The thread title makes no sense, so no idea what this is about yet...
Quote:
Originally Posted by collegearchivist
What should be the expected budget if I want to buy and service used equipment to rip a bunch of videotapes straight to hard drive?
|
What does "and service" mean?
Are you expecting to buy gear that's not working, and then fix it? If so, it probably won't work well, you don't know what you don't know, and "I'll just watch Youtube videos to learn" isn't going to help much here, as lots of this info isn't on Youtube.
Quote:
I'm willing to learn how to do simple service - I used to play with electronics and soldering when I was younger,
|
Realistically, most people have trouble just properly cleaning heads (NO Q-TIPS! NO OPEN-CELL FOAM!), including knowing when NOT to clean (overclean!) heads.
Quote:
and i'm sure I could learn to service or replace video heads
|
I doubt it. It's extremely complex, and even I don't mess with it. In fact, most techs don't, and never did. In the old days, toss it, buy a new one. Now, get a donor deck (which is far more costly now compared to even a few years ago, due to diminishing supplies).
Quote:
if it was too expensive to have someone else do and not too hard to learn...
|
Define "expensive". Pit a number ($) on that
Even DIY will have costs.
Quote:
I'm aware there are FAQ's here but what should the entire package cost used vs new, rules of thumb per item?
|
There's no broad rule.
There's nothing new. Even "new" will degraded in the box after decades.
Right now, for certain items, refurbished, you can get 100-200% of MSRP. (Remember that MSRP was 15-25 years ago, so in actuality is less dollars in 2021 dollars. If you appreciate the 1995-2005 costs to 2021 dollars, that 200% isn't really 200%.) Other models are barely worth 50%. Quality video follow the photo rules, where gear in good condition is 50/66/75% of value, with some fetching 100%+ for varying reasons (rare, demand, refurbish, etc).
Pricing in the FAQs was from 2000s and early/mid 2010s. By late 2010s, now 2020s, those numbers are wrong now. I need to update when time available.
Quote:
but what does servicing cost for common things to keep them running, and how much service do they need how often?.
I expect from 1000-3000 hours of total ... time
|
There's no one answer here. It depends on model, and problems. An AG-1980, for example, can cost thousands to fix if needed (qualified tech time + parts from equally pricey donor decks).
For a few thousand hours, you run risk on a deck failing mid-project. So it becomes imperative to get a good refurbished deck in advance. It's only when you have a handful of tapes, that you can roll the dice, and hope it lasts long enough to do what's needed.
.
Quote:
What do the TBC's cost or
|
There's a lot of bad models of TBC on
eBay (example: "black" 1T-TBC), or bad copies of good models (bad-cap "working/tested" TBC-1000s), for the low price of under $1k. You'd piss away lots of money for something that doesn't work. I have confirmed working units in the marketplace, almost always refurbished, and fairly priced.
Quote:
used value of the SDI converters and recorders?
|
Most people don't want SDI, so value reflects that. SDI works for some folks, but it has limitations, different usage scenarios, etc.
Quote:
(or is there a reason to buy new
|
There is no new.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dpalomaki
The Marketplace forum can give you some idea of prices for known working gear.
ebay and other auction sites can give an idea of prices for gear of unknown condition and unknown remaining life - buying there is a high risk because there is no vetting of the sellers for technical competence and many if not most sellers do not have a clue
|
^ This.
Quote:
Buying two machine and using one for parts is an approach, but be aware that units being sold for" parts" may already have the ones you need missing, or worn out.
|
^ This.
Quote:
I'm not saying don't do it, just be aware of what you are getting into.
|
I remember when Deter came here about a decade ago, with some minor VCR knowldge. He's now an extremely talented VCR tech, and can even take on repair projects I cannot. So I'd never discourage that. This community needs more competent VCR folks. But he's just one of the many people who have been on this forum (or VH) over the years, or contacted me directly. Most of them had the wrong expectations, most never be seen or heard from again.
Learning to refurb gear is daunting, and have costs. Your first DIY VCR project will cost more than $1k, between parts and tools (lots of special screwdrivers and things needed, not in your normal toolbox), to say nothing of time.