sanity check on discard of my VCR

ProdigySBC: Power supply problems are "usually" some of the simplest and least expensive repairs on a VCR for an experienced shop tech.... not always, but usually. The SLV-740HF is an excellent VCR and will easily outperform just about any new, cheaply built machine regardless of price... .... so I guess my suggestion to you is to TAKE it to a service shop for, at the very least, a repair cost estimate, usually the price of a cleaning, so you can make an intelligent repair decision with facts instead of guesses. If you want to give this a go yourself then you should visit the website for this newsgroup at:

there, with some searching you will find a wealth of troubleshooting tips, repair proceedures, component testing methods and important safety information. Note that this VCR uses a switch mode power supply, or SMPS, and is not as straightforward to troubleshoot and repair as a simple linear supply so if this is beyond your patience level then, BEFORE you "do further damage" at least get a repair cost estimate from a shop before you make a decision to keep and fix or to discard. electricitym . . .

The modular power supply(rf shield cage?) is most likely fried. They're usually held down with one or two screws and can be easily removed. Pull it out and check it out for a part #. I don't know about Sony, however many vcr manufacturers used a PS made by Panasonic that was prone to easy failure. I used to get mine at Herman electronics in Miami at a fair price. They can also be had at many local parts houses, at least in the larger cities. Herman might even have that PS if it's made by Sony etc.... If you can post the part # off the PS someone here might be able to tell you if it's worth repairing.(some are, some not.)