JVC SR-V101US power unstable, high pitch noise?

[joonc]

Good evening,

First off, thank you LordSmurf and everyone here. What a treasure trove! I have been lurking the forums for a week or so and have been getting my knees deep into the rabbit hole of properly transferring analog tapes. To think that this all started from looking to see if ClearClick on Amazon really did the job... next thing I'm buying capture cards, old firewire cables, converters, and VCRs with TBC to properly convert those tapes I've been meaning to convert for years. Wish I started when I thought of doing so, like 15 years ago.

I felt bold and venturous and ordered a JVC SR-V101US from eBay. Tested, worked was the description, but far from it as I started testing this VCR unit.

VCR, it seldom powers on, sometimes it doesn't. Once it's on, it sometimes does not hold the power and loses the power. Then I hear this loud high pitch whistle sound from the VCR, so I opened the VCR cover to see if it is something I can identify, but seriously cannot tell where the sound is coming from and the display in front of VCR was for awhile showing without quote "-" literally, just a dash.

Now it won't turn on at all. The eBay person refunded me and let me keep the VCR for parts, but I would like to see if this is something I can get it fixed easily or if it is something completely shot and flip my coin for another one on eBay.

Please see attached video.

Figured I should just post where the veterans hang out, instead of this newbie searching hours end with no answers.

Appreciate any input you can provide!

Joon

[lordsmurf]

Welcome.

It's gotten to where eBay stuff never works as claimed, as the sellers are just recyclers and garage sale buyers. They just see something that is worth $$$, without any regard to the unit actually functioning correctly. Only newbies buy from there, unaware of it all. Seeing LED lights is not a test, nor is putting in a random ratty copy of Home Alone (etc) and seeing any image/audio (quality or not).

You got your money back without hassle -- consider yourself lucky. The norm is hassle, argument, eBay "stepping in", sometimes even seller threats.

eBay for VCRs is "Russian roulette". Worse odds, actually. Like 5 in the chamber, only 1 missing.

What you describe is likely multiple complex issues, not a single easy fix. The V101 is not a complex deck, so when something like this is observed, it tends to be a total loss. The deck is good for parts to fix another, so don't trash it.

This is the entire reason I started to provide gear in the marketplace in 2017, because I saw the gear we needed falling into disrepair, and being sold in bad/failed condition by eBay hucksters. Transferring already has a learning curve, and buying bad gear is an unnecessary further obstacle to capturing success.

[joonc]

Thanks for replying so late! Oh and hope your fracture is healing well and the general situation getting better.

I recall looking at the market place and be like dang it I was few days late, since you have turned all your VCR sales into workflows. haha

The reason I bought V101 was exactly that, not a complex deck. And your posts on DD breaking and not making much difference also made me go with one without DD. But this happened and I ended up with parts for free. Not bad, I guess.

I see few still on sale in Marketplace from last year that has no replies. Will try replying to some.

Thanks again and take it easy!

Joon

[lordsmurf]

The cast almost hurts more than the wrist. It's removable -- the cast, not the wrist -- so I keep trying to adjust it. One-hand typing is fun, lots of typos.

While free parts are good, again "not a complex deck", so not too many useful parts to be had.

Once upon a time, the 2000s, eBay was fine for gear. Back then, it was original owners selling, new hobbyists buying. But by the 2020s, it's 99% professional "sellers" of random items, with most of them in various failed states. None of those people know a TBC from a toaster. It's just how it is now.

Sticking to the marketplace is your best bet, to get gear from me and others. That way, you can focus on actually converting your videos, not screwing around with VCR/TBC/etc repair projects. That's where I want to see you.