Panasonic AG-1980 won't load tapes

[royal007]

I found a Panasonic AG-1980 at goodwill and it looks to be in really good condition. But I am having a problem with it. I plug it in and it powers on just fine, but it won't take any tapes. I push the tape in and it doesn't take it and if i keep it pushed in a bit, the unit powers off and "F 06" is displayed on the display. I took the cover off of it to see what is going on. I noticed when I turn the unit on, the heads spin and then stop. Then when trying to push the tape in, the gears that turn the tape spin but the tape will not sit down in there. Then it powers off with the F 06 error. Does anyone know if this is an easy fix? as it looks pretty clean in there like it was not used much. But it must have died so someone gave it to goodwill. any suggestions or help with anything i can try to see if it will take a tape and then see if it actually plays the tape. Thanks

[buckethead]

Knowing the age of the unit, it's more than likely the loading motor belt. Before you do or try anything else, order and replace all the belts and if possible, the pinch roller.

[royal007]

Thanks for the answer. This unit seems to be hard to get at. I unscrewed the bottom plate and you can't get to much back there or see if anything is wrong. I don't know how difficult it is, do I have to take the whole cassette thing apart from the front to get to the bottom? I don't have any experience in this and don't know which screws to start with. Are there any photos online on what the parts look like and what they should look like if they are broken? I tried youtube but nothing on there. I might just have to take it back to goodwill and get a refund.

[orsetto]

This is a common problem with AG1980s as they age. The cause varies, anything from the loading motor gear needing replacement, to a snapped tooth on the geared belts, to electronic issues with the capacitors feeding power to that subassembly. The repairs are relatively simple for a technician familiar with the unit, but not something advisable for DIY: as you've correctly guessed, the entire tape mechanism must be removed from the top to get at the bottom (you can't get to it from underneath because the black plastic chassis covers it). You're probably looking at a $125 repair bill, if you knew for sure the VCR was working perfectly aside from the loading issue it would be well worth the repair cost. But since you can't load a tape to test overall playback, you should probably just return it and get your money back. The AG1980 frequently needs many caps replaced to repair common video defects, adding this to the loading repair could easily result in a total repair tab of $250 or more. Theres also a small possibility the video heads could be damaged, in which case the machine would not be worth the astronomical cost of head replacement.

A perfectly restored AG1980 is arguably worth $500 to someone who needs to digitize a lot of tapes, and a dedicated VHS enthusiast would know how to evaluate the potential of a "Goodwill Find." For the casual user, it can quickly become an expensive project with no real advantage over an "ordinary" VCR you can pick up in perfect working condition for $20.

[royal007]

Could it have anything to do with the power supply. I hear a very light high pitched sound coming from it, but not sure if this is normal, is it suppose to be silent?

[lordsmurf]

Service manuals and other info here: http://www.digitalFAQ.com/forum/vcr-repair/

This is a very high-quality VCR, once it's working.
These units are all at an age now where they need servicing. (And it's worth it.)

[royal007]

Thanks for the info, I will check out the service manual. I could at least mess around with it and see if I can get it working before I take it back.

[orsetto]

Could it have anything to do with the power supply. I hear a very light high pitched sound coming from it, but not sure if this is normal, is it suppose to be silent?

The main power supply is a known failure point, followed by the display power and the TBC/Video Board power. Loading problems are almost always due to loading motor/gear issues.

If you can hear a high pitched whine from two feet away, the power supply is beginning to fail. The unit should normally be silent with your ear inches away.

There really aren't any "minor" repairs an owner can perform beyond simple cleaning. Most of the electronics that need to be replaced are surface mount, and mechanical service requires significant disassembly. The service manual is helpful if you are familiar with this kind of work, and will give vague guidelines to the error codes displayed like F06, but the AG1980 really needs "pro" service to restore its full potential performance. Identifying damaged power components can be daunting without proper tools: this VCR is loaded with dozens and dozens of tiny failure-prone capacitors.

Its a great VCR once restored, but only you can decide how much $ you're willing to put into it. If you got it very cheap from the thrift shop to begin with, it can be a worthwhile restoration investment.

[royal007]

Thank you all for the comments.

Ok just a little update. Thanks to the service manual, I was able to get to the cassette thingie? and pull it out so I could turn it over to access the gears and such. The gears seemed to turn fine when rotated by hand. I took the motor out and I can't really tell by looking at it if its broke. I wonder if I could power it up some way to see if it spins? It had a date on it of AUGUST 99. I thought that was strange because wasn't this built in 1991? Could that mean it has been serviced before for the same problem.

Looking at the mode switch, it did not seem to be aligned like it should be from the photos in the manual. But I did take it off and cleaned the metal contacts on it. I put it all back together (the best I could). This time when I power on, the heads spin constantly.. and the right tape gears spin for a few seconds, then the left ones, then it shuts off with a F04 error code (previously it was F06). Not sure why it changed. If I knew a replacement motor would work, I would buy one as I saw one on ebay for $16. Is there any change it could be a misalignment of the loading gears stopping the motor working? or is the motor a goner? I would like to fix this, but I don't want to invest too much into this, as it could all turn out to be junk like mentioned above.

[orsetto]

Several AG1980s I've seen have parts stamped "August 99," I don't think it means much one way or the other. It could be a large batch of replacement/service parts were mfrd at that time, or the machine itself left the factory in 1999 (they were still on Panasonic's product list).

The most common issue with the loading motor isn't the motor itself, but the nylon drive collar attached to it. The collar tends to break down every three years or so, by either developing a hairline crack or otherwise losing its grip on the motor driveshaft. The result is the motor drive shaft spinning inside the collar while the collar remains motionless, or the collar jamming against the geartrain. You don't really need to test whether the motor itself works, they rarely fail and if they did you could tell by ear. Think back to when you first tried to load a tape: did you hear a motor noise before the FO6 displayed and the VCR turned off? If so, the motor is good and the problem lies in the collar or other part. If the VCR was silent, and immediately displayed F06 before powering off, the motor is dead or the power tap that feeds it is burned out.

As you've already seen, it is difficult to even just remove and replace the transport without other problems developing. This is a very complex VCR with multiple interlocking electromechanical failure points. Disturb one, or repair one, and others will often pop up. Repairing an AG1980 is like riding a bike: simple if you know how, but theres a heckuva learning curve.

[royal007]

Well I did hear a sound, but upon opening it, it was probably the heads spinning, as they span up and then the rewind gear span and then powers off. So I can't actually tell if the motor is running. Are the heads suppose to spin when you turn the machine on???

I did see a plastic screwie thing attached to the motor, it had a bunch of black grease on it so hard to see if it has a crack on it. It looked like it could maybe come off pretty easily, like a bit wobbly. I did try and turn it a bit when it was on the board, but it was very tough and it would not move the other gears. But it looks like its meant to be that way, as only the motor can move it. I may have to open it back up (it is a pain) and have another look at that plastic screw. Would it be okay to wash off the grease, so I can see it clearer for a crack, or does it need the grease on it?

Thanks for all your help.

[orsetto]

The video heads do normally spin when you power up the VCR.

You can remove the grease to check for cracks, but they aren't always obvious.

Before doing so, try pushing the motor driveshaft gear with your finger as you power on the VCR, this might unjam the mechanism. I have two AG1980s that sometimes won't eject properly, displaying an error code. I keep the bottom covers off so I can push on the gear when it gets stuck, this usually gets the tape out. I plan to send these VCRs in for complete overhaul in the next few weeks.