Does anyone know how to fix vcrsthat keeps on eating tapes .?

Question

does anyone know how to fix vcrs that keep on eating tapes . if so would you be able to kinda tell me what to look for so i can fix it my self .i have this strange thing about myself but i like taking things like that apart and trying to fix them now mind you i have never had no help doing these types of things i just like to be able to get it to work again so far i,ve done pretty good for not knowing what im doing but thats the one thing that ihave not figured out yet why it does that and how to fix it on your own if any one knows ...............thank you very much bye................

Answer 1

Linda,

I'm kinda like you, trying to fix things, so these are hopefully good guesses that I'm giving you.

Open the VCR unit up, and with it open, insert a tape that you don't care about, turn the unit on and watch what happens when you insert the tape (Keep hands and fingers away from electrical parts, so that you don't get shocked)...worst case, you may be able to get the tape back out if the tape sticks with the unit opened up.  (Unplug it before you do that, though)

Check the tape path.  My guess is  the tape path needs cleaning.  If you can get some de-natured alcohol and a cu-tip, gently clean the tape path.  Be very careful with the tape head (the round thing that spins).  Maybe 'oxide' build-up on the tape path ('oxide' is the magnetic stuff on the tape itself)  is dragging the tape and making it snag.

Another thought.  Go to a reputable thrift shop (one that checks out the stuff before they re-sell it) and buy a working one for $5 - 10.  They're practically giving them away anymore.  Get a name brand.

I haven't had too much luck fixing VCR machines, which is why I gave you the second suggestion, but maybe you'll get lucky.  But, it feels good to actually fix something, so go for it if you have the time and patience.

RM

Answer 2

Before opening it up, willy nilly, think about what other symptoms you have observed.

For example, do you get diagonal lines on your vision, or does the thing just go into graunch mode.

If the vision is corrupted, then the odds are the problem is confined to physical tracking, which has gotten so bad that it is warping the tape to the point of destruction. This is relatively simple to cure with a screwdriver. However, you will need to properly identify the adjusting s***w.

Fine adjustment is achieved by turning the adjuster to identify the onset of video corruption each way, then setting the s***w to mid point between these settings.

As for the graunch mode, this is most commonly due to distortion of the tape carrying frame, which is basically terminal.