Hi
I'm a new member here but I have been reading various threads here over the last couple of weeks. I'm in Europe, I have a four-digit VHS collection I'm hoping to digitise over the next couple of years, and I have around ten VHS machines to play around with.
The problem I'd like to present here is displayed by a Panasonic NV-HS 800 (very much like the better known NV-HS 1000, which I also have, but with less editing features). I bought one a couple of weeks ago. At first it seemed fine but when a tape didn't track properly I decided to give the machine a clean. I used cotton swabs for the pinch roller etc. and a piece of paper soaked in alcohol for the head drum. (As advised, I didn't move the paper up and down and only applied gentle pressure.)
Tracking seems to be fine now, but an intermittent problem has arisen - small white dots that 'fly' over the image. They can be absent for as much as an hour or so, then come back for a few minutes etc. Not something you want when copying tapes.
I have uploaded a short video. A few comet tails can be seen from around 27 seconds onwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSiD...ature=youtu.be (I tried embedding but can't manage to do it properly, I'm sorry...)
Of course, I fear I somehow managed to damage the heads, it's the obvious conclusion.
Before anyone asks, I've cross-tested this by using different tapes, playback machines, connections,... it's definitely the VCR that causes the problem. I only paid €5 (around $6) for it, so if it's broken there's no great loss...
I'd be most grateful if someone with more technical knowledge than myself could suggest/confirm the cause of this problem.