1979 RCA VDT600 push button cleaning
 

This is one of the VCR's that I got in Atlanta. Before, the push buttons were all stuck and and they wouldn't actuate properly. I took it apart to get the assembly out, and I'll be darned if cleaning it with hot soapy water didn't free it up. The buttons are all free and working properly now. The assembly is soaking in the sink to get all the old gummed up grease out.

I got the buttons cleaned up and lubed, and they are working a million times better than before. But all is not well. In the process of reassembling the buttons, I accidentally broke the wires on the stop solenoid. Now I have to solder those back on, fix the sensor lamp, and get new belts. After that, all should be good with the VDT600.

Excellent.

Keep going.:thmbsp:

I'm always amazed looking at the transport and electronics on those old top loaders vs. something like a 2003 Funai. The evolution of the VCR was pretty amazing for a machine that did pretty much the same exact thing 25 years later.