VideoHelp Forum
+ Reply to Thread
Results 1 to 14 of 14
Thread
  1. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    I just got a used 8mm VCR for salvaging some old 8mm tapes. These tapes were recorded with a camcorder whose video heads were misaligned. I'm wanting to manually adjust the video heads in this VCR and try to get a good picture (is this crazy without the proper tools?).

    Is there any good guide for (or someone who can walk me through) aligning these heads? I popped open the top and see the head drum, just don't know where to go from here to adjust. I'm looking for the service manual now, maybe that'll shed some light.

    Thanks for any help!
    Quote Quote  
  2. Member zoobie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Florida
    Search Comp PM
    crazy as it may seem, I don't think there was any adjustment in this format
    but keep looking...maybe you can find a screw adjustment in there
    look on the remote, too
    Quote Quote  
  3. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    Thanks for the reply! I got a hold of the service manual, and it seems this all has to be adjusted electronically..? With a service remote RM95 (or emulator) that interfaces on the actual circuit board via a LANC connector.

    Does this sound right? The original camcorder was from like 1986, but if head tracking is electronically controlled, maybe I have a different issue?

    Basically I play these tapes back and I get very intermittent picture (mostly just black/no signal), with bands in the middle and bottom. Audio is hardly existent - sometimes garbled/static. If I pause the VCR, I can see a picture. If I fast forward, I see a fluid (albiet noisy) picture. This happens in any 8mm camcorder with these tapes.
    Quote Quote  
  4. Member zoobie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    Florida
    Search Comp PM
    what make and model are you talking about?
    maybe someone else can jump in here...
    Quote Quote  
  5. I'm not surprised that the alignment would be electronic.

    I would discount alignment as the problem because the image appears (reasonably) OK on pause and fast forward. The mechanism is in the same configuration in all cases. i.e., the tension arms are forward and the tape is wrapped around the drum etc. Perhaps it's a tape tension issue - too low/high play compared to pause/wind?
    John Miller
    Quote Quote  
  6. I'm a Super Moderator johns0's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    canada
    Search Comp PM
    The tape guides sounds like they are loose which is a very common problem with 8mm recorder/player,if they are loose you will have to manually adjust them to get rid of the tracking rings and that will bring the audio back so it doesnt cut out,then tighten the tape guide post screws.
    I think,therefore i am a hamster.
    Quote Quote  
  7. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    The Video8 VCR I'm using for playback is a Sony EV-C25; the tapes were originally recorded on an old Sony handycam (long gone) which, I thought, the locking screws came loose at some point and the tape guides became misaligned. They exhibit the same playback problem (see previous post) in any other D8/Hi8/V8 camcorder.

    I managed to get the service manual for the VCR and the "8mm Video Mechanical Adjustment Manual" for the "F" style mechanism. I found the locking screws for two of the main guides and played with their height somewhat. Depending on the adjustment, I can get the video to appear on the screen consistently (although garbled and noisy). No audio though - not sure why.

    There are two other guides that I'll try to adjust later - maybe they control tension.

    Oh, and I believe there is some form of electronic "fine tuning" alignment as well (using the service remote I mentioned earlier). But this seems mechanical - so you're suggesting maybe the tension guide on the original camcorder became loose?
    Quote Quote  
  8. Are you sure it's not the tracking adjustment? You should be able to do that at the source.
    Quote Quote  
  9. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    Originally Posted by johns0
    The tape guides sounds like they are loose which is a very common problem with 8mm recorder/player,if they are loose you will have to manually adjust them to get rid of the tracking rings and that will bring the audio back so it doesnt cut out,then tighten the tape guide post screws.
    So given the symptoms with these tapes, it does indeed sound like the original camcorder's guides became loose?

    Originally Posted by handyguy
    Are you sure it's not the tracking adjustment? You should be able to do that at the source.
    I have four guides in this VCR that I can adjust.. it's just a matter of trying to adjust all of them at the right level to match the tapes... a lot of trial and error, if this is really the issue.
    Quote Quote  
  10. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    Doing a little more reading.. I'll have to examine the tape under a magnifying glass, but if there are creases or scratches the tape may have been mis-threaded on the original record. If that's the case, is this fixable? I'll have to take a look later.
    Quote Quote  
  11. Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2001
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    frozentax,

    I'd go for just cleaning the vcr heads first before you muckle with the actual electronics or any real moving parts. A *new* bottle of 95% isopropyl alcohol with a lint free swab accross the heads and anywhere the tape touches may do it. Its worked for me on a few machines. It cleans off the oxide built up over usage. Just need a little tender care and light touch.
    Have a good one,

    neomaine

    NEW! VideoHelp.com F@H team 166011!
    http://fah-web.stanford.edu/cgi-bin/main.py?qtype=teampage&teamnum=166011

    Folding@Home FAQ and download: http://folding.stanford.edu/
    Quote Quote  
  12. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    United States
    Search Comp PM
    I used a wet head cleaning tape, but is your method more effective?
    Quote Quote  
  13. If you use a swab make sure you wipe it parallel to the direction the actual heads (in the drum) move - i.e., like going around the equator - and not up-and-down - like going from pole-to-pole.
    Quote Quote  
  14. Definitely try cleaning the heads since it is old. Do not use QTips and hold the swab against the drum lightly and turn the drum manually without moving the swab. This type of cleaning is much better than the tapes and also cleaning the tape path is a great idea. Moving the tape guide posts up and down until it is synced is usually the best way to fix extreme tracking problems. I have a EV-S900 for just such tapes but it has the Beta U style threading. I also have a EV-C200 that looks exactly the same that I could open and give you some pointers if still needed (with pics if necessary).
    Quote Quote  



Similar Threads

Visit our sponsor! Try DVDFab and backup Blu-rays!