Bigston KB-200 Tape recorder repair & restoration

I repair and restore my vintage Bigstone (Bigdude) KB-200 Tape recorder, who will help me in future projects. I go through the power issue, replace the speaker and do a full on restoration.
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=-More MsMadLemon Videos-=
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[@williamhelms9942]

I have a Radio Shack CTR-102, it is as tough, and reliable as the the old schoolers wearing like iron. Thank you for making love for these things cool again!

[@karsten0023]

My respect for a woman dealing with the topic of restoration. I think that's really great 👍👏.

[@danielknepper6884]

I could listen to her say "friggin "all day and night long , it's so soothing and relaxing 😀

[@Commander64]

I have had one of those days where literally nothing is going my way, I'm so glad you uploaded today because at the end of a crappy day this is the exact remedy i need to unstress and relax.

[@spankysmp]

Nice work Ms ML. A few months ago, I spotted a cassette player on Ebay (boxed) which I had when I was about 10 (I'm 53 now) showed my daughter as I couldn't believe it. Week later, she gave me a parcel and she had bought it for me - I was speechless. Bit of cleaning and it's as good as new and mine is heavy too - shows it's quality!

[@christianbenvenuto6921]

Beautiful cassette-recorder bigston kb-200! Very nice

[@TheDeeplyCynical]

That thing looks like a prop from Star Trek the Original Series. It'll make a nice companion to your Toastrack.

[@MsMadLemon]

that's one of the future things it will be alongside, they look great together :oD

[@spooktasticaparanormal]

Hello dear friend, thanks for sharing this wonderful restoration. Like you I just love the cassette format as it has a lot of nostalgia for me also. Keep up the great work. Kinbd regards. Paul.

[@ngochungnguyen4273]

Hi , your hand very beautiful , I'm also like repair the radio cassette !

[@GabrielAndroczky]

Yes, the main problem with the pinch roller getting old is that it gets egg-shaped and the tape tries to get to one edge or the other... so don't just roughen it, but actually sand it down to have a flat profile and not a barrel one :) Actually these rollers cost like nothing so replacing is always a better bet I guess. I liked this episode a lot.... I was missing this vintage repair type stuff :))) Well done Maddi :D

[@MsMadLemon]

Actually i would be very careful sanding down the pinch roller, it has to be very even so i think roughening up the surface would be the best thing and then slowly continuing from there. Or else there would be no roller left :o)) The roller is mostly round, if it was egg shaped you'd get a lot of wow and flutter which thankfully isnt a problem here.

[@GabrielAndroczky]

MsMadLemon nono, I didn’t mean the egg shape that way. If you put a new roller on the table, the walls (vertical surface) will be perfectly straight. If you look at an old one from that perspective it has a barrel shape and tape will be pulled up or down on that barrel wall... that’s what I meant (and you explained rightfully in the video). So if you have anything to apply equal pressure on your sanding device and turn the roller (put it on a motor), it would be theoretically possible to have it flat again. I tried once and although the machine stopped eating the tapes, there was some phasing intermittently. So I ended up replacing it... :)

[@JanBeta]

Thanks for another very enjoyable video! The tape recorder looks amazing and is obviously built to last. I agree that modern speakers are way better than the old stuff. There has been quite an evolution in materials as well as manufacturing. :)

[@barnabas5688]

I love the audio restoration vids as much as the Amiga ones! Never heard of Bigston before but what a great name, and it was obviously built to last :)

[@srfrg9707]

amazing the belt didn't perish yet after all thoses years.

[@bosshog36]

Great video, I like your watch and strap combo

[@kylesmithiii6150]

Super nice! Congrats!

[@AntStiller]

This was awesome, Maddi! Loved seeing the troubleshooting in process. I've got an old tape deck that needs looking at and you've really inspired me. Thank you!

[@MOHAMADGHOUL81]

I had similar cassette recorder for my MSX computer but from different brand, it is FAIRMATE CS-1104, its counter is very helpful to determine the time of loading games data 32/64.

[@Krushernl]

I like the sounds of those spring loaded lids.. PLONK PRRrrr and sometimes the cassette flies out 😁

[@MrC-w7j]

I'm one of ''those who are into that'' and i'm really happy ! :-P I like when you do some Cassette/Reel to Reel videos

[@MsMadLemon]

I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I do heavy projects with vintage computers and there is so much more to do with them and get lost in which is why i am more leaned towards them but I enjoy vintage hi-fi and audio equipment just as much :o)

[@ralfr.5974]

You are Unique!! Thanks for all Your Videos👍

[@joseg4984]

Nice video. Thanks

[@user-pk3qm2qu7n]

Are you turk? You english so perfect, but I see a turkish peer tea glass in your table. I'm impressed when the lady able to hold the tool as soldering iron all the more with painted nails. Well done.

[@williamhelms9942]

Good Job with "Big Dude". I've subscribed, CONGRATULATIONS!

[@coreyostman]

Shrink wrap it!!! That'll show Bigdude!!

[@fsphil]

Love some vintage audio! I got a cheap modern Argos cassette player recently and it's just awful, sounds like someone's turning the tape by hand. Wish I'd kept my old good player.

[@MsMadLemon]

There are still some good ones available on ebay btw, you may be able to get your old one or one similar back :o)

[@mohammad.ashiquehussain2676]

Your hand look is very nice I like your hand ✋

[@williamhelms9942]

Good call, that speaker was a mess!

[@johnburns4017]

Was this tape cassette recorder a low, middle or high end model? I have never heard of the brand.

[@herbmyers805]

I had a cable that plugged into the C64 and mini plugs for the type player here to load games from tape. I did have C= branded one also but audio type you could get tape to load as the output could be adjusted. The one game that was hard to load was Flying Saucer, Good about those cheap and crusty speakers!!

[@mdebough]

Freakin great video :)

[@fransicorivas3141]

Great job doll. Gave me motivation to work on my boomboxes or at least try lol

[@janwiersma1449]

hah, now thats a coincidence, i dont buy a recorder every day but today i could not resist buying a Philips D6280. (thriftstore) and coming home You surprise me with a great recorder repair/resto. i know mine is not that nice and vintage as yours on the contrary, but this time i had to take it home. (it does buzz a bit when playing the tape though, what could that be? Capacitors again i think!?) what do You think. at 21:38 you were talking a moment about sounding a bit shaky and hesitatingly sometimes. but thats exactly what's annoying me and iritates me a bit, You know exactly what you are doeing. while i am goofing around most of the time with sometimes some succes. 😜😉 i've got deep respect for You, and how You handle your vitage tech. with yet another nice result. great job.👍 thanks.

[@MsMadLemon]

Thanks Jan :o) Actually the buzzing could be capacitors if they're not filtering properly, so it would benefit from a recap i think, the preamp circuit from the tape head is very sensitive and any noise picked up will be amplified. I think the shakey parts is not because i'm not confident in what i'm doing but someitmes you dont know how tech will react, things can be unexpected, and the fear is from my love for these vintage things, I dont ever want to ruin them, I know how nasty i would feel :o)

[@janwiersma1449]

thanks Maddi, i think it might be the caps also. i already tried powering it to another wallmains to sort out possible other transformers cq adapters on the same group, now i am gonna test it on batteries also to see if it still buzzez then. but batts are far from ideal to use indeed. thank for the reply.

[@davpreec]

Awesome stuff as usual lem, That Walkman tho i love it hahaha :)

[@analog_music_lover]

Is it using AC circuit both for eraser and recording bias?

[@LeftoverBeefcake]

I really need to invest in companies that make hot glue, I could be a millionaire by now! :P

[@MsMadLemon]

lol yeah i think so too... though i think i've given milliput their money the amount i use it :op

[@MaxmadmaxRockatansky]

Like new. Your videos are great.

[@nightbiswas4269]

I have Philips model my recorder don't play due to caset ribbon Intertwine how to fix it

[@Inaflap]

So, spraying WD-40 over the capstan / pinch-roller, is a bad idea?

[@MsMadLemon]

i'd never use anything likeWD-40, contact cleaner, lubricant or oil etc around the tape transport, only Isopropyl alcohol.

[@Inaflap]

That recorder looks cool. Mine, a Realistic CTR-73 (1990) looks less robust, but I like it. It seems to have metal mechanical thingies inside at least, and the keys clunk down positively. The cogs inside are nylon but look fine. I put some silicon lube on them, but kept it away from the belts and rubber thingies. Last week whilst listening to a ghost story in bed, there was was a crinkling noise just as you described. The tape ended up wound tightly around the hub inside the cassette shell. It required some fiddly surgery that caused the surgeon to utter expletives in an exasperated raspy voice. The tape still lives, but is now a C85 instead of a C90. I have now cleaned the roller and capstan with a moistened lens wipe and that seems to have done the trick. I don't think it needs the emery board treatment yet but will keep that in mind. Ta.

[@dmj-ju9zx]

This isn't really relevant to this video, but Is there anywhere on Earth that sells foam rubber drive tires for old tape recorders? I tried making one out of weatherstripping, but that failed. The foam was too hard and couldn't get traction.

[@LambdaCalculus379]

"Shrink wrap"... well, heat shrinking could be considered shrink wrapping! 😛

[@MsMadLemon]

Nerr nerr nerr... smartass lol :op

[@LambdaCalculus379]

@@MsMadLemon 😁

[@Nukle0n]

No capacitor replacement?

[@MsMadLemon]

Not yet, it's not high priority, in future i probably will.

[@enginecrzy]

I hope the table Isn't scratching it.

[@MsMadLemon]

Nope, it didnt.

[@AlefZero]

OMG! Commodore calculator. My first calculator. Working?

[@MsMadLemon]

Thankfully it works yes! And it's a beauty! :o)

[@AlefZero]

I had this beauty long time ago, 1976 maybe. My grandpa buy one and gave it to me.

[@1975Loeven]

I have one too, also working. It's from 1973 i believe.

[@mariomadmac]

cool

[@MohammedARahim-wi3to]

Date: 11-10-2018 Hi Dear ... Very Nice Vintage Repair but I Feel to give you one small Tip: Use a Soft Brush for Cleaning the Tape Racorder's Machanism First, So you can Remove all the Dust Then Apply some compressed Air Can. Thank You... Wish You All the Best ... Mohammed A. Rahim

[@riskyflier2287]

Don’t you ever sleep! 😂

[@Zhixalom]

Remember, people back then might have brought them along on a trip to the moon, so they had to build them sturdy enough to withstand a flippin' rocket launch (just kidding). No, they truly don't make them like they use to. That one is a real beauty and now it even sounds better than ever.

[@AmitDhimantinku-mf9iq]

Plese rq- 2153 sound vibration problum

[@nightbiswas4269]

1987 model

[@berylhemmings7003]

Transister type play beter than ICs

[@Solder-Flowz]

Future computer project? With this kind of tape player? Oh my.. here comes speccy :/

[@davidegalliussi1979]

"art" attack :D