Sony VCR Follow Up - Cleaning Heads and Re-Greasing a VCR - SLV SE710

[@unknownanonymous1]

Awesome video. Really helped.

[@stereoheaven11]

love your video thank you. can you give a suggestion what to use to clean the plastic piece overtop of the led readout on the front? and a suggestion to remove light scratches on that plastic piece?

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Just use a light bit of windolene to clean it. I've not really tried getting small scratches off but would probably just leave it.

[@Sc0pee]

I have a old Panasonic VHS which probably just needs some lubing. It works 50% of the time just fine but not always...the woman you bought it from mightve just got lucky with it working wheb she tested the VHS.

[@kingshearer2]

Great video thanks. I've got a similar Sony (SLV E850) and the playback is wonderful. Unfortunately it's temperamental when ejecting and I have to stick my finger and help the tape out. I'm thinking the mechanism must be underneath since there's no signs of gears on the side, so at some point I'll have to take the mechanism out and have a look underneath. If you've done something similar before please let me know. cheers.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

I've not had problems with ejecting but it could be a cracked or misaligned cog.

[@kingshearer2]

@@RetroElectronicRepair cheers mate, yes there's a worm gear on sonys which I've seen vids of where it's cracked and you need to use epoxy to weld it back so I've ordered some just in case. Weird thing is when I leave the tape in and machine on standby for a few hours and then try to eject it comes out, so might even been the loading motor.

[@alzamiento18]

Does the HD Converter box ignore Macrovision?

[@fletzyproductions1190]

Hello! I have a old vhs-c camcorder that i have gotten mostly running exept the mechanism. I would put a tape in, press play, it seems like the arms that wrap the tape around the head finish their course, but then after 4 seconds of pressing play, it puts the tape back to its original position! I would love for you input on how i should deal with this as you are very experienced with these mechanisms! Thanks in advance!

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Does the tape actually turn in those 4 seconds? If not it could be the light sensors that are faulty and not registering the tape is moving. There is a light that goes up the center of the tape and read by light sensors either side of the tape mechanism. The only other thing I can think of is the mode switch that is under the mechanism needs cleaning or the gears are misaligned so it doesn't know what mode it is in.

[@fletzyproductions1190]

@ thank you so much for the swift response, i will try fixing it soon, once i have a update, ill let you know!

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

@fletzyproductions1190 you're welcome, please do.

[@fletzyproductions1190]

@ hey! I just uploaded a video showing the problem, im sure its better than my written description

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

@fletzyproductions1190 I'll take a look tomorrow 👍

[@vintagevantics]

6 heads no?

[@Shamsithaca]

I have a Philips 6443 from 1989. Visually its in great physical condition. I opened the cabinet and its looks VERY clean. But when I put a VHS in, the rewind is slow, the forward is slow and when i press play, the spools drag the tape half way, and cant go any further, and tries a bit, then the VCR goes to standby. (maybe a protect mode)? I was looking for grease and its looks empty...whatever is there is dry completely. Is that the reason? from 2 decades or so of no use? I dont hear any bad noise or anything...just seems like the VCR struggling to rewind, forward and play. The head spins effortlessly however.

[@kingshearer2]

Have you tried a different tape?

[@charliebrown6850]

Great video, I have a similar one, and its not reading properly, at 14:13 there is a yellow spool next to the head drum (on RHS), any idea what it is and how to replace it? Mine looks like it has decomposed, looks like a type of cloth washer or bush, please let me know what you think. Many thanks.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Hi glad you liked it. That yellow thing is just a sponge. It moves in and wipes the heads when you out a tape in. Your probably best just removing it as if it's degraded it could be leaving residue on the drum heads. I wouldn't worry about replacing it just pull the sponge off.

[@charliebrown6850]

@@RetroElectronicRepair Yes many thanks, I think it is a head cleaner which temporarily polishes heads before the tape is located. Ill remove it as doesnt rotate when tape is being played. made a mess though as it has decomposed. ATB.

[@unknownanonymous1]

I have the same vcr. Hoping you maybe able to help me. I have a 2 films recorded on a the same video cassette, both in long play, but one of the films no longer plays (the first one). Its like the Vcr has fortgotten it is recorded in long play rather than short play. Any ideas?

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

That's a very strange one. I have no idea why that would happen, sorry.

[@treyjohnson82]

everclear works really well

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Glad it was of help to you

[@treyjohnson82]

@@RetroElectronicRepair well.tge one I found was made in 06,same model as dubai,but sv2000.it would not come in even when plugged in had to be something like a capctior or something in the power supply.my funai might need lubing bc the rod that take the tape out just stop and then the head doesn't spin.itbshoitsbthentaoe out and shows an r then shuts down. Everclear we used to clean the heads and the lens on the dvd player

[@beeqool]

Can i use ''Neste Molygrease NLGi 2'' for greasing vhs player? It says its Lithium based... Its supposed to be used for heavy duty appli cations for cars and equipment. I just hope it doesnt damage plastics.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

I'd probably say no. A silicon based grease is best for plastics which is what I use now. Lithium is based on petroleum which will deteriorate plastics.

[@beeqool]

@@RetroElectronicRepair Isnt it the same as White Lithium grease that You mentioned in a comment below? And they both have NLGi 2 written on them so i thought its the same.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

@@beeqool You can use it if you use very little. I would suggest using silicone grease now though which is what I should of commented before.

[@guilhermeborges9644]

hey my friend, could you help me? I have a vcr sony very similar to yours... its's playing and fast rewind/FF perfectly, but when it stops to change the rewind/FF speed (close to the ending or beginning of the vhs tape) it's turning off the VCR. Some tips for fix it? Thanks for the video!

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Sorry but I'm not sure what that issue could be as it's a very strange one. There is a light pipe that goes up the middle of the tape that is known to shut down a VCR (I have a video on it somewhere) but that usually happens as soon as you put a tape in.

[@speedyboishan87]

Hi what grease do you recommend to use with VCR's etc when I put a tape, the heads dont align the tape reels, it loads and ejects. The reel does not mount round the heads etc.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Molykote or silicon grease is the best to use I think. Just don't use anything that has a petroleum base to it as that can degrade the plastic. Your problem could be the control switch usually underneath the mechanism. That tells the machine what mode it's in and the contacts can get dirty.

[@M3GAN3116]

Would this also work on a cassette player that's sticking ?

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Do you mean an audio cassette player? It all depends on if a motor is pushing the head unit up to the cassette or whether it's done manually. It's hard to say without seeing the unit. Sorry.

[@beeqool]

do you know what light blue color grease is called? our sharp from 94 uses it id like to use the same.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Sorry I don't know what it's called but you do see a lot of professional repairers using Molykote Grease for plastic parts.

[@patrickjacqmotte682]

Can you recording VHS videos to PC with this convertor ? If not what did you need to do so ?

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Hi, that converter is just for upscaling to 1080p through an HDMI cable so you can plug it into a newer TV with HDMI. You would need this and also a video capture card to get this on your PC. I believe there are now some cheap USB video capture sticks that you plug into a usb port on you pc.

[@radpopl]

You can, but this device offers terrible quality. Record with dedicated devices from the Component connector, preferably with HDMI but properly converted (e.g. with a recorder).

[@Beyondact]

I pitty the fool that has a broken VCR mashine. On another matter is VHS still a thing in the UK? Cause here even the recycle stores and all those big organisations like red cross stores have stopped selling them, the ones they get in unless its like Disney gold numbers, are just straight in to the bin.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Yeah people still buy them for transferring old tapes to digital. They're not used like they use to be but the better make the more you can sell them for.

[@Beyondact]

@@RetroElectronicRepair I used to do that transfer thing some years back and had a Panasonic VHS DVD combo mashine that did it without other devices. A capacitor eventually leaked all over it self and in to a small copper spool causing it to catch slightly on fire so that ended that adventure. Was a profitable little thing in its day.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

I have a couple of dvd vhs combos here to look at. They can sell for up to £200 here

[@Beyondact]

@@RetroElectronicRepair I saw a noname combo mashine in a second hand stor just before christmas for £7,5, said TEST OK on it. I need to see if there's a market for it over here and start buying them. Already doing it for higher end printers and computers. Will you be doing a "How to revive a Litium ion battery (laptop)" video at any point? Cause buying the actual station for it is not cheap and there are tricks with a quick discharge of a capacitor for those with the guts to do it. I've done it twice and it helped one of the times.

[@RetroElectronicRepair]

Not sure about playing around with lithium ion batteries. I have seen other people on KZbin that have a small board with a usb connection from China that ignores the signal from a dead battery and can sometimes revive it. As most of the times the batteries are ok but are just totally drained and the protection on chargers now won't let them charge if they are dead.