VHS VCR 15-year average reliability data (1978-1993)...

[Ed in Tx]

Originally Posted by waltchan

Yes, assuming your Mitsubishi HS-430UR is in mint, rarely-used, like-new condition, PLUS original box, remote, manual, and packaging, it does sell for $700 shipped on eBay easily. That's what I had. I originally paid only $65 shipped for it.

And it didn't come back to haunt you? YOU are Lucky!

Originally Posted by waltchan

What went wrong with the Panasonic AG-1830? Describe the problem, and maybe I can help you troubleshoot it faster.

Dark distorted picture, either E-E or tape playback, distorted hi-fi audio, as I recall. Been over 10 years since I had it hooked up. Have several other decks that work fine, JVC HR-S5900, Mitsubishi HS-U795 both S-VHS serve my purposes. I had accumulated 3 more AG-1830s ("no fixes" from customers) but the numbskulls at the shop threw them away rather than calling be to come get them as I had asked them to do. Oh well. Also had stashed an AG-1960, and couple of Mit HS-430s for parts, all tossed in a dumpster. And a pair of mint HR-S7000s JVCs first S-VHS VCRs. A customer brought them in but didn't want to spend more than a head cleaning charge, so they got abandoned. All gone to the landfill.

Originally Posted by waltchan

Is your AG-1800 still running fine today?

Never had one of those myself. Did work on a few and the Canon version too. I kept the service manual for the AG-1800 for some reason. Maybe in anticipation of acquiring one some day. Last thing I need is more VCRs!

[waltchan]

Originally Posted by Ed in Tx

Dark distorted picture, either E-E or tape playback, distorted hi-fi audio, as I recall. Been over 10 years since I had it hooked up.

A dark, distorted picture and distorted Hi-Fi audio are ALWAYS the surface-mount caps located at the bottom of the hybrid IC board, like I mentioned earlier. If you look at the video board with all the sticky glue on top, there's a green-color, small hybrid IC board soldered on top of the S-VHS video process board. If you look underneath the hybrid IC green board, you will see maybe 10-15 surface-mount caps. All need to be replaced.

Same thing as for the Hi-Fi audio board. There are about 15-30 surface-mount caps to check and replace on the green hybrid IC boards, two of them, all soldered onto the audio board.

This is a very time-consuming repair job, no easy work, but fixable. Yep, this problem is one of Panasonic's electronic aging issue, mostly found in S-VHS units. Without the S-VHS feature, like the AG-1820, you could have saved 50 surface-mount caps from going bad.