RCA Selectavision model VKT385 VHS VCR issue

[B 4204 T3]

After using this VCR regularly for the last four months since I had it serviced in the repair shop, a new problem has happened with it.



Yesterday, I taped a TV show on it, after the show ended, when I tried to play the tape back, it wouldn't rewind. I kept pushing the rewind button, and I thought it was working fine, since I could hear the internal mechanism whirring for about five seconds, but it kept stopping, and it wouldn't rewind. I also noticed that the numbers on the counter were not changing, so I knew that something was malfunctioning.



Before yesterday, the rewind and fast forward functions worked fine, although slowly, but I couldn't get it to work yesterday for some reason. What is really strange is that the search functions still worked; the tape would rewind and fast forward while I was playing the tape. It works by holding the rewind and fast forward buttons in the entire time while I was searching thru the tape, which is the only way that I was able to rewind the tape & play it back.



I also tried playing, rewinding, and fast forwarding a few different video tapes, and the VCR did the same thing on all of the tapes, so I know that the problem is with the VCR and not the tapes.



I am confused by what is going on, and why it failed only four months after having the VCR serviced in the electronics repair shop. Does anyone know what could be wrong with it? Any suggestions are really appreciated.



Thank you very much!

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by B 4204 T3

After using this VCR regularly for the last four months since I had it serviced in the repair shop, a new problem has happened with it.



Yesterday, I taped a TV show on it, after the show ended, when I tried to play the tape back, it wouldn't rewind. I kept pushing the rewind button, and I thought it was working fine, since I could hear the internal mechanism whirring for about five seconds, but it kept stopping, and it wouldn't rewind. I also noticed that the numbers on the counter were not changing, so I knew that something was malfunctioning.



Before yesterday, the rewind and fast forward functions worked fine, although slowly, but I couldn't get it to work yesterday for some reason. What is really strange is that the search functions still worked; the tape would rewind and fast forward while I was playing the tape. It works by holding the rewind and fast forward buttons in the entire time while I was searching thru the tape, which is the only way that I was able to rewind the tape & play it back.



I also tried playing, rewinding, and fast forwarding a few different video tapes, and the VCR did the same thing on all of the tapes, so I know that the problem is with the VCR and not the tapes.



I am confused by what is going on, and why it failed only four months after having the VCR serviced in the electronics repair shop. Does anyone know what could be wrong with it? Any suggestions are really appreciated.



Thank you very much!

Those Hitachi, as well as GE, RCA and others they built were always trouble-prone. They never stayed fixed! GE and RCA had Samsung make them, right after. They weren't very good either! Now it seems, Samsung can do no wrong.
Hit the Thrift shops, yard sales. Many times, they can be had for less than you paid for that dog. Maybe even free!

[Blast]

Originally Posted by B 4204 T3

Yesterday, I taped a TV show on it, after the show ended, when I tried to play the tape back, it wouldn't rewind. I kept pushing the rewind button, and I thought it was working fine, since I could hear the internal mechanism whirring for about five seconds, but it kept stopping, and it wouldn't rewind. I also noticed that the numbers on the counter were not changing, so I knew that something was malfunctioning.

Before yesterday, the rewind and fast forward functions worked fine, although slowly, but I couldn't get it to work yesterday for some reason. What is really strange is that the search functions still worked; the tape would rewind and fast forward while I was playing the tape. It works by holding the rewind and fast forward buttons in the entire time while I was searching thru the tape, which is the only way that I was able to rewind the tape & play it back.

I also tried playing, rewinding, and fast forwarding a few different video tapes, and the VCR did the same thing on all of the tapes, so I know that the problem is with the VCR and not the tapes.

I may not be getting a complete understanding of this problem. But, here goes...

There were some Hitachi designs (not sure if the VKT385 was one, or not) that used, what I'll describe as, a single pin analog system for their function buttons.

All the major function buttons (Stop, Start, Rewind, etc.) were wired through different sized resistors so that each button pressed presented a different voltage to a single pin of the microprocessor (uP). For example, pressing STOP might send 5vdc to said pin, pressing PLAY might present 3.2v to the same pin, etc. And, the uP would 'know' to perform the proper function based on the voltage presented at that input pin.

So, when the function buttons started getting electrically intermittent over time they might, and would, 'fool' the uP into 'thinking' that a different button had been pressed other than the one the operator was actually pressing because of the additional resistance that had built up in the switches over time.

So for that, remove the front panel and spray a little Deoxit D5 into each of the function buttons in order to to clean their contacts.

Now, this isn't going to do anything for a slipping idler wheel or some other mechanical problem that's just now surfaced. And, again, I may not be fully understanding the problem. But, if you're having to hold two buttons to perform a function that one button normally performs, this may be the problem.

Good luck.