Panasonic NV-SB900 service manual?

[geordie10]

The Panasonic NV-SB900.

This is a Japanese only release which has received some praise here on this forum in the past.

Does anybody have a service manual or can tell me the part number for the upper drum cylinder?

If anybody has one of these machines and wants to have a chat them I'm open.

Take care

[PR_Media_Info]

I have two and the manual, but unfortunately not the service manual.

I can take a look at the manual to see if there's any useful info for you~

[geordie10]

Thanks. Whats your opinion on the playback quality?

[PR_Media_Info]

Hi again - sorry for my late reply! I seem to have misplaced the CD with the manual PDFs on it - from my recollection it didn't have specific part numbers in it, though.

I don't have any other decks of similar quality (just a JVC SR-S365U I use for mold work), but in my opinion it is quite excellent - the user here I purchased my first one from put it on a similar level of the AG-1980 and the JVCs. It handles EP tapes spectacularly (almost all the stuff I do for myself is EP) and plays nice with a VHS-C adapter.

It also has independent TBC and DNR, which is quite nice.

[hodgey]

I'm jelly of all the models the japanese got. Looking at this video It looks a bit akin to a PAL NV-HS850 + TBC or NV-HS860. Or alternatively for NTSC, I guess you could see it as an later evolution of the AG1980P with the newer z mechanism.

I don't know about this model specifically, but there is some cross-compatability with drums between various panasonic decks of the same age.

[geordie10]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the input.

@Hodgey on the video you linked, when the drum slows down, you can see some number written on the top of the drum. Would they correspond to a specific drum or are they just generic?

[hodgey]

The VJB stuff is a marking for something, but think it's for the circuit board. On other ones I've seen the part number for the drum stamped on the drum itself. It looks like there is a stamp on the one in the video, but the drum stops in just the right place for it to be obscured by the metal thing holding the anti-static brush. On this video of a related vcr on the same channel you can see the stamp on the drum in that one the end, which may or may not be the same drum as in the SB900.

[geordie10]

Yes, looks like you're right. I guess I'll just have to physically check mine when it arrives. I'm just being a bit pessimistic assuming something will be wrong with it, as you get with old VHS players now. Im hoping I can find a comparable western model that replacement parts can be sort from.

Hope it lives up to the reputation.

[bookemdano]

I looked into the SB900 a couple months ago but couldn't end up finding one in good condition for cheap enough. geordie10 - did you buy yours from Japan?

I did end up buying one of the successor models, the NV-SVB10--got it from amazon.jp and used a shipping service to get it here. It's definitely cost reduced from the SB900 but still has the discrete TBC/3DNR buttons and was in very good shape (barely used).

I haven't fully put it through its paces yet but did confirm it worked well on several different tapes. At some point I'll post some sample captures. Can you read kanji? That's been my biggest hurdle with it. Google translate has helped a great deal but still requires a lot of interpretation!

Parts-wise, I can tell you that the SB900 uses Panasonic's Z mechanism, so if you end up having problems/wear with the loading you can harvest parts from any cheap deck that uses the Z mech (there were lots of them released all over the world).

[geordie10]

Thanks bookemdano

Yes, bought from Japan using a shipping service. No, I can't read kanji but I intent on just getting the phone out and using google translate until I get the hang of it.

The Z - Mechanism - looking back at previous posts, a member states that mostly all 'Super Drive' Panasonic are Z-Mechanism. Hopefully the parts are interchangeable and this is correct as the market locally is flooded with Panasonic Super Drives for cheap. However, just not SVHS.

Some listed models include the NV-FJ700, NV-SJ200A, NV-HV61, NV-SJ400, NV-SD270 and NV-FJ630.
Would any of the above be compatible?

Thanks for the replies.

[hodgey]

They put super drive on the earlier K mechanism and later R4 mechanism decks too so that label doesn't automatically mean Z mechanism. All the ones you listed other than the HV61 are Z mech decks. I think pretty much every NV-FJ and NV-SJ model used it, and the later NV-SD/HD models like the NV-HD630 and 640. The NV-HV and combo decks used the later R4 mech. Many late 90s/early 2000s US models seem to be made in Indonesia use a different mech and internals entirely, I wonder if Panasonic contracted out the production on those ones.

The only difference I noted in the on the mech SM between my SVHS NV-HS870 and standard hi-fi NV-FJ621, which is from around the same time is that the left tape guide is made of brass on the former. Some of the early ones (but not all), like the mentioned NV-SB900 has a bottom-mounted drum motor instead of on top, and the early z mech models also have a head amp board mounted on the mech. On later models the head amp is moved to the main pcb, connected via a ribbon cable, so there could maybe be some slight difference in mounting points but idk.

[geordie10]

Thanks Hodgey.

Yes, I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully there are no problems. But it's reassuring there are some comparable spare parts. Unlike the Sony S-VHS range which is extremely limited and expensive.

In that respect, the SB900 is obviously a 100v Japanese model. Would it be possible to swap that power circuit board (I'm assuming thats what its called) to a 240v model ? Is that interchange possible? If not or if its unnecessarily complicated, then thats fine. I have a stepdown transformer. But if its an easy process, then thats something Im considering.

[bookemdano]

Totally up to you if you want to take the risk, but LordSmurf said in a recent thread that most all power supplies used in 90s VCRs were dual voltage capable, even if not stated so on the label.

Given the rarity and price of these things, I'm not sure I'd want to just plug it in and see, but maybe there's even some way to identify by the components on the power supply board whether it can handle 240v.

I don't know for sure about swapping circuit boards, but I have a strong hunch that would not be possible. The power supply is not considered part of the mechanism, so it seems to be different from model-to-model. That said, there isn't very much service info on these decks (in English, anyway) so perhaps there is some interchangeability there.

Mainly what you'd be looking at being able to swap with cheapie (even regular VHS) Z-mech decks are individual parts of the mechanism that can wear out over time, like the pinch roller, clutch and mode switch. Circuit boards and video heads will generally not be interchangeable.

Please do post your impressions and some sample videos when you get it!