JVC HR-S9800U common playback issue?

[jham55]

Hello- I have seen this come up alot on youtube and have not found out what the issue was. It loads the tape and then freezes and stops. It will eject just fine. I saw one post that said an encoder switch but did not see that in the manual. anyone come across this? I added a video.

[Dougmc]

The pinch roller looks like it's at an angle..or is that from the way picture was taken.

[jham55]

They appear to be at an angle. I'm not sure if thats normal for the model but it is flush against the tape so I imagine it is supposed to be that way.

[themaster1]

Have a look at this (it's in my hr-s8600ms).

Looks like a dirty mode switch at first glance, but does the capstan motor turn ?

This model (just like my 8600 & 7700) have a "Mech Service mode" where you can engage the mech without actually puting a tape inside.

On this video the guy demonstrate it (toward the end)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSUb...t=600s&pp=gAQB

[jham55]

Oh very interesting I wil try that. I will say I do think the pinch roller is somewhat bent.. when I started to turn the pinch roller by hand to help it.. the upper left fan looking arm on the unit started to turn and helped the reel. The reel was still slow though.

[KhAoS182]

Check Mode Switch. Before disassembling it, mark where the dents are located, then disassemble it, clean it and finally grease it again.

[aramkolt]

This is almost certainly a failed dynamic drum unit. The video looks like textbook what usually happens. Usually you can fix it with the dynamic drum disable guide. You do run the risk of damaging the ribbon cable that comes off the head drum as you unplug it though (I damaged one once, but am more experienced now haha), so it is not risk free, but you'll need to be unplugging that to do any meaningful maintenance to the 9800 anyway. You should also clean the mode switch while you have the deck removed from the chassis and have access to the underside. It is possible to access the DD unit without removing the deck using the 3 screws that hold the video head drum down from the top of the deck, but then you won't be able to get at the mode switch and clean it, which you might as well do to if you won't want to run into other problems later. As for mode switch cleaning, I like deoxit gold, but any electronics contact cleaner should work. I've also heard of cleaning the contacts and then applying dielectric grease to protect the surface afterwords, but I haven't tried that myself.

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

This is almost certainly a failed dynamic drum unit. The video looks like textbook what usually happens. Usually you can fix it with the dynamic drum disable guide. You do run the risk of damaging the ribbon cable that comes off the head drum as you unplug it though (I damaged one once, but am more experienced now haha), so it is not risk free, but you'll need to be unplugging that to do any meaningful maintenance to the 9800 anyway. You should also clean the mode switch while you have the deck removed from the chassis and have access to the underside. It is possible to access the DD unit without removing the deck using the 3 screws that hold the video head drum down from the top of the deck, but then you won't be able to get at the mode switch and clean it, which you might as well do to if you won't want to run into other problems later. As for mode switch cleaning, I like deoxit gold, but any electronics contact cleaner should work. I've also heard of cleaning the contacts and then applying dielectric grease to protect the surface afterwords, but I haven't tried that myself.

DD is very easy to repair/disable. I can show how to do it.

[jham55]

That would be awesome!

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KhAoS182

DD is very easy to repair/disable. I can show how to do it.

Reparable, no.
Bypassable, yes.
Easy, no.
Time consuming, yes.
Risky, yes.

Don't give false hope, don't give out embellished advice. It has risks, learning curves. You can just as easily brick the VCR as you can bypass the DD.

[themaster1]

I'd be curious to know how you did figure it's a DD issue given the symptons

[KhAoS182]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lordsmurf

Reparable, no.
Bypassable, yes.
Easy, no.
Time consuming, yes.
Risky, yes.

Don't give false hope, don't give out embellished advice. It has risks, learning curves. You can just as easily brick the VCR as you can bypass the DD.

If done carefully yes, this month I have done a couple of bypasses and they all work

[jham55]

ok some differing opinions.. so is it advisable to try and clean the mode switch or is this more involved?

[aramkolt]

As far as how I know it's the DD, that's what all nonfunctioning DD's do. Mode switch rarely causes it to shut down right after loading or playing. Mode switch should also be cleaned just because they could all use it 20+ years later for reliability.

If you don't want to chance breaking it, I can do the DD disable and clean the mode switch for $130 which includes return shipping if you're in the USA. I've done it at least 10 times on my own units or units I've sold and could probably do it in my sleep at this point. Beats some of those $750 refurbishing services haha. Turnaround time would be 2 business days. If your transverse gear happens to be cracked, I can make that useable as well without any additional costs. If interested, PM me.

I've been thinking of putting out a $200 plus shipping refurb service for these units, but I need to drum up some honest reviews of the results first, so I'm willing to do it at a discount for now. So yes, I'd like a review about how reliable the repair was, the turnaround time, etc.

[lordsmurf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by themaster1

I'd be curious to know how you did figure it's a DD issue given the symptons

I don't think this is the DD either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

Mode switch should also be cleaned just because they could all use it 20+ years later for reliability.

Again, I have very rarely seen a mode switch in need of cleaning. I've taken apart several, it's always a waste of time. Such deck operations carry risk, it's not straight-forward even for the experienced.

Those switches are either under transports, or at the bottom side of the board. These are encased/enclosed, and have to be pried open. This was never intended to be serviced, nor cleaned. Of all of the problems that face decks, the mode switch is at the bottom of the list.

When troubleshootind decks, look for horses, not unicorns. Mode switch is a unicorn.

This has become as stupid as randomly cleaning heads as a fix-all for whatever ails the deck. Cleaning heads, and cleaning mode switches, is rarely the actual problem. And when it is the actual issue, very specific problems present, so you know that's it. That's how you troubleshoot. Randomly cleaning is not troubleshooting.

Many, many times, what people remove with "cleaning" is the lubricants. Yes, lube can be dark, but not all dark is dirt.

That is the difference between a novice and experienced deck repairman. Not any different from cars, computers, whatever. Don't get "too big for your britches", always learn, always admit your weaknesses*.

(*And regardless of if the other person thinks admitting weakness is itself a weakness. It's not. But it's a sure sign that you're dealing with a dumbass. True weakness is pretending you know more than you do. For whatever reason, the younger generation thinks admission is weak, and to be mocked, and I blame social media. That's why we get dumber as a society, too much BS and pretending. People that pretend don't get very far in life. But I digress...)

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramkolt

, but I need to drum up some honest reviews of the results first,.

We should talk. I have some AG-1980 that need work. Fix any of them, and I'll be impressed enough to personally vouch for your work. But these won't be mere cleaning jobs, no no no. I'll PM you. So here's your chance.

[jham55]

Well the pinch roller arm is bent but I do not want to try and bend it back without breaking it. When I started to try to fix that it played a bit better. but that or the take up reel. I will add a new video.

[Dougmc]

I would remove it straighten it and put it back on.
Don't take the chance of breaking what it pivots on.
Or anything near by.

[aramkolt]

Hmm. Never seen a pinch roller arm bent on one of these, but doesn't mean it can't happen. What it looks like is going on is that the capstan never starts turning in the first place - the capstan simultaneously moves the tape hubs as well as draws the tape along the mechanism at a precise rate using the pinch roller as a source of friction. As you can see from your video, the tape hubs never start moving and I believe the capstan will refuse to turn if the DD is malfunctioning. I've fixed all of my DD-containing units, so I can't really show you a video as to what the DD looks like in a known failure state at the moment.

The entire pinch roller arm can be pulled straight up once the plastic locking tab that is right above the pivot point of the pinch roller is unclipped. Luckily, messing with it on these JVCs won't mess up the timing of the mechanism at all since it only goes back in one way.

As for mode switches, this is just an example of what they usually look like before or after cleaning when I get at them (I believe it's even one from a 9xxx series VCR):

Before.jpg

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While those mode switches very well may be electrically conductive with all of the dirt/degraded grease present in there, it's more about future proofing something that could start working intermittently if not cleaned. The more regularly a VCR is used, the less likely a mode switch issue will develop since the mode switch will be put through its paces a lot. Where you could run into issues is that you put the VCR away for a few months or years and get it back out and all of the sudden it doesn't work. While probably not "required" in most cases, it's more about future proofing. But yeah, if you aren't comfortable doing more disassembly in terms of removing the deck from the chassis, then I'd say its probably ok hold off on messing with the mode switch for now.

The only JVCs where I don't regularly clean the mode switch are the SR-MV series and that is because they use a rather unique mode switch where the contact wipers don't spin along a circular track - They instead have individual levers that get pressed straight down from above and there's a lot of pressure focused on the small contact point, making it quite unlikely that they'll loose reliable contact.

Even if your pinch roller arm was badly bent to the point where it was unusable/repairable, I have spares I could use on your machine if you want me to repair it for the price quoted above for no extra charge, so the offer remains out there.

[Dougmc]

On other version vcrs and other contacts I used the Faber pencil as you can
Art eraser .you can reduce it size by using a pencil sharpner

[jham55]

I straightened it a bit and it plays now but yikes its a hot mess.. I added a video.