19" Emerson (Funai) TV/VCR/DVD combination
 

A few weeks ago, I was at a rummage sale and saw this 19" Emerson TV/VCR/DVD combination for $15, but I didn't buy it. Today, I was at the privately-owned thrift store that has been giving me broken flat-screen TVs and I saw the Emerson there. She said I could have it, but I gave her $5 for it.

When I got it home, the DVD tray would not open because the open/close tact switch was acting like a volume control. Replacement of the tact switch cured that problem and the DVD player seems to work.

The VCR will accept a tape, but then the set would shut off. If I pressed play, FF, or Rew, the command would appear on the screen, but no action from the mechanism and the set would shut off. When I turned the set back on, it would eject the tape and stay on.

I figured it was a dirty mode switch, so I took everything apart, cleaned it, and put the set back together. Unfortunately, that didn't fix it. I now need to take it back apart and watch the internal movement of the mechanism. As it stands now, it will take the tape, it sounds like it's pulling the tape up around the head drum as normal, and then it shuts off. I can still press a command button and the command will appear on screen, but nothing happens and the whole thing shuts off. If I turn it back on, it still ejects the tape on it's on and the TV stays on.

I had the same problem with a Symphonic branded version of this same set, I eventually just gave up.

I despised these combos. So bad we refused them but so many
broken ones. Finally found a cat that would do them flat rate for
IIRC $25 flat rate. He was worth every penny & could turn out
a few an hour.
The first VHS combos were Samsung, Gold Star & a nice Panasonic.
Those were built right with a real VCR & TV. Panny / Quasar were the
only newer ones that were any good. ( 220 pf cap in HOT short & blow PS)
gravy job......... And common in RCA & Sony TV's.

enuf fer now

Zeno:smoke:

Maybe the IR LED used for the tape end and reel sensors? Or the "prism" clear plastic part that goes into the cassette when it's loaded is missing, broken off? Funai had a kit which included the IR LED, some phototransistors for the tape end and reel sensors and the clear prism. I worked on many of those and that was a very common problem. Never once found a bad phototransistor. It was always either the prism or the IR LED. But it's been about 15 years since I worked on one too. I never minded working on those so they all got assigned to me. It was easy money.