JVC GR-D30 camcorder has stopped working at once

[robertsheldon]

Hello, My JVC GR-D30 camcorder has stopped working at once today. I checked it in the morning - it worked, I have charged the battery ready for an afternoon shoot, but it stopped working with NO SIGNS og anything. When I attached EITHER batteries (I have four) or power cord into the camcorder, then turning power ON - NO RESPONSE. The tape is IN the camcorder, and when opening the cover - does not eject.

What could be wrong with it??? Is that something serious or it could be fixed by me? Please, help.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Robert Sheldon.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Sorry to hear that.

Hopefully, it is a blown fuse. Many camcorders have fuses to protect the circuitry from faulty batteries that provide too much power.

Unfortunately, these fuses are usually micro surface mount and soldered to one of the circuit boards.

To diagnose, you'd need to get a service manual and have be comfortable with taking the camcorder apart.

I know this because one of my Sony's blew a fuse. Since it wasn't critical to me, I repaired it myself by (and I do not recommend this unless you understand the possible consequences!) soldering a wire across the blown fuse.

[robertsheldon]

Thank you very much. It might be it. I went to JVC dealer. They are asking for $160 repair, which does not make sense, since the camcorder itself now costs about $170-200. I will ask my "technical" friend to look at it. It it not under warranty and it will not hurt to just see what's happening inside.

Thans again for your comment.

[opieandy]

Hello, My JVC GR-D30 camcorder has stopped working at once today. I checked it in the morning - it worked, I have charged the battery ready for an afternoon shoot, but it stopped working with NO SIGNS og anything. When I attached EITHER batteries (I have four) or power cord into the camcorder, then turning power ON - NO RESPONSE. The tape is IN the camcorder, and when opening the cover - does not eject.

What could be wrong with it??? Is that something serious or it could be fixed by me? Please, help.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Robert Sheldon.

Robert, I have the same unit and the exact same issue. I have had mine three years, which is the same life I got out of the last one. I like JVC's features, but the life is lacking. I would be interested if you discover the problem. Please post your progress, and I'll do likewise if I figure anything out. I'm thinking about getting a hard-drive based camcorder anyway since the tapes are a bit of a hassle.

Chris

[opieandy]

Sorry to hear that.

Hopefully, it is a blown fuse. Many camcorders have fuses to protect the circuitry from faulty batteries that provide too much power.

Unfortunately, these fuses are usually micro surface mount and soldered to one of the circuit boards.

To diagnose, you'd need to get a service manual and have be comfortable with taking the camcorder apart.

I know this because one of my Sony's blew a fuse. Since it wasn't critical to me, I repaired it myself by (and I do not recommend this unless you understand the possible consequences!) soldering a wire across the blown fuse.

Yikes. Just below the DV slot, I found a removable panel. Behind the panel is a small white object that looks attached to the circuit board. I was hoping that it was plugged into a slot, but it will not come out. It does appear to be soldered to the board, and I am no carpenter or electrician. Is this the fuse? I have no idea what it is supposed to look like, but it certainly doesn't look like a car fuse! It must be something replaceable, otherwise why have the removable panel covering it?

Would appreciate any help.

Thanks,

Chris

[redwudz]

If you do a Google search for 'JVC GR-D30 camcorder service manual', you should get a few hits. You likely need to have your exact model number, as there appear to be several versions. I see some manuals listed with Ebay, but you may be taking a chance there unless the seller is reputable. Good luck.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Behind the panel is a small white object that looks attached to the circuit board. I was hoping that it was plugged into a slot, but it will not come out. It does appear to be soldered to the board, and I am no carpenter or electrician. Is this the fuse?

It could be a service connection - e.g., to provide power to an otherwise dead board, or designed to plug in a breakout card that allows the service engineer to test various signals, or even a means to power the eject mechanism to release a trapped tape.

As redwudz suggests, a service manual will go a long way to helping you out.

I got one for my Sony PDX-10. It's in PDF and is fully electronic - not just a photocopied/scanned file. The amount of information in there is mind-boggling, as is the complexity of the camcorder when opened up!

I paid about $30 to $40. I can't remember the vendor, though.

[opieandy]

Behind the panel is a small white object that looks attached to the circuit board. I was hoping that it was plugged into a slot, but it will not come out. It does appear to be soldered to the board, and I am no carpenter or electrician. Is this the fuse?

It could be a service connection - e.g., to provide power to an otherwise dead board, or designed to plug in a breakout card that allows the service engineer to test various signals, or even a means to power the eject mechanism to release a trapped tape.

As redwudz suggests, a service manual will go a long way to helping you out.

I got one for my Sony PDX-10. It's in PDF and is fully electronic - not just a photocopied/scanned file. The amount of information in there is mind-boggling, as is the complexity of the camcorder when opened up!

I paid about $30 to $40. I can't remember the vendor, though.

Thanks, redwudz and Johnny. I see some on ebay for very reasonable prices (<$10) from good sellers. I think I've damaged that little white part and have almost convinced myself just to buy a new hard drive-based camcorder. I appreciate your help.

Chris

[edDV]

I agree "totally dead" probably indicates a power issue. Another standard camcorder revival strategy is to remove the small internal watch type battery that holds the settings in camcorder memory. Let it sit a few hours to fully discharge and replace the battery. This forces the microprocessor reboot and in some cases display error codes.

[robertsheldon]

Hello,

Fould website with FREE service manuals (including JVC GR-D30). Enjoy!


http://www.eserviceinfo.com/index.php?what=search2