My Sony Reel To Reel Tape Deck Caught On Fire!

[@ShawnBernard70]

You had the volume down when it said " This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds."

[@86FxBdyCpe]

...and the secretary (aka JOE) will disavow any knowledge of your actions. 👍

[@321CatboxWA]

Winner comment.

[@richardbrobeck2384]

I thought the same thing ! I was drinking tea at the time and also laughed so hard !!

[@hestheMaster]

Good morning Mr. Phelps. This comment will self destruct in 5 seconds. Lucky it was an across the line cap that went open (with a current limiting resistor in series) and the tape deck still works. You fixed it quite nicely.

[@JacGoudsmit]

Thanks for posting the video! It was fun to watch you discover the miracle of tape recorders. You have much to learn, but that's the fun of it. I was screaming "Put a tape on it!" the whole time you were wondering why it was stopping right away, and "The Who" while you were looking for the name of the song. 🙂 43:50 in case nobody else brought it up yet: That capacitor should be a "Type X" or "Type X2". I've never seen a series-resistor on the X capacitor; you can leave it out and just connect the capacitor to the line inputs; they're made to do that. Type X is designed to fail open, there's also a type Y that's designed to be used between line and earth, and those fail short, so that your device remains grounded when it fails. The TEAC will probably work fine, you'll probably just have to fix the pinch roller mechanism; they all have the problem that the grease changes into gum, just like inside the Sony.

[@JamesUK-je4ew]

Holy crap Ronnie! That was a lotta smoke! Glad you’re ok though. Thanks for sharing. Regards

[@michaelmitchell8218]

Love the smoke show. That’s the problem with old equipment, you never know when something going to go on it. Good work mate hope all is ok in the end.

[@jasoncorreal8810]

Wow you caught the magic smoke coming out!

[@Scott.Newmaster]

Congratulations, I haven't talked back to a video so much before ; ) Good idea to 'branch' out with the reel to reel decks.

[@cttv90108]

That was quite a "mix reel". A lot of good music there.

[@phonetape]

Yelling at my phone like you could hear me "The Who" 😂. Great video

The tape player has three speeds 7.5 inches per second, 3 3/4 ips and 1 7/8ths ips. the 7.5 ips setting yields the best fidelity and the slowest speed is good for voice only recording. I would also recommend cleaning the tape head and other parts that the tape touches and de magnetizing the tape head does wonders for the audio quality. The Teac deck is top quality I had a Teac 6010GSL and it was a great deck. Unfortunately after using it 40+ years, it finally wore out.

[@danielknepper6884]

You are so knowledgeable and awesome

[@sguttag]

Alright, be honest. When the smoke came out...how fast did you think "Well, there's the thumbnail for this video!"

[@AmateurRepairTime]

Of course!

[@adamdavies163]

Yes, A RIFA (or other brand) line filter. Notorious!! 🤣You can buy them with the resistor built in.

[@Oklawolf]

When I got my Sony TC-270 open reel for fifteen bucks back in 1988 it came with a bunch of tapes and one of them had "Jennifer Juniper" on it. I immediately recorded over it, never gave the rest of the tape a chance. What can I say, I was a kid. I keep some of those safety caps on hand just for when the forbidden capacitor incense comes out.

[@Zepphd2]

I worked in maintenance for 29 years and used a zoom spout on everything!! Lol! We would fill them with different viscosities for various equipment. We had originally ordered them for sewing machines we had in the building. P.S. the smoke show was great! Thanks for the video Ronnie!

[@jimp.7286]

My old "tube" sony r2r quit with a giant cloud of smoke. A huge resister fried and who knows what else, 😕. I made the mistake, (I knew better), of powering it up without using a variac after it had sat for decades. I really need to get it fixed. It made everything I ran through it sound better - not pristine - better. Rich harmonics and tape saturation. Most of the early 60's hits here in the usa were recorded to tube ampex machines. Love tape. Cheers.

[@stevewhite3168]

If you use anything less then 99% alcohol it will be conductive and cause a short and blow up you can use less then 99% but you have to make sure it dry before you energize the circuit.

[@cornbread1955]

👍👍👍 I remember back when I was in grammar school the state used to furnish a reel to reel like that one for the visually impaired people to listen to books on. I had one it was the best sounding reel to reel for that size. Of course you know I had to try it with music. It was the late 60s😎☕

[@ShawnBernard70]

THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!! Thanks Ronnie :) Thanks for inhaling all that stuff... you didn't have to do that... you probably shouldn't have 😃

[@danielknepper6884]

You're welcome buddy

[@CoreyDeWalt]

Safety caps still go out with a bang, but afterwards are open. I tend to run them even though they are mostly for fcc stuff, I still like to keep things as the designer intended. I've swapped a few old cracked rifas with brand new ones a few times. Apparently the new ones fixed the explosion issues.

[@stevewhite3168]

It might have to be loaded with tape their is a end of tape switch or sensor that shuts the transport off at tape end.

[@geoffathtetemple4152]

".. should you, or any of your IM Force be caught or killed the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. Good luck, Jim. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds."

[@williamcooper2368]

IMP

[@danielknepper6884]

I saw what you did there buddy that is totally funny

[@williamcooper2368]

IMF

[@stevewhite3168]

That cap you call a line cap may be the capacitor start for the motor I seen one big electrolytic cap that had a pencil eraser type bulge in it you got that thing wet with less then 99 and it shorted might be ok if you let it set and dry out I bet their wasn't anything wrong with that deck when you started

[@TabPatterson]

I watch My Brother Donnie and was sitting here trying to figure out why your voice was so familiar!

[@DandyDon1]

I have a Wollensak 1515 Stereo vacuum tube rtr which was much less dramatic. I could smell what seemed to be paraffin. I saw a wisp of smoke rise from the machine. I unplugged it immediately. The power transformer was hot to the touch but luckily not destroyed. A fuse would have been a very good idea. A Variac and Dim Bulb™tester is your friend.

[@DandyDon1]

No Highs, No Lows, it must be Bose!

[@SiaVids]

You need some leader tape and a splicing block to apply it to save damaging the recording part of the tape. 😎

[@douglashoff95]

The way I understand the design of the snubber capacitor is that the 120 ohm resistor will open up when the capacitor becomes leaky or shorts (as yours did). Thus the resistor will open preventing all sorts of other nasty stuff from happening. All or most of the smoke you saw was the resistor.

[@MrSlipstreem]

I've been bitten by the "If it's cool I've got to get it!" bug lately too. Having heard the mindbending awesomeness of Dolby S for myself last December, I seem to have accidentally bought three Dolby S cassette decks in the past month to refurb. All they've needed is a new capstan belt and a quick calibrate and I may end up keeping all three. I'm sure my wife would be horrified if she knew, but I divorced her 25 years ago so at least I don't have that to worry about!

[@user-mv5bu2kk8b]

The last machine brand pronounced as tea. Ack nice machine, take your time with that one I wish I had that

[@300poundbassman]

Smoke on the tape deck. Holy moly 🤣😭🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

[@TomMannCenturia]

Love the fact you can still laugh. Thanks for the video as usual, incidentally what is that song before the self destruct? Not one I'm familiar with.

[@AmateurRepairTime]

It was playing at the wrong speed it’s a bread song

[@samphillips4925]

I jumped when the magic smoke came out.

[@SiaVids]

On other brands or open reel recorders there is often a capacitor similar to the one that smoked fitted across the motor switch and that too can fail.

[@321CatboxWA]

Next time could you please flap the lid on the reel to reel to make it look like the player is talking . You could give it a voice and persona you can be mr. Hands. That would be fun ! Thanks for posting!

[@dlschgo]

You bought Phelps' tape deck from Mission Impossible.

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

That sounds 👌 dangerous!! I've had this happen with a retro tape deck as well. I think mine had mini tape reels. Your friend, Jeff.

[@paulschreuder4211]

Real smoke explosion! Tnx for that :-)

[@crosleyfiver000destruct0]

reminded me of Mission Impossible......this tape will self destruct in 5 seconds........good luck!!!:)

[@kenlanier2131]

I wonder if the flea market guy watches the channel :)

[@richardbrobeck2384]

Great video I have similar model !

[@robertbenkelman947]

You got a good deal, Sony Reel to Reel are some of better equipment and price can reflect on the quality. I personally own a Panasonic and Sony-the Sony is missing its cover but I have a salvaged cover that fits.

[@SPOONman4000]

Oh neat. I have one of these. Needs a new motor run capacitor and I should probably change the line cap before it smokes while I'm in there.

[@geirendre]

I was sure it was a Rifa capacitor that blew, it usually is. Just search for Rifa madness to see what that's all about. That's something to check for whenever you open vitange stuff like this. If you find a Rifa cap across the line, then it needs to be replaced. You can't use a regular film cap in there. Hope you replace it with a X2 cap. The resistor is not needed.

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

"I want to make it with you " is the name of the song (or close) by the group Bread 🍞, if I'm not mistaken. Again, your friend, Jeff.

[@naytch2003]

Diary is the name of the song by Bread..I have all their records

[@bobengle2734]

oops... thee magic smoke escaped...

[@adamdavies163]

I'm typing at the moment of the smoke, RIFA??!!

[@timmooney7528]

RIFA caps were notorious for failing in vintage Apple computers from the 80's and 90's. The folks who restore vintage PC's normally replace RIFA caps before powering up the systems. Besides RIFA caps, old tantalum caps would also pop.

[@williamcooper2368]

THAT WAS COOL. CAN YOU DO IT AGAIN. 🔥

[@AmateurRepairTime]

No

[@nekomayo-b3k]

Wow it works as it vomits smoke everywhere yeah it works great lol

[@lawrenceveinotte]

episode of mission impossible

[@redtalon35]

WOW! Boom!

[@user-mv5bu2kk8b]

Make it with you by bread

[@danielknepper6884]

Oh yeah

[@dlschgo]

It's pronounced "Tee-ack." Teac.

[@atmylab]

Capacitor pooped!😮

[@gregwinsett1056]

I wanna make it with you. Not you Ron, The song.

[@Oddzball3]

Wait... So what song was it Ronnie?

[@AmateurRepairTime]

Bread "I Want To Make It With You"

[@donsurlylyte]

no bro, dont leave any of that stuff plugged in.

[@dlschgo]

Good job sussing it all out, even though you never used a tape deck before. Shouting out instructions didn't help.

[@williamcooper2368]

BREAD 🍞 BEAUTIFUL

[@shakenbake9900]

Call 911 🔥

[@philiproseberry8372]

The Who from Tommy

[@kennynvake4hve584]

Im free is the who right?

[@williamcooper2368]

Cool 🔥 FIRE 🔥

[@danielknepper6884]

That's what I said about your mommy❤

[@williamcooper2368]

RON Plays it. And we hear someone being MURDERED.