VCR eat's tapes

or

I'm not interested in giving away or selling a defective VCR. I want to fix this one.

Getting a free one is easier but if you insist:

snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com ha escrito:

please post the make and model number if you expect useful repair tips. there are thousands of vcrs out there , each one with different chassis design!

usually, if there is no belt and the unit loops the tape on eject , then the mode switch needs cleaning or replacing or in the case of many sonys, the half load arm is stiff due to old grease.

anyway, get back to us with the info and we'll take it from there. regards, B.

It's a JVC HR-S3500U. S-VHS VCR (also does the VHS-ET)

Not if you have to have JVC VHS-ET and SVHS

I've only repaired older VCR's that had idler tire, belt, or those end of tape sensor problems before (I.E. - easy stuff). I'm not familiar with the mode switch. Will research.

Are the belts ok?

A VCR with no idler or belts almost certainly has cheap plastic parts (gears, etc.) in the drive mechanism, as do most VCRs made today. The trend is going heavily towards completely gear-driven systems, eliminating belts and idlers almost entirely; the only problem is, this type of VCR is or can be extremely noisy--I have a Panasonic VCR which is very noisy when in rewind, but that's the nature of the system. I simply use an external rewinder, rather than the VCR's rewind function. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the VCR's drive mechanism as well.

Your VCR may not be worth repairing unless it is still under warranty, in which case, of course, I'd go ahead and have it fixed. But if it's a year or two old or more and out of warranty, I would just get rid of it and get a new one.

If you get a VCR with an ATSC (digital) tuner next year, you won't have to discard it early next year or for quite some time. If you have digital cable you have nothing to worry about as far as compatibility issues are concerned; your ATSC-equipped VCR will work with the system. The only drawback is that if you have an analog TV, you won't see the programs in HD. I have digital cable (with a converter box) and an analog TV and VCR, and they work just fine together. Yours should as well; in fact, with a VCR having a digital tuner, as will be required of all TVs/VCRs next year, you will be able to eliminate your cable box as well, if you are using one at this time.

Kind regards,

Jeff, WB8NHV (email addy not shown to deter spammers) Fairport Harbor, Ohio USA

It doesn't have any belts.

Anyone have a link to picture of what this mode switch most likely looks like? I've never done one before and it might be helpful if I knew exactly what to look for and if I have to desolder it before cleaning, etc.

note they come in all shapec and sizes.

-B.

On 10 Oct 2006 13:24:21 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com put finger to keyboard and composed:

If your VCR chews tapes when the cassette is ejected, then it could be that the brake pads need replacing. What normally happens is that the brakes are applied after the tape is retracted into the cassette housing. If the brakes slip, then some slack remains outside the housing and the cassette flap closes over it on the way out.

- Franc Zabkar