Nothing to see here folks NEXT

Amazon cassette deck belts. Nothing to see here folks, move on.

[@LusitaniaFilms]

HEY I Just got That from Ebay BUT Arrived in a Amazon shipping. I also have 2 - Double Cassette Decks that Need These Belts and the square Belts also. They are Both Sony I was a Tech for about 27 years but closed my store in 2014, and I have never seen decks like these. I wish I could post a picture here on how they assembled it. I am ALREADY Blustered in HOW am I going to put them in. I started working on them yesterday and I am already cursing lol. The Model is TC-W390. I The Belts that I got are like yours and they will work. What I did was cleaning the belt with alcohol Now the left side is done. now the right side. Good Luck with your Repair )🙂

[@TurntableGuy]

Unfortunately, those belts are probably useless.

[@TheStuffMade]

Those belts are for people who likes flutter. I guess they're still usable for CD trays and stuff.

[@SeanBZA]

Wel the Chinese belts were 4mm, just they did not tell you that 4mm was 2mm per side. As to those new ones, looks like they were made using a paint brush to slap rubber solution onto a steel roller, then vulcanised it, and slit to width. Sure that somebody will work out a better method, which will involve having another roller to make them even, before they vulcanise, so they are constant thickness, or buy one of the old Japanese belt making machines and start making them.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

probably unrefined recycled rubber amalgamation ! 💩

[@ashleycox432]

These bulk belt kits are always rubbish. Likely you'll never get anywhere close to original wow & flutter specs. Proper belts from reputable suppliers cost more, but at least they'll work properly and last longer.

[@38911bytefree]

Test of time is probably the hardest for belts ..... but you can mitigate this issue if you keep your deck / boombox / walkman under use, or at least periodic use. I have change belts bought them from a good supplier and after 2 years of deck being stored, the deck was as useless as when I first got it. This happens more on CRAPPY logic decks with tiny flywheel that have function gears to clank several times to get something done. Those are belt eaters and will only behave with OEM belts and periodic use.

[@ronniepirtlejr2606]

Hey Dave , There is a place in British Columbia that you can probably find the exact belts you are looking for on just about any brand name player.... KP Components . Usually any link I post will get deleted but, I will try to post a link for you down below.👇.👇

[@12voltvids]

Yes I know. I have dealt with them for years. If I have the size i can order from them but they are expensive because they no longer allow for walk up purchase. The guy works out of his house and the entire basement is his shop. He has a service counter and cash register on it. About 3 years ago the city of Surrey started clamping down on bylays and he is no longer permitted to have walk up customers, mail only. This adds an extra 5.00 for each order. So a 5.00 belt becomes a 10.00 belt and if i order one and find that I need the next size up or down that's an extra 10.00. Providing old belt was not totally melted one could walk in with old one and get a replacement. It's all about cost. If I am fixing a tape deck for a customer, unless it is high-end deck like that pioneer 1250 which incidentally those belt kits were I think 40 US each it's not worth it to put a $20 belt in a tape deck. Most cassette decks I get 50 bucks maximum to repair. So spending even $10 on a single belt means it my profit margin is 40 for the time if I have to order a second part I've now made $30. So I need to find belts that are dirt cheap maybe a dollar a piece so that I can put the belts in and still make some money. What is a tape deck that someone is giving me and I'm just trying to get it working so I can sell it I want to put even less in because most tape decks believe it or not sell for between 30 and $40. There's not too many people willing to pay a lot of money for a cassette deck repair. I hear people saying how much they sold their cassette deck for, or how much they think they're cassette deck is worth or how much they "know someone" but paid x amount of dollars to have their completely restored. I call bullshit on that, I've been doing this for 40 years and I have yet to come across one of these mythical customers that will spend two or $300 completely restoring anything. what I have found in my almost 40 years in the repair business and yes it's been close to 40 years I started in 83 with Sony but I actually worked at another shop part-time prior to that when I was taking my apprenticeship, I've yet to see people put any serious money into any consumer electronics. On cassette decks even back in the day if the bill was more in about 60 to $65 they threw it out. I remember working on anackamation once and I had to replace a motor and the motor from nakamishi was something like $55 plus a belt and the bill came to about $125 or so and when I called the customer to give them the price of what it was going to cost to fix they came into the store bought a techniques and told us to throw the nak away which is exactly what happened it went in the garbage. Now I know today people are paying a little more to fix vintage stuff that they wear when that stuff was current but I still on average don't make more than maybe $60 on a cassette deck if I'm lucky I might make 80 if it's a high-end deck. I buy these belt kits to try out because I'm hoping that someday we'll actually get some happy some belt kits they can be used. Depending on how these would sound when I actually get around to putting one in one of my own decks will determine going forward whether they're a viable solution but certainly paying $20 for a belt what all you can make on the repair is 50 makes it for an uneconomical to repair from a business perspective. Another problem with having to order parts is if you have to dismantle a piece of equipment to get a piece dental floss around the pulley so the belt can be measured and then have to place an order and wait a week or sometimes more to get that part delivered, well you have to put the machine together because I don't have room to have machines sitting at the park waiting for a part which means that once the part arrives the machines got to be taking apart again to put the new part in which means twice as much work for the same pay. If I can find a solution of belt kits I can have a hundred different belts in stock and no when I go in then I'll have one that will fit and that's the goal. Just need to find some that sound reasonable and don't put the wow and flutter up into the single digit percent range.

[@I967]

I once bought a flat belt kit from eeBey and I got a packet of stiff, badly cut rubber bands. These Chinese kits are good perhaps for a counter belt, that's it.

[@38911bytefree]

Well, not for your 0.05% W&F deck ... but for compact music systems .... good enough.

[@12voltvids]

Sometimes they get what they get.

[@dimitarlazarov2094]

A lot of trolling around. There are eBay sellers in Europe who sell belt kits and are great quality. Usually made by the seller. Problem is they cost an arm and a leg and it takes forever to get them delivered. On the other hand the cheap kits give Dave the opportunity to show you guys, how to fix your equipment on the cheap and still enjoy it.

[@chezsnailez]

Guessing the quality of Uyghur they use in these has gone down in recent years...

[@mrnmrn1]

I guess these will be horrible. Better than the 2mm ebay ones, but still bad. I tried like 3 or 4 slightly differently sized belts on my Sony TC-K511S, until found one which delivered a W&F value close to the factory specs. And all of those belts were purchased from a local parts supplier for about 2.5 - 4 USD each. The best one was the widest and thinnest. The correct size was 63.6 x 4.0 x 0.3mm. The key is the 0.3mm thickness. All the others were thicker, like 0.5-0.8mm, and none of them came close to the 0.07% W&F, the value which the specs of the deck claims, they produced well over 0.2%. With the 0.3mm thick one it goes below 0.1%, which is close enough for a 25 years old deck with a plastic "flywheel". The remaining extra W&F probably comes from the aging capstan motor. And from the broken capstan bearing housing. Bloody TCM-190 transport... It's a shame, because otherwise it's a great sounding deck.

[@toddanonymous5295]

Wow ! ( and flutter too ) . Fresh off the line from Wuhan belt and dental floss Co

[@MrDsmen]

bumpotronic fluttermaster belts !

[@waltschannel7465]

Well, thanks for reviewing the belts. Like you say, if somebody doesn't try them we won't know.

[@jerryspann8713]

He has himself a guitar amp. I like the way that guitar sounded. It sounded good. Looks like a Peavey.

[@MrElectrowhiz]

Before I closed my shop in 2001, I had drawers of PRB belts that were really well made in worked in most situations just fine. I sold off the whole cabinet of belts and wish to have them back now.

[@tinicum54]

I used PRB belts from the early 80's till the 2000's, quiite often for 16mm projectors, spring belts.

[@LusitaniaFilms]

I know how you feel I did that sold all my Vacuum tubes, and 17 file cabinets of both Sams, and Most brands of Schematics. Now I wish I had kept them BUT it was either my wife divorce me or I get rid of them :((

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@LusitaniaFilms what was your wife doing in your tool drawers? ????

[@LusitaniaFilms]

@@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777 She was the manager of my shop, so SHE was always in my tool drawer hahah " Perk"

[@gavincurtis]

@@LusitaniaFilms Did Shango066 end up with them?

[@sdjgfashjasbfasd]

Secret tip. The best belts for 8 tracks are the blue rubber bands holding bunches of asparagus together in the grocery store. I keep a supply of flat and round belts I got from China. They come in handy for evaluating a repair. If it's worth fixing then I will buy the "real belts" and pay the extra cash. Obviously in a business situation you can't use those cheap belts and be confident the unit will play well.

[@johncoops6897]

The rubber bands from Fruit and Veg (as well as the ones supplied as rubber band balls) look and work fine, for a short while. But then they degrade horrendously. I bundled up a heap of Computer SD-RAM chips into pairs and quad sets, then stored them. They ended up in storage for 2 years, and now I have RAM that is no longer tied together and is covered with a molten rubber goo that is impossible to remove easily.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

There's a guy in Russia I buy from - it's not super cheap but they are quality - you can get the tiniest square cut rubber from him to fit the smallest Sanyo walkman from 1987.. - thanks for your evaluation of the products you purchased.. might as well go to the dollar store and get a random pack of elastic bands..which I have done for testing purposes.

[@12voltvids]

I will be trying a few of these on decks I have lying around and we will see how bad they sound. Don't know how bad they are untill they are tested. How does that saying oh you can't tell a book by its cover. One of the reasons that the thin belts don't work is because they don't center on the pulley a belt of the correct width should center on the pulley and providing that the flywheel has enough inertia you shouldn't be hearing excessive wow and flutter. My work days in the shop are Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday will be working on that guitar amp for starters and then I'll see what I can dig up as far as cassette decks and see what these belts sound like. I'm not expecting much but hey I could be in for a surprise.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@12voltvids looking forward to your results have a great productive week and thanks for sharing your process..!

[@Limousine08]

you can use a rotary tool and sand those belts if you think the rubber's good enough to bother

[@12voltvids]

These belts actually turned out to be quite good so far.

[@gavincurtis]

Chinesium Grade 2 product. Mostly stable at room temperature.

[@MrChrisRP]

Seeing the rough surface makes me wonder if it might be "good" in the long run to maintain friction. They might actually last, as a guess.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

yeah that can be a benefit sometimes for sure

[@MervinGriff]

I spy a spring reverb! Knobs are dead giveaway for Sunn equipment.

[@12voltvids]

The sunn don't know the words at the moment.

[@chriscutress1702]

YEAH !!!

[@Dillisive]

OMG I think I packed your belts in that bag.

[@12voltvids]

The label shows it left Pearson Airport (YYZ) , made a stop over at Hamilton (CYHM) and then onto YVR

[@DJTonyCMP3]

They look more like rubber bands than drive belts by the surface on them!

[@robbieblackmon1801]

Looks like that recycled rubbery crap that smells like an oil slick.

[@12voltvids]

Actually they smell like tires.

[@Nantawat_Kittiwarakul]

HAHAHA I knew what's going to happen...junkiest belts you've ever experienced! (Been there, done that, and it certainly SUCKS) So far I've found 2 possible uses for these rubber-band quality belts. - To be used as a temporary fix, or to measure for the correct belt size to be ordered later on. - Or to be literally used as a rubber band.😝 Works quite OK in this regard.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

Temp fix.. yeah and if that's the case go to your dollar store get the random pack of elastic bands. Generally you'll find some that fit something - for a few hours LOL

[@12voltvids]

Watch the video where one of these belts goes in then eat your words.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@12voltvids yeah you proved they have reasonable application for sure

[@Nantawat_Kittiwarakul]

@@12voltvids Yes, saw that. With metal flywheel it would probably work. Try that with flimsy mech with plastic flywheel that has no weight in it. It would then sounds FANTASTIC, for sure. Already tried that, really sheechless - to say at least.

[@12voltvids]

@@Nantawat_Kittiwarakul I have put the thin belts on metal flywheels and they sound like shit. I'll find a plastic one and try these.

[@voenigs612]

Whether the belts are good or not has to be tested over a longer period of time. Otherwise they are always good to temporarily replace a missing belt to test a mechanical function. Not everything made in China is junk. Many manufacturers of quality goods have parts made in China.

[@Fluteboy]

Let's find oot, eh!

[@sonyajones]

Dave, I have had good luck with the 3,4 and 5mm belts from Amazon. That next device that you are working on looks like a decent guitar or keyboard amp with a nice spring reverb built in. Looks like one that I've repaired. Nice amps! Have a great week!

[@12voltvids]

It's a sunn. Just have to decide what i will plug into it. Stratt, Bass? I shouldn't be even trying to play. Haven't picked it up in like 15 years.

[@sonyajones]

@@12voltvids - Bass guitar should sound great thru that, but a Strat should too! Just whichever you are most comfortable with. I have a Squier Strat that I play at times, but my favorite guitar is my 40+ year old Peavey T-15 guitar. I've never tried a bass yet. I don't play very well due to spinal injuries and am just a bedroom player. But I really enjoy playing the guitar.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@1:00 -I see a reverb tank - I would say Traynor but the colors on the face don't appear so

[@12voltvids]

The Sunn will be rising soon.

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

@@12voltvids 😎

[@kinasc1575]

Rough isn't the word on those belts Dave.

[@12voltvids]

Well we will see how bad they are. Just need to decide what tape deck gets the honors to be a guinea pig.

[@38911bytefree]

@@12voltvids Take a full logic one with nonexisting flywheel, so defects cant hide. My suggestion is to wave to the cheapo RSTR Tech decks from the 90s, the ones with ONE motor and do an endeless autoreverse LOL ...... (check the gear that goes bad first).

[@MidnightRambler1964]

I bought that same package. Kinda useless!!!

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

Have you ever worked on or used an Elcaset machine?

[@12voltvids]

Yes when I worked for Sony I had to repair a few.

[@oldradiosnphonographs]

@@12voltvids do they just need caps and alignment? What type of belts did they take? They can’t be Be much different from other tape decks of its time only bigger? To me they look like newer and improved version of the RCA tape cartridge. Is it harder to get one to work compared to a DAT or DCC or a vcr?

[@12voltvids]

@@oldradiosnphonographs More like the belts from an 8 track. I haven;t seen one since 83 so don't ask. Wouldn't mind having one for shits and giggles.

[@426hemicuda1090]

Anybody know why a TEAC quartz locked direct drive deck would be running 15hz slow??? Could it be capacitors on the motor control board?

[@JaypiTechPHOfficial]

these chinese belts are always a pain. I encounter this many times.

[@zx8401ztv]

Hmm springline reverb, not a cheap one by the looks of it. The belts do look shiney, i would wipe one down with ipa and a rough cloth. I expect the capstan flywheel speed to sound crappy. But what do i know.

[@garryself]

Have you tried the belt kits from KP components? Wondering if they are worth the extra $

[@Barbarapape]

Trying to buy good quality belt kits is a nightmare these days. Here in the UK most of the spare parts suppliers have closed, and the ones of ebay are worse than useless. By the look of these ones from Amazon don't inspire me to buy any. Some things are not what they used to be, spare parts for older gear has never been easy to find, genuine belts are usualy age expired.🙂

[@julerobb1]

on a semi unrelated note i've bought two wireless antennas for Denon head unit, they come with some sort of cable. I've certainly gotten myself into an predicament.

[@billdolar9995]

so many years decent quality belts were dirt cheap although somewhat hard to find. last 10 years availability didn't change that much but prices skyrocketed and a lots of crap came along as well. good belts are still or to expensive or to hard to find, anyone good adres somewhere behind the edge of known world??

[@FoulOwl2112]

Perhaps 'Lord of the Springs' ? Some sorta old AKG SS electro-mechanical reverb?

[@Sans_Solo_]

don't like the shiny surfaces......maybe good for boombox's tho

[@12voltvids]

that will wear down pretty fast.

[@38911bytefree]

Not so fast, there are some good boombox out there .... LOL ... they dont deserve that.

[@ThatTransistorGuy]

Hey I'm having 2 problems with my sony str de997 receiver.. issue number 1- whenever i use the Multi Channel In 1 function, using any of the RCA inputs creates a buzzing and hum noise in the speakers. Now jiggling the RCA plugs a bit seems to have an influence on the buzzing and hum... But here's the weird part, whenever i use the same cables on the Multi Channel In 2, the buzzing and humming is gone. Another thing is that using a regular input like for example the SA-CD/CD input removes the humming and buzzing from all channels. So clearly there's something wrong with the Multi Channel In 1. I actually have an identical motherboard that i use for parts from it. The reason i don't use the duplicate one is that there's alot more issues with that one. Issue number 2- the front A/B Speaker selectors aren't working. Usually when operating the speaker select button, i hear the relay clicks for A/B and the Rest toggle on and off. Now i only hear clicks for speakers A and the rest. Whenever Speakers B is selected and deselected, there are no relay clicks. Also, there is no audio from any of the front A/B speakers. Hopefully you can help me identify the part i need to replace. Thanks in advance and i really appreciate it

[@johncoops6897]

Simply repair the ground connections inside the RCA connectors on Channel 1.

[@rrangana11]

I bet those are junk

[@Watcher3223]

You're not going to be any more impressed with the Amazon belts compared to the eBay belts, I'll tell you that. You're going to be sorting through the assortment before you'll find one that will run smoothly enough for a cassette deck capstan. Of course we get what we pay for, but the problem is that the pickings are very slim when it comes to selection. There just aren't many sellers willing to vend replacement belts, except those selling these pieces of Chinese-made crap.

[@12voltvids]

These are impressive.

[@Watcher3223]

@@12voltvids I know. I saw the video where you tested them and the result was impressive, where that Citizen boombox cassette deck held a very steady pitch with your test tape. My experience wasn't quite as successful, but here's hoping the manufacturer has improved their quality since. I guess I stand corrected.

[@12voltvids]

@@Watcher3223 i have a few more decks that will get a new belt to test. Will do a few next week.

[@Watcher3223]

@@12voltvids Looking forward to it if you plan on producing videos about such projects, and I wish you the best of luck with them.

[@12voltvids]

@@Watcher3223 binder dundat on that citizen recorder. The belt sounds fantastic.

[@TheMilford]

That’s a Sunn0)) Concert Keyboard Amplifier.

[@12voltvids]

Home that man a cigar

[@veb6814]

Flux capacitor?

[@markmarkofkane8167]

Signal generator? Guitar amp? P.S. Where can you get quality belts? Nowhere?