Panasonic PV-4800 VCR Timer Recording Issue

Hi,

My 1988 Panasonic PV-4800 VCR has an issue with Timer Recording.

I can set a time to make a recording, turn off the VCR and the Timer indicator is lit. However, when the time to record arrives, the VCR does NOT record. The Timer indicator is still lit.

I had tried this Timer Recording more than once with the same results. Of course the tape is recordable (tab not removed).

Any ideas?

Thank You in advance, John

Reply to
jaugustine
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Back in the day, we would never turn off the VCR. That would be lame-idea #1. Then, turn off and unplug the unit for a couple of hours to reboot it. That would be lame-idea #2. Lastly, make sure that the VCD "knows" there is a tape in the machine. The tab on the tape is one thing. But the arm/indicator/device on the VCR that reads the tab (to a microswitch?) may be non-functional, worn or dirty. That would be lame-idea #3.

About it for now.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
Peter W.

You should switch to a DVR.

Reply to
Lucifer

How's that AM/PM setting look?

Good luck.

--
David Farber 
Los Osos, CA
Reply to
David Farber

To the best of my memory (which can be foggy) you must also program the stop time. Perhaps find a copy of the owner's manual and re-read the section about programming?

Regards, Tim

Reply to
Tim Schwartz

Hi,

FYI, because of the replies I have received so far, I want everyone to know that I use to repair TVs, VCRs, stereos, etc.

I do NOT have the SM for this VCR, and I have never serviced a VCR (serviced many) with this issue.

John

Reply to
jaugustine

And how did you expect anyone here to know this bit of detail when you omitted it from your initial post? Not one group member here can read minds....

Reply to
Keegan Major

I can read his mind easily, insanity for trying to fix a 30+ year old, low or mid range VHS machine that can be replaced with a $10~$20 one from the nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill retail store. Probably will be 25 years newer too.

However I do have a suggestion...

Take it apart and examine the clock board/front panel circuit boards and see if you can spot something like a cmos battery like you would find on a computer motherboard. Small (quarter sized but thicker) and probably wrapped in plastic. It's not a battery but a supercap of sorts (like .5F, half a farad).

I think (but not sure) those had somewhat of a battery back up for the clock where if the machine lost power for a while, the clock wouldn't return with the 12:00 blinking but the correct time instead.

I'd guess if that thing is dead or otherwise shot, it could cause the timer to malfunction. Who knows, maybe the timer relies on it so it, like the clock, doesn't get reintialized on power loss.

Dead power source, dead timer.

-bruce snipped-for-privacy@ripco.com

Reply to
bje

Hi Bruce,

This VCR is plugged in when the record timer was set. There was NO loss of power. Therefore, there was NO need for a battery (does NOT have one).

After the VCR failed to record at the appointed time, the time and date was checked and was correct.

John

Reply to
jaugustine

Doesn't matter.

If it does have some kind of power backup device, either battery or supercap, after 35+ years it's probably chemically broken down and is likley holding one of the lines to the cpu low.

You might think you are programming a record event but the cpu is ignoring it.

If you are absolutely sure there is no such device, take my other suggestion and go visit the nearest Salvation Army or Goodwill outlet store.

There are two of those on ebay now, one for $12.50 and the other for $20 (or best offer) but of course there is $20 in shipping charges on either.

Overpriced.

Assuming everything else is working correctly and it is just a timer problem, it's so unlikely to find a replacement clock/timer board these days and probably priced at 10x what the machine is worth, there really is no other solution except to replace the whole machine.

-bruce snipped-for-privacy@ripco.com

Reply to
bje

Hi Bruce,

Since I do not have the SM for this, and I have other VCRs that I can use for Timer Recording, I will only use this VCR without the Timer Recoding function.

Regards, John

Reply to
jaugustine

I still have a working VHS VCR. It has a stereo sound decoder, Hi-Fi sound, half speed record and playback, NTSC playback on PAL TV, G-Code programming, and on screen programming.

However, if I play a five hour tape it folds the top of the tape over!(?) Three hour or less works OK.

Reply to
Lucifer

If it has a year setting it could it be out of range. You could set a past year to try.

Reply to
Jeroni Paul

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