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).
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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