwhile left, mostly just a damaged shell. The one thing I don't do is caps repair on a board (can't due to health), which is why I don't mess with AG-1980s.

What exactly are you wanting to do? Mere cleaning isn't really refurb'ing anything.

Somebody recently quizzed an eBay seller what he meant by "refurbished" in the listing. The seller replied that he opened the deck, visually inspected it, and didn't see anything unusual inside. WTF? That wasn't anything at all! The images of the deck showed obviously dirt and grime, so the SOB didn't even clean it. The word "refubished" just looked good, may sucker in a dumb buyer.

[VideoSaver]

Thanks for that quick reply! What I am trying to do is recondition VCRs that I have purchased on eBay before using them to archive family videos. I want to give the tapes, which of course my be fragile, their best chance the first time that I play them, so I want the VCR to be in the best possible condition. I have a background in electronics repair when I was working as a biomedical technician years ago, but I need a VCR education. I don’t mind buying special equipment. It’s part of the fun. I learn best by observing, but I cannot find the online video that gives me the education that I need. I currently have a JVC HR-S9800U and a Panasonic AG-1970 that work, but I want to tune them up before feeding them the irreplaceable tapes. Are there any comprehensive online videos that describe VCR refurbishing? Thanks to all who may be able to help!

[dpalomaki]

Quote:

...an "attic graveyard" of many decks...

Scary. In my part of the world summer attic temperatures will destroy many plastics in a couple years. (I keep my "spares" pile in an climate controlled basement storeroom by the man-cave.)

No comprehensive videos, but you can find some that are focused on specific aspects of makes and models. As noted, "don't trust but verify" before relying on them. Even if the specific content might be accurate, it may only apply to a narrow range of revisions of the make/model and not to other revision, or corporate twins.. The good videos were probably part of factory certified training programs long forgotten. The Factory Service Manuals do give a lot of information that a qualified technician with some experience can put to good use. The tools need to set/measure tape tensions and drag may be difficult to find. Alignment tapes are also harder to find.

I would expect "refurbished" to as a minimum include cleaning, lubrication, adjustments, alignment, and replacement of any parts that are out of spec/tolerance. That would extend to rubber belts, idlers, pinch rollers, cams, brake bands, friction pads, and heads that are excessively worn or deteriorated.