Bought another JVC HR-D470U..

[redk9258]

Truth be told, I wouldn't use the tuner as the input. I would use the auxiliary input.
I have a Roku with composite output that I tested my original VCR with a while back. It worked!

[DVtyro]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

It may not be common to record off air anymore but it's completely doable. I think I have even done so within the last year when the memory on my HD recorder was full. Planning to dub a Betamax LV-1900 commercial off the internet to Betamax tape to play on my LV-1900 soon...I can do it, I have the technology!

I recorded onto a VHS VCR off a $19 DVR/receiver in widesreen - looks watchable (YT video). Next time I'll try recording in SVHS (I have another VCR), sadly the box does not have S-Video output.

P.S. I probably should re-do the video and explain earlier that on a split screen digital is on the left and VHS is on the right.

[redk9258]

I had this thing working great until I put it back together! Something is not making a good connection and I cannot figure out if it's one of those stupid ribbon cables or possibly a cold solder joint, I got frustrated with those ribbon cables so I decided to try the original display to see if it's the PCB with the VFD or the one with the diode mod. The original VFD is working perfectly now! A little dim, but working! I ordered a couple of super caps. I'm not messing around with this crap anymore until I get them Thursday.

[redk9258]

I think I'll peak inside the original HR-D470 that I bought in 1987 to see if it has this diode mod done too. I don't remember seeing it when I replaced that SuperCap before but I wasn't really looking for it.

It was built in Dec 1986.

The one that I am working on was built in Jul 1986.

The one I borrowed the PCB with the diode mode was built in Nov 1986.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by DVtyro

I recorded onto a VHS VCR off a $19 DVR/receiver in widesreen - looks watchable (YT video). Next time I'll try recording in SVHS (I have another VCR), sadly the box does not have S-Video output.

P.S. I probably should re-do the video and explain earlier that on a split screen digital is on the left and VHS is on the right.

Don't have time to watch now.

It's not the end of the world not having S-video if the comb/notch filters in the VCR are good.

S-VHS-ET is great because you can put S-VHS recordings on plan old VHS tape stock. I did a lot of that before I switched my main media to DVD, then a few years later went full digital for HD recording. I gotta start saving the discs. Tape lasts centuries if stored right, digital on HDD lasts as long as you have 2 copies and check them for function, but recordable DVDs die fast and easily especially if exposed to sunlight...

[DVtyro]

Originally Posted by Electronic M

I gotta start saving the discs. Tape lasts centuries if stored right, digital on HDD lasts as long as you have 2 copies and check them for function, but recordable DVDs die fast and easily especially if exposed to sunlight...

I have CDs recorded in the previous century, they still work fine, were stored in an album. I don't think DVDs should be much different.

[redk9258]

Originally Posted by DVtyro

I have CDs recorded in the previous century, they still work fine, were stored in an album. I don't think DVDs should be much different.

Recordable media is a whole different animal!

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by redk9258

Recordable media is a whole different animal!

+1

Factory pressed CDs and DVDs are fairly resilient, but recordable media is VERY different. Some of the last DVDs I burned sat on a window sill for a year or two in stacks...The tops of the discs changed color and they became unreadable... Lettering from the top burned into the disc below and other goofyness...The top 1-3 discs in those stacks were ruined, and better kept older ones about a decade old now are starting to die...It's a crying shame.

I will say CDRs do seem less fragile than DVDRs, but of course when you aren't storing as much data you don't need to shrink or complicate the physical data tracks as much so it's going to be more solid.

[redk9258]

I looked inside my original VCR, built Dec 1986. It dos not have that mod. I'm considering removing that diode and replacing it with a jumper.

[redk9258]

Originally Posted by redk9258

I looked at the faulty display hoping to find a high ESR cap or something obvious. I checked about 4 caps for ESR and they were OK. There is another PCB that 2 ribbon cables attach to. It also has 7 plugs going to it. It's a small PCB that also has the memory backup cap. Only the memory cap checked bad.
I had another same model VCR that has a very nice display but has no picture.
I swapped the front display PCB and it was nice and bright but still missing the same segments as the original display. I went ahead and swapped the small PCB and guess what. It all works now! Still need a memory backup cap but the whole thing works!
I hate troubleshooting like this but I was stuck. Now I need to go over the original PCB with a fine tooth comb. Ill bet it will be obvious when I find the problem.

I wanted to add some closure to this thread because I hate when someone fixes something and does come back and tell how.
I have the original PCB in with the diode modification. The diode was fine but one on one end the solder connection wasn't good. After putting it back in, the display was still missing parts. I put it aside until the other day. I looked over the PCB and it has several transistors. Most are digital switching transistors that my meter will not test. There is one 2SD638 - Q301 that tested bad. It was shorted emitter to collector and showed something other than a diode drop base to collector and base to emitter. I replaced it with a 2SD1996 because I was able to get some from DigiKey. It is a similar transistor in a similar package. Anyway.. It works! This VCR that would not power up is fixed! It is sporting all of it's original parts (PCB / display). I wish I new more about that diode modification. I wonder if this unit took a power surge hit or something that took out this transistor and caused the cap in the power supply to short, which took out the fusible resistor just a little upstream. Anyway, I watched a couple of movies and it's been running for a few days now. The bad transistor is the one in the upper left corner.

[redk9258]

Oh, I also picked up another one of these HR-D470 VCRs. It was as-is / untested. That usually means that it has problems or is FUBAR. Well I plugged it in and it powered up. I cleaned the tape path and popped a tape in that I don't care about and hit play. The VU meters started dancing and the Hi Fi indicator was on. I thought to myself surely this doesn't actually work. I connected it to my capture card and it has a beautiful picture. I was shocked. Everything seems to work with one exception. The tracking control does not seem to have any affect at all. It seems to track most tapes well without needing to be adjusted but I am really curious why the control doesn't work. I hate the idea of taking the front panel apart because it's a real PITA to get back together..especially those two ribbon cables. Although I am getting better at getting those seated now.

Anyone have any ideas as to why the tracking control doesn't work?

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by redk9258

It actually plays pretty well. It doesn't struggle at all loading / unloading or changing modes. The VFD has some problems. Some segments are not lit up. I will have to look at that later on.

Original belts in JVC lasted longer than all other vintage VHS VCR brands.

[redk9258]

Another update..
My original HR-D470U that I bought was doing some crazy crap after I started working on that other one. The display was doing weird stuff..flashing, counter resetting etc. When I pulled it apart to look at that small PCB, I must have broken one / some of those connectors in those FFC connectors because with my original display my VCR would not work at all. Sometimes I could move something just right and it might play for a bit but the display was crazy. I took another display from another unit and it had the flashing , counter resetting symptoms. I got frustrated with this and put it away for over a year.

Since I was able to get that dead 470 going, I decided to revisit my original 470. I got to thinking about those FFC connectors and decided to check them with a meter, There are several broken traces. I have yet another 470 that doesn't work.. won't track a tape. I took the front panel from it and put it on my original 470. It worked but the display was dim and flickering, and counter resetting during play. I pulled the power supply and tested caps with my Blue ESR meter that I didn't have last time I messed with this. Holy crap, Batman! 9 of 12 were very high ESR or just plain open. I replaced the caps and had a new problem. I was missing 5V. I looked and looked at the power supply thinking I did something bad. Well the 1A fuse that I thought I checked was bad. I checked the 3.15A the 1A next to it LOOKED good. I learned a valuable lesson. Check fuses with a meter, not your eyes.. and check the correct one! I got it back together and not only do I have it playing right now, but the display is working perfectly and brighter than before!

Since I borrowed the display and FFC cables from another unit, I want to put the original back. I'm afraid to mess with those FFC connectors. I have found some on Ali Express but they are 100mm long instead of 40mm. When they get here, I will try to do that.

With all of this messing around, I managed to break 2 of the connectors going to the power supply PCB. Be careful with this old plastic, It's very brittle! If I can figure out the part numbers to replace these, I will order some for the future.

So, now I have 2.75 of these 470's working. I'll count this one working when I get it actually reassembled with it's original display.

[redk9258]

https://youtu.be/4A2O1dlRjSo?si=WKbtVefJBty1iGTP